8 replies to this topic

[NGSmith]

Does anyone have any information on Gustav Mason O'kieff? He owned and drove several cars as early back as a Jaguar C type, a Lotus 23, Mclaren M1, Lotus 27 and a few others from what I can tell. I am trying to find any real information about him particularly with the Lotus 23. Any help is appreciated.

Nick

[Jerry Entin]

Mason O'Keiff was a driver from Texas who raced from the late fifties, a chevy-powered C-Type Jaguar, a Kurtis, a Lotus 23 and various other cars. In the program for the August 1963 Carrera de la Capital in Austin, Texas, organized by the Alamo Region of the SCCA, his address is listed as:
3614 Glen Arbor, Houston, Texas. Unlikely this is still his current address.
At Austin he was entered in a FM class Lotus 23. I have a photo of him in the Lotus 23 after winning the March 1963 Mansfield, Louisiana feature at DeSoto Parish Airport, organized by the Red River Region of the SCCA. Will post it as soon as I find the photo.
All research Willem Oosthoek.

[NGSmith]

Thanks Jerry,

How did I know you would respond to this As usual you are a wealth of information!

Nick

[Jerry Entin]

Nick: Here is a photo of Mason O'Keiff as it appeared in the September of 1963 race program for the races held at Mansfield, Louisiana. Mason always used the number #12.
About his early days: He ran a black C-Type Jag with Chevy power in 1958 and 1959, at tracks such as Galveston, Eagle Mountain and Hammond. In 1960 at Galveston he showed up with a black Kurtis. Alot of his results appear in the Bollee/Oosthoek book Maserati 450S, including a shot of the black Jaugar C-Type at Eagle Mountain in February of 1959.
He ran a Lotus 23 in 1963 and appeared at Green Valley in April 1964 with what was described as a Lotus Formula Libre. In race #6 O'Keiff finished 2nd to Delmo Johnson's Corvette Grand Sport. In the feature he finished 2nd behind Harry Washburn's 2.5 Liter Cooper Intercontinental, the former Alan Connel car.
All research Willem Oosthoek.

[NGSmith]

Thanks again Jerry,

I never had any real history of the fisrt events of my 23 except factory invoices saying that is was originally sold to O'keiff. I have all of the history after he sold it but was curious what happened during his days with it. It is fun digging this up. Does anyone know if he is still around?
Nick

[raceannouncer2003]

Nick

Did you get my email?

Vince H.

[NGSmith]

Yes I just sent a reply. Thanks for the contact info. Unfortunatly I just learned from his son that he passed away last January.

Nick

[Lotus11Register]

Lee Lilley looked after Mason O'Keife's racing stable. Lee was the ex-CAMORADI technical guru, who left Florida and moved his operation to Texas in 1963. This photo shows Lee's Dallas area shop. Some, if not most, of the cars in this photo belonged to O'Keife.

I could put you in contact with Lee, but no guarantee he would remember much about any particular car. Email me through www.lotuseleven.org

[Weltmeister1969]

I realize this is an old post, but I’m interested in any color photos of Mason O’Kieff’s McLaren M1B, “Big Mother.” I’ve come across a few B&W photos, but have been unsuccessful in finding anything in color. He campaigned the car in the 1966 and 1967 USRRC seasons at Riverside, Stardust, and Laguna Seca.  believe the scheme is white with red stripes running laterally across the nose and rear deck. Does anyone know for certain? Thanks