95 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

Robert Edward Schroeder was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, on May 11, 1926. The only Formula One driver that Arkansas ever produced, here Bob is seen during a hunting trip in Texas during the mid fifties.

 

Some ten years ago Bob gave Willem Oosthoek a number of CDs with racing material from the 50s and early 60s. The photos were taken by himself as well as by Bob Jackson. After our thread on competition in the Southeast and Nassau, it is time too revisit sports car racing in the Southwest.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 17 March 2020 - 19:15.

[Jerry Entin]

Mansfield, Louisiana, August 1956. Lining up for the prelim are Big Jim Hall [OSCA MT4], Art Bunker in that yellow Porsche 550RS again , and Bob Bennett [Corvette]

Edited by Jerry Entin, 17 March 2020 - 19:17.

[Jerry Entin]

Mansfield, August 1956. Feature winner Roy Cherryhomes crosses the finish line with a flat tire on his Ferrari 121 LM.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 March 2020 - 00:20.

[Jerry Entin]

Roy did enjoy that checkered flag. He drove his Ferrari himself when Carroll Shelby was not available.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 March 2020 - 00:24.

[Jerry Entin]

The feature winner had to change his front tire in order to do his victory lap.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 March 2020 - 00:32.

[Jerry Entin]

At Mansfield that same weekend the only accident involved a rollover Borgward.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 March 2020 - 16:53.

[Jerry Entin]

Luckily the Borgward driver was not injured.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 March 2020 - 16:54.

[Rob Miller]

DKW, not a Borgward.

 

Rob

[Jerry Entin]

 

Alfa Romeo Special

Alvin Callender Field near New Orleans, July 1955. The cycle-winged 2.5-liter Alfa Romeo Special owned by oilman Warren Layne. Bob Schroeder took it to 2^nd overall in the feature, only beaten by Bill Wilson’s C-type Jaguar.

 

Competition was much stronger at the Fairfax National near Kansas City in September that year. A large contingent of big modifieds showed up and Schroeder finished DM1 and DM3 [13^th and 12^th oa] in the prelim and feature.

 

You are right, Rob, it is a DKW and the race reports confirm that. I saw the sign in the rear window and was wondering if the results were listed it wrongly.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 March 2020 - 20:01.

[Jerry Entin]

Another shot of the Alfa Romeo Special at Alvin Callender Field in 1955.

 

By 1956 it moved from DM class to BM, after Jim Saunders, a foreman with Humble Oil in Houston, installed a 5.6-liter Ford Thunderbird engine. Renamed the FoMoCo Special, it proved faster than many Italian and English thoroughbreds.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 March 2020 - 19:16.

[Jerry Entin]

The best way to develop a future generation of racing enthusiasts.

It is always Fun to let kids enjoy being in your race car for a photo.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 March 2020 - 19:25.

[bradbury west]

Once again, many thanks Willem and Jerry for making these available. The colour has stood the test of time. Roy must have been a big fella, to sit so high in the car, and we get as 121 as a bonus, and look at the boots he drove in.... I am always surprised at the number and range of European cars in the US in those days. Returning servicemen presumably.
We had a little OSC MT 4 at Goodwood a few years back, nicely presented, but clearly well used, a real joy.
BTW, what is the coupe beyond the yellow Porsche in post 2? It looks Jagwa for the rear wings but the roof line at the back looks different. Perhaps I do not see enough of those cars.
Roger Lund

[Rob Miller]

The car behind the yellow Porsche is a Jaguar XK120 FHC.

[Jerry Entin]

Roger the car next to the yellow Porsche is a Jag XK 120 coupe I believe.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, Fort Worth, June 1956, where the best of the East would meet those of the South and the West in an SCCA National.

 

