193 replies to this topic

[Ray Bell]

Looking at pics of McGill (or MacGill?) it seems they have a number of round-roofed hangars like that, but they are much bigger...

 

Google Earth shows no such thing at La Junta. But in both cases the passage of 60+ years might have seen some changes.

[RA Historian]

Looking at pics of McGill (or MacGill?) it seems they have a number of round-roofed hangars like that, but they are much bigger...

 

Google Earth shows no such thing at La Junta. But in both cases the passage of 60+ years might have seen some changes.

MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Base is still there, on the shore of Tampa Bay. 

[RA Historian]

 

Now back then there were more high speed circuits, Bridgehampton and another in Illinois with a Monza type corner but still Daytona must have been different to some of them.

It was Meadowdale in Carpentersville, Ill., that had a 180 degree banked turn which they called the "Monza Wall". It was not fast as it was so rough that many preferred to use the low line around it. Many a car suffered suspension breakage in this rough turn. 

 

Richard Ex, a crew member of the Meister Brauser Team, once infamously took the team tractor trailer transporter around this turn on the high line. A livid Harry Heuer fired him for the stunt. However, one could not stay mad at Richard as he was an endearing type of fellow. Harry rehired him a short time later.

[E1pix]

Looking at pics of McGill (or MacGill?) it seems they have a number of round-roofed hangars like that, but they are much bigger...

Google Earth shows no such thing at La Junta. But in both cases the passage of 60+ years might have seen some changes.

Gimme a break Ray, my friend's been racing here for forty years while you're a half-planet away and Google's current.

I have a slide of a Morgan there in 1975 with an identical background, but we are 600 miles away from my film now.


Edit, UPDATE FOR JERRY: My friend wrote back and was never at MacDill ( < this is correct spelling), so admitted he can't say.

Quote:
"Could be McDill. General Curtis LeMay was a gear head and he made several Air Force bases available for sports car racing. Of course I was never around LaJunta in the early days so I can’t remember C types running. I also can’t quite imagine any kind of a crowd attending races at LaJunta. McDill was right in Tampa so I suspect he could be right.

Funny, back in the ‘50s racing was a BIG deal. Men wore coats, ties, and fedoras while women wore heels and pearls. Go figure.

Other air bases in Texas, Kansas, and Florida (don’t forget Sebring) were used as well. I seem to remember Pensacola used as well."


Sorry Jerry, we tried. Thanks to your friend also, Vince.

Edited by E1pix, 19 March 2020 - 16:04.

[E1pix]

It was Meadowdale in Carpentersville, Ill., that had a 180 degree banked turn which they called the "Monza Wall". It was not fast as it was so rough that many preferred to use the low line around it. Many a car suffered suspension breakage in this rough turn. 
 
Richard Ex, a crew member of the Meister Brauser Team, once infamously took the team tractor trailer transporter around this turn on the high line. A livid Harry Heuer fired him for the stunt. However, one could not stay mad at Richard as he was an endearing type of fellow. Harry rehired him a short time later.

We were there once, Tom, perhaps the year it opened.

I was very young but remember well the Wall, it was raining as I recall, and a great new experience for a little kid.

[Ray Bell]

Where did I get 'MacGill'?

 

Yes, I appreciate I'm working only with a modern view, E1. I even said so. My main point was that the hangars at MacDill look to be much larger than the one in the pic.

[lcbulldog]

Not to go too far off topic, other air bases used included Lockbourne AFB outside of Columbus, Ohio in the mid-50s.  That's where my dad took me to see my first sports car race in 1954.

[tampaguy]

I grew up just a bit north of the main runway at McDill AFB. Seeing B47’s and the mighty C36 was incredible. The F4 Phantoms belched thick columns of black smoke on roll out. One day a big blue caddy pulled up in front of Sheppard’s. Driver opened the rear door and out stepped a distinguished looking Air Force officer. He walked into the showroom and sat in just about every car. Quickly got back in the car and left...Joe asked his father who was that, Curtis Lamay. He gave the go ahead to fire bomb Japan to shorten the war.

