74 replies to this topic

[WINO]

Tim,

 

I think Krowss comes closest. 

[Tim Murray]

Thanks Willem.

[D28]

(Willem again)

After racing the D-type, multiple Maseratis, a Ferrari, a Lotus 19, an Elva Mk 6 and 7, Shelby Cobras, it was time for a Sting Ray. Here Bill is seen in one of Mickey Thompson's Sting Rays at Daytona, in February 1963, where he raced in the American Challenge Cup and the 3-hour Continental.

 

And for trivial buffs, he raced and won in a Lotus 30, along with Jim Clark and a few others.

Racing Sports Cars has his last outing as USRRC Riverside May 66, Lola T70 .4th. So he just missed out on the Can-Am for whatever reason.

[Tim Murray]

(from Willem again)

As B28 mentioned, Bill in the Lotus 30 at Laguna Seca in 1964. He was running fourth when a hub sheared off. Unlike most drivers, he liked the car.

[Tim Murray]

(more from Willem)

The opening post of the Bill Krause thread by Mrob in 2003 refers to an article I wrote for the Maserati Club, about my interview with Bill. Unfortunately, new Club management decided to erase all references to earlier articles on their website, but here is the photo that was specifically referred to by Mrob, taken by Flip Schulke during the drivers meeting for the 3-hour Daytona Continental in February 1963.

Closest to the camera are [from the left] Dick Thompson, Roger Penske [in an unflattering pose] and Don Yenko. Then the bearded Joakim Bonnier, Bill Krause and Bob Johnson. In the background are Paul Goldsmith and A.J. Foyt. Since Thompson, Penske and Yenko did not take the start of the 100-lap American Challenge Cup the day before the Continental, I can only presume the photo was taken on the day of the 3 -hour race.

[ReWind]

(more from Willem)

Bob Johnson

Columbus Bob or Marietta Bob?

[WINO]

In 1963 the Daytona Continental counted toward the GT Championship and attracted a strong field of Ferrari GTOs, Shelby Cobras, E-type Jaguars and Sting Rays. The event used a combination of high-bank tri-oval and infield road course. But the day before Bill France hosted the American Challenge Cup, over the tri-oval only, inviting prototypes and GT entries to do some high-speed racing in true NASCAR style.

 

Only 15 entries decided to go for the $20,000 Challenge purse, with $6,500 for the winner. They were down to 14 after Marvin Panch crashed the 7-liter Ford-engined Maserati Tipo 151 entered by Briggs Cunningham during practice. Speed king Mickey Thompson brought four Sting Rays, two 427 ci cars for the Challenge Cup [assigned to NASCAR drivers Rex White and Junior Johnson] and two 327 ci cars for the Continental [for Krause and Doug Hooper]. Ray Nichels entered a 6.9-liter Pontiac Tempest Le Mans for Paul Goldsmith, while A.J. Foyt was in a 327 ci Nickey Chevrolet Sting Ray. Ferrari GTOs raced by Fireball Roberts and David Piper represented Italy, while some in rest of the field - 2-liter Porsche Abarths for Huschke von Hanstein, Joakim Bonnier and Bob Holbert - could only hope for a high rate of attrition among the more powerful competition.

 

Krause: "Those Mickey Thompson cars for Rex White and Junior Johnson were equipped with the first 427 ci 'porcupine' engines, giving lots of horsepower. They were set up like stock cars with roll cages and all. The high-bank Sting Rays turned out to have too much weight in the nose. Coming off the bank, they would go sideways a little and at the end of the straightaway, as you entered the corner, they would turn right, all by themselves. It would make your heart really pound! They would run 180 mph even then. Junior Johnson said he would not drive it, so on race day Mickey Thompson told me 'You are driving it!' I had not done any practice in those cars. Plus, Junior was some 250 pounds, and I could not reach anything!"

[WINO]

ReWind,

 

The Bob Johnson who ran Cobras later on and I think he was from Ohio. Here he was scheduled to run the Nickey Sting Ray in the Continental, but Foyt took over from him.

Edited by WINO, 20 January 2024 - 20:38.

[ReWind]

Both Johnsons were from Ohio (one from Columbus, the other from Marietta) and nearly the same age (both born in 1927, just 16 days apart).

 

EDIT: The Cobra man should be Columbus Bob.

Edited by ReWind, 20 January 2024 - 20:21.

[Tim Murray]

(more from Willem)

Early on in the Challenge Cup, after the rain started, with Paul Goldsmith in the Ray Nichels Pontiac leading the Sting Rays of Bill Krause, Rex White and A.J. Foyt, and the Ferrari GTO of Fireball Roberts. Now we know why NASCAR races are stopped at the first drop of rain. Note the lack of spectators as well.

[10kDA]

Paul Goldsmith's Pontiac had about 94 cu. in. on the Corvettes. Goldsmith was one of those drivers who you have to wonder what his win stats would be if he had ever raced "full time". He was very good with low-grip surfaces, having been successful racing bikes on dirt tracks with a total contact patch about as big as the palms of a person's hands. He ran partial seasons in NASCAR and raced at the front and won against the best of them.

