117 replies to this topic

[Aero Z-28]

The photo below is of Bobby Johns driving the same Camaro at the '67 Paul Revere 250, a night race at Daytona. This is the last race I have ever seen the car in. If anybody has any knowledge of what happened to this car after this race, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks,
-Jon

[teegeefla]

Jon-

by any chance do you have any qualifying times/starting lineup for the Sebring Trans-Am? I've been looking everywhere without success. Thanks.

[Aero Z-28]

Yes, I'm pretty sure I do. Which car are you looking for or do you own?

-Jon

[teegeefla]

I wish I owned one...just trying to find out Dan Gurney's qualifying time for this (and any other 1967) race. I appreciate the help.

Tom

[raceannouncer2003]

Does anybody have any knowledge of Bob Thorpe?

Here is a link to a few race results for Thorpe:

http://www.racingspo...Thorpe-USA.html

I found a link to a newpaper article which mentioned him going to race at the Paul Whiteman races in 1965:

- his first race in a Cobra
- an oilman from Pompano Beach, Florida
- had raced sprint cars in the midwest with help from his friend A.J. Foyt

Vince H.

[Aero Z-28]

Thanks for the information, Vince. I appreciate it.

Tom, I will try and post your Gurney info later tonight.

-Jon

[Aero Z-28]

Tom,

Below is the Sebring Trans-Am qualifying sheet. It shows Gurney in 4th place on the grid with a time of 3:12.6.



I also looked up the Daytona 300 Trans-Am on Feb 3, 1967 and Gurney won the pole with a 2.10.6, less than 2 tenths faster than Jones. Donohue was in 3rd position on the grid with a 2:11.3. The third Trans-Am race at Green Valley had Dick Thompson winning the pole with a 1:14.4 and Gurney in second place on the grid with an identical time (but done after Thompson's). I did not have the time to check other races.

Getting back to the Sebring grid sheet above, it shows Bob Thorpe listed as the driver of the #22 Camaro and so I guess the qualifying time is Thorpe's. It also shows Charlie Kolb as the entrant and co-driver of the #31 Porsche 911 along with Lee Cutler. Some final results list Thorpe as the driver of the Camaro and other show Kolb. Can anyone provide any pictures that might show Charlie Kolb in the Camaro? Or... possibly in the Porsche during the race?

Thanks for any help with this.

-Jon

[teegeefla]

Jon-

thanks for the info...it just shows that reading any thread can lead to an unexpected source, help and answers. I am good on all the rest of Dan's Trans-Am qualifying except for Kent, so if you get that far I will again appreciate the help. I will also keep an eye out for answers on the Porsche/Camaro question.

Tom

[Aero Z-28]

Tom,

I'm glad that was a help to you. Gurney's qualifying time at Kent was 1:30.3, good enough for 2nd on the grid next to Donohue, who had the pole.

Thanks for keeping me in mind for any Kolb/Camaro info.

-Jon

[sbrinley]

Tom,

I'm glad that was a help to you. Gurney's qualifying time at Kent was 1:30.3, good enough for 2nd on the grid next to Donohue, who had the pole.

Thanks for keeping me in mind for any Kolb/Camaro info.

-Jon

Paul Richards was a friend of Charlie Kolb's. Richards drove for Team Roosevelt from '59-'61 and that is when I knew him and heard humorous stories about practical jokes they played on each other. Does anyone know if Richards is still alive? I last talked to him in 2003.

[Mike Argetsinger]

Paul Richards was a friend of Charlie Kolb's. Richards drove for Team Roosevelt from '59-'61 and that is when I knew him and heard humorous stories about practical jokes they played on each other. Does anyone know if Richards is still alive? I last talked to him in 2003.

I am sorry to have to report that Paul has died. I last talked to him in 2005 when I was researching my book on Walt Hansgen. He was very helpful. I believe he died in 2006 or perhaps the following year. Of course Charlie, too, has died. I never met him face to face although I saw him race many times. He was very quick (so was Richards but Kolb was quite exceptional). I did talk to Charlie -- I think in 2007 or perhaps 2008 -- in the course of research on the Mark Donohue biography. He was a terrific personality and really a great help to me.

[sbrinley]

I am sorry to have to report that Paul has died. I last talked to him in 2005 when I was researching my book on Walt Hansgen. He was very helpful. I believe he died in 2006 or perhaps the following year. Of course Charlie, too, has died. I never met him face to face although I saw him race many times. He was very quick (so was Richards but Kolb was quite exceptional). I did talk to Charlie -- I think in 2007 or perhaps 2008 -- in the course of research on the Mark Donohue biography. He was a terrific personality and really a great help to me.

