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Bill Kimberly

Road America, 1956 June Sprints

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Jim Kimberly in the OSCA coming down the hill into turn five.

Text by Robert Birmingham
Photos by Glen Glendenning

Road America June Sprints, 23-24, 1956

After an exuberant late 1955, an abbreviated time to sit back and smell the roses was shortened even more when the Chicago Region SCCA received approval to hold two race weekends at Road America, the first on June 23 – 24, 1956 and another on September 8 – 9. If that wasn’t ambitious enough, the National Association for Stock Car Racing’s (NASCAR) Grand National Series secured a race date in August. Clearly all involved, Clif Tufte and his extended team, local merchants and SCCA officials, had their winter hours spoken for to assure competing drivers and their respective teams, area merchants and attending fans from across the Midwest and beyond had safe, enjoyable and profitable summer. [Read more…] about Road America, 1956 June Sprints

Sebring 1960: The Final Hours

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Alan Connell in the Ferrari California [chassis 1603] he shared with owner George Reed. Connell flogged the car and ran as high as 3rd overall after ten hours, before the drivers had to settle for a 5th place at the finish.

By Willem Oosthoek
All photos taken by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection]


This gorgeous 250GT [chassis 1773] was entered by Luigi Chinetti’s NART for George Arents [here] and Bill Kimberly. They ended 7th overall, one of the six GT Ferraris finishing in the top ten. It showed the reliability of these cars.

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Sliding into the Archives

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The below image of Paul Wilson’s Alfa 6C 2500 is the first in a slideshow; the directions are to look at the photo, and do one of two things: either click on the arrow at the center of the photo to go to the article itself, or, click on the arrow that appears on the right and left side of the photo. This will bring you to the next story, if right, or previous story, if left arrow is selected. Hence, a slide show, scrolling left and right instead of up and down.

This slide show of fourteen stories clearly demonstrates the excellence, depth and range of stories that appear every week in VeloceToday, authored by top writers and photographers from the U.S., UK, Belgium, Australia, France and Italy. [Read more…] about Sliding into the Archives

The Racing Career of Bill Kimberly Part 6

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Le Mans, June 1963. Aston Martin’s project cars during practice, headed by the DP 215 of Phil Hill/Lucien Bianchi. Bill Kimberly is seen next to his #7 DB4GT, internally known as DP 214. (Ed Matsuishi)

By Willem Oosthoek

After a disappointing finish with the Cunningham Jaguar E-type at Sebring in March 1963, Bill Kimberly picked up his corporate job in London again and did not expect to do much racing for the rest of the season, with -perhaps- Le Mans and the Cunningham team being the exception. An unexpected call changed things completely, thanks to one of Bill’s occasional boarders in the London apartment. [Read more…] about The Racing Career of Bill Kimberly Part 6

The Racing Career of Bill Kimberly Part 5

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Le Mans, June 1962. The Kimberly/Thompson Tipo 151, chassis 006, being pushed to its start position. On the left Maserati suspension designer Gianpaolo Dallara and chief mechanic Guerrino Bertocchi, on the right Cunningham team manager John Baus. (Flip Schulke)

By Willem Oosthoek

The 1962 season would turn out to be a low point in term of the number of race appearances for Bill Kimberly. Occupied with his corporate job at Kimberly-Clark in London, and with his Ferrari 500TR sold, he appeared trackside only twice. But they were memorable rides, both again with the Briggs Cunningham team.

Although Briggs showed up in force at Sebring in March, Bill was unable to make it. But in Europe competition would be easier to arrange based on his vacation days. Across the English Channel, Le Mans was only a short distance away. [Read more…] about The Racing Career of Bill Kimberly Part 5

The Racing Career of Bill Kimberly Part 4

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Road America 500, Wisconsin, September 1961. Bill Kimberly in the brand-new, but badly running chassis 63.002. Note the redundant full width FIA windshield and the air hoses for cockpit cooling. (Willem Oosthoek Collection)

By Willem Oosthoek

With a busy corporate schedule at Kimberly-Clark in Connecticut, Bill Kimberly had fewer opportunities to race during the 1961 season. As a regular “working stiff” his number of vacation days were limited, so invitations by Briggs Cunningham for Sebring, Le Mans and Road America were welcome. Briggs’ mechanics would do the preparations on the cars that Bill would race, another time and money saver for the amateur race driver.

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The Racing Career of Bill Kimberly, Part 3

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Le Mans, June 1959. Bill Kimberly and E.D. Martin taking E.D.’s Ferrari 250TR through the scrutineering process. (Henri Beroul)

Story by Willem Oosthoek

Expecting an early sprint contest between the Ferrari and Aston Martin works entries at the 1959 Le Mans 24 hours, E.D. and Bill decided to drive at a conservative pace early on and see what would happen. After seven hours they had reached 10th place, climbing to 9th overall in the next hour. Bill: “We were very careful not to overdo it and we stayed very close to our set lap times. Then transmission trouble struck, and we had to retire. We were running 8th overall when it happened.” They completed 108 laps in nine hours.

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The Racing Career of Bill Kimberly Part 2

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Gulf Coast Region’s SCCA executive Bill Kimberly posing with his 2-liter Ferrari 500TR (chassis 0642) at Pensacola’s Corry Field Naval Air Station in April 1959. (Willem Oosthoek Collection)

By Willem Oosthoek

With his purchase of the Ferrari 500TR previously raced by Chick Butscher and Lucky Casner, Bill Kimberly finally had an opportunity to contest feature victories in SCCA Regionals. It would prove difficult, though, as competition in the Southeast was stiff for a more than two-year old, mid-sized bolide.

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Inspired by Uncle Jim: The Racing Career of Bill Kimberly

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Pensacola, Florida, April 1959. Bill Kimberly, Executive of the SCCA’s Gulf Region, in his 2-liter Ferrari 500TR, chassis 0642. (Willem Oosthoek Collection)


By Willem Oosthoek Part 1

It all started way back in 1872, when four men partnered up to establish a paper mill in Neenah, Wisconsin. By 1880 the fast-growing business was incorporated under the name Kimberly-Clark, with one of the partners, John Kimberly, serving as its CEO. One of John’s grandsons, James “Jim” Kimberly eventually ran the business until 1950, when he retired to concentrate on a new full-time hobby: sports car racing. Jim’s job as Chairman and CEO was taken over by his brother Jack Kimberly, who happened to have a young son, soon to be fascinated with Uncle Jimmy’s new hobby. That son was Bill Kimberly, and in spite of their age difference, Jim and Bill are often confused when it comes to motor racing history.

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