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05/18/06 |
     
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THE DAILUS 2004- revised August
by David Greenblatt
PREAMBLE………
The origin of the name….. DAILU, was derived from the names of its constructors Dave Greenblatt and Luigi Cassiani. DAI, being welsh for David and LU for Luigi.
In the fall of 1961 Greenblatt a race car driver and a sports car repair garage operator, decided to build their own group 7, sports racing car, (pre Can-Am).
Greenblatt at the end of his third season of road racing, decided that he would like to incorporate his own ideas into the building of a race car. So along with his friend and experienced mechanic, (former Alfa Romeo factory works technician), Luigi Cassiani they embarked on a winter construction program, (1961-62).
Mike Saggers was contracted to build the handcrafted 22ga aluminum body, designed by Greenblatt. (Mike Saggers, from the UK, was working for Dick Hamilton’s Sports Car Specialists service shop in Montreal, handcrafting bodies. Greenblatt introduced Saggers to Bill Sadler in late 1959 to build the body for the Sadler mk IV). The Sadler mk IV, owned by a real estate firm from Montreal and sponsored by Gorries Chevrolet of Toronto, was raced by Greenblatt in 1960-61 seasons. Greenblatt won the Quebec Racing Drivers Championship in 1960.
There have been rumours circulating for years, that the DAILU MK I, was really the Sadler mk IV, with a new body.
“I would like to clear up this myth once and for all.” The Dailu mk I is a space frame construction similar to many car designs of that era. The Sadler had two major flaws in its design. One with a drive shaft operating at almost full u-joint lock due to engine placement in order to mate up with its solid rear axle. The cars braking system was inadequate for the cars power to weight ratio.
The Dailu mk I, a space frame chassis, was designed with an independent rear suspension. (Unlike the Sadler with its solid rear axle design). We placed greater emphasis on the strength and rigidity of the frame, (learning from Ferrari with their heavier frames as opposed to Maserati and others whose lightweight designs would fracture, especially on airport circuits). The Sadler’s relatively lightweight frame tended to flex in its mid section affecting the handling of the car.
Luigi designed the frame and rear suspension of the Dailu mk I, also incorporating some of the ideas of the Sadler front suspension. It is interesting to note that during John Cannon’s first testing of the car at St.Eugene, he went off the track severely altering the geometry of the front suspension. The testing continued with a substantial drop in lap times and a much improved handling car. So back to the shop where the front suspension was redesigned with new specs. /2
2. Major focus was placed on the cars braking system adding power assist. The placement of fuel was configured into the rear section of the Dailu as opposed to the Sadlers side pods.
Greenblatt drove the Sadler mk IV at Mosports very first race event, The Players 200 in 1961, with a Latham supercharged Chevy running 5th before having to retire when once more a universal joint fractured coming out of Moss’s corner. Greenblatt and Bill Sadler co-drove the mk IV in 1960 in the International Formula Libre Race, at Watkins Glen, N.Y., (comprised of Formula One, (Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham era) and group 7 sports racing cars), unfortunately severe braking problems kept the car in and out of the pits..
The Sadler finally met with its demise in late 1961 when it was stolen on its trailer with its tow vehicle from the parking lot where it was stored. It was eventually recovered by the police, having had the chassis cut with torches in order to remove the engine and transmission. The car was a total right off.
End of the Sadler Mk IV.
THE DAILUS
There were a total of 5 Dailus.
The DAILU MK I, also known as the Dailu-Bardahl Special, was built during the winter of 1961-62.
Greenblatt and his good friend Peter Ryan were negotiating to go to Europe for the 1962 racing season. However they could not see eye to eye on this idea. Greenblatt felt that it was still too early in their careers. Greenblatt also had the responsibility of his business and wanted to build a new race car. So Peter went alone, with Greenblatt promising that on his return to Canada he would have a potent group 7 car to test and race. Peter hooked up with Lotus and drove on their Formula Junior Team. Tragically Peter was killed in Rheims, France in the first race of the season.
The Dailu mk I, debuted at the 1962 Players 200. One week prior to the event during the cars first shake down at Mosport, Greenblatt was approached by Imperial Tabbaco, (Players), to rent the car for Fomula One driver, (and then, 3x winner of LeMans) Oliver Gendebien. Greenblatt gave up his ride but not before Bardahl International wanted in on the act and signed up Greenblatt as their driver for 1962 season, along with a trail of additional sponsors.
However, Genebien during qualifying parked the car after oil from a leaking valve cover gasket found its way onto the floor area of the drivers compartment. Gendebien admitted a few years later, that it was not really the oil leak that bothered him, but the brutal acceleration and handling characteristics differed so dramatically from the European cars he was accustomed to drive, which made him uncomfortable.
