Woolfe, John

I wonder if anyone has (or can lead me to) any information on the career of John Woolfe. All I know is that he was killed in his customer Porsche 917 at White House bend on the 1st lap of the 1969 Le Mans race. Of his earlier career I understand he drove Cobras and Chevrons - that's all I have.

I am interested as I am fascinated by Le Mans and all things Porsche, I was surprised to discover John Woolfe had family and business connections near to me in North Bedfordshire.

I was recently very pleased to be able to buy (on Ebay)2 photographs of him/his car taken in the build up to the race and his dreadful accident.

I'd be very grateful to hear anything you may know.

Thanks

I was very sad when I saw on the news that John had been killed. My father was a good friend of his and I remember seeing John testing the unique Chevron B12 which was a B8 but with Repco V8 3 litre F1 engine. I was very young at the time but still remember this well. Apart from the mentioned cars he also raced a McLaren M6B Can Am car, Lola T70 MkIIIB and I think a GT40 at some point. Whenever he was entered in an F.Libre event in one of these cars he was the guy to beat. Most of his cars were blue but with two parallel yellow stripes running down the centreline.
I lived in Cambridge at the time but moved in the early 70s to the Cambs/Beds border area. Here I met Mike Treutlein who lived in the same village and he was John's mechanic on all of his cars and built the unique Chevron. I still see Mike regularly now as he bacame a good family friend. He received his BRDC membership due to his spannering efforts with John. He still goes to most Silverstone meetings and we always end up chatting about John. Mike's daughters both got the racing bug, Louise works for the Bugatti owners club, Jayne is one of the Rollcentre TVR GTO team members. Great that someone has posted an interested in a great racer of the 60s. I'll post some pics of John when I get a chance to dig them out.

Thank you very much for your reply, better than I dared to expect.

John Woolfe McLaren M6B - Silverstone sports GT race 1968.

John Woolfe's 3 litre Repco engined Chevron B12 at Le Mans 1968.
Second driver was Digby Martland. The first Chevron to compete at Le Mans.Retired with blown head gasket after just 3 hours.

John Woolfe's Shelby Cobra - mid 1960s.

Is this John? Taken at Snett late 60s early 70s

Just out of interest, where did John's money for these very expensive racing cars come from ?

I would guess from a garage of some sorts. There must have been some good contacts to get one of the first customer 917's plus the first Chevron etc etc.

Simon

Fred, lovely pic. It is John Woolfe's Lola T70GT Mk3B but not him driving. Just looked in an old programme and the car no.58 entered by John Woolfe Racing was driven by Dickie Attwood in the Guards International group 4 sports race at Snett on Good Friday 4th April 1969. The race was won by Paul Hawkins who lost his life not long afterwards at Oulton.
Not really an anorack honest!

Andrew, not part of the thread but I see you mention Mike Treutlin and that seems to ring a bell did he race at one time? or it might of been in the late 50s early 60s I did a few "sprints" with Cambridge 50 CC Near Ely, and somebody with a name like that raced a Special

Fred, I'm not sure if he sprinted or raced himself but will ask him. I know he did some drag racing in the early 70s. Where did you sprint? Waterbeach?

I have asked Mike Treutlein to take a look at this thread - I know he will be interested - hopefully he will add a few comments / memories.

John Woolfe's mechanic Mike Treutlein pulls a wheelie off the startline at the Silverstone summer drag meeting in 1973. The car would do the standing quarter mile in the 9 second bracket.

I have managed to get some information from my dad about John Woolfe - he would post it himself but he prefers to stick to mechanical stuff - not good on computers... Anyway.

Dad first went to work with John in late '67 to build the Chevron B12 at the Chevron works in Bolton, this was 7 inches longer in the chassis (to get the engin in!) and had 15 inch wheels instead of 13". The body was also longer to take a luggage conpartment to comply with the Le Mans rules of the time. At that time John's other cars were a road going Cobra in race trim and a Gordon Keeble.

John raced the Chevron in England, Watkins Glen and at Le Mans. He then bought the ex Sid Taylor Lola T70 MKIII and had it painted Blue with two yellow lines (the same paint job as all his other cars and crash helmet).

The next car was the Mclaren M6B CanAm with a Chevrolet 5ltr V8 that dad built in the garage/racing workshop in Eaton Socon, called Pitstop Motors, bought by John as a racing HQ.

A New Lola T70 MKIIIb was then built for John and Dad went to the USA to build the engine for it at Louis Unsers factory in California.

Dad was not at Le Mans when John was tragically killed at Le Mans as he had just returned from the USA.

Where did he get his money?? It was a very nice and VERY generous Jewish Taylor!!

John Woolfe racing continued for sometime, the Lola IIIb being driven by Richard Attwood and the other cars were sold off.

Before his death John has strated to import American Car Parts and this was the start of the business which still trades in Bedford today.

Some very nice pictures Andy, Fred's picture is apparently the mkIII as the MKIIIb has twin headlights.

Fred is quite right Dad did race at Whichford (and many other places) in a rear engine 1172 Special, and then a lotus 18 with a 5 litre Chevy. (Both were British racing green with a yellow stripe - before Chapman!!)

Dad was invited to join the BRDC in 1967 for his work in the early sixties on Mike Gartons Sprites.

Dad now passes his time restoring veteran and vintage cars - mostly 1920's Stutz'.

I hope this helps to fill a few gaps

Jayne

Hi Jayne!
Glad you joined in this thread. A lot of info here I did not know myself despite us having known each other so long!
Welcome to the forum anyway and if your Dad has some pics, perhaps we can post them on this thread?
Cheers
Andy.

