Founder Profile
Loyal Katskee
N.A.R.H.O.F. 2001
Exhaust Notes March 2007 (Page 3)
by Patt Buell
Loyal Katskee was born March 23, 1914 in Omaha. Loyal was a graduate of Tech High School and was on the football team. It was said; "His performance as a football player was less successful than his future racing career."
As a child he had a perforated eardrum that kept him from serving in the military and as a young man, Loyal was in an auto accident and hit the 13th Street bridge, leaving him with a permanent limp. His greatest loves were fast cars, aviation, and fishing. These loves carried him through into his very successful adult life.
He met his wife, Virginia, the summer of 1940 and they were married the following year.
From January 1, 1942 until the end of World War II, Loyal worked at the Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant at Fort Crook (now Offutt).
In 1944 Viginia and he purchased a bar near 20th and Farnum Streets. Loyal like being his own boss, but also continued working at the bomber plant. He also started a little "hole-in-the-wall" business, buying cars in Chicago and reselling them in Omaha. In 1946 he sold his Cord to finance Loyal's Auto Exchange.
Until 1959, he was president Loyal's Auto Exchange, Inc., a foreign car sales company (later known as Loyal's Foreign Cars at 2204 Farnum). At the time of his death (November 12, 1985) he owned Western Outdoor Advertising and L.K. Property Management Co. He always did well with his businesses.
A bit of background on Loyal's racing; he started racing stock cars in 1950 and in 1952 got into Midget racing. In 1953 he started SCCA racing. He purchased an MGTD from the Paris International Auto Show and set it up to race. He entered the 1953 races at Offutt. In race 1, finished 4th and in race 3, he finished 3rd.
He then bought a Jag XK120M In 1954 to race.
His wife, Virginia, also raced the Jag several times that year.
1954 was Omaha's Centennial thus the "Omaha Centennial Grand Prix" Offutt races, hosting a crowd of approximately 55,000 spectators.
"Omaha's Loyal Katskee, driving a Jaguar XK-120C, took command of the third slot in the 22nd lap of the feature and held this position for the rest of the race.
Katskee, an Omaha Jaguar-MG dealer, also copped the first and second races. He won the initial 50-mile Strategic Air Command Trophy Race in his XK-120M ... averaging 70.50 mph and running the circuit in 43 minutes and 24 seconds. Katskee (nicknamed "Go-Go") grabbed the lead in the fourth and shot across the finish line one lap ahead of the other participating cars."
Katskee came back 30 minutes later in his "C" Jaguar and came out on top of the 50-mile 17-lap Cornhusker Cup Race. He led from the first to the 17th lap ... 48 seconds ahead of the second place driver, Ernest Erickson of Chicago, Illinois, also in a Jaguar "C".
Offutt Champions - Looking relaxed and refreshed after their driving chores are the winners of the four races which made up the Second Annual National Sports Car Races at Offutt AFB near Omaha. Jack McAfee (left) grabbed first place in the feature event, the Omaha Centennial Grand Prix. Rees T. Makins (center) and his speedy OSCA took top honors in the third race, the 100-mile Ak-Sar-Ben Trophy Race. Loyal Katskee (right), Omaha scored a double win by placing first in the two 50-mile events, the SAC Trophy Race, and the Cornhusker Cup Race.
Loyal was one of Nebraska Region's founding members and an Omaha native. He served as our first Activities Director in 1954-55 and was R.E. in 1955-56. He also served on the Region's Contest Board in 1957-58. He and Virginia ran some rallies, even finished first in 1957's "Turkey Trot" Rally.
From 1953 through 1962 his main interest was SCCA racing and for the next 10 years he had the "American Dream" racing MGs, Jaguars, Ferraris, a Porsche Carrera, a Lotus Mark VI and Maseratis, all over the United States, the Bahamas, and in Havana, Cuba.
It was said that "Loyal's decisions were not always brilliant."
"For some unknown reason he entered one of his foreign cars in a stock car race at one of the tracks he had frequented with his sprint cars."
"It didn't take the local boys long to show the fancy sports car racer how easy it was to put a dent in every fender of the car nearly destroying it."
Loyal Katskee was a very unique person.
He, and the other NRSCCA founders, were instrumental in the planning and organizing of the 1954 Offutt Races. Loyal became good friends with General Curtis LeMay. General LeMay joined the the Nebraska Region and was a member for several years.
The above article is taken from research that Frank Grover compiled on Loyal Katskee, research from the NRSCCA history archives, and research from the Omaha World Herald archives.