OldRacingCars.com

Texas 200

Texas World Speedway, 7 Apr 1973

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Al Unser Parnelli VPJ-2 [101?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#4 Viceroy [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
100 1h 18m 19.000s
2 Gary Bettenhausen McLaren M16B [4?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#5 Sunoco DX [Roger Penske] (see note 1)
100 Finished
3 Mike Mosley Eagle 72 [7221] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#98 Leader Card [Agajanian/Leader Card]
(see note 2)
100 Finished
4 Johnny Rutherford McLaren M16C [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#7 Gulf [McLaren Cars] (see note 3)
100 Finished
5 Joe Leonard Parnelli VPJ-2 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#1 Samsonite [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
99 Flagged
6 Dick Simon Eagle 72 [7212] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#44 Travelodge [Dick Simon] (see note 4)
99 Flagged
7 Roger McCluskey McLaren M16B [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#3 Hopkins Buick [Lindsey Hopkins]
(see note 5)
98 Flagged
8 Lee Kunzman Eagle 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#16 Hopkins [Lindsey Hopkins] (see note 6)
97 Flagged
9 Sammy Sessions Coyote 71 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#9 MVS [Stan Malless, Bob Voigt and Dick Sommers]
(see note 7)
94 Flagged
10 Lee Brayton Coyote 72 ['72-1'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#61 Diamond Reo (see note 8)
92 Flagged
11 AJ Foyt Coyote 73 ['73-1'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#14 Gilmore Racing [Foyt Enterprises]
(see note 9)
91 Cut tire, suspension
12 Mel Kenyon Kenyon-Coyote - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#19 Hopkins [Lindsey Hopkins] (see note 10)
91 Flagged
13 Swede Savage Eagle 72 [7210] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#42 Patrick Racing [Patrick Racing Team]
(see note 11)
90 Broken suspension
14 Larry McCoy Atlanta 72 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#63 Eastern Racing Associates [Larry McCoy]
(see note 12)
84 Broken suspension
15 Billy Vukovich Eagle 72 [7204?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#2 Sugaripe Prune [Jerry O'Connell/Jud Phillips]
(see note 13)
75 Cut tire
16 David "Salt" Walther McLaren M16A [3?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#77 Dayton-Walther [George Walther]
(see note 14)
74 Broken wing
17 Dee Jones Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#51 Minnesota Serendipity [Pat O'Reilly]
(see note 15)
65 In pits
18 Rick Muther Eagle 72 [7205] - Chevrolet 203 ci turbo Crower V8
#23 Corvette Clubs [Crower Cams]
(see note 16)
34 Electrical fire
19 Art Pollard Lola T272 [HU3] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#20 STP Oil Filter [STP Corporation]
(see note 17)
32 Broken front hub
20 Bobby Unser Eagle 73 [7302] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#8 Olsonite [AAR] (see note 18)
30 Broken piston
21 Jimmy Caruthers Eagle 72 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#21 Cobre Firestone [Robert L. 'Bob' Fletcher]
(see note 19)
30 Clutch failure
22 Mike Hiss Eagle 72 [7209?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#6 Thermo King Air Cond [Don Gerhardt]
(see note 20)
22 Oil leak
23 Gordon Johncock Eagle 72 [7217] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#25 Patrick Racing [Patrick Racing Team]
(see note 21)
14 Dropped valve
24 Larry Dickson Kingfish 72 ['2'] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#58 Midwest Mfg Dura-Pot [Carl Gehlhausen/Jim Masson]
(see note 22)
14 Oil leak
25 Mario Andretti Parnelli VPJ-2 [102?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#11 Viceroy [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
10 Broken piston
26 Tom Sneva Tipke 72 ['1'] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#39 Tipke (see note 23)
5 Broken magneto
DNS Steve Krisiloff Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#24 [King] [Grant King Racers Inc]
(see note 24)
Did not start
(Did not start)
DNQ Lloyd Ruby Eagle 67 - Chevrolet 203 ci turbo Crower V8
[Bruce Crower] (see note 25)
Did not qualify
Qualifying
1 Bobby Unser Eagle 73 [7302] - Offy 159 ci turbo 212.766 mph
2 Gary Bettenhausen McLaren M16B [4?] - Offy 159 ci turbo 209.790
3 Mario Andretti Parnelli VPJ-2 [102?] - Offy 159 ci turbo 209.607
