OldRacingCars.com

Rex Mays Classic

Milwaukee Mile, 6 Jun 1971

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Al Unser Colt 70 [001] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#1 Johnny Lightning 500 [Vel's Parnelli Jones]
(see note 1)
150 1h 18m 19.246s
2 Joe Leonard Colt-Lola 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#15 Samsonite [Vels Parnelli Jones Ford]
(see note 2)
150 Finished
3 Billy Vukovich Hayhoe 68 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#32 Sugaripe Prune [Jerry O'Connell]
(see note 3)
148 Flagged
4 Wally Dallenbach Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#22 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Duane Glasgow]
(see note 4)
147 Flagged
5 Art Pollard Scorpion 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#8 Gilmore Racing [Clint Brawner]
(see note 5)
147 Flagged
6 Johnny Rutherford Eagle 66 [203] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#18 Patrick Petroleum [Michner Petroleum]
(see note 6)
147 Flagged
7 Lloyd Ruby Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#12 Utah Stars [Gene White] (see note 7)
146 Flagged
8 Bentley Warren Eagle 66 [201] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#95 Classic Wax [Vatis Enterprises, Inc.]
(see note 8)
144 Flagged
9 Dick Simon Vollstedt 67 ['A'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#44 TraveLodge Sleeper [Dick Simon]
(see note 9)
144 Flagged
10 Gordon Johncock Vollstedt 67 ['B'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#7 Vollstedt [Rolla Vollstedt] (see note 10)
144 Flagged
11 Mario Andretti McNamara T501 ['1'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#5 STP Oil Treatment [Andy Granatelli]
(see note 11)
142 Flagged
12 Jimmy Caruthers Scorpion 70 ['1'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#64 Gilmore Racing [Clint Brawner]
(see note 12)
138 Flagged
13 Jerry Grant Eagle 68 [403] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#78 Farrell's Ice Cream [Jerry Grant]
(see note 13)
133 Flagged
14 Bobby Unser Eagle 70 [805] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#2 Olsonite [Oscar Olson-AAR] (see note 14)
101 Ignition
15 John Martin Brabham BT25 [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#69 Martin-Mitchell (see note 15)
93 Oil leak
16 Gary Bettenhausen Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#16 Thermo-King [Don Gerhardt] (see note 16)
80 Broken throttle Link
17 Donnie Allison Coyote 69 ['69-1'?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#83 Purolator [AJ Foyt] (see note 17)
61 Overheating
18 Greg Weld Gerhardt 68/69 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#31 Federal Engineering [Dan Levine]
(see note 18)
53 Oil leak
19 Bill Simpson Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#28 Wynn's Kwik Kool [Bill Simpson]
(see note 19)
38 Tire
20 AJ Foyt Coyote 70? ['70-1'?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#9 ITT-Thompson [AJ Foyt] (see note 20)
18 Magneto
21 George Snider Eagle 67 [210] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#4 G. C. Murphy [Leader Card/AJ Watson]
(see note 21)
12 Magneto
22 Denny Zimmerman Vollstedt 66 [8] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#43 Fiore Racing Enterprises [Frank J Fiore]
(see note 22)
10 Gearbox
23 Roger McCluskey Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#6 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Don Kenyon]
(see note 23)
8 Throttle sticking
24 Rick Muther Gerhardt 66 - Allison 250 turbine
#54 Arkansas Aviation [Jack Adams]
(see note 24)
4 Throttle sticking
DNQ Cale Yarborough Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#21 White [Gene White] (see note 25)
Did not qualify
DNQ Larry Dickson Kingfish 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#45 King [Grant King] (see note 26)
Did not qualify
DNQ David "Salt" Walther Morris Marauder (71) - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#77 Dayton [George Walther] (see note 27)
Did not qualify
DNQ Bud Tingelstad Cecil 69 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#19 MVS [Stan Malless, Bob Voigt and Dick Sommers]
(see note 28)
Did not qualify
DNQ John Mahler Eagle 68 [401] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#100 Mahler [John Mahler] (see note 29)
Did not qualify
DNQ Karl Busson Halibrand Shrike 65 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#73 Cavanagh-Tomlinson [Bob Cavanagh & Bob Tomlinson]
(see note 30)
Did not qualify
DNQ Arnie Knepper Eagle 68 [406] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#90 C. H. E. K. (see note 31)
Did not qualify
DNQ Bruce Walkup Finley 69 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#94 Vatis [Tassi Vatis] (see note 32)
Did not qualify
Qualifying
1 Bobby Unser Eagle 70 [805] - Offy 159 ci turbo 30.279s
2 Joe Leonard Colt-Lola 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 30.444s
3 AJ Foyt Coyote 70? ['70-1'?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 30.569s
4 Lloyd Ruby Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 30.579s
5 Billy Vukovich Hayhoe 68 - Offy 159 ci turbo 30.603s
6 George Snider Eagle 67 [210] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 30.366s
7 Mario Andretti McNamara T501 ['1'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 30.781s
8 Gary Bettenhausen Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo 30.813s
9 Al Unser Colt 70 [001] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 30.852s
10 Jerry Grant Eagle 68 [403] - Offy 159 ci turbo 30.929s
11 Johnny Rutherford Eagle 66 [203] - Offy 159 ci turbo 30.963s
12 Gordon Johncock Vollstedt 67 ['B'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.069s
13 Dick Simon Vollstedt 67 ['A'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.105s
