138 replies to this topic

[Michael Ferner]

Kunstbanause...

[Jerry Entin]

Michael :  More Kunstbanause!!!!! You just can't do that to a priceless Ferrari!!!!!

 

 

Photo: Bob Jackson

 

Willem Oosthoek Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 21 January 2015 - 22:53.

[marlondylan]

 

Michael :  More Kunstbanause!!!!! You just can't do that to a priceless Ferrari!!!!!

 

 

Photo: Bob Jackson

 

Willem Oosthoek Collection

 

This is 0262M, but when? Best Boudewijn

[Jerry Entin]

Marlon: You are right on the ID Number. This happened at Green Valley in October of 1961.

 

Volume 3 will have several photos before and surprisingly after the crash incident.

 

 

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 January 2015 - 03:46.

[Vettefinderjim]

Galveston Divisional, September 15-16, 1962. Houston's "Big" Jim Hall takes a cameraman around Scholes Field in his favorite Ferrari, the 4.9-liter 410S, chassis 0596. Dale Duncan was invited to race it that weekend, finishing 4th overall in the feature.

 

Note the front bumper installed by Big Jim.

 

Photo: Jimmy Hall Collection

Is ''BIG JIM HALL'' still alive? He was involved with the sale of the 1957 Corvette vin #1034 which we believe was the door #3 car at SEBRING. JIM HICKMAN bought the car in 1959 from Mrs. R.L. McClure, the mother of a 14 year old son of R.L. senior who owned Green Valley Raceway in Ft. Worth. McClure got the car thru Delmo Johnson who got it from E.B. Rose in Houston, Texas. Mrs. McClure did not want here 14 year old son driving the fast Corvette, once he legally could, so she sold right under her husbands knowledge. Hickman told me in 2009, that Delmo heard about the car from ''BIG JIM'' HALL who originally sold it to E.B. Rose. Just trying to verify all the stories. Any help with history and photos is appreciated.

[Jerry Entin]

Big Jim Hall died on September 29, 1973. To the best of our knowledge he was not involved in the transfer to Ebb Rose of the 1957 Sebring Corvettes.

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Based on our research, here is how Ebb Rose got his 1957 Sebring cars.

 

Rose's family owned J.H. Rose Trucking Line Inc. at 409 Pearl Street in Houston. In 1955 Ebb's father ordered 100 new Chevrolet trucks for the company. This made him very popular with Ed Cole, Chevrolet's top man at the time. Cole flew to Houston to thank Rose Sr. personally for the business and the friendship lasted, enabling Rose Jr. to acquire three of the works Corvettes after Sebring in March 1957.

 

They changed hands for a nominal sum. The cars were the finned SR-2 #2 entry and two more conventional bodied cars used in practice, although not in the race. One of the practice cars had a modified CM class 4.6-liter fuel injected engine, the other practice car was a production model with all the competition options.

 

Rose had more Corvettes, though. At Eagle Mountain on April 13-14, 1957, the first race after Sebring, he left the SR-2 at home, but brought three production Corvettes, plus the CM class Sebring practice car and a 5.5-liter BM class Corvette with an engine developed by Frank McCurk and used already before Sebring, at Mansfield on March 9-10, 1957.

 

Since the 1957 Sebring #3 Corvette ran as a production model, it is unlikely it was among the three cars acquired by Rose Jr. after Sebring.

[Jack-the-Lad]

The book contains 392 pages and 611 images, most of which come from the archives of Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Jackson. It will go to print in Europe in December and be available by early February.

The price will be the same as Volume 2: US $155 [postpaid U.S. and U.K.]

Still on schedule for this month, Jerry?

Edited by Jack-the-Lad, 01 February 2015 - 21:43.

[Jerry Entin]

Jack-the -Lad,

 

Very much so. Volume 3 will be available at the various retail stands at the Retromobile in Paris this coming week. As for the US, shipments from the printers in Hungary are underway.

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

[71scgc]

I was trying to post a photo of my Pop at Mansfield, LA, probably taken in 1959. He raced a turquoise 1958 FI Corvette.

He used to tell me about the Meister Brau team. Said it was a big to-do when they showed up with their big car haulers and hot racers.

They had an advantage my Pop never would...cubic dollars. Same applied to The Halls, et al.

[Jerry Entin]

71scgc:

What was your dad's name?

And the Chaparral Team never used big haulers, only open trailers and pickup trucks. They were the same as everyone else when it came to their getting to the track. It is what they brought to the track that cost the big Bucks.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 07 March 2015 - 19:23.

