Pebble Beach 1952. Bill Pollack is about to win first overall in the most famous Cad-Allard of West-Coast sports car racing – here he’s about to pass Sam Weiss in the XK-120. The cars have just turned onto the main or pit straight and are coming out of a slight left hand bend. From here it is full throttle for a moment or two and then a very high speed bend just past the pits and a hard stop for a 90° right hand turn. Credit corsa@corsaresearch.com
Last week we published a tribute to the late Bill Pollack, and following that we received more interesting photos and comments, which deserve to be published as well. Ergo, here is a bit more about Bill Pollack with some rare images. But first, a few comments from our readers:
Another great one bites the dust.
–Ed Gilbertson
Well done all, on a subject of one of greats of all time.
–Bob Devlin
A great feature on a driver that I used to read about in the U.K. magazines of the early 1950s. Quite a character. Nice to see the picture of Bill with Lance Reventlow, who was a very nice young man who I spoke to at Crystal Palace in 1957.
–Eric Dunsdon
Nice article on Bill. Bill did 49 video interviews with car people starting in 2001. I helped Bill on the project from 2009 until the last one with Dan Gurney in 2012. Most done at the Petersen museum.
–Bob Schmitt
Bill Pollack agreed to be in my book “They Started in MGs.” In addition to his many other attributes, Bill wrote and spoke in a very colorful, very interesting way. Commenting on The Maestro’s test drive of the Corvette “Mule” at the 1957 Sebring, he said of Fangio “He had just set the lap record in the Maserati. He got into the car and took off out of the pits like a rocket. He did the first lap so fast that the suits from GM couldn’t believe their stopwatches. He set a time that was 2 or 3 tenths off the record. He got out of the car, thanked them and left.” Thanks again Bill. I’ll see you later — or at least I hope I will.
–Carl Goodwin
Bill Pollack and his wife Bobbi after winning Golden Gate Park in Carstens’ Allard in 1952. Credit corsa@corsaresearch.com
Bill in Lance Reventlow’s FII Cooper Climax at the last Paramount Ranch road race in December 1957. Credit corsa@corsaresearch.com
When Bill Pollack drove the well known #6 Bill Murphy Kurtis Kraft 500X Buick at Santa Barbara on May 18 1957 it was a bit long in the tooth for a race car. He came in 12th over-all and 4th in B Modified. Eric Hauser in the equally well know Balchowsky Buick,”Ol’ Yeller” won the event. I those days a photographer pass let you get really up-close and personal with the cars and drivers. Caption and photo by Allen R. Kuhn
1958 Times GP at Riverside: Bill in the Dean Van Lines Lister/Chevy. It was the last car that Bill raced. Bob Tronolone photo, Willem Oosthoek Collection
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Young, handsome and..Fast..!
Have to wonder which daughter is standing behind Bill
with his wife Bobbi.?
jim sitz
that’s Tom Carstens’ daughter Dede _
Great photos of an amazing driver! Out of interest, is that a camera mounted on back of Allard? If so, I wonder if there is any footage (it looks possibly like a film, rather than still camera). Or is it just my wishful imagination!
Nice follow-up on one of the founders of sports car racing in So Cal, Bill Pollack. Love that color shot at Pebble. Then I love any shots of Pebble. Always enjoyable reading.