69 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

I would like to start a post on Alan Connell. He was a racer from Fort Worth Texas who had some of the greatest cars and had a great time racing them. Anyone with pictures of Alan please post them. Alan passed away in 1999 due to I believe heart trouble. This was associated with an infection from the replacement of his pacemaker. I have always admired his cars and my friend Willem Oosthoek is preparing to do a great article on Alan using pictures loaned to him by Alan's widow. It will be in an upcoming edition of Vintage Motorsports. Alan was a Fort Worth Rancher and oil man. He was a Polo playing buddy of Hap Sharp's. He saw his first race in 1958 and was bitten by the racing bug. He raced a Cooper T53 that he had bought off Hap Sharp in the 1962 Mexico City Formula One race. This was a non championship event. The car was obsolete by this time and Alan did poorly with it. This was his last race.

[Jerry Entin]

Here is a picture of Alan Connell at Daytona in 1959 in his Ferrari 335S. Leaning in talking to Alan is E.D. Martin. E.D. Martin had the first Birdcage Maserati in the states. He wrecked it at Daytona and never raced again. Alan won this race over Walt Hansgen in a Lister/Jag. Photo from Alan's daughters scrapbook. Lent to Willem Oosthoek by Alan's widow.

[tam999]

On the website page linked below are two photos I took of Connell's Ferrari V12 powered Birdcage Maserati in 1961.

http://www.tamsoldra...lanConnell.html

I'm looking forward to reading Willem's article in "Vintage Motorsports" and seeing the photos from Connell's family.

Tam McPartland

[Frank S]

At Riverside Times Grand Prix For Sportscars, 1960:


Race results show him as "Other starter",
as he may have done the previous year;
no photos of that among my brother
Don's RIR shots from that year.

Connell had an entry at the first race I worked (pit-marshalled)
at Mansfield, Louisiana, 1958, I think. It was a Ferrari Testa Rossa
in black. First time I saw the "ignition key" on a designed-for-racing car.
The car itself was scruffy outside and full of debris. Maybe they had just
not got around to cleaning it out after an open-trailer tow, but I
regarded it as blasphemy to let a TR come into public view
in that condition.

Connell himself was movie-star handsome, weathered and tailored,
and if memory serves, wore Levis with a sharp crease,
as did his compatriot Jim Hall.

Seems to me he placed well at LeMans, that year or next.

--
Frank S

[Jerry Entin]

Thanks Tam for putting up your pictures. And Frank here is a photo from a later race in Mansfield, Louisiana in May of 1961. Hope this site gets rolling Alan had some great cars. Frank, I believe the race you saw Alan Connell at was in 1959 in March. He was driving a 250 TR Ferrari and this was the first race he won. And you are right about Alan doing well at LeMans. In 1960 Alan finished 5th at LeMans and 5th at Sebring. Also in this picture his racing suit appears to be a white dress shirt.This photo was lent to site by Willem Oosthoek.

[Frank S]

The Mansfield race was indeed March, 1959:



This is the LA Times story on LeMans 1960, showing Connell came fifth:


Might as well include a link to the results:
http://wspr-racing.c...c/ms1960.html#5

--
Frank S

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Alan Connell at Sebring in 1960 heading to a fine 5th place finish. He co-drove with car owner George Reed. Photo by J.E. Kelley

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Alan Connell in his Cooper Monaco during Practice for the August of 1962 Wisconsin Grand Prix held at Meadowdale Raceway. Behind Alan are Dick Thompson and Ralph Salyer in the Blue #25 Corvette. Photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Alan Connell in his Long Tail Birdcage at Nassau his car is #55 was Ferrari V12 powered. He is followed by #12 Roy Schechter in a Lotus 19 and #2 Pedro Rodriguez in the Ferrari 250TR61 and then#4 Stirling Moss in the Lotus 19 and #24 Art Huttinger in his Lister/Chevy. This was in December of 1961. Photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek.

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Alan Connell in his Elva DKW he raced it in the 1960 Nassau Formula Junior race. They weren't the best choice for Formula Junior. Very unreliable. Charlie Hayes also had one as did Charlie Kolb and R. Nielson. None of them made it to the finish. The race was won by Jim Hall in a Cooper T 52.

[Jerry Entin]

Alan Connell and a young Jim Hall at Nassau in 1960

Edited by Jerry Entin, 29 September 2009 - 00:30.

[David M. Kane]

Did Jim Hall have a desire to look like James Dean?

Pretty neat looking FJ, I know you said they were unreliable, but were they fast? I've only driven my wife's Lotus 22, but it's a great car, fun, very user friendly...