 

Goldsmith, Nichels, and the Pontiac:

 

[WINO]

Goldsmith did win at Daytona Beach in the sand with his bike and scored some excellent finishes in the Indy 500 with his lay-down roadster. He is still alive and must be 100 now.

[ReWind]

Ninety-eight.

[WINO]

More from the Krause interview:

 

" The crew had to stuff all these blankets behind me to make the car fit. I did some ten practice laps on race day, and we did some adjustments to the rear wheel toe-in. I led the first lap or two. Then it started to rain, and I couldn't hang on. No rain tires, just slicks! Paul Goldsmith in his Pontiac Tempest got by right up against the fence which was the driest area. I just did not have the courage to follow him, especially when the Sting Ray went sideways on the straightaway at 160 mph. Then, during a little duel with A.J. Foyt's Sting Ray and coming out of turn 2, the thing went completely sideways, halfway down the straight. I actually lost track where the steering wheel was pointing. I was fighting, not knowing whether I would end up in the fence or the lake. I let go of the wheel for a second, grabbed it again and I was going straight! Got back on the throttle and finished third behind Goldsmith and Foyt."

Edited by WINO, 10 September 2024 - 12:49.

[Tim Murray]

(more from Willem)

Here are some of the roadsters, as well as a "funny car", that Goldsmith ran at Indianapolis.

[WINO]

From Bill Krause:

 

"Another problem was that the windows would fog up. Finally, I could not see at all. I was following a Ferrari with an orange dot on its body and the dot was all I could see. So, I came in, planning to quit, but Thompson got the plastic windows down somehow, put fuel in it and said GO. That cured the fogging but there was also water sloshing around in the car. With the hot exhaust I got steam all inside the cockpit. I was a riot. Rex White also stopped his car halfway in the race, refusing to go on.  And Mickey jumped in! He was crazy. Those cars never ran again. Mickey was a mad man. He was smart and I never saw a harder working guy in my life. But he never slept! We would share the same hotel room and he would come in at 4 AM and get up at 5:30 or 6 AM."

 

One of the reasons the Pontiac proved faster than the 427 ci Sting Rays in the rain proved to be its heavier weight: 3,200 lbs versus 2,840 lbs. But in spite of that, Goldsmith admitted that he went into a number of slides, caused by the extremely slick white lane strips. Brave men indeed!

[Jim Thurman]

Ok, I was wondering why I haven't found more on Bill Krause racing midgets with the URA. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I recalled running across something pointing another, similar direction, and I found it.

 

An item in the Los Angeles Times from August 23, 1955 headlined "Midgets Return to Culver City." The article mentioned three quarter midgets would run their inaugural race at the Culver City Speedway that night. Followed by this: "Pacing the pint-sized jockeys this evening will be Billy Krause of Compton, who's been burning up the speed lanes in recent starts at Hemet, home base of the small-sized midgets."

 

So, three-quarter or TQ midgets with him dabbling in full midgets. The fairgrounds at then rural Hemet, California was site of the home track for early TQ racing. Unfortunately, I've never seen even microfilm of the Hemet newspaper. Just an occasional item in other newspapers with occasional mention of race winners or a smattering of race results.

[WINO]

Jim, the Burbank bookstore is no more, but Fred Chaparro remembers your name!

 

More from Bill Krause:

 

" Since I had 4th overall qualifying time in the next race, the fastest Sting Ray in the dry 3-hour Continental, Mickey Thompson bet A.J. Foyt $1000 that I would lead the first lap. But I didn't! Foyt passed me in turn 2. I could not believe it! My car was full of fuel and was bottoming out as though it was about to break in half: bang, bang, bang. And here comes Foyt: BANG, BANG, BANG. I went on the inside of Goldsmith, Foyt went on the outside. Coming out of the last turn, we were side by side, door to door, but he beat me. But that was not all! The first lap was on the high bank. All of us almost forgot to make that first turn into the infield. We were going flat out. I got the car turned sideways before I got to the corner, to rub the speed off. I made the corner. Foyt didn't. Goldsmith didn't. I came out way ahead and led for a while. The Cobra of Skip Hudson was the first to pass me. Then halfway through the race my engine exploded, with pieces everywhere. I pulled over onto the grass and as soon as I got out of the car, Mickey was there with my Honda motorcycle. He picked me up, took me back to the rental car and told me to get back to the motel and pack."

 

" When we flew out, the race was still going on. I never saw the press. No negative publicity. But that Corvette was OK. I thought that the Coupe, the 327 ci road race version, was a really easy car to drive, except the limited slip differential. I could do anything with that car, it was so forgiving."

Edited by WINO, 22 January 2024 - 18:08.