14 Wally Dallenbach Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo 31.134s
15 Art Pollard Scorpion 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.140
16 Bentley Warren Eagle 66 [201] - Offy 159 ci turbo 31.284s
17 Greg Weld Gerhardt 68/69 - Offy 159 ci turbo 31.295s
18 Denny Zimmerman Vollstedt 66 [8] - Offy 159 ci turbo 31.351s
19 Bill Simpson Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo 31.867s
20 Jimmy Caruthers Scorpion 70 ['1'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.369s
21 Roger McCluskey Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.394s
22 Donnie Allison Coyote 69 ['69-1'?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.564s
23 Rick Muther Gerhardt 66 - Allison 250 turbine 31.573s
24 John Martin Brabham BT25 [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo 31.596s
25 Cale Yarborough * Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.658s
26 Larry Dickson * Kingfish 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo 31.729s
27 David "Salt" Walther * Morris Marauder (71) - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.827s
28 Bud Tingelstad * Cecil 69 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 31.966s
29 John Mahler * Eagle 68 [401] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 32.248s
30 Karl Busson * Halibrand Shrike 65 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 32.279s
31 Arnie Knepper * Eagle 68 [406] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 32.633s
32 Bruce Walkup * Finley 69 - Offy 159 ci turbo no time
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Colt 70 [001] (Al Unser): A brand new car fabricated by George Bignotti's crew for 1970, and raced by Al Unser for Vel's Parnelli Jones Ford as the #2 Johnny Lightning 500 Special. Unser dominated the 1970 Indy 500 in this car, and he also raced it at Ontario later in the season. This is believed to have been Unser's car for the early 1971 races, winning three of them. It was then the backup car that Unser drove at Pocono and Michigan in July, and at Milwaukee in August, where during a battle between Unser and his brother Bobby for the lead, the Colt suddenly swapped ends and hit the barrier, leaving the car "a mangled wreck". The damage was sufficient that the car was retired, but was later restored to its 1970 colours and used as a show car, before spending many years in the VPJ Collection's private museum in Torrance, CA. It returned to the Speedway for a race day celebration in 2010, and was acquired by the IMS Museum in May 2012 together with the rest of the VPJ Collection.
  2. Colt-Lola 70 (Joe Leonard): As well as his new 1970 Colt, Al Unser had two other similar cars available to him for the 1970 season, one for one-mile paved ovals such as Phoenix, Trenton, Milwaukee and Langhorne, and one for the road races at Sears Point, Continental Divide and Indianapolis Raceway Park. Photographs show that Unser used the same car on all the one-mile ovals and at Michigan, and that this was not his new 1970 Colt and was not his road-racing car, which has been identified as the team's remaining Lola T150. This extra "mile car" appears to have been built on a new Lola monocoque, presumably the same tub that was acquired so that it could be copied to create the 1970 Colts. According to press reports, this "Colt" was new for the Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix in March 1970. He used it at eight races in 1970, winning three. This car was then raced by Joe Leonard in the early races of 1971, and is likely to be the car driven by Leonard at Milwaukee in June 1971, described in press reports as "Al [Unser]'s '70 backup car". Subsequent history unresolved.
  3. Hayhoe 68 (Billy Vukovich): One of two cars built by Hayhoe Racing Enterprises, this is the car entered as the #59 Cleaver Brooks Spl in 1968. Presumed for now to be the same car used as the #59 on the team's other appearances, but it is possible that the sister car (the #62 at the Indy 500) was used at some events that season. To 3-K Racing Enterprises for 1969 and entered as the #59 Krohne Grain Transport at the Indy 500, but again it is possible that the sister car (the #39 at the Indy 500) was substituted at later short track events. To Jerry O'Connell for 1970 and both cars were entered as Sugaripe Prune Spls at four races that year. Retained for 1971 when Jud Phillips joined as O'Connell's new chief mechanic and run for most of the year with this car now as the #32 Sugaripe Prune entry for Billy Vukovich. Unknown after 1971 but if this was the only survivor, it would be the car raced by Dave Bowling (San Jose, CA) in Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) Sprint Car Racing in Northern California in 1975. It would also be the basis of his "ecology car", raced in 1977, and probably his rear-engined car in 1974. In 2008 the car was for sale with Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO), restored to its 1971 #32 livery. By 2015, it had been sold to Jim Griggs (Panama City, FL).
  4. Kuzma-Kenyon 71 (Wally Dallenbach): New for the 1970 Indianapolis 500, and fitted with a turbo Offy engine for Wally Dallenbach to use as Lindsey Hopkins' #22 Sprite entry. After the car blew three engines due to what was believed to be an oil plumbing issue, Dallenbach swapped to an older Eagle for qualifying and the race. The #22 car was used by Dallenbach at Trenton in October 1970, and was then his regular car in 1971, finishing second at Trenton in April, and finishing fourth twice. He crashed the car heavily in practice at Pocono in July, but it was repaired, now in orange paintwork, in time for Milwaukee in August. He then crashed the car again during practice at Phoenix in October 1971, and this time it was "badly damaged". Not seen again.
