36 replies to this topic

[David Beard]

Can any one confirm this story or add any info....

Al Ross, driving a Lotus 16, took part in a “Exhibition Race” at Road America, Elkhart Lake June/July 1961 against Hap Sharp who had just taken delivery on the Cooper Formula I car that Jack Brabham had used in his test at Indy to see if it would be feasible to run in the 500. (That Cooper was kept as the back-up car during his May 500 race and Hap had gotten the car after the 500). At Road America the Cooper set a new lap record and the Lotus overheated warping the cylinder head because the engine drain plug had been removed to drain the fluids when air shipped from England earlier and Al neglected to tighten it before taking the car on the track and it only went a few laps.

[WINO]

From the first 10 years of Road America:

"Providing extra sparkle was the exhibition run by Hap Sharp in a Formula One car --a small 2.5 liter Cooper Climax. Sharp utterly shattered all records with the sleek machine, making a fabulous circle of 2:36.4 for a 92.071 mph speed, with his magnificent handling offsetting a comparatively routine 146 mph speed trap timing."

No mention of Allan Ross.

WINO

[David Beard]

Originally posted by WINO
From the first 10 years of Road America:

"Providing extra sparkle was the exhibition run by Hap Sharp in a Formula One car --a small 2.5 liter Cooper Climax. Sharp utterly shattered all records with the sleek machine, making a fabulous circle of 2:36.4 for a 92.071 mph speed, with his magnificent handling offsetting a comparatively routine 146 mph speed trap timing."

No mention of Allan Ross.

WINO

Thanks WINO. Can you give me the date?

[WINO]

It was the weekend of June 17-18, 1961. No mention which day Sharp performed, although he shows up at the end of the Saturday race write-up. There were four races on Saturday: 100 milers for small production, small modifieds and formula junior, plus a 12 miler for Vintage Cars. The June Sprints feature events were on Sunday, a 100 miler for bigger sportsracers and a 300 miles enduro for GT/production cars. No mention of a specific Exhibition race, so probably just a few laps around the track to please the crowd.

WINO

[WINO]

Coming to think of it, Sharp may have run with the Juniors, just for kicks. Hence the term Exibihition run. If true, it would have been Saturday June 17. Junior winner: Chuck Dietrich in an Elva.

WINO

[raceannouncer2003]

From "Today's Motor Sports", September, 1961

"Concurrent with the Formula Junior race, a lone Cooper F1 car, spare to the Brabham Indy Cooper entry, driven by Hap Sharp, Midland, Tex., took the track, and while it started seconds later than the Formula Junior field, soon took an unofficial "lead". It turned in the fastest lap ever run at Road America, passing through the timing traps at 146 M.P.H. Performance in the turns was completely fantastic!"

Photos (hopefully!) at the following, the first with a Lotus 16!

http://img214.echo.c...ajune1251wg.jpg

http://img214.echo.c...unep21267oj.jpg

[David Beard]

Originally posted by raceannouncer2003

Photos (hopefully!) at the following, the first with a Lotus 16!

http://img214.echo.c...ajune1251wg.jpg

Now that photo is interesting, but very confusing. The Lotus is quite clearly the ex Keith Finney chassis 367 (F2 Climax engine). However Jim Kaser did drive a Lotus 16 at Meadowdale around the same time, with an Alfa engine.

[xkssFrankOpalka]

I dont remember Jim Kaser driving the Formula car. He was an excellent driver, mostly in Alfas, who moved to Westport, Conn. to be SCCA Comp Chirman under John Bishop. I saw Hap Sharps run at RA, very impressive, I think He ran the Cooper alone as a Demo drive. Al Ross brought in one of the first front engined G mod Lolas in the country, he won most everything in his class.

[David Beard]

Originally posted by xkssFrankOpalka
I dont remember Jim Kaser driving the Formula car. He was an excellent driver, mostly in Alfas, who moved to Westport, Conn. to be SCCA Comp Chirman under John Bishop. I saw Hap Sharps run at RA, very impressive, I think He ran the Cooper alone as a Demo drive. Al Ross brought in one of the first front engined G mod Lolas in the country, he won most everything in his class.

Is it correct that Al Ross preceded Carl Haas as main US Lola agent?

