34 replies to this topic

[grandprix61]

In the early days Wilmot Wisconsin served as driving school and the place for a lot of people to practice their skills. I also learned my trade there as a freelance photographer for Competition Press. We all moved on to Elkhart Lake, Meadowdale, Milwaukee, Watkins Glen and other places. Ernie Erickson, Burdette Martin, Carl Haas, Bob Major, Bob Anderson, Frank Rand III, Curt Gonstead, J.C. Kilburn, Alan Ross and many others had some great times there. I could not begin to list all of the drivers that raced there. I will post some photographs from time to time and I invite you all to visit my web site for some of the images I have. www.prairiestreetart.com look forward to some of you that were there to jump in and join recalling some of the great old days.


<a href="http://img10.imagesh...lmotprac60.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img10.imagesh...tprac60.th.jpg" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" border="0"/></a>

[Buford]

In the early days Wilmot Wisconsin served as driving school and the place for a lot of people to practice their skills. I also learned my trade there as a freelance photographer for Competition Press. We all moved on to Elkhart Lake, Meadowdale, Milwaukee, Watkins Glen and other places. Ernie Erickson, Burdette Martin, Carl Haas, Bob Major, Bob Anderson, Frank Rand III, Curt Gonstead, J.C. Kilburn, Alan Ross and many others had some great times there. I could not begin to list all of the drivers that raced there. I will post some photographs from time to time and I invite you all to visit my web site for some of the images I have. www.prairiestreetart.com look forward to some of you that were there to jump in and join recalling some of the great old days.


<a href="http://img10.imagesh...lmotprac60.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img10.imagesh...tprac60.th.jpg" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" border="0"/></a>

I was there once as a spectator but it closed before I got the chance to drive there. Had to be 21 in those days.

[grandprix61]

anyone that takes a look. let me know how to post a photograph. I am not real dense but I cannot figure out the method ImageShack and the forums use to get a pic in this box. got some stuff you will enjoy looking at. ron step by step if you can.

[Buford]

After you upload click on your photo to make it bigger. There will be a list of links lower left. Copy and paste the one that says for forums into your post here.

[Tim Murray]

Click on the 'Reply' button at the bottom of my post to see how the photo is formatted in the reply box. As Buford says, when using Imageshack you just cut and paste one of the 'Links for forums' directly into your post - you don't need to do anything else. A good size to make your photo before uploading it is around 700 - 800 pixels wide.

[Joe Bosworth]

Had many a very good race at Wilmot. For dinner parties my wife still pulls out Wilmot silverware to serve off of. One of the really great driver's tracks. Only 1.0 miles around but had four corners that separated the good and the not so good.

Spectating was spectacular with the ski hill overlooking the main straight that gave vision of every foot of the track.

I can't think of many tracks in the world today that provides the challenge and spectator friendliness that Wilmot provided.

The entry lists were particularly outstanding in its the early days as it was an easy drive from both Chicago and Milwaukee and the racing calendar was hardly full.

Regards

[RA Historian]

Welcome to the Forum, Ron! I know that your extensive knowledge and huge photo collection will be an asset.

Wilmot Hills was indeed a little jewel. It was situated right on the Wisconsin-Illinois border and reached easily from either city. The track itself was something less than a mile in length, either 0.8 or 0.9 miles, depending upon which report you see. They only ran spectator races there once or twice in its life. The rest of the time it was essentially non-spectator SCCA Regional competition. There always was a crowd present, though, as it was a pleasant way to pass a Sunday and lots of Drivers and workers families came. Casual SCCA members also frequented the place just to watch the races. A large ski hill was outside the main straight. Inside the track was all paddock, and the ski lodge which served lunch and snacks. You could sit on the deck with your burger and Coke and watch the cars go by feet away.

Chicago Region was the main player, and they ran four Regionals a year. One or two more were also staged annually by other Regions. Ernie Erickson was the big cheese at the track. He won more times than anyone probably knows, as the combination of his skill, knowledge of the track, and nimbleness of his Porsche Spyder usually prevailed. George Reed had several wins also in his various Ferraris.

In the early 1960s SCCA established a Divisional race program, which slotted between Regionals and Nationals. This eventually led to the Runoff format that continues to this day. But back then each of the six SCCA Divisions ran a half dozen or so Divisionals for Divisional points for the Divisional Championship. (sorry for the repetition). Twice Wilmot ran Divisionals, which makes those two races the two most important run at the track, looked at from the strict viewpoint of points availability. 1962 was taken by Ernie Erickson in a Porsche RS-60, and 1963 by Curt Gonstead in a Lotus 23.