4 Al Unser Parnelli VPJ-2 [101?] - Offy 159 ci turbo 209.120
5 Gordon Johncock Eagle 72 [7217] - Offy 159 ci turbo 207.972
6 Johnny Rutherford McLaren M16C [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo 206.127
7 AJ Foyt Coyote 73 ['73-1'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 206.127
8 Joe Leonard Parnelli VPJ-2 - Offy 159 ci turbo 205.832
9 Mike Mosley Eagle 72 [7221] - Offy 159 ci turbo 203.275
10 Roger McCluskey McLaren M16B [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo 199.778
11 Art Pollard Lola T272 [HU3] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 199.060
12 Billy Vukovich Eagle 72 [7204?] - Offy 159 ci turbo 197.775
13 Lee Kunzman Eagle 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo 197.423
14 Dick Simon Eagle 72 [7212] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 196.453
15 David "Salt" Walther McLaren M16A [3?] - Offy 159 ci turbo 195.918
16 Jimmy Caruthers Eagle 72 - Offy 159 ci turbo 194.804
17 Steve Krisiloff * Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo 190.074
18 Tom Sneva Tipke 72 ['1'] - Offy 159 ci turbo 188.137
19 Lee Brayton Coyote 72 ['72-1'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 185.042
20 Sammy Sessions Coyote 71 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 183.160
21 Larry Dickson Kingfish 72 ['2'] - Offy 159 ci turbo 181.406
22 Mel Kenyon Kenyon-Coyote - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 180.000
23 Larry McCoy Atlanta 72 - Offy 159 ci turbo 172.620
24 Dee Jones Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 157.068
25 Rick Muther Eagle 72 [7205] - Chevrolet 203 ci turbo Crower V8 144.724
26 Swede Savage Eagle 72 [7210] - Offy 159 ci turbo no time
27 Mike Hiss Eagle 72 [7209?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. McLaren M16B [4?] (Gary Bettenhausen): Roger Penske 1972 for Gary Bettenhausen (#7) at the Indy 500, Michigan and Pocono in July. Raced by Gordon Johncock at Milwaukee in August, again as the #7, and then became Mark Donohue's #66 entry at Trenton and Phoenix. Believed to be Bettenhausen's #5 car at Texas World Speedway in early 1973, after which it was sold to Al Loquasto and was the car he crashed during practice at the Indy 500. Raced by Loquasto for the rest of 1973 and retained in 1974. Unknown thereafter but presumably retained as a backup to his ex-Roy Woods McLaren M16C until 1979 and maybe used on short tracks. Sold with the M16C to Robert W. LaWarre Sr (Titusville, FL) in 1979, and retained by LaWarre until his death in 1997, after which it was sold as a bare tub to Penske in the late 1990s. Penske also obtained from the Goodyear Museum a show car that Penske had built using a replica tub and the bodywork from the 1972 cars. The bodywork and running gear was reunited with the M16B monocoque and restored as a replica of Mark Donohue's Indy 500 winner. The car has been on display in the Penske Racing Museum (Scottsdale, AZ) since 2012 or earlier.
  2. Eagle 72 [7221] (Mike Mosley): New to Leader Card Racers in time for the TWS race at the start of 1973. Raced by Mike Mosley as the #98 Leader Card entry. Then taken to the Indy 500 as a backup, renumbered #97, and qualified by Rick Muther. It was then Mosley's short track car, and raced by Muther at Pocono and by Johnny Parsons Jr at Ontario and at the late-season races. Presumably for Parsons again at Ontario in March 1974. Then Mosley's short track car when he wasn't using his new 1974 Eagle. Signs of repairs to the left side of this car allow it to be identified from 1975 onwards. It was raced by George Snider as the #97 at Ontario at the start of 1975, then by Steve Krisiloff in the Indy 500 as the #98 and later in the season as the #98 and then the #10. For 1976, the car was sold to Patrick Santello and was his #65 City of Syracuse or S&M Electric entry that season for Larry Dickson and Lee Kunzman. Then to Gus and Richard Hoffman (Milford, OH) of Hoffman Racing for 1977 and entered for Jerry Grant and later Joe Saldana as the #69. Driven again by Saldana in 1978 and 1979. Also appeared once for Bob Frey in 1980. Reappeared briefly in 1982 when it was entered by George T. Smith's GTS Racing as the #86 Empress Traveler for Al Loquasto. Sold by Smith to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) who sold it to Bob Colllings (Boston, MA) in April 1985. Retained by Collings and now forms part of the auto collection in The Collings Foundation (Stow, MA).