[David Beard]

Originally posted by David Beard


Is it correct that Al Ross preceded Carl Haas as main US Lola agent?

And can anyone tell me if Al Ross is still around?

[T54]

Note that in these pictures, Hap Sharp's T53 Cooper still bears the centerlock 15" Dunlop wheels worn at the Speedway (the T54 Indy car had 16" Dunlop wheels) as a reserve car.
What the Elkhart Lake race report did not say is that this was not a 2.5 but a 2.7-liter Climax engine, the very one that was the practice engine at Indy. It had been installed in the reserve car after qualifying, while the race car received a new engine that arrived from England.

After the June Sprints, Sharp took the car home and installed that engine in his Monaco, then had Jack drive the car at the LA Times GP in October, and he won that race ahead of Bruce McLaren with the "works" Monaco now sporting the race engine from Indy. This is the engine that was sold to Roger Penske after the Monterey GP.
In 1962, the unique 15" centerlock Dunlop wheels from the T53 were then sent with the hubs to Joe Huffaker, who installed them on the rebuilt Cooper T54 now fitted with an Aston Martin engine. These wheels and their centerlock hubs still exist.
The T53 car was then reconverted to standard 15" 8-spoke magnesium Cooper wheels with the 4-bolt fixing, and this is how it remains today at the Speedway museum after it was donated by Jim Hall to the Speedway in 1969.

[Joe Bosworth]

Frank

I am quite certain that Al Ross's Lola was not only the first such car into the US but was also the first such car built.

For a good Al Ross story:

Al and Burdie Martin were good friends back in the mid-sixties, both raced MGTCs, white with black circular number backgrounds on the doors to carry their number. Referred to by some as the black ball TCs. One ran the stock skinny TC wheels, the other ran 16 inch wheels with more rubber.

After having done my drivers school at Stout Field under the tutelage of Bob Magenheimer, (4.5 Ferarri ?). I rolled up to the Lawrenceville (Illinois) Sports car races for my first race sports car race on June 10, 1956.

Interestingly, I qualified a row or two ahead of Burdie and Al in a multi-class field, about mid stream in the big field that included 1500 cc and modded cars etc. Al and Burdie were quick to come up and introduce themselves.

The conversation went something like:

Al: You went pretty well.

Me: Yeah

Burdie: Haven't seen you around.

Me: This is my first real sports car race.

Al and Burdie: Oh, you have never started a big race. Well there will be a lot of traffic at the first corner. (Which by the way was a double apex double 90 degree right hander). Remember to keep to the left side at entry in order to keep your speed up.

Me: Thanks guys!

Flag falls, whole field moves off, I stack up on the left side where the braking accordian slows the field. Out of the corner of my eye there go two black ball TCs sceaming by on the tight line into the corner. Yeah, thanks guys, won't do that again!!

Lesson learned.

Regards

Joe B

[RA Historian]

Following up on the race info earlier in this thread: Hap Sharp ran the Cooper T-53 in the 100 mile Formula Junior race on the Saturday of the 1961 June Sprints. As stated, he started late, turned some blisteringly quick laps, and pulled in before the end of the race. As Willem has mentioned, he turned a 2:36.4 lap which was considerably quicker than the fastest lap ever recorded at the track up until that time, which was a 2:41 and change by Augie Pabst in the Meister Brauser Scarab in qualifying for the July, 1960, USAC race. The next day Roger Penske set a new competition lap record in the 100 mile sports racing feature of 2:44.4, IIRC. Roger won the event by a whisker over Jim Hall. Both were in Maserati T-61s. SCCA did not count Sharp's lap times as it was an "exhibition" and not in competition. But those of us who saw it knew that it was fast!

Incidentally, the Junior race, at 100 miles, was taken by Chuck Dietrich in an Elva 200. (An ugly car, if I say so myself.) Bob Major was second in a front engine Osca. The 100 mile distance is probably one of the longer distances that Juniors ever raced, and it is the same distance that Juniors ran at Road America in a companion race to the USAC event in July, 1960. That race was won by Curt Gonstead in an MBM, with Jim Hall second in a Lotus 18, and Ron Letellier third in an Isis.