[Jerry Entin]

Dave: Jim Hall looks like a young Texan who is fresh out of college. This is from LeMans in June of 1960. After suffering an injury the previous year. George Arents was never very fast in the traditional LeMans footrace and he drove conservatively. But thanks to the prowess of co-driver Alan Connell the #18 Ferrari 250GT finished 5th overall. Photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Frank: I believe this is the car Alan Connell was driving at the race in Mansfield, Louisiana in 1959. Does it look familiar to you? It is a 250TR Ferrari. I would again like to thank Alan's wife and daughters for sharing their great pictures with us.

[David M. Kane]

Jerry:

That LeMans shot is great, I'd love to have one of those Ferraris!

[Jerry Entin]

Dave they are going real cheap now. You should get two one for Shairon also. That car they raced at LeMans wasn't a lightweight Aluminum body and it didn't have all the good racing parts on it. It is kind of amazing you could take a basic street version and run it for 24 hours and finish 5th at LeMans. I told you at the start Alan had some pretty good looking cars.

[David M. Kane]

Jerry:

That is probably the main characteristic of all Ferraris, they are tough, basically bulletproof. They just happen to also be very striking.

[Frank S]

Originally posted by Jerry Entin

Frank: I believe this is the car Alan Connell was driving at the race in Mansfield, Louisiana in 1959. Does it look familiar to you? It is a 250TR Ferrari. I would again like to thank Alan's wife and daughters for sharing their great pictures with us.

It certainly matches the shape and color I remember, if not the cosmetic condition. I'm having some difficulty recalling what was the exact aspect of the ignition key that caught my attention; it may have been that the "key" was permanently attached, stuck in the slot, so to speak, and he pulled it to some kind of limit before hitting the starter.

The "pontoon" 250TR is still my favorite sports racing car. I was doing a scheduled break from flag duty and watching from outside the exit of Turn Seven at Riverside during a Times Grand Prix practice (I think), in a position that looked up the straight to Turn Eight. When one of the V-12 Ferraris accelerated up that way and those four megaphoned exhausts were directed at my hyper-receptive consciousness (not to mention chest and eardrums), I squirmed with pleasure. I took and misplaced a number of Kodachromes, none much good with a "normal" Argus C3 lens.

--
Frank S

[Jerry Entin]

Frank the first car I had was Ol Yaller 2. When I would race it against one of those unbelievable looking pontoon fendered Ferrari's I would just smile. They looked so great but they didn't have that big of engines in them and Ol Yaller would smoke them. They were made to race in high speed endurance races and I was racing them on short airport type circuits.

[Ducfer]

The 250 TR in post #14 is 0714 TR for all you serial # fans out there.

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Alan Connell at the start of the Petite Prix. This race was run at Oklahoma City in November of 1958. Ray Jones is on pole in his 500 TR Ferrari next Alan in his 250S Maserati then Jack Hinkle in his 200S Maserati and Bobby Aylward in his 250S Maserati. This is the start. Photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek.

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Alan Connell in his Birdcage with Ferrari power. Alan called it Ol' Blue. Note the rear wheel openings. This was at the Grand Prairie GP held in Stuttgart, Arkansas in May of 1962. Alan had been running 2nd to Hap Sharp's Cooper Monaco when he dropped out. With 8 laps to go. This was one of Alan's last races with Ol' Blue. I have heard from Tom Schultz and he has told me he saw this car run in the day and the color was Flourescent Green not the yellow that it appears in this photo. The color must have fooled the film. Photo lent site by Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Fading brakes after 500 miles or Alan Connell's usual aggressive style? Alan and Skip Hudson took this 335S Ferrari to second overall in the 1959 Road America 500. Photo lent site by Willem Oosthoek.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Just great , love to read and see new pics from that time. Never new his MasFer was yellow.

[Jerry Entin]

Alan Connell in his black Maserati 250S harassing Josie Von Neumann's 250TR Ferrari. The location is Avandaro, 80 miles North of Mexico City, in April of 1959. Alan finished 3rd, Josie finished 4th. Notice the crowd control on that mountainous track. Photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek.

[Jerry Entin]

Start of the Fort Worth Polar Prix at Green Valley Raceway, February 1962. Alan Connell in the #5 Birdcage/Ferrari, the RS Porsches of J.C. Kilburn #48 and Harry Washburn #47 and Hap Sharp in his #95 Maserati-engined Cooper Monaco. Giving chase are Delmo Johnson's Jag XK-SS with Chevy power and Homer Rader's Porsche. Connell won both the 10 -lap prelim and the 20-lap feature. Today J.C. Kilburn is still active in Vintage racing, almost 45 years after this picture was taken. Green Valley was a 1.5 mile course near Smithfield, northeast of Fort Worth off Farm Road 1938. Photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek.