  3. McLaren M16C [2] (Johnny Rutherford): New for McLaren Cars at the start of 1973, and raced by Johnny Rutherford at the early short-track events. Possibly used by him at short track events later in the year. Also driven by Peter Revson as the #15 Gulf entry at Pocono and Ontario in 1973, taking pole position at both events. By early November, it had been acquired by George Walther, replacing the older M16 in which Salt Walther had been badly injured at the 1973 Indy 500, and was prepared by Dayton-Walther chief mechanic Tommie Smith from the team's new base in Dayton, Ohio. It was driven by Salt at the Indy 500 in 1974 as the #77 Dayton Walther Spl, but the Walthers then acquired M16C/6, retaining M16C/2 as his #33 spare car at the Indy 500 in 1975 and 1976. It was raced by Bob Harkey as the #33 Dayton-Walther entry at Indy and Pocono in 1975, and by David Hobbs at Indy in 1976. How it was used during the rest of the 1975 and 1976 season is unclear but it was quite possibly used as by Salt Walther a short-track car. Relegated to the team's third car for 1977 when Walther acquired M16C/5 from McLaren. Sold with M16C/6 to Jerry Karl/William R. Compton Sr for 1978. M16C/6 was converted to Chevrolet V8 power and entered by Tonco Trailer until 1981 and M16C/2 was kept as a backup until M16C/6 was wrecked at Riverside in 1981. M16C/2 was then used for the last three races of the 1981 season. Both M16Cs were sold to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) but M16C/2 had moved to Ron Rickard (San Diego, CA) by 1986 when he drove it at the Palm Springs historics. Sold to Tony Roberts and Duncan Fox (Auckland, New Zealand) in 1997 and used in historics with an aluminium 355 ci Chevrolet V8 from 1998 to 2000. Sold to the Mathews Collection still with its Chevrolet engine. From Mathews to Aaron Lewis (Cessnock, NSW, Australia) in 2009.
  4. Eagle 72 [7212] (Dick Simon): To Dick Simon, fitted with a Foyt-Ford V8 turbo engine and first raced as his #44 Travelodge entry at Phoenix in November 1972, where he was second fastest in Friday practice. Raced by Simon through 1973 and 1974 as the #44, retaining its Travelodge sponsorship until mid-1974. Returned in 1975 with Bruce Cogle Ford backing and in 1976 with Lan Hairpieces and later Robyn CB sponsorship when it was driven by Roger Rager. Not at Indy in 1977 but later in the year it was acquired by Nick Krantz and entered for Phil Threshie, still as the #44 but now with Mr. Golden Sunflower sponsorship. Crashed by Threshie in practice for the 1977 California 500 at Ontario and not seen again.
  5. McLaren M16B [2] (Roger McCluskey): McLaren Cars 1972 for Peter Revson (#12), and raced at the Indy 500, Pocono and Ontario. Also raced by Gordie Johncock at Trenton in September after his usual M16B/3 had been wrecked at Ontario. To Lindsey Hopkins for Roger McCluskey to race in 1973 as the #3 Hopkins Buick entry, but McCluskey raced his older M16A at the Indy 500 and at Pocono, before settling on the M16B at the end of the season. The two cars took McCluskey to the USAC National Championship. The M16B was retained for 1974 and 1975 as a backup to Hopkins' new Riley-built 'English Leather' car. The McLaren was used at Trenton in 1975, and then entered for Graham McRae at the 1975 Indy 500, but he could not qualify. Sold to Carl Gehlhausen for Spike Gehlhausen to drive in 1976 (#19 Spirit of Indiana) and 1977 (#19 PV Corp) but crashed at Ontario, Indy and Pocono in 1977 with serious damage each time. Replaced with an Eagle in mid-1977. Acquired from Gehlhausen by Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) some time in the 1980s, and restored by Gehlhausen's chief mechanic Eddie Baue and Walter Goodwin. USAC's history of this car identified it as the #86 "ex-Revson" McLaren (actually Hopkins' other M16) and it was restored to this specification and then sold to Gene Wagner (Atlanta, GA), who used it in US vintage racing between 1988 and 1990.
