22 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

The February 24, 1958, issue of The Times of Havana has, in addition to a write-up on the short- lived Cuban Grand Prix to be held that day, an article on 23 year old Raoul "Sonny" Balcaen III, a self- educated automotive engineer." By the time he was 11, he could take an automobile apart and put it back together. He quit school in Los Angeles after the 8th grade, to his parents dismay."
After various jobs, Sonny ended up with Jim Hall in Dallas. "The inquisitive young redhead traveled with Jim Hall of Dallas, who powered his Maserati to first place in the 20-lap feature race at Fort Worth's Eagle Mountain Lake recently. Sonny is working on two projects besides his duties with Hall. One project, nearly complete, is putting Lance Reventlow's classic Bugatti into condition for automotive shows. The other project is designing and building a sportscar of his own, powered by a Chrysler V8 engine, no transmission, working off direct drive, very light with enormous brakes. The frame and engine already are built and Sonny says when the revolutionary sports car is finished, either he or Jim Hall will race it."
He was also in charge of the parts department at Shelby American. And also helped with Jim Hall's Lister-Chevy. And he was on the crew building the Scarab for Lance Reventlow. Working with master builder Phil Remington. Whatever happened to Sonny Balcaen III after that?
Above photo is Raoul "Sonny" Balcaen at the 2003 Scarab reunion held at Elkhart Lake.
all research Willem Oosthoek-photo lent site Warren Olson.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 08 August 2009 - 13:47.

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Raoul"Sonny" Balcaen outside the Scarab workshop in the Culver city area of Los Angeles. Sonny is behind the front wheel. Some pretty famous people are in this picture, on the ground looking at the fuel tank are Phil Remington and Harold Daigh, also in the picture are Emil Deidt the body man and Jim Travers and Frank Coon of Traco fame and Dick Troutman. The guy in the long shirt is Marshall Whitfield and in the suit is engine builder Leo Goosen.
Sonny grew up in the Playa del Rey area of Los Angeles. That is just south of where Marina del Rey is located at this time. His father was a pilot in the Old Army Air Corp service. Sonny's first interest in racing was in the drag racing field. At 14 he had already driven a dragster. His mentor in drag racing was Ed Donovan. And he raced at Saugus Drag strip.
above photo lent site Warren Olson

[David M. Kane]

There is some serious talent in that photo!

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Startup driving dragster that Sonny helped build when he was 17.
The engine in this car was called a GMC 12 port. Believe it or not it ran 152 mph in 9.6 seconds this was in 1955. Sonny would buy the Nitromethane in Long Beach from a company called Olsen and Rice. It cost between $5 and $6 in the mid 50's. The above track was called Santa Ana. They also had motorcycles that were very fast in those days.
photo lent site Raoul Sonny Balcaen collection

[Jerry Entin]

Side view of Dragster

Side view of GMC 12 Port Racing engine
photos lent site Raoul Sonny Balcaen collection

[bradbury west]

AS ever, Jerry, brilliant photos. I must admit, the dragster reminds me of the Alfa 160, 4wd experimental f1 which never raced, which Sanesi tested, with its very aft-situated driver.
Roger Lund.

[Hse289]

Excellent pictures Jerry, i bet the dragster was a scary ride.

[Jerry Entin]

HSE: As they say you have seen nothing yet. Sonny was part of the drag racing scene in the 50's and then he helped Jim Hall and Carroll Shelby in their racing. He also was a part of the original Scarab crew. He then was a part of Shelby America. This site is going to surprise you when Sonny gets me the rest of the photos.
I am waiting to hear from Sonny on how fast that dragster went. It was on Nitromethane. A little trivia on using what they considered Rocket Fuel is it was banned in 1957:

The National Hot Rod Association, founded by Wally Parks in 1951 as a governing body for the sport, wasn’t all that sure about the innovation of using Nitromethane. Boiling it down to the most simple language, these guys were putting rocket fuel in their engines and it just sounded a little too “hot” even for the hot rodders.
On April 1, 1957 the NHRA banned nitromethane from its sanctioned strips, starting a seven-year drought in the “official” evolution of drag racing fuel. It wasn’t until January 1962 when the Lions Drag Strip lifted the ban that things began to thaw out.

[HDonaldCapps]

Somehow, I never realized that he was that young while working for Hall and Reventlow.

The dragsters of the day were fearsome beasts. I remember just sitting in one in the pits when I was about 15 years old and realizing that I had a long way to go before I could even think about driving one of these things. That Sonny was driving one at only 17 is impressive to me.... And as for the Culver City photograph, I think Dave said it best....

[Lotus23]

Terrific stuff, as always, Jerry! I'd need the proverbial "double dose of brave pills" to climb behind the wheel of that thing!

If Sonny were 23 in '58, he'd have been born in '35 or '34. So when he was 17, that 12-port dragster photo would've been in '51 or '52. I'm intrigued by the "drag slicks" of that era, which we were discussing in another thread.

[Jerry Entin]

Joel: I believe I see a Volkswagen and an MGA in the spectator cars. The American cars look to be about early 50's vintage. Sonny said he was 17 when he drove the dragster. I don't think the MGA came out until 1955. Maybe that car looks like an MGA but it isn't. I am waiting to hear from Sonny.
Don: I am glad you are enjoying this thread. Sonny did have plenty of guts as they say to drive that baby.