  5. Scorpion 71 (Art Pollard): The Scorpion that was Art Pollard's intended #8 car at the 1971 Indy 500 was then Jimmy Caruthers' car at the 1972 Indy 500 (although Hungness 1972 allocates Pollard's start to it). It seems likely that this would then be Pollard's #8 car after the 1971 Indy 500 at least up to the crash at Michigan. It is also presumed to be Caruthers #11 car after the 1972 Indy 500 up to his major accident at the Pocono 500. Caruthers crashed into the outside wall at turn 3, and was taken to hospital with burns and contusions. The team did not appear again. The Pocono wreck was later repaired and was owned by Doug Winslow (Westlake, Ohio) in June 2015.
  6. Eagle 66 [203] (Johnny Rutherford): A customer car sold to John W. Klug (Newport Beach, CA) of Pacesetter Homes, fitted with a 255ci Ford V8 and entered at the 1966 Indy 500 as the #88 Bardahl-Pacesetter Homes Special for Jerry Grant to drive, with Roy Campbell as chief mechanic. Klug's USAC entry form identifies the car as chassis 203. Grant was dropped by AAR's team of Can-Am Lola T70s at the beginning of October 1966, and set up Friedkin Enterprises Racing Division with financial backing from his old friend Tom Friedkin (San Diego, CA), and with ex-AAR mechanics Larry Stellings and Larry Webb. The new operation had two Eagles, Grant's #88 Indy 500 car chassis 203 which Friedkin acquired from Klug and the former Yamaha #6 car of Joe Leonard, and acquired a new Lola T70 which Grant drove at Riverside in October, entered by Alan Green Chevrolet. Grant drove the #88 Eagle at Phoenix in November as a Bardahl entry and this is presumably the #78 Friedkin Enterprises entry for Grant at the 1967 Indy 500 and at road course events later in the season. It was entered by Friedkin Enterprises as the #76 for Jerry Titus at the 1968 Indy 500. No sign has been found of it racing again in 1968, but photographs show that this was the car used in the Universal Pictures film 'Winning', starring Paul Newman and filmed during the summer of 1968, where it appeared as the #42 car of Robert Wagner's character Luther Lou Erding. It was then sold to Jackson oilman Walt Michner for his Michner Petroleum team, and used by driver Johnny Rutherford as a backup to his 1967 Eagle. The 1966 car was fitted with an Offy turbo for 1969 and entered as the #36 Patrick Petroleum car for Rutherford throughout the season. Retained by Michner for Rutherford during the 1970 and 1971 seasons still in partnership with Michner's 1967 Eagle as the #18 entry. The 1966 car was nicknamed "Geraldine" during this time and the 1967 car "Old Shep". Then to Marvin Webster (who had previously owned 'the AAR/Leonard car') and on the entry list at Ontario in 1972 for Don Brown. Next seen in practice at the 1973 Indy 500, entered by Webster as the #76, and later at Ontario in September 1973 where John Cannon raced it. Advertised by Webster in December 1973 with a 1968 Eagle. Unknown until owned by Anthony Seibert (Boulder, CO) in May 1983. Reappeared when sold by Joseph D Lhotka, Trustee, Shawn S Trust (Westminster, CO) to Centennial Import Motor Co (Boulder, CO) in April 1987, and then sold almost immediately to Chuck Haines (Manchester, MO). Retained by Haines until 2005, when sold to Aaron Lewis (Cessnock, NSW, Australia) and restored to Rutherford #36 livery. Run at the Phillip Island Classic 2011 by Lewis, and displayed car at Indianapolis in 2017 and 2018. Sold to Bobby Rahal (Chicago, IL) in October 2018.
  7. Mongoose 71 (Lloyd Ruby): New for Lloyd Ruby in 1971 as the Gene White team's #12 car but "abandoned by Ruby after that year's Indy 500", presumably as it was the only year for some time that he had not led the race. Sold to Pat O'Reilly and entered as the #51 Minnesota Serendipity car in 1973 for Dee Jones, John Hubbard and Jigger Sirois. Returned in 1974 as the #53 for John Cannon but failed to qualify for the Indy 500. Raced later in 1974 by Jan Opperman and by Mel Cornett and appeared in 1975 for John Hubbard and Cornett again. Wrecked at Milwaukee in June 1975 and, according to Milwaukee Mile Historian Steve Zautke, was "wiped out".
