Jack Boison Nethercutt II (born December 22, 1936) is an American businessman and former professional

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

. He notably used #102 and competed in the

World Sportscar Championship The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992. The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and No ...

and

USAC Road Racing Championship The USAC Road Racing Championship was a sports car racing series in the United States held from 1958 until 1962. The series was organized by the United States Auto Club as a fully professional alternative to the Sports Car Club of America's SCCA Na ...

. He is the second owner of The Nethercutt Collection and holds the most victories at the

Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year during the second weekend in March at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Amelia Island, Florida. A ''The New York Times'' article about celebrity car ownership ...

Early life

Nethercutt was born on December 22, 1936, the son to entrepreneur

J.B. Nethercutt Jack Boison Nethercutt (October 11, 1913 – December 6, 2004) was an American entrepreneur and car collector. He co-founded Merle Norman Cosmetics in 1931 with his aunt Merle Norman and started as a delivery peddler for her early products, later ...

and Dorothy Sykes in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. He attended the

Harvard-Westlake School Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California, with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades seven through twelve. Its two predec ...

. Nethercutt graduated from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

in 1958.

Racing career

Nethercutt entered professional auto racing in 1957 beginning with the

Lotus Eleven The Lotus Eleven is a sports racing car built in various versions by Lotus from 1956 until 1958. The later versions built in 1958 are sometimes referred to as Lotus 13, although this was not an official designation. In total, about 270 Elevens ...

and notably used the number #102 throughout his career. With the Lotus he was featured on the cover of Road & Track Magazine. He raced the Ferrari 500 TRC from 1958 to 1960. In 1960 he acquired the

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, or 250 TR, is a racing sports car built by Ferrari from 1957 to 1961. It was introduced at the end of the 1957 racing season in response to rule changes that enforced a maximum engine displacement of 3 litres for t ...

and entered the

for the 1960 season. Nethercutt finished 1st in class and 3rd overall at the

1960 12 Hours of Sebring The Tenth Annual Sebring International Grand Prix of Endurance for the Amoco Trophy took place on 26 March 1960, on the Sebring International Raceway, (Florida, United States). It was the second round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championshi ...

with American

Pete Lovely Gerard Carlton "Pete" Lovely (April 11, 1926 – May 15, 2011) was a racecar driver and businessman from the United States. He was born in Livingston, Montana. Racing career On November 9, 1957, Lovely won the first ever race held at Laguna Seca ...

. During the following 1961 season at the 1961 12 Hours of Sebring his Ferrari's oil pump broke on the first lap and was disqualified. Competing with the Ferrari 250 TR at the

1960 USAC Road Racing Championship The 1960 USAC Road Racing Championship season was the third season of the USAC Road Racing Championship. It began April 3rd, 1960, and ended October 23rd, 1960, after five races. Carroll Shelby won the season championship. Calendar Season res ...

, he and Lovely finished 2nd in class and 3rd overall behind

Carroll Shelby Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012) was an American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Shelby is best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, which he modified duri ...

and

Ken Miles Kenneth Henry Jarvis Miles (1 November 1918 – 17 August 1966) was a British-American sports car racing engineer and driver best known for his motorsport career in the US and with American teams on the international scene. He is an inducte ...

. He won the 1960 3 Hours of Westwood. From 1961 to 1963 he switched to a

Lotus 19 The Lotus 19 or Monte Carlo is a mid-engine sports-racing car designed by Colin Chapman of Lotus and built from 1960 until 1962. Lotus 19 The 19 is a mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports racer with a fiberglass body over a space frame, original ...

, competing in the

Sports Car Club of America The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional r ...

and achieved several podiums, including a victory at the 1962 SCCA Divisional. Nethercutt competed in the

United States Grand Prix The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship. , the Grand Prix has been held ...

with the vehicle for one season in

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

Mirage racecar

In 1965, Nethercutt would build his custom racecar called the Mirage''.'' The car was known for its strikingly beautiful but late design, with racing experts claiming that if the Mirage was built a couple of years earlier, it would have been internationally competitive. The Mirage was test driven by

. Nethercutt and the Mirage were featured on the cover of the Sports Car Graphic Magazine.

World Sportscar Championship results

12 Hours of Sebring

Official results

Nethercutt Collection

In 2004 he took over The Nethercutt Collection. He re-restored the 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Dubos in 2011. He competed in several prestigious

Concours d'Elegance ''Concours d'Elegance'' ( French: ''concours d'élégance'') is a term of French origin that means a "competition of elegance" and refers to an event where prestigious vehicles are displayed and judged. It dates back to 17th-century France, whe ...

competitions around the United States, notably winning the most titles at the

in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, and 2016.

Personal life

Nethercutt had two children and later had a divorce. He married Helen Richards for his second marriage. In the later 1980s to 90s, they owned a luxury restaurant named Boison's near the

Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of ...

which won a ''Best of Las Vegas'' award from the

Las Vegas Review-Journal The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area. The ''Review-Journal'' ...

. He took over

Merle Norman Cosmetics Merle Norman Cosmetics Inc. or simply known as Merle Norman, is an American multinational cosmetics company that manufactures skin care and makeup products founded in 1931 by Merle Norman. The company is known for pioneering the "try before you ...

in 2004. With Helen he had three step-grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nethercutt, Jack II 1936 births Living people American businesspeople Racing drivers from California Racing drivers from Los Angeles 12 Hours of Sebring drivers World Sportscar Championship drivers University of Southern California alumni Nethercutt-Richards family