[E1pix]

Awesome but is the photo MacDill? (LOL)

Kidding, what a story! < thumbs up! >

[10kDA]

Though the hangar is too far away for the letters to be clear in the image, the format would agree with how the large hangars at MacDill were ID'ed "HANGAR NO._" back in the day. The shape and size of the hangar in the pic seems to agree with other pics of MacDill AFB as well. See the hi-res image at this link:

 

https://www.macdill....pse-in-history/

[raceannouncer2003]

I found this on Cliff Reuter's excellent site...1953, MacDill:

 

http://www.ferrariex...ts 1953.htm#MAC

 

In the photo of the Le Mans start, the hangar in the background looks pretty much the same as the one in the C type photo.

 

And at about the 1:15 mark in the video, the #28 C type goes by, large as life.

 

Vince H.

[Ray Bell]

That seals the fate of that one, Vince...

 

Those Cliff Reuter pages are often worth looking at.

[bradbury west]

 
Those Cliff Reuter pages are often worth looking at.

Always a fantastic archive, which almost becomes addictive...
I wonder what device they used as a speed trap, perfectly positioned and a good run out after the hairpin.
Roger Lund

[B Squared]

This thread has been a joy to review. I've been going through a bunch of my early Speed Age magazines which did a nice job of covering airport circuit racing within their pages.

[Jerry Entin]

Gary Knutson and his buddy Jerry Mallett at LaJunta note the hanger design.

[raceannouncer2003]

This thread has been a joy to review. I've been going through a bunch of my early Speed Age magazines which did a nice job of covering airport circuit racing within their pages.

 

There are some copies of the June 1953 Speed Age on eBay, which apparently has an article on MacDill.

 

Vince H.

[group7]

Jerry & Willem, keep them coming    In your post of Knutson & Mallet at LaJunta, is that the ex Jim Hall Lotus 11 in the shot ? If so ? is it the one in the colour shot at the Garden of The Gods, that was posted earlier ?

 

Michael

[Jerry Entin]

Michael: Jerry Mallett and Gary Knutson only had 1 Lotus 11 it is the same car as the Garden of the Gods.

[Jerry Entin]

Warren Smith was a B47 pilot at McDill. Joe Sheppard and him planned on running his Lotus IX at Sebring in 56 until the “Brass” at McDill where notified of his thrill tide.  

 

photo and text Jack Shea collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 23 March 2020 - 17:40.

[B Squared]

There are some copies of the June 1953 Speed Age on eBay, which apparently has an article on MacDill.
Vince H.

That is true Vince. It is one of the volumes that I had gone through.

Edited by B Squared, 23 March 2020 - 21:59.

[Sterzo]

This thread has been a joy to review. I've been going through a bunch of my early Speed Age magazines which did a nice job of covering airport circuit racing within their pages.

Equally a joy to a UK enthusiast from whom these goings-on were hidden. And, of course, many of us are of a generation which thinks 'airfield' is a place begging to be raced upon.

 

A question touched upon in a Racing Comments thread: was the emergence of non-oval circuit racing a post-war phenomenon, or did the interwar years feature road circuit racing in the USA? It seems unlikely the pre-WW1 enthusiasm disappeared entirely.

[bradbury west]

Equally a joy to a UK enthusiast from whom these goings-on were hidden. And, of course, many of us are of a generation which thinks 'airfield' is a place begging to be raced upon.
.

Ah yes. Rufforth of fond memory, stalwart of Northern racing, on site and off site in 12 hours, and Elvington where we had the US dragsters, Don Garlits and Ronnie Sox et al. What wonderful stuff for an enthusiastic lad.
Roger Lund

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Sterzo
.....A question touched upon in a Racing Comments thread: was the emergence of non-oval circuit racing a post-war phenomenon, or did the interwar years feature road circuit racing in the USA? It seems unlikely the pre-WW1 enthusiasm disappeared entirely.

I don't remember the details, but there was road racing in the USA between the wars...

I once chanced upon a book which related the story of the Automobile Racing Club of America and it told of how such racing, and hillclimbing, grew out of the depression years and was centred in the North-Eastern states (principally).

It's from this group that post-WW2 road racing sprang, with the Colliers a large part of it. And pre-war they even had a 'Works' team from Willys running in their events.

