18 replies to this topic

[JoBo]

Does anybody know when he was born and when he died?

 

JoBo

[group7]

There was mention of him here in the this thread on Richard Macon back in 2006, Jerry Entin would have the answer I'm sure.

 

https://forums.autos...ow#entry2590516

Edited by group7, 28 February 2019 - 13:12.

[Henk Vasmel]

I have found a date of birth for Edwin Dennis Martin. 30 Jan. 1920. Website http://www.les24heures.fr. However, when I google on the name Edwin Dennis Martin, I find someone of that name, with this date of birth, who has nothing to do with motor racing. So probably incorrect.

[Jerry Entin]

Edwin Dennis Martin was born in Columbus, Georgia, on January 30, 1920. A chain of movie theaters started by his father made the family wealthy and E. D. drove two Cords during his college days. He did not start racing until he was 37, at St. Simons Island in June 1957, driving a M-B 300SL. His car choice came after meeting Roy Schechter at a motion picture trade conference. Schechter raced one as well early on.



By then E. D. and his brother presided over the largest independent chain of movie theaters in the U.S., more than 125 of them in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Florida. They also owned various TV stations, motels and other real estate.



Martin kept his office at 1308 Broadway in Columbus, but he spent little time there. Most weekends found him at a track somewhere around the U.S.



After his race career ending accident at Daytona in 1959, E. D. sold his remaining cars and settled in Banner Elk, North Carolina, with second wife Gretchen. He spent his time playing tennis and looking after his bonsai tree collection. He died there on July 4, 1996 at age 76, after complications of a heart attack.



All research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 01 March 2019 - 19:51.

[JoBo]

Edwin Dennis Martin was born in Columbus, Georgia, on January 30, 1920. A chain of movie theaters started by his father made the family wealthy and E. D. drove two Cords during his college days. He did not start racing until he was 37, at St. Simons Island in June 1957, driving a M-B 300SL. His car choice came after meeting Roy Schechter at a motion picture trade conference. Schechter raced one as well early on.



By then E. D. and his brother presided over the largest independent chain of movie theaters in the U.S., more than 125 of them in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Florida. They also owned various TV stations, motels and other real estate.



Martin kept his office at 1308 Broadway in Columbus, but he spent little time there. Most weekends found him at a track somewhere around the U.S.



After his race career ending accident at Daytona in 1959, E. D. sold his remaining cars and settled in Banner Elk, North Carolina, with second wife Gretchen. He spent his time playing tennis and looking after his bonsai tree collection. He died there in 1980 at age 80, after complications of a heart attack.



All research: Willem Oosthoek

 

Many thanks Jerry! But whe he died in 1980 he was 60 years old then...

 

JoBo

Edited by JoBo, 28 February 2019 - 23:13.

[group7]

Thank you Jerry ! you’re the man !

[ReWind]

Edwin Dennis Martin died on July 4, 1996, at age 76. Source: FindAGrave.
Previously I had ruled him out being E.D. Martin because he seemed a bit too old. Even this biography says nothing about motor racing activities. (BTW, it reveals that Gretchen was his third wife.)
But I do trust Willem Oosthoek’s research. Maybe he would allow Jerry to show his article from the Cavallino magazine (# 166 from 2008, p. 70).

[Jerry Entin]

Columbus, Georgia: E.D. Martin and his Monza [chassis 0498] in front of their trophy collection

JoBo, I made a mistake on his date of death, it was July 4, 1996 and he was 76. I have corrected the previous post.

Credit Rewind for the date.



Photo credit: Willem Oosthoek Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 01 March 2019 - 19:50.

[Jerry Entin]

E.D. Martin in action at Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
In his 315S Ferrari Chassis Number 0656

Photo: Willem Oosthoek collection

[raceannouncer2003]

Four guys from here in Victoria went to England in 1959 and raced an MGA Twin-Cam...discussed elsewhere on the forum.  Some of them decided to take in the Le Mans race that year.  They ended up crewing for E.D. Martin/Bill Kimberly and their Ferrari 250TR.

 

Vince H.

[Jerry Entin]

Le Mans 1959. Bill Kimberly, E.D. Martin and their Ferrari 250TR [chassis 0730] during scrutineering.

Vince,

Bill Kimberly told Willem the following story about his Le Mans crew in 1959:

“Our team manager Frank Falkner had the foresight to put an ad in one of the British papers, asking for volunteers to join the Martin team for the race. We received 50 applications and we picked four guys who were friends. They were thrilled to go down there for 24 hours. All we did was pay for two hotel rooms for two nights, while they came over from London at their own expense. They did a great job.”
Unfortunately, the 250TR did not last the race. It retired after eight hours with gearbox trouble, while in 8th place.



Photo: Henri Beroul [Willem Oosthoek Collection]

Edited by Jerry Entin, 02 March 2019 - 17:49.

[Jerry Entin]

Auburn, Alabama, September 1959. Chief Starter Jesse Coleman congratulates E.D. with his victory in the Confederate Grand Prix at Tuskegee AFB. He won both the prelim and feature that weekend. The 315S had been well prepared by Peter Frohn, his German mechanic.



Photo credit: Willem Oosthoek Collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 02 March 2019 - 17:54.

[Jerry Entin]

Sebring 1959. In a wet race the Martin 250TR finished 6th overall.



