18 replies to this topic

[hama61]

Dear forum membersl,

I'am looking for all possible information on Sebring 1960 race held on March 26 and the two practise days on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 March. Maybe there is still a member on this forum around who has actually been there and can recall the race or heard and or read stories from others.

I'am interested in the stories, particulars and prospective of the spectators, pitcrew, staff, mechanics and photographers and all others, that I didn't mention about their rememberence and how they experienced the race.

Many thanks in advance

Harry

[Jerry Entin]

Harry: Sebring 1960 will be extensively covered in Willem Oosthoek's upcoming book Sports Car Racing in the South, Volume 2 [1959 and 1960], which goes to the printers this week.

Forty pages and some 60 color and black/white photos will describe the event. The book will be available late February/ early March.

[hama61]

Harry: Sebring 1960 will be extensively covered in Willem Oosthoek's upcoming book Sports Car Racing in the South, Volume 2 [1959 and 1960], which goes to the printers this week.

Forty pages and some 60 color and black/white photos will describe the event. The book will be available late February/ early March.

Hello Jerry,

Many thanks for your reply will buy the book the moment it is for sale.

Is there a possibility how to get in contact with Willem Oosthoek suppose I have additional questions after reading his book.

Harry

[sbrinley]

Hello Jerry,

Many thanks for your reply will buy the book the moment it is for sale.

Is there a possibility how to get in contact with Willem Oosthoek suppose I have additional questions after reading his book.

Harry

I went to Sebring in 1960 as a youngster with Team Roosevelt. I would be interested in learning about Oosthoek's sources for his book, as a great many of the participants are dead.

[Jerry Entin]

In addition to using numerous sources such as local newspapers and regional SCCA magazines, Willem interviewed 42 people associated with the sports car scene in the South in 1959 and 1960. Eleven of these has since deceased.

[sbrinley]

In addition to using numerous sources such as local newspapers and regional SCCA magazines, Willem interviewed 42 people associated with the sports car scene in the South in 1959 and 1960. Eleven of these has since deceased.

Do you know if John Norwood, Jim McGee and Paul Richards were among those interviewed?

[Jerry Entin]

None of them were interviewed. Team Roosevelt was an infrequent participant in sports car racing in the South. Their Abarth team cars showed up twice [out of 31 events] in 1959 [the USAC race at Daytona and the SCCA National at Daytona] and only once [out of 36 events] in 1960 [the 4-hour race at Sebring].


all research: Willem Oosthoek

[sbrinley]

None of them were interviewed. Team Roosevelt was an infrequent participant in sports car racing in the South. Their Abarth team cars showed up twice [out of 31 events] in 1959 [the USAC race at Daytona and the SCCA National at Daytona] and only once [out of 36 events] in 1960 [the 4-hour race at Sebring].


all research: Willem Oosthoek

They also raced at Pensacola in 1959 at a SCCA event and Daytona in 1960 at the tri-oval and in the 12-hour at Sebring that year. Our top driver, Paul Richards, beat Stirling Moss in the 4-hour race on Friday, before the Saturday main event. How did Oosthoek miss these?

[Jerry Entin]

Tiny 747 cc Abarths are easily missed among the faster cars. As for Richards beating Moss in a Austin-Healey Sprite, Willem did mention the 1960 Sebring 4 Hours.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

[bradbury west]

They also raced at Pensacola in 1959 at a SCCA event and Daytona in 1960 at the tri-oval and in the 12-hour at Sebring that year. Our top driver, Paul Richards, beat Stirling Moss in the 4-hour race on Friday, before the Saturday main event. How did Oosthoek miss these?

There is little on TNF which galls me more than someone, hiding behind the anonimity of zero info in his profile, coming on here with 3 original thread topics, all asking for "all possible information" on cars or races, having the effrontery to imply criticism of a recognised authority, historian and author, and very willing contributor, like Willem . Smacks of biting the hand that feeds, and living off someone else's efforts. ISTR it was Pete Lyons who suggested that critics and smart-arses should go to the airport and buy a ticket back to 1960, or whenever, and find out for themselves.

I can imagine that quite a few doors might suddenly close to you. I had intended offering you a known good web-based source of info for that race, but.......
No offence intended, but forum courtesy must count for something
Roger Lund

[garyfrogeye]

Hi Roger,

I agree about the 3 original thread topics, but as far as I can see, the person who asked the original question "hama61", doesn't look to me to be the same person "sbrinley" who is doing the criticising , unless you know them to be the same person.
I'm not looking to start a fight here, just a (possibly incorrect) observation on my part.

[bradbury west]

Hi Roger,

I agree about the 3 original thread topics, but as far as I can see, the person who asked the original question "hama61", doesn't look to me to be the same person "sbrinley" who is doing the criticising , unless you know them to be the same person.
I'm not looking to start a fight here, just a (possibly incorrect) observation on my part.

Gary, I stand corrected and hope that anyone who should not have been offended has not been offended. I stand by my remarks about anonymity and wanting everything spoonfed off a plate, along with my views on forum etiquette, but not necessarily to the same party, unless it applies. We would all like our research done for us. It is a hard road.
Exits stage left, retreating, suitably chastised.
Roger Lund, whose profile, I hope, offers adequate background information.

[RA Historian]

I, too, am often puzzled by posters who either want this, that, or the other in great quantities, essentially asking others to do their research, and those posters who seem to do nothing except bitch and criticize, who remain anonymous. I find it irritating to come across such situations, only to discover that the poster has declined to tell us anything about himself by leaving his bio completely blank. Besides being discourteous, it also deprives us of viewing any credentials that may aid us in any answer we choose to give.
Tom

[h4887]

Roger Lund, whose profile, I hope, offers adequate background information.

It doesn't even tell us your gender, Roger!

[hama61]

It doesn't even tell us your gender, Roger!

@ Bradbury West alias Roger Lund well actually I am not the same person as

QUOTE (sbrinley @ Dec 19 2012, 12:41)
They also raced at Pensacola in 1959 at a SCCA event and Daytona in 1960 at the tri-oval and in the 12-hour at Sebring that year. Our top driver, Paul Richards, beat Stirling Moss in the 4-hour race on Friday, before the Saturday main event. How did Oosthoek miss these?

but no offense we are all human born to make mistakes.

It goes without saying that I have seen the websites like: racingsportscars, barcboys, trackforum, cliffreuter etc etc maybe it ever occurred to you that I made an attempt while on vacation in Florida, that I went to Sebring but they didn't had any information on the Healeys because as you might know the race track went since Alec Ullmann over to several promotors till the present one and yes I went to Avon Park were they had their home base for several years hoping to track someone who could tell more and yes I had been spoken to a person of the garage were the Healeys were parked and prepared I have been spoken to two of the drivers of these cars on which one couldn't remember the race at all.

For me the instake was to learn stories of just ordinary people trying to make an entertaining website with the obtained information for the enjoyment of everybody else but as you can imagine it must be a little bit more than only a few sentences

[Jerry Entin]

Roger and Tom: For your information, Abarths appear 19 times in Volume 2, and less than half of them were Team Roosevelt entries.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

[fbarrett]

There are any number of books on Sebring, not to mention the usual period-published racing annuals, magazines, etc. I suggest to the thread originator that he should start there. But then I sell books, so I'm biased!

Frank

[garyfrogeye]

If you have any specific questions regarding Sprites at Sebring, I'd be happy to pass them on to John Sprinzel.

[Seppi_0_917PA]

Another wonderful Louis Galanos article just posted on Sports Car Digest:

1960 12 Hours of Sebring – Race Profile