199 replies to this topic

[VWV]

I have just received my copy of this fine book purchased from AMAZON Canada for $12.66 Canadian so if anyone is interested purchasing this book do it now before Amazon discovers the mistyped price. It was out of stock when I ordered it a month ago but they did deliver my copy at that price.

http://www.amazon.ca...W...7306&sr=1-3

Edited by VWV, 15 August 2011 - 19:56.

[r.atlos]

I guess there may not have been that many right-hand-driven Corvettes around in the US:

[Vettefinderjim]

I guess there may not have been that many right-hand-driven Corvettes around in the US:

Unfortunately we lost JACK KNAB on JULY 28, 2011. I can only guess it was he and his car. I have other phots of the car in 1958, sans no windshield or top.

[Jerry Entin]

Winners Podium after the Daytona National, November 1959. Jack Knab is on the right, next to Walt Hansgen, Alan Connell and the trophy girl. Knab drove his Corvette from Dayton, Ohio, all the way to the Speedway to win BP class. After the race he drove it back to Dayton again.

photo: Willem Oosthoek collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 September 2011 - 14:05.

[Jerry Entin]

Jim:

I believe Jack Knab's Corvette was originaly picked up by Jack on May 16th of 1957. That is according to his thoughts. The car wasn't Silver with Black insert either. It was Black with a Silver insert. It was called #4007.

The car in the Mansfield picture is silver with black inserts. Jack Knab's car was black with silver inserts. He also had a 1956 Corvette also Black with 2- 4 barrels and a 3 speed.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 September 2011 - 16:15.

[Vettefinderjim]

Jim:

I believe Jack Knab's Corvette was originaly picked up by Jack on May 16th of 1957. That is according to his thoughts. The car wasn't Silver with Black insert either. It was Black with a Silver insert. It was called #4007.

The car in the Mansfield picture is silver with black inserts. Jack Knab's car was black with silver inserts. He also had a 1956 Corvette also Black with 2- 4 barrels and a 3 speed.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Sorry Jerry, The vin #4007 was picked up at the St. Louis plant on the "WAY TO THE MAY 19, 1957" race at Cumberland, and yes, the date was May 16, 1957. That car is the BILL HOWE AIR BOX car owned by BILL CONNELL. The AIR BOX option injested cold air diect to the engine AND ALSO had the heavy duty special racing brakes with screened backing plates and cere-metallic linings and special springs and shock suspension. The car is shown here at CUMBERLAND MAY 19, 1957. It was the "first production" AIR BOX 579E car released to the public. Bill and Jack picked it up at the factory and DROVE it to the races at Cumberland.....raced the car to 3rd position, and drove it home. Dr. Dick Thompson came in first and Carroll Shelby 2nd, and Bill 3rd. ALL DRIVING CORVETTES !!



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This picture is the car today restored in the BILL CONNELL COLLECTION. Jack helped imensly with the restoration and history after the car was discovered in a barn for 35 years.


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You are correct about the 56, which also was a black silver car, with the then special 240hp engine. Only 118 were made with the special new "DUNTOV CAM". Jack added Dayton Wire wheels on this car, but never raced it. He took his Mom to Sebring in 1956 in that car and met Zora , John Fitch and the team and got access to the Chevrolet garage.


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This next photo is of ZORA DUNTOV, JOHN FITCH AND ART PECK OF CBS all going to dinner in someone's BENTLEY. JACK TOOK ALL THESE PHOTOS AND THEY ARE COPYRIGHTED TO HIS COLLECTION. You can see his black 56 in the background.


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Jack's 57, was a solid silver fuel injection car with regular brakes (the RPO#684 SPECIAL BRAKE / SUSPENSION OPTION WAS NOT YET RELEASED) when purchased from HOWE'S Dealership in March 1957. It also was a 3 speed and the vin number was approx 3200. After SEBRING 1958 Jack painted the cove black.

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This photo was taken at SEBRING I think in 1958

This next photo was taken at Road America in 1958 AFTER Jack painted the side cove black.



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Edited by Vettefinderjim, 06 September 2011 - 04:41.

[Jerry Entin]

Jim: I remember these cars in 1957 racing in Palm Springs. The drivers would drive them out to the airport and take off the hubcaps and tape the headlights and race them. I asked one driver what would happen if you hit a haybale. He said he would need to have a buddy find a trailer and they would haul it home.
Very nice pictures showing what Jack did to his car.

In 1957 I had a Corvette, it was black with silver coves and I had the top painted silver also. It had the 270 hp engine which was 2- 4 barrel carbs and a Duntov cam. It had a 3 speed and didn't have positraction and was a hand full to drive. Very pretty car though.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 September 2011 - 12:46.

[Ted Walker]

I would be interested to know how many Right Hand Drive 57 Corvettes were made ???

[Vettefinderjim]

I would be interested to know how many Right Hand Drive 57 Corvettes were made ???

Never say NEVER Ted, but I do not know of any right hand drive 1957 Corvettes. Every EXPORT car I have ever seen was left hand. This site shows many EXPORT CORVETTES from back in the day.
http://imageevent.co...corvettehistory

Edited by Vettefinderjim, 09 September 2011 - 22:27.

[E1pix]

I would be interested to know how many Right Hand Drive 57 Corvettes were made ???

I think it was determined above that the photo was errantly posted backwards initially. Hence, they're left-hand drive Corvettes.

