The 1972 SCCA Brass Tags and Log Book issued to TA Cars

[kengta]

Hello all;

For the Trans Am in 1972, the SCCA issued Brass Tags and Log Books to the various cars running that series.  The tags were usually riveted to the cage.  Both Brass Tag and Log Book carried the same number in the following format.  For large bore A-Sedan cars:   "72ASxx", where xx is a number.  For the 2.5 challenge B-Sedan cars:  "72BSxx" .  The one log book I have seen had this number on the cover, the serial number and other technical info listed in side and was issued and dated by John Timanus and there was a charge of $100.  That particular book was issued later in the season at Laguna Seca and was issued on the Friday before the race day to a car that was making its 1972 debut at that event.  The number was relatively high.

My questions are, is there a list from SCCA showing  which Brass Tags/Log Book were issued to which chassis?  I would also like to know with certainty if the Brass Tags/Log Books were issued only upon inspection on the race weekend, starting at the Lime Rock event in 1972.  Or were there other possible issue methods.  Also If anyone knows with certainty that the Brass Tags/Log Book were issued in sequential order, so "72AS01" and "72BS01" and other low numbers issued at Lime Rock. 

By way of introduction, as this is my first post to this great forum, I am Ken Geiger from Toronto and I own an Alfa Romeo GTA that ran the Trans Am in 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972 doing about 30 races.  She carries Brass Tag "72BS06" and she ran at Lime Rock in 1972.    I have collected a few tag numbers for the B-sedans and seen a couple on the Big cars. 

Thanks and Regards

Ken

[OCTARD]

Hello Ken,

Great first question, and thanks for posting to this forum. 

Several years ago I tried to find this exact detail on brass tags.  Several folks were contacted, including Pete Hylton (the national SCCA archivist).  At the time (around 1999), the consensus feedback that I received was that no records had been kept or found.  The knowledge of how good the records were in 1972 were also questioned by many folks.

I would not let this feedback stop you, and perhaps more detail has been found since... Or it was already known, but by sources I didn't find or contact.

Jon may have more.

-Chad

[oldtransamdriver]

Hi Ken,

Welcome to the forum.  Can you tell us who drove your car in those races?

Robert Barg

[Jon Mello]

Ken,

Welcome to our Trans-Am forum and thank you for the question. It is a complicated issue with no clear cut answers at this time (if ever). The 1972 Lime Rock Trans-Am was the first race of the season and this is where the application of the brass tags and the issuing of log books began. There are some cars however that were at this '72 Lime Rock event which appear to have never received a brass tag. Also, there are some cars that did receive brass tags at later Trans-Am events during the '72 season. I don't know if you had to pay extra money to get a brass tag, or declare ahead of time that you were going to run a certain amount of races on the Trans-Am schedule, or if there was some other type of factor involved. The highest number I have seen so far for the O-2 class is 72AS49 on the Warren Fairbanks Camaro and this car was not at Lime Rock. He does not show up on the official results until the 6th race of the season at Road America (July 16th). I am asking around for help from others but at this time it is not well understood. If I find out something of interest, I will let you know.

[kengta]

Hi Ken,

Welcome to the forum.  Can you tell us who drove your car in those races?

Robert Barg

Hi Robert, sure always happy to talk about this Trans Am car

In 1966 she placed 4th OA at Sebring as #42 Driven by Paul Richards,  George Alderman co Drove the rest of their season (4 races) using also #32 at Marlboro.
In 1969 Gaston Andrey drove as #25 and once as #52
In 1970 still #25 Andrey did the first 2 races with 1 class win and Bert Everett did the rest with 3 more class wins
In 1971 and 1972 still #25 under Bert Everett and Interestingly Everett had her 3rd at Riverside 1972 the last race of the era. 
She had several livery changes over those years.

All these Drivers were Seasoned SCCA drivers. George Alderman got onto Datsun and Mustang after 1966 and has recently got his old TA Mustang back.  Everett was on TA Porsche prior to 1970

Regards

Ken

[kengta]

[/quote]

Welcome to our Trans-Am forum and thank you for the question. It is a complicated issue with no clear cut answers at this time (if ever). The 1972 Lime Rock Trans-Am was the first race of the season and this is where the application of the brass tags and the issuing of log books began. There are some cars however that were at this '72 Lime Rock event and yet did not receive brass tags. I believe Chad Raynal's Camaro is one of them. There are some cars that did receive brass tags at later Trans-Am events during the '72 season. I don't know if you had to pay extra money to get a brass tag, or declare ahead of time that you were going to run a certain amount of races on the Trans-Am schedule, or if there was some other type of factor involved. The highest number I have seen so far for the O-2 class is 72AS49 on the Warren Fairbanks Camaro and this car was not at Lime Rock. He does not show up on the official results until the 6th race of the season at Road America (July 16th). I am asking around for help from others but at this time it is not well understood. If I find out something of interest, I will let you know.

Hi Jon,  The Tag I mentioned in my post was 37 also the highest BS tag I know.  Some day I must sit down and count the number of different BS cars entered in 1972, tabulating their first appearance and see if that clears up anything or just makes things more confusing.

Ciao

Ken

[Jon Mello]

Ken, I see you have no races recorded for '67 or '68. Have you notestablished that history yet or was the car parked for a couple of years? I do have some '71 and '72 race results for the small 2.5 cars which I probably ought to get to you.

[kengta]

Ken, I see you have no races recorded for '67 or '68. Have you notestablished that history yet or was the car parked for a couple of years? I do have some '71 and '72 race results for the small 2.5 cars which I probably ought to get to you.

Hi Jon, My GTA has no Trans Am history for 1967 and 1968 and I have not established any SCCA history for those years.  She was sold just after the 1966 season to Gaston Andrey a racer and dealer and he did not race her again until 1969 Trans Am.

I have had her since 1984 and am confident of most of her history since leaving the factory in July 1965, withonly Edmonton 1971 being a possible entry that I have not nailed down one way or another but lean to Everett being on his other GTA that race. 

I do have the complete SCCA official TA results 66-72, as well as many from CP&A and there are some descrepancies.  Many of the TA Alfas are known and accounted for with some wreched but a few remain missing or not widely known.  2 seem to have goten to Europe.

The internet and forums such as this and the Alfa BB and Racing Sports cars etc and generous photographer contributions are allowing many questions to be answered and mysteries solved.

Thanks for your interest.

Regards

Ken

[Wahoo]

Does anyone know if Canadians had issued brass tags?
I have a brass tag 79-258
the first TA race my car did was 1971 Edmonton

[oldtransamdriver]

Don't remember brass tags being issued by CASC. 

How is the restoration coming along?  Did you get to Sebring in Dec?

I found some more photos when I had the car.

Robert Barg

[Wahoo]

Yes went to Sebring,  Car ran well.  Needs a better carb.

[Wahoo]

Sebring

[Jon Mello]

I am not personally aware of a brass tag being issued by anybody with a number like that. Can you post a picture?

I'm glad to hear you got to take the car to Sebring and that it ran well. I'm happy to see the car in white and look forward to you adding the rest of the Greenwood paint job once you acquire more pictures of how that looked.

[oldtransamdriver]

The CASC (Canadian Automobile Sport Club) at some point issued metal oval tags with a number usually mounted inside the engine compartment on the firewall.  It did include the CASC designation on the tag.

Robert