The Gopher

As you’ll read in this month’s Racecar Profile, I had the good fortune to be given the opportunity to drive the 1979 March 79V Super Vee that Dennis Firestone drove to that year’s USAC “Mini-Indy” championship. I have a certain affinity for Super Vees, both in having raced a Ralt RT1 in historic races and having had some fledgling involvement with them back when they were new in the 1980s. It was this latter point that came bubbling back to the surface, in conjunction with this test drive.

I was sitting at Sabina Precision Preparation, in Anaheim, California, talking with crew chief Bob Morris about the history of the March Super Vees, when a “small world” connection was made. Bob mentioned that he had shared shop space in the late 1970s with the guy who had converted the first March F3 cars into Super Vees. “Oh, who was that?” I ask. Morris’ reply was, “Wilbur Bunce.” Just like in the movies, the room went strangely still for me as my mind teleported me back to 1983.