97 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

Volume 2 of Sports Car Racing in the South, Texas to Florida [1959/1960]
This is the Front and back cover of Sports Car Racing in the South, Volume 2

After receiving the 2012 Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot Award by the Society of Automotive Historians for Volume 1 [1957/1958] in October, Dalton Watson Fine Books is pleased to announce that Volume 2 has now gone to print.

The second in a series of three, this book describes in detail all sports car events held between Texas and Florida during the 1959 and 1960 seasons. Sixty-six events are covered, in Texas [Fort Worth, Longview, Galveston Island, Corpus Christi, Hondo, San Marcos and El Paso], Florida [Sebring, Daytona Beach, Cocoa-Titusville, Boca Raton, Opa Locka, Venice, Kissimmee, Dunnellon and Pensacola], Oklahoma [Oklahoma City and Muskogee], Louisiana [Mansfield, Bossier City and Hammond], Alabama [Courtland, Auburn and Dothan], Georgia [Gainesville and Faulkville], Arkansas [Stuttgart] and New Mexico [Fort Sumner].

Volume 2 contains 437 pages and 565 photographs, many taken by 1964 Pulitzer prize winner Bob Jackson. Additional contributions came from photographers Flip Schulke, Bob Tronolone and Jeff Allison, and the personal collections of Bob Schroeder, David Lane, Roy Schechter, Nedra Ware, Bill Janowski, R. David Jones, Alan Connell, Jack Hinkle, Art Huttinger, Chuck Cassel, Ed Rahal, Bill Kimberly, Russell Cowles, Richard Macon, Frank Harrison and others.

Price: USD 155 [GBP 95]

Availability: March 2013 [from www.daltonwatson.com or willemoosthoek@aol.com]

Edited by Jerry Entin, 10 January 2013 - 22:52.

[Jerry Entin]

November 8, 1959: Jack Hinkle on his way to victory at OKC in Ernie Grimm's Maserati 200SI

In the 1959 Oklahoma City Petite Prix Hinkle retired his owned 200SI while leading the Prelim, but Grimm sportingly offered him chassis 2418, recently bought from Hap Sharp. Hinkle won the Feature.


all research: Willem Oosthoek
photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 January 2013 - 13:59.

[Jerry Entin]

Start of the 1959 Sebring 12 Hours, showing a delectable line-up of Maranello products.




Photo: Benita Lane

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 January 2013 - 15:26.

[Jerry Entin]

May 29, 1960: Feature start of the 3rd Cocoa-Titusville Road Races in Florida.

On the front row are Art Huttinger [Bocar XP-5/Chevy], Bob Kingham [D-type, chassis 516] and Ron Courtney [Maserati 200SI, chassis 2427]. Kingham won the race, while Huttinger was disqualified and Courtney dropped out.

Courtney's Maserati was previously raced by Dan Gurney in the 1960 Cuban Grand Prix, a loaner to Lucky Casner by then-owner Joe "J.J." Packo.

Photo: Art Huttinger Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 January 2013 - 15:50.

[Allen Brown]

Fantastic pictures Jerry. If this book is anywhere near as good as Volume 1, then it's a "must buy".

Allen

[Jerry Entin]

Daytona Speedway, April 5, 1959: A.J. Foyt leans against Jimmy Younger's 5.6-liter Lister/Chevy.

Foyt ran the Lister/Chevy for Younger in the Daytona 1,000 KM, a professional race sanctioned by USAC. He ran in the top three until lap 93, when the car suffered rear end failure.

Glad you are enjoying the photos Allen.

all research: Willem Oosthoek
Photo: Richard Macon Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 January 2013 - 19:02.

[Jerry Entin]

Nedra Ware, who made many a driver in the Southeast swallow his male pride when she came roaring by in her Porsche.

Born in Texas, Nedra raced while living in Chattanooga and West Palm Beach in the late 50s/early 60s. Her hats were well known among the racing crowd.


photo: Bob Bellows

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 January 2013 - 19:50.

[Jerry Entin]

Longview, Texas, May 1, 1960: Bob Grimes at the wheel of Paul Hill's Chevarri.

The Chevarri was a Chevy-powered Ferrari 250MM, chassis 0262, with Scaglietti body. After it came to the U.S. the 3-liter car was owned by Gary Laughlin, with Lorin McMullen its next owner. After Paul Hill bought it, he dropped a Chevy V8 in its engine bay, but even with the increased power the early 50s car was never very competitive after that.

Photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 January 2013 - 23:26.

