Vee Lines - the first publication related to FV
Started with issue #1 in Oct, 1964 and continued for 101 issues ending in Jan, 1973. Most issues were penned by Don Cheesman whose current status we have not yet been able to determine.

Vee Line - an introduction

 The Formula Vee Association, which became Formula Vee International, existed from “some date prior to October 1964” to early 1973. A newsletter, first the Bulletin then Vee Line was edited by Don Cheesman of Ephrata, Washington. Don proclaimed himself to be a Director of the Association but anecdotal evidence is he was much more than that. Reading the 100 issues of Bulletin/Vee Line (all scanned and posted here) I conclude that Cheesman may be the single most important person in the history of Formula Vee, although Cheesman would give that honor to Colonel George Smith and Smith might say Brundage, Brundage might say Porsche.

Cheesman was not a driver; he and John Baker owned the Formcar named Petunia (now owned by Bob Cornish of Reno, Nevada). Petunia became a highly developed Formcar and her story is told over the years in Vee Line. More importantly Cheesman’s monthly newsletter provided the forum for the discussion of the rules, technical tips, new car announcements, and classified ads.  The four into one exhaust is an example.

            February 1969

            “Exhaust Pipes Again”

“This month’s report on exhaust pipes is going to be almost totally negative. No one has yet come up with the ultimate system- or even a good one- for general publication, anyhow.

Ed Zink has been experimenting, but so far hasn’t found anything equal on a dyno to his present straight pipes, but if he does come up with a megaphone system which shows and advantage, he expects to be able to sell it for around $65. ……..”

The newsletters contain correspondence with SCCA (Tracy Bird, Jim Patterson, and Frank Schultheis) and a host of FV pioneers such as George Smith, Ray Caldwell, Harvey Templeton, Robert Riley (Lynx), Whit Tharin, Jerry Mong (Bobsy), etc. I recommend the interview with Ed Zink in the August 1968 issue.

Cheesman ran out of steam in January 1973 and Formula Vee International was liquidated. In my effort to find someone who knew Cheesman I was fortunate to find Harriett Gittings  [see article from Oakland Tribune, Mar, 1969] whose name probably appears more times than any other in the Vee Line. Harriett raced a Formcar and Crusader in the San Francisco Region, served as President and Secretary of the Association, and worked as a motor sports journalist.  Thanks to Harriett for her remembrances, to Mike Roberts for keeping his Vee Line collection all these years, and to John Deonarine for filling in the blanks.

Fred Storer

Harriet leads Miltner at Laguna Seca - May 1966

Harriet Gittings

Harriet in her Crusader at Laguna, 1969

The first issue is reproduced below - links to all editions (that we have) in pdf format are below page 2 for reading and printing. (The first several issues were produced on legal size paper which means we had to "play tricks" to get them scanned and loaded).  Thanks to Fred Storer who acquired these issues and scanned them into "webable" copy for this site.

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