Foolishly I passed that book on to John Medley, but it was over forty years ago.

[Rupertlt1]

I don't remember the details, but there was road racing in the USA between the wars...

I once chanced upon a book which related the story of the Automobile Racing Club of America and it told of how such racing, and hillclimbing, grew out of the depression years and was centred in the North-Eastern states (principally).

It's from this group that post-WW2 road racing sprang, with the Colliers a large part of it. And pre-war they even had a 'Works' team from Willys running in their events.

Foolishly I passed that book on to John Medley, but it was over forty years ago.

 

Book is called American Road Racing, The Automobile Racing Club of America in the 1930's

By John C. Rueter

I have it on my shelf — bought in a second-hand store in New York.

Anything you need to know?

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 25 March 2020 - 02:04.

[Ray Bell]

I also got mine from a second hand shop...

 

I knew it was valuable, but more so to John than myself at that time.

 

Now I'd love to have a copy.

[Sterzo]

Book is called American Road Racing, The Automobile Racing Club of America in the 1930's

By John C. Rueter

I have it on my shelf — bought in a second-hand store in New York.

Anything you need to know?

 

RGDS RLT

Brilliant, thank you! The book is available second hand on Amazon UK for £15. Meanwhile, Googling revealed a book by Joel Finn, American Road Racing -The 1930s.The Speedreaders review answers my questions in outline, and I'd better not go off topic to ask any more.

Edited by Sterzo, 25 March 2020 - 13:55.

[Trigwell]

Thank you Jerry for these wonderful photos. It's particularly good to see this one of the Frazer Nash entered by Briggs Cunningham. I am the archivist for these cars in England and we haven't seen many photos of this car, especially in colour/color. It retired early from the race because the wheel studs failed. Frazer Nash had changed over to these Austin-sourced wheels and axles from the previous 30s BMW-style wheels on Bristol-sourced axles. They were lighter and cheaper but caused problems in several races early on, including Stirling Moss at Monaco in 1952. Wire wheels were a better option later on. This car went to Charles Moran (one of the drivers at Sebring) afterwards and he raced it in SCCA races for several years. Best wishes, James Trigwell

 

Sebring, March 1953. Another Cunningham entry was this 2-liter Frazer-Nash TF assigned to John Gordon Benett and Charles Moran. It lasted only 28 laps.

[Rupertlt1]

The name Lee Lilly comes on my radar in Florida (at newspapers.com) - aka Lee Lilley in this thread. I strongly suspect he is the same man as Leon Lilley - tenth, but unclassified, at Le Mans in 1960 in #4 Camoradi Corvette?

Does Oosthoek refer to him?

Did he drive an A.C. Bristol at either Cocoa, 14 & 15 February 1959; Boca Raton 7 & 8 March 1959?

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 08 April 2021 - 08:20.

[Rupertlt1]

The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida), Sunday 8 Mar 1959, Page 58

Five Races Today

At Boca Air Field

BOCA RATON—Five races

set for today at the Boca Raton

Air Field, according to scorer Ken

Coleman, an official of the Sports

Car Club of the Palm Beaches.

The 25-lap feature race will be-

gin at 3 p.m., and the winner will

receive a trophy sponsored by the

Galt Ocean Mile Hotel.

The 20-lap New England Oyster

House trophy race will begin at

1:15 p.m. which follows a women's

race of seven laps at noon.

The two other races will be a

5-lap novice race at 10:15 a.m.,

and the J. J. Packo race of 10

laps at 10:45 a.m.

Winners of Saturday's racing

were:

7-lap Continent Trophy Race—

Lloyd (Lucky) Casner, Miami, Fla.,

driving a Ferrari in 2:18.7. Best

lap time was 91 m.p.h.

J. J. Packo, driving a Maserati

won second spot, and Ed C. Cas-

sell, driving a Porsche R.S., won

third. Both men are from Ft.

Lauderdale.

Class winners were:

Class E—Packo, and David Lane,

both from Ft. Lauderdale.

Class F—Ed C. Cassell.

Class H—John C. Mays, Vero

Beach.

