God's Speed Chuck Daigh

This evening it was hard to for me to break the sad news to Frank Ruppert about Chuck Daigh's passing since they had been best of friends for a lifetime. I listened as Frank reminisced about countless adventures Chuck and he shared. Frank recalled times when Chuck had worked for Clay Smith and when Chuck had driven Frank's service truck when Frank took part in sponsoring Clay Smith in a 1948 Mercury in the 1952 La Carrera Panamericana. (photo below) Frank described what was truly a gentleman and quietly said the world has lost a fine man.



Chuck Daigh was born in Long Beach, California. He built hot rods prior to WW II and ran at the Dry Lakes.

He served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne during WWII and saw action in France, Belgium and Germany, including fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. On his return he went to work for Bill Stroppe and Clay Smith preparing the Bob Estes entered Lincoln Capris for the Carrera Panamericana Mexican road race. He was the co-driver on three occasions, in 1952 and 1953 with Walt Faulkner, finishing 8th in 1953 and with Chuck Stevenson in 1954 when they failed to finish.

Chuck Daigh also drove Stock Cars in NASCAR as well as many other venues of racing. On the 29th of May 1960 he debuted in F1 and participated in another five Grands Prix at the wheel of a Scarab and a Cooper. What you will not see is the little known fact that he was the chief engineer that designed and built the Scarabs that became so famous. It was Daigh that drove the Scarab to victory in the 1958 Riverside International Grand Prix beating a field of international factory teams including famous race car driver Phil Hill and the Ferrari Team. Carroll Shelby drove the Scarab sports car built by Daigh to victory at the Continental Divide raceway in Castle Rock Colorado setting a new course record. He was also a successful sportscar driver in America, winning the 1959 Sebring endurance classic and also tried to qualify twice for the Indianapolis 500.

Like my good friend Carson Scheller said, "There goes another one .. crossin the final finish line of life... checkers wavin... crowd cheerin... hot tires, engine steamin and a satisfaction of a life well lived... RIP Chuck Gaigh."

Chuck Daigh died in the hospital in Newport Beach, California after a brief battle with heart and respiratory problems at 86 years of age.

An awesome LCP find

Check out this beautiful color photo of the 1953 Lincoln team. Considering it was taken in 1953 when most photos from that period were black in white this is an amazingly well preserved find. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE.

Phone call from Hershel McGriff

A couple nights ago I got one of the coolest phone calls I have ever received. It was none other than Hershel McGriff who won the 1950 La Carrera Panamericana. Of course it would be unfair to point out he won more races than I can count including Nascar, World Championships and more. Hershel called me at home and we spent quite a while swapping stories about things we have in common besides the fact that we have both raced the La Carrera Panamericana. Hershel was born and raised in Oregon like myself and he owned a lumber mill just like my father. We talked about his involvement in the La Carrera Panamericana and we discussed the way things were done back then versus the way they are done today. Even though they didn't have transit stages back when Hershel ran it he said it sounds exactly how things were done when he raced it.

I couldn't help but laugh when Hershel told me how many things posted about him on the Internet were completely wrong such as where he was born, his involvement in Nevada mining and more. He does however own a mining company in Arizona and he was gracious enough to invite me down to his home to do an interview for our HD DVD. I am really excited and looking forward to meeting another historical figure with regards to La Carrera Panamericana.

McGriff's racing career spans four decades of NASCAR competition from the rough-and-tumble 1950s to the finely tuned 90s. He was the winner of the first Carrera Panamericana in 1950, where he met NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. France convinced McGriff to come south and race in NASCAR races at Daytona Beach, the first Southern 500 race at Darlington Raceway.

France convinced McGriff to race full-time in NASCAR in 1954. He had his four wins that year in the Grand National series. He had 17 Top 10 finishes in 24 events, and finished sixth in the final points standings. McGriff's average finishing position was higher than points champion Lee Petty.

Let's get ready to rumble!

From the way things are looking up just like the volcano Popocatepetl which is located near Puebla whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain I have the feeling this years La Carrera Panamericana is going to be nothing short of explosive. Don't forget, Popocatepetl spouted off last year causing thousands of people in Puebla to be evacuated.

