Jul 29 2014

Mystery Foto #78 Solved: Paul Newman & Mario Andretti at the 1967 Can-Am Bridgehampton Race


Guy Frost forwarded this week's fun Mystery Friday Foto.

Answers to the Mystery Foto questions:

-Identify the race car, its nickname, the race and year in which it competed as seen in this photo.

1967 Holman Moody Ford Honker II that competed in Canadian-American Challenge Chevron Grand Prix held at Bridgehampton on September 17, 1967.

-Identify the two men and their role with the race car.

Standing is actor Paul Newman who was a sponsor for the car and had his name on the nose of the car.

Mario Andretti is in the driver's seat. Mario finished 8th in the race with 30 cars participating.

-In what film did this race car appear as a stunt car?

The Honker II can be seen in the opening title shots of Paul Newman's 1969 film Winning.

-This race car was sold in 2013. Identify the auction and its purchase price.

The car was sold for $200,000 at the 2013 Pebble Beach Gooding & Company auction.


Good try to John Hammond, Phil, and Ted for partial answers.

Congrats to Gerg O.,Tim Ivers, Steve Lucas,  Art Kleiner, Randy Reed, John Tures, Gary Hammond, Andy Hartwell, Frank Femenias and Bob Weber for identifying the Honker II.

Kudos to  Greg, Tim, Steve, Art, Randy, John Tures, Gary Hammond, Andy and Frank for getting the majority of the Mystery Foto questions.


Any potential Mystery Fotos can be emailed to me at [email protected]

Enjoy,

Howard Kroplick


Closeups

Mario Andretti

Paul Newman


Paul Newman & Mario Andretti at the 1967 1967 Can-Am Bridgehampton Race

Mario Andretti describes meeting Paul Newman in 1967 at Bridegehamton in the foreward of the book Winning:The Racing Life of Paul Newman. Andretti considered the Honker II " the worst

From the Mario Andretti Collection

From Joel Finn's Book Bridgehampton Racing: From the Streets to The Bridge. That's Sir Stirling Moss on the right.

Newsday, September 1967. Courtesy of Art Kleiner.


Canadian-American Challenge Chevron Grand Prix, Bridgehampton, NY, September 17, 1967

The Chevron Grand Prix at Bridgehampton was one of the five-part 1967 Canadian-American Challenge Cup Series.

As noted by Art Kleiner, among the entries was the #21 racer from the Smothers Brothers Racing Team. The racer was not able to start in the race.

The #14 McLaren M1B driven by Skip Barber, the #32 Ferrari P3 driven by Ludovico Scarfiotti, #91 McLaren M1C driven by Skip Scott and the #66 Chapparral 2G driven by Jim Hall.

The final results from Joel Finn's Book Bridgehampton Racing: From the Streets to The Bridge.

Newsday, September 18, 1967 (submitted by Art Kleiner).


Film Winning (1969)

The Honker II was used as a stunt car in the opening title shots of Paul Newman's film Winning.


Thomas Mittler Collection

The Honker II ended up in the collection of Thomas Mittler. It was offered by the Mittler estate for sale at the 2013 Pebble Beach Gooding & Company auction.


2013 Pebble Beach Gooding & Company Auction


Lot 137 Pebble Beach 2013


Additional Links on the Honker II

Hemmings Daily: Holman-Moody’s Ford Honker II, Campbell Corvette Special head to auction

Conceptcarz: 1967 Ford Holman Moody Honker II

Classic Driver: 1967 Holman Moody Honker II

Racing Sports Cars: Honker II (Holman & Moody)



Comments

Jul 25 2014 Greg O. 7:52 AM

A picture of the start of a beautiful relationship at the Bridge!

-Identify the race car, its nickname, the race and year in which it competed as seen in this photo.

The 1967 Holman Moody Honker II race car at Bridgehampton race track on September 17, 1967. For that race, the car started 23rd and finished 8th. It’s best showing!

-Identify the two men and their role with the race car.

Paul Newman sponsored the car that started his interest in racing. Mario Andretti was his driver.

-In what film did this race appear as a stunt car?

‘Winning’ 1969
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065215/?ref_=nv_sr_4

-This race car was sold in 2013. Identify the auction and its purchase price.