  6. Eagle 70 (Lee Kunzman): For 1972, Lindsey Hopkins added a 1970 Eagle to his already crowded stable for Wally Dallenbach to drive as the #10 entry. The origins of the Eagle are presently unknown but it could be the redundant ex-Gurney AAR car or the unwanted Gordy Johncock car. Dallenbach drove it in the opening races of the season but was bumped at the Indy 500. He then joined the STP team to replace the injured Art Pollard and Hopkins recruited Lee Kunzman to take over the #10 Eagle. A 1972 Eagle replaced the 1970 car at some point, but a photograph shows Kunzman drove the older car at Texas World Speedway in April 1973, so exactly where Kunzman raced this car instead of the new '72 Eagle is not clear, and photographs are needed to completely resolve this. Photographs indicate that this was the 1970 Eagle acquired by Patrick Santello (Syracuse, NY) for 1975. His mechanic Willie Davis fitted it with one of Richard Moser's DOHC Chevrolet V8 engines, but the car did not race until near the end of the season, when Larry Dickson raced the #65 City of Syracuse Spl at Phoenix in November 1975. Retained by Santello for the 1976 season as a backup to a newer 1972 Eagle, and raced by Dickson, Lee Kunzman and Jerry Karl. Subsequent history unknown but this is likely to be the car advertised by Ron Cameron (San Diego, CA) in March 1991, when it was identified as "VIN: AAR-805" and "USAC: R71-10". The car was then dark blue with a white stripe and fitted with a Chevrolet V8 engine. Its nose and water pipes were in 1970 works form, but it had 1972-style front and rear wings. A year later, it was for sale by G & G Motorsports Ltd (Indianapolis, IN) who described it as the car Gurney drove to third place in the 1970 Indy 500. It was next seen Tom Hollfelder drove it in a VARA historic event at Willow Springs in October 1995, where it was still dark blue with a white stripe but now wore number #48. Hollfelder also ran the car at Road America in 2009. Steve Zautke and Jacques Dresang have examined the car and observed Santello era paintwork showing through the more recent dark blue. It still has a Chevrolet small block engine, as it did when Santello owned it.
  7. Coyote 71 (Sammy Sessions): New for AJ Foyt at the 1971 Indy 500, where he finished third. Presumably the car he used for the rest of the season, but it is possible he used the sister car or older cars at short track events. NSSN reported that he used this car when he won at Phoenix in October 1971, his first USAC race win in over two years, when the car had "undergone major chassis changes, including the moving of the radiators to the rear of the chassis, ala McLaren". The car was sold to the MVS team for 1972 and raced by Jim Hurtubise at the Indy 500. MVS also bought an older 1969/70 Coyote for the short ovals. This car was then raced by George Snider as MVS's #29 entry on the longer tracks later in 1972. Although Sessions was reported to be driving the team's 1972 Eagle at all his races in 1973, photographs and race video show him driving the Coyote at least twice. It was bought from MVS in 1975 less engine by the Dewco Construction team of Jack Owens (Indianapolis, IN), and fitted with a stock block Chevrolet. It ran in this form for two years, but only started one race. Then unknown until the early 1980s when it was entered by Robert W. Gaby's B&G Racing for Steve Ball (Osslar, IN) at the 1981 Indy 500. Ball's entry was withdrawn after the team's owner ran into financial issues, but Ball was invited to start the Pocono race a month later as USAC were short of entries. The car was later sold to Chuck Haines, who later sold it to a new owner who took it to Walt Goodwin to be restored.
  8. Coyote 72 ['72-1'] (Lee Brayton): Built new for AJ Foyt for the 1972 Indy 500, where he qualified in 17th position on day 2, with the fifth fastest time, but retired early. Foyt was injured at DuQuoin the day after the 500 and did not return until Ontario in September, by which time he was reported to have built a new car. However, later history would suggest this was the same car, but with some updates. He led at Ontario, but retired at all three of the remaining races of the season. The car was sold to Lee Brayton for 1973 as the #61 Diamond Reo entry, with John Gleason as his chief mechanic. Brayton raced the car at TWS and Trenton early in the season, but he was unable to qualify for the Indy 500. After damaging the Coyote at Ontario later in the season, Brayton bought the ex-Gordy Johncock 1972 Eagle from Patrick Racing. The Coyote was rebuilt and retained by Brayton as a backup for 1974, still as the #61, and was qualified for the Indy 500 by Rick Muther. After Brayton damaged his Eagle in practice at the Indy 500, he raced the Coyote one more time at Pocono. The car is reported to have gone to Patrick Racing as a show car and presumably was the Sinmast Special Coyote loaned to an Indianapolis bank in May 1975. However, Brayton had acquired sponsorship from Sinmast, who later sponsored Patrick, so maybe it was actually owned by Sinmast. The car's history is then unknown until it was found in "a Chevrolet dealership in Carmel, a northern Indianapolis suburb, in 1984" by Thomas W. Acker (Largo, FL). Acker displayed the car at a car show in Florida in 1990 still in #20 blue-and-white Patrick livery. It was acquired from Acker by Vonnie Sue Martin for her husband Ron Martin (Bluff City, TN) in 2005 and restored to its 1974 configuration by Walter Goodwin. Martin displayed it at the IMS in 2008 and 2011, after which he sold it to Charles Ungurean (Columbus, OH). Ungurean sold it to Bruce Revennaugh (Marble Falls, TX) in 2014. Displayed by Revennaugh at the Indianapolis Historic Indycar Exhibition in May 2017.
  9. Coyote 73 ['73-1'] (AJ Foyt): New for AJ Foyt at the Texas 200 at Texas World Speedway in April 1973 as Foyt Enterprises' #14 Gilmore Racing entry. Photographs show that it was also raced by Foyt at Trenton, and then raced by George Snider at the Indy 500 as the #84 entry. It was then raced by Snider at Pocono, by Foyt at the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Milwaukee in August, and by Snider at Ontario in September. The side-radiator 1973 Coyotes were not seen again after 1973 and were presumably rebuilt into the team's front-radiator 1974 cars.
  10. Kenyon-Coyote (Mel Kenyon): The history of this 1970 Coyote chassis is unknown before July 1971. After Mel Kenyon's Kuzma was wrecked during the 1971 Indy 500, Mel and Don Kenyon acquired this chassis and it was raced by Wally Dallenbach, Roger McCluskey and Mel Kenyon later in 1971. It was progressively modified over the next three years by Don Kenyon and Eldon Rasmussen, and by 1974 Donald Davidson suggested that it should be called a Coyote - Kuzma - Kenyon - Eagle - Rasmussen. Raced at the Indy 500 by Mel Kenyon in 1972, and by Bob Harkey in 1973 and 1974, and also raced by Kenyon at a few short track races in 1973. It returned to the Speedway in 1976, but Kenyon crashed during practice. Last seen at Ontario later in 1976. History then unknown until 2013, when it was in Bob Boyce's collection (Michigan City, Indiana), still exactly as it had appeared at Ontario.
  11. Eagle 72 [7210] (Swede Savage): One of two 1972 Eagles sold to Patrick Racing for 1973, chassis 7210 is understood to be the car raced by Swede Savage as the #42 Patrick Racing entry and then at the Indy 500 as the #40 STP Oil Treatment Spl. Savage crashed heavily during the race and was very badly burned. He was taken to hospital but died a month later. The car was comprehensively destroyed in the accident.