On the foreground, next to the big chrome, Wayne Lash’s Mercedes 190SL, then Louis Brero’s D-type, Jack Douglas’ D-type and Jack McAfee’s Ferrari 857S.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:11.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. The D-types entered by Briggs Cunningham for Sherwood Johnston and newcomer Walt Hansgen.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:52.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. And then there was this Ferrari 750 Monza entered by Temple Buell for Dabney Collins. Buell’s second entry was a Ferrari 375MM for Danny Collins.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:24.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. One of the Cunningham D-types being prepped.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:28.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. Ralph Miller brought one of the new Lotus 11 models. Next to it is Jack Hinkle’s Offy-powered Kurtis.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:30.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. On the grid for the smaller modified race is the Lotus 9 of Gene Spaulding. The blue Bobtail Cooper belonged to Bobby Burns.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:52.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 2. Start of the race for smaller modifieds, with Richie Ginther and Jack McAfee leading in Porsches, followed by Jack Hinkle’s Kurtis/Offy. Ginther won.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:40.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. The Ferrari 375MM that Denver’s Temple Buell brought for Danny Collins. Danny was not related to teammate Dabney Collins.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:56.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. Washington, DC, hairdresser Charlie Wallace brought his gullwing Mercedes 300 SL for the production race. Wallace was an occasional Cunningham team driver as well, but not this weekend.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 17:48.

[E1pix]

It's positively heartwarming to be reminded of my old friend and sign customer Danny Collins.

He was one wonderful guy.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. Dick Hall brought this 750 Monza that he had bought from Allen Guiberson, with Carroll Shelby as the assigned driver. Guiberson offered his help and sits in the car while it is tuned.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 March 2020 - 20:00.

[Ray Bell]

Some more great stuff here, Jerry (and Willem)...

 

Thanks again to both of you.

[Claudio Navonne]

Thanks !!

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. Sherwood Johnston getting ready for the SCCA National in the Cunningham D-type.

 

Photo credit: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 March 2020 - 19:08.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. The epic battle between Walt Hansgen [Cunningham D-type] and Carroll Shelby [Dick Hall’s 750 Monza], until Hansgen blew his left rear tire.

 

Photo credit: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 March 2020 - 19:12.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. Shelby prepares for the start of the feature under the watchful eye of Allen Guiberson. The D-type next to it is Louis Brero’s, who would lead for ten laps until black-flagged for excessively cutting corners.

 

Photo credit: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 March 2020 - 19:15.

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. California’s Johnny von Neumann in his 750 Monza. Let’s hope that his wife Eleanor retrieved her handbag before the start.

Photo credit: Bob Jackson

[Jerry Entin]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. Carroll Shelby in the Dick Hall 750 Monza. Shelby would prove the biggest challenge for the East Coast and West Coast drivers.

 

photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 March 2020 - 22:24.

[cooper997]

Eagle Mountain, June 1956. On the grid for the smaller modified race is the Lotus 9 of Gene Spaulding. The blue Bobtail Cooper belonged to Bobby Burns.

 

Jerry & Willem, thank you for sharing all these fantastic photos over the last few weeks with us on TNF.

 

Can I please ask if you have any other details on Bobby Burns and his Cooper T39? I make the assumption it's one imported by John M Fox Jnr, but it's the first time Bobby Burns has come to my notice.

 

Stephen

[10kDA]

Great stuff! Thanks for posting!

[Jerry Entin]

 

Stephen,

 

Here is a closer shot of Bobby Burns in his Bobtail T39 on the Eagle Mountain grid in 1956.

 

Bobby Burns was from Wichita Falls, Texas [as was Lloyd Ruby]. We have no idea if he bought the Cooper from John Fox Jr. Burns became owner of Burns Oil in 1954, after his dad died in a car accident while inspecting a well, and he began accumulating fast cars.

 

Bobby has been discussed a few years ago on TNF, especially the notorious murder-suicide after his wife fatally shot him because he did not want her to associated with the Hollywood movie crowd.

 

10kDA: I had earlier done a site on Bob Schroeder and most of the photos are not up any longer. I will put them all back soon.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 21 March 2020 - 17:52.

[Jerry Entin]

Overall winner of the 1956 SCCA National at Eagle Mountain: Carroll Shelby with his [first] wife Jeanne. He looks haggard and exhausted, with his nose bleeding from flying stones. Following him across the finish line were von Neumann, Johnston and Hansgen, the latter two slowed down by tire failures on their D-types.

 

photo: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 21 March 2020 - 18:24.

[Jerry Entin]

No longer a race driver, Carroll Shelby a number of years later. In 1962 he showed up in Dallas looking for financing to launch his Cobra project.

 

Photo credit: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 21 March 2020 - 18:10.

[Jerry Entin]

 

His Cobra and Ford years well behind him, Carroll signs posters at the Shelby Museum.

 

Photo credit: Bob Jackson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 21 March 2020 - 19:53.