[Jerry Entin]

Here is a great shot of Alan Connell in his Cooper Monaco. This photo was taken in July of 1962 at the SCCA National Race at Meadowdale. Alan lead 3/4 of the race before dropping out. Photo lent to site by Tom Schultz. Copyright 2006 Tom Schultz

[Jerry Entin]

It is my understanding that Alan Connell had the Birdcage/Ferrari repainted after Nassau 1961. Reports of 1962 describe the new color as "Brilliant lime-green", "electric chartreuse" or "Saturn yellow". Take your pick. On all period photos avaliable the paint job comes across as bright yellow, indicating that Kodak film could not handle the color scheme.

[Jerry Entin]

Start of the 1962 Road America 500 miles. With the kodak film of the day Alan Connell's #10 Maserati/Ferrari appears the wrong color again. Bill Kimberly is in the #62 Cooper/Maserati. Don Skogmo is in the #31 Tipo 61 Birdcage and #61 is Briggs Cunningham in the rear- engined Tipo 64 Supercage. None of them survived to the finish. Photo lent site by Willem Oosthoek.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Super-duper pictures ,thanks to Jerry and Willem.

[Jerry Entin]

Eddie Crawford, winner of the 1959 Road America 500 in a Cunningham Knobbly Lister, greets Alan Connell during practice for the 1959 Daytona National. Connell won the Daytona race in his Ferrari 335S. Crawford finished 3rd with his knobbly Lister. photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Close action at the start of the Septmeber 1959 SCCA National at Thompson, Connecticut, with George Constantine Aston Martin DBR2, and Alan Connell Maserati 250S and Bob Holbert Porsche RSK. Constantine went on to win, with Holbert second and Alan Connell fifth. Photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek.

[Jerry Entin]

Time hasn't been kind to the negative of this shot of Alan Connell and his Maserati/Ferrari. It was taken on October 29, 1961, before the Oklahoma GP at Muskogee. Connell took the hybird to it's first victory, beating Hap Sharp's new Cooper Monaco.
photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek all research by Willem Oosthoek.

[cstlhn]

Here is one from my collection

[Jerry Entin]

David: Thank you for posting your great picture. As I said in the starting Alan Connell had some fantastic cars and I am glad to be able to show them. The above picture is Sebring 1961. Car is Ferrari Dino driven by Ed Hugus and Alan Connell. Entered by Luigi Chinetti. Alan refused to enter his own cars in long distance races. Alan Connell is in the car. Ed Hugus has recently passed away.
research by Willem Oosthoek.

[karlcars]

Stupendous thread! Well done!

[Jerry Entin]

Glad you are enjoying the site Karl. This site couldn't be possible without the help of the Connell family sharing their great pictures with us. And the work of Willem Oosthoek in the research of the races.

[Michael Oliver]

Originally posted by Jerry Entin

Here is Alan Connell in his Long Tail Birdcage at Nassau his car is #55 was Ferrari V12 powered. He is followed by #12 Roy Schechter in a Lotus 19 and #2 Pedro Rodriguez in the Ferrari 250TR61 and then#4 Stirling Moss in the Lotus 19 and #24 Art Huttinger in his Lister/Chevy. This was in December of 1961. Photo lent to site by Willem Oosthoek.

Hi Jerry/Willem et al

This photo puzzles me a bit: I can find no record of Roy Schechter (Lotus 19) participating in the main Nassau Week event in 1961, the Nassau Trophy, which was won by Dan Gurney. Also, Moss stalled at the start of this race, according to the report in Competition Press (thanks Bob N for the scanning work BTW!) and retired on the first lap, so would perhaps not have been up with the likes of Connell and Rodriguez on the first lap?

Therefore, I was wondering whether the photo was taken in one of the preliminary heats and that perhaps Schechter had a mechanical problem in that event and did not take the start in the main race? This is the only reference I can find to Schechter racing this car, as well.

Another question: the fact that you know it was car #12 which was Schechter in a Lotus 19 (the car is quite obscured in the picture and certainly you cannot see the #) implies that you have an entry list or even a programme? If that is the case, does it have any info about the colour of Schechter's car or the engine/capacity?

[RA Historian]

Page 208 of the Bahamas Speed Weeks book has a color photo of Schecter in the 19. It is a bit hard to tell the color as it could be either dark green or dark blue. Maybe this will help.

[Jerry Entin]

Michael to start with I had a typo Schechter's number was 27 not 12. Also it was in 1960 that Moss had the bad start and had to be pushed by his crew not the 1961 race.