[Jose]

I have talked Mr.Delmo Johnson and his Partner in Crime Mr.Dave Morgan over the phone and via emails many times and both are true Gentleman and real nice down to earth people,they answered my many nagging questions,they both also Signed my Copy of Randy Leffingwell's And Dave Wendt(who also signed the book for me)Book "Legendary Corvettes" which has the Delmo/Morgan Grand Sport #3.

This Book interests me because being From Florida,and since it has Opa-Locka featured(I am from Nearby Miami), Does this book feature a lot of Corvettes or Chevy/GM powered Cars?

So I wanted to know if VOLUMES 2 AND 3 WILL BE ABOUT FLORIDA AND THE SOUTH AS WELL?

My only compliant is the price,the last book I brought was $205 and it was signed by Joel Finn-Caribbean Capers,However,the publisher couldn't help me talk to Mr.Finn I wanted to talk to him or email him a question about one of the drivers still alive here in Miami. and Also About The Nissonger KLG Special(Chevrolet powered Car,is this car featured in Road Racing Specials Book By Vintage Motorsports Magazine?)


Jerry, Why hasn't anyone done any book on Bill Thomas And The Cheetah, I have footage of you in the cheetah.

Jose

[Jerry Entin]

Jose: A fellow named Fred Yeakel has a site on the Cheetahs, it isn't a book version. It is fun to look at and can be seen at: http://www.cheetahcars.com/index.htm

Delmo Johnson is very nice and helpful also. I have never met Dave Morgan.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 13 October 2011 - 19:58.

[Jose]

Jose: A fellow named Fred Yeakel has a site on the Cheetahs, it isn't a book version. It is fun to look at and can be seen at: http://www.cheetahcars.com/index.htm

Jerry,

No I know, I got my "Cheetahs always win" Tshirt from that site or one of those, but there needs to be a book, Anybody know Art Evans ?Maybe he can do one?

[Jerry Entin]

Jose,

I can confirm that Volume 2 and 3 will follow the same format. Races at Master Field near Opa-Locka appear in 1959 and 1960 [Volume 2] and in the next three years [Volume 3].

As for Corvettes, a large number of their photos appear in Volume 1, with cars driven by Dick Thompson, Ebb Rose, Jim Rathmann, Paul Goldsmith, Bob Stonedale, Carroll Shelby, Bill Fritts, Jim Hall, George Koehne, Rusty Wright, Hap Sharp and David Morgan. Delmo Johnson did not start his race career until early 1959, so you will have to wait until Volume 2 comes out to see him in action in "Blackie", his black Corvette

As for Chevy-powered cars, there are many in Volume 1, from home-built specials such as the Mangham-Davis to Ferraris, Maseratis, Jaguars and Listers converted to American V8 power.

The Nissonger KLG Special is actually just a Sadler Mk 3 and any book covering Sadler history will deal with its specifics. Here is a thread showing the various Sadler cars: http://forums.autosp...;hl=sadler cars

If you have any more questions, contact:

Willem Oosthoek at: willemoosthoek@aol.com

He is the author of the fine book Sportscar Racing in the South From Florida to Texas.

Art Evans mostly writes books on Racers and of course the Race Courses from the past. He liked the Devin cars and also Jaguars in his youth.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 14 October 2011 - 01:30.

[Vettefinderjim]

Jerry,

No I know, I got my "Cheetahs always win" Tshirt from that site or one of those, but there needs to be a book, Anybody know Art Evans ?Maybe he can do one?

JOSE,
I know FRED very well. I and other friends pit crewed for him in the late 70's and 80's when he first got the Cheetah. I also know ART EVANS. ROBERT AUXIER in PHOENIX started BTW Cheetah at http://www.billthomascheetah.com/. Since Bill's death in 2009, and the sour economy, reproduction cars have been canceled.

At this time, there is just not enough interest in the car or history to do any more books or stories about the cars.

[Allen Brown]

While looking at racing in the South East in the 1960s, I noticed that some of the SCCA Regions that were racing then don't seem to exist any more. One in particular was Sowega (South West Georgia?) which appears to have organised races in the 1950s and was still home region for a number of racers in 1966 but is no longer listed by the SCCA as a Region. There may be some link to a region called Chavaga which existed from the late 1960s through the 1970s but I don't know what became of that one either.

Also around in the mid-1960s were Charleston Region and Central Alabama Region. Charleston Region vanished in the 1970s, about the same time Swamp Fox Region appeared in roughly the same location but the latter folded in 1982, its territory being taken over by South Carolina Region which itself only dates from 1978. I can't see what could have happened to Central Alabama Region but a Wiregrass Region appeared in 1977 in a similar part of the state.

Two other regions to have gone missing since the late 1960s are Savannah Region and Gator Region which merged in 1972 to form Buccaneer Region.

No other Division of the SCCA seems to have quite so many defunct regions.

Can anyone help?

I hate leaving questions unanswered so if there was anyone who shared my curiosity about all those defunct SCCA Regions, I think I've now got to the bottom of them. Sowega was founded in mid-1953 and lasted until 1967 when its membership had dwindled. It was renamed Chavaga and carried on into the 1970s but with none of the activity that made it such a big name of the 1950s.

