Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 30 May 1968

Notes on the cars:

1. Eagle 68 [402] (Bobby Unser): Sold new to the Leader Card team and prepared by Jud Phillips and Tom 'Red' Herrmann for Bobby Unser to race in 1968 as the #3 Rislone entry. He won the Indy 500, but just two weeks later "wiped out" his 500 winner in an accident on only the third lap at Mosport Park. Unser used his two 1967 Eagles after that, and also in early 1969 until his new Lola T152 was ready. After the Lola was badly damaged at Milwaukee in June, Unser appeared in a 1968 Eagle at Continental Divide in July and at other road course events later in the season. At Riverside on 5 December 1969 his car was described as "the actual Indy winner". This car was transferred to the AJ Watson half of the Leader Card operation and was raced by Mike Mosley at the Indy 500 and at Ontario in 1970 as the #9 G. C. Murphy entry. For 1971, Watson acquired a second '68 Eagle, but Mosley wrecked this at the Indy 500. George Snider drove the original ex-Unser car at the Indy 500, and also drove it for the team later in the season, while Mosley was recovering from his accident. Photographs show that this was the car used by Mosley in the first two races of 1972, but the team had also bought the ex-Dan Gurney '68 Eagle from the Jim Robbins team, and it was that car that Mosley raced in the Indy 500. After his crash in the Indy 500, Mosley was again out of racing for some months, and Rick Muther drove the team's original ex-Unser car in four races in the summer of 1972. Mosley returned again in time for the Ontario 500, at which he raced his repaired Indy 500 mount. Photographs show that the ex-Robbins car was used at Ontario in 1972, and at Ontario in 1973, so it is assumed here that it was also used in the intervening races. The last race for the ex-Unser car was therefore at Milwaukee in August 1972. In January 1973, it was sold to the Indianapolis Speedway Museum, and by May 1973, it was on display as Bobby Unser's 1968 Indy 500 winning car. It has remained on display ever since, and still carries the 402 chassis plate.
2. Eagle 68 [404] (Dan Gurney): Dan Gurney's #48 Olsonite entry at the 1968 Indy 500 was a new 1968 Eagle fitted with the Gurney Weslake Ford 303 ci stock block V8 engine. This car was highly successful on road courses later in the year, Gurney winning at IRP, twice at Mosport and at Riverside. The car was sold to Marshall Robbins of Jim Robbins Co. for 1969 and crew chief Jim Spangler fitted a Ford turbo for Lee Roy Yarbrough to drive at the Indy 500. Robbins and Spangler brought the car back to the Speedway for 1970 for Yarbrough to drive. It was last seen with the Robbins team at Ontario in 1970. This was later identified by Carl Hungness as the car raced by Mike Mosley at the 1972 Indy 500, but when the car moved from Robbins to the AJ Watson/Leader Card team is unclear. Mosley crashed this car at the 1972 Indy 500, and was again injured. Photographs of the car at this race show several diagonal rows of rivets at the back of the tub on the left, indicating a major repair. This pattern of rivets then identifies the car in pictures at Ontario in 1972, at Ontario in 1973, and in the present day. After the 1972 Indy 500, Rick Muther used the team's other 1968 Eagle until Mosley again returned from his injuries in September, and this ex-Robbins car was ready for him to drive at the Ontario 500. The team's other 1968 Eagle was donated to the IMS Museum in January 1973, leaving this car to act as a backup to Leader Card Racer's new 1972/73 Eagles. It was raced by Mosley again at Trenton in early 1973, by Johnny Parsons Jr at Milwaukee and by Tom Sneva at Ontario. That was the last time it was seen on a racetrack, but in 1978 it was sitting in Jim Hurtubise's garage at the Indy 500 wearing #54 with its rear wing acting as a drinks table. By 1995, it had been restored to 1972 livery and was hanging in the roof of AJ Watson's shop. Since then, the car has been retained by the Wilke family.
3. Gerhardt 67 (Mel Kenyon): Mel Kenyon's Gerhardt at the 1967 Indy 500 is identified by Clymer as a new car and Kenyon's 1968 500 car is identified by that year's Clymer Yearbook as being the same car. It is presumably the #15 Gerhardt that Kenyon drives through the rest of 1967 and in early 1968. Crashed heavily in practice at Milwaukee in June 1968, and later interviews with Kenyon imply this car was not repaired. Kenyon had a new 1968 Gerhardt later in the season.
