Bob Olthoff

I heard today from Andre that Bob Olthoff has sadly passed away. Bob will be best remembered for his days at Willment, notably racing the Willment Cobra Coupe. There were other very successful campaigns, and I'm sure Andre has many more anecdotes to share.

One story I have turned up about Bob while researching the Lola MK6 GT typifies his determination.

After the distributor drive sheared off the Lola at the 1963 Nurburgring 1000km, Bob was desperate to get back to the crew in the pits to let Eric Broadley know that the GT was not completely wrecked - and that it was not his fault - Eric already had a downer on Bob because he had jammed the car in 2nd gear in practice just after the pits, and he had to nurse the car for a total of nearly 14 miles before the pits came round again.

Trying to climb the fence for the shortest way back through the infield, Bob came across the long arm of the German Polizei. Having been pulled off the fence by the policeman for the fifth time, Bob, sitting astride the fence, finally had enough, smacked the policeman in the face with his gloved fist and made a dash for it. While Bob was swallowed up by a mass of spectators, the policeman, now flat on his back with his cap a few yards away, was last seen reaching for his gun...

Thankfully, Bob survived that encounter to win many more races and provide many more tales.

May he rest in peace.

Rob
 

Ron Earp

Admin
That is too bad. I saw Bob a year or two ago (maybe longer) at Olthoff Racing here in North Carolina where they sell the Superformance cars. Really nice guy and he would take the time to talk to anybody (me) about the cars and history. My condolences to the family.

Ron
 
I saw Bobby in action in the fearsome White Galaxie around Kyalami in the sixties, duking it out with Basil van Rooyen and Basil Green, both in Lotus Cortinas. The memories of those races are printed in my brain forever.

RIP Bobby.

Here's a article from a local site -

Bob Olthoff, well known in international motor sport circles and the South African race car driver that won the most races in track racing history, passed away in North Carolina, USA, after a brief but fierce fight against cancer.

Beloved husband, father and friend of so many in South Africa and in his adopted country he passed away Sunday morning, April 18th, at Rowan Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, NC.

Bob, his wife Baby and son Dennis emigrated to the USA in 1997. Together they opened the Southeastern distributorship for Superformance, the US distributors of replica sports cars manufactured by Jim Price’s Hi-Tech Automotive in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Born in Pretoria in 1937, he attended Krugersdorp High School. He began racing early and achieved considerable success in his native South Africa. His skill caught the attention of local promoters and he was encouraged to move to Europe. He successfully raced the MGA and Austin-Healy in both Europe and the United States and landed a spot developing and racing the legendary Cobras with the John Willment team.

After the Cobras won the World Manufacturers Championship, Bob returned to South Africa with a stable of Willment cars including two Cobras and a Holman-Moody prepared 427 Ford Galaxie, with which he won the Saloon Car Championship. He won the Sports Car Championship in 1966 and 1967, the Formula 5000 Championship in 1970, and set the South African land speed record at 178 mph on a closed public road in a McLaren-Elva that Bob personally owned, developed and drove.

In his long and successful career, Bob earned over 140 victories making him the most successful racer in South African history. His skills were not limited to the tracks. He also enjoyed considerable success as an off-road racer and in airplane racing with his Tiger Moth and other aircraft.

Bob and Dennis, a talented and successful race driver in his own right, have successfully raced the Superformance machines throughout the United States, adding considerably to their string of victories. Not only did his expertise in technical development and driving contribute considerably in establishing Superformance in the United States, but Bob was a friend and mentor to many who wanted to own and skillfully drive a high performance sports car.

Bob is survived by his wife Baby of Mt. Ulla, their son Dennis Olthoff of Salisbury and wife Alison and son Emery, and their daughter Cheryl Pogson of Hermanus, South African and her husband Merlin and children Kaylyn and Aiden.
 
For 20 l-o-n-g years I've been writing a book on the history of the original Kyalami circuit (1961-1987). It would appear that fate has been kind to me with regard to the time taken. Due to the worldwide explosion in classic motor racing during the past few years, a current wave of nostalgia and an increased interest in anything from the past, time to publish is this year.

There's a section called 'Kyalami Characters' with profiles on David Piper (six times winner of the Nine Hour), Jochen Mass, Jody Scheckter and several local drivers. As Bob Olthoff and Tony Maggs were main players in the early days they each have a dedicated chapter.

As a tribute to Bob I attach his full chapter in the book. Apart from tales about Bob there are some interesting historical motor racing snippets.

Highlights from Tony's career as follows:

Born in Pretoria, February 9, 1937.

Father, Col Eugene O'Connell Maggs expected his son to follow family tradition by becoming a military man. No such luck!.

Went to England in 1959 and with a South African friend bought two second hand Lotus 11s. Raced all over England on a shoestring.

In 1961 invited with John Love, from Southern Rhodesia, by Ken Tyrrell to join his Formula Junior team. Raced all over Europe. Drove an Aston-Martin DBR 1-300 at Le Mans with Roy Salvadori. Drove a Lotus in the British Grand Prix at Aintree and finished in 13th spot.

Joined the Cooper team in 1962 as works driver with Bruce McLaren. Second in French GP. Second in the Kyalami Nine Hour in an Austin-Healey 3000 with Bob Olthoff.

In 1963 drives in the Lola MK6 also Le Mans in a works Porsche eight cylinder with Jo Bonnier. Second again in the French GP behind Jim Clark. Won the Kyalami Nine Hour with David Piper in a Ferrari GTO.

In 1964 drove a BRM for the Italian Centro Sud team. Disasterous season! Sixth at Le Mans with Innes Ireland in David Piper's Ferrari 275LM.