Thank you all for the time you have spent sending replies and images. I am delighted to have practically quadrupled my knowledge of John Woolfe in such a short time.

One last favour, if anyone has any images of him at Le Mans in either the Chevron or the Porsche (am I correct in thinking he was at Le Mans in 68 & 69 only?) I would very much like to see some.

Thanks again.

Groupc, about two-thirds the way down this page there is a set of 4 photos of John Woolfe getting into his 917 at the start of the 1969 Le Mans. They are fascinating photos but awful as well; one lap later he and the car were gone.

http://www.porsche917.com.ar/historia1969_3.htm#LeMans

AllonFS, never seen those pics before. How terribly sad - Unbelievable when I think back to seeing the news of this tragedy that it was 33 years ago. Thanks for the link.
I notice John had what looks like his usual blue and yellow stripes along the centre of the white car.

I agree with you about how sad they are, it seems daft but I almost want to cry out to stop him. It is awful because the photos capture the drama and excitement of the start, but also have the pathos of what is about to happen.

As for the colour scheme, I have never seen a picture of the car in colour. The other 2 917s had coloured noses on them, but not sure of John Woolfe's colour scheme. Maybe an old post by Dr Austin in the Sportscar/GT forum may have a picture of a model of that car?

I am hoping to get the video 'La Ronde Infernale' soon. It is the 1969 Le Mans race and concentrates on the Porsche 908/Ford GT40 battle. However I read somewhere that there is footage from the start of the race and of the aftermath of the crash. Maybe someone out there already has the video and can confirm this?

Finally, has anyone found out how he got his hands on one of the first 917s? Those early cars were meant to be truly horrible to drive, plus in 1969 it was very new. I know John was a respected driver, but it still seems odd they offered such a new car (and one they were pinning future hopes on) to a privateer.

I have that video and excellent it is too.
However, there is only a brief shot of John at Mulsanne corner on the first lap and the aftermath of the accident,
thankfully from a distance.
What an excellent race though and it confirms why I still think the 60s/70s sportscars were the best ever period in long distance racing - great engine sounds and incredible speeds for the day. I don't think much of Le Mans today I'm afraid - boring cars to watch because they corner on rails and apart from a few, too quiet!

I remember reading that John Woolfe insisted in starting the race himself, against the advice of Porsche and co-driver, and Porsche test driver, Herbert Linge.......

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
I don't think much of Le Mans today I'm afraid - boring cars to watch because they corner on rails and apart from a few, too quiet!
Have to disagree on that one. Le Mans is the only race I attend and it has become an annual pilgrimage for me. The Audi R8s are quiet, but most of the rest are still loud, you get a range of V8s and V12s and with all the different classes there are always thrills and spills. It also has more atmosphere than a season of F1, and more overtaking.

Just being at Le Sarthe is special, although I wish I had been around to see the earlier races. Still cursing that I can't make the Classic race in September, it would have been great to see 917s at full chat round the circuit.

[I am hoping to get the video 'La Ronde Infernale' soon. It is the 1969 Le Mans race and concentrates on the Porsche 908/Ford GT40 battle. However I read somewhere that there is footage from the start of the race and of the aftermath of the crash. Maybe someone out there already has the video and can confirm this?

My brother has this Video and it is really very good, John Woolfe's car is seen and talked about briefly.
You will also see the smoke from the tragic crash rising over the trees telling its own terrible story.

I thought I would dig this thread out again as yesterday I saw the actual McLaren M6B that John Woolfe raced back in 1968. A friend ( Dave Finnegan ) has the car in his workshops near to Sandy in Bedfordshire and intends to rebuild it one day. The tub is suspended from the ceiling with various parts including original block, long trumpet inlet manifold and gearbox scattered around. Dave was mechanic for John Jordan who last raced it in the 70s. He also tended the F5000 Lola T332 successfully campaigned by Tony Trimmer in Libre events in recent years - now driven by Frank Lyons and also kept in Dave's shop. While there, he was in the process of rebuilding a DFV for Frank's Surtees TS9. He has also just restored a BRM P207 and - got it to run reliably having found the problems that caused it to fail so many times in it's day. It will be on show for the first time at the NEC this weekend. He can then start restoring the sister car as he bought the pair from John Jordan.
I was there to help with identification of some of the old Rotary watches logos etc. from my photo archives for the car to be correctly stickered up. It looks glorious. A lot of history there in that small workshop!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
A friend ( Dave Finnegan ) has the car in his workshops near to Sandy in Bedfordshire

In Potton? Many years ago when I was very much on the perifery of motor racing I was introduced to Dave Finnegan by a mutual friend Humphrey Corbett. I managed to join Dave, John Jordan and Tony Trimmer (and others of course) at Brands, as apprentice 2nd gopher, for the Easter round of the Formula Libre Championship. (We all drove down in 'Shunter's' horsebox!). They they were running the F5000 Lola.

Foolishly (and to my constant regret)I wasted the opportunity by swanning around the paddock rather than working. However I'll always remember helping to push the Lola, which couldn't make the start, up the pit lane trying to bump start it, it was incredibly heavy for a single seater. If I recall Tony set fastest lap and subsequently retired. Alo Lawler won in an ex John Watson McLaren - I think.

Happy days and squandered opportunites !

GroupC - Dave's workshop is in Gamlingay. Talking to Frank Lyons at the NEC show today, we were trying to work out if that F5000 Lola T332 is the most successful Lola single seater ever! With the wins it had in its day, Tony in F.Libre and lately many wins with Frank driving it - it must be close. We need to find a more affected 'anorack' than myself to check this out!