[ggnagy]

I hate leaving questions unanswered so if there was anyone who shared my curiosity about all those defunct SCCA Regions, I think I've now got to the bottom of them. Sowega was founded in mid-1953 and lasted until 1967 when its membership had dwindled. It was renamed Chavaga and carried on into the 1970s but with none of the activity that made it such a big name of the 1950s.

SCCA regions are and were pretty arbitrary and were usually offshoots of a race organization. Those regions that were closely tied to an event sometimes died out when the original reason (a race event) ended. Instead of leaving a region dormant, they would be absorbed into or merged with other regions. Others became primarily "solo" regions, focused on autocross, rallies, hillclimbs, etc.

[Allen Brown]

The SCCA allocated strict territory to every region, starting with a fairly simple process in 1950 - which included drawing circles round particular cities - but quickly moving on to a system of allocating territory at county level. New regions during the period of greatest expansion in the mid-1950s were typically "sponsored" by an existing region and were allocated territory ceded by their parent. From 1950 onwards, the SCCA also liked the regions to have names based on their geographical area instead of on the cities where they had first been formed. Early regions such as Washington, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia retained their original city names but less well established ones were renamed, such as Miami Region becoming Florida Region, Topeka Region becoming Kansas and Buffalo Region becoming Western New York. One of the biggest such ceding was when Florida Region, which was based in and around Miami, ceded the majority of their territory to a new region called Central Florida Region.

Some regions would start in a blaze of excitement and grand plans and quickly fizzle away. The first South Carolina Region (unrelated to the present region of that name), started in 1954 but was gone by the end of 1956, not helped presumably by a Charleston Region that was virtually on top of it.

In the Carolinas and Georgia, the number of defunct regions is on a completely different scale to the rest of the US and I'd still like to understand the reasons for that. As well as the first South Carolina Region, that Charleston Region has also disappeared, as has Sowega Region, Montgomery Region (later renamed Central Alabama Region), Midland Region and Swamp Fox Region. Also Gator Region merged with Savannah Region to form Buccaneer Region in 1972. It means that it's far harder to find people who were involved in those regions than it is in, say, San Diego, Washington, New England, Chicago or San Francisco, where there has been far greater continuity. It also means that finding copies of their regional newsletters is correspondingly difficult.

[Vettefinderjim]

I have talked Mr.Delmo Johnson and his Partner in Crime Mr.Dave Morgan over the phone and via emails many times and both are true Gentleman and real nice down to earth people,they answered my many nagging questions,they both also Signed my Copy of Randy Leffingwell's And Dave Wendt(who also signed the book for me)Book "Legendary Corvettes" which has the Delmo/Morgan Grand Sport #3.

This Book interests me because being From Florida,and since it has Opa-Locka featured(I am from Nearby Miami), Does this book feature a lot of Corvettes or Chevy/GM powered Cars?

So I wanted to know if VOLUMES 2 AND 3 WILL BE ABOUT FLORIDA AND THE SOUTH AS WELL?

My only compliant is the price,the last book I brought was $205 and it was signed by Joel Finn-Caribbean Capers,However,the publisher couldn't help me talk to Mr.Finn I wanted to talk to him or email him a question about one of the drivers still alive here in Miami. and Also About The Nissonger KLG Special(Chevrolet powered Car,is this car featured in Road Racing Specials Book By Vintage Motorsports Magazine?)


Jerry, Why hasn't anyone done any book on Bill Thomas And The Cheetah, I have footage of you in the cheetah.

Jose

Hello Jose,
I also know FRED YEAKEL well. The CHEETAH story is a difficult one, as it was a BILL THOMAS creation. As I understand, he was promised lots of help from Chevrolet, as MICKEY THOMPSON was, and after 1963 DAYTONA February 16-17, GM put the hammer down hard ''NO MORE FACTORY BACK RACING''

The CHEETAH was a very ill handling race car. Looked great, but its short weel base made it very hard to control. That plus the cabin was very hot and the driver literally sat on the differential. BOB AUXIER in Phoenix started a company building reproduction CHEETAH's, but they closed in 2009 when the economy crashed.

I also know DELMO JOHNSON and DAVE MORGAN quiet well. The 1962 and 1963 Corvette SEBRING cars that both drove as team mates are now owned by Rick Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte. We all hope to get together next month for a video history on these two great collector cars.
You can see each history here on our REGISTRY OF CORVETTE RACE CARS. http://registryofcor...om/ee/index.php
each car can be found in detail here.
http://registryofcor...e/view_cars/314
http://registryofcor...e/view_cars/199

I see you also like cars that raced CUBA GRAND PRIX.

You will like this car as well. I think it is the most significant FIA race CORVETTE ever in the 50's and 60's
http://registryofcor...e/view_cars/277

Enjoy,
JIM GESSNER
Corvette Historian

Edited by Vettefinderjim, 10 July 2012 - 19:06.

[Vettefinderjim]

Hap Sharp and Dave Morgan in their Corvettes

Mansfield,Louisiana March 1958: teammates Hap Sharp [#88] and Dave Morgan [#89] brought their blue Corvettes from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Both led, then retired during the 20-lap Race #6 for large production cars. As a result Ross Wees, Ebb Rose, Harry Washburn, Bill Fritts and Archie Means captured the first five spots with their AC/Bristols.



Photo: Bob Jackson

Jerry and Willum,

I wanted to report to you and Willum that I got my copy of the book as a gift in January. I can't wait until VOL 2 and 3.