4. Eagle 68 [405] (Denis Hulme): The #42 AAR entry for Denny Hulme at the 1968 Indy 500 with Olsonite backing and fitted with a 255ci Ford V8. Sold after Indy to Gordy Johncock's Gilmore-backed team and raced at the Mosport Park race in mid-June but crashed and "extensively damaged". It was reported that Johncock returned to Eagle for two new cars but it would appear that the original car was repaired. Johncock used the Eagle-Ford at all the other road course events in 1968: at Continental Divide, IRP, Mont-Tremblant and Riverside. In 1969, he raced it at Continental Divide, IRP and Brainerd, winning at Continental Divide and finishing first and second in the two Brainerd races. He retained it for road courses again in 1970 at Sears Point, Continental Divide and IRP. It was last seen in Johncock's hands at IRP in July 1970. This car then went to Ray W Smith (Eaton, OH), who fitted it with a 206 ci turbocharged Chevrolet engine and entered it as the #70 Smith Speed Shop Special for Tom Bigelow (Whitewater, Wisc.) to drive at Indy in 1972, but Bigelow did not complete his rookie test. It was at Michigan in July, but Bill Puterbaugh did not qualify. Smith returned to sprint racing, and the Eagle is then unknown for some years until it was located and purchased by Roger Rager (Mound, MN), who had heard about changes to stock block rules for the 1979 Indy 500, and thought it could be competitive. He fitted a 355 ci Chevrolet engine and impressed many by getting the car over 181 mph during practice, but did not make a qualifying attempt. Later in the season he raced the car at Milwaukee in June, TWS in July, and Milwaukee again in August. At some point this car must have returned to AAR as it is now in the Gurney family's collection wearing the 405 chassis plate. It was restored as Dan Gurney #48 car, and is usually on display in the AAR museum but in 2011 it was on display at Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, CA), in 2017 it was was part of the Gurney Exhibition at the Petersen Museum in 2017, and in mid-2018 it was on display in the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana.
5. Mongoose 68 (Lloyd Ruby): New for the Gene White team and first appeared at the 1968 Indy 500 where it was Ruby's #25 car. It was Ruby's regular car for the rest of the season but the '67 car was still available and may have been used at some races. Ruby also drove the 1968 Mongoose at the 1969 Indy 500, preferring it to the new monocoque 1969 Mongoose. He continued to use the 1968 car at most races, the '67 car being used at IRP in July, until Dover Downs in August when he crashed heavily in practice and was badly burnt. Photographs of the burnt out wreck show several features distinctive of the 1968 car. The car was not salvageable and dave Laycock told Butch Gilbert that used it as "rebar" in his patio at his home. The surviving suspension parts were used by Grant King in 1974 in the construction of a 4-wheel independent suspension sprint car.
6. Hayhoe 68 (Ronnie Duman): 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).
7. Watson 68 (Mike Mosley): A new Watson built with a turbocharged Offy engine for 1968 and entered as the #90 Leader Card Racers car for Mike Mosley. The team also had their older 1967 Ford-engined car during 1968 and this also ran as the #90 on road courses. The 1968 car was also driven by Mario Andretti at Langhorne in July 1968 after the Italian's car blew a rod during his practice run. Retained into 1969 but Mosley also had a new 1969 Watson during practice for the Indy 500, eventually racing the newer car. Bob Veith was given the chance to qualify the 1968 car but crashed. The 1968 car was then entered as #91 later in the season for George Snider and once for Johnny Rutherford. It was Mosley's car at Riverside in November. In 1970, the two monocoque Watsons were rarely seen, the '68 car only appearing for Mosley at Michigan in July, Milwaukee in August, and probably Phoenix in November; and for Snider at IRP in July and Trenton in October. It was haled out one last time in 1971 after Mike Mosley wrecked the team's 1968 Eagle and was driven by Bill Puterbaugh at Pocono. History then unknown until it was found in very dilapidated condition in an old barn in Manteca, California by Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) some time around 2018.
8. Huffaker 64 (Sammy Sessions): The second Kjell Qvale Huffaker at the 1964 Indy 500 for Pedro Rodriguez as the #48 MG Liquid Suspension Spl. Rodriguez crashed the car on 9 May, damaging it severely and putting himself in hospital. The car was repaired and returned to competition as Qvale's #48 Bardahl entry for Jerry Grant #48 Bardahl car at the 1965 Indy 500. He qualified in mid-grid but was an early retirement. This car was then one of two sold to Tassi Vatis but was not raced again in 1965, Vatis driver Arnie Knepper using the sister car that season. It was next seen at the 1966 Indy 500 where it was entered as Vatis team's backup #54 Valvoline entry, which journeyman Eddie Johnson qualified on the back row and took to seventh place as others retired. With lead driver Gary Congdon having wrecked his car at the Speedway, he drove this ex-Grant/Johnson car at Milwaukee, Langhorne and Atlanta while his regular car was repaired. It was then driven by Wally Dallenbach as a second Vatis at Fuji and Phoenix at the end of the 1966 season. Congdon moved to Mickey Thompson's team for 1967, so Dallenbach took over the Valvoline-sponsored Vatis Huffakers. He again drove the team's preferred primary car, and this ex-Grant/Johnson car was entered for veteran Chuck Stevenson to drive at the 1967 Indy 500, but he made no attempt to qualify. As Dallenbach damaged the primary Huffaker during the Indy 500, he drove the ex-Grant/Johnson car for the rest of the 1967 season. For the 1968 season, both cars were signficantly rebuilt and Dallenbach returned again to the team's preferred primary car, leaving this ex-Grant/Johnson car to be entered for Stevenson again at the 1968 Indy 500. After an accident quite early in the month, the veteran decided to retire from racing, and Sammy Sessions was recruited as his replacement. He qualified on the back row but kept going to finish ninth. This car was not seen again until the last few races of the season when Dallenbach raced it at Michigan and Hanford, and then Rick Muther drove it in the final race, at Riverside in December. In 1969, Vatis's chief mechanic Bill Finley again described the team's Indy 500 entries as "new Finley-built Valvoline Specials". Exactly how those 1969 cars relate to the 1964-1968 cars is still to be determined.
