Gregg Places 2nd in Bryar Trans Am

"My ultimate ambition in racing is to win the endurance races at Daytona and Sebring in the same year," said Peter Gregg '61 in a CRIMSON interview last night. The foreign car dealer/racing driver from Jacksonville, Florida will have to wait at least until next year to fulfill his ultimate racing ambition, but Monday he took a big step toward his goal for this year, that of wining a Trans Am race, when he finished second to George Follmer in the Bryar 200 at London, N. H.

Although unable to best his Bud Moore Mustang teammate, Follmer, Gregg did beat by a comfortable margin third place Javelin mounted Peter Revson, who earlier in the weekend finished second at the Indianapolis 500. In fourth position when the checkered flag fell was veteran sports car driver Bob Tullius in a 1964 Pontiac GTO. This amazing vehicle had 80,000 miles on it as a street car, before being converted to racing.

Gregg ran fifth in the early stages of the race, behind Revision, and the three-way first place duel between Follmer and Javelin drivers Mark Donohue and Tony Adamowicz. Gregg moved up to second when Donohue spun out of the lead and stalled. Adamowicz broke down, and Revson made a long pit stop. Driving a smooth, steady race, Gregg never relinquished second place to his pursuers, and took over the lead briefly when teammate Follmer pitted for fuel.

At Harvard, Peter majored in English, and served as president of Ivy Films. His wife remembers whistling down the streets of Cambridge on the back of his motorcycle, but his racing career didn't begin until 1963, when he was stationed in Florida as part of his four in the Navy.

He bought a new Corvette which he used for racing and transportation. Before leaving for a race, special competition tires were mounted, but otherwise it was street stock. The machine never broke down in a race, and the Greggs never had to hitchhike home.

This car was followed by a succession of Porsches, and Gregg, now a Porsche dealer, is under contract to drive these cars in endurance races. Last year he campaigned a Lola in the Can Am series, but the car was badly damaged in a crash during practice for the first race. In this accident Gregg suffered the only serious injuries of his career, a dislocated toe and a cracked shoulder. The car was not repaired until near the end of the season, and Peter has since given up Can Am racing.

At this point in his career, Peter is racing primarily against people who are full time racers, living and breathing the sport seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.