[Jerry Entin]

Sonny Balcaen is going to clear up a few things I have said wrong. Mainly he started building the car when he was 17. Here is what Sonny has to say:
"First, I originally started building the car when I was 17. Frank Startup of Startup and Donovan fame was driving.The track was Santa Ana,California about 1955 or 1956. I was born in 1936. In drag racing we used 95 percent nitro and 5 percent of either benezine or ethyl ether. We experiment some times with a fuel called hydrazine. I originally worked for Pete Clark who was Rex Mays builder. Warren Olson hired me, and I worked for him many years. Carroll Shelby asked me to be the mechanic for a young Texan, by the name of Jim Hall. I worked for Jim before he built the Chaparrals. I then went back to work for Lance Reventlow and then Shelby American. I started my own company ,which made performance parts,which was named IECO,Inc. I hope this clears things up a little."
All the best, Raoul "Sonny" Balcaen

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 August 2010 - 20:23.

[HDonaldCapps]

I have to admit that I had forgotten what Sonny's first name really was and I had no idea he was a "III." My knowledge of Sonny's racing involvement was his time with Reventlow and Shelby American. I could not recall what his company was called, IECO, but knew it was one of those alphabet ones.....

One of the reasons I recall Sonny so well was that we struck up a conversation at an event and I somehow misspelled his name in my notes, duh, only to realize it later.....

Jerry (& Willem), I certainly appreciate and enjoy these sorts of threads since they both bring my attention back to drivers and events almost gone from memory as well as opening new doors to others.

The thought often crosses my mind at just what a race nerd I really have been back then. Like many, I loved it all and just lapped it all up, from the Sonny's to the Grand Prix J's to Possum, Fireball, the Jean-Whatevers, and the countless others who made up the broader racing scene.

[Lotus23]

Jerry, I hope others are enjoying this thread as much as I am. It's wonderful to have direct access to wonderful sources like Sonny who can tell it like it actually was. Thank you again for acting as a liaison.

I had no idea anyone was courageous (or crazy!) enough to be running 95% nitro that long ago -- and I certainly remember being disgusted with NHRA's fuel ban. (btw wasn't hydrazine some sort of "rocket fuel"?) Places like Santa Ana were magical names when I was hitch-hiking to drag races at Orange, Mass and Sanford, Maine in that same 55/56 era.

Don, I can relate to your use of the term "race nerd", as I was bitten by the same bug and treasure my remembrances of people/places no one now has ever heard of as much as those which have long since become household names.

[Jerry Entin]

Sonny Balcaen at 17 years of age.
Sonny will discribe this car now. It was a 3 port GMC engine powered dragster: " This is the dragster when I first built it. It used the three port GMC cylinder head which I then modified. The engine ran nitro and it timed at 136mph in 10.4 seconds at the Saugus drag strip. I was driving at age 17. Circa 1953 ."

P.S. Notice the seat was over the axle. Not a "slingshot" design as the later design which included a body. A true invoation at the time.
All the best Sonny.

[Jerry Entin]

Here is another view of the GMC after I set a record at San Fernando Drag Strip at 149 mph.
The late Cal Niday of Indianapolis fame is just to my right. The other people I can't identify.
All the best,RFB,III
photo lent site Raoul "Sonny" Balcaen collection.

[Jerry Entin]

Jim Hall's Lister Chevrolet
Sonny Balcaen built the engine in this car, it was a Chevrolet engine. It produced 325 H.P. on gasoline in 1957. The nose of the car was removed for pictures of the engine.
photo lent site Raoul "Sonny" Balcaen collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 27 April 2012 - 19:43.

[Jerry Entin]

Lance Reventlow and Sonny Balcaen and Jim Hall and Bruce Kessler
This picture was taken at Santa Barbara,California. We were all sitting about bench racing after the events.
RFB,III
photo lent site Raoul "Sonny" Balcaen collection

[Jerry Entin]

Lance Reventlow in his Scarab
This is from Riverside and Sonny is next to Lance Reventlow. The following is from Bruce Kessler. He will explain why Lance was in the car Bruce was scheduled to drive:
" That photo of Lance in my car was taken at the 1st LA.Times GP. I had the car on the outside of the 1st row. Lance wrecked his car in practice and asked if he could co drive with me. I said yes and he asked if he could start and I said ok. Johnnie Von Neumann ran into him on the 1st lap and he (Lance) was black flagged so they could make sure the car was not leaking fuel. That is when he told me to take over the driving. I was red flagged exiting the pits which led to the incident with Babe Stapp when Lance took a swing at him. What we had done with the #5 and #16 car was add side tanks so they would not have to refuel since the cars had not been built to run that distance. Chuck Daigh was on the pole and Phil Hill was in the middle, the theory was my car was lighter even though the rest of the competitors did know that, and I would try and draw Phil Hill out and then make a pit stop to refuel and would be on my own. It was a very hot day and Phil Hill and Chuck Daigh dueled during most of the day with Chuck winning."
above story told the forum members by Bruce Kessler

photo Tom Barnes.
photo lent site Raoul "Sonny" Balcaen collection.

[Jerry Entin]

This was the first outing for Jim Hall's Lotus 1500 twin cam car.

He competed against the Porsche RS 1500 cars in 1957. Sonny maintain this car for him.

This photo was from Phoenix,Arizona.

photo lent site Raoul "Sonny" Balcaen collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 December 2009 - 03:28.

[Jerry Entin]

Raul Sonny Balcaen and his tow rig
That is a 1938 Chevy and a single axle trailer. In the day it got the job done.
photo lent site Raul Balcaen collection

[Jerry Entin]

Bruce Kessler and Warren Olson and Sonny Balcaen
This was inside the Scarab tent at Road America for the 50th Reunion of the Scarab team.
photo Tom Schultz - copyright 2008 Tom Schultz.

[Aero426]

Nice pics. Missed this thread earlier. I like Hall's Lotus with the signature #66 on it.