Comment by Rod Bean on November 21, 2009 at 3:03pm
Dan, it just occurred to me that you could have been watching Dave Bean in Dr. Fred's car. It's a source of confusion that Dave and I both drove Elans owned by Fred McClung at different times. Fred and I co-drove in slaloms and Solo Is until Fred went racing (with a different Elan). He and Dave hooked up with Dave driving in nationals and Fred driving in regionals. I couldn't afford to race an Elan when I decided to go racing so I got the Stinger and proceeded on a tiny budget (regionals and nationals but only local... well, one Sears Point national) while Fred and Dave had a more aggressive schedule, going to the Nationals in Atlanta more than once.
Comment by Rod Bean on November 21, 2009 at 2:47pm
Hi Dan! Dr. Fred's Elan (see picture in my slalom album) was a slalom car but we also ran it in what were originally called time trials (thanks to the Riverside Foreign Car Club) at Riverside and other soCal venues (Pomona, Ontario) and later called Solo I when SCCA got involved. That's where I got my first road course experience before finally going racing in late 1972 with the Stinger. I bought my Elan (green) race car in 1979 but didn't race it ($) until the 1981 SCCA season.. and then only in four regionals. Oh the reason there was no name on the Stinger in this picture is that it was it's first time out after I bought it. I got my name on there pretty soon after that. Good to hear that you're still active. Hope you're having fun, Dan.
Comment by Rod Bean on November 21, 2009 at 9:06am
Yes I was! Anyone who has driven at Riverside or has spectated on the inside of turn 6 knows that my car was in a nice slide there (note small correction)... maybe even a drift. This is one of my favorite shots because I can still feel the great control sensations by just looking at the picture. This car handled way better than Corvair critics would think.
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