The small roadsters taking the palms - The roadster cause

Datsun Fairlady Roadsters are dominating on Daytona circle Datsun Roadsters were raced to ten National SCCA Championships over a 20 year period. The first of these Champions, Jean LePlant and Paul Jaremko who secured Datsun's first win in SCCA competition, than later again at the wheel of a 1500 and Bob Sharp who collected Nissan's first National Championship.. By 1964 things were really starting to heat up. Paul Jaremko, a race driver and Datsun dealer from Spokane, won fourteen consecutive races in a SPL310 roadster. A future Datsun dealer, Bob Sharp, started taking championships on the East Coast that same year. Nissan, under the direction of Yutaka Katayama, started advertising the recently released Fairlady Roadster 1500 as a competition prospect in 1964. In 1964, a sales brochure for the twin carburettor Fairlady announced the imminent development of factory competition parts. 1964 also saw the first Nissan advertisement proclaiming US race success, featuring Bob Sharp's BSR 1500 (Bob Sharp Racing Page) in the SCCA's G Productrion class. Bob's success had caught the eye of Nissan, who were soon to offer Bob factory support, in return for competition consultancy work and promotion of the Datsun make, both at shows and on the track. Nissan were very new to competition and were anxious to learn all they could to bring Datsuns success on the track, which they believed would enhance their profile in the USA and result in increased car sales. The Winning Fairlady 1500 in 1964 In 1966 Datsun started their sponsorship programme with limited financial support. Successes increased and cars from both east and west coasts qualified for the runoffs. Although Bob Sharp led the ARRC for many laps that year, track debris put paid to his (and Nissan's) hopes when it sliced through the bottom hose. When Bob achieved Nissan's first SCCA National Championship in F Production in a 1600 in 1967, Nissan opted to extend more support to Datsun drivers, irrespective of their status. Advertising and sales literature now regularly featured pictures of racing Datsuns, and sales were growing. The Winning Fairlady 1600 in 1967 The Solex aspirated 2000 had also recently been announced which gave the company another string to their bow, in C Production. On the West Coast, Nissan turned to Dwayne Feuerhelm of Auto Works, Granada Hills, Ca, to campaign a team of semi-works cars. Dwayne had a Triumph dealership and had successfully raced Triumphs, including works drives. Financial support was again given to the team in return for results and technical assistance to other Datsun racing outfits. The team raced under the DATSUN RACING TEAM banner with Dan Parkinson as the team's top driver. Dan had already achieved 4 National Championships and was to achieve some notable performances in both 1600 and 2000 roadsters. By 1968 the small car manufacturers saw success in SCCA racing as an excellent form of advertising, and increasing importance was placed on achieving ARRC qualification. To qualify for the ARRC, drivers in each of the 7 geographical areas had to finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their divisional championship in their respective category. There were 21 classes of SCCA competition across four categories (production sports, modified sports, sedan and open-wheeled). With the introduction of the Hitachi aspirated 2000 in 1968, the Roadster was classified in the following classes: • 1500 - G Production • 1600 - F Production • 2000 (Hitachi) - D Production • 2000 (Solex) - C Production Nissan was now committed to success. In the 1968 season no less than 17 Datsun Roadster entries qualified for the run-offs at Riverside. This followed a season where Datsuns achieved 43 firsts, 42 seconds and 25 thirds in national competition. At the runoffs, Nissan erected a massive tent measuring 150ft x 50ft, equipped with work benches, power tools and overhead lighting. Tyres and parts were available from factory representatives, and the Datsun crews, who were treated to air-conditioned trailers and food and drink, were the envy of the other competitiors. Nissan even treated the competitors to dinner the night before the runoffs. Factory tent for racing crews Although Datsun achieved some success at the 1968 runoffs, the championship eluded them. Undeterred, Nissan's support for the 1969 and 1970 seasons continued, and funding increased. By 1969, BRE (Brock Racing Enterprise Page) had burst onto the scene on the west coast, with significant support from Nissan, Japan. It took a full year before Nissan USA followed Tokyo's lead and decided to shift their backing from Dwayne Feuerhelm's team. Dwayne's team had achieved limited success, and BRE had succeeded in embarrassing both Nissan USA and the Datsun Racing Team. Although BRE enjoyed much Regional success, National success eluded them. At the 1969 ARRC in Daytona (the runoffs alternated between Riverside and Daytona during this period) Nissan offered the same facilities to their drivers/crews. This year Nissan gained their second National championship, courtesy of Jack Scoville in his D Production lightweight. Indeed, 7 out of the top 8 places went to Datsun drivers, an amazing feat. Pete Prock's racing team By the 1970 season, attention had turned to the 240Z and 510. However it is often forgotten that the 2000 Roadster continued to chalk up three more D Production championships in a row, under Jim Fitzgerald (1970) and Bob McQueen (1971 and 1972, in one of the former BRE Roadsters). Later, National success was achieved by Tom Brennan (2000 - D Production), a retired USAF Colonel Joe Hauser (three championships in a 1600 - G Production) and Bob Studdard, (the last national success in a roadster, as late as 1987, in E Production). Much is written about the SCCA successes of the later models. It should be remembered however that the pattern of Nissan's support, through the leadership of Yutaka Katayama, was formulated in the Datsun Roadster years. In the short time since the launch of Datsun's first true sports car in 1963, Nissan enjoyed victory after victory against many long established marques, a testament to everyone involved. SCCA Champions Hall of Fame Year....Driver..........Hometown.........Division...Car........Class 1967..Bob Sharp......Wilton, Conn.....NE Datsun 1600 F Production 1969..Jack Scoville...Corvallis, Or......NP Datsun 2000 D Production 1970..Jim Fitzgerald.Clemmons, N.C..SE Datsun 2000 D Production 1971..Bob McQueen..Smyrna, Ga.......SE Datsun 2000 D Production 1972..Bob McQueen..Smyrna, Ga.......SE Datsun 2000 D Production 1976..Joe Hauser.....Odenton, Md......NE Datsun 1600 G Production 1978..Tom Brennan..Danville, ILL......CE Datsun 2000 D Production 1981..Joe Hauser.....Odenton, Md......NE Datsun 1600 G Production 1982..Joe Hauser.....Odenton, Md......NE Datsun 1600 G Production 1987..Bob Studdard..Tennille, Ga.......SE Datsun 2000 E Production