These two cars are very interesting. I am driving to DELMO'S Texas airplane hanger in mid April for a REUNION with DELMO, and DAVE and their 62 and 63 production SEBRING Race Corvettes and HENDRICKS MOTORSPORTS that now own both cars. I am also driving thru Middland, Texas and hope to stop and visit with JIM HALL and talk to him about these 57 Corvettes. I know Ebb Rose had something to do with these cars. Trying to hunt down the history.
UPDATE JULY 9, 2012; Sorry, I never made the DELMO / MORGAN Reunion, but history was explained at DELMO'S Addison, Texas hanger on April 12. The Hendrick team with Jim Perkins (Former Chevrolet VP) filimed the history of three cars that DELMO and DAVE raced. Also history of a 2nd 1963 Z0-6 that DAVE & DELMO had at SEBRING was discussed. That car has also been identified and is still with its owner since 1966.

Want to join the party? This just might tune into an old fashion Texas BBQ, campfire and all.

Edited by Vettefinderjim, 10 July 2012 - 19:13.

[ed holly]

I am trying to track down anyone that knew Noel (RN) McGlothlin of the 1960s. I believe he raced a Bugeye Sprite, an MGA, and FJ Cooper, a Lola, a Lotus 23B ex Gurney, a Brabham BT21C and a Lola.

If anyone remembers Noel would certainly appreciate a PM and a posting here ... I own the Brabham BT21C here in Sydney Australia, and have for many years tried to trace its early history. Apologies for breaking into this wonderful thread.

Ed Holly

Edited by ed holly, 30 March 2012 - 06:24.

[Cynic2]

I am trying to track down anyone that knew Noel (RN) McGlothlin of the 1960s. I believe he raced a Bugeye Sprite, an MGA, and FJ Cooper, a Lola, a Lotus 23B ex Gurney, a Brabham BT21C and a Lola.

If anyone remembers Noel would certainly appreciate a PM and a posting here ... I own the Brabham BT21C here in Sydney Australia, and have for many years tried to trace its early history. Apologies for breaking into this wonderful thread.

Ed Holly

Ed --

I can't quite answer your question, as I don't know Noel (or if he's still around), but I can add a picture and return the thread to the title.

Noel McGlothlin won the SCCA's Southeast Division Formula B championship in 1966, driving this Lola Mk 3 (here at Montgomery, Alabama in 1967).




According to Allen Brown's Old Racing Cars site, McGlothlin replaced the Lola with a Brabham BT 6, which he used in 1967. By 1968 he was racing a Brabham BT21C, presumably your car. I don't think I have any images of that car, but will look in the next few days.

David

[ed holly]

David,

Thankyou so much for posting a photo of one of Noel's cars.

If anyone is interested in what goes on down here in Australia for the 1960's racing cars, have a look at our latest newsletter - 50 pages - at http://www.hsrca.com/ scroll down to 2nd entry M and O racing ..

cheers .. Ed

Edited by ed holly, 02 April 2012 - 09:20.

[Allen Brown]

I believe Noel went straight from the Lola to the BT21C. The BT6 - if that's what it was and I must confess to a wobble in confidence over the last few days - was John Hood's car.

[David M. Kane]

When I think of Southern Sports Car racing I think of Buck Fulp.

[Vettefinderjim]

Jerry and Willum,

I wanted to report to you and Willum that I got my copy of the book as a gift in January. I can't wait until VOL 2 and 3.

These two cars are very interesting. I am driving to DELMO'S Texas airplane hanger in mid April for a REUNION with DELMO, and DAVE and their 62 and 63 production SEBRING Race Corvettes and HENDRICKS MOTORSPORTS that now own both cars. I am also driving thru Middland, Texas and hope to stop and visit with JIM HALL and talk to him about these 57 Corvettes. I know Ebb Rose had something to do with these cars. Trying to hunt down the history.
UPDATE JULY 9, 2012; Sorry, I never made the DELMO / MORGAN Reunion, but history was explained at DELMO'S Addison, Texas hanger on April 12. The Hendrick team with Jim Perkins (Former Chevrolet VP) filimed the history of three cars that DELMO and DAVE raced. Also history of a 2nd 1963 Z0-6 that DAVE & DELMO had at SEBRING was discussed. That car has also been identified and is still with its owner since 1966.

Want to join the party? This just might tune into an old fashion Texas BBQ, campfire and all.

UPDATE JULY 9, 2012; Sorry, I never made the DELMO / MORGAN Reunion, but history was explained at DELMO'S Addison, Texas hanger on April 12. The Hendrick team with Jim Perkins (Former Chevrolet VP) filimed the history of three cars that DELMO and DAVE raced. Also history of a 2nd 1963 Z0-6 that DAVE & DELMO had at SEBRING was discussed. That car has also been identified and is still with its owner since 1966.

[terry mcgrath]

I have just picked up my copy of "Sports Car Racing in the South Texas to Florida" and have enjoyed going through it greatly particularly that it has a lot of Jaguar stuff and pics in it.
One question is that on page 242 it is noted that the Bill Fuller D type XKD560 was purchased from Jack Ensley already fitted with a V8.
I have Ensley owning XKD538 and XKD553 but have not come across the conection to 560.
It would be great if someone could advise where the info came from tieing 560 to Ensley
terry

[Jerry Entin]

Terry: The following is from Willem Oosthoek:
" I remember that one of the U.S. magazines of the period had an article about the Chevy conversion by Ensley, including photos. Can't recall which magazine and don't have time to go through the piles in my closet: am too busy proofreading Volume 2 at the moment, which will have plenty of action by Bill Fuller and his D-type, which he called the Rebel Special."

