Reno - August 1958

    While sifting through some boxes around the office, I came across one filled with envelopes of photos from various races throughout the western U.S.

    Each envelope was marked with the date and race but no other clues as to who the photographer was.

    I know Gerald had purchased the files from Jonathan Thompson, who worked at Road & Track magazine. Thompson also authored several books on Ferraris.

    His photos? From some other source? These are just some of the mysteries that get solved, or not, around here every day.

    But aside from not being able to credit where these photos came from, they uncover some interesting information.

    Most of the photos show pages of a program from the San Francisco Region SCCA for the Nevada Grand Prix. This race was held on Saturday, August 2nd, and Sunday, August 3rd, 1958.

    My first stop was to check our Chronology database to see if we had any entries. Next was to see what Ferraris were listed and the results.

    Yes, Chronology did have entries and interesting cars did attend.

    The preliminary race on Saturday had:
        500 TR, S/N 0650 MDTR driven by Gordon Glyer #26
        335 Sport S/N 700 driven by John von Neumann #11
        250 TR S/N 0710 TR driven by Richie Ginther #211

 

    John von Neumann in discussion with  Richie Ginther, 335 Sport S/N 0700

 

    It would appear Ginther came in 2nd and Glyer was DNF. It is unknown if von Neumann participated.

    On Sunday there were more Ferraris participating.

    Ginther and Glyer raced and John von Neumann joined in along with Pete Woods driving John Edgar’s 410 Sport S/N 0598 CM.

 

    Richie Ginther on left in 250 TR S/N 0710 TR with Pete Woods in the 410 Sport S/N 0598 CM

    The race was won by Lance Reventlow driving a Scarab MK I in the B-Modified class.

    The next three places were Ferrari, Ferrari, and Ferrari.

    John von Neumann came in second with the potent 335 Sport and was first in class, C-Modified.

    Ritchie Ginther was next in the von Neumann 250 TR and was first in class D-Modified.

    Next was John Edgar’s 410 Sport driven by Pete Woods, fourth overall but second in class C-Modified.

    Period photographs are always interesting because they prove who and what was there. In this batch were several shots of the Ferraris participating.

    Clearly these cars were weapons to be used to win races. All of the Ferraris were less than a year and a half old, but they were already veterans on the track.

    Collectively they had won many races both in the U.S. and Europe. World travelers, world beaters and fighting it out wheel to wheel in a one-off race in Reno, Nevada!

    Beauty queens on the concours lawns would be far in the future. That day they were just working horses.

 

    The engine of 335 Sport S/N 0700