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance working on the massive 5.7-liter V8, engine number 4511.

During Temple Buell's ownership the big Maserati, chassis 4508, used various engine sizes, eventually settling for a 5.7-liter marine unit. The above photo was taken in September 1959, after Jim Hall bought the car and ordered a complete overhaul by Red Byron and Frank Lance.

Photo; Bob Jackson
all research : Willem Ooosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 07 January 2013 - 14:59.

[Jerry Entin]

David Lane in the cozy cockpit of his Maserati 200SI, chassis 2422, a car he drove in 1958 and 1959, before he purchased a 250TR.

Chassis 2422 was originally owned by Lance Reventlow, although not the car Lance raced with Bill Pollack at Sebring in 1957.
Lane applied a so far mysterious decal to his windshield, featuring the letters ICDC. Nobody remembers what it stood for.


Photo: Benita Lane

Edited by Jerry Entin, 07 January 2013 - 20:49.

[Jerry Entin]

Mansfield, Louisiana, Saturday March 7, 1959: Chief Starter Jimmy Stout congratulates Delmo Johnson after his win in the Novice Race for large production cars. Mrs. Johnson is holding the checkered flag.

Photo: R. David Jones

Edited by Jerry Entin, 08 January 2013 - 16:16.

[Jerry Entin]

Jim Hall applies the Lone Star decal to the tail of his new Birdcage Maserati.
This was at the shops new Greenville avenue address.


Photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 10 January 2013 - 23:27.

[Jerry Entin]

A rare image of the Fort Sumner track as use in the 50s and 60s. ASCC stands for Albuquerque Sports Car Club.

Photo: Collection of Alan Carlson [who attended in 1957 as a six-year old]

Edited by Jerry Entin, 10 January 2013 - 22:46.

[raceannouncer2003]

Apparently, Gooding and Company will be auctioning the Roy Schechter Porsche RSK at Scottsdale, Arizona January 18 or 19. Here is a link:

http://www.goodingco...959-porsche-rsk

Vince H.

[Jerry Entin]

Roy Schechter can be seen in T-shirt and shorts, standing behind his Porsche 550RS [above the Jaguar's open hood].
In the foreground are Bill Kimberly's Ferrari 500TR [chassis 0642], a car he just acquired from the Chuck Butcher/Lucky Casner stable, and Casner's AC/Bristol.


Volume 2 actually starts with a chapter named The 1957/1958 Season Revisited, which includes addition information and photos of those two years, as well as a few restatements of chassis numbers based on newly found photos. This image shows the field at Cocoa, Florida, on the weekend of July 19/20, 1958.

Vince: I have done a whole thread on this forum on Roy Schechter that I am sure any one who hasn't seen it would enjoy viewing it. Roy was flying his own experimental plane into his 80's.
http://forums.autosp...l=roy scheckter
Photo: Benita Lane

Edited by Jerry Entin, 12 January 2013 - 12:53.

[Jean L]

Longview, Texas, May 1, 1960: Bob Grimes at the wheel of Paul Hill's Chevarri.

The Chevarri was a Chevy-powered Ferrari 250MM, chassis 0262, with Scaglietti body. After it came to the U.S. the 3-liter car was owned by Gary Laughlin, with Lorin McMullen its next owner. After Paul Hill bought it, he dropped a Chevy V8 in its engine bay, but even with the increased power the early 50s car was never very competitive after that.

Photo: Bob Jackson

0262M was born 166 MM/53 (so 2000cc) , a Vignale Spider rebodied by Abarth before the Scaglietti body and as received a 3000cc during the winter 53-54.

[Jerry Entin]

Ferrari 1953 166/250 MM as seen at Palm Beach show

Jean L: You are right about the previous history of chassis 0262. Considering how unattractive the original Abarth body was, it is strange that today the U.S. restored car is again clad with an Abarth look-alike body.


photo: Conceptcarz.com

Edited by Jerry Entin, 13 January 2013 - 17:23.

[Jean L]

It was and stay a 166 MM/53 not a 250 MM.
The original body of Abarth was strange but less ugly than this recreation try.

[Jerry Entin]

Jean L : We tend to follow logic here [no matter what Enzo dictated] and use the three digits based on the engine size that was in the car at the time it was raced. I know that Enzo preferred to refer to all his 275LMs as 250LMs, but than he was inconsistent by calling his 1962 Le Mans winner a 330TR/LM, while it started life as a 250TRI. Based on its 2-liter engine, Bill Kimberly's 500TR was widely known as such, while it started life as a 625TR. The current owner of this car entered it at the show as a 1953 166/250MM.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 13 January 2013 - 17:22.