I have to tell you, this years La Carrera Panamericana is looking like one hell of a great race. Anyone who wins a stage is going to have to overcome some serious competition to do so. Having competed at a world class level in another sport and having raced cars with some of the best teams/drivers in the world I have learned there is nothing that can turn things up a notch more than stiffer competition it's self. Show me a sport with very little competition and I will show you a sport that is boring to watch. This year's LCP is looking anything but boring.

In the Turismo Mayor you have a very good size class of cars with some excellent drivers and crews and after giving it some serious thought I wouldn't be so fast to assume just because someone has a lot of races under their belt that they will win. Well set up cars, a great crew and a lot of luck will be required in all cases however, to have competed in the LCP on numerous occasions has to be a BIG asset in winning this race.

Turismo de Producción class looks like a blast to run as well and this class has some sleepers that can't be overlooked either.

Historic A and A Plus have their hands full too and this class will be exciting to keep and eye on.

Historic B has something else going for it that really has my attention and I can't wait to see the outcome. This class has some beautiful cars including some awesome Jaguars but what has my attention is a whole battalion of Mercedes and Porsches that are running against a lone wolf Corvair. I recall a campaign add that Chevrolet had the first year the Corvair came out that said, "CORVAIR... THE CAR THAT WILL SEND THE VOLKSWAGON BACK TO GERMANY." If ever there was a time to shine this could be it. I can think of no better car to paint "The Little Engine That Could" than that Corvair.

Ahhh, Historic C... Anyone who knows me knows how dear to me this class is. As usual there is no more competitive class than Historic C and without a doubt this is THE Battle Royal. With almost 25 cars in this field there is an awesome representation of Fords in the form of Mustangs, GT350s, Monte Carlo Falcons and even a Tiger. As far as Chevy's go so far there are four, one of which is none other than Gerie Bledso himself and we all know Gerie knows how to turn things up a notch or two. Another thing that's very interesting about this class is how many different countries the teams are coming from. Literally all over the world. Jon, did we start something here?

Sport Menor has some absolute bitcin rides in it this year including a bunch of tricked out looking Porsches including our good friend Andrew Prill from the UK and I am anxious to see how well that beautiful little Austin Healy from Belgium is going to do. (Think Tope)

Original Panamericana... Now if there is a class that would be considered the Crown Jewel of La Carrera Panamericana this would be it. While these cars may not have all the trick suspension and horsepower that some other classes offer without a doubt they have more elegance and class by far. These are the true historians that carry the real torch which in turn keep the true Spirit of La Carrera alive.

To anyone who has not had the pleasure of running in La Carrera Panamericana let me offer some advice. MAKE SURE you take time to spend some time checking out these cars like the Original Panamericana. Ask questions, learn about their involvement and history and the men that drove them back in their era as well as this year. So many times we become so involved in the cars in the overall or just in the top three that many times some of these awesome machines and their drivers are overlooked until we return home only to miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity.

On the other hand don't make the mistake of missing out on any of the classes or cars that run this amazing race. In my opinion one of the single biggest problems with the La Carrera is when the teams drive into a city to a welcome of hundreds of thousands of serious race fans. Before your car comes to a stop you will be surrounded by people wanting autographs and photos and simply just happy to shake your hand or meet you. And I must say it's very good for one's self esteem and ego. But take in the whole experience by taking a walk around and head to the front and the back where you can meet other teams and check out their cars and hear stories. When we ran in the 2007 LCP by the time we had spent two hours signing autographs and posing for pictures some teams had not even reached the finish arch yet. For this reason there were times we had already headed off to our hotel rooms and never even knew what some drivers looked like let alone their cars. For months after we returned form last years race I saw photos on blogs of cars I had never seen before that had ran in the very same race as us. So don't make the same mistake and find time to see EVERY car.

The next time we run La Carrera Panamericana I have made up my mind I will not waste my time attending the awards banquet and dinner ceremonies. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing tragically wrong with them. On the other hand when you have been in a car racing for 8 hours or more the last thing I want to do is sit in some crowed place when I can be checking out some of the simply breathtaking sites in these old colonel cities and get in some shopping or even the unheard of... Just stay in your hotel room for a whole evening and relax. Keep in mind there are some dinner/award ceremonies well worth attending and The Bull Ring in Zacatecas comes to mind.