Edited by Jerry Entin, 07 September 2012 - 20:30.

[Cynic2]

I have just picked up my copy of "Sports Car Racing in the South Texas to Florida" and have enjoyed going through it greatly particularly that it has a lot of Jaguar stuff and pics in it.
One question is that on page 242 it is noted that the Bill Fuller D type XKD560 was purchased from Jack Ensley already fitted with a V8.
I have Ensley owning XKD538 and XKD553 but have not come across the connection to 560.
It would be great if someone could advise where the info came from tieing 560 to Ensley
terry

Hi, Terry,

I hope I'm not the source of this confusion.

I was a kind of hanger-on (at 13) at Jack Ensley's race shop in Indianapolis, starting with his Kurtis 500-Cadillac. He took pity on me and/or my enthusiasm, and hired me as a lot boy at Jaguar Midwest while I was in high school. Jack also taught me how to drive, in an MG-TC.

I remember both --actually all three -- D-Types, and 538 going to General Motors without an engine after 553 was acquired. It came back about a year later, still without an engine, and Herschel White, Joe Silnes, and Jack's crew installed the Chevy. Jack always like to associate with Indy 500 drivers, and for a while he would stage short races during the lunch breaks at SCCA races at Stout Field near Indianapolis. Both D-Types would be brought up (538 with its Chevy) and he and a driver, probably Bob Sweikert or Pat O'Connor, would make a great production of a coin flip to see who got which car. They'd then stage a five lap "hippodrome" race, four laps fooling around and one "real" lap. Good entertainment during lunch.

Willem is right (of course): the conversion of 538 to Chevy was documented by George Moore, an Indianapolis newspaper writer, in the March (must be 1957 -- the year is missing) issue of Sports Cars Illustrated. Someone sent me scans of this issue some time ago, and I don't remember who it was (Scott S, was that you?), but it does cover the conversion in detail.

Then in the early sixties I ended up in New Orleans, and one of the first SCCA races I attended was at Baton Rouge, where I saw Bill Fuller in a Chevy-powered D-Type. I met Fuller a few years later, and for some reason was under the impression that this was the ex-Ensley car. I wasn't big on chassis numbers then, or would have known better. There's no connection to my knowledge between Jack Ensley and Bill Fuller and 560. (There is a possible exception to that statement: Ensley imported Jaguars through Jaguar Midwest Distributors, his partnership with Pat Murphy in Indianapolis. Could 560 have come though that company?)

Fuller's 560 ended up in New Orleans at Sports Cars International, as an extremely tired hulk stored on the second floor. It was carved up to repair another car, supposedly an XK-SS, a customer's car which someone on the staff had crashed. (Allegedly the owner never knew; he's still around, so I won't use his name.) When Sports Cars International went out of business the remains -- not much at that point -- were sold with other stuff to a New Orleans junkman. A friend and I attempted to trace the car years later, and the junkman swears it was cut up and scrapped. (I know it exists today, fully restored from something: The tub? Some parts? The chassis plate? The tach needle? I really have no idea.)

At some point I discussed this with Willem and elsewhere (possibly the source of the confusion?). Willem really is the person who proved to me that the Ensley and Fuller D-Jag/Chevys were clearly different cars, and I'm completely certain of that today. It was just a small coincidence in my life that I went from one Chevy-powered D-Type to another.

I don't know if this rambling will help you, but at least it let me relive my memories for a few minutes.

David Seibert

PS: Willem has been very good at cleaning up my memories of all those things I clearly recall, but which he can prove never happened. Ah, old age . . . .

Edited by Cynic2, 07 September 2012 - 22:27.

[Jerry Entin]

Terry and David:

Competition Press, September 26, 1959: race report of the Labor Day Mansfield races:

"When the smoke cleared after the first turn, Bill Fuller in Jack Ensley's D-type was in front with Ronnie Hissom's new Lister-Chevrolet right on his tail."

Fuller's first appearance with the Chevy-engined chassis 560 was during the Hammond Harvest races of November 29-30, 1958.

all research Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Bill Fuller in his D-Jag "The Rebel Special" #560 at Hilltop in 1960

I think we have to be careful when talking about the "ex-Ensley car" in relation to the Fuller chassis 560.

Ensley was associated with four D-types:

538, the third place Sebring car in 1956

540, which he drove to victory at Boca Raton in March 1957 for owner Gay Jackson

553, which retired at Sebring in 1957

560, according to the reference in CP, which went to Fuller with Chevy V8.


Looking at the subsequent competition history of these cars, we find that:

540 went from Jackson to Cornelius Kenslo "C.K." Thompson

553 went from Ensley to Harry Rollings, and Ed Rahal from there


So the toss-up is between 538 and 560. I can find no reference in 1958 of Ensley racing a Chevy-powered D-type in the U.S., a likely scenario if 538 was equipped with a V8. Nobody else raced one either, until Fuller shows up in November 1958 with the V8-powered 560, a car that the Mansfield report claims came from Ensley. All this makes me wonder if the article of the Chevy conversion in Sports Cars Illustrated was really about 560, instead of 538.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 08 September 2012 - 17:37.