  8. Eagle 66 [201] (Bentley Warren): The first 1966 Eagle, chassis 201, was fitted with a 255ci Ford V8 and was Dan Gurney's #31 AAR entry at the 1966 Indy 500. Then fitted with the 303 ci Gurney Weslake Ford V8 stock block engine, and raced by Jochen Rindt as the #48 AAR entry at the 1967 Indy 500. Used by Gurney to win at Riverside in November 1967, and at Las Vegas in March 1968. Sold to Lothar Motschenbacher (Beverly Hills, CA) later in the year, fitted with a Chevrolet V8 and repainted red with Leader Card Racers signwriting. Motschenbacher intended to take part in the Rverside race in December, but did not take part. Then sold to Jerry Hansen (Long Lake, MN) for the Brainerd, Seattle and Riverside Indy road races in 1969. Then to the Tassi Vatis team, and was the team's #95 entry for Sam Posey at the 1970 Indy 500 but failed to qualify. It was the #95 entry again at the 1971 500, this time raced by Bentley Warren. Warren and later Carl Williams raced it in other events later in 1971 and Williams qualified it for the 500 in 1972. According to a later auction catalogue, it was sold to Bob Johnson and then to Jim Mann in 1978 before passing via Bob and Don Tarwaki to collector Bob Sutherland. It was restored for Sutherland by Jim Robbins then sold to Joe MacPherson (Tustin, CA). After MacPherson's death, it was sold at auction in 2008 to Riverside International Automotive Museum's Doug Magnon. The car was on display in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in May 2015, replacing the Museum's own 1966 car which had been on display earlier in the month.
  9. Vollstedt 67 ['A'] (Dick Simon): New for 1967 and run by Vollstedt Enterprises as the #17 Bryant Heating & Cooling Spl in 1967 and 1968 with a 255 ci Ford quad cam engine. Appeared at Indy in 1969, now with a turbo Ford but still as the #17 Bryant Heating & Cooling Spl. Dick Simon raced this car for the Vollstedt team at a few races late 1969 as the All Seasons Sports car and then acquired the car, which became his #44 entry in 1970 and then his #44 TraveLodge Sleeper backup in 1971. Retained as part of Simon's stable until the end of 1975 when it was sold to Art Sugai (Ontario, OR) and became his #90 Eastside Café entry for Frank Weiss in 1976. Sold in 1978 to Tom Black (Portland, OR) and Bob Ames and restored by them as the #21 ex-Jim Clark car after being incorrectly identified as that car by Rolla Vollstedt. Then to Don Mack and Hank Albers in 1979 and sold a year later via Eoin Young to Peter Briggs and put on display in his York Motor Museum in Western Australia. Offered for sale by Bonhams at Quail Lodge in August 2009 at which point it was correctly identified as the #17 car. Sold to Greg Smith in 2010.
  10. Vollstedt 67 ['B'] (Gordon Johncock): New for 1967 and run by Vollstedt Enterprises as the #21 Bryant Heating & Cooling Spl in 1967 and 1968 with a 255 ci Ford quad cam engine. Driven by Jim Clark as the #21 Sperex entry at Riverside in November 1967. Acquired a turbo engine in late 1968 and continued to run as the #21 Bryant Heating & Cooling Spl in 1969 and then as Vollstedt Enterprises' #21 car in 1970 and 1971. Raced by Gordon Johncock as the #7 on some occasions in 1971, and last seen with the team at Phoenix in November 1971 when it was raced by Wally Dallenbach. Sold to Art Sugai (Ontario, OR) and entered at Phoenix in November 1972 as the #17 East Side Special for Kenny Hamilton, but he slid into guard rail during practice and the car was heavily damaged. The remains went to local car builders Tom Fox and Ron Yurich in 1976 who intended to use it to build a Super Modified but it remained with them, still unrepaired, until 2007 when purchased from Yurich's son John by Michael McKinney (Kennewick WA) together with friends Ron Hjaltalin and Marc Prentice. The car was restored over the next few years and was run at Indianapolis in May 2011.
  11. McNamara T501 ['1'] (Mario Andretti): New for Mario Andretti as the #5 STP entry at the opening race of the 1971 season at Phoenix. Also raced by Andretti at Trenton, then kept as an unused backup car for the Indy 500, and then raced by Andretti at Milwaukee in June. Andretti finished well down the field at Milwaukee after the engine would not restart during a pit stop, and to add to Andretti's growing dislike of the car, it became so hot in the cockpit that his fingers required medial treatment. This car was not raced again. It is possible that it was dismantled to provide parts for the 'new' car built for the Ontario race.
  12. Scorpion 70 ['1'] (Jimmy Caruthers): Clint Brawner's original Scorpion was driven by Roger McCluskey at Indy in 1970 and was the #64 backup car for Art Pollard at the 1971 Indy 500 (Hungness 1971). In between these races, it is hard to speculate to its history as Brawner had a second Scorpion for Pollard to drive alongside McCluskey at the 1970 California 500 and then Pollard wrecked a Scorpion at Phoenix at the start of 1971. Jimmy Caruthers had driven the #64 car in practice for the 1971 Indy 500 and it is presumed that this is the same car he ran as the #64 second car at Milwaukee and Pocono.