In my case it was easy to hop into my car and drive the 50 miles to the track to enjoy a day of low key fun. Stuff like that just does not exist any more.

Wilmot Hills (and it is Wilmot with no N. I just grind my teeth each time I see "Wilmont" which for some silly reason seems to be ingrained in so many people's minds around here) closed after the 1967 season when the ski hill runs were extended over what had been the front straight.

Go to www.wilmothills.homestead.com for info, pictures, history, and then and now shots.

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 14 May 2009 - 15:56.

[Buford]

Wilmot Hills (and it is Wilmot with no N. I just grind my teeth each time I see "Wilmont" which for some silly reason seems to be ingrained in so many people's minds around here)
Tom

Wow I never knew that. Always thought it was Wilmont.

[B Squared]

Wilmot Hills (and it is Wilmot with no N. I just grind my teeth each time I see "Wilmont" which for some silly reason seems to be ingrained in so many people's minds around here) closed after the 1967 season when the ski hill runs were extended over what had been the front straight.

Kind of like "Soldier's" Field for me. That drives me nuts.

Brian

[grandprix61]

Welcome to the Forum, Ron! I know that your extensive knowledge and huge photo collection will be an asset.

Wilmot Hills was indeed a little jewel. It was situated right on the Wisconsin-Illinois border and reached easily from either city. The track itself was something less than a mile in length, either 0.8 or 0.9 miles, depending upon which report you see. They only ran spectator races there once or twice in its life. The rest of the time it was essentially non-spectator SCCA Regional competition. There always was a crowd present, though, as it was a pleasant way to pass a Sunday and lots of Drivers and workers families came. Casual SCCA members also frequented the place just to watch the races. A large ski hill was outside the main straight. Inside the track was all paddock, and the ski lodge which served lunch and snacks. You could sit on the deck with your burger and Coke and watch the cars go by feet away.

Chicago Region was the main player, and they ran four Regionals a year. One or two more were also staged annually by other Regions. Ernie Erickson was the big cheese at the track. He won more times than anyone probably knows, as the combination of his skill, knowledge of the track, and nimbleness of his Porsche Spyder usually prevailed. George Reed had several wins also in his various Ferraris.

In the early 1960s SCCA established a Divisional race program, which slotted between Regionals and Nationals. This eventually led to the Runoff format that continues to this day. But back then each of the six SCCA Divisions ran a half dozen or so Divisionals for Divisional points for the Divisional Championship. (sorry for the repetition). Twice Wilmot ran Divisionals, which makes those two races the two most important run at the track, looked at from the strict viewpoint of points availability. 1962 was taken by Ernie Erickson in a Porsche RS-60, and 1963 by Curt Gonstead in a Lotus 23.

In my case it was easy to hop into my car and drive the 50 miles to the track to enjoy a day of low key fun. Stuff like that just does not exist any more.

Wilmot Hills (and it is Wilmot with no N. I just grind my teeth each time I see "Wilmont" which for some silly reason seems to be ingrained in so many people's minds around here) closed after the 1967 season when the ski hill runs were extended over what had been the front straight.

Go to www.wilmothills.homestead.com for info, pictures, history, and then and now shots.

Tom

You must be Tom the author. the Elkhart 50 year if I remember correctly. good to hear from you. Do you know the where Frank Rand III might be these days. I sure would like to get in touch with him. regards, Ron

[RA Historian]

You must be Tom the author. the Elkhart 50 year if I remember correctly. good to hear from you. Do you know the where Frank Rand III might be these days. I sure would like to get in touch with him. regards, Ron

Yes I am, Ron. Frank Rand of the Rand Porsche Car Corp, driver of a Porsche RS-60 in the early 60s? Wish I could help but I have heard nothing of Frank since he stopped driving way back then. Maybe Frank Opalka, who posts here, does.
Tom

[grandprix61]

Yes I am, Ron. Frank Rand of the Rand Porsche Car Corp, driver of a Porsche RS-60 in the early 60s? Wish I could help but I have heard nothing of Frank since he stopped driving way back then. Maybe Frank Opalka, who posts here, does.
Tom

http://img193.images...stonmart961.jpg

Well as you can see by the line of copy and no image I have not figured out how to post a photograph. Also, want to add a pic in the left column of the post where the little person is and I see many posters have a logo or image. Help me out here oh grand wizzards of the posting practices. Ron
Hey, I did get the photo in so now I just need help on that pic in the left column. The pick is of George Constantine in the Aston coming up out of twelve. Later in the day he completely lost his brakes coming into 12 and went straight down the escape road. I never saw anyone back up an Aston Martin faster than he did coming out of there. Great memories of the early years.

