A couple of weeks ago I looked at Ed Arnaudin's photo of Floyd Aaskov's Lotus XI at Thompson CT taken in 1958, where you will find details about the
Lotus XI model.
Today we are looking Carlyle Blackwell's photograph of Jack Nethercutt's Lotus XI at Paramount Ranch in 1956/57.
It would appear that Jacks Lotus XI ran a similar 4 cylinder 1098 cc /67 cui Coventry Climax engine to Floyd Aaskov. One thing that stands out about Jacks car is how amazingly clean it looks, it looks as well detailed in many other photographs I have seen of this vehicle.
Records indicate that Jack Nethercutt started racing in 1956 with a Mercedes Benz 300 SL, oddly records indicate Floyd Aaskov started racing in a similar model 12 months later on the east coast. In 1957 Jack started notching up regular GM class wins on the West Coast and in 1958 he acquired a
Ferrari 500 TRC with which he started winning in the 2 litre / 122 cui EM class.
In 1959 Jack upgraded his 500 TR by fitting a 2.5 litre motor in and running in the 152 cui DM class in which he continued his record of accumulating class wins.
For 1960 Jack took delivery of a Ferrari 250 TR 59 with which he again took class wins in the 187 cui S1 division including a third overall in the Sebring 12 Hours. Half way through 1961 Jack swapped his Ferrari for a Lotus 19 and again running in the DM class continued his winning ways until 1964, taking a class win at the '62 Riverside 6 hours with a one off drive in a Morgan plus 4 along the way.
Records show that Jacks career ended in 1965 driving a Mirage Oldsmobile in the over 5 litre / 305 cui class still carrying the #102 but without much in the way of success.
Jack appears to have settled for running a
Mirage Chevrolet for Scooter Patrick in the first Can Am championship in 1967.
A similar photograph by Carlyle Blackwell to photograph above appeared on the cover of Road & Track in March 1957.
The caption read "It was dry and hot at Paramount Ranch, near Los Angeles, the day Carlyle Blackwell shot our March cover - but no hotter than the Lotus Eleven, driven here by its owner, Jack Nethercutt."
My thanks to Carlyle Blackwell who took these photographs, to Ed Arnaudin who purchased the copy in the 1950's and to his son Steve for sending me the scan, thanks also to Jean L and JB Miltonian at the
TNF Forum for their help in identifying the track and coming up with the R&T details.
I hope you have enjoyed today's West Coast detailed edition of "Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres" and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to
come back now !
The week started with a look at a recently rebodied Elva Mk III that is usually on view at the Bexhill Museum.
On Tuesday I returned to Len Miller's MG PA that first featured at GALPOT several months ago, the car is seen above on the premises of TLK Repairs, Purfleet, Essex after the great storm in October 1987.
January's Avenue Drivers Club meeting was the subject of Wednesday's blog, where the Mercedes CL 500 once owned by R2-D2 and later by Darth Vader was on display.
Americana Thursday's blog featured this 1926 Hupmobile Eight Tourer powered by an eight cylinder L-head motor and fitted with double tilt beam headlights.
A 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione was the subject of Ferrari Friday's blog, one with a competition history spanning the 1960 Tour de France to the 1964 Dakar 6 Hours.
Yesterday's post was about the Lotus Ford T 91 of the type that would be the last Lotus that Colin Chapman saw score a Grand Prix victory.
Today's blog is about a vehicle built by the almost forgotten make Paramount who used an aluminium over ash construction technique that is still found on Morgan cars.
Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #05/13" edition of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" I hope you have enjoyed catching up with the last seven posts using the linked text, and that you will join me daily during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !
