maserati birdcage

The Works of Willem Oosthoek

April 1, 2024 By pete

Interview by Pete Vack
From the Archives, February 2019

Most of us are avid readers, particularly of good, solid historical books which feature our favorite cars; the more detailed the better, with decent contemporary photos, chassis numbers, hardcore information that you can count on, preferably on nice stock and hardbound.

But few readers realize what goes into the making of such a book, and how difficult it is to find publishers. We decided to ask Maserati expert Willem Oosthoek how he did it and what kind of problems he encountered in writing his last three major works; in 2004, Birdcage to Supercage, in 2009, The Magnificent Front Engined Birdcages, and the three volume set, Sports Car Racing in the South,Texas to Florida, 1957-1962.

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Frank Lance, Lonestar Mechanic Part 7

January 8, 2024 By pete

Le Mans, June 1965. Saturday 4 PM and in front of a full house, the always spectacular Le Mans-type start. The white Maserati Tipo 65 of Jo Siffert makes the fastest getaway, but up front the Fords manage good starts as well, with Chris Amon [#2], Bob Bondurant [#7] and Bruce McLaren [#1] on the move. [Photo by Flip Schulke, Willem Oosthoek Collection]

By Willem Oosthoek All photos by Henri Beroul [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.

After the GT40 successes at Daytona and Sebring in early 1965, it was time to concentrate on the June Le Mans 24 Hours, for which a test weekend was scheduled in April.

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Frank Lance, Lonestar Master Mechanic, Part 6

December 11, 2023 By pete

Sebring, March 1965. Clad in his Carroll Shelby jacket, Frank Lance signals second place Bruce McLaren during a wet night. Donn Allen seems to be better prepared for the elements. [Photo: Frank Lance Collection]

Story by Willem Oosthoek
All photos from the Willem Oosthoek Collection, unless stated otherwise.

Enticed away from the Mecom Racing Team by Donn Allen, with the promise of a higher pay, and especially overtime pay, Frank Lance joined Shelby American in California. He left Houston in July 1964.

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Frank Lance, Lonestar Master Mechanic, Part 5

December 4, 2023 By pete

Nassau, December 1963. Frank Lance [right] and Roger Penske next to the Traco Chevy-powered Cooper Monaco that Penske would race. Lining up next, the 2-liter MRT Special [the original Zerex-Duralite], the Scarab/Chevy and one of the Grand Sport Corvettes. [photo: Frank Lance Collection]

Story by Willem Oosthoek
All photos by Flip Schulke [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.

When Frank Lance joined the Mecom Racing Team in November 1963, John Mecom had already been involved in road racing for almost two years. Not as a driver, but as a team owner. John’s dad, who ran an oil exploration business out of Houston and, at one time, was among the six richest independent oilmen in the world, would not allow his son to race himself. In 1962 John was 21 years old and his first competition car was a Corvette, raced by Frank’s former colleague at CSSCI, Bob Schroeder. He and Mecom made a trip to Modena and visited the workshop of Alejandro de Tomaso [essentially a two-car garage according to Schroeder] to become the Argentinian’s best customer.

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Frank Lance, Lonestar Master Mechanic Part 4

November 27, 2023 By pete

Daytona, February 1962. Two Chaparrals lining up for the start. Jim Hall would race the white #66, while Dick Rathmann of Indianapolis fame was assigned to run Harry Heuer’s blue #0. [photo by Art Huttinger]

Story by Willem Oosthoek
All photos by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.

With both his successful Maseratis sold during 1961, Jim Hall would race the new season with three other cars: the Troutman-Barnes Chaparral and a pair of 2.5-liter Climax-engined Lotuses, formerly Formula One cars, now racing as InterContinental Formula entries [ICF] in several USAC events.

At Daytona in February, for the inaugural 3-hour Continental race, the first two Chapparals built lined up next to each other for the Le Mans start. Hall did well by finishing 3rd overall behind winner Dan Gurney [Arciero Lotus 19/Climax] and Phil Hill/Ricardo Rodriguez [NART Ferrari Dino 246S], but Rathmann’s ride was outstanding. In spite of a delayed start, losing almost two laps due to engine flooding, and a time penalty for a bungled fuel stop, Dick broke the track record a number of times to finish 6th overall. According to the Daytona program, their Chevy V8s measured 5,227 cc [around 329 cu in] but that would change.

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Frank Lance, Lonestar Master Mechanic, Part 3

November 20, 2023 By pete

Mansfield, March 1961. Based on Jim Hall’s grimy face, a photo taken just after the race. From the left: Frank Lance, Jim, body man Foy Barrett and part-time mechanic Billy Billings, next to Jim’s feature winning Maserati 570S. Harry Heuer’s Meister Brauser Scarab is in the background.

As told by Frank Lance to Willem Oosthoek
All photos by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.

The 1961 season started well for Jim Hall. During the Polar Prix at Green Valley in February he raced a Porsche RSK to a feature win, beating preliminary winner Delmo Johnson in his Jaguar XK-SS [chassis 701].

Frank: “That was the former Penske RSK. Jim had a new Porsche RS-60 that he raced at Green Valley in August 1960, beating Delmo’s XK-SS for first overall. Roger wanted an RS-60 because Bob Holbert was beating him with his own RS-60. So, Roger made a deal with Jim to swap cars, although not engines. I had to remove the engine from the RS-60 and reinstall it in the tired RSK that Penske sent us. We took it to Green Valley in the new year and again won overall in a race against my old friend, the XK-SS Jaguar, now with Chevy power.

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The Long Life of Birdcage S/N 2452 Part 2

February 4, 2020 By pete

Riverside, October 1961. After a year’s reprieve, having just been bought by Harry Finer, chassis 2452 featured Bill Krause at the wheel in the Times Grand Prix. Its de Dion axle broke due to metal fatigue. Two Cunningham Birdcages pass in the background. (photo: Bob Tronolone)

Story by Willem Oosthoek

Read Part 1

During chassis 2452’s year of inactivity, tremendous changes had taken place in sportscar racing. The rear-engined revolution was in full swing and even Maserati had come out with a rear-engined model, the Tipo 63. The front-engined Tipo 61 Birdcage had been out of production for a year, so how would Bill Krause perform in this three-year old car. Well, not bad at all! At Riverside’s 1961 Times Grand Prix he qualified the Tipo 61 on the fourth row with a time of 2’06”6, despite dropping a valve during his run. He did feel bad about Connor losing his ride and offered him his own D-type/Chevy. It did not work out, since the tall Arizona driver would not fit the Jaguar cockpit.

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The Long Life of Birdcage S/N 2452 Part 1

January 21, 2020 By pete

Vaca Valley, May 1960. Bob Drake in the Lubin Birdcage battling Sammy Weiss in the former Jack Brabham Cooper Monaco. They finished 1-2 in this Cal Club event. (photo: Willem Oosthoek Collection)

Story by Willem Oosthoek

In a previous three-part article, we focused on

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