35 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance at home

I would like to tell the Forum members about Frank Lance, he worked with Jim Hall and John Mecom and Carroll Shelby and AJ Foyt amongst others.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance on the left of the Chaparral at Monterey
Gary Knutson is ducked down in the wheel well and that is Donn Allen on the right.


photo - Heidi Allen collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 23 November 2012 - 21:56.

[Jerry Entin]

Donn Allen and Frank Lance


Frank Lance getting ready to signal Bruce McLaren that he is running 2nd at Sebring, Florida


photos : Frank Lance collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 April 2010 - 20:42.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance at Indy in 1967 with AJ Foyt
Frank is on the picture right rear tire attaching a static line for the refueling operation.

AJ Foyt would go on to win the 1967 Indy 500. Over Al Unser and Joe Leonard and Denis Hulme.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 January 2010 - 04:18.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance second from picture left with cowboy hat on.
"A" Hardcastle and Frank Lance and Bob Schroeder and Dick Hall and Ronnie Hissom and Gary Knutson and Donn Allen. And of course Jim Hall sitting in the middle. This picture is from Rattlesnake Raceway.

Frank Lance will now explain the chassis. "More on the Chaparral in the post. It had an Olds engine for those tests with those straight pipes. We used the wheels and suspension from the F1 Lotus. That photo shows the epoxy resin/fiberglass tub clearly."


photo- Heidi Allen collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 January 2010 - 21:14.

[Terry Walker]

Would that last shot be at Rattlesnake Raceway?

[B Squared]

Jerry - As always, thanks for starting another interesting read on one of the unsung heroes of the era. Brian

[Jerry Entin]

"A" Hardcastle as he looks now
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the "A" Hardcastle in the post 5 photo, he was the editor of an Odessa, Texas based magazine called Sports Car Digest. It ran from 1958 till February 1962, covering the racing scene in the Southwest.

Hardcastle today, still keeping in touch with the Texas racing crowd. Holding up his copy of Willem Oosthoek and Michel Bollee's new book on Birdcage Maserati's.

Terry: It is Rattlesnake and I have put that in above. I have also got Frank Lance to explain the chassis above.

Brian: Glad you are enjoying this thread. I have a feeling as they say :" You have seen nothing yet."

Photo: Bob Schroeder
all research Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 January 2010 - 21:25.

[Jerry Entin]

King Hussein of Jordon and Frank Lance
Frank and King Hussein of Jordan during the Kings visit to the Mecom shop in Houston. That's John Mecom in the suit behind the King. The car is the Scarab and in the background is the Corvette Grand Sport.




photo- Frank Lance collection
all identification: Frank Lance

Edited by Jerry Entin, 16 January 2010 - 03:29.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance next to the Mecom Lola T-70
This photo was taken at a local race at Galveston, Texas. George Follmer was driving there. Taken in 1966 after Indy as that is the Team Mecom Indianapolis uniform.

Frank Lance's career as a racing mechanic did not start until October 1958, when he attended the Fall Round-Up Races at Eagle Mountain. At the time he was enrolled in college at nearby North Texas State at Denton, but knew already that college was not for him. During the race he met Bob Schroeder, whom he knew from Houston. When Schroeder told him that he worked at Carroll Shelby Sports car Inc and that they needed a mechanic for the dealership, the choice was an easy one for Frank.


photo- Frank Lance collection
all research Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 16 January 2010 - 03:27.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance and Jim Hall checking out the Maserati 570S

One of Frank's projects during the second half of 1959 was the refurbishing of the former Temple Buell Maserati 570S, chassis 4508. Working with chief mechanic Red Byron, Frank helped make the car competitive again. The Maserati was ready for the 1959 Nassau Speed Week.

photo- Bob Jackson- Willem Oosthoek collection
all research Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 22 April 2011 - 05:37.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance and Bob Schroeder in Dallas 1960
They are working on the engine of Jim Hall's first Birdcage Maserati. In the background the 570S can be seen.



photo Bob Jackson -Willem Oosthoek collection
all research Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 16 April 2010 - 11:17.

[Hse289]

Jerry, nothing to add really except im really enjoying the thread. Great pictures.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance, Jim Hall, body man Foy Barrett and Billy Billings next to the Maserati 570S.
Harry Heuer's Meister Brauser Scarab is in the background.

This photo was taken at Mansfield, Louisiana, on March 12, 1961, Jim Hall took the Frank Lance-prepared Maserati to victory over strong competition, including Heuer's Scarab, Roger Penske's Birdcage Maserati, Ronnie Hissom's Lister/Chevy, Delmo Johnson's Jag/Chevy and Hap Sharp's Cooper/Maserati.



Photo: Bob Jackson, Willem Oosthoek Collection
all research Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance and the Great Red Byron working on a 5.7 Maserati engine in 1959




photo- Bob Jackson- Willem Oosthoek collection

[Jerry Entin]

The 5.7-liter Tipo 59 speedboat engine almost ready to be re-installed in chassis 4508.
It was reported to generate 520 BHP.



photo Bob Jackson- Willem Oosthoek collection
all research Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Jim Hall's Racing stable in 1960
This is in front of the Greenville Avenue shop the Lotus 18, and the 570S and Birdcage Maseratis, shown off by Foy Barrett, Frank Lance and Gary Knutson.



photo Bob Jackson- Willem Oosthoek collection

[Jerry Entin]

Maserati 570S chassis 4508 ready for Nassau in 1959

This is how Frank Lance and Red Byron towed the car for the long trip to Miami. At Nassau Carroll Shelby drove it in the Governor's Trophy, while Lloyd Ruby took the wheel in the Feature.

