Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

[William K.]

Who was the Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

He sold the car in the fall of 1956 to someone in the Arlington Va./ Washington D.C area

Anyone remember the car being raced at club or national level in the 1957 season and if so what race

Picture of car can be seen at:

http://registryofcorvetteracecars.com/ee/index.php/site/view_cars/115

Red exterior
Red beige
White Cove
Radio YES !!!!!!!! unusual
RPO RPO#449 High Lift cam shaft. This option was only installed in 111 cars in 1956.

Also he apparently bought the car frm:
Rosenthall Chevrolet Arlington Virginia
but car was delivered by GM to Roller CHevrolet Monterey Ca. Around April 15, 1956 in time for the April 20 1956 Pebble Beach Ca first SCCA 1956 Season Champ race

Anyone who worked at either of these dealerships in 1956 remember any details

Bill Keogh e mail:wllmkeogh@yahoo.com Tel:905-8712341

[Loren L.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

At least get the color right - Red with Beige coves. Neither dealer was involved. Car was NOT originally a 240 HP. It was removed from the Motorama show in Oakland/San Fran and taken to the Oakland Regional office where some initial modifications were made, along with changes to a private entry '56 owned by Roy Storey, a Bay-area entertainer/Sports reporter who also had entered his 225 HP 3 speed car. Car appeared at Pebble Beach with a spare engine, Ed Cole's "personal" mechanic, Frank Burrell and copywriter Barney Clarke from Campbell-Ewald. It did not beat Mercedes in the race, but won its CP class. Car flipped and crashed later in the summer at Elkhart Lake, probably resulting in Thompson's use of the Dick Jess #106 '56 in WA and in Palm Springs, where they did beat the 300SLs. He was the CP Production Champion in1956. The car returned to Michigan.

[William K.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Loren

Thank you so very much for clearing up the history of this car

The fact that it was a Motorama car explains why the car picture in the pebble Beach photo has a radio antenna since it clearly was radio equipped from factory

I have forwarded the information to Jim Gessner at Hiatory of Corvette Race cars so he can correct the information he has on his site with respect to the car

It makes sense that due to product liability concerns GM would take car back to MIchigan .

They would not be able to sell car as new car so wonder what happened to it

Possibly used for testing ; maybe 283 motor put in it and raced by GM in 1957 season using another driver; GM exec got it OR worst case scenario sent to the crusher

I guess the only way to ever know is to somehow hope the VIN# turns up and see if car still exists

The picture of the car in the Pebble Beach race has 1956 California plates on the front but I have tried all the state, county and police sites and no records exist

It is funny that the car would have California plates on it in the race when it was a Motorama & race car only

I wonder if they just put a set of plates on it to get it to the track without using a trailor . Again very strange !!!!!

Bill Keogh

[Loren L.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Product liability had nothing to do with it - car was wrecked, late in the season, ie "last year's race car". Plates were probably generic plates available out of the Oakland Zone Office. I believe the car was trailered, because they also needed a way to get the spare engine to the track and to meet with Mssrs. Burrell and Clarke. Storey broke the motor in his car during the race and received the spare that had been prepared for Dr. Dick's car - extraordinary warranty for 1956 - or any other year.

[William K.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Product liability had nothing to do with it - car was wrecked, late in the season, ie "last year's race car". Plates were probably generic plates available out of the Oakland Zone Office. I believe the car was trailered, because they also needed a way to get the spare engine to the track and to meet with Mssrs. Burrell and Clarke. Storey broke the motor in his car during the race and received the spare that had been prepared for Dr. Dick's car - extraordinary warranty for 1956 - or any other year.

Thanks for the further clarification . If car was wrecked and back to factory it would never have seen the light of day again. That would explain why it has no record of beiong found after 1956 season

Thanks

Bill Keogh

[Loren L.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Your ability to jump to a totally unfounded conclusion is unequalled in the world.

[Steven B.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Were/are Frank Burrell and Paul Burrell related? Anyone know? I corresponded with Paul of L.A. in the early 70's as he was looking for info. on '53-'55 Corvettes, my '57, and E-Types. Paul was interested in buying some comp. parts. He got my info from ads I had put in the '53-'55 org's publication. I referred him to Sam, the Turkey Farmer, and some others. Thanks! Steve

[Loren L.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

No personal idea about Paul Burrell; Frank Burrell was an engineer associated with Cadillac (& Ed Cole), a partipicant on behalf of GM with the Cunningham Le Mans 1950 Cadillac effort. equipped possibly the only '50 Caddy coupe de Ville with a '49 3spd for Jim Gaylord at the behest of Ed Cole, won Sebring, acted as Dr Dick's on-scene mechanic during the '56 championship season, etc., etc. Dave Bartush may be related, and at the very least, knew Frank very well.