In the 7-lap Import Motors Tro-

phy race, George Arents, Jr.,

Miami, won first in overall with a

time of 19:27.4. Best lap time was

75.6 m.p.h.

In second place was J.C. Kil-

burn, Rockford, Ill., and in third

place was Forrest W. Dana, Palm

Beach.

Class winners in this race were

not available immediately.

END

 

RGDS RLT

[Jerry Entin]

Rupert:Yes, Lee Lilley and Leon Lilley were one and the same.

[Rupertlt1]

Courtland, Alabama, Sunday 31 August 1958.

4th annual Courtland Sports Car Races.

Sixty entries, 5 races. 3.2 mile airport circuit, former air base.

Estimated crowd 6,000 to 7,000.

Event 1, 8-laps for novices:

1. Bill McCorkle (Huntsville) Chevrolet Corvette

2. Inge Johnstone (Greenville, Miss) TR3A

3. Thomas Craven (Auburn) TR3

"This event had real small cars entered—including the VW's, and even a Goggomobil." 

Event 2, 10-laps for G production and under, G Mod:

1. Jim Hunt Jr (Miami, Fla) Lotus XI, 23 mins, 42.6 secs

2. John Cuevas (Miami, Fla) Porsche Carrera

3. Robert McKaughn Jr (Hickory, N.C.) Lotus XI

"Johnny Cuevas in his Porsche Carrera who took over briefly from Hunt early in the race, finished in second place."

Event 3, 10-laps, for "bigger sportscars"

1. Walter Cline (Chattanooga, Tn) red #26 Maserati, 21 mins 16.6 secs

2. E. D. Martin (Columbus, Ga) Ferrari

3. Ed Rahal (Savannah, Ga) Jaguar

"Once Cline tore around the track in an ultra fast lap time of 2:05 which figures for an average lap speed of 92 mph.—despite the twisting course."

"C. K. Thompson's son drove the "family" D-Jag in this one but he had motor trouble early and was forced to pull in."

Event 4, 10-laps for ladies etc

1. Audrey Saffell (Huntsville) #9 "tomato colored" red/white Chevrolet Corvette, 25 mins 30.10 seconds

2. Smokey Drolet (Pensacola, Fla) TR3, at 4 secs

3. Mike Rahal (Glen Ellyn, Ill) Alfa Romeo Super Sprint Veloce

"The Powder Puff Derby (for

the ladies and the race for

sedans under 1600 ccs, was

combined, as there weren't

enough ladies entering their

event.)" 

Event 5, 25-laps Governor's Trophy Race

"Ed Rahal of Savannah, Ga.,

took the coveted first spot in

the main event, the Governor's

Trophy Race, driving a D-Jag-

uar. Second place went to C.

K. Thompson of Birmingham

last year's winner, driving an-

other D-Jag. Third berth was

won by John Cuevas in his

Porsche Carrera.

A 4.5 liter Maserati, a fero-

cious 450 horsepower Italian

machine was scratched at the

last minute of the race with a

broken fuel line. Another

strong contender, a $10,000

Lister Corvette, never got

started because of low oil

pressure."

 

"Rahal won in 52 minutes and 16

seconds over a field of 40 cars,

after trailing for 18 of the 25 laps

in his D-Jaguar. C.K. Thompson,

Birmingham, who also drove a D-

Jaguar, faded from the lead after

developing clutch trouble. Rahal

took over the lead on the 21st lap,

with Thompson coming in second.

Bill Kimberly, Pensacola, finished

third in his Ferrari."

 

1. Ed Rahal (Savannah, Ga) Jaguar D-Type, 52 mins 16 secs

2. C.K. Thompson, (Birmingham) "cream colored" Jaguar D-Type

3. Bill Kimberly (Pensacola, Fla) Ferrari

"his Ferrari was involved in a nip and tuck duel with Johnny Cuevas of Miami in a Porsche Carrera."

 

"There were no collisions during any of the races, although several of the bigger cars had trouble on the sharper turns."

 

The Lister Corvette was entered by Mrs. Harry Borden of Washington D.C. Driver unknown.

