Lotus 19

Information

The Harrison Special is a legendary 1961 one-off race car born from a Lotus 19 and empowered by a clandestine Shelby GT40 drivetrain (at one point it is rumored to have been powered by the same engine put in Chassis #1 of the GT40). For a period it was even worked on in the same room as the Apollo 11 rocket, often being snuck in the hangars to be worked on by former owner Orly Thornsjo, the lead designer and team leader for the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander Guidance System. It raced—and won—in U.S. events from 1963 1966, before crashing and then disappearing. Rediscovered and now under restoration by Dave Helms and family—along with original designer Chuck Pelly—it stands as a living piece of racing and space-era history.

Key Events:

Late 1960 Early 1961: J. Frank Harrison acquires a Lotus 19, sparking the idea for a custom-built 'Special' car

1962: Built at Troutman & Barnes in Culver City by mechanical lead Jerry Eisert and teenage body designer Chuck Pelly

Built hastily—even using electrical conduit for the rear frame due to time constraints.

1963 (debut): Debuts at Kent; driven by Lloyd Ruby, it wins its first United States Road Racing Championship race

1963 1966: Races across the US (approx. 10 documented events, possibly ~24 total), achieving two wins and two podiums

1964: Jim Clark qualifies the car on pole at Mosport but declines to race due to safety fears

Mid‑1960s (circa 1966): Likely breaks a tree in a crash in Nebraska or Kansas, splitting the chassis in two

After crash: Sold to a collector; chassis remains lost for decades until resurfacing at Dave Helms’s Colorado shop

2004: Dave Helms opens Scuderia Rampante in Boulder, CO, takes ownership of the chassis as lien collateral

2017: Dave’s son Bill, who co-led restoration work, passes away

Early Summer 2018: Daughter Jenni Helms joins the restoration efforts

October 18, 2018: Jalopnik article is published featuring the story

https://www.jalopnik.com/youve-found-a-mysterious-race-car-lost-to-history-now-1829610877/