The pickup they used was called a Cameo it had fiberglass sides on the bed and was a very Deluxe model.

photo- Bob Jackson - WIllem Oosthoek collection
all research Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 January 2010 - 18:31.

[B Squared]

With the year being 1959 - the matching colors, trim, wheels, etc., the photo above certainly portrays a very polished, professional group of racers. Great stuff Jerry. Brian

Edited by B Squared, 18 January 2010 - 20:18.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance leaning against Jim Hall's Birdcage Maserati
This is on the starting grid at Hondo, Texas, on April 9, 1961. Jim Hall won.


photo Bob Jackson- Willem Oosthoek collection
all research Willem Oosthoek

[bradbury west]

The 5.7-liter Tipo 59 speedboat engine almost ready to be re-installed in chassis 4508.
It was reported to generate 520 BHP.

photo Bob Jackson- Willem Oosthoek collection all research Willem Oosthoek

Is that the same type which which Burkhardt von Schenk ran in Europe in the 90s, IIRC, at 6.4litres?
Roger Lund

[Jerry Entin]

Roger: The following comes from Willem Oosthoek:

Don't know which Tipo 54 chassis von Schenk raced in the 90s, but only 4508 [Buell] and 4505/4506 [Edgar] received a 5.7 liter unit in 1959.

These marine engines came in 5.7-liter and 6.4-liter versions, the latter used in speed boats only.

[bradbury west]

Jerry, Willem, many thanks.
RL

[David McKinney]

Thomas Bscher ran 4506 in Europe with a big engine in the 1990s and into this century

I don't believe von Schenk ever had a 450s of any size

Edited by David McKinney, 20 January 2010 - 07:04.

[bradbury west]

I should have checked my Coys programmes
RL

[Jerry Entin]

Ron Lance and his dad Frank Lance and Jerry Entin
This was at the recent Legends of Riverside event that honored Carroll Shelby.


Frank Lance and Phil Remington and Ike Smith
Frank worked with Phil Remington at Shelby Racing in the day.

Ike Smith was on the Carl Haas crew that ran Chuck Parsons and Skip Scott in the USRRC and CanAm races in the day.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 22 April 2011 - 05:39.

[Jerry Entin]

AJ Foyt and Frank Lance in the Daytona winner's circle with Miss Universe
Leda Maria Vargas was Miss Universe 1963 and she was from Brazil.

A. J. had just taken John Mecom's Scarab/Chevy to victory in the February 1964 American Challenge Cup. Between AJ Foyt and Frank Lance is team manager John Kalb.

Frank remembers: "Foyt had fun with the Race Queen, Miss Universe. She didn't want to kiss him, but he pointed at his cheek. She relented and pecked him there. A.J. was good in the Scarab."

He also has told me in the box he is holding was a Gold Plated torque wrench which was given to the head mechanic for winning the race,

all research Willem Oosthoek

photo- Willem Oosthoek collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 April 2010 - 09:41.

[Jerry Entin]

Jerry Grant and Parnelli Jones and Frank Lance
This was from Legends of Riverside lll


photo : Albert Wong

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance visiting with Gary Knutson with Ike Smith looking on
This was at the recent Legends of Riverside lll.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 22 April 2011 - 05:52.

[T54]

Thanks for a great thread.
I was very honored to meet one of my youth heroes in Frank Lance. I spent hours with Frank in both this and last year's event at the Riverside Museum, learning a lot for my own historical knowledge. Frank is DEFINITELY one of the good guys, and anyone meeting him will have a great time with a no-BS, extremely knowledgeable and pleasant person.
Hall of Fame material for sure.

[David M. Kane]

Awesome photos! Thanks everyone, I really enjoyed them. What a great wrench!

[Jerry Entin]

Bob Jackson and Jim and Sandy Hall and Bob Schroeder and Frank Lance and Delmo Johnson
This was from a reunion held in West Fort Worth Texas at the Soldier Creek Ranch.


photo: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 May 2011 - 12:14.

[piloto26]

I recently met Frank at Monterey. Chuck Brandt and I also had the good fortune to be able to visit with Frank and his wife Carolyn last weekend at his home in East Texas. I think both Chuck and I could have listened to Frank's stories for days on end. As it was, I'm just thankful he and Carolyn put up with the two of us from 9 am until midnight!

The photo attached is Frank at Monterey 2012, standing next to Cooper Ford "King Cobra" CM/5/64, for which he served as crew chief (for Bob Bondurant) in 1964.

[vintagedr]

Jerry, I know your post is from quite a number of years ago, I'm hoping you, or any of your followers, can help me. I am looking for as many photographic images as possible of the "Birdcage" Maserati's that Jim Hall raced. Any and all help would be welcomed. With Gratitude, Frank

[Jerry Entin]

Frank, Willem Oosthoek's Volume 2 of Sports Car Racing in the South has a lot of images of Jim Hall and the Birdcages he raced.

 

The upcoming Volume 3 will have even more.

[RA Historian]

Jerry, I know your post is from quite a number of years ago, I'm hoping you, or any of your followers, can help me. I am looking for as many photographic images as possible of the "Birdcage" Maserati's that Jim Hall raced. Any and all help would be welcomed. With Gratitude, Frank

I have a number of shots that I took of Jim Hall in T-61s, both his own and J. Frank Harrison's. I took them at Road America at the 1960 USAC 200, the 1960 500, and the 1961 June Sprints. They are all color transparencies, some solo shots, some in company with others, such as the Penske, Schroeder, and Jeffords T-61s.

Edited by RA Historian, 07 June 2014 - 13:08.