And don't forget to check out the wonderful people who are entered in The Unlimited Class. These are the cars that will be the future of La Carrera Panamericana. Recently when we had the privilege of spending the weekend with Frank Ruppert it was as if we had stepped into a time machine where were transported to a time where all the cars were brand new ones all of them trying to steal top honors to prove to the world who was dominant.

Morelia Memories

Have you ever had a memory that you so badly wanted to be able to share with others? Many of us would give anything to turn back time so we could spend a few moments with loved ones or to be able to take our children to a time we cherished when we were their age. Then there are those who we love and miss whom we wish we could have just one more moment with to tell them how so very special they were and still are.

For those of us who participated in La Carrera Pamnamericana there is also the deep inner desire to be able to take friends back to the very moments we reveled in so that we could once again feel that excitement and awe and also share it with them and see the look on their eyes that we once experienced.





One such moment was the day we finished the exciting run through Mil Cumbre and drove into Morelia often cited as 'the most beautiful city in Mexico', with its fabulous colonial architecture where we parked our race cars right in front of the amazingly stunning 600-year old cathedral and its museums. Even though it's an amazing experience for one's self esteem the whole experience was so much more than just signing autographs and posing for photographs. While we sit in front of colonial style restaurants across the street from our cars and the church enjoying simply unbelievable food we could not help but become engulfed in what has to be one of the most beautiful city settings in the world. This is teh same city we spent the night before our second race back through Mil Cumbre with the sun shining directly into our eyes. This was the same day that several cars ahead of us would suffer everything from running poor, flat tires and yes, even crashing. This video comes as close as I ever could to helping me take you to that place we all love so very much. Come along with Jon and me as we take you for a walk through a place we will never forget and keep in mind, this is only a few moments of an entire week we spent in places equaly as awesome as this.

This is the same place where yearly between about October and March, some hundred million Monarch butterflies migrate from the northern climets, some over a distance of up to almost 3,000 kms, to winter.

Stay alert.... A Big surprise is coming regarding the HD DVD.

Today I had the great pleasure of having a couple wonderful phone conversations with none other than Ben Iskenderian, the brother of the famous Ed Iskenderian. Back in the early 70's when I drove dragsters and hung out at Gotellies Speed Shop, with ole Man Gotelli better known as "Terrible Ted" I was blessed to be able to call Ed any time I needed advice and great advice Ed had plenty of. Today was the first time I had ever talked with Ben but he is just as fine a gentleman as his brother Ed. Before we hung up both Ben and his wife invited me to come visit them the next time I was in Southern California not to mention we would head down to the Isky Cam factory for a personal tour with Both Ben and Ed. That is an invitation I will look forward to and one I will not pass up on.

Funny that I would be talking to one of the most famous cam grinders of the racing world from Southern California since on this very weekend our production company and I will be traveling to Southern California to meet one of the most amazing me who has ever had anything to do with regards to La Carrera Panamericana. His name is Frank Ruppert, of Ruppert Motors who in fact sponsored some of the Lincoln and Mercury teams that won so many races during the first years of La Carrera Panamericana. One of those teams included Clay Smith. Borrowing a quote from Hemmings.... If you've been around a long time you likely remember the woodpecker decal, the one with the snarl on its face and a cigar hanging out to the left. That redheaded bird is a trademark and a characterization of Clay Smith, who was known as Mr. Horsepower and whom none other than Smokey Yunick called "the world's smartest mechanic." Another compliment paid to Smith by his peers was the title "America's Genius Mechanic." So adept at fixing cars was Smith, he could tell how an engine was running by pressing his loins against the body of a car, according to another hot rod pioneer, Ed Almquist.

Interesting footnote; All three of these racing giants (Smith, Isky & Gotelli) were very seldom seen without holding or chewing on one of their signature cigars.


Frank Ruppert has invited our production company to spend the day aboard his yacht while sharing his wonderful involvement in La Carrera Panamericana. Having spoken on the phone numerous times with Frank I am amazed how many famous drivers, owners and other famous racing rascals he and his brother (Also Frank Ruppert) knew on a first name basis.

If that isn't enough excitment to make me crazy then let me tell you about a phone call I had this week inviting me to visit with Herschel McGriff. Talk about feeling like a kid in a candy store! Hershel McGriff has won NASCAR races in the last six decades and won the Mexican Road Race in 1950.