[Jean L]

Hilltop 1960,it is in june or in september ?

[Jerry Entin]

Jean:
The photo was taken during the June edition at Hilltop, the inaugural race.

As for Jack Ensley, some more details have emerged: he did race the Chevy-engined D-type once, in the USAC race at Marlboro on September 21, 1958. Ensley finished 12th in a field of 13, so probably a DNF and a rather dissatisfied owner. That would fit with the first appearance of Bill Fuller in the car at the end of November 1958.

Interestingly, the car is described in the 1958 USAC yearbook as a 4.6 liter. And two weeks earlier Ensley finished 11th in the first USAC race of the season, the September 7, 1958, Lime Rock International. His D-type at Lime Rock is listed in the same Yearbook as a 3.8 liter. Same car and an error of the organizers, or was Ensley associated with a 5th D-type by 1958?

I mention the 4.6 liter engine size, because in the article in Sports Cars Illustrated [the issue was March 1959] its Chevy engine is described as 300 c.i., so around 4.9 liter, with fuel injection. This is a perfect fit with the Fuller D-type, which used fuel injection as well. In the September 1959 Mansfield program the Fuller car is listed as having a Chevy engine of 4,944 cc.

What struck me about the SCI article is how difficult the engine conversion must have been due to lack of space. The steering column had to be moved, headers had to be handmade, and many chassis changes had to be made, often based on trial and error. The engine was developed by a stock car driver, Hershel White. This type of conversion is unlikely to have taken place in deepest Louisiana by someone involved in the lumber business, as Fuller was.

I still can't explain the discrepancy between Ensley's number 538 and Fuller's 560 of what has to be the same D-type. Did some hanky-panky take place with the chassis plates? Was Fuller's car really 538 sold with a "newer" plate? Was Ensley's D-type/Chevy really 560 and did the author of the SCI article incorrectly link it to the 1956 Sebring D-type after it was returned by GM. He claimed that Ensley bought it only after GM was not interested anymore, which can't be correct since Ensley entered and raced it at Sebring before it went to GM.

[ChuckyII]

I had planned to post this here, but hit wrong button so it became a new thread. I was trying to get drivers name of the 97EP car at this Courtland Ala. race. I remember after after taking these pictures I was going to give them to the driver. After all these years I do not remember if I did. http://forums.autosp...howtopic=174266

[Jerry Entin]

Can't help you with this one, Chucky. My Courtland program collection runs until the end of 1963. If your slide has 1964 printed on it I would say that must be the correct year. I checked my J. Frank Harrison collection, who was a regular at Courtland with his Formula Juniors in the early 60s. Rats, his final race was April 1964 at Macon, Georgia, with a Lotus/Ford Formule Libre, so no luck here either.

Competition Press did a write-up on the July 5, 1964 Courtland event. The Feature went to Memphis dentist Don Horn [Lotus 23] over George Barker [Porsche 904]. No mention of any incidents during the production races.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 September 2012 - 18:16.

[ChuckyII]

Thanks. You mention a 904 and I have a slide of one dated '64 (car #9) from the same race as my other ones. The E Bay store also shows a picture of a 904, car #9. http://www.ebay.com/...=item2a1832dcf4 It gives the driver as Geo. Barber. Interesting, as it say this is the Barber that went on to build Barber Motorspports Park. Here is my old picture.

[Vettefinderjim]

THIS VIDEO JUST APPEARED ON U-TUBE.
OZZIE POHL now owned the #19 white 57 Corvette, formerly owned by DOUG HOOPER. THIS IS SANTA BARBARA 1965 MAY 29-30, 1965.

GREAT FOOTAGE. THE LAST ''POOF'' OF DIRT IS WHEN OZZIE LOST IT THE LAST TIME WHEN THE FLYWHEEL BLEW THE BACK OF THE ENGINE AND DRIVER PEDALS ''OFF'' AND THE CAR WENT THRU THE SKY OVER THE ''ANDY GUMP'' TOILET. SEE http://registryofcor...e/view_cars/187
for more detail. DAVE HOOD from Moscow, Idaho just found it after 47 years on the shelf. FRED YEAKEL SAID,


'' May 29 & 30, 1965 was the first race weekend for my 1957 Corvette. We finished the car early Saturday morning and trailered it up to the SB races. The biggest problem was that the rear intake manifold seal kept failing after two laps and I would be black flagged for smoking. We finally gave up and watched the Sunday race. I watched Ozzie go over the embakement. I went to see him in the hospital and loaned him my trailer to bring his/Doug's car back to North Hollywood. If you look closely at the video, there are two Cheetahs in the background. Jerry Entin's and very briefly the silver #33 Dixon Cadillac car. I am attaching three scans from that Santa Barbara program.

On Nov 28, 2012, at 2:16 PM, Ron Cummings wrote:




At the very end Ozzi flys the Corvette, #19, twenty feet high over ditch.

I saw this all happen. He was locking up the rear wheels every time he shifted down.
The flywheel went through the dashboard taking out the brakes.

Also, Alligator 500sx Kurtis, #91, at Santa Barbara, WITH DOUG HOOPER at the controls. Doug won the class that day.