The following weekend, Greenblatt set a new lap record at St. Eugene circuit, (then Montreal’s only track, prior to the new Le Circuit de Mont Tremblant).
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3. After the sudden demise of Greenblatt’s very close friend Peter Ryan he arranged with Bardahl to replace himself as driver and take on the duties as team manager. Greenblatt had been given a list of top Canadian drivers to choose from, but he had his eye on an up and coming unknown by the name of John Cannon. Bardahl was not prepared to accept an unknown driver.
Greenblatt, in order to convince Bardahl entered Cannon into a major race event at Limerock, Conn. Covering up all the graphics on the car. Cannon showed this very competitive field of cars very quickly his ability to pilot the Dailu.
Unfortunately, in the last lap of the race, Cannon leading, the car suffered a rear suspension failure, causing the car to park in some soft sand. No harm was done and actually we were relieved because we did not want the publicity.
Upon returning to Montreal, the “sports pages” had pick up on John’s great performance in the Canadian built Dailu……… and then came the call from Bardahl suggesting that I had found our driver.
Dailu mk I highlights in 1962:
St. Eugene circuit, in the Dailu’s maiden race, Greenblatt sets a new lap record.
BEMC, Indian Summer Trophy Races, (1962), Cannon in the Dailu won both the preliminary and feature events.
Thus, the first Canadian built car to win a feature event at Mosport.
More important, racing history was made as the Dailu was the first car to defeat the world famed Lotus 19, (driven by Francis Bradley) followed by Ludvig Heimrath in his RS60 Porsche.
The 1962 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport, amongst a field of the worlds best Formula One and sports car drivers and the best factory marques in the world, (Ferrari, Lotus, Cooper, Porsche, Chapparal, Lister, (just to name a few) Cannon qualified fifth. When the flag dropped in a light rain, Cannon was the first car into ‘turn one’ leading this international field around the course, and bringing a cheering crowd around the circuit to their feet. What excitement ! Cannon managed to maintain a solid 3rd place until a fractured water pump pulley created a lengthly pit stop finally finishing in 15th place.
The Dailu had suddenly caught international attention with extensive coverage in almost every major motorsport magazine in America and Europe.
Bardahl, sends the team to California to compete in the “Fall Races” at Riverside and Laguna Seca.
Factory teams and drivers appeared from around the world, 60-70 entries, of which only 33 could qualify.
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4. At the Riverside Grand Prix, Cannon had no problem qualifying, and running 5th. . 230 miles of the 250 mile race the timing chain let go trashing our only engine.
Ole Bardahl, (founder of Bardahl International Oil Products), was present at the event and provided us with the funds to buy the engine out of the latest Chapparal, which had been demolished in a crash during practice by ex-Indy 500 Champion Roger Ward. This engine was the first full race small block Chevy built by Traco Engineering in California, 377ci, 437hp, on the dyno, (w/ six Ford Stomberg 97 downdraft carburetors). A full 140hp more than the Dailu’s previous engine.
Laguna Seca, Calif.
First race: Cannon in the Dailu mk I, won the checkered flag. Second event, running up front, with severe brake problems due to altitude and brake fluid boiling, (something new for us) , Cannon crashed. We sadly drove back to Montreal, only to have Bardahl tell us we had a week to repair the car and be in Miami where the car was being shipped to Nassau for the Invitational Nassau Speed Week Races.
Nassau Speed week (1962)
The first event, a short race, saw Masten Gregory, Ferraris #1, Formula One driver, in the factory’s fastest race car, a 4.5 litre,V-12 Lemans car, vowing not to be beaten. Jim Hall in his Chapparal, and John Cannon in the Dailu mk I, all on the front row. Nassau was a 5.2 mile airport circuit, the main straight almost one mile in length. This was certain to be a Dailu course with its new 437 hp engine, (pushing 1800lbs of race car). When the flag dropped Cannon disappeared leaving the field behind him and receiving the checkered flag.
In the 250 miler, Cannon was running heavy with a full 63 Imperial gallons, (286litres) of fuel on board a choice we had made since we did not have any refueling systems to match the competition. Unfortunately, at one part of the course the chassis would bottom creating sparks which ignited fumes from the overflow vent. This created a huge fire which totally melted the body and gutted the car. Cannon was able to bring the fireball to a stop and escape without injury. Needless to say the Dailu mk I made ‘center fold ‘ in some worldwide publications. -----------------------------------------
WHERE ARE THE DAILUS…….. 40 YEARS LATER ??
