17 replies to this topic

[Mike Summers]

I would like to get some input from those who saw or raced against Frank Monise during the 60's. In particular, I am interested in his races while driving the second of his Lotus 23's. Dark green twin cam with yellow wheels. I saw him drive at Riverside in the mid sixties. I understand he was a hell of a race driver............input anyone?? I know Jerry Entin raced against him.

Thanks,
Mike Summers

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Frank Monise with his Friend Steve McQueen. His friend Al Long in white hat. Lil Frank is next to him. Frank had his own Lotus and Foreign car repair shop in the Pasadena area of Southern California. He was a very good driver and mentor. Pete Brock used Frank for his Datsun Team in the late 60's.
photo by Hector Pimentel.

Frank Monise in his Lotus 23 at Santa Barbara in 1964.

[Mike Summers]

Thanks Jerry, I see you have gotten better at posting pictures......

I dont want to jinx things, but I am taking delivery of Frank's Lotus 23 that you posted a pic of in about two weeks. Maybe those out there can help me with my homework?? I am missing a couple of names in the ownership of the car. To my knowledge, the car (the second of his 23's) was sold by Monise around 69 or 70?? (probably earlier) There were probably a couple of owners before it got to Don Orosco then John Klug, Tony Seiniger and then to its present owner. Any help would be appreciated. Additional photos as well.

Mike

[Mike Summers]

Jerry, would you send me your email address, wanted to talk to you off list.

Mike
bluesbrother30@yahoo.com

[Gary C]

I notice Steve has both Porsche AND Lotus badges on his race overalls.......

[Bert Brown]

Mike,

If you want info about the races that car ran I would suggest you contact Frank's son, Frankie, at the shop in Pasadena. It's still open under Monise Motors. Frankie probably won't have much time to gab, but he knows everything about that car.

The car was sold by Frank sometime in the late '70s. I was in the shop one evening with some friends around that time and he showed us the original invoice from Lotus. Don't know if that paperwork made it through all the owners.

One hell of a car!

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

A point to clarify.

Chaps: I was aware of Frank Monise as far back as the early 60's with articles in R&T but never had a firm handle on the pronounciation of his last name. I'm figuring either 'Mo-neese' or 'Mon-eese' or maybe something else altogether. Please advise, thanks.

Is he any relation to the stockcar pilot, Patty(Patti)Monise?

[Frank S]

Originally posted by Manfred Cubenoggin
A point to clarify.

Chaps: I was aware of Frank Monise as far back as the early 60's with articles in R&T but never had a firm handle on the pronounciation of his last name. I'm figuring either 'Mo-neese' or 'Mon-eese' or maybe something else altogether. Please advise, thanks.

I was aware of Frank Monise well before the second half of 1960, when at Pomona he became known as "****ing Frank Mow-NEESE, the guy who paid absolutely no attention to the yellow flag, and who drove through my flag station at speed while I was at the edge of the course waving the yellow flag, and who while on the cool-off lap received a well-deserved rap on the helmet from another flagman".

He's the prototype recipient of "grudging respect" from many course workers. Another candidate for a bio/book.

--
Frank S
San Diego
CA USA

[RA Historian]

Originally posted by Manfred Cubenoggin


Is he any relation to the stockcar pilot, Patty(Patti)Monise?

Nope, because it is Patty MOISE.

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Frank: TY for clarifying that pronounciation. Dear me...shocking to read of such a lack of respect and consideration for the safety of the corner workers. In my competition days, I ran across a few such as this, too. The most glaring was a situation of double waved yellows, marshals at the dead run to get to an unseen problem around a corner and the three guys directly ahead of me running P1, P2 and P3 with me P4 not slowing in the slightest. I eased way back, got around the corner to find a marshal assisting a driver from his up-turned car on the edge of the tarmac. Knew right there and then that I'd never have the killer instinct to really succeed in the sport.

RA: DOH!!!

[Jerry Entin]

Manfred, they didn't have the killer instinct the guys in front of you. They were just selfish idiots. When course marshalls are on the course trying to help a driver in need, anyone who goes past at full throttle should be disqualified. These are just my feelings.

[jm70]

Frank has Frank dead to rights! I got into corner working in Cal Club in 1968. Frank got a black flag at Santa Barbara, and took a shot at the starter, Dick Kieth, with his car! That sure started a lot of talk on the land line.
The next race was at Willow Springs, and I was the Observer at Black Board. The Tower called, and said show Frank the Black Flag. I did so, and got the 1 finger salute. So the next time by, I showed him the flag with one hand, and held a bucket of cement in the other. Just in case he decided to take a shot at me, he would get the whole bucket in his lap.
On the other side, probabaly not a month later, we were all at a Wednesday night pre-tech, where you could get your credentials, and have your car checked to speed the process on Saturday. My daughter was probably just a few months old, and we had her with us. Frank came over and held her and was the nicest guy you could ask to talk to.
One final story. My dentist at the time, Tom ?? (memory is going) had a BMW 2002. He also crewed for Andy Porterfield and got down the road pretty good. He related a story about coming back from Willow to Orange County, the back way. He came upon Frank with his station wagon, towing the Lotus back to Pasadena. Tom tried to pass, and after the one attempt, Frank took off. He couldn't keep up with the BMW!
Frank, do you remember the time Frank and someone in a 911 had an altercation at Turn 6b at Riverside? Could have been Don Peak, or Don Peck, or Don Pike, too many Dons with 911's to remember. Ended up with both cars off course drivers right, and a fist fight ensued. As I recall, Frank had the foresight to remember to keep his helmet on!