9. Mongoose 67 (Bobby Grim): One of two of the new 1967 Dave Laycock Mongoose cars retained for the Gene White team and entered as the #25 for Lloyd Ruby. First raced at Phoenix in April when it had not even been painted and won the race. Thereafter the #25 American Red Ball entry for Ruby using both Ford and Offy engines. Retained for Ruby for the first few races of 1968 before becoming the #6 entry for Bobby Grim at the 1968 Indy 500. Rebuilt with a Chevrolet stock block engine and next seen as Gene White's #52 Wynns entry for Charlie Glotzbach at the 1969 Indy 500. Glotzbach did not attempt to qualify. Last raced as Ruby's Chevrolet-engined car at the Indianapolis Raceway Park road circuit in July 1969, the distinctive twin scoops on the nose of the car being visible in photographs. Subsequent history unknown.
10. Gerhardt 67 (Bob Veith): After Art Pollard's fiery crash while testing his Indy 500 car at Trenton in July 1967, a new turbo Offy car would have been needed for his return at Hanford in October. Pollard set pole position in this car at the brand new 1.5-mile D-shaped Hanford oval. Pollard retained this car in early 1968 (now as his #11 car) and was then Bob Veith's #16 Thermo King Gerhardt at the 1968 Indy 500 which was identified by Clymer as having been built in the summer of 1967. It was raced by the team's new driver Gary Bettenhausen at Milwaukee in August, and was presumably the short track #11 car at other races in 1968. It is presumably also the #16 Thermo King Gerhardt that appeared for Rutherford at Langhorne and for Snider (and Andretti) at Phoenix in November. Unknown after November 1968.
11. Coyote 66 ['66-1'] (Jim McElreath): Built for AJ Foyt for 1966 by Eddie Kuzma and Lujie Lesovsky as "a new sturdier copy of a Lotus" (Hot Road Magazine). Crashed in practice by Foyt at the 1966 Indy 500. Raced by Foyt later in the season as the #2 and then by Joe Leonard at three races in 1967, including the Indy 500, as the #4. Raced by Foyt in early 1968 after his 1967 car had been wrecked in testing. For Jim McElreath at the 1968 Indy 500 and then used by Foyt to win at Continental Divide in July 1968. For Roger McCluskey in early 1969 but wrecked at Hanford and not repaired until 1970, when it was sold to Mel Kenyon and prepared by Don Kenyon as part of the Lindsey Hopkins team. Raced by Mel Kenyon (relieved by McCluskey) in the 1970 Indy 500 but wrecked. The damaged tub passed through a number of hands and by 2016 was with Bob Boyce. Boyce bought the 1968 car from Chuck Haines to use as a template for the repairs to the 1966 car. Both cars were then sold to John Darlington (Indianapolis, IN) in 2016, and by the end of that year they were with Walter Goodwin for restoration. In May 2017, the fully restored car was displayed at the IMS Museum as part of an AJ Foyt exhibit. It later appeared at Pebble Beach in 2018 and at the Pocono Historic event in August 2019.
12. Coyote 68 ['68-1'] (Carl Williams): New for AJ Foyt to drive as A.J. Foyt Enterprises' #1 Sheraton-Thompson entry in early 1968, as Foyt's latest car, the 1967 Indy 500 winner, had been wrecked in a tyre test at Phoenix at the end of February. A second 1968 car was built in time for the Indy 500, so this early-1968 car was intended to take up duties as Foyt's road racing car for 1968 but was taken to the 1968 Indy 500 as the team's #84 entry. Carl Williams qualified the car, but crashed during the race and it was damaged by fire. Foyt missed the Mosport race in mid-June because his road-racer was still out of action, and then raced the older 1966 Coyote at Continental Divide, Indianapolis Raceway Park and Mont-Tremblant in July and August. Exactly when the early-1968 car came back into service is unknown, but the Hungness Yearbook reports that it was the #84 Coyote raced by George Snider at the 1969 Indy 500 as a third team entry. How the car was used during the rest of 1969 is also unresolved. In early 1970, it was announced that this car had been sold to Sterling Racing Ltd for Carl Williams to drive at the Indy 500 in 1970. However, the car did not arrive, and the subsequent history of this Coyote is again unknown. It has been identified by Bill Wiswedel as the car sold at some later date by Jack Albinson and Mel Kenyon to Eddie Evans. The car was on display in his Antique Auto and Race Car Museum (Bedford, Indiana) by February 1998, up until its closure in 2003, when the cars were moved to Evans' home. Evans died in April 2006, and his daughter Susan Kern consigned the collection to Kruze Auctions who sold them in June 2008. The Coyote was sold to Chuck Haines, but Haines sold it on shortly afterwards to Bob Boyce (Michigan City, Indiana). In 2016, Boyce sold both this car and his '1967' Coyote to John Darlington. Both cars were at Walt Goodwin's for restoration in early 2017. In 2019, the 1968 Coyote was sold to Bill Wiswedel (Holland, MI).