DAILU MK I – REBUILT 1977-78
In 1977 the Dailu Mk I was rebuilt by Greenblatt in Montreal having acquired the original chassis from its owner in Ottawa. Due to the fact that the chassis had been through a very hot fire and was going to be rebuilt for vintage car racing, it was decided to copy the original chassis in detail. David Thornton from the UK, an ex-March Formula One chassis builder was commissioned to do the job in Montreal. Similarly, an Italian body builder with BMW, (Quebec), originally from the Alfa factory in Italy, duplicated the original 22ga. aluminum body from photographs. /5
5. In 1978, Greenblatt joined VARAC, had the car certified and entered it into three events winning the last one at Shannonville. Greenblatt sold the car in the late 80s to its present owner Sam Cerasuolo, of Montreal. Sam in the year 2000, had the car certified by the Quebec Motor Vehicle Department. The Dailu appears in their database as a 1961 DAILU MK I, serialized, registered and plated for street use should he desire.
DAILU MK II Built in the spring of 1963 for Peter Lerch, of Canada Track & Traffic Magazine utilized an identical chassis to the MK I and used the 437hp Traco engine with its 6 Ford Stromberg 97 downdraft carburetors from the MK I. The car originally was built as a coupe known as “The Shrike” in fiberglas, by a US body builder.
In the mk II’s first event, the 1963 BEMC Spring Trophy Races, John Cannon piloted the car (coupe body), again winning the feature event, ahead of the Lotus 19 and Heimrath in his Porsche. This was the only race where Cannon competed in the mk II.
Lerch then requested the body be modified into roadster form firmly indentifying the mk II. The mk II went on to win races at Mosport and St.Eugene where Lerch set a new lap record. 1963 BEMC, Indian Summer Trophy Races, Lerch matched Cannon’s record of 1962, again beating the Lotus 19 and Heimrath’s Porsche RS60.
Lerch sold his Mk II to Gord Dewar, selling it to Don Horner, racing it throughout the sixties with great success, at Mosport and Le Circuit. Horner eventually sold the mk II to Terry Dale, (former SCCA Trans Am Series Steward, currently ‘pace car driver’ for Rolex series and “tech” for both “cup” and “Rolex” races), who firmly carried on the winning tradition of the mk II.
It should be noted that after Lerch , flipped the car at St. Eugene severely damaging the body, the rebuilt body took on the shape as it appears today, therefore losing some of its originality.
The MK II is currently owned by Mike Liecester of California, who runs it with great success in west coast vintage events.
DAILU MK III – (1963)
This car had a ladder frame chassis, designed by Luigi Cassiani as a prototype for a street coupe. The MK III had four wheel independent suspension, four wheel disc brakes, utilizing a Corvette small block, (327ci/375hp), and hand crafted front and rear suspension and a similar brake system to the MK I and II, utilizing many Jaguar components.
Then along came another invitation in 1963 to attend Nassau Speed Week.
Peter Lerch entered his Dailu mk II and Greenblatt arranged with GM for a new Buick prototype engine 425ci/450hp engine for the mk III. Unfortunately, Lerch blew his engine prior to the race and John Cannon driving the MK III, had an electrical fire in the pits during the race and could not continue..
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6.
DAILU MK IV (LOTUS –CORVETTE) 1964
Greenblatt acquired the last Lotus 19c chassis from the UK. Greenblatt modified the rear engine chassis to accepted a small block Chevy, (327/375hp) with a Hewland 5 speed transaxle. The cars first outing set the first unofficial lap record at the new Le Circuit – Mt.Tremblant. Greenblatt then sold the MK IV to Grant Clark, (Toronto) to be sponsored by Philips Speed-Flex. Greenblatt raced the car at Mosport, running second, at the start of the last lap suffered a steering failure causing the car to crash, injuring two flag marshals. The car was then sold to a party in Quebec.
DAILU MK V – (1965)
Greenblatt built this car for Duval Chevrolet, a GM dealer in Montreal. It was the same ladder frame design, suspension and brake system as the MK III. GM supplied a stock 327ci-375hp fuel injected Corvette engine and CR 4 speed transmission. Greenblatt took a mould off a production 1965 Corvette and created a light weight body (approx. 150lbs). The car looked like a Corvette but weighed only 1800 lbs. The mk III was quick and very reliable winning many major events at Le Circuit, even beating Heimrath’s Porsche RS and won the Mont Gabriel Hill Climb. Greenblatt believes this car is still around in Eastern Canada or maybe Vermont but has been unable to locate its whereabouts.
42 YEARS LATER AND THE LEGEND STILL LIVES ON……………
Dave Greenblatt has been invited to drive the Dailu mk I, as the “guest pace car” for the parade laps at the VARAC 25th Vintage Festival races at Mosport this coming June 25-27, 2004, featuring Canadian built race cars and their Constructors and Drivers…………..
Dave Greenblatt was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1998.
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This site was last updated 05/18/06