Gooding & Company -$200,000

Jul 25 2014 Tim. Ivers 9:17 PM

Car is the Honker II
1967 Bridgehampton
Owner Paul Newman standing
Driver Mario Andretti
Car appeared in movie “Winning”
Sold in 2013 for 200K at Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach auction

Jul 25 2014 Steve Lucas 9:32 PM

The car is a 1967 Ford / Holman Moody “Honker II”. It raced in the 1967 Can-Am Challenge Series with it’s only finish a disappointing 8th. at Bridgehampton. The two men in the photo are Paul Newman (sponsor) and Mario Andretti (driver). The car appeared in Paul Newman’s 1969 film “Winning” and was later sold at the 2013 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach auction for $200,000.00

Jul 26 2014 Ted 3:50 PM

To me this mystery is really a mystery. Have no idea what kind of car that is or where it is. Can’t see much of car or where it is. All that I can see is a sign with AIRO, which could be Mario Andretti, which means that’s his pit and he is the driver. The other guy, I don’t know. I also see he’s wearing a Firestone coveralls and the one with his back turned is wearing Ford, so the car is most likely a Ford product, can’t see the whole car to tell what kind, my best guess would be a Cobra. Might be back with more guess work

Jul 26 2014 Art Kleiner 6:06 PM

Identify the race car, its nickname, the race and year in which it competed as seen in this photo.
Car is the 1967 Ford Holman Moody “Honker II”.  Raced in the Sept. 17, 1967 Can Am Chevron Grand Prix in Bridgehampton.  Even with a low pole position, it finished 8th. 

-Identify the two men and their role with the race car.
Standing is Paul Newman, a sponsor of the car, and the driver in the car is Mario Andretti.

-In what film did this race car appear as a stunt car?
The Honker II appeared in the 1969 film, “Winning” starring none other than Paul Newman, along with Joanna Woodward and Robert Wagner.  Also in the cast were drivers Bobby Unser and Roger McCloskey.  Unfortunately the car crashed during production! 

-This race car was sold in 2013. Identify the auction and its purchase price.
Sold at the 2013 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction for $200,000, lower than originally estimated it would go for. 
Watch it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyw5ff_LH_4
Howard - articles to follow separately. 

Jul 26 2014 john hammond 10:46 PM

Just a guess on my part-Mario Andretti and Paul Newman at Bridgehampton.

Jul 27 2014 Randy Reed 1:16 AM

Honker II built by Holman and Moody. Mario Andretti drove it at Bridgehampton in 1967 for sponsor Paul Newman. It appeared in Newman’s movie “Winning”. It was sold at the Gooding Pebble Beach auction in 2013 for $200K

Jul 27 2014 John Tures 9:28 AM

Easy!
Honker II at the Bridge in 1967
Paul Newman sponsered this car when Ford started to cut back their racing support after winning LeMans in 1967. Car was a redesigned Lola with some GT4o suspension changes. The motor was by Holmon & Moody but car had a lot of issues. Mario did not like it but he did finish the race.

Jul 27 2014 Gary Hammond 10:12 AM

Easy - Mario Andretti & Paul Newman; at Can-Am road racing event at Bridgehampton, September 1967, nicknamed “The Bridge”.
The car - 1967 Ford Holman Moody “Honker II”, driver Andretti.
In Newman’s movie “Winning”.
Sold 2013 by Gooding & Co. for $200,000.

Jul 27 2014 Phil 10:55 AM

I think I recognize Paul Newman standing. That’s it.

Jul 27 2014 Guy Frost 11:15 AM

Of course I can, but I’m sure there are others and I’m not telling. Guy

Jul 27 2014 Andy Hartwell 11:26 AM

Mario Andretti and Paul Newman at The Bridge in the Honker which I think Paul owned or sponsored.  1967 or 68 or 69 Vanderbilt Cup / Can-Am race.

Jul 27 2014 Guy Frost 3:48 PM

I came across a splendid business card sized photo of the Vanderbilt Chrysler. If you left it for me, many thanks. If it’s an antique I’ll keep it safe until I can return it to you. Austie Clark once sent one like it for my EFFYH Formula 3 racecar when I bought it about 40 years ago. Austie had captioned, “All I could find - too little to invoice.”

Jul 27 2014 frank femenias 9:22 PM

1967 Holman-Moody Honker II in Passino Purple (Racecar named in honor of auto developer John Holman-for honking the air horns on the team’s transport truck in the early days; Color named for Ford racing director Jacque Passino). The two gents in the photo are legendary racecar driver Mario Andretti and standing by is race team manager/sponsor/actor Paul Newman. They’re at the 1967 Can-Am series Chevron Grand Prix in Bridgehampton, NY (car finished 8th). The car appeared in Newman’s 1969 film ‘Winning’, where it crashed on the set during production. After a lengthy restoration, owner Tom Mittler auctioned it at Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach for $200k in Aug 2013 ($240k-$280k was expected).
Andretti was quoted as saying, “the worst he’d ever driven”. The car’s performance improved when the complete restoration later earned it the Historic Can-Am Celebration Cup at the Chicago Historic Races in 1997. Beautiful car. Howard, I’m sending some attachments.

Jul 27 2014 Bob Weber 10:34 PM

It’s Mario in the seat and PLN standing alongside the Holman & Moody Honker II CanAm car in 1967.  Mario drove the car in its aborted CanAm role. PLN sponsored it and served as team manager, later driving the car in the movie WINNING.

It sold at a Gooding and Company auction for $200,000.

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