My 7A was a 1962 right-hand-drive model with chassis number SB1137 with the BMC "A" series engine (number 8G10 RS 14793).

I'm sure that like many of the more experienced (as in "older") folks who visit your site, I got the sports car "bug" in college in the mid-50s, but couldn't satisfy the itch for a little while. After graduation from Ohio University in 1957 and accepting a Regular Army commission, I headed off for some schooling and an assignment in Korea. Upon returning in '59, I was finally able to buy a new TR-3A and get involved in sports car events after being assigned to Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia (a dream assignment for a young bachelor). After a couple of years of serious rallying, I became interested in getting something a little more exotic that the Triumph (which was becoming very commonplace at the time). As it turned out, a friend of mine in the Neshaminy Foreign & Sports Car Club by the name of Bob France had purchased and started racing a Lotus Seven America. Unfortunately for him (but luckily for me), the sports car dealership north of Philly that Bob was part owner of was forced out of business and Bob had to sell his car. He was asking $2,000 for the car and I thought it would make a neat second car to have some fun with on weekends. The car was only three months old and Bob had run it in three races, at least one of which was at our closest track in Vineland, NJ, where I had the opportunity to watch him run. I guess I should have haggled on the price, but it seemed like a pretty good deal to me, since the car had full road equipment, but also came with a roll bar and straight-pipe exhaust and the engine had been balanced.
 
At first, I didn't really think about racing it, but just drove it for fun, even driving up to New York City for some sightseeing. Of course, that was in the days of large NYC taxicabs, big nerf bars, and aggressive drivers! I felt lucky to escape in my little red wonder! I believe it was during this visit that I stopped at a Lotus dealer (not quite sure where anymore?) and the salesman suggested I go up into the loft where a guy was assembling a new Super Seven. The guy turned out to be Dave Clark who earned a great reputation as a giant killer, particularly at smaller, twistier tracks like Vineland and Upper Marlboro.

It didn't take me long to decide to try my hand at racing. After all, the car was race-prepared and I had been a race fan since childhood, growing up going to midget races at Sportsman Park halfway between Cleveland and Akron. All it took was to join the South Jersey Region of SCCA, buy a Bell 500 TX helmet ($24.95), the standard-for-the-times Sala-Sport blue driving suit (with Lotus patch - $16.95), and sign up for the 12-13 July '62 driving school at Vineland.

driver's school Vineland 21 Jul 62

driver's school Vineland 22 Jul 62

driver's school Vineland 22 Jul 62

Bob France loaned me his tow bar (which hooked up to the lower front suspension) and I mounted an angle iron with tow ball to the TR-3's rear bumper supports and I was off to the races. The only other preparations were making a small racing screen out of Plexiglas and soaking the driving suit in that borax solution (Boy, have we come a long way!). Driving school was a lot of fun until the final practice race of the weekend when everyone got a little squirrelly at the end of the long straight and a MG kind of done me in. The space frame had a definite bend in it and I was a sad little cookie. I was advised to take the car to Diaz Brothers Body Shop on the Black Horse Pike near Philadelphia and Jim Diaz (who became a very good friend) worked his magic on the car just as he did for many Philly/Jersey area racers, including Roger Penske and his original Cooper F1 car that became the prototype for all the Can-Am cars.

Mid Ohio paddock 15 Sep 62

Mid Ohio paddock 16 Sep 62

Mid Ohio false grid 16 Sep 62

The Lotus was finally ready to return to the track in early September and I raced it with some success at Mid-Ohio, Reading, Upper Marlboro (twice), and Vineland (three more weekends).

Mid Ohio impound 2nd place! 16 Sep 62 (Tom Yeager in 3rd behind)

Vineland 3rd place! 28 Oct 62

towee/tower Vineland 31 Mar 63

My last race in the Seven America was in June 1963 and then I had to depart for a 3-year tour in Germany. It was a great car, but I had to leave it behind with Jim Diaz to sell for me. Unfortunately, it required a little body and frame work after my last race at Vineland and I couldn't stay around to sell it myself. Incidentally, with 20/20 hindsight, I decided it really wasn't a good move to try and pass a TR-3 on the outside of the oval at Vineland. That railroad tie wall doesn't give an inch!!! Jim eventually sold the car for me, but I never knew who purchased it. I'm not sure if Jim repaired it or sold it as is. I hope that whoever bought it had as much fun as I had with it, accidents and all.

rear view 21 Apr 63

side/engine 21 Apr 63

front view 21 Apr 63

[The above] are pictures taken during the time I was privileged to own and race the car. The photo taken in the impound area at Mid-Ohio in September 1962 shows Tom Yeager's white Lotus 7A behind my car. We finished 2nd and 3rd in GP in a field of 16 cars. If anyone knows if the car still exists, I sure would like to know. If you check the photos closely, the car was the only one I ever saw with a 1-man roll bar. That's probably not even legal today, but it should make it easy to identify the car.