 

EDIT: Is the 'son' of C. K. Thompson mentioned in event 3 called Powell Thompson? Later appeared in a Lotus Seven—Super America.

https://www.racingsp...ompson-USA.html

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 10 April 2021 - 17:22.

[Jerry Entin]

Rupert: At the March 1959 Boco Raton Race The second race on Saturday [for the Import Motors Trophy] was for production entries, with George Arents [250GT TdeF] winning over J.C. Kilburn [Lotus Club], Forrest Dana [Healey 100] and Cliff Hoch [300SL].

 

But on Sunday the SCCA decided that both the 250GT TdeF and the Lotus Club did not qualify as production cars and they lost their positions. At the end of the weekend it was Forrest Dana who received the silver for first place.

 

All research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 10 April 2021 - 12:28.

[Rupertlt1]

This is an attempt to smoke out anything further about the Donalsonville circuit in Georgia - particularly entry lists and race results.

This has stymied researchers in the past, who have hit a brick wall:

https://forums.autos...dpost&p=6983446

No fragment is too small!

  

SCCA Donalsonville, Georgia

25 & 26 February 1961, 2-mile course.

Photo caption:

DONALSONVILLE RACING — This scene is look-

ing down the pits during Sports Car Club of Ameri-

ca races at the Donalsonville Airport yesterday.

Three regions of the SCCA — Sowega (Southwest

Georgia), Central Alabama and Dixie (Dothan

area) — competed in the two races yesterday. The

SCCA also conducted training Saturday in Donal-

sonville for novice sports car drivers. The group is

planning a major regional race in the area in Oc-

tober. (Eagle Photo)

The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, Alabama) Mon 27 Feb 1961, Page 6

Other dates:

20 & 21 October 1962, sponsored by Donalsonville Lions Club

21 & 22 September 1963, Divisional sponsored by Donalsonville Lions Club

27 September 1964, SCCA Divisional

 

Here is a yarn about the Pelva Special.

https://www.racingsp...n-Coan-USA.html

Photo caption:

"John Coan tinkers with his Pelva, which is the only

front-engined Porsche car in "captivity," he says.

Coan, who built the car from scratch, will be racing

Saturday at Courtland."

 

Coan's Pelva

Runs Saturday

By DON SNOW

Times Staff Writer

John Coan, a design engineer

who drives sports cars "for the

sake of competition," will be

among the field of hard-driving

amateurs at the Courtland, Ala.,

races this weekend.

John, who drives a modified

Elva Mark 1B with a Porsche

engine in it, was the winner of

his class last year at the July

4 races at the Courtland circuit.

Coan's car, the Pelva, is the

"only car with Porsche engine in

front in captivity," according

to Coan. He and Ronald Marchese

built the machine while in the

Army stationed at Redstone Arse-

nal in 1960. He has been racing

the car ever since.

The work on the car, which has

been rebuilt from stem to stern,

was all done at home with hand

tools," Coan says.

Coan has been racing sports

cars for three years, with race

tracks at Tuskegee, Donaldson-

ville, Ga., (sic) Lawrenceville, Ill., and

Courtland all part of his experi-

ence.  

 

On the technical side, the

Pelva's engine is a modified

Porsche 1600 cubic centimeter

engine with special racing cam,

polished ports and Porsche Carrera

carburetors. It has a Porsche four-

speed transmission in the rear

and independent suspension.

The body is a modified

streamlined Elva make, painted

bright yellow with a red num-

ber 45 on the side. It competes

in the class F modified bracket.

The machine weighs in at 1000

pounds, has a top speed of 135

miles an hour, "and has excel-

lent acceleration and cornering,"

the proud owner asserts.

"It is also very reliable for a

modified," he adds.

"There is no baling wire in

this car, as in many 'back-yard

bombs,' he adds quickly and

just a little disdainfully.

When Coan is not racing, he

works for Astro-Space Industries

and lives at 1107 Hillwood Drive,

SE.

Extracts from The Huntsville Times (Huntsville, Alabama) Tues 4 Jun 1963, Page 10

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 11 April 2021 - 03:57.

[Rupertlt1]

Courtland, Saturday 8 June 1963

First of two days racing, only three events held on the Saturday.

