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Jan Helzer Alpine
- Thread starter Eleven
- Start date
RootesRooter
Donation Time
Several photos of Jann Helzer racing a Series II Alpine can be found in a new book, "Weekends of Glory," detailing the history of sports car racing at tracks around the Pacific Northwest from 1962-1970. Good reading.
I haven't heard a whisper about the disposition of Jann's racing Alpine since I first met him in the late 70s at his Tacoma, WA store, Sports & Imports, where he sold Sunbeam and other import parts. When he passed away several years ago, the only racer he still owned was a heavily modified Series V which I think ended up in B.C.
Dick Sanders
Kent, WA
I haven't heard a whisper about the disposition of Jann's racing Alpine since I first met him in the late 70s at his Tacoma, WA store, Sports & Imports, where he sold Sunbeam and other import parts. When he passed away several years ago, the only racer he still owned was a heavily modified Series V which I think ended up in B.C.
Dick Sanders
Kent, WA
sunbeam74
Silver Level Sponsor
Tracy,
I believe Dick has many images of the Series II which Jan Helzer ran. (I have many of the race results/entries in a spreadsheet). Dave Tatom was another NW driver.
There was Tommy Thomas who also raced an Alpine in the NW too. Years ago I had corresponded with him a few years ago but recently I haven't been able to get in touch with him. Tommy had lent Skip Adrian a Limited Slip unit when Skip's differential failed at Portland's Loyola event in 1968.
I haven't heard anything more regarding the SV Jan owned since it was sold about 4 years ago. If I recall it was a yellow color with flairs over the arches.
As far as locations of these cars:
Jan's Series II - I thought Jan's Series II was destroyed - but I am not positive. Maybe somebody could clarify this?
Jan's Series V - BC
Dave Tatom - unknown
Tommy Thomas - unknown
Skip Adrian - I own that one
Steve
I believe Dick has many images of the Series II which Jan Helzer ran. (I have many of the race results/entries in a spreadsheet). Dave Tatom was another NW driver.
There was Tommy Thomas who also raced an Alpine in the NW too. Years ago I had corresponded with him a few years ago but recently I haven't been able to get in touch with him. Tommy had lent Skip Adrian a Limited Slip unit when Skip's differential failed at Portland's Loyola event in 1968.
I haven't heard anything more regarding the SV Jan owned since it was sold about 4 years ago. If I recall it was a yellow color with flairs over the arches.
As far as locations of these cars:
Jan's Series II - I thought Jan's Series II was destroyed - but I am not positive. Maybe somebody could clarify this?
Jan's Series V - BC
Dave Tatom - unknown
Tommy Thomas - unknown
Skip Adrian - I own that one
Steve
sunbeam74
Silver Level Sponsor
I was going to mention I was sent photos from Northern California of a derilict wedgewood blue Series I or II which had clearly been raced.
I was never able to find out the original person who raced this car.
At one time it had fender flairs, too, as you would find on a SCCA car that had been raced in the early 70's... but there were also details that suggested this car had been raced in the mid to early 60's.
Steve
I was never able to find out the original person who raced this car.
At one time it had fender flairs, too, as you would find on a SCCA car that had been raced in the early 70's... but there were also details that suggested this car had been raced in the mid to early 60's.
Steve
Eleven
Platinum Level Sponsor
The car I raceed was a Series II I think, no flares but they could be added. It belonged to local Alpine guy Tony Pouliot who was a friend of Janns and I think part owner in his business, Sports and Imports. I raced it in 1972. Talking to Tony earlier this year, he thought it was still around but could not locate the guy who had it. I did not make the connection between the car I ran and Jann's until I saw some photos this week. Thank you all for help, if you get any leads, I will try to track them down. it may be destroyed, who knows!
Jim E
Donation Time
Eric Gibueat, not sure I spelled it right he lives here in SC. Not racer Eric but the race car he has would have been a better clearer way to say it.
Check out teh drop down above for Member list it should get you a way to at least PM him not sure he has his email open to the public on here.
Check out teh drop down above for Member list it should get you a way to at least PM him not sure he has his email open to the public on here.
RootesRooter
Donation Time
Actually, Jim Leach of Seattle has the photos you mentioned. Jann's flaired Series V was painted red as of when it went to B.C., looking much the same as it was when autocrossed by a friend of Jann's at Sunbeam Northwest V in Olympia, WA in 1983.
I'm pretty sure Dave Tatom sold his Alpine back in the '60s. He wasn't very complimentary of Alpines, as briefly quoted in "Weekends of Glory," but he gave a good talk about his racing experiences to members of Pacific Tiger Club several years ago at his shop near Mt. Vernon, where he still works on flat-head Fords.
Dick Sanders
Kent, WA
I'm pretty sure Dave Tatom sold his Alpine back in the '60s. He wasn't very complimentary of Alpines, as briefly quoted in "Weekends of Glory," but he gave a good talk about his racing experiences to members of Pacific Tiger Club several years ago at his shop near Mt. Vernon, where he still works on flat-head Fords.
Dick Sanders
Kent, WA
Eleven
Platinum Level Sponsor
Update
The car I drove was #11, Yellow but not built by Helzer. Tony ran it with #24 of Werner Korsen. Still not sure who built it but Tony mentioned that he thought it was red when he got it. Yellow seems to be a popular racing color for Alpines. We have a yellow one running now in SOVREN. Anyway, the car I drove may still exist, Tony has lost track of it, will keep looking. It was a large finned Alpine with lever shocks but my memory fails me as to engine size. (Worst day of my racing life was the race the day after my drivers school. Heavy, heavy rain, lightning, awful conditions. You have to finish to get credit for a race so no choice but to run. I spun the car on the straight and twice on the back stretch at Pacifc Raceways. Chief Steward questioned my lineage, intelligence-he couldn't find any-and whether I was capable of even getting home without help. I packed up and went home and felt like a total loser for a week. Deciding to check the car over before trying again, I found the left rear lever shock hanging lose. 5 minutes of vindication before I remembered I still spun it on the straight....!)
The car I drove was #11, Yellow but not built by Helzer. Tony ran it with #24 of Werner Korsen. Still not sure who built it but Tony mentioned that he thought it was red when he got it. Yellow seems to be a popular racing color for Alpines. We have a yellow one running now in SOVREN. Anyway, the car I drove may still exist, Tony has lost track of it, will keep looking. It was a large finned Alpine with lever shocks but my memory fails me as to engine size. (Worst day of my racing life was the race the day after my drivers school. Heavy, heavy rain, lightning, awful conditions. You have to finish to get credit for a race so no choice but to run. I spun the car on the straight and twice on the back stretch at Pacifc Raceways. Chief Steward questioned my lineage, intelligence-he couldn't find any-and whether I was capable of even getting home without help. I packed up and went home and felt like a total loser for a week. Deciding to check the car over before trying again, I found the left rear lever shock hanging lose. 5 minutes of vindication before I remembered I still spun it on the straight....!)
Wow, I just happened to do a web search looking for info Jann's SV Alpine and ran across this thread - that was me driving the race car in Oly!
I worked for Jann from 1980-1982 at S&I and had many opportunities to drive that car and I've always wondered what happened to it. As I've gotten older I keep thinking about it and just like Tracy I'm interested in tracking it down. Does anyone know who in BC owns the car, and if it's still be driven/raced??I've got a bunch of pictures of it, I'll try to scan one soon and add it to the gallery.
Tom