[Richard M.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Confirmed information in my possession states that Frank Burrell also headed up the 1956 Sebring Race Car Program.

I have been told that Dave Bartush was his nephew.

Rich

[Loren L.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Mr. Burrell was an integral part of the Sebring program, headed up by John Fitch. Chief on the GM side was Maurice "Rosey" Rosenberger, Chief Experimental Engineer, who originally started with GM's Hydramatic team in 1939, Rosey appeared at the Steamboat Springs NCRS convention in 1992, where in the middle of his talk, ZAD entered the room. Rosey interrupted himself to say "Good morning, young man" to Zora. John Fitch was also at Steamboat. In retrospect, NCRS should have provided martinis & whatever, videotape machines, said the words "1956 Sebring" and left the room.

[William K.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Loren

I am not doubting what you are saying do not get me wrong but I wonder if the vreason for the use of the Dick Jess #106 car was that he flipped the car the car in something like one of the fall hill climb races and not at Elkart Lake since in the Fall Elkart lake race he finished the race in 4th in CP. Unless they got the car turned back over after he flipped it
i.e.

http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Road_America-1956-09-09.html

Date: 9.9.1956
6 hour race
Road America, Elkhart Lake (United States), 6.437 kms
SCCA National Sports Car Championship (round 9)

19 position and finished race in last place
Car #21
Thompsom/Kinchloe
4^th position in CP class with Corvette C1



http://www.racingsportscars.com/driv...mpson-USA.html

4.11.1956

SCCA National Palm Springs [CP+DP]

CAR #106

Dick THompson

First Place

best wishes

[William K.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Loren

I was not trying to jump to any conclusion . Sorry if you misunderstood my comment

I was just making a guess since GM was known to be HYPER in those race years about its race cars being not being sold and the ones that got to dealers on a $1 basis being returned to GM even though we know that many were bootlegged out the back door

[Loren L.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

I don't know how "hyper" GM was against selling cars in 1956 - they did, after all, sell EX-87 and EX-122 in 1956; Dick Doane sold SR1s in 1956 at Retail, Jim Jeffords bought one of the Doane '57 race cars in '57, etc. In the late '56 hillclimbs, Mt Washinngton NH, finishes 1st; Giant's Depair, finishes 1st; Cumberland Hill Climb, finishes 1st - Must have "flipped" crossing the finish line . The result that you quote for 4th is taken from a page in the Nov-Dec 56 SCCA Sports Car AND IS A RESULT FOR THE THOMPSON RACES ON SEPT 2/3, 1956. The result for Elkhart Lake is in the next issue and reports a DNF due to CRASH.

[William K.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Loren

you are correct it was an earlier race at Elkart Lake with the DNF

24.6.1956

SCCA National Road America [CP]
DNF

As you indicated he switched to the #106 Dick Jess car

12.8.1956

SCCA National Seafair [CP+DP+EP]

From that point to end of season

4.11.1956

SCCA National Palm Springs [CP+DP]
#106 Corvette

http://registryofcorvetteracecars.com/ee/index.php/site/view_cars/114

Generation: C1
Year: 1956
VIN:
Race Numbers: 106
Ownership: Racer Brown Bob D'Olivio
Sponsors: Dick Jess, Chevrolet brand manager at Oakland, CA office. He sold to Racer Brown and Bob D'Olivo
Drivers: BILL POLLACK and Dr. DICK THOMPSON.
Status: Destroyed

I wonder How badly the original car was damaged when it went back to Michigan and whether it ever saw the light of day again

Bill Keogh

[William K.]

Re: Second owner of the 1956 Corvette raced by Dr. Dick Thompson 1956 SCCA CP champ

Forgot to add to earlier post

http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Dick-Thompson-USA.html

24.6.1956
SCCA National Road America [CP]
Car #11
Dr. Dick Thomposon
DNF
Chevrolet Corvette

http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Road_America-1956-06-24c.html

NUMBER OF LAPS complete 12

Category CP

Picture of Car racing with #11 is at
CF3012DickThompsonCorvette - Tam's Old Race Car Site
https://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/C...nCorvette.html Cached
#11 Dick Thompson Chevrolet Corvette