Driving the Panhard-powered Nichols-Special, Jean Pierre Molerus captured the Puckett Cup Sunday, October 3, 2010 at the CSRG Charity Challenge at Infineon Raceway in Sears Point, California. The Over the Hill Gang’s Puckett Cup is an award for under-850-cc displacement specials and production cars that have run in the SCCA’s H modified or D Sports Racing classes in the 1950s and 1960s. The award winner was selected from the entries based on car preparation, vintage spirit and race performance. Molerus managed to stay ahead of Don Racine’s rapid Aardvark, which was charging up from the rear following a transponder error during qualifying. Other competitors included: Mark Sange, Avia Streamliner; Kip Fjeld, Miller-Crosley; Henry Morrison, Bunce Buck; Dave Lambert, Miller-Crosley; Gordon Walton, Honda S-800; Don Baldocchi, Nardi-Crosley; Paul Perry, Saab 96; and Lee Osborn in his Shannon Special.
The Nichols Special was designed, built and raced with success by Perry Peron in 1956. The two-cylinder Panhard-engined machine later propelled Dr. Bill Molle to a Cal Club Pacific Coast H Modified championship in 1958, and a 2nd in class in 1959’s MotoRacing’s Pacific Coast Championship. Congratulations to Jean Pierre, for continuing the glorious tradition of H Modified.
