Bob Sharp started his long Datsun and Nissan campaign in 1964, driving a Datsun 1500 for a Rambler/Datsun dealership, P Bruck & Son, in Conneticut. The owner, Paul Bruck, had decided on investing in a race car to advertise his dealership. Initially, both Bob and a racing hopeful named Allan Wylie shared the race car (both names appearing on the front fenders) and, following some success, the team added another 1500. Indeed in his first season, after a 1st at Thompson and a 2nd at Bridgehampton, Bob and the team finished third in the SCCA's North-East Divisional standings, and Bob qualified his 1500 for the First American Road Race of Champions, held at Riverside in November 1964. Although he did not finish at the runoffs, this was an excellent start to his race career in his first season.

The Rambler/Datsun dealership soon went bankrupt and Bob decided to set up on his own car sales and repair business in a gas station and shop in Ridgefield, Conn. Still running two cars, he had caught the eye of Nissan's East Coast boss, Mr Kawazoe, who agreed to back Bob's team for the 1965 race season.  

In 1965, the Datsun 1500 was an unusual sight on the track. It was only when the likes of Bob on the East Coast and Tommy Allen, from the Mid-West, started getting a few results, that more racers started looking at the Datsun as a viable alternative to the Spitfire, Sprite and Midget. The Datsun was definitely a cheap way of breaking into SCCA racing.

Bob's 1500, which was stripped to within a whisker of the 5% weight reduction allowed by the SCCA at this time, gained an extra horse power with every 19lbs removed. Bumpers, glass and interior fittings were all striipped and the steel wheels were replaced by 5x13 Empis. The stock bolt on windscreen lent itself nicely to replacement by a perspex screen and, with the chassis/frame rails directly under the ledge behind the seat, fitment of the 2" diameter rollbar was easy.

Bob's engine and suspension mods were thorough from the early days, and the BSR 1500s were always well turned out. For the 1965 season, with Nissan's backing, Bob fought his way to become the North-East Divisional Champion. This was also Datsun/Nissan's first Divisional Championship. Bob was invited to the ARRC, that year held at Daytona, where he placed an excellent 3rd, ahead of Dick Gilmartin (4th in a Spitfire) and Fred Darling (5th in his Sprite) who Bob had battled against all season in NE Division.

Bob also handed a drive of a Datsun 1500 to Chris Jensen in 1965.

A further successful season in 1966 followed, resulting in a second place in that year's Divisional standings, and a fifth place in his third ARRC, just five seconds behind Jim Fitzgerald in his Morgan, who himself placed behind would be Bob Sharp racer Dick Gilmartin in his Spitfire.

Soon Bob was to receive more support from Nissan. The factory support and competition funding for all Datsun campaigners, helped by Bob's initial success, was to increase dramatically.

During the early years, Bob raced under a number of competition numbers. However, it was not long before he could call #33 his very own.

BOB SHARP'S DATSUN 1500 RESULTS
YEAR	DIVISIONAL STANDINGS	ARRC PLACING
1964	3rd	DNF
1965	1st	3rd
1966	2nd	5th

Note:- At the 1966 ARRC Bob finished 5th behind Dick Gilmartin (3rd) and Jim Fitzgerald (4th). Both were later to drive for Bob. Dick finished 4th in a BSR 1500 in GP at the ARRC in 1967. Fitzy won DP in 1970.

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