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Bill Cook 1960's/70's Southern California C2 Slalom Guy!
I would like to hear more about this local California Corvette legend. He drove 1967 C2 Coupe from those early years into the 70's. I have come across some of his stuff. As guys on the forum know, I collect stuff as purely an enthusiast and have shared info on the eras of the 1960's and 70's. If someone shares historical info found with me, I will share with them. As guys know, I don't acquire stuff for profit but because it is historically interesting and I when I choose to, I will share purely as an enthusiast!!!!! Thus here is an example of something belonging to Bill Cook and his wife that was highly interesting that landed in my possession. Thus anyone familiar with the origin, we can talk about slalom racing. I will also post up a picture of his car! The 1967!!!!!!!!!!! which is not a 1966!!!!!!
I can definitely get a better picture up, but will have to get my other camera which isn't with me today! The 1967 grills, hood, sidepipes and the rims are clear in the original picture.
PS I hope more guys share rare finds of historical data like the picture and the awards here!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 09-12-2013 at 03:49 PM.
I think the thread that Rex (Dr. L-88) ran and I participated in with sharing, had 3000+++ plus views, so the subject matter was interesting.
I have other stats and information on this era that I have had for years. My goal is to accumulate a history of the events and where they were held and who were the Competitors year by year. It would be impossible to come up with the results of each event, and I am also trying to get the final standings for each year. Bill Cook from my memory and the document that I believe I have, won one year outright!
My former car Owners were involved, so this is a productive project for my car history, even though the car will not be sold and none of this information is being located for Profit! I also think I have uncovered a picture in this process of working on my first car Owner's History (Angell) of his C3 and that he was the acting Vice Chairman for the SCCSCC there for awhile (thus maybe he was a popular guy after-all. Also a few of these cars from these events went on to become race cars-- the 1967 Bill Cook car, the Sloma 1964, the Lowande car, the Walt Snow car, etc. etc. etc..
Last edited by TCracingCA; 09-12-2013 at 03:48 PM.
Are you intending this thread topic Bill Cook only or others as well?
I am always interested in anything Socal related primarily and/or anything interesting at all from anywhere in the country that was similar. Usually when you locate or find info on someone as notable as Bill Cook, the names of the other guys are right there in print also.
I have a purpose for this thread, that I will talk about later. Always trying to get guys to share history or exchange history or share eyewitness, because for the better part of 30 years, I haven't seen too much of this come up in print or conversation.
Also some of these cars keep popping up as found and then there is the proverbial search for histories. So I am completely open to any conversation or addition on any of this stuff as are others that I have spoken to recently. There is a small number of these cars found, and we wouldn't mind having others join!
I like anything Socal related-- the performance dealerships, the dealership sponsored cars, the high end Hot Rod car lots, the cruising on the Boulevards such as Whittier Blvd. and Van Nuys Blvd., the tuner shops- Bill Thomas, Guldstrand, Traco, etc.etc. The parts industry, the racetracks Ontario Motor (OMS), RIR Riverside, Willow Springs, others, the drag scene, Slalom scene, the Corvette social clubs, and Bill Cook!!!!!
One sad thing that happened that I came across, was the Riverside Raceway Museum was really trying to create a historical data base with pictures and stats and program sharing from their library, but it looks like some greedy person probably to profit took the computer files from the Museum and hurt the ability of the enthusiast guys interested to have access to records, probably for someone's personal gain. This situation is not related to the Bill Cook topic or thread, just as an example of an effort to pull or consolidate historical information with the purpose of sharing, network or centralize files and records that was unfortunately a fail because of someone dishonest!!!!!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 09-12-2013 at 05:04 PM.
My '64 was slalom raced in the 1970's in Tucson, AZ. No one famous, but one of these days I plan on visiting Tucson and talking with the slalom club there which used to race at the airport and other places. One of the previous owners told me a little, but hoping to gather more info, old photos, and certificates, etc from the club still in existence there. No where as historically famous as is the topic of this thread, which is why I was asking.
My '64 was slalom raced in the 1970's in Tucson, AZ. No one famous, but one of these days I plan on visiting Tucson and talking with the slalom club there which used to race at the airport and other places. One of the previous owners told me a little, but hoping to gather more info, old photos, and certificates, etc from the club still in existence there. No where as historically famous as is the topic of this thread, which is why I was asking.