[Jerry Entin]

I never knew the side of Frank Monise that didn't listen to the officials. I only knew the side that held your baby daughter. He was a great guy and sadly missed. I think if he would have got the cement treatment that might have cured him. I was at a race at San Luis Obispo with Frank Monise. I was driving Ol Yaller 2. He was in his Lotus 23. This was in 1964. Frank came up to me and said do you want to put on a good race for the fans. I said sure. When the race started he let me in the lead. After a few laps I waved him by. We went back and forth. After the race people were coming up and saying. "We thought you had him". He was way faster and way more experienced then me. He just wanted to give the fans their monies worth. He was a great guy!
Dick Keith and all the officials of the Cal Club were a very nice group of guys and girls.

[Mike Summers]

Hello Jerry and group. Well, Franks green Lotus 23, the one you submitted a picture of at Santa Barbara, is now safe and warm in my garage in Sacramento. I picked it up in So Cal on Thursday. Prior to heading north, I stopped by Frank Monise Motors in Pasadena. Frank Jr. had been a huge source of info on the car and his dad prior to my purchase. When I walked in the door, he waved an old, greasy envelope. "I think this is something you want". Lo and behold, Frank came up with the original shipping invoice for the car. Complete with car numbers! Frank spent some time in the trailer checking out his dads old car. He had a big smile on his face. He put me in touch with his brother Howard, within a couple of days I had spread sheet of nearly 200 races that Frank Sr. had entered and raced in with my new car!! Amazing!!

I enjoyed hearing stories from Frank Jr. about his dad..........seems like quite a character.

Mike Summers

[raceannouncer2003]

Mike

Wow...great stuff!

Frank, Jr. was apparently at the Fabulous Fifties banquet last Wednesday...didn't get to talk to him, though.

Vince H.

[Mike Summers]

He mentioned that.....

Thursday night, my wife came out into the garage about 11pm. I was in my pajamas sitting in the car, "it will be there tomorrow, come inside".

I have spoken to both Frank and Howard about returning the car to its original livery when their dad raced it. They were both very excited about that. First test day should be in late January, first race around March.

Mike

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Mike's baby finally home where it belongs.
photo Mike Summers

[Rupertlt1]

In the case of Frank Monise

the colorful, neat-driving Pasa-

dena mechanic, finally taking

delivery of his long-awaited

Lotus 23 sports car last Sun-

day at the San Luis Obispo

races didn't hurt his chances

of winning the main event

any.

So everything worked out—

and ended—ok.

But for awhile there—like

about the last four months—

things have been rocky for

Frank.

He'd ordered one of the new

super-low Lotus 23s clear back

in March. As the leading

small modified car driver in

the west, he was told a 23

would be shipped to him im-

mediately. So he sold his

trusty red-and silver Mk. XI

Lotus in anticipation of receiv-

ing the new car.

But time—weeks, days, and

finally months went by. The

new machine didn't arrive. He

missed race after race.

"Looks like I'm really

retired from racing, and don't

know it," he said.

That's why the car finally

getting here last Sunday was

a happy ending.

Even with trouble from

weak shock absorbers, Monise

drove the daylights out of the

23, beating John (Bat) Master-

son's Porsche RS60 to the flag,

despite a spin early in the race

that kicked him out of the lead

and gave it to Masterson.

Frank's setting the 23 up for

next weekend's (August 18-19)

USSCC Pomona races. It'll be

an entry to watch.

Pasadena Independent, Thursday 16 Aug 1962, Page 21

 

Pasadena's Frank Monise, owner of the sole Lotus 23 in

the state, has entered the machine this weekend. Monise, a

skilled veteran driver, formerly chauffered older model

Lotuses.

He took delivery of the 23 two weeks ago at the San

Luis Obispo races where he scored a resounding victory.

"It's just an amazing car." the 38-year-old mechanic said.

"And it not only handles perfectly, its quite fast."

The flame-red machine is powered by a small 1100cc Eng-

lish Ford Engine.

Progress-Bulletin, Friday 17 Aug 1962, Page 21

 

So which car was it? Monise took delivery 11-12 August 1962 at San Luis Obispo.

 

This may fit somewhere (presumably 23-S-4):

The Los Angeles Times, Sunday 5 Aug 1962, Page 328

LOTUS 23 Sebring car-Special gus-

seting, distance tanks, FIA screen,

VW close ratio gearbox. $7495. Write

or call T. Orlando at Italian Motors.

14801 E. Jefferson, VA. J-1600, Detroit.

 

Who is driving the red #246 Lotus 23 at Cotati here? Rich Erickson, G-Mod.

https://library.revs...l-cotati/367059

 

https://library.revs...l-cotati/404174

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 24 February 2023 - 06:04.