Any Jack Hinkle pictures or stories out there?

Jack's Lola T-165 was at the Road America historics back in the 80s driven by some fellow (can't remember the first name) named Nero. It still had the same replacement rear deck on it that was installed after Jack backed into the guard rail in the 1977 June Sprints. Hinkle ran the T-165 from 1970 through 1979. Don't know about the T-160 that he had in 1969.
Tom

Originally equipped with a 2.7L Coventry Climax FPF that had been used in Grand Prix racing in Europe,

Jack McGrath in the Hinkle Special and his buddy Bill Vukovich

Indy 1955 for the lead.

Rex Dean collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 05 April 2020 - 00:42.

Jack Hinkles Cooper in 1968 now run by Gary Grove

Collombin: Rex Dean who had a site on the Vukovich accident for years, asked me did I think McGrath let him by without a fight hoping he would run too hard and break. I think he let him by so he wouldn't get crashed out.

photo : Chuck Brandt collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 05 April 2020 - 07:13.

Jerry,

Thanks for resurrecting this thread and all of your other contributions. Here is my Jack Hinkle story which includes his friend, Tracy Bird.

Dad and I were members of the Pan American Region's (SCCA) flagging and communications team in the 1960s.  Being in southern New Mexico, we had the opportunity to work some "obscure" races.  Unfortunately I do not have entry lists or results sheets, only some photos and my "crs" memory.  We didn't have much time to stroll the pits because we spent most of our weekends out working corners so I don't have much close up detail of the cars.

Tracy Bird drove the ex-Jack Hinkle Tipo 61 Birdcage at Deming, NM in 1964 wearing Bird's usual #9.  Bird was at Deming in 1963 in a white Maserati 200S which for some reason I thought was also an ex-Hinkle car, but previous posts say I'm wrong.  I guess it Bird's subsequent history of owning Jack Hinkle's older race cars that made me think that. Anyhow, the car was running in DM which was doesn't jive with the 200S.

The first time I saw Jack Hinkle was at Tucson, AZ in March, 1965 in his BT8 Brabham.  Tracy Bird was entered in his ex-Hinkle Cooper Monaco fitted with the Ferrari V-12.  It was looking like Sunday's modified race would be exciting as there was a blue Cheetah entered as well. The Cheetah practiced on Saturday, but did not show up on Sunday.  The story we were told was that the team's tow vehicle had been broken into on Saturday night and the tools stolen.  I dont know who the driver was, do you? Hinkle and Bird dns'd and the modified race was won by Pete V. in the Townsend Special.

The PanAm region organized an even more obscure race on an airport course at Las Cruces, New Mexico in September, 1965.  Tracy Bird was entered in his ex-Hinkle Cooper, again carrying Bird's usual #9, this time against a shamrock background.  I mention this because someone has posted that the car always ran with #91; not so.  Bird dnf'd after 5 laps.

The second, and final, time I saw Jack Hinkle was at an SCCA national at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas some time around 1980 (photos with no date on the back!)  This time it was his Lola T165.  Awesome.

One final note.  I recognize a couple of cars in the photo of Hinkle's BT8 in post #108.  Al Goldman's Cobra #74 and Dave Dooley's E-type #41.  They also came down to our next of the woods to race.

Regards,

Mark S.

Stillwater, Oklahoma, September 1957. Jack Hinkle in his feature winning Maserati 300S, chassis 2426.

Mark S : Thanks for your story. I brought this thread back because my friend Gary Knutson wanted to see the Hinkle pictures.

And it is going to get way better

.I had the only Blue Cheetah on the westcoast in 1965. I  remember going to Tuscon that year. I don't remember what happened to the Cheetah, that I couldn't run it. I did try and run my friend Harvey Lasiter's Corvette Sting Ray as a C/M. When I took it out all the gauges pegged so I didn't make the race. You have a better memory then me. I will be 78 on the 9th,so that is kind of an excuse.

I was there in 1964 with Ol Yeller 2 and Jack Hinkle was there with his Cooper Monaco and Chet Johnson was helping him..

I ran the Cheetah at Phoenix after it was used in the Elvis movie Spinout. they had painted it red for the movie and I ran it red at Phoenix. That was in 1966 though.

