Harry Cromwell Reynolds the third

[Michael Rand]

Having just today, with the aid of wife Tracy, managed to get back "into" Apexspeed in order to post I am incredibly saddened to type that one of my very best pals from the earliest year of my racing and maybe the first class competitor I became tight with has left us at age 87 of several debilitating strokes at his home in Sarasota, FL.

Harry Reynolds , he of the coke bottle bottom glasses, [until fairly recently when he had eye surgery and only needed reading glasses] [I literally didn't recognize Harry when I first saw him post surgery a few years ago at Lime Rock for the Historics and the swap meet that he always participated in] Harry of the quick come back and remarks bout literally everyone and everything.

A highly intelligent and well read and educated man, always always ready with a pithy remark about almost any topic.

Harry started in SCCA racing I believe he told me 1957, maybe 1956 , and ultimately became a back-to-back Formula C National Champion, 1971 and 1972.

He often told me he considered him self a 4 time FC Champ as he was in fact a few seconds ahead of me in 1970 when his self built Cosworth SCA ate some internal bit and gifted me on championship, and in 1973 he was well ahead and heading towards his third in succession Nat Champ when the Lucas points in the distributor closed up and he lost the last 1,500-2,500 revs. Definately NOT what is needed at Road Atlanta !

He then went vintage racing in such as a lola Mk 1, a Volpini FJr, [bought from me],, laterly a 500cc F3 Kieft of sometime in the 50's era. Always a motorcycle enthusiast, I forget that the last one was but it went to England with the Kieft fairly recently.

He even wrote the book " 500CC Formula Three racing in America" ....I treasure my copy.
Harry was an amazing historian if many obscure racing series, series, drivers, tracks, whet ever caught his attention....

I know the International Motor Racing Research Center [IMRRC]in Watkins Glen is going to enjoy Harrys collections of magazines, books, and who knows what else he had squirreled away,,,,,

A larger than life man who, as his son Harry C Reynolds 4th said to me very recently, talking of HCR3, "Dad you have a lot more people to irritate..."
Harry had the unique ability to really piss people on at first meeting them !

And yet Harry and I became fast friends of 55 years, no idea how !

HCR3 had a busy and interesting 87 years here.

Where ever he is I bet he is arguing about some rule or regulation he thinks extraneous and stupid.....



Probably there aren't a whole lot of apexers who knew Harry but for those who did hoist one in his name.

Maybe 2 or 3....

[EACIII]

I met Harry back in the 80s while running in the Skip Barber series. Have to say I always thought he was a great guy and never pissed me off. Like to think he helped make me into the drive I became.

Rest in peace Harry.

Ed Callo

[E1pix]

Wonderful tribute, Mike.

Remember him well from the Gilbert-Wrightson-Rand-Anspach era… best-sounding Cosworths ever.

RIP.

[B Reid]

So sorry to hear this Mike-

I had the great pleasure of meeting Harry who was working for John Grubb of J+J racing when he was tasked with helping me with a new Mondial FF I had just gotten from Skip Barber. We met at Summit Point, where it was about 95 degrees and Harry is wearing white work overalls, and boxer shorts, sweating profusely and looking at me through his coke bottle glasses. I had no idea of his past accomplishments at that point and I'm thinking to myself "this is the guy who is going to help me figure out this car?"

We became great friends, worked together as instructors at Skip Barber, and was fascinated by his take on the world around him, which as Mike says was generally contrary to just about everyone else's. His wide ranging knowledge of motorsports and other various topics was amazing. His table of things for sale at the Lime Rock vintage event was something to behold.

Rest in Peace Harry, I am a far better person for having shared time with you.

Bob

[Joe Marcinski]

I met, well perhaps it would better be described as exposed to, Mr. Reynolds (I never knew him well enough to call him Harry) at the Road Atlanta Runoffs in 1975. He, Mike Rand, Fred Stevenson, Joe Sposato, Joe Stimola and several other drivers were in that group that I looked up to as revered, serious, champion racers that one could learn from. It came as quite a surprise to find that one could learn how to hang a spoon off one's nose, how to clear a dining room of families with small children and generally have some of the most fun I have ever had doing things beside racing.

That week of being at the track and being fortunate enough to be included in the dinner invitations was one of the most fun experiences of my life. Harry, in particular, was so entertaining and interesting to listen to when he decided to jump in and offer his take on a situation, rules, steward's decisions, the quality of dinner, etc.

From then onward, whenever we were at the track at the same time, I would make an effort to wander over just to listen in.

He made a real (positive) impression upon me and Mike can tell you that I frequently asked if he had heard from Harry and how he was doing.

He will truly be missed.

Joe Marcinski

[Rick Iverson]

Very nicely done, Sir.

Having just today, with the aid of wife Tracy, managed to get back "into" Apexspeed in order to post I am incredibly saddened to type that one of my very best pals from the earliest year of my racing and maybe the first class competitor I became tight with has left us at age 87 of several debilitating strokes at his home in Sarasota, FL.

Harry Reynolds , he of the coke bottle bottom glasses, [until fairly recently when he had eye surgery and only needed reading glasses] [I literally didn't recognize Harry when I first saw him post surgery a few years ago at Lime Rock for the Historics and the swap meet that he always participated in] Harry of the quick come back and remarks bout literally everyone and everything.

A highly intelligent and well read and educated man, always always ready with a pithy remark about almost any topic.

Harry started in SCCA racing I believe he told me 1957, maybe 1956 , and ultimately became a back-to-back Formula C National Champion, 1971 and 1972.

He often told me he considered him self a 4 time FC Champ as he was in fact a few seconds ahead of me in 1970 when his self built Cosworth SCA ate some internal bit and gifted me on championship, and in 1973 he was well ahead and heading towards his third in succession Nat Champ when the Lucas points in the distributor closed up and he lost the last 1,500-2,500 revs. Definately NOT what is needed at Road Atlanta !

He then went vintage racing in such as a lola Mk 1, a Volpini FJr, [bought from me],, laterly a 500cc F3 Kieft of sometime in the 50's era. Always a motorcycle enthusiast, I forget that the last one was but it went to England with the Kieft fairly recently.

He even wrote the book " 500CC Formula Three racing in America" ....I treasure my copy.
Harry was an amazing historian if many obscure racing series, series, drivers, tracks, whet ever caught his attention....

I know the International Motor Racing Research Center [IMRRC]in Watkins Glen is going to enjoy Harrys collections of magazines, books, and who knows what else he had squirreled away,,,,,

A larger than life man who, as his son Harry C Reynolds 4th said to me very recently, talking of HCR3, "Dad you have a lot more people to irritate..."
Harry had the unique ability to really piss people on at first meeting them !

And yet Harry and I became fast friends of 55 years, no idea how !

HCR3 had a busy and interesting 87 years here.

Where ever he is I bet he is arguing about some rule or regulation he thinks extraneous and stupid.....



Probably there aren't a whole lot of apexers who knew Harry but for those who did hoist one in his name.

Maybe 2 or 3....