[71scgc]

J.E.,

 My Pop's name was C. Carter Graham. He died in 2012. Was a member of Dixie Sports Car Club in Shreveport, LA. He raced against Hall, who was running a Lister at the time. He was active from 1958-1961 or 62.

He only mentioned the Meister Brau team as far as the impressive equipment. Children (me) made him get out of racing. I still have a few of his things, and more get found here and there.

I really wish we could find out what happened to his car. He traded it in for a 1961 356B super, which was the last "true" sport car he owned.

 

I have the first two volumes of this series on order. The author lives in the same town as my sister in law.

I will go review the picture posting sticky...

 

Carter

[bradbury west]

Jerry, ISTR there were a couple on nice colour shots of the Hall equipe leaving for a race showing the pickups and trailers with the cars on board on Bjorn's early Transporter thread. Roger Penske ran a pickup with a 2 deck trailer with the fintail Cooper and Zerex on board.  Nice low key/relatively low budget  transport, no overkill.  

Roger Lund

[Jerry Entin]

Carter: You are talking to the writer in these post. The answers are coming from Willem Oosthoek and he lives in Weddington,NC

 

We found C. Carter Graham of Shreveport entered in a #5 Berkeley in KP class at Mansfield on March 7-8, 1959. Jim Hall's Lister/Chevy was entered as well, but apparently a no-show.

 

Looking at the entry list for the Labor day races at Mansfield [September 5-6, 1959], Carter Graham shows up again with the Berkeley, this time under #115 and entered in HP class based on its 492 cc engine.

 

No Jim Hall appearance in this one, since Hall was in Europe. The Hall Lister/Chevy was severely bent by Jim Rathmann at Meadowdale that same weekend.

 

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 08 March 2015 - 16:35.

[Jerry Entin]

Chaparral crew in the day

Roger: This is how the Chaparral team traveled. No fancy motorhome or big transporter. Just open trailers and pickup trucks.

[63Corvette]

Galveston Divisional, September 15-16, 1962. Houston's "Big" Jim Hall takes a cameraman around Scholes Field in his favorite Ferrari, the 4.9-liter 410S, chassis 0596. Dale Duncan was invited to race it that weekend, finishing 4th overall in the feature.

 

Note the front bumper installed by Big Jim.

 

Photo: Jimmy Hall Collection

 

 

Hi Jerry,

This is my Ex in Jim Hall's 4.9 Ferrari............

[raceannouncer2003]

 

Chaparral crew in the day

Roger: This is how the Chaparral team traveled. No fancy motorhome or big transporter. Just open trailers and pickup trucks.

 

Laguna Seca, 1963:

 

 

I believe that is Johnny Pledger looking on in the foreground.

 

Photo by Mike McBride, copyright Eric Faulks

 

Vince H.

Edited by raceannouncer2003, 09 March 2015 - 05:51.

[Ray Bell]

Not even the latest model Chevy...

But only a year old, I guess.

Carter, that Berkeley must have been a ball of fire! There was one of those raced in Australia, maybe even two of them. But not for long.

And Garrett, was she rehearsing her "I'm leaving you!" speech as she sat in the car?

[71scgc]

RB,

 The Berkeley...Yeah, a real ripper that car...

My Mom hated it. I think she harped about it until he sold it. She thought it was ugly.

I think we have an old photo or two where you can see it, somewhere.

Weren't they 2-strokers??

 

Carter

[Jerry Entin]

Carter:

 

Berkeleys came with two air-cooled engine versions at the time: a 328 cc, 2-cylinder, 2-stroke motor cycle engine [good for 63-65 mph], and a 492 cc, 3-cylinder, 2-stroke version [good for 80 mph].

 

Based on the Mansfield program, your dad ran the 492 cc version.

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

[63Corvette]

 

Carter:

 

Berkeleys came with two air-cooled engine versions at the time: a 328 cc, 2-cylinder, 2-stroke motor cycle engine [good for 63-65 mph], and a 492 cc, 3-cylinder, 2-stroke version [good for 80 mph].

 

Based on the Mansfield program, your dad ran the 492 cc version.

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

 

My....................wouldn't a 750 Kawasaki triple have been a great transplant here;-)

[63Corvette]

Not even the latest model Chevy...

But only a year old, I guess.

Carter, that Berkeley must have been a ball of fire! There was one of those raced in Australia, maybe even two of them. But not for long.

And Garrett, was she rehearsing her "I'm leaving you!" speech as she sat in the car?

Um..................No! But that was many years ago, in a galaxy far far away;-)

I got to drive some really cool cars back in the day. This is John Jrs 250TR #0748.