RACE THREE OVERALL

1. Jim Watson, Chapel Hill Tenn, #34 Porsche RS

2. George Robertson, Locust Grove Ga, #47 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray

3. George Barber, Birmingham Ala, #9 Porsche 1600

RACE THREE CLASS POSITIONS

F Modified — Jim Watson, #34 Porsche; John Coan, Huntsville Ala, #45 Pelva Roadster.

C Modified — Wick Williams, Chattanooga Tenn, #22 Maserati 4.5.

A Production — George Robertson, Corvette Sting Ray; Tommy Charles, Birmingham Ala, Corvette Sting Ray

B Production — George Barber, Porsche 1600; Powell Thompson, Birmingham Ala, Lotus Super 7; Bobby Ward, Birmingham Ala, Corvette

C Production — Philip Herold, Memphis Tenn, #72 Lotus Elite

Formula Junior — Noel McGlothlin, Rossville Ga, #75 Cooper

 

https://www.racingsp...963-06-09t.html

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 11 April 2021 - 05:53.

[Rupertlt1]

Little Sebring, Florida, 13 January 1957

4.1-mile course at Hendricks Field. Miami Sports Car Club.

This race not to be confused with:

https://forums.autos...e-sebring-1957/

"There were about 3000 fans on hand to watch the 50 cars start the feature"

 

First (10 laps for modified cars)

1. Mike Marshall, (Miami, Fla) Porsche Spyder, 29 mins, 51.4 secs

2. Dick Dungan, (Bradenton, Fla) black Lotus XI

3. William Helburn, (New York, Ny) red #122 Ferrari Testa Rossa

Class D — Steve Granby, Austin Healey

Class E — William Helburn, Ferrari

Class F — Mike Marshall, Porsche Spyder

Class G — Dick Dungan, Lotus XI

     

Second (10 laps for production cars under 1600 cc's)

1. Ray Culp, (Miami, Fla) #33 Porsche, 36 mins 6.4 secs

2. Buel Kinne, (New Hampton, Ny) Porsche

3. Howard Fowler, (Miami Springs) Porsche

4. Mrs. Jean Spiedel, (Miami, Fla) Porsche

Class F — Ray Culp, Porsche

Class MG — George Lacy, MGA

Class G — Carl Dorr, Renault; Buzz Collins, Alfa Romeo

Class H — Alvin Penn Jr., Bandini

 

Third (10 laps for production cars over 1600 cc's)

1. Rees Makin, (Fort Lauderdale) Mercedes-Benz 300SL, 31 mins 30.3 sec

2. George Koehne, (Miami, Fla) Mercedes-Benz 300SL

3. Walter Cline, (Chattanooga, Tenn) Chevrolet Corvette

4. Duncan Forlong, (Tampa) A.C. Ace Bristol

Class B — Walter Cline, (Chattanooga, Tenn) Chevrolet Corvette

Class C — Rees Makin, (Fort Lauderdale) Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Class D — Sam Crooks, Austin Healey

Class E — Duncan Forlong, (Tampa) A.C. Ace Bristol

 

Fourth (100 mile open, 25-laps)

1. William Helburn, (New York, Ny) red #122 Ferrari Testa Rossa, 1 hour, 15 mins, 48.2 sec; average 74 m.p.h.; fastest lap 2:59 (lap 23)

2. Dick Dungan, (Bradenton, Fla) black Lotus XI "finishing only half a mile behind the leader"

3. Conflict: Leech Cracraft, (West Palm Beach) Cooper; Carl Brocken, (West Palm Beach) Cooper (various sources differ)

4. George Koehne (Miami, Fla) Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Class B — Walter Cline, (Chattanooga, Tenn) Chevrolet Corvette

Class C — George Koehne, (Miami, Fla) Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Class D — Forrest Dana III, (West Palm Beach) Austin Healey

Class E — Ed Rahal, Arnolt Bristol

Class F — Ray Culp, (Miami, Fla) Porsche

MGA Class — Lew Rappoport, (Miami, Fla)    

Glass G — Raphael Rosales, Alfa Romeo (Rafael?)