Thank you, even though the news is sad. I had lost track of Paul--who was the last of the Roosevelt drivers alive when I spoke to him in 2003. He was living in Poughkeepsie at the time. I have a number of stories and memories about Paul and the team that remind me of what I consider the golden days of sports car racing--not because others have called the '50s the golden age--but because of the personalities of Paul, Ray Cuomo, Jim McGee, Leo Clark, and others I got to know in my short time with the team. When Paul and Ray stopped racing, they took an era with them, as they both were World War II-era racers.

[AllTwelve]

Hi All,

After the 24 hr. race at Daytona in 1969, quite surprised - we received in the mail this framed mounted montage of three photographs from the Prestolite company. I could not scan because of the size, so I photographed the three images separately. Mr. Kolb was an extremely kind fellow and true gentleman racer. Even with his very tall frame, he managed to wedge himself in the N.A.R.T. Dino with his knees in his chest. Despite the discomfort, never once did he complain, as he loved driving so much.

AT

[silicanza]

http://img836.images...takingadrin.jpg

The Gemini Mk3 Charlie Kolb raced at Sebring on March 24th 1961, had been acquired from the Chequered Flag Racing Team after its final UK race at the Brands Hatch Boxing Day meeting in 1960. Previous to this the Mk3 had run very successfully in the hands of the team from August 1960, driven variously by John Whitmore, Tony Maggs, Geoff Duke and Peter Ashdown. This was the only Gemini Mk3 built.

Kolb’s first outing was at the Sebring 12 hours in new White livery with blue stripe and Gemini Racing team banner. Bob Johnson of Columbus Ohio, renowned racer of Corvettes and latter Shelby Cobras and TransAms was the USA importer and distributor of the Gemini Formula Juniors and ran the Gemini Racing Team thru 1961 to end of 1962. Johnson drove a latter Mk3A Gemini from mid 1960 to late in 1962.

Charlies family may well be interested that the car, missing for many years recently resurfaced, still in Florida remarkably complete and in good condition, after a thirty career as an Autosport Racer with a Porsche 914 Motor and transaxle in place of the original Ford 105E motor and Renault Gordini gearbox.

Following the car as it now, with much widened wheels and twin Pannier Fuel tanks propped along side. the cars parked between an earlier Gemini Mk2 model and a later Gemini Mk3A model. The intention is to restore the car back to the specifications when Charlie ran it.

http://img404.images...inimk3andge.jpg

[David McKinney]

What's an Aurosport Racer? Slaloms?

[silicanza]

What's an Aurosport Racer? Slaloms?

Yes, Raced around Cones at airfields in Florida. The Mk3 was acquired by Jack Handy, a former USAF Vietnam veteran in @1980 for $US200, after having seen the body propped against a letter box with a for sale sign on it.
The car apart from one corroded rear upright was was remarkably complete and good condition with the chassis, suspension, front body and pannier tanks intact. Handy from Tampa, soon had a Porsche 914 motor and gearbox shoehorned into the engine bay and Handy competed competed in the Mark3 in local Autosport events until 2011 finally retiring from competing at eighty years of age.

[silicanza]

Charlie Kolb passed away this week at his home in Melbourne Fl Services will be at the South Brevard Funeral Home on Hickory St. at 2:30 PM Saturday June 20th. I was Charlie's partner in Truck City in the '90s. We have been friends since the 60s when I did a lot of the race prep on the cars he raced. Mostly the Porsches, butalso Elvas ,BMW 1800 TISA, the Golden Comode aka the harrison special and later in vintage, the bobsy. Charlie was one of the major reasons that I went to work for Peter Gregg. The Porsches I prepared for Charlie were beating the newer models that Peter was racing. It wasn't me, it was Charlie's driving. Whatever he drove, he would make it go fast; it might not last, but it would be fast! I will travel from my present home in SC back to Melbourne for Charlie's service and hope to see some racers there to honor this one off model.

Jack Atkinson

Hello Jack

Would you remember who Charlies Mechanic, on the Gemini Mk3 was that he won the Sebring race with back in 1960?
Tom Greatorex was mechanic for Bob Johnson, the distributor of Gemini Racing Cars in the USA and who Charlie drove for. Does either name mean anything to you?


Nigel

[David Pozzi]

Kolb driving the Baker Racing T70 Mk1 at Nassau 1966 http://pozziracing.c...a_nassau_66.jpg

 
 

Edited by David Pozzi, 09 June 2020 - 01:33.