  12. Atlanta 72 (Larry McCoy): Completed by Gene White Racing after Atlanta Cars closed, and first seen as the team's #21 Bill Daniels GOP for Cale Yarborough at the 1972 Indy 500. Yarborough was then "asked to step down", and the car was converted from Ford to Offy power for team leader Lloyd Ruby to try in practice at Pocono. It was raced by Jimmy Caruthers as the #52 Wynn's Special at Ontario in September. Almost certainly the Atlanta-Offy sold to Larry McCoy Sr's Eastern Racing for his son Larry McCoy to drive in 1973, backed by James Bidwell's Shurfine Foods. Converted by Eldon Rasmussen to Ras-Car specification for 1974, and raced by McCoy and others up to 1977. To Frank Fiore for 1978, and his #87 Machinists Union entry for Jerry Karl, Phil Threshie and Al Loquasto that season. Then to Buddie Boys, a Calgary trucking magnate, and entered for Bob Harkey at the 1980 Indy 500, but he could not get enough speed out of it. The last that was heard of the car was just before the Milwaukee race, when the engine was said to have blown up during testing.
  13. Eagle 72 [7204?] (Billy Vukovich): One of two 1972 Eagles bought new by Jerry O'Connell's Sugaripe Prune team and raced by Billy Vukovich as the #3 entry in 1972, with Jud Phillips as chief mechanic. As the later history of 7207 is known from an invoice, and as the cars have distinct differences that can be seen in photographs, 7204 can be safely identified as Vukovich's 1972 Indy 500 car, after which it swapped roles with 7207 and became his short track car. It remained his short track car in 1973, and is then believed to have raced just twice in 1974. Sold to Donald Mergard and very probably the car raced by Bob Harkey as Mergard Racing's #42 entry at Michigan late that season. Retained by Mergard for another six seasons, racing as the #42 with numerous drivers and sponsors. In 1981, this car appears to have become Tom Frantz' #71 entry for Bob Frey. Subsequent history unknown.
  14. McLaren M16A [3?] (David "Salt" Walther): McLaren Cars at the 1971 Indy 500 for Denny Hulme (#85). Raced by Gordon Johncock at Pocono 500 1971. Believed to have been sold to George Walther for his son David "Salt" Walther after the 1972 season and, as far as can be determined, this is the car that Walther was racing when he had his huge accident at the 1973 Indy 500. The wrecked car was kept by Walther, reputedly in his living room, but was sold to the Henry Ford Museum in 2012 to be part of an exhibit on racing safety.
  15. Mongoose 71 (Dee Jones): 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".
  16. Eagle 72 [7205] (Rick Muther): AAR's third team car in 1972 and entered at the Indy 500 as the #48 Mystery Eagle for Jerry Grant. Also raced by Grant at other races that season, taking pole position at Ontario with the first official lap at over 200 mph. The car was sold to engine specialist Bruce H. Crower for 1973 and entered as his #23 Crower Cams car as a test bed for various Chevrolet engine projects over the next three seasons. In late 1976, the car returned again as the #57, powered by Crower's own flat-6 engine. Crower then acquired a 1974 Eagle for 1978 and the '72 car was retired.
  17. Lola T272 [HU3] (Art Pollard): New to Andy Granatelli's STP in time for the California 500 at Ontario in September 1972, where it was raced as the #20 entry by Art Pollard. According to Lola records, this was designated a T272 and had modified suspension. Pollard raced this car again at Trenton and Phoenix, and also at Texas World Speedway at the start of the 1973 season. STP then decided to back the Patrick Racing team, and the final appearance of the Lola was in practice at the 1973 Indy 500, where Graham McRae drove it before being moved to one of the Patrick Racing Eagles. The car was retained by STP and used as a display and promotion car around the Midwest for a number of years. In 1977 it was loaned to the Briggs Cunningham Museum (Costa Mesa) but it is unclear what happened to it after that museum closed in 1987 and most of its collection was acquired by the Miles Collier Collection in Florida. In 2011, the T272 was reported to have been loaned by Andy Granatelli to a museum in Kokomo, Indiana. By early 2018, it was on display in the World of Speed Museum in Wilsonville, Oregon.