Class H — Carl Dorr, (Miami, Fla) Dauphine

 

"Joe Sheppard of Tampa [Lotus XI] was in second place most of the way but spun out on the next to last lap and finished out of the money."

Is he #45 here?

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

and here:

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

See:

https://forums.autos...dpost&p=9022023

 

Can Cooper researchers shed any light on the third place finish in the feature? Both drivers drove a Cooper; both appear in an entry list.

The only Cooper I can find is the light coloured #155 with stripe here:

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

#55 here points to Cracraft:

https://williamianso...T39-Bobtail.pdf

 

Lloyd Casner was entered in an MGA.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 13 April 2021 - 06:17.

[screensmoke]

Little Sebring, Florida, 13 January 1957

4.1-mile course at Hendricks Field. Miami Sports Car Club.

This race not to be confused with:

https://forums.autos...e-sebring-1957/

"There were about 3000 fans on hand to watch the 50 cars start the feature"

 

First (10 laps for modified cars)

1. Mike Marshall, (Miami, Fla) Porsche Spyder, 29 mins, 51.4 secs

2. Dick Dungan, (Bradenton, Fla) black Lotus XI

3. William Helburn, (New York, Ny) red #122 Ferrari Testa Rossa

Class D — Steve Granby, Austin Healey

Class E — William Helburn, Ferrari

Class F — Mike Marshall, Porsche Spyder

Class G — Dick Dungan, Lotus XI

     

Second (10 laps for production cars under 1600 cc's)

1. Ray Culp, (Miami, Fla) #33 Porsche, 36 mins 6.4 secs

2. Buel Kinne, (New Hampton, Ny) Porsche

3. Howard Fowler, (Miami Springs) Porsche

4. Mrs. Jean Spiedel, (Miami, Fla) Porsche

Class F — Ray Culp, Porsche

Class MG — George Lacy, MGA

Class G — Carl Dorr, Renault; Buzz Collins, Alfa Romeo

Class H — Alvin Penn Jr., Bandini

 

Third (10 laps for production cars over 1600 cc's)

1. Rees Makin, (Fort Lauderdale) Mercedes-Benz 300SL, 31 mins 30.3 sec

2. George Koehne, (Miami, Fla) Mercedes-Benz 300SL

3. Walter Cline, (Chattanooga, Tenn) Chevrolet Corvette

4. Duncan Forlong, (Tampa) A.C. Ace Bristol

Class B — Walter Cline, (Chattanooga, Tenn) Chevrolet Corvette

Class C — Rees Makin, (Fort Lauderdale) Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Class D — Sam Crooks, Austin Healey

Class E — Duncan Forlong, (Tampa) A.C. Ace Bristol

 

Fourth (100 mile open, 25-laps)

1. William Helburn, (New York, Ny) red #122 Ferrari Testa Rossa, 1 hour, 15 mins, 48.2 sec; average 74 m.p.h.; fastest lap 2:59 (lap 23)

2. Dick Dungan, (Bradenton, Fla) black Lotus XI "finishing only half a mile behind the leader"

3. Conflict: Leech Cracraft, (West Palm Beach) Cooper; Carl Brocken, (West Palm Beach) Cooper (various sources differ)

4. George Koehne (Miami, Fla) Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Class B — Walter Cline, (Chattanooga, Tenn) Chevrolet Corvette

Class C — George Koehne, (Miami, Fla) Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Class D — Forrest Dana III, (West Palm Beach) Austin Healey

Class E — Ed Rahal, Arnolt Bristol

Class F — Ray Culp, (Miami, Fla) Porsche

MGA Class — Lew Rappoport, (Miami, Fla)    

Glass G — Raphael Rosales, Alfa Romeo (Rafael?)

Class H — Carl Dorr, (Miami, Fla) Dauphine

 

"Joe Sheppard of Tampa [Lotus XI] was in second place most of the way but spun out on the next to last lap and finished out of the money."

Is he #45 here?

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

and here:

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

See:

https://forums.autos...dpost&p=9022023

 

Can Cooper researchers shed any light on the third place finish in the feature? Both drivers drove a Cooper; both appear in an entry list.