In 1967 I  brought my McLaren to Tuscon and raced Jack Hinkle in his Porsche 906.

Photo:  Bob Jackson [from Sports Car Racing in the South, 1957-1958]

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2020 - 08:40.

Hinkle is among these pictures at Lake Garnett:

https://library.revs...LL=Lake Garnett

RGDS RLT

Jack Hinkle's Kurtis 500X

This is the restored version of the car.

Icbulldog,

That white Maserati 200S that you noticed at Deming in 1963, raced by Tracy Bird, was actually a former Hap Sharp car.

It started life as a Maserati 250S and Hap only had problems with the 2.5-liter engine, so he installed a 3-liter Ferrari Monza unit. The car was chassis 2432 and Hap sold it to Tracy in  late 1959.

All research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2020 - 01:23.

Jerry,

Thanks for clearing up the reason behind Bird's 200S running in class DM and not EM.  That also explains why Martin shows Bird driving a Maserati-Monza on the racingsportscars website.  This has been racking my brain for a few days now.

My photos are mostly in B&W and taken with a Brownie camera suitable mostly for backyard shots, so I have to go by my 71+ year old memory.   That's what I recall being told about the Tucson Cheetah.

Happy upcoming birthday!  

Mark

Jerry, I scanned and enlarged my photo of the Cheetah and could make out the number 36.  Titus raced a Cheetah #36 at Willow Springs one month earlier, may be it was him. And maybe it wasn't blue.  I claim crs.

Jerry Entin in Cheetah at Santa Barbara in 1965

I didn't remember being at Tuscon with my Cheetah. My car was the ex Jerry Titus driven car. it was owned by a fellow named  John Grow , he owned a Chevy dealership in the town of Rialto, California. 

I never ran as number 36 though. When I bought the car it had a blown engine in it. That probably happened at Tuscon.

photo: Mike Schwartz

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2020 - 01:20.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2020 - 18:43.

Before I get black flagged for being too far off topic, we did see Jack Hinkle in his Birdcage at Tucson in December, 1961.  We watched the races standing behind the "snow" fencing.  Those were the days. Hap Sharp won the modified race in his Cooper Monaco Maserati with 2500 cc engine according to racingsportscars.com. Could this engine be the one Sharp took out of the 250S?

One more Cheetah comment.  The one in my photo looks to have the same rear fender flares as yours. I wish it was easier to post photos or I would give it a try.

Edited by lcbulldog, 04 April 2020 - 15:28.

Here is what you could buy a kurtis Chassis for in the day.

Tracy Bird in his ex Hap Sharp Maserati this is from 1963 Deming New Mexico

Jerry Titus in the Friendly Chevrolet Cheetah this is from 1965 in Tuscon

This was considered the factory Racer.

photos: Mark S

Edited by Jerry Entin, 05 April 2020 - 00:31.

Very nice story on Jack Hinkle by the Great Joe Scalzo

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2020 - 19:51.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2020 - 20:16.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2020 - 20:33.

Hope you enjoyed reading about Jack Hinkle by Joe Scalzo.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2020 - 20:39.

Jack Hinkle in his Maserati 200 SI

Jeri Hinkle collection

Jack Hinkle's Lola T165 at Texas World in the 80's.

photo Mark S

Edited by Jerry Entin, 05 April 2020 - 00:18.

Tracy Bird in the ex Jack Hinkle Cooper Monaco with a Ferrari engine in it.

This was a regional race and the entry fee was $15.

This was at Las Cruces, New Mexico in Sept 1965

photo: Mark S

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 April 2020 - 02:10.

Tracy Bird in the ex Jack Hinkle Birdcage Maserati

This was at Deming, New Mexico in 1964, and Tracy is giving rides.

photo  Mark S

Jack Hinkle's Lola T 165 in the pits Chet Johnson and his red beret sitting in chair

photo: Mark S

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 April 2020 - 10:27.

Jack McGrath with some of the other Indy drivers wives.

photo  Jeri Hinkle collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 April 2020 - 11:44.

Edited by Collombin, 06 April 2020 - 10:59.

Pay day in 1954 Jack McGrath accepting 3rd place monies from Wilbur Shaw

Wilbur Shaw was the President of Indy Motor Speedway and himself had won the race in 1937 and 1939 and 1940.

