August 18, 1963
Five thousand race fans turned out for the sixth annual road race at the San Luis Airport. The event was sponsored by the San Luis Obispo Junior Chamber of Commerce, (gosh I didn’t know the Chamber had a kid) and the California Sports Car Club. There were about 200 entries with lots of imported convertible cars. Frank Monise of Pasadena won in his Lotus 23. They presented a perpetual trophy for the first time in 1963 but apparently it is gathering dust in perpetuity on someone’s shelf because the road race is no more.
The California Sports Car Club still exists however and holds races in Fontana, Rosamond (near Lancaster), and Buttonwillow. Here the entry from San Luis car dealer Kimball Motor Company gets some coaching. Photographer was probably long time sports editor Johnny Nettleship.
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You’d never heard of the Jaycees?
Didn’t realize the name was derived from the JC initials.
Doh!
Are they still active here? I didn’t see an obivious link on the front of the Chamber of Commerce page.
Feel free to post a link if they are.
David, Im fairly sure that is Mario Rizzoli in the driver seat of that Spitfire. Mario was the lead Volvo and Mercedes technician at Kimball motors for many years in the 50′s, 60s, and 70s before opening the family business now run by his son and grandson. I had the pleasure and honor of working for him from 1981 to 2001. Sadly, Mario passed a few years ago and is dearly missed by many.
The JayCees was a national service club for men 35 and younger and started out as the Junior Chamber of Commerce; it had only a loose affiliation with the “senior” chamber. In those days the senior chamber was dominated by older businessmen. In the ’70s when the main chamber became more broadly based and had leaders old and young of both sexes, the junior chamber nationally became officially the JayCees.