Edited by 63Corvette, 10 March 2015 - 01:49.

[Jerry Entin]

 Gary Wilson, the previous owner of 250TR, chassis 0748, told me once he sold the car to Mecom in the parking lot of Green Valley Raceway, since it was about halfway between Kansas and Houston. 

 

Since Wilson took the 250TR to second overall at Rattlesnake Raceway in November 1962, the handover probably took place in 1963.

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 March 2015 - 15:21.

[63Corvette]

 

David: Gary Wilson, the previous owner of 250TR, chassis 0748, told me once he sold the car to Mecom in the parking lot of Green Valley Raceway, since it was about halfway between Kansas and Houston. 

 

Since Wilson took the 250TR to second overall at Rattlesnake Raceway in November 1962, the handover probably took place in 1963.

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

 

John's tire and shop manager, John Kolb let me drive it when it was for sale for (I think) $7500. This was about 1964 or 65. I also drove his 166MM, and his 250 California SWB Spyder. The 250TR was later sold to (I think) Leroy Melcher, and later to Stanley Ross. I don't know who currently owns it, but there is an "amusing story" connected with it. It seems that one previous owner was Alan Connell of Victoria, Texas. While in his possession, Alan removed the 3 liter v-12, and installed it in a Typo 61 Birdcage Maserati which he also owned. I saw that car run at the SCCA national races at Stuttgart, Arkansas in spring of 1962, where it broke a rear end. I do not know if the car and engine were ever reunited.....

[Jerry Entin]

The story of chassis 0748 is actually a little different. This was the car bought by Gary Laughlin of Ft. Worth in 1959. After a DNF at Hondo in April 1960 due to engine failure, Laughlin quit racing and the car sat under a tarp at his mechanic Burney Russell's shop in Fort Worth for some 18 months. Alan Connell of Fort Worth [not Victoria] bought the engine and had it rebuilt by John Miller, as a back-up unit for his Birdcage/Ferrari. Big Jim Hall of Houston bought the rest of the car and ordered a new V12 in Italy.

 

With the new engine installed, Big Jim sold the car to Leroy Melcher of Houston, who never raced it due to a frozen rear axle. The car was returned to Big Jim, who after repairs brokered it for a sale to Gary Wilson in 1962. Wilson sold 0748 to John Mecom.

 

All research: Willem Oosthoek

[JoBo]

John's tire and shop manager, John Kolb let me drive it when it was for sale for (I think) $7500. This was about 1964 or 65. I also drove his 166MM, and his 250 California SWB Spyder. The 250TR was later sold to (I think) Leroy Melcher, and later to Stanley Ross. I don't know who currently owns it, but there is an "amusing story" connected with it. It seems that one previous owner was Alan Connell of Victoria, Texas. While in his possession, Alan removed the 3 liter v-12, and installed it in a Typo 61 Birdcage Maserati which he also owned. I saw that car run at the SCCA national races at Stuttgart, Arkansas in spring of 1962, where it broke a rear end. I do not know if the car and engine were ever reunited.....

 

The car is today located in FL, USA, owned by Ed Davies.

 

JoBo

[fbarrett]

Jerry:

 

Is there any possibility that a book could be published featuring Bob Jackson's photography? His photos are so professional: sharp, well composed, well exposed, proper contrast, etc. He must have thousands of great b&w shots, and great captions could be written. Dave Friedman did it, so Bob could, too. I might be able to point you and Bob to a high-quality publisher.

 

Frank

fdb912@gmail.com

[Jerry Entin]

Frank,

 

Are you referring to Bob Jackson's general newspaper work as a photographer or only to his 'hobby" work covering the sports car scene in the Southwest?

 

If his general work, Flip Schulke, one of the top racing photographer of his era, tried that route with the book "Witness to our Times, my life as a photojournalist". It covered his work on Mohammed Ali, underwater photography, Martin Luther King, the space race, etc. He could do so because he always worked as a free lance photographer, so owned the negatives. Bob Jackson worked for various newspapers and they may own the rights, if the negatives survive at all. Only the negative of his Pulitzer Prize winning photo of Jack Ruby killing Lee Harvey Oswald is in Jackson security vault today. Whatever the case, Schulke's book bombed because of lack of interest.