13. Gerhardt 67 (Bud Tingelstad): Dan Levine's Federal Engineering acquired two new Gerhardts for the 1967 season, one with Dzus-fastened sides which was fitted with a supercharged Offy engine, and this fully-rivetted car which was fitted with a Ford engine. This was the #10 Federal Engineering entry for Bud Tingelstad at the 1967 Indy 500 and was his car at most races that season. It was fitted with a turbo Offy for 1968, and was again Tingelstad car at the Indy 500 and most races. It is thought to have been Bobby John's #35 Federal Engineering Special at Indy in 1969, a car that had outboard front springs. It continued in use alongside the team's newer 1968-type Gerhardt in 1970 and also had a handful of outings in 1971, being driven by Eldon Rasmussen at the last two races of the season. History then unknown until a car with outboard springs seen fully restored to Tingelstad's #10 livery at Indianapolis in May 2011 when it was driven by Parnelli Jones. Prepared then by Greg Elliff of G.E. Autosports (Avon, IN).
14. Huffaker 64 (Wally Dallenbach): Originally built in 1964 intended for AJ Foyt but only used by Foyt in testing. Taken over by Bob Veith as the #54 for the race. Identified by Clymer as the #53 car used by Walt Hansgen in the 1965 "500". Then sold to Tassi Vatis and run as the #18 Konstant Hot Spl for Arnie Knepper through the rest of 1965. Then entered for Gary Congdon in 1966, becoming the Valvoline Special from the Indy 500 onwards. Wally Dallenbach took over the drive for 1967 and drove this car in the first three races, but an accident at the Indy 500 meant he had to drive the sister car for the rest of that season. His primary car was rebuilt in time for the 1968 season, and he drove it for the majority of that season, again as the #54 Valvoline Spl. In 1969, Vatis's chief mechanic Bill Finley again described the team's Indy 500 entries as "new Finley-built Valvoline Specials". Exactly how those 1969 cars relate to the 1964-1968 cars is still to be determined.
15. Eagle 66 [202] (Johnny Rutherford): The #6 AAR entry for Joe Leonard at the 1966 Indy 500 with Yamaha backing and fitted with a 255ci Ford V8. AAR focused on F1 after the Indy 500, so Leonard and the Yamaha-Eagle transferred to AJ Foyt's team for the rest of the 1966 season. The car then passed to Friedkin Racing Enterprises (Costa Mesa, CA), owned by 31-year-old airline boss Tom Friedkin (Rancho Santa Fe, CA), to be its #87 entry in the 1967 Indy 500 for Jochen Rindt, but he was bumped. Photographs show that this was the #42 car raced by Jerry Grant on oval tracks later in the 1967 season. Then entered by Chevrolet dealer Alan Green (Seattle, WA), a regular partner of Friedkin, as the #18 City of Seattle car for Johnny Rutherford to race at the 1968 Indy 500 and at Milwaukee in June, with Jerry Eisert (Newport Beach, CA) now as chief mechanic. Then the Friedkin & Green #69 entry for Jerry Grant to race in two early 1969 events with a Chevrolet engine. Friedkin-Green then entered three cars for the Indy 500, this 1966 Eagle entered as #78 with an experimental turbocharged Chevrolet engine, a new wedge-shaped #96 car built by Eisert, and the 1968 Eagle entered at #69 as a spare. Seattle International Raceway general manager Bill Doner was team manager and Eisert was chief mechanic. Grant focused his efforts on the #78 turbo Eagle during practice but no representative speeds were produced so he skipped to the Vollstedt team and the Friedkin-Green team was wound up after the 500. What happened to the 1966 Eagle remains unclear. Grant joined the team of Marvin Webster (Mill Valley, CA), with Eisert again as chief mechanic, and photographs show that he drove the #76 Webster Eisert-Ford for the rest of the season. Grant continued into 1970 with his own operation, using his rebuilt 1968 Eagle, now sponsored by Nelson Ironworks, indicating that he had inherited at least one Eagle from the Friedkin-Green stable. John Gorman and Gary Duff (of Seattle) were his mechanics. The history of the 1966 Eagle is not known after the 1969 Indy 500.