We move you over to Rex's thread "Do you remember my car". I will resume over there. My thoughts, it wasn't uncommon for a guy from Arizona to attend these events especially out at Riverside or down in San Diego and vice versa. When you input on the other thread, give us some names because me and Rex have some information and we are both always looking for more. Maybe one of us can come up with some record of something that your car had done! That thread has 5800 views and we just basically decided to kick start it again.
Now help from me is offered as long as you aren't looking to sell it to make a big profit by getting all of this documentation etc... I assume from knowing you from the forum as an enthusiast that loves his car!!! I have read some of your posts and you seem like a good guy. I don't mind helping but throw this one up on the other thread. And I will caught up to it there, and glance thru-- no heavy research to see if any names pop up. I do have some records of the Sidewinders coming to California to compete. So if he was a Sidewinder (aka Arizona Rattlesnake guy), then he might be listed. Arizona had high caliper cars. Also throw some pictures up, and some background on what you know!
Just ran across this post - quite a while ago! My husband, sister (Kathryn) and I (Carrie) were watching Riverside Raceway footage from the 70's, when we found your article. We, along with our brother Jim pretty much grew up at Riverside Raceway watching our parents race...loved every minute of it! If you would like more information, please email me! Would be happy to share!
Just ran across this post - quite a while ago! My husband, sister (Kathryn) and I (Carrie) were watching Riverside Raceway footage from the 70's, when we found your article. We, along with our brother Jim pretty much grew up at Riverside Raceway watching our parents race...loved every minute of it! If you would like more information, please email me! Would be happy to share!
Carrie,
Your mom and dad were good friends with the original purchaser/owner of one of my cars. Her name was Kathy Lee. She and her husband, Bob Lee, were hitting all of the weekend events at the same time your mom and dad were (except with the Clippinger group). I spoke to Kathy about Your parents and she had nothing but great things to say about them. Many of the husband/wife enthusiasts of the day became good friends it appears. I came across a lot of old racing results from the day and your parents were all over them. Would love to hear about whatever happened to their car(s). My name is Matt and Im currently in NY. Feel free to Private Message me here and we can discuss further.
Just ran across this post - quite a while ago! My husband, sister (Kathryn) and I (Carrie) were watching Riverside Raceway footage from the 70's, when we found your article. We, along with our brother Jim pretty much grew up at Riverside Raceway watching our parents race...loved every minute of it! If you would like more information, please email me! Would be happy to share!
Your parents were very interesting Corvette people. I since have found two of your Parent's old posters from your garage (quite tattered), but still legitable. I was trying to put together the history on all of this a year and a half ago, but the literature and standings is near impossible to find. Your Father ran the Slalom Club down there in Long Beach starting with MG's and then switching to the Corvette. He was very respected by all of the clubs, and was a guy that used to referee the rules and events. Your Mother was a heck of a driver and in the thick of all of the Club organization and activities, from the standings that I have found. Your parents are the ones that booked the Annual Conventions and awards banquets down at the Queen Mary.
My Father (passed this year) knew Bill as an acquaintance and my mother probably had met your mom, but I was too young back then and was probably running around someplace riding the Schwinn Stingray at the few events that my parents attended!
If you have any of the pictures, that would be super cool to see! I always look for Club literature, pictures, standings, trophies, plaques, results sheets, programs, and such!
Yes, would love to talk about your parents history! As you can see from this old thread, I have cataloged stuff about your parents and their awesome competition histories and Corvette passion and hopefully have showed them honor!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 01-09-2017 at 08:58 PM.
Welcome to the Corvette Forum and thanks for sharing info about your mom and dad. Here is a photo of my 64 fuel injected Corvette owned and raced by Terry and Dianne Hildebrand. Dianne is the blond haired lady getting out of the black car in the foreground. She campaigned the car when Terry was overseas in the military. When they parted ways Terry kept the 64 and Dianne bought your dad's 63 split window coupe and raced it for several years, later selling it to someone in Arizona. From what I understand, she was very competitive in the ladies class in both Terry's 64 and your dad's 63.
These topics on the SoCal scene started out to be super cool on an enthusiast level, but the investor crowd that gravitates around the Race Registry and Corvette commission and profit crowd really spoiled collectively reassembly of this type of history! I started out real willing to share and so did the Cobra guys that came into the topic, but the Investor crowd really soured us! If you are connected in to this crowd, or are willing to pay, then it seems it is a two way street! But I feel the sharing was one way, and nothing was coming out from the other direction!