[Vettefinderjim]

NOTE JERRY ENTIN IN A CHEEATH, DAVE JORDAN AND SCOOTER PATRICK IN A PORSCH 904, DOUG HOOPER IN THE ''ALLIGATOR''. EVEN PAUL BAITY IS DRIVING MY OLD 64 B/P SILVER CORVETTE. I FOUND THE CAR IN 1985 AND RESTORED IT FOR VINTAGE RACING. TOM COTTER OWNS IT TODAY.

Edited by Vettefinderjim, 30 November 2012 - 01:06.

[Rob Semmeling]

Can someone enlighten me about the following: in his race tracks opus, Allan Brown mentions a race called Rio Grand Prix at Enchantment Park in El Paso, Texas on 18-19 May 1957. It is not listed in Willem Oosthoek's book. Did it take place ?

[Jerry Entin]

Rob:
The 1957 event may well have taken place but is unlikely to have been for sports cars. The SCCA's Pan American Region was not founded until 1958. Enchantment Park was previously called Evans Oval, then El Paso Speedway, then -with the addition of a 1/4-mile drag strip- Enchantment Park. So most likely a sprint, midget, stock car or drag race event in 1957.


all research: Willem Oosthoek

[Rob Semmeling]

Thank you, Jerry.

In the meantime I've done some digging and found this article from the El Paso Herald Post of May 18, 1957:

Check Cars Carefully in Sports Car Race

Williams A Heard jr, chairman of the Rio Grande Prix [sic] sports car road race tomorrow at Enchantment Park, said all cars will have to pass a thorough technical inspection to guard against possible mechanical failures.

Heard said, "in the past week there have been two racing accidents, both far from El Paso, which have taken the lives of several people. Although we don't expect accidents we would rather be certain that none would be caused by driving a sports car in an unsafe mechanical condition."

The race is expected to draw cars from all over the Southwest and will cover more than 200 miles on the new Enchantment Park road course in the Upper Valley. The first six race will start at 11 am. The Enchantment Park road course can accommodate several thousand spectators."

So this was a sports car event after all, and definitely something worth looking into. Will see what else can be turned up!

Edited by Rob Semmeling, 01 May 2013 - 17:02.

[Alan Cox]

I wanted to report to you and Willum that I got my copy of the book as a gift in January. I can't wait until VOL 2 and 3.

Just a note to point out that volume 2 is now out - I don't think it has been mentioned on this thread yet
http://www.daltonwat...mple_LO_RES.pdf

[Rob Semmeling]

A newspaper ad mentions the El Paso "Southwest Regional Sports Car Race" was sanctioned by the "Rio Grande Division Sports Car Clubs and Southwest Sports Car Club" (sic).

Saturday, May 18th had a drivers's school, practice runs, time trials and a 30 mile race, while Sunday, May 19th had "250 miles of road racing on the all-new 1-1/2 mile paved course."

That's about as much as I can find now. Google Books does reveal there is a photo of the Rio Grande Prix (nice word play there) on page 92 of a book called They Started in MGs: Profiles of Sports Car Racers of the 1950s.

[Frank S]

A newspaper ad mentions the El Paso "Southwest Regional Sports Car Race" was sanctioned by the "Rio Grande Division Sports Car Clubs and Southwest Sports Car Club" (sic).

Saturday, May 18th had a drivers's school, practice runs, time trials and a 30 mile race, while Sunday, May 19th had "250 miles of road racing on the all-new 1-1/2 mile paved course."

That's about as much as I can find now. Google Books does reveal there is a photo of the Rio Grande Prix (nice word play there) on page 92 of a book called They Started in MGs: Profiles of Sports Car Racers of the 1950s.

The picture is of Fred Egloff (apparently a well-known Midwesterner) in an MGA. Unremarkable background of spectators and not much else. There is the single sentence: "When I was in the Army stationed in El Paso, I drove in the Rio Grande Prix on the Enchantment Park Course." Several other events in the area are referred to, none related to Enchantment Park.

[ReWind]

The Mercedes-powered Hughes-Kircher Special ... was built in 1954 by Charlie Hughes and Kurt Kircher of Denver, Colorado. German born Kircher was a test driver for BMW and Alfa Romeo before coming to the U.S. in 1949. Originally the car used a Jaguar XK-120 engine and Kircher won the Fort Sumner feature in September 1954. By 1957 the Jaguar engine had been replaced by a Mercedes 300SL unit. Its entire body, painted in Hughes' favorite blue, could be lifted for easy maintenance.

In another thread there was a dialogue going on concerning the origin of Kurt Kircher. I think this should better be continued here.

With reference to Kurt Kircher, I wondered what evidence might be presented to bolster the assertion that he was German? To my knowledge, he always claimed to be a Swede, and his obituary noted his birthplace as Malmo, Sweden.
RonS.

My source was this posting by Jerry Entin.

But further research confirms that we was indeed Swedish-born. His full name was Kurt Fredrick Kircher, he was in the Swedish army from 1939 to 1945, and his first marriage in 1949 was to a Swedish girl named Margareta Johansson.

So I am grateful for your correction.

Thank you for your kind response, but I am not entirely sure I have corrected anything. It is possible that my "correction" is only the recitation of commonly held folklore, which was why I was interested in the basis for the statement that Kircher was German. Perhaps Jerry Entin could comment on where that came from. It may have been a description of ancestral ties, and not one of birth nationality.
Anyone who has done much genealogical research will attest to the riskiness associated with putting too much credence in statements drawn from an obituary. That said, Kurt Kircher's obit says his first marriage was to " a family friend from his childhood, Margareta Rappe", not Margareta Johansson.
RonS.