  18. Eagle 73 [7302] (Bobby Unser): Built in time for Bobby Unser to drive as AAR's #8 Olsonite entry at Texas World Speedway in April. He then used the same car at Trenton, but had a further new car, chassis 7304, for Indianapolis. Exactly how 7302 was then used is still being resolved, but it is assumed for now to be the car he crashed at Milwaukee in August. The unrepaired chassis then sat on pallets at AAR until the autumn of 1975 when it was bought by Joe Hunt (Torrance, CA), repaired, and run by him as the #99 Joe Hunt Magneto entry starting when John Martin drove it in the final race of the 1975 season. Hunt continued to run it at Indy races at Ontario and at Phoenix through the next five seasons. It was taken to the Indy 500 in 1981 for Phil Krueger to drive and was crashed heavily during practice, but rebuilt yet again, and raced until 1982. Subsequent history unknown, but it was acquired by Jack Danko (Laurel Run, PA) in January 2004, and rebuilt to be used in Pensylvania hillclimbs by his son Darryl Danko from 2005 to at least 2011.
  19. Eagle 72 (Jimmy Caruthers): One of two 1972 Eagles bought by Robert L. 'Bob' Fletcher and chief crew Clint Brawner for Fletcher's new Cobre Firestone team in 1973. This car arrived in time for the race at Texas World Speedway at the start of April so is likely to be chassis 7214. Entered at TWS as the #21 entry for Jimmy Caruthers, and it is assumed that this was the same #21 entered for him at Trenton and at the Indy 500. After Art Pollard's accident in the sister car, this was Fletcher's only remaining 1972 car and it was driven by Caruthers for the rest of 1973, then by Duane "Pancho" Carter at the Indy 500 in 1974. It is likely to be the car raced by Carter later in the season but he might have been allocated one of the team's 1974 Eagles. The car was renumbered #55 for 1975 and entered for Lee Kunzman at Ontario, where he finished third in his heat and fourth in the final. Entered also at the Indy 500 but Kunzman did not qualify. The car was not needed again but remained with the team as a show car. It was photographed in Frosty Acres livery, which cannot be earlier than 1979. Subsequent history unknown.
  20. Eagle 72 [7209?] (Mike Hiss): New to Don Gerhardt to replace chassis 7206 destroyed in Jim Malloy's fatal accident at the 1972 Indy 500. Raced by Johnny Rutherford as the #18 Thermo King Special entry for the latter half of 1972. Retained for 1973 when Mike Hiss took over as team driver but Gerhardt had also acquired chassis 7216, and 7209 was used mainly on short tracks that year. Jim McElreath took over the Gerhardt drive in 1974 and used both 7209 and 7216 at the 1974 Indy 500, racing 7209. Gary Bettenhausen rejoined Gerhardt for 1975 and raced 7209 at the Indy 500 and at Pocono, with 7216 now being used on short tracks. For 1976, Bettenhausen used 7216 at the Indy 500, and 7209 was allocated to Eddie Miller but he destroyed the car in a heavy accident during practice. The remains sat at a body shop in Fresno, CA for a long time, before they were acquired by John Mueller for parts to aid in his restoration of 7228. He scrapped what he did not need, but part of the footbox together with the chassis plate were sent to Jacques Dresang as a souvenir.
  21. Eagle 72 [7217] (Gordon Johncock): New to Patrick Racing and raced by Gordy Johncock in 1973 as the #25 Patrick Racing entry early in 1973 and then became the #20 STP Double Oil Filter Special at the Indy 500 when Patrick Racing picked up STP sponsorship. Johncock won the Indy 500 in this car but it was wrecked at Pocono in July when a wheel came off and then damaged again at Milwaukee in August in an incident with Johnny Rutherford while Johncock was leading the race. The Eagle was repaired, sold to Lee Brayton and John Eisenhour, and raced by Brayton at Michigan in September 1973 as the #61 Eisenhour-Brayton car, replacing the team's 1972 Coyote. Retained for 1974 when it was Brayton's #28 car, also driven by Mike Hiss at Ontario. Wrecked by Brayton at Indianapolis during practice on 7 May when Tom Bigelow spun in front of him, and extensively damaged, the Daily Reports noting that the Eagle was "apparently a complete loss". Brayton had to return to the old Coyote for Pocono and it is not clear whether he raced the Coyote again at Michigan later in the year or whether the Eagle had been repaired. Retained by Lee Brayton and undergoing restoration at Walter Goodwin's workshop in May 2010. In June 2010, it appears that this car was placed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, replacing the mueum's replica of Johncock's 1973 Indy 500 winner. Sold to Bruce McCaw around 2012.