Jim Kaser did drive a Lotus 16 with an Alfa four at RA, but I do not believe that it was at this event. Off the top of my head I cannot recall the exact year, but it had to be in the 1962-64 range. Allan Ross drove a Cooper in the Formula Junior race in September, 1964, but did not feature in the results. It was a Cooper formula car, not a Junior, but I have never seen any info to tell me exactly what size engine it had, nor if it was a T-43, T-45, or T-51. A not too well shot photograph from the day seems to indicate a T-51, but I cannot confirm that. Perhaps someone out there has more info on this car.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by RA Historian
Jim Kaser did drive a Lotus 16 with an Alfa four at RA, but it was not at this event...

...in spite of the photographic evidence in the photo in raceannouncer's link?
Or are you saying Hap Sharp ran the Indy Cooper on a later occasion as well?

[raceannouncer2003]

Caption for first photo in post #6, June Sprints, Road America, June 17-18, 1961:

"The beginning of Revelation! Hap Sharp, #95, Cooper, and Jim Kaser, Aurora, Ill., Lotus F1 chassis with Alfa Veloce mill, line up behind field of Juniors, out of picture to right. Kaser dropped out, Sharp bombed the records."

Vince H.

[Allen Brown]

I remain puzzled about Sharp's use of his two Cooper T53s, the ex-Indy one which is said to be F2-12-60 and a 1.5-litre F1 version (F1-15-61 according to 'Cooper Cars') which Sharp drove at the 1961 and 1962 US GPs.

Willem has discovered that the F1 car went to Alan Connell early in 1962, leaving Sharp with only the ex-Indy car. This was the car Sharp drove at the June Sprints in 1964 and to win the Colorado GP as a Formula A car in 1965 and went to the Indy Museum in 1969 or 1970.

So what did Sharp drive at the 1962 US GP? Did he borrow F1-15-61 back from Connell or did he put a 1.5-litre engine in the ex-Indy car?

Allen

[RA Historian]

Originally posted by David McKinney

...in spite of the photographic evidence in the photo in raceannouncer's link?

That does not appear to be Road America in that photo. The combination of guardrail, elevation change, grandstand structure, and poles is not consistent with the track in 1961. I do not know where that photo could have been taken as I am not aware of where else Sharp and Kaser (if indeed that is Kaser; see next paragraph) may have run.

As far as Kaser running at RA in a Lotus 16, I did see it in practice at one event, but memory tells me it was a year or two after 1961. Muddying the waters even more is my recollection that the Lotus 16-Alfa had an exhaust pipe that ran out of the side of the engine compartment and went up and OVER the rear suspension. The car in this photo has a much more conventional exhaust arrangement for a Lotus 16. Could we be looking at a Climax engine car and not the Kaser Alfa car, as is mentioned earlier by David Beard in post 7? All the more evidence that this photo was not taken at Road America.

As far as Kaser running in the 1961 FJ event, I am not aware of that at all. I was at that event and took photographs of the race. I have several of Sharp in the Cooper, but none of Kaser in the Lotus 16. If it had been there, I would like to think that I would have a photo of it. In addition, I have seen no mention of that car at that race in any contemporary publication.

Of course, the great disclaimer: I may be wrong! But the above is what my feeble mind is telling me.

[RA Historian]

Originally posted by raceannouncer2003
Caption for first photo in post #6, June Sprints, Road America, June 17-18, 1961:

"The beginning of Revelation! Hap Sharp, #95, Cooper, and Jim Kaser, Aurora, Ill., Lotus F1 chassis with Alfa Veloce mill, line up behind field of Juniors, out of picture to right. Kaser dropped out, Sharp bombed the records."

Vince H.

Vince,
Where did that photo originate? As I mentioned above, everything about the background in that photo is foreign to the Road America track in 1961. Road America had two tier guardrail in front of the grandstand on the front straight, not one. The other grandstands at the track, at that time, were not is such proximity to the track as seen in the photo. The elevation change in the photo is not the same as at Elkhart. The gravel along side the track is inconsistent with the grass verge at the track. The pole is not the same as those at Road America, there was no bunting on the fence, the fencing at the track at that time was snow fencing while the fencing in the photo is not, and so on. All that tells me that the photo you have with Sharp and Kaser (and I believe that there can be reasonable doubt that the Lotus driver is Kaser; see above and post 7) was not taken at the 1961 RA June Sprints. Any clue as to where it may have been taken ?
Tom

[raceannouncer2003]

Tom,

That photo originated in the September, 1961 Today's Motor Sports, page 4, "June Sprints Road America", story by Budd Blume, photos by Sports Car Photo Service (photo was on page 7). Compare photos below, both from page 7:



Vince H.