Tom: Frank Rand owned Glenlake Volkswagen up on Broadway in Chicago. I used to do some ads for him, did a lot of photos for him racing in his RS-60. I had bought a VW on Wacker Drive and ended up going to Frank for service. Seems like you had to take that thing every couple thousand miles to get it tweaked. No wonder they ran for ever. Now that I look back instead of charging him for doing ads I should have traded him for letting me take the RS to drivers school at Wilmot. I don't think he would have gone with that one. more later. Ron

[etceterini.com]

I have a few things on Wilmot:

1958:







1959:







-cliff reuter

[RA Historian]

Two comments on Cliff's post immediately above.

1- Note photo credit to Ron Nelson. One and the same, the new poster here. He has been shooting races in the Midwest since the earth cooled.

2- Note Chicago Region calendar in lower right corner of the page 11 results. Even then, 50 flaming years ago, people could not correctly spell Concours !!!
Tom

[grandprix61]

Two comments on Cliff's post immediately above.

1- Note photo credit to Ron Nelson. One and the same, the new poster here. He has been shooting races in the Midwest since the earth cooled.

2- Note Chicago Region calendar in lower right corner of the page 11 results. Even then, 50 flaming years ago, people could not correctly spell Concours !!!
Tom

http://img198.images...lvamartin96.jpg

Well, here's the shot and any credits are appreciated. Next time I dig out the negs I am going to work on the Wilmot stuff. I edited Piston Patter for a year and boy did I have trouble with all of the car names. One mistake would get a half dozen phone calls the day the issue went out. These days Michael Argetsinger emails me promptly when I put up an item for sale and there is a spelling goof. i think he gave up on the grammar part of it for me. I sort of write like I talk. I guess that isn't so bad. Anyone know how to put that little pic on the left hand part of the page where your name is? more later.

[Buford]

Anyone know how to put that little pic on the left hand part of the page where your name is? more later.

My controls above -
Personal Profile left
Edit avatar settings

[etceterini.com]

Great stuff Ron! I got some Piston Patters when we bought the Clair Reuter Bandini
Devin. I think the car raced in the 1959 Wilmot Drivers's school. Let me know if you
ever find a picture of our car (shown below) in your negatives. Thanks!







-cliff

[Jerry Entin]

The Aston Martin photo in post 12 actually shows George Constantine's co-driver, Paul O'Shea, who developed the described brake trouble late in the race.


all research Willem Oosthoek

[grandprix61]

I have a few things on Wilmot:

1958:







1959:







-cliff reuter

Interesting stuff Cliff. I have some old Piston Patter copies and I have been thinking about selling them. Some familiar old names on the entry lists. Ron

[grandprix61]

The Aston Martin photo in post 12 actually shows George Constantine's co-driver, Paul O'Shea, who developed the described brake trouble late in the race.


all research Willem Oosthoek

Ah, Jerry, thanks for the update. I started shooting in 58. Or at least my first chance to get inside the fences. Went to Wilmot with J.C.Kilburns crew, Paul Jackson drove the tow car if I remember and I rode in with him. After a 4 year stint in the Coast Guard I returned to Rockford and bought an MG-TD. While stationed in Brooklyn NY, I manage to get to a race on an airport course at Montgomery NY, went up to Lime Rock and out to Bridgehampton. Have a few shots from Lime Rock and the one attached from the first lap at Bridgehampton. So, the memory is not necessarily that fuzzy, it is just hard to remember who was getting started in those days and I don't have a lot of entrant lists to refer to. Jerry, that must have been the Elkhart 500 if that is O'Shea in the car. Was Constantine in the June sprints that year also? Hope this photo shows up. I am still working on that part of the forum posts. Best Regards, Ron
http://img29.imagesh...gehampton72.jpg

[RA Historian]

Jerry, that must have been the Elkhart 500 if that is O'Shea in the car. Was Constantine in the June sprints that year also?

George Constantine was at Road America twice in 1959, both times with the Elisha Walker Aston Martin DBR-2/420. He was seventh in the June Sprints. The Aston had gearbox trouble that day, causing the low (for Constantine and the car) finish. In the 500 Paul O'Shea was the co-driver. This time brake troubles pushed the car back to a fifth place finish overall, fourth in class.
Tom

[Joe Bosworth]

Just for the sake of what I believe is historical accuracy:
Back in post #6 I noted that the Wilmot track was 1.0 miles long.
Later RA History quoted, "either 0.8 or 0.9 miles, depending upon which report you see" which I am quite sure came from the Wilmot web page.