[cooper997]

 

 

Stephen,

 

Here is a closer shot of Bobby Burns in his Bobtail T39 on the Eagle Mountain grid in 1956.

 

Bobby Burns was from Wichita Falls, Texas [as was Lloyd Ruby]. We have no idea if he bought the Cooper from John Fox Jr. Burns became owner of Burns Oil in 1954, after his dad died in a car accident while inspecting a well, and he began accumulating fast cars.

 

Bobby has been discussed a few years ago on TNF, especially the notorious murder-suicide after his wife fatally shot him because he did not want her to associated with the Hollywood movie crowd.

 

10kDA: I had earlier done a site on Bob Schroeder and most of the photos are not up any longer. I will put them all back soon.

 

 

Jerry & Willem,

 

So another member of the Texas oil barons.

 

Thank you both, I very much appreciate your efforts with the Burns information and added bonus of the photo.

 

Stephen

[Jerry Entin]

 WOW! brings back some old memories. I was still in the Navy when these pictures were taken, but I went to Eagle Mountain in early 1957 for several race meetings and saw some of these same people race. The Ralph Miller Lotus 11 may be the one (same color) I helped Bob Gilbert when Dave Tallaksen drove it in early 57 at Eagle Mountain.

 

Roy Cherryhomes had a large ranch near Jacksboro, Tx and I heard he had oil well's on it. Two years back I drove by the ranch and it had a sign with "Cherryhomes Ranch" over the road into it.

 

I saw the FoMo Co  special race more than once but with Jim Saunders driving it. It was kind of crude looking but it was fast.

 The Dick Hall Monza stayed in the Hall family for a number of years, until Jim Hall sold it at an auction within the last 3 years. The funny thing about that car was although I worked for Jim Hall for 5 years I don't recall that I ever saw the Monza until I saw it at the Monterey Historics in about 2005.

 

 The nude swim party in the movie "The Last Picture Show"was shot in Bobby Burns indoor pool in his house in Wichita Falls.

 

 It kind of amazes me that in my career as a mechanic I worked for and with many of these people in these pictures.

 

 Frank Lance

[Jerry Entin]

It is great to see these new photos from and about Bob! I first met Bob Schroeder in the late 50's at Carroll Shelby Sports Cars Inc. in Dallas. We didn't see each other very often but we did manage to keep in touch over the years.

 

Bob was an amazing guy and I always enjoyed talking with him. He didn't volunteer a lot about his racing days but when asked, he always had an interesting account about the subject that came up. I didn't realize until I had know him for quite awhile that he had done those F1 races. He obviously had a lot of talent as a driver and he was an excellent mechanic as well. I'm sure a lot of the latter came from maintaining the cars he raced.

 

I always believed that if he had help and better (newer) cars that he would have done well as a full time driver.

I miss not being able to visit with him...

 

Gary Knutson

[Jerry Entin]

Back to one of the earlier races on Bob Schroeder’s CDs. The dawn of SCCA racing in Texas: Caddo Mills in November 1952.

 

Caddo Mills is just east of Dallas and the grid show a Jowett Jupiter, multiple MGs and a Crosley.

Bob Schroeder was also a race reporter during these early races.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:18.

[Jerry Entin]

The Jowett may have been raced by Jim Saunders of Houston, who had one at the time. But without an entry list we can’t be sure.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:22.

[Jerry Entin]

Caddo Mills, Nov  1952. Not raced but brought to be admired: a Simca 8 Sport.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:29.

[Jerry Entin]

Caddo Mills, Nov 1952. A Cooper Formula III was part of the action. Driver unknown.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:33.

[Jerry Entin]

Caddo Mills, Nov 1952. And a brave soul brought his Bugatti!

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:36.

[Jerry Entin]

Caddo Mills, Nov 1952. While Big Jim Hall, he was the Jaguar dealer in Houston, brought his brand new Jaguar C-type, chassis 015.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:40.

[Jerry Entin]

Caddo Mills, Nov 1962. With Bob Schroeder standing next to it, what the heck was this car?

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:44.

[Jerry Entin]

Caddo Mills, Nov 1952. A barren pitlane that weekend. Those SCCA racer were hardy souls.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:47.

[Jerry Entin]

Caddo Mills, Nov 1952. A rare shot of the line-up for the feature, with three Allards and Big Jim Hall’s C-type. Without an entry list, the trick is identifying the Allard drivers.

.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 March 2020 - 23:55.