[RA Historian]

Well I'll be a sonofagun.
I did not get to the front straight at the June Sprints that year, only watched from the back of the course. For the 500 that September, I was at this point of the track and the changes I mentioned above, two tiers, landscaping, etc, were done and I have that in photos. Further, the Lotus must have broken before it got to turn 12 on the first lap, because that was where I was shooting photos. The track was putting improvements into place that year, and the installation of the grandstands, guardrail, etc., were only partially done in June and were more finished in Sept. I assumed that they were in Sept. shape in June, and it appears I was wrong.

My mistake was relying on September photos to try to prove a June point.

Vince, I have to admit, I am surprised and, yes, somewhat sheepish about all this. : You got me. Learn something new every day, and so on. See the great disclaimer a couple posts back.
Tom

[David Beard]

Originally posted by RA Historian

As far as Kaser running at RA in a Lotus 16, I did see it in practice at one event, but memory tells me it was a year or two after 1961. Muddying the waters even more is my recollection that the Lotus 16-Alfa had an exhaust pipe that ran out of the side of the engine compartment and went up and OVER the rear suspension. The car in this photo has a much more conventional exhaust arrangement for a Lotus 16. Could we be looking at a Climax engine car and not the Kaser Alfa car, as is mentioned earlier by David Beard in post 7? All the more evidence that this photo was not taken at Road America.

Burdette Martin has told me he imported two Lotus 16s into the States, 367 & 368. The one in the photo is definitely the ex Innes Ireland F2 Climax engined car, 367, as repainted with fancy nose job in England by Keith Finney. The other arrived painted in David Piper's BP green, sans engine.

You are quite right about the exhaust on the Kaser car (368). Not only was it at high level but it was on the left hand side. I have a photo sent to me by Jim Kaser showing it running , believed to be at Meadowdale.

I'm intrigues me as to how the photo caption got so muddled.

[RA Historian]

Aha! Then I was not completely bonkers!

[Ted Walker]

I think the 16 has a Climax engine as the Alfa exhaust is on the other side(well it is on a TZ)

[RA Historian]

Apparently this car was initially run with a Climax. The Alfa engine must have been added later. (Probably blew the Climax and discovered it was cheaper to pop an Alfa into the car!)

[David Beard]

Originally posted by RA Historian
Apparently this car was initially run with a Climax. The Alfa engine must have been added later. (Probably blew the Climax and discovered it was cheaper to pop an Alfa into the car!)

No! That was a different car!!!!!

[Allen Brown]

Hang on, I'm confused. Is the car in the picture 367 or 368? If it's 368, and David's saying 368 went to the US without an engine, how come it (apparantly) has a Climax in the picture? Or did Kaser use both 367 and 368?

Allen

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
Hang on, I'm confused. Is the car in the picture 367 or 368? If it's 368, and David's saying 368 went to the US without an engine, how come it (apparantly) has a Climax in the picture? Or did Kaser use both 367 and 368?

Allen

It's 367 with Climax engine in the photo.

I believe the caption is completely wrong. It is not Jim Kaser, and it is not 368 (the car that Kaser raced with the Alfa engine)

[RA Historian]

Further, a look at the entry list for that event does not show any such car, so it was a late entry after printing. Also, since Sharp and whoever was in the Lotus were running in the Formula Junior race, not as competitors, but simply as extras giving an exhibition, they do not appear in the results sheets that I have seen.

The mystery deepens.....

Having already been burned on this thread, I'll let you work out whether that is Kaser or someone else.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by David Beard
It is not Jim Kaser, and it is not 368 (the car that Kaser raced with the Alfa engine)

But presumably Kaser had 368 mit Alfa by the time of the June sprints - else how would the caption writer have known of its existence?
When was the Meadowdale race?