Now I am not one to argue with RA Hist' if he has some first hand knowledge better than mine but I really do believe my quoted value is quite valid, at least in the 1955-58 time frame.

I ran there 55-56 ish in a MGTC and 57-58 in a Morgan as might be noted in a few places in the bowels of Etc'rini's data. I have a very vivid memory of regularly re-setting my trip odo for practices and on the race grid so that I knew exactly what lap I was on. I always came up within tenths over several laps of miles and laps matching.

I don't remember going back to Wilmot in the 59-60 time frame in a Porsche or Lotus. By the end of 60 and on through the sixties I never went back due to racing in OZ so I can't give any valid judgement as to the track configuration post '58.

May be we are both correct if the track shape changed.

Regards

PS: Back in the 55-56 period it was rather impressive seeing the likes of Jim Kimberley going around in his 4.5 Ferrari. There were a couple of others that brought such things there, Jim Quackenbush is one that comes to mind. A couple of Masers used to run there as well. I would hate to total up the today's value of stuff that used to show up at Wilmot, Milwaukee and RA. For pure value it might be a tough call between the inaugural Meadowdale and a couple of the fifties RA 6 hours or 500 milers.

[Joe Bosworth]

PPS:

I note that Frank Opalka ran Wilmot in the same time frame in an Austin Healey. He might have a good fix on track length.

Regards again

[RA Historian]

Just for the sake of what I believe is historical accuracy:
Back in post #6 I noted that the Wilmot track was 1.0 miles long.
Later RA History quoted, "either 0.8 or 0.9 miles, depending upon which report you see" which I am quite sure came from the Wilmot web page.

Now I am not one to argue with RA Hist' if he has some first hand knowledge better than mine but I really do believe my quoted value is quite valid, at least in the 1955-58 time frame.

Hi Joe, I am going on contemporary race reports from the early 60s which gave the varying lengths as being 0.8 or 0.9 miles. It came from reports, not from the web page.

BUT-I will have to defer to the odomoter of your car as it seems to me that it gives us first hand references that trump what was written in Competition Press among other sources, which quoted the shorter lengths, but without identifying the source of that measurement. In other words, I will go with your first hand experience.

Tom

[etceterini.com]

Here are some more things from my "bowels" (that just does not sound right).


1953:


1954:




cliff

Edited by etceterini.com, 17 May 2009 - 22:50.

[Buford]

Here are some more things from my "bowels" (that just does not sound right).

1953:

No way I am paying $4 to $6 for a hotel room in New York City. Robber Baron rip off. Here is the Henry Hudson hotel today...
http://www.emporis.c...l/im/?id=690316

[Joe Bosworth]

Not to wear a subject out but collaboration is useful in historical matters. While my vivid memories are accurate in my mind, (they would be wouldn't they!) I find solace in the contemporary writing by Clem Zebrowski via Etc'rini's bowels!!!

1954 opening race write up, "The fourth event was a highly compepititive 25 mile race for modified and production cars under 1500cc". Then later down race 4, modified and production class - 25 laps.

My memory (now) and Clem (then) may both be wrong but if we go to the results pages we can do a bit of maths using quoted average speeds and quoted race times. The 1953 results used average speeds while the '54 results post race times and total laps. However if we take something like stock MGs that barely changed performance from year to year we can draw reasonable conclusions. The maths confirm very very close to1.0 miles/lap.

Regards again

[RA Historian]

The maths confirm very very close to1.0 miles/lap.

As I said above, OK with me.
Tom

[grandprix61]

This is good ole Alan Ross at Elkhart in June of 1959. Al became the importer of Lola cars and as I recall had the first Lola at Wilmot in the fall of 1958(October). He beat J.C.Kilburn in the race and was on cloud 9. They were friends and fierce competitors. I do have some black and white images of that race and will post at a later time. If memory serves, Al was the first G-Mod to break the 4 minute time around the course. RA Historian can verify that for us. Hope the image comes thru. Ron Nelson

http://img232.images...44/ross9601.jpg

Edited by grandprix61, 18 May 2009 - 22:23.

[Joe Bosworth]

Al and the Lola were not only the first G Mod to go around RA in less than three minutes he/they almost single handedly screwed up what to then was likely the most competitive class in US sports car racing.

Til Al/Lola showed up there were dozens , literally over many meets, of GM cars that all ran just at the 3:01 or within tenths. The racing was tight and great fun.

In one stroke he/it set a new GM benchmark to what I remember as 2:58.5. That is he/it went off and hid from the rest of us!! GM was never the same.