[Jerry Entin]

Sebring 1960: relaxing next to the new RRR Ferrari California are [from the left] Richard Macon [tall, white shirt], George Reed, co-driver Alan Connell [straw hat], C. J, Habich [Reed's business partner in RRR], Barney Stuart, and Emile Erbacher [Connell's mechanic].


George Reed took the start, and he and Alan Connell took the California to a 5th overall finish.


Photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 13 January 2013 - 18:18.

[Jerry Entin]

Inaugural Louisiana Hilltop races, June 5, 1960: Bill Janowski's crew prepares the Monsterati Special for action.

The Monsterati was born in 1956 as the Ford-powered Janowski Special, built on a 1939 Ford chassis by the then 23-year old Bill Janowski with help from Bob Gast. By 1957 a Chevy V8 replaced the Ford engine and after the Austin hill climb that year, when someone taped a piece of paper with "Monsterati .001" on the car, its name changed as well. It was a regular competitor in the Southwest, as it is today at Monterey.

Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 January 2013 - 00:50.

[JoBo]

Inaugural Louisiana Hilltop races, June 5, 1960: Bill Janowski's crew prepares the Monsterati Special for action.

The Monsterati was born in 1956 as the Ford-powered Janowski Special, built on a 1939 Ford chassis by the then 23-year old Bill Janowski with help from Bob Gast. By 1957 a Chevy V8 replaced the Ford engine and after the Austin hill climb that year, when someone taped a piece of paper with "Monsterati .001" on the car, its name changed as well. It was a regular competitor in the Southwest, as it is today at Monterey.

Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

oh I love this kind of photos...)

JoBo

Edited by JoBo, 15 January 2013 - 00:51.

[Jerry Entin]

Early arrivals at the new Daytona Speedway for the April 4-5, 1959, Daytona 1000 KM sanctioned by USAC: three Team Roosevelt Fiat Abarths led by the one assigned to Alfonso Thiele.



Although clashing with sports car events at Pensacola and Hondo, the Daytona race had an excellent turnout. With most of the big iron entries dropping out, the 747 cc Abarths finished 9th, 10th and 11th overall.


Photo: Richard Macon Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 January 2013 - 17:23.

[Jerry Entin]

The 8th Fort Sumner Road Races, New Mexico, May 24, 1959, with Russell Cowles [Ferrari 250TR] and Bob Schroeder [Lister/Chevy] slugging it out in the Feature.



The Cowles 250TR was chassis 0732, formerly owned by Ed Hugus. Schroeder drove Jim Hall's Lister/Chevy, chassis BHL 108. After an off-course excursion in practice the Lister developed suspension problems, and the Ferrari won both the Prelim and Feature.

Russell was the youngest son of John Cowles, the founder of a Des Moines- and Minneapolis-based newspaper empire, as well as Look magazine.


Photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 16 January 2013 - 17:54.

[Jerry Entin]

Five well-matched frontrunners during the Mansfield Labor Day Feature on September 6, 1959: Bill Fuller, Ronnie Hissom, Bob Stonedale, Jerry Shawver and Prelim winner Jimmy Younger [partially hidden behind Hissom].


Fuller's mount was his 4.9-liter Jaguar D-type/Chevy [chassis 560], Hissom had his first ride in his 4.7-liter Lister/Chevy, Stonedale ran his 5.6-liter Jaguar XK-SS/Chevy [chassis 701], Shawver his Ferrari 500TRC [chassis 0664] with 3-liter Monza engine and Younger his 5.5-liter Lister/Chevy. Stonedale's XK-SS, its Chevy engine well-prepared by Bill Janowski, won the Feature.

Photo: Bob Jackson
all research Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 November 2014 - 01:05.

[Jerry Entin]

Sebring 1960: scrutineering in full swing

The #16 and #15 GT Ferraris were entered by Giovanni Volpi's Scuderia Serenissima, the Lotus Elites by Jay Chamberlain, the Lotus importer in North Hollywood. Jim Hughes would crash #56 on lap 6 with fatal results.

Photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 January 2013 - 20:48.

[Jerry Entin]

Mansfield, September 6, 1959: Val Scroggie of Fort Worth takes the former Bob Ferguson OSCA S750 to victory
in Race 2.
Val Scroggie was also Carroll Shelby's personal physician, treating him for his heart condition. Ironically, Scroggie died of a heart attack himself on New Year's Eve 1960. The OSCA was successfully campaigned by John Busley during 1960.

Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 January 2013 - 15:16.

[RShaw]

I grew up in a Chicago suburb not far from RRR Motors. The local Ford dealer was Habich Motors or Habich Ford, something like that, probably the same Habich that was partners with George Reed in RRR. Certainly didn't know that at the time, though.
RonS.

Sebring 1960: relaxing next to the new RRR Ferrari California are [from the left] Richard Macon [tall, white shirt], George Reed, co-driver Alan Connell [straw hat], C. J, Habich [Reed's business partner in RRR], Barney Stuart, and Emile Erbacher [Connell's mechanic].


George Reed took the start, and he and Alan Connell took the California to a 5th overall finish.


Photo: Bob Jackson

[Jerry Entin]

Daytona, September 6, 1959: the first SCCA event at the new Speedway, with a partial line-up for Sunday's Race 1.

Chuck Cassel's Porsche 550RS and Art Huttinger's Bocar XP-5 fill the front row. Behind them are Miami airline pilot George Metzger with his Ferrari 375Plus [chassis 0396] and Auburndale citrus grower Bob Kingham in a Corvette. Edmund Rahal's D-type [chassis 553] filled the third spot on the front row.

photo: Art Huttinger collection
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 November 2014 - 01:06.

[Jerry Entin]

Oklahoma City, November 8, 1959: Dean Knight's Chevarri leading Delmo Johnson in Blackie and Enus Wilson in the former Arden V. Dayton Maserati 300S [chassis 3068] during the Prelim.

Dean Knight was getting there age-wise and he just enjoyed himself during the warm-ups. His chief wrencher George Gobel, Jim Hall of Dallas, Bobby Aylward and Delmo Johnson raced the Chevarri for him when it counted. The car started life as a 750 Monza [chassis 0518] in which Gobel had dropped a Chevy V8.

Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 January 2013 - 22:07.

[Jerry Entin]

Jim Hall in Dean Knight's Chevarri in the 1959 Oklahoma City Petite Prix Feature.

After Jim Rathmann rolled Jim Hall's Lister/Chevy at Meadowdale in September 1959, Hall went without a competition car for a while. At OKC Knight gave Hall a Feature ride with his Monza/Chevy, but the owner may have regretted his gracious offer by the time the race was over.

Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 21 January 2013 - 14:06.

[Jerry Entin]

Midland, October 11, 1959: Jim Hall wasn't the only Texan to get into trouble occassionally. His friends Ronnie Hissom, wildcatter from Midland, and Emory Cantey, Fort Worth lawyer, manage to clash at Midland.

Ronnie Hissom drove his Lister/Chevy, Cantey his Porsche 550RS. The encounter happened in Race 4 on Sunday, a Prelim, and both were done for the weekend. After Mansfield, Midland was Hissom's second weekend in which the new Lister needed work to its body.

photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 22 January 2013 - 15:58.

[ReWind]

Jerry, just a marginal note.
I see that you constantly refer to Ronald James Hissom as "Ronnie".
According to his obituary and his tombstone the actual spelling was "Ronny". It seems that was also the way he himself wrote his name.

[Jerry Entin]

Rewind: Very interesting to note that at one point Hissom spelled his first name as Ronny. In race programs with entry lists for the events around Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana in the late 50s and early 60s his first name was always spelled as Ronnie, and one would assume he submitted it as such to the organizers when entering at the time.


Note the spelling on the #92 car

Perhaps Hissom had a change of heart in how to spell it later in life. Here is part of the entry list for the 1959 Labor Day event at Mansfield, where the organizers went to the rare trouble of including engine sizes in cc. The engine size for the #92 Lister and the spelling of his first name could only have come from Hissom himself. In a racing context the spelling Ronny never showed up.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 22 January 2013 - 21:47.

[Jerry Entin]

Opa Locka, Florida, May 31, 1959: polio-stricken "Little Miss Record" gets a tour around Master Field in Art Huttinger's Corvette.

The Corvette was raced by both Huttinger and Lucky Casner that weekend. Tampa's Joe Sheppard was the dominant driver, winning both the Prelim and Feature with his Porsche 550RS. All proceeds benefited the local Variety Children's Hospital.


photo: Art Huttinger collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 23 January 2013 - 18:07.

[bill p]

Jerry

Are all these photos being posted contained in the book??

