Searching for Lukes and Shorman race cars and info

[Chip Flor]

That is a great Photo... you can see it is Laguna Seca back in the day!!!
SCCA San Francisco Region either Regional or National event.

When I knew Bill(1981ish) he had heard I was putting together an "A" coupe that I found in a backyard barn in Castro Valley in pieces... He told me that was a waste of time.
He walked me to the back of their shop outside... there sat a speedster carcass.
It was a back up if they ever crashed their race car. I was blown away.
He told me I should take the pieces from my " A" coupe and put them on this Speedster.
Get this !!! he told me is would be way more valuable.... Go figure (he must have had a crystal ball...haha)!!!
He told me he would give this to me for $6,500.00.

At the time I was going to College (Cal Berkeley) and besides my '56 coupe... I had a '71 911E factory sunroof coupe. I pretty much thought I was full up on Porsches.
LIKE AN IDIOT ....I passed.

This is one of those biggest mistakes of my life stories.

[Dan Macdonald]

Chip,
Cool story! If we could go back in time and buy those Speedsters...I missed a few myself, one for $1,800 another for $3,400 and so on...

So I think we have agreement on the photo of car 11 doing the victory lap. An ex-Lukes and Shorman employee and Peter Buschbaum told me the following: Walt Benson driving, Harry Shorman with flag, Bill Shorman beside him, and Tom Manning in passenger seat.

[Steve Douglas]

Alan and others the Tech Session was most likely the May 1991, Tech West, which had a slide show and Tom Manning on machining, followed by a lunch. We also had another one much earlier, like 1980, but I know that I didn't take pictures at that one, that one was a PCA event.

[Dan Macdonald]

Guys, my search continues.
I thought I would post again to see if anyone else would come forward with information.
We have about 5 cars now. I'm sure there were other race cars out of the L&S garage.
anyone?

[Michael Moss]

I found this photo of Walt Benson’s Speedster ( Lukes & Shoreman) @ SearsPoint around 1973
I think. By the way the camshaft broke on either the warmup or first lap. I think the car went to Harold Kirberg in S.F. not long after that photo was taken.

[Dan Macdonald]

Michael, Great photo and info...thanks!

[Mike Horton]

Dan, late to this thread, and perhaps a redundant post, but anyone who has interest in the early 616 race engines, needs to find a copy of the volume 2 "UP-FIXIN ", and find their "to guild the Lilly" SCCA race engine prep, back in the day, it should be mandatory reading, here,

[Dan Macdonald]

Mike. I have a copy of volume 2. I’ll check it out. Thanks!

[Alan Klingen 2]

They also made a 911 powered car for the indy 500 and missed qualifying by just just a couple mph. Had they had the 911s cams they could have made the show, Ritchie Lukes had for years the upper body parts hanging in the ShopAlan The Stable.

[Harlan Halsey]

The Silver Speedster bought new, SCCA raced, and vintage raced by John Kirby-Miller was race prepped by Lukes and Shoreman. J K-M ran that car in every MHAR from 1975 through 2010. J K-M passed on a few years ago.

J K-M Speedster Halsey Conv D Corkscrew

[Alan Klingen 2]

The other one was for my customer Ned Speaker and his partner Dennis Singleton. The Car that Dennis had was driven by a famous rally driver These two people only "owned " car that had "papers. The Singleton car was afactory RSR That had a full cage installed and a removable interior panel over the engine that could be removed for mechanical access. The green car was named "KERMIT" Alan The Stable His partner owned the formula junior car of Jim Clark. This car was so highly tuned that it had a bad habit of blowing yup it was an english ford push rod .motor that red lined at about 10,000Rpm. Alan The Stable.
Dennis also ran BMW Sports racer I have many track stories about these two gentlmen. Alan The Stable.

[Alan Klingen 2]

I remember rebuilding a speedster motor in the back of a pick-up truck on the way to Riverside raceway. A really hot place.

[Alan Klingen 2]

For many years Billy had the fiberglass body half on display at his shop. Alan The Stable. There was a mechanic that worked at shorman's named "little Klaus. He had a picture of himself in BERLIN WHEN IT FELL AND HE WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE RICHSTAG. ALAN THE STABLE.THIS BODY HALF WAS FROM THE TWIN 911 Indy car. Alan The Stable.

[Alan Klingen 2]

Ritchy Lukes also had a great driver named Peter Bushbaum. He was very talented he talked about driving like it was a ZEN thing. Alan The Stable.

[Alan Klingen 2]

I crewed for Bob Harmon At Laguna Seca once upon a time He shunted his 906 one turn one now known as Andretti Turn. He bangedamged up the nose quite a bit and bent some of the frame tubing. So I and some of Harald's pit crew we sawed and bent the frame straight again and I think he took A third place in the end he was beyond happy!!. He took us all to Dinner In Monterey with no holds barred, What A night!! He also owned Tahoe Taverns a development on the California side of LAKE Tahoe Bob Had the money horsepower to enjoy his racing and make all his friends/pit crew Happy also. He was a great person. Alan The Stable.