7 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

Is anybody familiar with a SCCA Regional race held at Independence, Kansas, in October 1958? The event and date come up in a letter of complaint by Jim Hall to the Maserati factory about a 2.5-liter engine newly supplied to Hap Sharp via Carroll Shelby Sport Car Inc in Dallas.

Looking at the SCCA calendar in Sports Car, no October date shows up for Kansas, although there was a race scheduled on September 14 in Hutchinson, Kansas.

No reports of an Independence event are included in Sports Car. None in Competition Press or MotoRacing either.

all research: Willem Oosthoek

[Rupertlt1]

According to János Wimpffen there was a race meeting held at Independence, 19 October 1958, SCCA Regionals.

 

RGDS RLT

[Michael Ferner]

Looking at the SCCA calendar in Sports Car, no October date shows up for Kansas, although there was a race scheduled on September 14 in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Well, that's surprising, to say the least! Hutchinson was the site of the Kansas State Fair which begun Sep 13 that year, and Sep 14 there were IMCA stock car races at the fairgrounds, although eventually rained out. How on earth were the SCCA hoping to compete with that in a fairly small town (population less than 50,000), and besides, where else outside of the fairgrounds could they have run? Did the SCCA ever run at a fairgrounds?

[Jerry Entin]

Michael, yes, the SCCA ran on various Fairgrounds in its days and especially Oklahoma City comes to mind.

Rupert, thanks for that date. It was a weekend date in between Hap Sharp's appearances at Eagle Mountain [October 11-12, 1958] and Fort Sumner [October 25-26, 1958], so it could well be the one.

I presume it came from Wimpffen's Elva book? Any results?

Coffeyville, a location where various SCCA events were held in the 1950s, is just south
of Independence and I wonder if the Oct 19, 1958 races were in fact held there.



All research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 07 March 2017 - 15:36.

[Rupertlt1]

Jerry, No results I am afraid. Accompanying Wimpffen's Elva book is a spreadsheet listing all known Elva appearances.

He must have had sight of a programme/entry list. He lists #1 Bill Ong/Grace Harris, #43 Ed French, both Elva Mk II.

 

RGDS RLT 

[Ray Bell]

I don't know much about the conduct of these events...

However, I seem to recall that the SCCA is divided into State-oriented chapters. Could it be that the races at Independence, or Coffeyville, were run by the Oklahoma chapter. Or even Missouri?

Coffeyville is right on the border of Oklahoma and not very far from the Missouri border.

[Jerry Entin]

Ray,

Since Bill Ong was one of the Independence participants in 1958 with an Elva, the event was probably staged by the Kansas City Region of the SCCA. Bill was the regional executive of that Region for 1958 and 1959.

Hap Sharp may or may not have won the 1958 feature there. I hope we will find out. He certainly won the 1959 Independence edition, also held in October, when he raced his Monza-engined Maserati 200SI for the first time.


All research: Willem Oosthoek

[raceannouncer2003]

Willem

 

The Kansas Historical Society apparently has newspapers on microfilm and electronic.  Here is a link:

 

http://www.kshs.org/...nty=MG&state=KS

 

Vince H.