[Tim Murray]

(more from Willem)

Riverside, October 1962. Bill Krause in a strange bird, a 2.8-liter Maserati-engined Elva Mk 6 owned by Harry Finer. Next to the car Dave MacDonald can be seen. Too unsorted to qualify in the Times Grand Prix that year, the car was sold to Dan Blocker of Bonanza fame.

[WINO]

After racing Mickey Thompson's Sting Rays at Daytona in 1963, there was still Indianapolis to tackle.

 

Krause: "The Indy cars constructed by Mickey had those little controversial 12-inch wheels and we tested them at a Firestone test track in Texas, a 7-mile oval in the middle of the desert. But that track did not offer enough high friction, so we couldn't find out much about the adhesion and handling characteristics of those tires. Firestone was nervous about their use and made real hard rubber compounds for them. It showed! When they let go in practice at Indy, there was no warning. When I spun the car, I had no clue. It was just gone, lost traction. Usually, you have a little warning. It was zero. I was straight and I was sideways. I spun in turn 1 and ended up in turn 2, never touching the brakes. And I would not have hit anything if Roger McCluskey's roadster had not run into me."

 

"Mickey had six cars entered and there was too much confusion in the team. Graham Hill couldn't qualify. Masten Gregory couldn't qualify. Three days in a row, when I was doing 200 mph on the back straightaway, hot oil would come out and the wind would blow it in my face and goggles. I lost confidence. I did not feel comfortable. I probably could have qualified the car, but I could not have driven it with 32 other guys, because I could not tell where it was going. So, I decided to pack up and go home to California. At that point I decided I should stick with making a living and pursue my business interests. I had lost my motivation. Indy changed my attitude. I did race after that, but it was never the same."

 

One year later Dave MacDonald crashed a similar car at Indy and lost his life. Eddie Sachs lost his as well in the same accident. Krause remembered; "That could have been me in 1963."

[Tim Murray]

(more from Willem Oosthoek)

Although Bill Krause is best known for his Maserati adventures, here are two photos of cars he drove before he raced Birdcages.

Photo 1 shows him leading the field, and Bobby Drake in Joe Lubin's brand-new Birdcage, at Riverside in late 1959. Bill's car was the Becker Mercedes/Chevy and he took it to overall victory on both Saturday and Sunday.

Photo 2 was taken at Vaca Valley in 1960, with Bill at the wheel of his D-type/Chevy. This time Drake beat him with the Birdcage.

The third image shows Bill later in life, attending one of the California racing conventions.

[Doug Nye]

What a wonderful thread.....

 

DCN

[Tim Murray]

(more from Willem Oosthoek)

The Birdcage Maserati in which Bill Krause won the 1960 Times GP at Riverside in 1960 was chassis 2469. This Birdcage had been ordered by George Humiston of the newly established Maserati of Beverly Hills agency, who had to send his mom to Modena since the car kept being delayed at the factory. It barely made it on time for the Times GP but in the end, it was all worth it. Next, at Laguna Seca, Krause dropped out in the first heat but finished 3rd in the second, coming from the back of the grid. This was followed by a victory at Pomona in early 1961.

But things were not going well at the Beverly Hills agency, with production Maseratis stacking up because of slow demand. Humiston became overextended financially and after Pomona, he was forced to sell chassis 2469 to Chuck Sargent. The agency itself was next on the block and Maserati of Beverly Hills was sold to a businessman in the New York garment industry, Harry Finer.

Finer decided that racing had to be a good way to promote the Maserati name again on the West Coast. He acquired the very Birdcage in which Bobby Drake had battled Bill Krause in 1960, Joe Lubin's chassis 2452. By then it was owned by Stan Sugarman. After a nice respray, Krause was invited to run the car for the rest of 1961. Better sales followed, with 3500GT Maseratis sold to the movie crowd: Rock Hudson, Carroll O'Connor, Dan Blocker and others. Even Krause received a loaner.

Here are two images of the newly repainted chassis 2452, the second successful Birdcagae Maserati in Krause's hands.

[Tim Murray]

(more from Willem)

Santa Barbara, September 1-2, 1962. In this Cal Club event Bill Krause and chassis 2452 are seen leading the rear-engined brigade: Jack Nethercutt [Lotus 19/Climax]. Lance Reventlow [the new Scarab/BOP] and Don Wester [Porsche RS-60]. Krause won both the prelim and the feature that weekend, his fourth consecutive victory after Oakland and Pomona [twice].

[Tim Murray]

(more from Willem)

But it wasn't always smooth sailing for Krause and the former Lubin Birdcage. During the weekend of September 22-23, 1962, the Cal Club decided to host an ambitious six-hour endurance race on Saturday. Krause entered his Tipo 61 and arranged for Chuck Parsons to be his co-driver. The combination led the first four hours, then retired with gearbox trouble. The winning car was the Ferrari 250GT #50, driven by Ken Miles and Bobbie Drake. It would be Drake's final race appearance. Second place went to Jerry Sheets' Ferrari TdF #311, with Ronnie Bucknum as his co-driver.