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The Sunbeam community has lost one of its racing legends. Don Sesslar passed away yesterday at age 92.
Don raced anything from sports cars to stock cars and even TransAm cars in the fifties and sixties. His first SCCA national championship in the late fifties was won driving an RSK Porsche.
Later he tied for a championship in an Alpine and then won another outright in 1964. In late 1964 Rootes decided to have him take over the driving of the the Shelby race Tiger. In 1965 his Sports Car Forum Tiger won SCCA National Points races at VIR and Mid-Ohio. His Mid-Ohio Bp Tiger record was faster than the Ap class record, a class containing the Cobras and Stingrays. In 1965 Don scored almost as many national points in the SCF Tiger than all the other Tigers racing in the United States combined. Don almost doubled the points of the second place Tiger.
Don was also quite prominent in the SCCA. At the time he was racing the Tiger he was also Chairman of SCCA's Rules Committee.
Many Tiger owners had the opportunity to meet Don at SUNIs or at the Tigers United at the Queen Mary. All will remember how warm and welcoming he was to all of us. A wonderful gentleman who will be missed.
Buck Trippel
CAT President
Don raced anything from sports cars to stock cars and even TransAm cars in the fifties and sixties. His first SCCA national championship in the late fifties was won driving an RSK Porsche.
Later he tied for a championship in an Alpine and then won another outright in 1964. In late 1964 Rootes decided to have him take over the driving of the the Shelby race Tiger. In 1965 his Sports Car Forum Tiger won SCCA National Points races at VIR and Mid-Ohio. His Mid-Ohio Bp Tiger record was faster than the Ap class record, a class containing the Cobras and Stingrays. In 1965 Don scored almost as many national points in the SCF Tiger than all the other Tigers racing in the United States combined. Don almost doubled the points of the second place Tiger.
Don was also quite prominent in the SCCA. At the time he was racing the Tiger he was also Chairman of SCCA's Rules Committee.
Many Tiger owners had the opportunity to meet Don at SUNIs or at the Tigers United at the Queen Mary. All will remember how warm and welcoming he was to all of us. A wonderful gentleman who will be missed.
Buck Trippel
CAT President