In the private I have made great strides to further the research and history on this topic of SoCal Corvette stuff, but being one of the few who likes this type of research topic, the greed in not sharing back caused me to not put anything more out! That happened in the middle of the big thread, so I just started talking about other things!
If ever some of the boast of others that claimed they would share ever happened, then I would return to being a willing enthusiast to share again as was my original intention! I went onto the investor crowds sacred ground and got treated like $hit, while many of the vampires that hang in the inside elite Corvette circle of snobs and for profit interests were trying to suck stuff from me about records and history that I have! In private when I encounter a true not greedy enthusiast willing to share, I help those types, but not publically! It should be all about the hobby as this thread I started was to pay tribute to some I identified as a very influential Corvette family of true cool enthusiasts!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 01-10-2017 at 05:57 PM.
These topics on the SoCal scene started out to be super cool on an enthusiast level, but the investor crowd that gravitates around the Race Registry and Corvette commission and profit crowd really spoiled collectively reassembly of this type of history! I started out real willing to share and so did the Cobra guys that came into the topic, but the Investor crowd really soured us! If you are connected in to this crowd, or are willing to pay, then it seems it is a two way street! But I feel the sharing was one way, and nothing was coming out from the other direction!
In the private I have made great strides to further the research and history on this topic of SoCal Corvette stuff, but being one of the few who likes this type of research topic, the greed in not sharing back caused me to not put anything more out! That happened in the middle of the big thread, so I just started talking about other things!
If ever some of the boast of others that claimed they would share ever happened, then I would return to being a willing enthusiast to share again as was my original intention! I went onto the investor crowds sacred ground and got treated like $hit, while many of the vampires that hang in the inside elite Corvette circle of snobs and for profit interests were trying to suck stuff from me about records and history that I have! In private when I encounter a true not greedy enthusiast willing to share, I help those types, but not publically! It should be all about the hobby as this thread I started was to pay tribute to some I identified as a very influential Corvette family of true cool enthusiasts!
Derrick, you gotta be more specific. Seems like a lot of one-sided resentment stays within you. Everyone I know that chimes in regularly on the old So Cal cars is about as Enthusiast as it gets. They arent profiting from anything but the dopamine release of contributing memories or stories. Some of us have families that prevent us from attending every swop-meet, commenting on every thread, etc.....but that doesnt make us evil investors. As for history....Derrick, you better not be talking about me. You've had open access to the stuff I have. Everytime Ive offered....you go dark. But...inevitably...you write these annual resentment-filled messages.
These topics on the SoCal scene started out to be super cool on an enthusiast level, but the investor crowd that gravitates around the Race Registry and Corvette commission and profit crowd really spoiled collectively reassembly of this type of history! I started out real willing to share and so did the Cobra guys that came into the topic, but the Investor crowd really soured us! If you are connected in to this crowd, or are willing to pay, then it seems it is a two way street! But I feel the sharing was one way, and nothing was coming out from the other direction!
In the private I have made great strides to further the research and history on this topic of SoCal Corvette stuff, but being one of the few who likes this type of research topic, the greed in not sharing back caused me to not put anything more out! That happened in the middle of the big thread, so I just started talking about other things!
If ever some of the boast of others that claimed they would share ever happened, then I would return to being a willing enthusiast to share again as was my original intention! I went onto the investor crowds sacred ground and got treated like $hit, while many of the vampires that hang in the inside elite Corvette circle of snobs and for profit interests were trying to suck stuff from me about records and history that I have! In private when I encounter a true not greedy enthusiast willing to share, I help those types, but not publically! It should be all about the hobby as this thread I started was to pay tribute to some I identified as a very influential Corvette family of true cool enthusiasts!
I will talk to my neighbor who I mentioned before was the track manager for Laguna Seca (80s-90s) and see what he has for any corvette related pictures and documents. A little further north than SoCal.
