March 1, 1964 - World class road racing comes to Augusta Georgia. Shelby American brought two Cobra Roadsters and two King
Cobras to Augusta International Raceway for two seperate USRRC races. Dave MacDonald & Ken Miles would run in both.

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Dave MacDonald & Bob Holbert in King Cobras, and Ken Miles in a Cobra Roadster will run the Drivers' Championship Race while
MacDonald & Miles will run Cobra Roadsters in the Manfacturers' Championship Race.

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Having spent the past 2 1/2 weeks in Daytona Beach to run the Daytona Continental 2000km (in Cobra Daytona Coupe CSX2287)
and the Daytona 500, Californian Dave MacDonald did not fly home with wife Sherry to rejoin the kids, but instead flew straight
from Daytona to Augusta for these races. He rode Eastern Airlines flight 680/688 from Daytona to Jacksonville to Augusta.

Dave MacDonald in Shelby King Cobra wins at Augusta Raceway 1964

Ken Miles (L), Dave MacDonald (center) & Bob Holbert back stage before qualifying. Looks like Holbert has drawn an Augusta
course map on the ground. Dave's King Cobra CM/1/63 (#97) is in the background. Photo Dave Friedman

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Don Yenko's Corvette Grand Sport arrives for the Drivers Championship. (Photo courtesy of Augusta International Raceway)

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Hey Dave, over here! Dave MacDonald takes a break for photog Dave Friedman (shadow). MacDonald, a gifted mechanic, works
with the Shelby crew to prepare King Cobra CM/1/63 for Dave's qual run. Dave worked on all his race cars. Photo Dave Friedman

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Friday's qual runs begin and Wilbur Morgan's Devin-Chevrolet & Dave MacDonald's King Cobra wait their turns. AIS track steward
looks on as Dave makes last minute adjustments. Dave's time of 1:48.02 was be 2nd fastest. Morgan ran 2:16.0. Photo Dave Friedman

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Superstar Jim Hall is next out and rips his Chaparral through the course with a time of 1:47.2. Jim gets the pole. Photo Dave Friedman

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Dave's teammate Bob Holbert takes to the track in King Cobra CM/3/63. Holbert ran a 3rd fastest time of 1:49. Photo Dave Friedman

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Dave's good friend Bob Bondurant awaits his turn in a Lotus 23B. Bob ran a 2:01.0 good for 19th on the grid. Photo Dave Friedman

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George Koehne's Genie - Ford is next up. George would run an 8th fastest 1:56.0. Photo Dave Friedman

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Elva Mk VII Porsches of Charlie Hayes (#77) and Chuck Dietrick (76) await their qualifying runs. Hayes was clocked at 1:51.0 and
Dietrick at 1:56.0. Photo Dave Friedman

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Final qualifying times for both the Drivers' Championship Race & the Manfacturers' Championship Race. Not shown in the Drivers'
race is Ken Miles' Cobra Roadster, Ken's qualifying time of 1:54 for the Manufacturers' race was used for the Drivers' race as well.

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Race day and cars prepare to head out to the starting grid for the Drivers' Championships race. Pictured here is King Cobra CM/1/63
of Dave MacDonald (#97) and CM/3/63 of Bob Holbert's (#98). Photo Richard Macon

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Bob Holbert's King Cobra CM/3/63 and Ken Miles #15 Cobra Roadster still in pit area as MacDonald is already out on the starting
grid. Photo Courtesy of Augusta International Raceway

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John Fulp's Ferrari 250 also heads out. (Photo courtesy of Augusta International Raceway)

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Dick Doane's Chevette McKee Mk.I Chevrolet. Photo Dave Friedman

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Bob Ward's Ferrari 500 Mondial Chevrolet. (Photo courtesy of Augusta International Raceway)

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Roger Heftler will run an Elva Mk VII. Photo Richard Macon

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Cars & drivers line the starting grid and Dave MacDonald pulls his #97 King Cobra into the middle of row 1 and in the 2nd starting
position. Bob Holbert is alongside Dave in the #3 position. (Photo Autosport Magazine)

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Next to the King Cobras and starting form the pole is top qualifier Jim Hall in his ultra quick Chaparral. Photo Dave Friedman

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John Fulp's Ferrari 250, Charlie Hayes' Elva and Harry Heuer's Chaparral (just out of view) occupy row 2. Photo Dave Friedman

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Hall, MacDonald & Holbert wait for the flag to drop. Photo Dave Friedman

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The Drivers' Championships goes green and Dave MacDonald gets the hole shot. Photo Dave Friedman

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Jim Hall spins his wheels on the start and falls back in the field as his racer slides to the shoulder. MacDonald leads. Photo Friedman

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You can see Hall still outside the field but beginning to renter the pack. Photo Dave Friedman

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Hall eventually gets back on track and tucks his Chaparral in behind Don Yenko's Corvette in 9th place. Photo Dave Friedman

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Bob Holbert & Dave MacDonald (97) took turns leading early while Hall played catchup. Photo courtesy of Competition Press

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Lap 3 and Don Yenko's Corvette Grand Sport flying down the back side of Augusta running 7th. Photo Dave Friedman