When I said our upcoming HD DVD was nothing short of the greatest La Carrera Panamericana video ever made bar none I wasn't kidding so stay tuned.

La Carrera Panamericana News from 1951

Like myself, Hershel McGriff was from Oregon. Hershel was the winner of the first Carrera Panamericana Mexican road race, in 1950 (1950 Oldsmobile 88 Carrera Panamericana pictured)Hershel’s Oldsmobile 88 was a lighter car than most of the usual front-running Lincolns and Cadillacs, though at the beginning of each stage, when he was full of fuel and spare tires, he was nearly as heavy. The car was essentially stock and he raced without an extensive crew following along. Neither he nor his co-driver was a mechanic, and they only carried a few hand tools, so any major damage would have ended their bid. But careful driving and the lighter weight of the car meant they finished the race on the original brakes (the big cars were re-shoeing every night). “The car only cost me $1900 or so, and the purse winnings were $17,000!”

Chris Economaki, lifelong motorsports reporter and announcer
Chris recalled covering the Carrera Panamericana as a “foreign correspondent” with the Mexican government providing his transportation and lodging. Much of the transportation was via “a broken down DC3 with broken out windows.” The first Spanish word he learned was “disentario,” which many suffered until they started feeding from the Ford hospitality tent. He recalled watching Phil Hill and Richie Ginther cross the finish line of the first stage way ahead of everyone else “at what seemed like 9000 miles per hour.” He was also surprised at the huge attrition rate suffered in that first section, until he learned that Mexico and the governments of several south and central American countries had waived the customary 100-percent duty on imported cars for any car participating in the great Mexican road race. Many of the lovely new imported “race cars” simply left the starting line and drove right onto a boat. He also recalled one of the Mexican drivers skidding to a spin-out stop at the finish line and excitedly yelling for medical help. Not for him, but for his co-driver who had fallen out of the car at full speed 20 miles back.

The following story was written in 1951

The Great Race

From the sunbaked, palm-dotted town of Tuxtla Gutiérrez near the Guatemalan border, 97 carefully tuned automobiles set off last week on the first northward lap of the second Pan-American stock-car race, a five-day, 1,933-mile scramble sponsored by Mexico's National Automobile Association. Competing with Mexican speed demons for $68,000 in prizes—and the glory of beating some of the world's nerviest racers to Ciudad Juarez—were two-man teams from the U.S., Canada, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, France and Italy. Ahead of them were the hairpin curves, roller-coaster dips and erratic paving of the Pan-American highway, bone-jarring enough at tourist speeds, and highly dangerous for even the most experienced racer.

At the start of the race, Jose Estrada, a prosperous Mexico City auto dealer and a veteran racer, announced: "I will win, or die trying." On the first lap, his 1951 Packard screeched off the road and tumbled 630 feet down into a ravine. Both Estrada and Co-Driver Miguel González died in a Oaxaca hospital that afternoon. Next day Carlos Panini, wealthy Italian-born founder of Mexico's first scheduled airline (Aerovias Panini), was killed when his Alfa Romeo skidded into a field and turned over.

Though the Mexican attitude toward bloodshed and danger is traditionally stoic, the deaths of two well-known Mexican sportsmen in the first two days of the race brought some reactions of horror and indignation. A government official publicly branded the race "an imitation of North American customs not suited to Mexican characteristics." The press went off on a crusade. Mexico City's El Universal declared that permitting such dangerous shenanigans was a "crime."

Meanwhile, the race went on, to heightened public interest. Of the 97 starting cars, only 35—all but two U.S. models—finished out the race. Among the starters who dropped out: Hershel McGriff of Portland, Ore., winner of the 1950 race. The two foreign cars that went the route, both lightweight 1951 Italian Ferraris, came in first and second. Leading the pack was Italy's white-haired Piero Taruffi, who finished fourth last year. Taruffi's Ferrari covered the 1,933 miles at an average speed of 88.2 m.p.h., 9.8 m.p.h. faster than McGriff's 1950 mark. Runnerup was Alberto Ascari, Italy's champion racer. Seven minutes and 50 seconds behind Ascari, according to the official clocking, was William Sterling of El Paso, in a Chrysler. The top Mexican came in ninth.