Jerome C. Earl from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, in the Corvette SR2. Earl would later sell the SR2 to Jim Jeffords.

Words by Bob Birmingham
Photos by Glen Glendenning

A return to two SCCA race weekends made up Road America’s calendar for 1957, the first in June followed by early September. June offered four events, three on Saturday and a 38-lap feature on Sunday. All told the weekend was best described as fun-to-watch club racing.
1957 June Sprints, June 23
1957 SCCA Nationals September 7 (Saturday)
1957 Road America 500, September 8 (Sunday)

Branding the Road America 500. The 1956 September 6 hour endurance race, while interesting, was a bit confusing for spectators prompting Tufte with his team, and Chicago Region leaders, to make changes. The winning car in the 6 hour enduro completed 484 miles, and with that information, this year’s event would be offered as the Road America 500. Tufte was quoted as saying, “500, has a nice ring to it,” referring to the Indianapolis 500. Saturday’s program consisted of 3 races, each providing its share of enjoyable performances.

As usual, Glen Glendenning got around. Here he captured a famous guest of Road America. Janet Pilgrim (born Charlaine Edith Karalus; June 13, 1934 – May 1, 2017) was an American model who became a Playmate of the Month while employed at Playboy’s corporate office in Chicago. She was chosen as Playmate of the Month three times: July 1955, December 1955 and October 1956. We don’t know the identity of the guy with the goofy eyeballs.

Sunday morning brought sunny blue skies with occasional puffs of clouds as the swelling crowd, estimated to be in excess of 35,000, arrived and settled in to watch the 500 mile enduro. Blankets were spread, lawn chairs unfolded and the always welcome picnic baskets and beverage coolers at hand. The competition was tough as a steady run of drivers sought to improve the class positions but at the end of 125 laps it was Phil Hill’s Ferrari 315 first followed by Carroll Shelby’s Maserati 300S and Eddie Crawford’s Porsche 550 Spyder. All three soloed and as a side note the total winning time was 6:08:30, and they completed a few more laps than the 1956 Six Hour race.

A corner worker near the altered carousel with the drumlin now cleared to provide better vision of the upcoming corners.

The past few years had weighed heavily on Clif Tufte’s team but through it all they attracted a rapidly growing number of spectators new to sports car racing and perhaps just as important was the increase in earnings for Elkhart Lake and surrounding area merchants. The future looked rosy but before the first cars took to practice in June 1957, something would have to be done to ensure added safety to the long-over due carousel’s end – Friedman’s Corner. A portion of the drumlin* that dominated what would become the carousel was eliminated prior to paving in 1955 but not enough to provide a clear vision or understanding of what lay ahead for drivers continually at war with the never-ending off-road excursions after the carousel, and to that Tufte had an answer. In May of 1958 the remaining portion of the previously trimmed drumlin east of the track was excavated and removed to where drivers concentrating on the seemingly never-ending carousel could now see what lay ahead.

Glen Glendenning Gallery: June Sprints, 1957

Elisha Walker, Syosset, New York, Aston Martin DB2/4 entered by George Constantine.

Don-Warren, Alfa, Thiensville, Wisconsin

Elva, driven by Chuck Dietrich, Sandusky, Ohio

John-Middleton II, Barrington, Illinois, Ferrari TR (0622)

Loyal Katskee, Omaha, Nebraska, Ferrari 750 (0554)

Ebby Lunken, Cincinnati, Ohio, Ferrari TR (0658)

J. M. R. Lyeth, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Ferrari 375 MM (0364)

Jerome Earl, Corvette SR2. Grosse Pointe, Michigan

Wilfred Gray, Kurtis, Indianapolis, Indiana

Don Skogmo, D Jag, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Mel Cavin, Corvette, Lincoln, Illinois

Max Goldman, Porsche, Ann Arbor, Michigan

*an oval or elongated hill believed to have been formed by the streamlined movement of glacial ice sheets across rock debris, or till. The name is derived from the Gaelic word druim (“rounded hill,” or “mound”) and first appeared in 1833.

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.

Chicago Region officials were quick to review and address the previous year’s inaugural event as it pertained to driver and fan safety and the important role needed to be played by volunteers, mostly inexperienced corner workers. SCCA had yet to have a corner worker’s manual and therefore workers and marshals performed at risk to themselves and to hard charging racers.

In this article we will only cover the 1956 June Sprints.

Upon presentation to Clif Tufte and his lead staff, it was clear both organizations were on the same page. Tufte and crew addressed the need to make improvements to the overall physical plant – muddy paddock and other grassy areas needed to be seeded, haybale and snow fence placement moved, clearly crowd control and spectator comfort were paramount. Based on 1956 concession sales, coupled with an expected increase, a need to review and plan was imminent. There was a lot to do.

The June weekend program consisted of six races, three on Saturday June 23 and three on Sunday. Friday’s practice was not without perilous moments. Walt Hansgen had an off-road, twice roll-over excursion after Corner 6 in the Cunningham entered D Jag that ended with little more than aches, pains and paint scrapes on his helmet. Sunday’s 150-mile feature race was very competitive but in the end it was Carroll Shelby’s Ferrari 121LM taking checkered flag.

James Orr, Devin Panhard, placed 10th in race 6.

D Jag, Sherwood Johnston, DNF in Race 7.

Allard, Walt Grey, finished 14th, race 7.

Allard of Tim McGrade would finish 17th in race 7.

D Jag, Lou Brero, placed second to Shelby in race 7.

Walt Hansgen in the Cunningham D Jag DNF’d in race 7.

Major R.J. Wyllie in the Lotus during practice.

Bill Kimberly, Jim’s nephew, in a TR3 would place last in race 2.

Bill Lloyd, Maserati, placed 7th in race 7.

Phil Stewart, Maserati, came in 6th ahead of Bill Lloyd in race 7.

Jim Kimberly in OSCA number 5 getting even with Briggs Cunningham in OSCA #61.

James Rowland Lee in the Frazer-Nash.

Ed Crawford, #69, battles it out with Jack McAfee in dueling Porsches. McAfee would win race 3.

GM’s Firebird was on hand as well.

Note: No Ferraris!? We have saved photos of both the Ferraris and Corvettes at Road America for another article in VeloceToday. Also, for those who are interested in the race statistics, a great source is racingsportscars.com

Paul Goldsmith took the Jag MK VII to victory in the under 3.5 liter race. Photo courtesy of Bernie Silverberg Collection,

Story by Bob Birmingham
Photos by Glen Glendenning unless otherwise noted

NASCAR at Road America

On the weekend of August 11-12, 1956 a NASCAR group of mostly good ‘ol southern boys took to Road America in two events. On Saturday a 100 mile race for European and American cars under 3.5 liters and Sunday the 250 mile feature for American made stock cars. Saturday’s grid had a mixture of small European sedans, an American Studebaker and one Jaguar VII Saloon, the latter driven to victory by NASCAR’s Paul Goldsmith.