16. Eagle 66 (Ronnie Bucknum): Sold new to W & W Enterprises, which was Sidney Weinberger, a wealthy sportsman and building contractor from Ulica, Michigan, and his partner Frank Wilseck. Fitted with a Ford quad cam engine and entered by Weinberger Homes for Gordy Johncock at the 1966 Indy 500 as the #5 car. Johncock preferred his 1966 #72 Gerhardt at Indy and elsewhere, and the #5 Eagle only raced at Fuji, where Bobby Unser took it to second place. After Johncock and chief crew Duane Glasgow left, the Eagle was entered by Weinberger at the 1967 500 for Johnny Rutherford to drive, now with Wally Meskowski as chief crew. Raced later in the year by Rutherford, still with its Ford V8, as the team also now had another 1966 Eagle with an Offy turbo. The car remained in the Weinberger stable for 1968, when Ronnie Bucknum drove for the team with Dick Oeffinger, formerly with Gordon Johncock, as chief mechanic. This car was the Ford-powered car raced by Bucknum in 1968, and was later identified as the #45 Weinberger entry for Charlie Glotzbach in 1970. In October 1974, Wilseck sold the car to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum as "car number 49" but as different W&W Eagles wore #49 at different times, this may have caused it to be misidentified. In May 1975 it was on loan by the Museum to an Indianapolis bank, restored in the livery of Lloyd Ruby's #14 AAR Bardahl Eagle but otherwise described correctly as having been driven by Rutherford at the 1967 Indy 500 and Bucknum in the 1968 Indy 500. It continued to be used as part of the museum's backup collection for many years.
17. Vollstedt 66 [8] (Jim Malloy): 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.
18. 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.
19. Gerhardt 68 (Gary Bettenhausen): Don Gerhardt had a new #11 Thermo King Auto Air Cond entry from the start of 1968 and it is assumed that this Gerhardt-Offy turbo was new at Hanford in April, replacing the #16 car used in 1967. Art Pollard continued as driver for the opening races of the season but during practice for the Indy 500, he was poached by the Granatelli STP team to drive one of the new Lotus 56s. Gary Bettenhausen took over the Gerhardt drive for the Indy 500 and for the rest of the season. Bettenhausen drove the '68 car again at the start of 1969 before the team's new wedge design was ready. The '68 car was then driven by Bruce Walkup as the team's #16 entry at the 1969 Indy 500, by which time the car had a lower, flatter nose cone and had been converted to outboard front suspension. Bettenhausen raced it again at Langhorne in June and Trenton in July, but at the latter race it was crashed heavily. Its movements over the next couple of years are not yet understood, but in late 1971 or early 1972, it became #99 Joe Hunt Magneto Spl entered by Joseph B. Hunt (Los Angeles, CA). It was driven in practice by Bob Harkey and Jerry Karl at the 1972 Indy 500 in highly modified form, but did not attempt to qualify. It continued to evolve even further over the next three seasons, and was the car that Harkey tried to qualify for the California 500 as late as 1975. The two Gerhardts were retained by Hunt until he died in June 1985, and about a year later they were sold by his widow Mary to Jack Thompson (Doylestown, PA).
20. Vollstedt 67 ['B'] (Arnie Knepper): 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.
21. Lola T150 4WD [SL150/1] (Al Unser): New to Al Retzloff for his Retzloff Racing Team, prepared by George Bignotti and entered for Al Unser at the 1968 Indy 500 as the #24 Retzloff Chemical car. This car was intended as Unser's backup car, but after he damaged the sister #24 car in practice, he raced this car, only to crash in the race, incurring significant damage. The sister #24 car, SL150/2, was repaired by Lola and returned to the team in time for the IRP race in July, and photographs suggest Unser only drove one T150 for the rest of that season, with an old T92 acting as his backup car. It is unclear whether SL150/1 ever returned to the Retzloff team. Subsequent history unresolved.
22. Gerhardt 68 (Gordon Johncock): After starting the season with his existing stable of one 1966 Gerhardt and two 1967 Gerhardts, Gordy Johncock acquired two new 1968 Gerhardts in time for the 1968 Indy 500. He used one of these at the Indy 500, and at Milwaukee, and later at Langhorne, Michigan, and Phoenix, but acquired a 1968 Eagle for road racing, and the backup 1968 Gerhardt appears to have remained unused that season. As Johncock's 1969 Gerhardt and 1970 Eagle were both flops, at least one of these 1968 Gerhardts remained in his stable until well into 1970, after which he acquired a McLaren M15A. Late in 1971, Lawrence S. McCoy of Eastern Racing Associates, announced that a Gerhardt-Offy would be entered in Indycar racing for his son Larry McCoy. The press material included a picture of Johncock's #5 Gerhardt, as used at the 1970 Indy 500, and this would appear to be the car McCoy had acquired. McCoy qualified for Michigan, Milwaukee and Trenton in 1972. Subsequent history unknown.
