The Jim Fitzgerald Gallery

D Production Runoffs, Road Atlanta, 1976

Lee Mueller (just out of shot), racing a works (Huffaker) TR7, heads the late Paul Newman in his TR6 down the back straight. Jim Reeves (Yenko Stinger) and PLN's long-time fiend Jim Fitzgerald (Datsun 2000) follow. Newman, driving ex BRE race driver John McComb's 1975 DP Championship winning TR6, went on to win the race, with Mueller a close second. A broken rocker arm forced Fitzy to retire, whilst placed first, in lap 12. Paul Newman learned how to race at the Bob Bondurant Driving School, racing a range of sports and race cars, including Bondurant's 1600 and 2000 roadsters.  

Note:- In 1975, the Triumph TR6, on twin Stromberg carbs, was reclassified to run in D Production by the SCCA. It had suffered at the hands of the Datsun Z Series year after year in C Production until that point. Campaigners of the Datsun 2000, for so long dominant in D Production,  ound this new 6-cylinder contender difficult to beat, although Tom Brennan was to beat allcomers in 1978 to win a further D Production crown for the 2000.

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