Bill P

[Jerry Entin]

They all are, Bill, with one exception: the image of Nedra Ware with her fancy hat. The book was already laid out when we received that photo showing her, courtesy of Bob Bellows, a fellow Porsche racer from her Florida days. Plenty of action shots of Nedra in the book, though.

[Jerry Entin]

Mansfield, March 6, 1960: Red Byron, chief mechanic for Jim Hall, warms up the Maserati 570S, chassis 4508, on a cold Sunday at DeSoto Parish Airport.

Robert "Red" Byron was an American original. Born in Boulder, Colorado, in 1915, he grew up in Alabama and began racing midgets and stock cars by 1932. After his B-24 was shot down in WWII, Byron spent two years in an Army hospital with a fractured left leg. He would always walk with a limp, but it did not keep him from winning the first NASCAR race in 1948, plus the 1949 NASCAR Championship. After 1951 Byron focused on engine development, working for Briggs Cunningham in West Palm Beach, Amy DuPont's Kelso Dynamics and Jim Hall in Dallas. After Mansfield he joined Harry Heuer's Meister Brauser team as crew chief. Red died of a heart attack on November 11, 1960, in Chicago, only 45 years old.


Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 January 2013 - 20:08.

[arttidesco]

Always wondered what happened to Red Byron after his success in NASCAR, now I know.

Amazing stories and photo's Jerry & Willem keep them coming

[bill p]

Always wondered what happened to Red Byron after his success in NASCAR, now I know.

Amazing stories and photo's Jerry & Willem keep them coming

Any more photos & stories and I won't have to buy the book !!

[Jerry Entin]

Gwen Sharp
September 22, 1939- January 22, 2013

A sad note: Gwen Sharp, the widow of Hap Sharp, died in Houston on January 22. Before marrying Hap, she was married to Ronnie Hissom.

http://obits.dignity...amp;mid=5393139

Edited by Jerry Entin, 28 January 2013 - 19:55.

[arttidesco]

Condolences to the Sharp Family and friends. RIP Gwen.

[Jerry Entin]

Hondo, January 31, 1960: Ed Cantrell's Lister/Chevy being harassed by two well-driven Corvettes, those of Paul Hill and Truett Helms.
Cantrell's Lister was chassis BHL 117, originally owned by Joe Mabee of Midland.


Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 26 January 2013 - 18:30.

[Jerry Entin]

Louisiana Hilltop Raceway, September 4, 1960: Robin Benson and his Lotus 11/Climax [chassis 502] on their way to an excellent 2nd overall finish in the Feature.

Based on the race program, Robin Benson was a Memphis resident at the time. However, various internet sites claim he was a Brit, which would not surprise me with a first name Robin. Was he British and if so, what was he doing in Memphis?

Photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 28 January 2013 - 19:46.

[Jerry Entin]

Sebring 1960: Ferraris lining up during practice. The yellow 250GT was owned by George Arents and raced by him and Bill Kimberly [seen with the trilby].


Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 29 January 2013 - 02:12.

[arttidesco]

Sebring 1960: Ferraris lining up during practice. The yellow 250GT was owned by George Arents and raced by him and Bill Kimberly [seen with the trilby].


Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

The clarity of some of these photo's is just extraordinary, thanks for sharing them

[Jerry Entin]

Hondo, January 31, 1960: Today mostly remembered as a Cobra driver, Bill Steele of Houston was also a formidable competitor with his AC/Bristol in earlier years.

Photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 30 January 2013 - 19:16.

[Jerry Entin]

Green Valley Raceway, August 14, 1960: Jim Hall forgot to shave that weekend, but he did bring a brand new Porsche RS-60.

After buying a RS-60 from VW/Porsche dealer Buddy Berlin in Albuquerque recently, Jim Hall decided this was the perfect entry for the first race held at the 1.3-mile long Green Valley Raceway, north of Fort Worth. Jim was right; he won.

Photo: Bob Jackson
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 01 February 2013 - 23:54.

[Jerry Entin]

Dunnellon, April 27, 1958: lining up for the Feature are Chick Butscher of Miami [Ferrari 500TR, chassis 0642] and John Phipps of Tallahassee in his purple OSCA.

Leonard "Chick" Butscher owned a number of upscale seafood restaurants in the Miami area by the name New England Oyster House. He was Lucky Casner's original money man and they alternated in chassis 0642, before it was sold to Bill Kimberly. Their other team car was a Ferrari 500TRC, chassis 0668, formerly owned by Temple Buell.


Photo: Benita Lane
all research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 February 2013 - 14:28.

[Cris]

Jerry and Willem, thanks for all the contributions to this.

Cris