In 1965 Tony drove the 275LM with David Piper in the Sebring 12 Hour. The worst cloudburst in living memory hit the area and within seconds the circuit resembled a fast flowing river. The car filled with water and Tony had to swerve from side to side with the door open to emulate a mini Niagra Falls. Then when he found himself driving under the wing on aircraft he said to himself, 'Boy, now are really off course!'

Returned to South Africa in 1965 to drive a Willment Brabham in the local championship series. In a race at the Roy Hesketh circuit in Natal a steering knuckle broke and the car ploughed off the circuit killing a kid who was standing in a prohibited area. This incident badly affected Tony, a quiet sensitive person and he quit motor racing for ever. He returned to the family farm in Potgietersrus in the Transvaal.

Tony and Mike Spence were married to two sisters, Gail and Lynn Condon, whose father was a Boeing 707 captain with South African Airways.

A memory Tony has of Innes Ireland, who he describes as one 'helluva character' was at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix. Tony was big buddies with Alan Stacey, a Lotus driver, who was sadly killed in that race when a bird flew into his face. Alan had an artificial plastic leg due to a motor cycle accident and during practice on the Saturday he was chatting up a pretty young lady with his leg propped up on the back wheel of the Lotus. Up walked Innes Ireland with screwdriver in hand and stuck it right through Alan's leg. Tony said the look of horror on the girl's face as she stared at the protruding screwdriver with no blood in sight was quite something to see!

In 1967, after his divorce from Gail, Tony was going out with the daughter of the owner of a motel. One day when he was at the motel, his farm manager, Basil Pogson, arrived with a pilot friend in a Piper Aztec. Tony and his lady friend were invited to join the two for a flip and the pilot then proceeded to show them what the aircraft 'can do' with one engine cut. He got it all wrong and the plane hit the deck bursting into flames. Tony managed to get out and then dived back in again knowing that there was a gas cylinder on board. He managed to pull all three out of the plane but suffered severe Niki Lauda type burns to his head face, ears and upper body. His girlfriend suffered burns to her legs, the pilot was OK and Basil eventually died from his injuries.

Four years later Tony married Basil's widow, Frances and two years ago her son, Merlin, married Bob Olthoff's daughter, Cheryl. How's that for keeping it in the motor racing family! Could fate have played a role?

I took the attached photo of Tony, left, and Bob at Cape Town's Killarney circuit in 1996 shortly before Bob and his family moved to North Carolina to become the Superformance distributor there.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be!
Andre 40
 

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I would be very greatful if someone could tell me in what year Bobby Olthoff passed away. I have been asked by a number of people about his career. I first saw Bobby Olthoff in a works sponsored Austin-Healey at the now defunct Westmead circuit outside Durban in South Africa in or about 1963 or `64. That was where I first met him and also Stirling Moss. I was about 15 years old at the time, and my late Father met Stirling Moss at a book shop in Durban where he was autographing his book " A Turn At The Wheel" which is my most precious material posession. Later I started work as an apprentice motor mechanic at McCarthy Rodway in Smith St Durban, working on all makes of cars from BMC, then several years later, changed to British Leyland and now gone forever. Later I joined the Marshalls Association of South Africa and was a track marshal at the Roy Hesketh circuit near Pietermaritzburg. Sadly I have to report that I was the marshall who told that young boy to get out of the prohibited area, and was tragically killed when the steering nuckle on Tony Maggs`s racing car broke and witnessed the car flying through the air and hit the youngster in the back. He never saw it coming and never knew what hit him, but after that horrific accident I never went back to the track as a marshall. The nightmares of that crash haunted me for many years, until 1986 when I had a complete breakdown and required hosiptalization and counselling. But what I did enjoy was watching that big red 7 litre Ford Galaxie racing at the Roy Hesketh circuit with the tail hanging out on the the corners and being passed by the Mini Coopers ( 1275cc enegines ) only to be over taken by the big Galaxie thundering down the main straight. It usually won most ,if not all the races there !

I used to go to Kyalami to watch the Nine Hour Endurance races with the big Ford GT 40s. At night, it was eerie to see the front and rear discs glowing red hot as they screamed around the track, until the race was over by about 10.30 pm or there abouts. Yes, those were the grand old days of motor racing and no doubt there are many tributes to those who raced at the original Kyalami and to those whose lives were lost there as well. Peter Revson to name but one of a few.

Before I forget, I wonder if any one remembers the late Gary Hocking, whose racing car went off the track during practice and struck a tree at the Westmead Circuit. It was all over the front page of the Natal Mercury. Now Westmead is an Industrial Area, with only a few portions of the original track remaining to this very day. Hocking was a very promising motor cyclist whose career ended when his closest friend was killed in high speed crash in the UK . I think it was the Isle of Man where this happened, but I could be wrong.

So if anyone can provide me with the year in which Bobby Olthoff passed away I would be eternally greatful. Thanks for letting me share some great and sad memories.
 
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Gordo

Lifetime Supporter
I too (mis)spent my youth around race tracks in South Africa. My Dad was one of the PR managers for BP who sponsored many of the European drivers that came to South Africa for the winter series. Through his position we entertained, fetched and catered to many of the "then" stars. I was lucky to have met them all. Their priorities were - women, beer and track time. I witnessed more than a young boy should !!

For anyone wanting a comprehensive chronicle of South African motorsport of that era - get a copy of Greg Mills' book "Paddy Who?" ([email protected]) It's a comprehensive work on the life of Paddy Driver (a near an dear friend of Mike Hailwood) - but there is so much history of the whole SA scene, it's worth a full read of all 800 (yes, eight hundred) pages. ISBN:1-919969-57-8 Published January, 2009.

G.

PS: I recently raced with Bobby's son Dennis, at VIR. The apple does not fall far from the tree!!
 
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