[David Beard]

Originally posted by David McKinney

But presumably Kaser had 368 mit Alfa by the time of the June sprints - else how would the caption writer have known of its existence?
When was the Meadowdale race?

July 1961.....

[Jerry Entin]

This is according to the August 1961 SCCA Magazine Sport Car. The Formula Junior race held at Elkhart Lake during the June Sprints was a 25 lap race. It list the following Lotus drivers: #39 Dave Morgan who finished 3rd. #22 Chuck Hall who was 4th. #18 Harry Carter was 6th and #36 Bob Hurt was a DNF as was #4 Floyd Aaskov a DNF.
But no mention of a Lotus 16 exhibition by Allan Ross or Jim Kaser. Perhaps the photo was taken in practice or on the parade lap. Hap Sharp's Indy Cooper is listed under DNF, perhaps he pulled out early to give the real winner Chuck Dietrich the glory. As for the Lotus it may have pulled off before the flag was waved. Based on the contents of David Beard's initial posting, indicating what caused the car to malfuntion it seems more likely it was Allan Ross behind the wheel instead of Jim Kaser. For however short the drive was.
all research provided by Willem Oosthoek

[David M. Kane]

Bob Hurt the Indy driver? I met him once. He grew up in the the Kenwood section of Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

[Jerry Entin]

In fact, Bob Hurt was a sporty car driver for many years, long before he tried his luck at Indy type racing. Unfortunately he was paralyzed while racing Indy type cars. He had passed his rookie test in 1964. He broke his neck in 1968 while practicing for qualifiying. He passed away at the age of 61 in September of 2000.
research Willem Oosthoek

[raceannouncer2003]

Just found this...same magazine, same issue, Today's Motor Sports, September, 1961, p. 58...Lotus 16 to the right of photo...



and this from Competition Press, June 10, 1961, p. 5

"...Meadowdale meet held May 28...By far the biggest sensation of the race--and of the weekend--was a car that didn't finish. The Formula One Lotus-Alfa owned by Bill Vanden Brook and driven by Jim Kaser dogged the 3rd-place Ferrari for 56 miles before oil and clutch troubles put it out in its competition debut. But the car was bombshell to observers as its engine was an utterly stock, untuned, 1290 cc Veloce engine taken from a wreck and installed purely for 'Will it fit?' reasons. Potential imitators, including Roger Penske, flocked to Meadowdale in the guise of spectators with the news that the car would run. Top national SCCA officials and drivers were overwhelmed with the Lotus-Alfa performance and left Meadowdale convinced 'Comes the revolution, this is where American road racing is going!'..."

Looks like a different car and driver from the Road America photo. So is the Meadowdale car 368?

Merry Christmas!

Vince H.

[David Beard]

Originally posted by raceannouncer2003
Just found this...same magazine, same issue, Today's Motor Sports, September, 1961, p. 58...Lotus 16 to the right of photo...



and this from Competition Press, June 10, 1961, p. 5

"...Meadowdale meet held May 28...By far the biggest sensation of the race--and of the weekend--was a car that didn't finish. The Formula One Lotus-Alfa owned by Bill Vanden Brook and driven by Jim Kaser dogged the 3rd-place Ferrari for 56 miles before oil and clutch troubles put it out in its competition debut. But the car was bombshell to observers as its engine was an utterly stock, untuned, 1290 cc Veloce engine taken from a wreck and installed purely for 'Will it fit?' reasons. Potential imitators, including Roger Penske, flocked to Meadowdale in the guise of spectators with the news that the car would run. Top national SCCA officials and drivers were overwhelmed with the Lotus-Alfa performance and left Meadowdale convinced 'Comes the revolution, this is where American road racing is going!'..."

Looks like a different car and driver from the Road America photo. So is the Meadowdale car 368?

Merry Christmas!

Vince H.

How on earth did I miss this post. Yes, It was 368, Vince.

[agriffiths]

Can anyone provide the above Lotus 16's  Photographs again as the links don't seem to be working. apologies, I know this was some time ago.

 

Thanks

[E1pix]

I awoke today to this thread, saw the OP’s name, and in my near-sleep thought, “Hey, haven’t seen David post in a while!”

Then I immediately remembered… RIP, Buddy.