Derrick, you gotta be more specific. Seems like a lot of one-sided resentment stays within you. Everyone I know that chimes in regularly on the old So Cal cars is about as Enthusiast as it gets. They arent profiting from anything but the dopamine release of contributing memories or stories. Some of us have families that prevent us from attending every swop-meet, commenting on every thread, etc.....but that doesnt make us evil investors. As for history....Derrick, you better not be talking about me. You've had open access to the stuff I have. Everytime Ive offered....you go dark. But...inevitably...you write these annual resentment-filled messages.
No actually you have turned into a true enthusiast, with a true found passion for the car, the former owner and the history! That was refreshing to see!
I just dont like the phony elitest Corvette crowd! Over all of my years around Corvettes from a kid in the early 60's to the current, I just see a whole group of like minded snobs and accolade seeking A-holes that I just don't flat out like!
One of my hobbies is I have an uncountable collection of Corvette/Chevrolet reference material and I just don't think I want to ever share that with that crowd! I sit around and read it all and derive notes from it! But the interactions I have had just causes me to go dark completely! Then I have a change of heart and start to share, to run into the types that I don't like!
Some of you guys have established working friendships with that crowd, I can't seem to tolerate them!
So I start this thread in 2013 and participated in others on these topics, and see it pop back up essentially appreciated! Ya I am torn about putting out super cool contributions that would be interesting and appreciated by many, vice my knowing that individuals will use my research for trumping up their phony bullshit cars and stories or attack my shared information!
Since my Father's death, I don't have anyone to entertain by Corvette related talk anymore, so I have not been on the car side of the forums much! . Since my attempt to go onto the Corvette Registry and go instantly active and jump in and come up to speed on all of the active topics and try to share and having been hit in the face first being ridiculed as to who is this guy and where did he come from, I didn't need it! I unfriended that site after putting out just enough to upset a few of their poor histories or lack of accuracy!
Matt I have had people waste my time telling me they would share and I got them info and facts related to there cars, to have them take for themselves, but not deliver! You have a good substantial collection of records, and it the gesture that came from you was appreciated! I was pretty much done with the topic when that came! I just concluded giving these topics some attention again after Dick's death! But I bought and am building a Porsche flat 6 engined Formula car now, which is pushing my physical ability ! But I am actually back in my garages trying to accomplish my car builds!
I cant make researching or contributing a priority either based on life related stuff!
As I get older, I have having more thoughts on who I will leave everything Corvette related to, if I have another life crisis! I have been working on my health vigorously and my disabled mobility(getting in the garage again physically is a challenge, but it is the best therapy)!
This thread just triggered a reaction of a time of an intention to share or discuss cool enthusiasts and enthusiast topics, but it also hit a nerve as to not wanting the know it all and arrogant a-holes and prestige seeking glory hungry ones to get records and information!
I would love to combine our records and assemble a history, but then I go dark on the idea, because I know it will get to and benefit that crowd or cause me attacks and conflict from that group of phony profit seeking so claimed enthusiasts!
Therefore I should end saying, thanks to the family for finding my old attempt to give their parents glory, and I am glad to put them in a cool spotlight for a moment!
I think I will return now to the PRC crowd!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 01-12-2017 at 02:56 PM.
I will talk to my neighbor who I mentioned before was the track manager for Laguna Seca (80s-90s) and see what he has for any corvette related pictures and documents. A little further north than SoCal.
This type of cool spirit is the way it should be! I have probably 500 race event grids on NorCal events from 1950s through to the 1970s! I was NCCA there for a very short time, and therefore have extensive event history, plaques etc from the slalom heydays of NorCal! I actually have literally about a 1000 NorCal plaques that I really don't need!
I bought about 6 top Corvette guy collections in just the last 8 months ranging from Dick Guldstrand (my friend) to a head guy a former President of Vette Set/Stratos Vette Clubs and a top Corvette Slalom guys collection of his memorabilia! I have one former event participant from 60/70s that I was working with just before the holidays! I started to connect to another Corvette hall of fame enthusiast who seemed interested in my research and history hobby, but she moved across the Country before we got a chAnce to take the meeting any further!
I have never ever talked or attempted to find out what if any Corvette competition related history is in the hands of a historian type from NorCal!
Cal Club down here in the south is a joke on what they should have and don't! My race history of records is 10 times more extensive than what I have found in anyone else's possession! I have over a 1000 race grid sheets for The Pacific region and provlevel racing!
09-12-2013, 01:43 AM
Bill Cook 1960's/70's Southern California C2 Slalom Guy!
