Author Topic: Solved - MJW #199 - Smokey Drolet in J. Frank Harrison's Maserati Tipo 61 (Read 1552 times)

woodinsight · « **on:** January 07, 2011, 02:42:03 PM »

What car is this - easy I think.
However for the point - who is in the driver's seat and who owned the car at the time?

araknid · « **Reply #1 on:** January 07, 2011, 05:46:48 PM »

Looks like a Maserati Birdcage. No clue who the babe is.

araknid · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2011, 05:59:01 PM »

Yep. I'm going with a Maserati Tipo 61. The car was produced between 1959 and 1961.

araknid · « **Reply #3 on:** January 07, 2011, 06:20:50 PM »

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was Mrs. Casner, wife of Lloyd Casner, creator of the Casner Motor Racing Division team (Camoradi), a privateer who raced these cars in the day.

woodinsight · « **Reply #4 on:** January 08, 2011, 04:14:12 AM »

Very good - it is a Tipo 61 Maserati.
However it's not Mrs. Casner at the wheel and it wasn't owned by Lucky Casner at the time.

It was American owned and the lady behind the wheel was also American.

araknid · « **Reply #5 on:** January 10, 2011, 08:55:05 PM »

Car was owned by Jack Hinkle. The woman is his wife, Joane Haggerty

woodinsight · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2011, 03:48:57 AM »

Quote from: araknid on January 10, 2011, 08:55:05 PM

Car was owned by Jack Hinkle. The woman is his wife, Joane Haggerty

Sorry but not that - a clue - the owner's surname started with an H

araknid · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2011, 12:53:59 PM »

So, I suppose my second guess wouldn't be correct, either. Tracy Bird. I have a Lord Alexander Hesketh, but he's British, so it's not him. I'll keep digging. Any clues on the lady? Or will I be able to figure it out once I've identifed the owner?

This is fun.

araknid · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2011, 01:02:50 PM »

Dieter Holterbosch of Oyster Bay, New York

woodinsight · « **Reply #9 on:** January 11, 2011, 02:27:07 PM »

None of what you suggested so far.

The lady in the car was due to have raced it at one point during the Mr. H's ownership.
I don't think that happened but I'll fill in the background once the puzzle is solved.

The lady's surname started with the letter D

araknid · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2011, 02:48:25 PM »

Jim Hall?

araknid · « **Reply #11 on:** January 11, 2011, 03:02:28 PM »

Maria Teresa de Filippis

woodinsight · « **Reply #12 on:** January 11, 2011, 03:08:41 PM »

Not Jim Hall.
The owner's first name initials are J.F.

woodinsight · « **Reply #13 on:** January 11, 2011, 03:12:01 PM »

Not Maria Teresa De Filippis.
This lady is American.
Her first name was usually her nickname which started with the letter S

araknid · « **Reply #14 on:** January 11, 2011, 03:30:44 PM »

wow. I really thought it was MTdF. She was racing a Maserati 250F in the '50s and retired from racing in 1959 after her friend and team owner Jean Behra got killed in Germany. I sure thought it fit. Rats! I'll keep digging.

woodinsight · « **Reply #15 on:** January 11, 2011, 03:36:26 PM »

Keep digging and good luck!

araknid · « **Reply #16 on:** January 11, 2011, 05:04:23 PM »

driver: Smokey Drolet. Owner: J.Frank Harrison

Smokey (real name Sierra) Drolet was a regular at SCCA Regional events in the Southeast in the late 50s. She may have been from Florida originally. The first appearances that I can find are in 1958, when she drove a TR2 entered by and advertised for Garrard Motors in Pensacola, Florida.

By 1959 she had joined J.Frank Harrison's team, which operated out of Chattanooga. Harrison's files indicate he bought a Frazer-Nash [no vintage listed] in March 1960 and that it was raced by Smokey at Courtland on July 4, 1960. He bought the car from Jo Guild and had it maintained by Bill Warren and Bert Kemp. It may have been her only ride in the Frazer-Nash. Soon she would do the SW regionals with a Lotus and a Lola FJ, also owned by Harrison, who picked up FJ racing himself in May 1961.

the Birdcage was brand new when the photo was taken. It is chassis 2467, completed on July 12, 1960. It took a while to arrive in Chattanooga and was first raced by Jim Jeffords and Jim Hall in the September 11, 1960 Road America 500.
all research Willem Oosthoek

woodinsight · « **Reply #17 on:** January 11, 2011, 05:09:28 PM »

Perfect answer! well done
Maybe I have some more to post like this in the future so stay tuned!

araknid · « **Reply #18 on:** January 11, 2011, 05:11:45 PM »

whoo-hoo! that was hard

woodinsight · « **Reply #19 on:** January 11, 2011, 05:13:58 PM »

That's what AutoPuzzles is all about - all the easy ones have been solved by now!
Anyway glad you enjoyed it.

araknid · « **Reply #20 on:** January 11, 2011, 05:53:09 PM »

Gee. It should have been worth two points.

Here's a picture of it as raced by Carroll Shelby in 1960 at Riverside. He came in 5th overall

araknid · « **Reply #21 on:** January 11, 2011, 05:54:11 PM »

And here's a couple more pics of it racing at the Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca

woodinsight · « **Reply #22 on:** January 11, 2011, 06:01:28 PM »

Thanks for the extra photos araknid - it adds a great postscript to the puzzle

DeAutogids · « **Reply #23 on:** January 12, 2011, 03:45:50 AM »

Quote from: araknid on January 11, 2011, 05:53:09 PM

Gee. It should have been worth two points.

Here's a picture of it as raced by Carroll Shelby in 1960 at Riverside. He came in 5th overall

I have a scale model of this one, I think...

News:

Author Topic: Solved - MJW #199 - Smokey Drolet in J. Frank Harrison's Maserati Tipo 61 (Read 1552 times)