I further haven't said this is the first lap of the main race the Nassau Trophy in 1961. The way I know it is Schechter is by his helmet. It was very distintive. He had a 2.5 Coventry Climax in his Lotus 19. Schechter and Connell both had bad starts. It appears in this picture that Rodriguez and Moss are about to lap Schechter and Connell.

Moss dropped out after 27 laps and Rodriguez got a 3rd with 55 laps completed. Alan Connell was 4th with 54 laps completed. Schechter also dropped out as did Jack Nethercutt in his Lotus 19.

For reference material I suggest Willem Oosthoek's Birdcage to Supercage book and Terry O'Neil's Nassau Speed Week book. Both contain complete results of the 1961 Feature. O'Niel's book actually shows a close up of the late departing Lotus 19 of Schechter, who wears the distinctive helmet shown in the photo on the thread.

Hope you like the thread and again I say Alan Connell sure had some great looking cars. And thanks RA Historian for answering the color question. I am color blind myself. Have trouble with browns and greens. When I was in school the teacher once held up a card with a number, he said what number was it. I said 14. No one else in the class saw it. Man, was I embarrased. That is when they told me only someone who was color blind could see the number.

[Michael Oliver]

Originally posted by Jerry Entin
Michael to start with I had a typo Schechter's number was 27 not 12. Also it was in 1960 that Moss had the bad start and had to be pushed by his crew not the 1961 race.

I further haven't said this is the first lap of the main race the Nassau Trophy in 1961. The way I know it is Schechter is by his helmet. It was very distintive. He had a 2.5 Coventry Climax in his Lotus 19. Schechter and Connell both had bad starts. It appears in this picture that Rodriguez and Moss are about to lap Schechter and Connell.

Moss dropped out after 27 laps and Rodriguez got a 3rd with 55 laps completed. Alan Connell was 4th with 54 laps completed. Schechter also dropped out as did Jack Nethercutt in his Lotus 19.

For reference material I suggest Willem Oosthoek's Birdcage to Supercage book and Terry O'Neil's Nassau Speed Week book. Both contain complete results of the 1961 Feature. O'Niel's book actually shows a close up of the late departing Lotus 19 of Schechter, who wears the distinctive helmet shown in the photo on the thread.

Hope you like the thread and again I say Alan Connell sure had some great looking cars. And thanks RA Historian for answering the color question. I am color blind myself. Have trouble with browns and greens. When I was in school the teacher once held up a card with a number, he said what number was it. I said 14. No one else in the class saw it. Man, was I embarrased. That is when they told me only someone who was color blind could see the number.

Jerry,

My mistake, I was looking at the 1960 report in Competition Press but thinking about 1961!

I don't have the O'Neil book, unfortunately. Thanks for the correction about the Schechter race number, also. Not a driver I know anything about and doesn't seem to have been too active after 1961 either, apart from a recent flying accident, if it is the same guy!

[cstlhn]

The Ferrari 250 SWB at LeMans in 1960;





I have a particular fondness for this particular car. I used to look after it while it was owned by Jeff Hayes of Wyomissing, PA. It was red when Jeff owned it. I wonder where it is now?

David

[Jerry Entin]

Thanks David for putting up your fabulous color pictures of the Ferrari that Alan Connell co-drove to 5th at LeMans in 1960.

[starlet]

Originally posted by cstlhn
I wonder where it is now?

In a swiss (St. Gallen) private Ferrari collection.

[cstlhn]

I believe this is Alan Connell at Sebring in 1962. The photo is not very clear but I am guessing that the driver's facial features could be an indicator?



This board is great. Numerous very knowlegable people.

David

[Jerry Entin]

Thanks again David. That is Alan Connell driving the NART Dino 246 Ferrari. He shared the car with Bob Grossman at Sebring in 1962. Both drivers suffered from raw shifting hands after their stints, so George Constantine was driving relief for them. Then Luigi Chinetti put the Rodriguez brothers at the wheel, and the Dino promptly expired.
all research by Willem Oosthoek.

[ReWind]

Taken from the Social Security Death Index:

Alan CONNELL Birth Date: 3 Sep 1923 Death Date: 18 Aug 1999 Social Security Number: 446-24-9399 State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Oklahoma Death Residence Localities ZIP Code: 76107 Localities: Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas Westover Hills, Tarrant, Texas

Is this him?

[Jerry Entin]

Yes Rewind that is the Alan Connell of this thread.

[Haine Kane]

Originally posted by ReWind
Taken from the Social Security Death Index:
Is this him?

Ok but where he was born and die ?

[cstlhn]

Here is a photo of #1931 in 1987. A fabulous car!



David