 

If you are referring to Jackson's work covering the racing scene, his photos from 1957 [when he started shooting in earnest] till the end of 1963 is pretty well covered in Willem Oosthoek three-part series on sports car racing in the South. Willem had to track down Jackson and convince him to retrieve that part of his work, stored in the crawl space of his house. It started out with a handful of photos, but over time Jackson did supply some 15 DVDs covering events at Eagle Mountain, Mansfield, Galveston, Hilltop, Sebring, Stillwater, Fort Sumner, Oklahoma City, Midland and Green Valley. His best pictures were used in the three books, which would not have ben possible without Jackson's material. By 1962 Jackson became less mobile and only covered Green Valley. Since the book series stops at the end of 1963, any photos taken after that time frame are not included of course.

[fbarrett]

Jerry:

 

Thanks for the explanation. I meant just the racing material, but it sounds as if you've got that covered.

 

Thanks for doing so.

 

Frank

[Ray Bell]

Does this belong in this era, Jerry?



I picked it up from a non-racing forum, the newest car in the background would seem to be a Falcon (released late '59), it would be interesting to know the who and where of this one.

[63Corvette]

Does this belong in this era, Jerry?



I picked it up from a non-racing forum, the newest car in the background would seem to be a Falcon (released late '59), it would be interesting to know the who and where of this one.

Ray that pic looks sorta like a Genie (or maybe a Cooper?) to me.

Jerry, How can I order a copy of Book #3? 

I got interested in sports cars at about that time. I came back from Korea in 1960, bought my 1958 Porsche 1600 Super coupe, and was discharged from the USAF in June of 1962. I entered college in the fall, and my roommates and I began to attend SCCA races as flaggers because it allowed us to spectate free, and they always had good parties for the workers. 

I flagged at Galveston, Mansfield, Chenault Field, in Lake Charles, Green Valley, Hilltop Raceways in Bosier City, San Marcos, Seguin, TX, Opelousas, LA, and other SoWDiv venues. 

[Ray Bell]

I took it to be a Cooper...

Doesn't the helmet look strange?

[Jerry Entin]

Ray,

The image shows the late Richard Macon in the 1.5-liter Cooper Monaco he bought from Luigi Chinetti. The location is Austin, Texas; the event the Carrera de la Capital of August 1963.

 

photo: Richard Macon collection

[Ray Bell]

Thanks, Jerry...

I'll go back and advise the other site of the details.

[63Corvette]

 

Ray,

The image shows the late Richard Macon in the 1.5-liter Cooper Monaco he bought from Luigi Chinetti. The location is Austin, Texas; the event the Carrera de la Capital of August 1963.

 

photo: Richard Macon collection

 

I attended but did not work, that race and subsequent Austin Street Races put on by the Texas Spokes Sports Car Club under the name "River City Road Races" during the Austin Aqua Festival, which was discontinued after a referendum vote by the liberal (stupid) people of Austin. I managed to win the A Production class there in 1977

Edited by 63Corvette, 20 August 2015 - 16:50.

[Jerry Entin]

Another shot of Richard Macon's Cooper Monaco, this time taken at Pensacola in late October 1961.

 

 

63Corvette,

 

All the race venues you mention, apart from Chenault Field [post 1963?] are covered in Volume 3. For an autographed copy I suggest you contact the author at:   willemoosthoek@aol.com

 

Photo: Bob Bellows [from Sports Car Racing in the South, Volume 3]

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 August 2015 - 19:47.

[group7]

Jerry, I've found these photos of racing in the South West, maybe you already know them ? some amazing images here !  scroll right using the arrow  

 

https://www.flickr.c...in/photostream/

 

 

 

Mike (group7) in Canada

[RA Historian]

Very amateurish, but hey, that is the way we all started. A mish-mash of various SW races in the 1963-66 range.I recognize Galveston in 1964 for sure, but there are a number of other area venues. I note the Mecom Team cars, Bob Schroeder's De Tomaso, Dave Morgan's Lotus 22, among others.

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 23 March 2016 - 13:40.

[Jerry Entin]

Thanks for posting these, Mike. It looks as though the images cover various tracks [Mansfield, Opelousas, Galveston, Green Valley and Midland Airpark] in the period 1962 through 1967.

 

Some familiar appearances in the South in 1962: Harry Washburn in the #47 Cooper/Maserati [ex Hap Sharp], Herb Stelter's new Aguila Kurtis, Bob Vandawalker's Bocar Stiletto, Jimmy Hall's Devin Special and Bob Schroeder's deTomaso Formula Senior, a Mecom car.

 

More Mecom cars at Galveston in 1964, with Walt Hansgen in the Lotus 19/Olds and Augie Pabst in the rear-engined Scarab/Chevy he would soon own.

 

Willis Murphy recognized himself in the red #25 Testa Rossa at Midland Airpark. Joe Starkey shows up in the McLaren.

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek