Sebring 1968 with the TR250K and crew.
Competition Department Bob Avery, driver Bob Tullius, Comp. Dept
Jim Coan, drivcr Jim Dittemore, and a tired Kas Kastner. In the background over the head
of Kas you will notice Mr. Chris Andrews (then President of Triumph USA). Mr. Andrews was
responsible for backing Kas in this and other projects wtihin the Comp. Dept and was quite
interested in its success.
Mr. Kastner adds:
"We had a hard time getting the money together to build this car and it took an
incredible amount of effort and truly after midniught oil. The car was introduced to the
press at the (then) new Forum in L.A. This was the only
thing that had been done at the forum at that point except ice hockey.
Anyway, for the introduction we had all the car press people from
all over the world and also three TV startions sent crews. BIG DEAL. They (the press) were
all in seats around the ice and we had the lights turned out
so that it was complete darkness, then Jim Dittemore drove the car out onto the ice with
lightrs blazing (1 million candle power worth) reved the engline
and spun it. It was really really cool. We then did a question and answer thing up in the
stands for the press, then gave rides to the TV folks out side the Forum. Now, the funny
part. We had worked all night to get this
thing finished and the correct springs hadn't come in yet, so I put in some small springs
from who know what and then blocked them up with pieces of 2 x 4 wood to get the right
ride height. Also at that point we had the
wrong master cylinder and stepping on the brakes was like jumping on cement.....
you could hardly stop the car at all. In fact when I backed it out of the Triumph shop I
stepped on the brake and the car just coasted right out and across the street.
SURPRISE....I guess.....but we never copped out and no one ever suspected."