  13. Eagle 68 [403] (Jerry Grant): Jerry Grant drove for Tom Friedkin (Houston, TX) at Indy from 1967 to 1969, getting new Eagles in 1967 and 1968. Having driven for Marvin Webster for much of 1969, Grant returned to the 1968 ex-Friedkin Eagle for 1970, when he qualified it at Indy in Nelson Iron Works colours, with John Gorman and Gary Duff (both from Seattle) as his mechanics. Grant set up his own team for 1971, Jerry Grant Racing Enterprises, with the 1968 Eagle and again employing Gorman and Duff. He entered the car for the 1971 Indy 500 as the #78 Farrell's Ice Cream car, but it was driven by Sam Posey after Grant was employed by Shelby-Dowd to race a newer Eagle. Posey qualified but was later bumped. It was used by Jerry Grant a few times later in 1971, including at the USAC Road Racing event at Seattle. It then joined Marv Webster's stable and was still with him in 1973, awaiting a rebuild. Subsequent history unknown, but according to Chris Wilke, scion of the Leader Cards family, this was chassis 403 and has now been restored as Bobby Unser's Indy 500 winner and is the car on display in the Unser Racing Museum (Albuquerque, NM). The car still carries its original '403' chassis plate. This may be the yellow 1968 Indy Eagle that Joe Baird (Shelbyville, Indiana) acquired from Bob LaWarre in Florida as part of a package of cars in the 1990s. Baird sold the Eagle to Al Unser.
  14. Eagle 70 [805] (Bobby Unser): A new car built later in 1970 to use the Gurney Weslake Ford 318 ci stock block engine. It was entered as #42 as a backup car for Dan Gurney at the California 500, but after he qualified his regular #48 Offy car, the stock block was handed over to Swede Savage, who qualified it but retired. Savage's car was then extensively modified with wide, flat bodywork extending from behind the front wheels all the way to above the rear wheels, to act as a huge spoiler, and tested in this form at the Speedway in early November. Savage then raced this Gurney Weslake car in this form at Phoenix in November, winning the race after passing Roger McCluskey on the final lap. This car was then fitted with an Offy turbo engine for 1971, when it was the team's backup car at the Indy 500, so it is presumably the #42 car that Savage and Lee Roy Yarbrough had used in the Rafaela, Phoenix and Trenton races held prior to the Indy 500. It was entered as the #48 backup car at the Indy 500, but was raced by Jim Malloy as the #42 entry after Yarbrough wrecked his original #42 1971 Eagle and then withdrew. As both 1971 Eagles were damaged at the 500, this 1970 Eagle was then raced by Bobby Unser (as #2) at Milwaukee in June. Subsequent history unresolved.
  15. Brabham BT25 [2] (John Martin): Masten Gregory's #95 Brabham did not qualify for the 1968 Indy 500 but was qualified for the 1969 race by Jack Brabham. Peter Revson then used it to win the IRP race in July 1969 and it was retained as an unused spare for the 1970 "500" after which it was sold to John Martin. Martin raced it in 1971 and 1972 before acquiring a newer McLaren M16. The car's last race was when leased to Bill Simpson for the race at Ontario Motor Speedway in March 1974 and was then retained by Martin until he restored it in the early 1990s. In 1993, hearing of the restoration, Simpson bought the car and it was displayed at Simpson World in North Carolina until bought by Aaron Lewis (Cessnock, NSW, Australia) in April 2008. In 2014, or shortly afterwards, Lewis sold the car to the ROFGO Collection.
  16. Gerhardt 70 (Gary Bettenhausen): As well as his #16 primary car, Gary Bettenhausen also had a second brand new car entered as the Gerhardt team's #78 Thermo-King entry at the 1970 Indy 500. This car was driven in practice by Larry Dickson, whose qualifying run had to be aborted, and Tony Adamowicz, who brushed the wall just before the start of final qualifying. As far as can be determined (so far), this car was not used again in 1970 as Bettenhausen had his primary 1970 car and also one of the 1969 cars to use. It is presumably the modified car that he drove at Phoenix and Trenton in early 1971, and was then his #46 backup car at the 1971 Indy 500, which was qualified by Jimmy McElreath but bumped. Later on in the season it was Bettenhausen's regular short-track car, being used at both Milwaukee races. It was then used by Jimmy Caruthers as the team's #46 entry at Ontario, by Bettenhausen as the #16 at Trenton in October, and by Caruthers as the #46 again at Phoenix. After Johnny Rutherford destroyed the sister car at Milwaukee in June 1972, this is likely to be the car he raced at Michigan in July and Milwaukee in August. Subsequent history unknown, but possibly the car that Bruce Crower used for his Dodge Hemi project in 1973, although it remains more likely that Crower had a 1969 car.
  17. Coyote 69 ['69-1'?] (Donnie Allison): AJ Foyt took pole position at the 1969 Indy 500 in a new #6 Sheraton-Thompson Coyote, presumably brand new for that race. Exactly how it was used for the rest of the season is not yet known, but it is likely that he used one of his older cars on short tracks, and also had a car set up for the road races at Continental Divide, IRP, Brainerd and Riverside. In 1970, this may well have been Foyt's early-season car. It was driven by George Snider at Indy in 1970 as the #84 Sheraton-Thompson entry, and was Foyt's road racing car at Continental Divide and IRP later that year. In 1971, it was Donnie Allison's #83 Purolator entry at the Indy 500 and presumably the #83 he drove a week later at Milwaukee. How else it was used that year is not yet known. For 1972, the car was sold to Lee Brayton (Coldwater, MI) and was the blue #61 Eisenhour Racing Coyote that he crashed during practice on 11 May. It was replaced by a 1970 Coyote and was not rebuilt. Brayton kept the damaged car in storage for many years until it was reported to have been sold some time around 2008. In 2016, it emerged that Bob Donahue (Indianapolis, IN) was the new owner.
  18. Gerhardt 68/69 (Greg Weld): A late-1968-style Gerhardt that first appeared as part of the Federal Automotive team at the 1969 Indy 500 as the #31 Federal Engineering entry for Bobby Johns. Johns did not qualify and Bud Tingelstad took over the #31 for the rest of 1969. This car returned to Indy in 1970 as Federal's #31 Stearns Transi-Tread entry with Paul Brooks as chief crew for driver Jim Malloy who qualified. The 1969 car is presumed to be the #31 car from then until the team disappears at the end of 1971. Subsequent history unknown until Hurricane Charley in August 2004 damaged a building in Florida, revealing the little-known car collection of real estate developer Walter Medlin. The #31 Gerhardt, in apparently original condition, was visible in pictures of the damaged building. In April 2007, the car was pictured on an open transporter on Interstate 65 heading north of Nashville, TN. With it were the 1979 Cicada and an unidentified #99 car. Rumoured to be in a private museum in Indianapolis (and the I-65 through Nashville is exactly on the route from Florida to Indianapolis).
  19. Eagle 67 [212] (Bill Simpson): The #74 AAR entry for Dan Gurney at the 1967 Indy 500, fitted with a Ford V8 and with support from Wagner Lockheed. Sold after the race to AJ Foyt and photographs show that it was the car raced by Joe Leonard at Mosport Park in July 1967, still in works livery. The history of the car over the next three years remains unknown but according to the Hungness Yearbook, it reappeared at the 1970 Indy 500 still as part of the Foyt team but now equipped with a turbo Ford and entered as the #83 Greer car for Donnie Allison, who finished fourth. Then sold to Bill Simpson (Los Angeles, CA) and raced by him with a Chevrolet engine and three late-1970 races. Fitted with an Offy turbo for Simpson in 1971 and 1972. Sold to Marv Carman (Union City, Michigan) and turned into a supermodified, but at some point the car was very badly damaged in a workshop fire. The remains of the car were acquired by Richard Bible and they were stored until 2008, when bought by Indycar collector Bill Wiswedel (Holland, Michigan). In 2012, Wiswedel sold the fire-damaged tub and its surviving components to Justin Gurney, son of Dan Gurney and then CEO of AAR. He sent the tub to John Mueller and Jerry Wise of Entrepreneur's Motor Sports (Fresno, CA), who built a completely new car to take its place, there being no part of the damaged tub that was usable. Joe Boghosian built a quad-cam Ford engine for it. The new car was unveiled on Dan Gurney's 84th birthday in April 2015, when Autoweek quoted Mueller saying that "every piece on that car is new except uprights, the hubs and the transmission".
  20. Coyote 70? ['70-1'?] (AJ Foyt): New for AJ Foyt at the 1970 Indy 500 as the #7 Sheraton-Thompson entry. Also raced by Foyt at Milwaukee in June, but he used an older 1969 car on short tracks later in the season. Believed to have been Foyt's car at Ontario and Phoenix later in the season. It was then retained for short tracks in 1971, so was probably Foyt's car again at Phoenix in early 1971. It was also his car at Michigan in July, probably at the June Milwaukee, and possibly at other tracks. It may have been Donnie Allison's car at Ontario in September. In 1972, the car was sold to Lee Brayton, to replace the 1969 car that he had wrecked in Indy 500 practice. Raced by Brayton later in 1972, at one race in early 1973, and even at two races in early 1975. It was eventually acquired from Brayton by a sponsor, Harry Oppenhuizen, and was sold by Oppenhuizen to Bill Wiswedel (Holland, MI) in 1988. Owned by Wiswedel and then his son, also named Bill, ever since.
  21. Eagle 67 [210] (George Snider): Sold to the Jud Phillips half of the Leader Card team, fitted with a Ford V8 and entered for Bobby Unser as the #6 Rislone car from the start of the 1967 season. In 1968, this car was used by Unser on ovals, helping Unser to the USAC title, together with a second 1967 Eagle used for road racing and a 1968 Eagle with which he won the Indy 500. Retained again for 1969, but only raced Unser at Dover Downs. However, after his other 1967 Eagle was wrecked, this original car was used by Unser on ovals in 1970, with the 1968 Eagle being used on road courses. Unser and Phillips both left Leader Card Racers later in 1970, and their equipment was transferred to the AJ Watson half of the Leader Card team. The 1967 Eagle was raced by Watson's driver Mike Mosley to win at Trenton in April 1971, and by George Snider at five later races. At some point, this car was damaged, and the unrepaired monocoque was given by Watson to Bentley Warren, who was racing the ex-Michner 1967 Eagle. It was still unrepaired when bought from Warren by consortium "Eagle Partners" who restored the ex-Unser car and sold it in July 2005 to Aaron Lewis (Cessnock, NSW, Australia). Sold by Aaron in 2014 to Scott Borchetta (Nashville, TN), the founder of Big Machine Records, who ran it in the vintage event at Indianapolis in May 2015.
  22. Vollstedt 66 [8] (Denny Zimmerman): Built for 1966 and raced by Billy Foster as the #27 Jim Robbins entry. Retained for 1967 and intended to be raced by Lucien Bianchi in 1967 but borrowed by Mario Andretti for the opening race of the 1967 season, only to crash it in practice. Bianchi was later bumped at the Indy 500. Raced by Jim Malloy for the rest of 1967 and for occasional races in 1968 and 1969. To Frank J Fiore's Fiore Racing Enterprises for 1970 and raced as the #43 by Bob DeJong and then in 1971 by Denny Zimmerman. Later entered by Fiore as the #43 again for Al Loquasto in 1972, Jerry Karl and Bob Harkey in 1973, and Karl Busson in 1974. Later sold by Fiore and the car passed through several collectors until purchased by the Fiore family in 2001. Fiore died in 2007 but his son Frank Fiore Jr (Dallastown, PA) continued with the car's long-term restoration. The car appeared in public for the first time in 45 years at the Vintage Celebration at Pocono Raceway in August 2017.
  23. Kuzma-Kenyon 71 (Roger McCluskey): New for the 1970 Indianapolis 500, and fitted with a turbo Ford engine for Wally Dallenbach to use briefly in practice as Lindsey Hopkins' #6 Sprite entry. Chief mechanic Jack Beckley then left the team, and Don Kenyon took over his role. The #6 Kuzma was then presumably the car driven by Mel Kenyon at Michigan in July, and at Ontario in September. The #6 car then became Roger McCluskey's regular Kuzma-Ford during 1971, finishing third at Michigan in July, and second at Phoenix in October. McCluskey drove it at a few short track races in 1972, and it was also his unused spare car at the 1972 Indy 500.
  24. Gerhardt 66 (Rick Muther): New to Myron Caves, originally from Madison, Wisconsin and by 1966 a long-established Buick dealer in Gerhardt's home town of Fresno, CA. Fitted with a supercharged Offy and run for Mike McGreevy as the #85 Caves Buick Co. entry at the start of the season and also at Indy but despite the efforts of three drivers, it did not qualify. Presumably the same #85 Caves Buick Gerhardt-Offy SC driven principally by Al Miller through to the end of 1966, and at Phoenix in April 1967, where it was wrecked. Caves had a new Gerhardt for the 1967 Indy 500, but this 1966 car may have been repaired and retained as a short track car in 1967, 1968 and even 1969. Next seen when sold to Jack Adams who had entered a car at Indy in 1969 with a Bryant chassis and Allison helicopter turbine engine. The Gerhardt was rebuilt by chief crew Howard Millican to take the turbine and was practiced at Indy in 1970 by Jigger Sirois but could not find the speed to qualify. Raced by Rick Muther later in 1970, finishing eighth at Trenton, and in 1971. The chassis was sold to Mark Stainbrook in 1971 and he later sold it to Gary Bettenhausen. Subsequent history unknown.
  25. Mongoose 71 (Cale Yarborough): New for Cale Yarborough to race in 1971 as the Gene White team's #21 car. After 1971, this car remained unused and was dismantled but still in exactly the same livery when in the collection of Bob McConnell (Urbana, OH) in 2010. Sold in August 2013 to Brad Edwards (Plainfield, IN) who started a full restoration with a view to having the car on track by May 2016.
  26. Kingfish 71 (Larry Dickson): Built new by Grant King for 1971 but to the same basic design as the 1970 Kingfish. First appeared at the 1971 Indy 500 as the #45 Spirit of Indianapolis entry for Larry Dickson, who qualified. The team was then taken over by Andy Granatelli and the 1971 car became the #20 entry for Granatelli's regular driver Steve Krisiloff for the rest of the season. This may have been Krisiloff's #15 entry at Trenton in April 1972, and was then brought out of retirement for Greg Weld to drive as the #35 at Pocono, after one of the team's 1972 cars had been destroyed. The car then remained at King's workshop until his death in a road accident in December 1999. Shortly after this, the car was sold to Bruce Weatherston (Chicago, IL). It remains in his collection, still in unrestored original condition.
  27. Morris Marauder (71) (David "Salt" Walther): According to Bob Sawicki who talked with Jeff Walther at the Walther Auction, the Walthers bought a car from George Morris for the 1970 season, and then had two more built for the 1971 season. The main 1971 car was the #77 entry at the 1971 Indy 500 and it is assumed that this car was used for the rest of 1971 and in early 1972. This car, still unrestored and carrying USAC tag "#C-71 177", was sold at auction at Auburn in June 2012 to Doug Winslow (Cleveland, OH). Sold in July 2015 to Mark Klingerman (Bourbon, IN) and Gary Berkey (Warsaw, IN). Restored and appeared at the Historic Indycar Exhibition in May 2016 and in May 2017.
  28. Cecil 69 (Bud Tingelstad): Probably built late in 1969, but not known to have raced until 1970. Raced by Ronnie Bucknum in 1970 as the #19 MVS Special with stock block Ford or turbo Ford engines. Retained for 1971, again as the #19, when it was used by Arnie Knepper at the Indy 500, but he did not make a qualifying attempt. Bud Tingelstad failed to qualify it at Milwaukee in June, then Bon Harkey drove in practice at Pocono before being asked to step aside for Bob Harkey, who qualified, but retired early in the race. The car was not seen in 1972 but was then sold to Lloyd Gifford (Ft Wayne, IN) to replace an ancient Gerhardt and entered for Benny Rapp from Michigan 1973 to 1975 or 1976. At least one entry list in 1975 described it as a "Brabham". About 1985, it was bought from Gifford by Jim Mann who sold it directly to collector Bill Wiswedel (Holland, Michigan). It was retained in Bill's collection still in its red-and-blue Gifford livery until he sold it to Mark Klingerman (Bourbon, IN) in August 2014.
  29. Eagle 68 [401] (John Mahler): Sold new to Lindsey Hopkins for Roger McCluskey to drive in 1968 as the #8 G. C. Murphy entry. McCluskey also drove Hopkins' older 1967 Eagle during the season and the '68 car was mainly used for road courses. McCluskey moved to AJ Foyt's team for 1969 and the activities of the Eagle for most of that season are unknown. It was raced by Wally Dallenbach as Hopkins' #22 Sprite entry at the Riverside 300 in December 1969, but was not retained as part of the Hopkins stable after that. John Mahler (Bettendorf, IA) acquired the car, and it was his #100 Eagle-Chev in 1970 and early 1971 before he acquired a McLaren M15A. He retained the Eagle as a backup for 1972, racing it at Trenton in April, and it was taken by Mahler to the 1972 Indy 500 as a backup. It was later the #34 rear-engined car used by Mahler in a Sprint Car race at Winchester Speedway (Indiana) in July 1973, and was raced by Gary Bettenhausen at Winchester in October 1973. Its next owner was Tom Brewer (Roanoke, IN) during whose ownership it is said to have raced at Winchester and Salem (Indiana). Later from Brewer to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) some time before 1998, but it is possible the car went via Robert Ames (Tigard, OR). Restored for Chuck by Walter Goodwin and appeared at the 1998 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
  30. Halibrand Shrike 65 (Karl Busson): Max Dudley's 1968 car was identified by Phil Harms as a Gerhardt but a photograph in Dick Wallen's Roar From the Sixties clearly shows a Halibrand Shrike. Bob Cavanagh shared a shop with Dudley in this period and bought the Shrike after Dudley bought a 'new' Gerhardt. Dudley had bought it from AAR, making it a '65 Shrike, and its bulkier nose cone supports its AAR origins. Cavanagh then ran the car for Karl Busson from late 1969 to the end of 1971 and Bob confirms that it is the car that Harms identifies as a Gerhardt again in 1971. This is presumably also the "Halibrand Shrike" that Dudley drove at the USAC Seattle race in 1971.
  31. Eagle 68 [406] (Arnie Knepper): Roger Penske bought a road-racing version of the 1968 Indy Eagle and Mark Donohue raced it at Mosport and Riverside that season with a Chevrolet V8. It went to Weinberger Homes for 1969 and was driven at Indy by Ronnie Bucknum. It was not seen in 1970, but then went to Arnie Knepper and became his #90 C.H.E.K. Racing entry in 1971 and 1972, and finally his #45 entry at the 1973 Indy 500. It was then the LaWarre Precision Eagle entered by Robert W. LaWarre Sr (Titusville, FL) for Larry Rice and John Hubbard in 1974 and 1975. The Eagle was then retired but remained in LaWarre's ownership until his death in April 1997, after which it was bought by Joe Pirrotta (Palm City, FL) in 1999. The Eagle was fully restored to Penske livery and appeared at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2005.
  32. Finley 69 (Bruce Walkup): The Finley-Offy TC used by Bentley Warren, Carl Williams, Bob Harkey and Johnny Parsons in 1971 and 1972 is a puzzle. Bill Finley had run Huffakers for Tassi Vatis in 1966, 1967 and 1968 before producing a pair of 'Valvoline Wedge' cars in 1969. These cars were described as new (Autoweek 31 May 1969 p23) but the tube frame construction and 'hydroelastic' suspension paralleled the 64 Huffakers. In 1970, a single 'Finley' had been entered for Warren with a 1966 Eagle appearing as a second car at Indy for Sam Posey. This Eagle continues as a Vatis entry in 1971, suggesting the single 'Finley' is still descended from the 1969 cars. More research is required.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

The foundation for this research is the work done by the late Phil Harms collating the results of all AAA, USAC and CART races, including the period covered here. His data was refined by Michael Ferner who added more information before making it available to OldRacingCars.com. Since the start of the USAC project on OldRacingCars.com in 2004, a wealth of further information has been gleaned from the Carl Hungness and Donald Davidson Yearbooks, Formula and On Track magazines, USAC News, National Speed Sport News and other published sources. Gerry Measures has also provided much information from his files as have others on TNF and Trackforum. Since 2009, the work of Simmo Iskül and others identifying cars from period photographs has has moved this research forward significantly.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.