He was tragically killed in a plane crash on October 30, 1954.

photo IMS photo

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 April 2020 - 15:00.

This is after June 1977, judging by the back of the car.  Hinkle had backed his T-165 into a guard rail at Road America in the 1977 June Sprints while chasing Jerry Hansen. The wrecked rear bodywork was replaced by this. Not original, but well done.     

Jack Hinkle's Lola T 165 in the pits Chet Johnson and his red beret sitting in chair

 

photo: Mark S

Edited by RA Historian, 07 April 2020 - 16:19.

Jack Hinkle in his Lola T165 at Lake Afton event

This turn was called Clubhouse.

Jack Hink;e at Lake Afton

photos: Kyle Shepard collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 07 April 2020 - 16:17.

Jack Hinkle and his Kurtis/Offy 500X at Eagle Mountain in 1956. 

photo :Jeri Hinkle collection

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 April 2020 - 00:54.

Jack Hinkle and his Birdcage Maserati

The year is 1962 [based on Hinkle’s race number]. It is his second Birdcage, chassis 2470. Where? Based on the background, I would say Tucson in April 1962.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

photo: Jeri Hinkle collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 April 2020 - 15:06.

Jack and Lois McGrath in 1953

photo IMS

Jack McGrath sitting in the back of the Garage at Indy

This area was called Gasoline Alley.

photo: Jeri Hinkle collection

Jack McGrath in 1949

photo: Jeri Hinkle collection

Jack McGrath in the Hinkle Special on the front row.

photo: Jeri Hinkle collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 22 April 2020 - 01:10.

Back in the day when you had to make a genuine effort to get detailed information of racing cars and drivers, I thought Jack Hinkle was just an old dude who should make an effort to show how good he was, as he had the number of a certain Minn. hot-shot.

After reading this thread, I see there was a LOT more to him than I ever expected; yes I did read that one article posted so many years ago, which is one reason I wish he had tried harder.

Edited by Bob Riebe, 22 April 2020 - 04:20.

Jack McGrath in the Hinkle Special on the front row.

 

 

photo: Jeri Hinkle collection

The front row for the 1951 500-mile race, photographed in front of the old pagoda: Jack McGrath in the Hinkel=Kurtis/Offy, eventual winner Lee Wallard in the Belanger=Meyer-Drake/Offy and pole sitter Duke Nalon in the Novi/Winfield.

Back in the day when you had to make a genuine effort to get detailed information of racing cars and drivers, I thought Jack Hinkle was just an old dude who should make an effort to show how good he was, as he had the number of a certain Minn. hot-shot.

After reading this thread, I see there was a LOT more to him than I ever expected; yes I did read that one article posted so many years ago, which is one reason I wish he had tried harder.

Which was why ASR at the June Sprints was not to be missed.

Pretty sure I never missed one over the entire life of that class. Ol' Jack sure had a lotta motor!!!

Oops, wait... after '81, I only caught '85. So brand me Mr. Fibs. 

(Edit: Bob, thanks for keeping that reference vague. Owe you one) 

Edited by E1pix, 24 April 2020 - 23:29.

Which was why ASR at the June Sprints was not to be missed.

Hinkle and Hansen raced against each other in the June Sprints from 1969-79. Hansen won in 1969, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979. Hinkle won in 1970 and 1973.  Hinkle was not a fan of racing in the rain, and he sat out the 1974 Sprints, which was very wet. Hinkle used a Lola T-160 in 1969, and for the next ten years a Lola T-165. He ran the big block Chevrolet engine in the T-165 until the SCCA capped the class at five liters in 1979. Hinkle put a small block Chev in the T-165 but as you can imagine, it was a bit of a slug compared to the T-333CS that Hansen was using at that time. In 1980 Hinkle got rid of the T-165 and ran a Sports 2000 Lola T-590. His competitive days were over with that move. No more competing for overall wins, but I imagine he was still having fun, which was the whole point, after all.

Tom

I saw a reference to Hinkle being a DNS at a Runoffs in the '70s recently, but have no recollection of him ever racing in one. Do you know if he ever did, Tom?
 

 

The SCCA Runoffs data base shows zero entries for Hinkle.

Tom