Al was a very accomplished driver and the Lola was a winner in anybody's hands.

A good Al Ross story, along with Burdie Martin:
Al and Burdie about 1955-6 ran almost matching white MGTCs with balck number rondels on the doors. One ran stock TC wheels while the other had the smaller diameter TF size. Both were quick.

After getting my SCCA license at Stout Field I showed up at Lawrenceville Illinois to race the airport. Don't know how, but I was on the grid in front of Al and Burdie. They were interested in finding out who this newcomer was and to see if I needed any help. Advice number one was that at this track it was best to be sure that you were at the left side of the track for the first corner.

Thanks guys. (I didn't know any better). First corner and who goes screaming down the right hand side past everybody on the left. Yep you got it correctly the first time, two white TCs with black rondels.

That was the first and last time I did that!!

Regards

[grandprix61]

Al and the Lola were not only the first G Mod to go around RA in less than three minutes he/they almost single handedly screwed up what to then was likely the most competitive class in US sports car racing.

Til Al/Lola showed up there were dozens , literally over many meets, of GM cars that all ran just at the 3:01 or within tenths. The racing was tight and great fun.

In one stroke he/it set a new GM benchmark to what I remember as 2:58.5. That is he/it went off and hid from the rest of us!! GM was never the same.

Al was a very accomplished driver and the Lola was a winner in anybody's hands.

A good Al Ross story, along with Burdie Martin:
Al and Burdie about 1955-6 ran almost matching white MGTCs with balck number rondels on the doors. One ran stock TC wheels while the other had the smaller diameter TF size. Both were quick.

After getting my SCCA license at Stout Field I showed up at Lawrenceville Illinois to race the airport. Don't know how, but I was on the grid in front of Al and Burdie. They were interested in finding out who this newcomer was and to see if I needed any help. Advice number one was that at this track it was best to be sure that you were at the left side of the track for the first corner.

Thanks guys. (I didn't know any better). First corner and who goes screaming down the right hand side past everybody on the left. Yep you got it correctly the first time, two white TCs with black rondels.

That was the first and last time I did that!!

Regards

Joe: very good story about those two. I remember one day at Wilmot, I think they were all in G-Mod, including Carl Haas, not sure who the culprit was but this is the story going around. Carl usually worried about everything before a race. While they were all sitting on the grid and getting ready for the start, some one slipped a little oil from a can under the front of Carls' car. The driver next to him on the grid pointed frantically at the ground and yelled at Carl. He got out far enough to look under the car and thought he was having a quick engine problem. So, while he took off on the flag everyone else pretty much drove away as all he was doing was listening for engine noises. Needless to say he didn't have a very good race. Any one was fair game on those casual but competitive early days. What was your car number and sounds like you were in G-Mod. Maybe I have you in some of my photographs? regards, Ron

[RShaw]

I have recently scanned a box of Kodachrome slides from an SCCA regional race held at the Wilmot Hills track in the Chicago area. The date on the box says they were taken in August of 1961. Here are a few of the pics. They were taken from behind the spectator fence opposite the pits on the front straight, and have been cropped to get rid of a lot of grass and sky.
Unfortunately I have no info whatsoever as to who is driving, etc., so maybe some of you can provide some help there.
Ron Shaw

This is the "ski hill" at the end of the straight. Having lived in Colorado since 1964, I can only say ... ski hill????


I believe this is the front straight about where the pit exit joined the track.






A Lotus 11(?), minus the rear body section, which we see on the grass near the spectator on the right.

Edited by RShaw, 30 December 2009 - 22:34.

[ERault]

The dark blue number 29 car looks very much like a Tojeiro-Climax. Those cars are pretty few, it would be nice to know more about it.

[RA Historian]

This is the "ski hill" at the end of the straight. Having lived in Colorado since 1964, I can only say ... ski hill????

Nope, it is not the ski hill. This is the first/second/third turn complex. The ski hill is at your back as you took this photo. It is not in any of your shots on this posting. The track shut down after the 1967 season when the operator extended the ski runs from the top of the hill out over the front straight. This would be to the right of the photo as we look at it.
Tom

[RShaw]

Nope, it is not the ski hill. This is the first/second/third turn complex. The ski hill is at your back as you took this photo. It is not in any of your shots on this posting. The track shut down after the 1967 season when the operator extended the ski runs from the top of the hill out over the front straight. This would be to the right of the photo as we look at it.
Tom

Tom,
Thank you for the correction, my mistake. I was only at that track the one time, which is my loss as it seems to have been a great venue for amateur racing.
RonS.