Jim Hall drove his Chaparral to 2nd place in the 1962 Los Angeles Times Grand Prix behind the Zerex Special of winner Roger Penske. Hall drove a fantastic race to beat a host of mid-engined machinery including the Lotus 19 of Masten Gregory and the Cooper Monaco of Bruce McLaren.
Photo: Bob Tronolone
Few Americans have had as significant an impact on the history and direction of global motorsport as Texan Jim Hall. As both a driver and a car constructor, Hall created and guided the highly influential Chaparral line of sports cars, which almost singlehandedly ushered aerodynamics into the lexicon of professional racing. Most noted for his groundbreaking Can-Am, FIA prototype and Indy cars, Hall first honed his development skills on the Chaparral MK1, a bespoke car built for him by Southern California builders Troutman & Barnes. Hall recently spoke with Editor Casey Annis, from his office in Midland, Texas, about his early days as a constructor and how the seminal Mk 1set the stage for the emergence of him as a constructor and Chaparral as a company.
I understand you really got your start in cars at about age 14 building a hot rod with your father?
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