23. Hawk II (67) (Larry Dickson): Built new for 1967 by Al Dean's Dean Racing Enterprises for Mario Andretti to drive as the #1 Dean Van Lines entry. First raced at Trenton in April, where Andretti won. He then used the new car at the Indy 500, where he took pole position again but was an early retirement. He generally used the old 1965 car for road courses in 1967 and the new car for oval tracks, and won four more races using the new car at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Langhorne, Milwaukee in August, and Phoenix in November. The 1967 car was retained for 1968 as a backup to the team's two new monocoque cars and in mid-season it was fitted with a turbo Offy engine, which had a significant power advantage over the Ford. Andretti raced the Hawk-Offy at Trenton, where he won, and at three more races, before it was refitted with the Ford for Jerry Titus to drive at Riverside in November. Andretti's ex-Al Dean equipment was then acquired by STP for 1969, but whether the old 1967 car was included in the deal is unknown. It was next seen in early 1972 when Jim McElreath entered it as a "Brabham-Chevrolet" at Phoenix in March and at Trenton in April. He used it in practice at Trenton but elected not to race, and it was not seen in it again that season. Three years later, McElreath ran it in practice for the USAC race at Trenton in April 1975, again failing to start. In December 1976, McElreath donated the car to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and it has remained in the collection ever since. It was restored in the early 1990s.
24. Hawk II (67) (Mario Andretti): Built new for 1967 by Al Dean's Dean Racing Enterprises for Mario Andretti to drive as the #1 Dean Van Lines entry. First raced at Trenton in April, where Andretti won. He then used the new car at the Indy 500, where he took pole position again but was an early retirement. He generally used the old 1965 car for road courses in 1967 and the new car for oval tracks, and won four more races using the new car at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Langhorne, Milwaukee in August, and Phoenix in November. The 1967 car was retained for 1968 as a backup to the team's two new monocoque cars and in mid-season it was fitted with a turbo Offy engine, which had a significant power advantage over the Ford. Andretti raced the Hawk-Offy at Trenton, where he won, and at three more races, before it was refitted with the Ford for Jerry Titus to drive at Riverside in November. Andretti's ex-Al Dean equipment was then acquired by STP for 1969, but whether the old 1967 car was included in the deal is unknown. It was next seen in early 1972 when Jim McElreath entered it as a "Brabham-Chevrolet" at Phoenix in March and at Trenton in April. He used it in practice at Trenton but elected not to race, and it was not seen in it again that season. Three years later, McElreath ran it in practice for the USAC race at Trenton in April 1975, again failing to start. In December 1976, McElreath donated the car to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and it has remained in the collection ever since. It was restored in the early 1990s.
25. Eagle 68 [401] (Roger McCluskey): 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.
26. Mongoose 67 (George Snider): New to Vel Miletich and Parnelli Jones' new team where it was built up by chief crew George Morris and fitted with a Ford V8. Entered for George Snider as the #26 Vel's Ford Sales car at Phoenix in April 1967. Acquired Wagner Lockheed Brake Fluid backing for the Indy 500 (where Lloyd Ruby relieved Snider after 17 laps) and then became the #20 entry after Indy for Arnie Knepper. Knepper was badly burnt at Langhorne in an accident that severely damaged the team's backup Lotus 34, and was out of racing for several months. Joe Leonard was recruited to drive the Mongoose for the rest of 1967. George Morris built a new copy of the 1967 Mongoose for 1968 as their #9 entry but photographs show that the original Mongoose was the team's #29 car at the 1968 Indy 500 for George Snider. It then evidently became the #9 entry for Leonard and John Cannon later in the season. Then remained with the Vel's Parnelli team until 1998 when it was sold at auction, still in its 1968 livery, still wearing #9, and with decals on the side of the car that were an exact match for the Mongoose's last race at Riverside in 1968. The car was sold to Bob McConnell (Urbana, OH).
27. Brabham BT25 [1] (Jochen Rindt): Jochen Rindt's #35 Brabham was an early retirement from the 1968 Indy 500 and was then used by Jack Brabham at the Riverside race in December 1968. It reappeared only once more, as the #92 car for Peter Revson at the 1969 Indy 500. After the race, it was damaged during a technical inspection which resulted in the fuel tank being blown out of the car. It was returned to England for repairs but, after it had been reskinned, was no longer needed and was retired. Two years later, the car was found, still disassembled, in Chessington by Doug Nye and acquired on behalf of Tom Wheatcroft's Donington Museum. It was restored to 1968 specification in the museum's workshops with Ron Tauranac's help and has been on display since 1973. The car remained on display in the museum in 2011, and was then sold to Joe Willenpart (Austria) c2012. It was still in the Willenpart Collection in April 2014. Following Willenpart's death, the car was sold to a private collection.