  22. Kingfish 72 ['2'] (Larry Dickson): The second new 1972 Grant King car appeared for the first time at the Indy 500 as the #15 car for Steve Krisiloff. As the other 1972 car was destroyed in Merle Bettenhausen's accident at the 1972 Michigan 200, it would be reasonable to assume this is the 1972 Kingfish acquired by Carl Gehlhausen's Mid-West Manufacturing Dura-pot team. A Racing Pictorial photograph shows that it first appeared as the team's #58 entry at Phoenix in November 1972, but driver Larry Dickson did not start. It was raced as the #58 by Dickson at the start of 1973, and was driven by Johnny Parsons Jr, Arnie Knepper, Tom Bigelow and Tom Sneva later that season. The Gehlhausen team only made a couple of appearances with the Kingfish in 1974, but made a more concerted effort in 1975, with the Kingfish now as the #38 entry, raced initially by Jerry Karl, and then by Al Loquasto, Jerry Sneva and Mike Hiss (who crashed it) in practice for the Indy 500. Spike Gehlhausen, Carl's son, was then given his first chance in the car after the 500 and kept the drive to the end of the season. The Gehlhausens then acquired a McLaren M16 as the #19 Spirit of Indiana entry, and the Kingfish acted as backup until an Eagle was acquired in mid-1977. Subsequent history unknown but at some point the car was repainted with Sta-On Glaze livery, Gehlhausen's 1979 sponsor. By 2008, it was part of a collection of unrestored Indy cars owned by Walter Medlin.
  23. Tipke 72 ['1'] (Tom Sneva): New for Tom Sneva to drive in Indy racing in 1972 as the #41 entry. After being narrowly too late for qualifying at Ontario, Sneva drove the car at Trenton in September and Phoenix in November, but was unable to start either race. He gave the car its race debut at Texas World Speedway in April 1973 but was then unable to qualify at the Indy 500. The car was not raced again after the Indy 500 but was retained by Tipke and displayed in car museums and at car shows. In 2014, the car was prepared to race again and taken to the IMS and driven there by Michael McKinney. It was entered again at the IMS Historic Exhibition in 2017.
  24. Kingfish 70 (Steve Krisiloff): Built by Grant King for 1970 and raced by Art Pollard in the early races of the season as his #10 Pollard Car Wash entry. Pollard and King separated after Milwaukee in June, and the car was next seen at Ontario where it was the #41 Grant King entry for Greg Weld. Weld then crashed it in practice at Trenton in October. It returned in 1971, still as the #41 entry, and was driven by Roger McCluskey at Rafaela. George Follmer put it in the race at Indianapolis and it then became the #40 STP entry for Larry Dickson and others later that season, including George Snider. As far as can be determined, this car was Snider's #35 car at the opening race of the 1972 season, and then used by Steve Krisiloff as the #15 at two short track raced later that season. It was then Krisiloff's #24 entry at the opening race of the 1973 season before finally being retired.
  25. Eagle 67 (Lloyd Ruby): An Eagle acquired in 1971 or 1972 by mechanic Bob Dickson (Chula Vista, CA) for engine builder H. Bruce Crower (Jamul, CA), and fitted with Crower's 203 ci turbocharged Chevrolet V8 engine. It was entered by Crower for Rick Muther to race at Phoenix in November 1972 as the #45 Crower Cams Spl, Crower identifying it in the USAC entry forms as a 1967 Eagle but with no chassis number given. The car was also said to have gone well in tests at Ontario, and was then retained in 1973 as a backup to Crower's 1972 Eagle, which was expected to use the same engine. The 1967 Eagle was then advertised by Crower in April 1974. Its movement are then unknown for nearly 20 years, but it was still in Crower's configuration when it was bought from Jim Mahoney by Thomas W. Acker (Largo, FL) in 1993. Acker sold it in 2003 to Don and Joan Lyons (Dowagiac, Michigan), who restored the car to 1967 specification, and then offered it for sale as part of the Lyons Collection at the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction in August 2009.

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.