From the left: a pipe smoking Bill Kimberly [reserve driver], co-driver Lance Reventlow, car owner E.D. still in rain gear and Frank Falkner [team manager], carrying E.D.’s helmet.



Frank Falkner was a Cambridge educated Englishman who came to the U.S. in 1956. He brought his family, two dogs and a Triumph TR2 to his new country. Before 1959 Sebring, he was best known as the manager of the Kentucky Derby SCCA races in Louisville.



Photo credit: Willem Oosthoek Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 02 March 2019 - 18:04.

[Jerry Entin]

SCCA National at Daytona, November 1959: E.D. ‘s final ride
Caught in dirty air behind Freddy Windridge in a Cunningham Lister/Jaguar, E.D.’s new Birdcage Maserati suffers its first impact with the Armco. Its radiator contents were the first to go. In the inferno that followed the driver suffered burns over 40% of his body.

He underwent a three-month hospital stay to treat second degree burns to his face, neck, arms and legs. Skin grafts followed, but the burn marks would be visible for the rest of his life.
Before Daytona, E.D. had separated from first wife Patsy already. Now he focused on his Columbus business interests and turned away from the racing world.

It is interesting that in the bio found by ReWind there is not a single reference to his racing days, or his Columbus car dealership Martin Motors. E.D. must have had input in its contents, which run up until the late 1970s. Perhaps the way his 2 ½ year competition career ended was so painful a memory that he ignored it.

Photo credit: Willem Oosthoek Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 02 March 2019 - 18:10.

[JoBo]

SCCA National at Daytona, November 1959: E.D. ‘s final ride
Caught in dirty air behind Freddy Windridge in a Cunningham Lister/Jaguar, E.D.’s new Birdcage Maserati suffers its first impact with the Armco. Its radiator contents were the first to go. In the inferno that followed the driver suffered burns over 40% of his body.

He underwent a three-month hospital stay to treat second degree burns to his face, neck, arms and legs. Skin grafts followed, but the burn marks would be visible for the rest of his life.
Before Daytona, E.D. had separated from first wife Patsy already. Now he focused on his Columbus business interests and turned away from the racing world.

It is interesting that in the bio found by ReWind there is not a single reference to his racing days, or his Columbus car dealership Martin Motors. E.D. must have had input in its contents, which run up until the late 1970s. Perhaps the way his 2 ½ year competition career ended was so painful a memory that he ignored it.

Photo credit: Willem Oosthoek Collection

 

Jerry,

was Martin Motors just a normal dealership or was it focussed on a particular manufacturer? When did E.D. opened it?

 

JoBo

[pete366]

Was the Frank Faulkner that was the team manager from Louisville the same Dr Frank Faulkner that helped Danny Sullivan, also from Louisville?

[oldtransamdriver]

June  27/58 was my first visit to Watkins Glen where I watched Bill Sadler,from my hometown of St.Catharines ON,

beat E.D Martin in a Ferrari in an SCCA race - C modified class - see racingsportscars - Martin had raced at LeMans

the previous wknd.

 

Robert Barg

[Jerry Entin]

Pete,


Yes, it was the same Frank Falkner who helped Danny Sullivan, who was a friend of his son Michael, launched a race career by introducing him to fellow BRDC member Ken Tyrrell. He was also the driving force behind Jim Kimberly’s sponsorship of John Cooper’s entry at Indianapolis in 1961.


A true modern renaissance man and international pediatrician, he served as a professor at the universities of Louisville, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Michigan and Berkeley, where he died in 2003 at the age of 84.


One week before his death, Danny Sullivan carried him to Danny’s new Porsche for a final ride around Berkeley. Falkner is buried in Bosley, England.



All research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 05 March 2019 - 01:05.

[raceannouncer2003]

Le Mans 1959. Bill Kimberly, E.D. Martin and their Ferrari 250TR [chassis 0730] during scrutineering.

Vince,

Bill Kimberly told Willem the following story about his Le Mans crew in 1959:

“Our team manager Frank Falkner had the foresight to put an ad in one of the British papers, asking for volunteers to join the Martin team for the race. We received 50 applications and we picked four guys who were friends. They were thrilled to go down there for 24 hours. All we did was pay for two hotel rooms for two nights, while they came over from London at their own expense. They did a great job.”
Unfortunately, the 250TR did not last the race. It retired after eight hours with gearbox trouble, while in 8th place.



Photo: Henri Beroul [Willem Oosthoek Collection]

 

I tried emailing Alec James here in Victoria.  He was one of the four guys.  Sadly, I received this response:

 

"Thank you for your email for Alec. Sadly I have to tell you that he had a bad fall on Jan 1st and it was complicated by bleeding on the brain,he fell into a coma and passed away on Jan 17th. The past two years he suffered from worsening dementia which is why I often replied to your emails for him. I do apologize for not letting you know before this...there has been so much to do...but no excuse. We held a Celebration of life on Feb 16th...Peter Westoby and Dave Wardell were there. 

With kind regards 

Frances"

 

Here is a link to his bio...it mentions his Le Mans experience.

 

https://www.legacy.c...22165&fhid=6809

 

I was glad to have gone through his scrapbook with him.  Very nice man.

 

Vince H.

Edited by raceannouncer2003, 05 March 2019 - 06:36.