28. Hawk III (68) (Mario Andretti): New for Mario Andretti to drive at the 1968 Indy 500 as the #2 Overseas National Airways entry. Fitted with a turbo Ford engine, the car qualified fourth but was the first retirement. A second 1968 Hawk was built for road racing, and if that was ready in time for Mosport Park in June, then the Indy 500 car was probably only used at the Milwaukee Mile in June and in August for the rest of that season. Extensively rebuilt for 1969 with side ramps, and raced by Andretti at Phoenix, Hanford and Indianapolis at the start of the year, winning at Hanford and winning the 500. Then used at Milwaukee in June, probably at Trenton in July, probably at Milwaukee again in August, and then at Dover Downs in August. At this latter race it was crashed heavily, and although it was repaired, it does not seem to have raced again, as the road racing sister car was used for ovals as well. The Indy 500 winner was used as a show car during 1970 and remained with Andy Granatelli until STP donated it to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC in April 1977. It was displayed from time to time in the National Museum of American History (NMAH) and was part of an exhibit opened in April 1991 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Indy 500. Despite reports that it was on display up to 2011, the museum's current exhibit has been in place since 2003 so the Hawk is unlikely to have been on display at any time since then. The last photograph of the car in the NMAH is from 1992. By 1999, the car was being exhibited at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (York Springs, PA) but it had been returned to the Smithsonian by 2009. In 2013, Motor Trend reported that the Smithsonian owned nine post-war racing cars, all stored at the its Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Silver Hill, Maryland.
29. Lola T150 2WD [SL150/2] (Carl Williams): New to Al Retzloff for his Retzloff Racing Team, prepared by George Bignotti and entered at the 1968 Indianapolis 500 as the #5 Retzloff Chemical car. The car was in two-wheel drive specification for this race, with lead driver Al Unser also having SL150/1 available in 4WD specification as the team's #24 entry. Unser damaged SL150/2 in practice, and raced SL150/1, leaving teammate Carl Williams out of a drive. The car was returned to England for repairs, and was returned in time for the twin races at Indianapolis Raceway Park, both of which Unser won, with the car now in 4WD specification. He also raced it in the twin races at Mont-Tremblant two weeks later, but crashed in the second race and severely damaged the rear suspension. Unser raced it several more times that season. The team was transferred to Parnelli Jones and Vel Miletich's Vel's Parnelli Jones Ford team (Torrance, CA) for 1969, including both Unser and Bignotti, and this car was Bud Tingelstad's #15 drive at the 1969 Indy 500. It was then raced by Jim Malloy and Unser later that season, but its exact usage in 1969 is still to be resolved. In 1970, it was retained by the team, modified along the lines of Bignotti's new Colts, and was raced by Unser on road courses, winning at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July. For 1971, it was sold to Agajanian Faas Racers, and raced as the team's #98 entry by Sammy Sessions. When Agajanian and partner Leonard Faas separated, Faas kept the car and it became his #11 King O'Lawn Special later that season. It appeared once more, at Ontario in September 1972, where Bruce Walkup drove it during practice as the #51 King O'Lawn Special. In 1978, it was sold to Milt Jenson, and in 2000 he sold it to Michael & Danna Huntley-Lashmett. They sold it in 2002 to Harvey Cluxton, who sold to a Nevada car museum which closed in 2007. After that, it was sold to Bill "Speedy" Smith for his Speedway Motors Museum in Lincoln, NE.
30. Granatelli 67 (Joe Leonard): The 1967 STP-Paxton Turbine only raced once, driven by Parnelli Jones in the 1967 Indy 500. It returned to the Speedway a year later for Joe Leonard to drive, but he crashed it in practice, The car was later donated by STP Corporation to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, together with the 1969 Indy 500-winning Hawk. The turbine was loaned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1983 and remained on display there for 25 years until it was recalled by the Smithsonian in 2008. In 2013, an article in Motor Trend showed the Turbine in storage at the Smithsonian's Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Silver Hill, Maryland.
31. Watson 68 (Chuck Hulse): A new Watson built with a turbocharged Offy engine for 1968 and entered as the #90 Leader Card Racers car for Mike Mosley. The team also had their older 1967 Ford-engined car during 1968 and this also ran as the #90 on road courses. The 1968 car was also driven by Mario Andretti at Langhorne in July 1968 after the Italian's car blew a rod during his practice run. Retained into 1969 but Mosley also had a new 1969 Watson during practice for the Indy 500, eventually racing the newer car. Bob Veith was given the chance to qualify the 1968 car but crashed. The 1968 car was then entered as #91 later in the season for George Snider and once for Johnny Rutherford. It was Mosley's car at Riverside in November. In 1970, the two monocoque Watsons were rarely seen, the '68 car only appearing for Mosley at Michigan in July, Milwaukee in August, and probably Phoenix in November; and for Snider at IRP in July and Trenton in October. It was haled out one last time in 1971 after Mike Mosley wrecked the team's 1968 Eagle and was driven by Bill Puterbaugh at Pocono. History then unknown until it was found in very dilapidated condition in an old barn in Manteca, California by Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) some time around 2018.