According to her obituary her maiden name was Johansson.

Margareta Kircher was born in Sweden February 23, 1928 and died in Wilmington, North Carolina, November 10, 2012. Her birth name was Sonja Anna Greta Margareta Johansson which she later changed to Margareta Sonja on her U.S. naturalization document when she became a citizen in 1960. Margareta was proud to be an American and of her excellent command of English.
In 1949 she married Kurt Kircher and they traveled to Argentina before coming to America. They moved to Detroit where her son Carl was born. Her daughter Anna was born 18 months later in Denver.The family home was in Littleton for 20 years.
Margareta and Kurt opened Denver's first foreign car repair shop and they founded the Denver chapter of the Sports Car Club of America. She raced a 1957 Thunderbird and had a lasting love of cars and racing.
In 1973 they purchased the Box Canyon Motel which was the beginning of a lifelong love of Ouray and its citizens. After the couple divorced she continued to operate the Box Canyon until selling and opening a successful gourmet cooking and gift shop on Main Street in Ouray called The Viking. After closing her shop she became a realtor/property manager for ORI for many years. Margareta was active in the Republican Party in Ouray County.
Upon her retirement she moved to Montrose where she volunteered at Heirlooms for Hospice, worked-out at Curves and made many new friends. Margareta especially enjoyed spending time with her grand daughters Kelsey and Lauren and celebrating all holidays with family and friends. She was a big Denver Bronco fan.
In 2012 she moved to Charlotte, NC to be closer to her son. Then, fulfilling her last wish to live by the ocean again, she and Carl moved to Wilmington,NC. To all those who knew Margareta, she lived an interesting life, had many friends and much fun around the world. She was happy, upbeat and was excited about the future just as you would have expected.

Note: I corrected the birth year which was erroneously put as 1938.

[Jerry Entin]

For the transporter fans: this is how Florida brain surgeon David Lane moved his AC/Bristol and Alfa Romeo Giulietta to and from the race tracks.

 

Research: Willem Oosthoek

Photo: Bob Bellows

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 October 2013 - 23:28.

[Vettefinderjim]

Bill Fuller in his D-Jag "The Rebel Special" #560 at Hilltop in 1960

I think we have to be careful when talking about the "ex-Ensley car" in relation to the Fuller chassis 560.

Ensley was associated with four D-types:

538, the third place Sebring car in 1956

540, which he drove to victory at Boca Raton in March 1957 for owner Gay Jackson

553, which retired at Sebring in 1957

560, according to the reference in CP, which went to Fuller with Chevy V8.


Looking at the subsequent competition history of these cars, we find that:

540 went from Jackson to Cornelius Kenslo "C.K." Thompson

553 went from Ensley to Harry Rollings, and Ed Rahal from there


So the toss-up is between 538 and 560. I can find no reference in 1958 of Ensley racing a Chevy-powered D-type in the U.S., a likely scenario if 538 was equipped with a V8. Nobody else raced one either, until Fuller shows up in November 1958 with the V8-powered 560, a car that the Mansfield report claims came from Ensley. All this makes me wonder if the article of the Chevy conversion in Sports Cars Illustrated was really about 560, instead of 538.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Hi Jerry,

This last weekend we did a film with BILLY KRAUSE. The topic was the 1963 MICKEY THOMPSON Z0-6 CORVETTE 427 car he drove at Daytona in Feb. 16-17,1963.

 

BILLY also told us about his D-JAG he bought in 1956 that he later changed the engine to a Chevrolet V-8 in 1958 or so. aDo you know that D-JAG story?

[screensmoke]

Hello, 

 

I really enjoy this thread but most pic link from jerry are dead is there anyway to see those pics ? 

[Jack-the-Lad]

Hello, 
 
I really enjoy this thread but most pic link from jerry are dead is there anyway to see those pics ?

This web site has always been plagued with that. I don’t pretend to know, or even care, about the technical reasons, but it is quite frustrating. Another forum I frequent, under common ownership with this one, uses a different platform and pictures remain viewable seemingly permanently.

Sorry I don’t have a better answer but i’m sure Tim can explain when he sees your post.

Welcome to the forum.

[Ray Bell]

It has been explained in the past that for a few reasons all images shown need to be 'brought in' from external websites...
 
One of those reasons is copyright and I'm sure that in the beginning, at least, bandwidth and storage were important factors.
 
The problem is that Jerry was for some time using Imageshack, who later applied a charge to image hosting. I don't know if Jerry bailed then or not, but even if one did pay for their annual subscription some images have still been 'lost' by Imageshack.

I was in the position that I had about 4,000 images hosted by them and I paid, but then a situation arose that my PayPal account, or at least the credit card attached to it, expired and before I knew and could restore it the Imageshack annual fee fell due and so my account was lost. And it's not possible to contact Imageshack to restore it.

Even so, I still have a lot of my Imageshack-hosted images which are available, as are some of Jerry's on this page. But I now use Postimage for hosting. Those who've used Photobucket have seen their images go down the tubes too... well, they still allow the image to be linked, but it becomes blurred and has the Photobucket logo across it.




.

Edited by Ray Bell, 14 January 2020 - 02:46.