The only Cooper I can find is the light coloured #155 with stripe here:

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

#55 here points to Cracraft:

https://williamianso...T39-Bobtail.pdf

 

Lloyd Casner was entered in an MGA.

 

RGDS RLT

 

Hello Ruppert, 

 

Do not know if it helps or not, but this article from the Palm Each Post of Jan 15 1957, does not seem to fully match the results you mention.... Can you share your source, that race is also of a particular interest for me 

 

[Rupertlt1]

screensmoke: my results are a composite of multiple sources (best efforts) - I see you have access to newspapers.com - I can only suggest you search Sebring January 1957 and take it from there. I am happy to amend anything where evidence exists.

Does anybody have a programme or results sheet for this event? (The race seems to have been largely overlooked up until now.)

It would be good to caption the pictures at Revs — just search on "Little Sebring" to get the full set. Wonderful historic cars.

Is this the #46 Siata-Crosley of lady driver Nedra Ware?

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

Looks like the Cooper driver is Karl Brocken.

 

RGDS Rupert Lloyd Thomas

Edited by Rupertlt1, 13 April 2021 - 08:30.

[screensmoke]

Hi, I have not seen any programme or race results sheet for that race, (If it existed, I am pretty sure @willem would have found it... )

 

I am very much aware of the newspapers and the revs library on this event, 

 

And yes the #46 is the siata driven by Nedra Ware (which might have won her class), apparently loaned by George Roberts for that race, and it is the car I own.

[Doug Nye]

MacDill is a huge airbase but in July 2012 a fatigued and distracted flight crew flying a huge C17 transport from Italy still managed to miss it...

 

 

This reminded me of the B52 which was scheduled to display at the Farnborough Air Show some years back, flying from - and returning to - its base in the US.  Upon arrival over Blighty the crew reportedly put on a wonderful display, but unfortunately they were over Blackbushe Airport at the time, 4 1/2 miles to the north-east of intended target, not over Farnborough at all.  

 

Still, our blokes once used to miss Berlin or Dusseldorf completely, so no stone throwing here.

 

DCN

[Ray Bell]

For those interested in the C17's fate...

 

It was able to take off again:

 

[timisles]

What a remarkable thread, and fantastic photographs. Thank you so much Jerry/Willem for sharing.

If this newbie is permitted to  comment, I would just like to make note that in 1955 Duncan Forlong's black car was in fact an AC-engined Ace, chassis number AEX 93. The car's nimble handling and light weight made up for only about 90 bhp from the engine, and he achieved some impressive results. Nor should it be forgotten that Hap Dressel and his team brought home their AC-engined car in 18th place at the 1956 Sebring 12 Hours, after a trouble free run. Any Ace is a good one.

After the announcement of the availability of the Ace-Bristol in the spring of 1956 DF was one of the first in the queue, and he bought  Ace-Bristol  BEX 171, a white car. He went on to chalk up a large number of successes with it, including at the Bahamas Speed Week, an international event run under FIA regulations.

As is known, from 1957 through to 1961 the Ace-Bristol proved unbeatable in the SCCA production race series. despite being elevated from EP to DP in 1960, and then to CP for 1961. DF was a very talented driver who, together with Ed Rahal and their Ace-Bristols, pretty much cleaned up in their region. DF's AEX 93 survives to this day in excellent condition, although by coincidence it is now white and retro fitted with a Bristol engine. BEX 171 was last recorded as being in Europe in need of restoration in 2004/05 - can anyone add anything please?

Second/last point is there is reference to the 'Intra Coastal Drivers' Club' on the side of Lee Lilley's Maserati. I have two contemporary Florida newspaper reports from 1957 which state it stands for 'International Competition Drivers Club'. The latter perhaps sounds a little more likely, but others will know more.

Whatever, fabulous thread. 

[cooper997]

timisles, just to bring you up to speed. Jerry passed away recently and as you've seen on this thread he posted on behalf of Willem. Who is blocked from posting (I don't know why).

 

 

Stephen

[timisles]

Thank you. I am very sorry to learn of Jerry's passing.

 

Tim 

[screensmoke]

So am I..... RIP

 

Fred