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Dick Doane fights to keep his Chevette-McKee Mk I ahead of Augie Pabst's Maserati Tipo 64 Ford. Photo Dave Friedman

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Cobra Roadster of Ken Miles and the Cheetah of Ralph Salyer battle on early on lap 7. Photo Dave Friedman

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Bud Clusserath in the other Bill Thomas Cheetah running towards teh rear of the pack early. Photo Dave Friedman

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Lap 10 and Dave MacDonald drifts his King Cobra through turn 17 as he begins to seperate from the field. Second place driver Bob
Holbert is pictured top left. Photo Dave Friedman

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Hard charging Jim Hall making up for a poor start continues to march through the field. Here Jim is about to go by the 4th place
Ferrari 250 of John Fulp. Photo Dave Friedman

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George Koehne leads Augie Pabst and Lotus of Bob Bondurant on lap 15. Ken Miles' Cobra in background. Photo Dave Friedman

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On lap 25 Dave MacDonald comes round to put a lap on the struggling Cheetah of Bud Clusserath. Clusserath would retire from the
race on lap 29. Photo Dave Friedman

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Augie Pabst running in the middle of the pack in his Maserati Tipo 64 Ford. Photo Dave Friedman

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On lap 35 hard charging Jim Hall has now reeled in Holbert's King Cobra. Hall would sling his Chaparral past Holbert before laps
end and move into 2nd place. Photo Dave Friedman

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On lap 40 Ken Miles and Hap Sharp are side by side and runnng 7th and 8th with 12 laps remaining. Photo Dave Friedman

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Lap 45 George Winterstten's Elva Mk VII Porsche and Milard Ripley's Porsche 718 RS 61 run 10th & 11th. Photo Dave Friedman

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Dave MacDonald still has Shelby King Cobra CM/1/63 in the lead with Jim Hall's Chaparral 2nd. Photo Dave Friedman

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Harry Heuer running 4th in his Chevrolet Chaparral 1 with 7 laps to go. Photo Dave Friedman

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On lap 48 Bob Holbert powers CM/3/63 past George Koehne to put him 2 laps back of the leaders. Photo Dave Friedman

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Hall had closed to within a scant few seconds of MacDonald but with one lap to go Jim lost control of his Chaparral and spun out!
He quickly returned to the track without losing field position to 3rd place driver Bob Holbert. Photo Dave Friedman

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Lap 52 and Dave MacDonald rumbles toward the finish line to win Augusta International Raceway's inaugural sports car road race.

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Results for both the 1964 Drivers' Championships & Manufacturers' Championships at Augusta International Raceway. MacDonald
pulled a double and later in the day drove a Cobra Roadster to a 2nd place in the Manufacturers' Championships. Miles was winner

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News articles recapping both he 1964 Drivers' Championships & Manufacturers' Championships at Augusta International Raceway

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Sports Car magazine April 1964

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Augusta Herald news report posted by veteran auto racing expert Chris Economaki. Little known fact; Dave MacDonald & Jim Hall
were born on the same day ... July 23rd. Dave in 1936, Jim in 1935.

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USRRC press release for the races at Augusta

Dave MacDonald finishes 2nd in the Shelby King Cobra at Augusta International Raceway in 1964. He would later claim victory in the King Cobra at Augusta

One of Dave's sponsor paychecks from this race

Dave MacDonald finishes 2nd in the Shelby King Cobra at Augusta International Raceway in 1964. He would later claim victory in the King Cobra at Augusta

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In 2005 the Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society (AIRPS) unveiled a monument honoring past champions of the
raceway. Dave MacDonald competed in all three races held at the 3 mile, 21 turn road circuit. He won the '64 USRRC Drivers'
Championships in a King Cobra, finished 2nd in the '64 USRRC Manufacturers' Championships in a Cobra Roadster and finished
2nd in the 1963 Augusta 510 NASCAR race driving a Holman/Moody Ford Galaxie

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A street dedication ceremony was held after the unveiling of the monument

Dave MacDonald drives holman moody ford galaxie at Augusta International Raceway in 1964

Dave's granddaughter Erikka, daughter Vicki, Sherry and son Rich flew to Augusta for this special ceremony.

Dave MacDonald drives holman moody ford galaxie at Augusta International Raceway in 1964

Sherry holds the Dave MacDonald Drive street sign as Rich & Vicki stand behind her.

Dave MacDonald drives holman moody ford galaxie at Augusta International Raceway in 1964

Two more wings were added to the monument in 2007

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2011 aerial view of the old Augusta road course (in orange). You can see new Diamond Lakes Regional Park beginning to take shape
inside the track area. And to the upper right is the new housing community under development. All street names in the community are
named after drivers who competed at Augusta Raceway. In GREEN is Dave MacDonald Drive - the main loop that runs through the
entire community. NOTE: Credit goes to AIRPS President Henry Jones for his efforts to preserve this piece of racing history.

Dave MacDonald drives holman moody ford galaxie at Augusta International Raceway in 1964

Another aerial view, this one in April 2012 shows the housing developement now built out - Dave MacDonald Drive in orange

Dave MacDonald drives holman moody ford galaxie at Augusta International Raceway in 1964

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