32. Huffaker 64 (Chuck Stevenson): The second Kjell Qvale Huffaker at the 1964 Indy 500 for Pedro Rodriguez as the #48 MG Liquid Suspension Spl. Rodriguez crashed the car on 9 May, damaging it severely and putting himself in hospital. The car was repaired and returned to competition as Qvale's #48 Bardahl entry for Jerry Grant #48 Bardahl car at the 1965 Indy 500. He qualified in mid-grid but was an early retirement. This car was then one of two sold to Tassi Vatis but was not raced again in 1965, Vatis driver Arnie Knepper using the sister car that season. It was next seen at the 1966 Indy 500 where it was entered as Vatis team's backup #54 Valvoline entry, which journeyman Eddie Johnson qualified on the back row and took to seventh place as others retired. With lead driver Gary Congdon having wrecked his car at the Speedway, he drove this ex-Grant/Johnson car at Milwaukee, Langhorne and Atlanta while his regular car was repaired. It was then driven by Wally Dallenbach as a second Vatis at Fuji and Phoenix at the end of the 1966 season. Congdon moved to Mickey Thompson's team for 1967, so Dallenbach took over the Valvoline-sponsored Vatis Huffakers. He again drove the team's preferred primary car, and this ex-Grant/Johnson car was entered for veteran Chuck Stevenson to drive at the 1967 Indy 500, but he made no attempt to qualify. As Dallenbach damaged the primary Huffaker during the Indy 500, he drove the ex-Grant/Johnson car for the rest of the 1967 season. For the 1968 season, both cars were signficantly rebuilt and Dallenbach returned again to the team's preferred primary car, leaving this ex-Grant/Johnson car to be entered for Stevenson again at the 1968 Indy 500. After an accident quite early in the month, the veteran decided to retire from racing, and Sammy Sessions was recruited as his replacement. He qualified on the back row but kept going to finish ninth. This car was not seen again until the last few races of the season when Dallenbach raced it at Michigan and Hanford, and then Rick Muther drove it in the final race, at Riverside in December. In 1969, Vatis's chief mechanic Bill Finley again described the team's Indy 500 entries as "new Finley-built Valvoline Specials". Exactly how those 1969 cars relate to the 1964-1968 cars is still to be determined.
33. Hayhoe 68 (Bruce Walkup): One of two cars built by Hayhoe Racing Enterprises, this is the #62 Cleaver Brooks car in which Bruce Walkup was bumped at the Indy 500 in 1968. This car may have been used as the #59 entry at some point during 1968 but its next definite appearance was at the 1969 Indy 500 when it was the #39 backup car for new owner 3-K Racing Enterprises but did not appear on track. In 1970, the cars had moved to Jerry O'Connell's Sugaripe Prune team and both were raced at selected events that season. Both cars were run again in 1971 and this car was the #58 Sugaripe Prune entry for Bud Tingelstad at the three 500-mile races. Crashed heavily at the Ontario 500 and reportedly destroyed.
34. Gerhardt 66 (Bob Harkey): Having run a 1966 Gerhardt in 1967, Ken Brenn (Warren, NJ) acquired a replacement Gerhardt with 255ci Ford V8 engine for the 1968 season, and ran it for Bob Harkey at the Indy 500 as the #88 entry, where he was bumped. This car has been described as a 1967 Gerhardt, but Simmo Iskül's analysis shows it was built to a 1966 pattern and The Indy Star called it a 1966 car in 1970. It was driven later in the 1968 season by Bruce Walkup. It was then sold to Mike Krisiloff's American Racing Associates (Lake Hiawatha, NJ) and run for his son Steve Krisiloff backed by VTM Finishing. The Gerhardt ran as #112 in 1969 and #92 in 1970. At Indy in 1970, Hungness notes that it has an underpowered non-turbo Ford, given as a 225 ci in press reports. It last appeared at Michigan International Speedway in July 1970, after which it was reported that it had been stolen from the Holiday Inn at New Stanton, PA, while on its way back to New Jersey. Subsequent history unknown but reported to have been parted out.
35. Gerhardt 67 (Sonny Ates): Dan Levine's Federal Engineering bought two new Gerhardts for 1967, the first of which had the Dzus-fastened sides only seen on a handful of that year's production. It was fitted with a supercharged Offy engine and is thought to be the car raced by Bud Tingelstad at Trenton in April. It was then the team's #38 entry for Al Smith at the Indy 500, was then raced by Tingelstad as his #10 at Milwaukee a week later and then by Smith and Sam Session as the #38 entry at three later races. It was fitted with a turbo Offy for 1968 and was used by Tingelstad at about four races, by Sonny Ates as the team's #31 entry at the Indy 500, and by Ates and Carl Williams at four races at the end of the season. At the car's last-known appearance, Phoenix in November 1968, Ates spun in Turn 1 and was rammed by Johnny Rutherford's Eagle, damaging both cars.
36. Gilbert 68 ['2'] (George Follmer): The #41 Gilbert was first seen at the 1968 Indy 500 where it was qualified but bumped by George Follmer as George R. Bryant's #41 entry. Raced in the following races by Follmer, Rick Muther and John Cannon but Bryant died in June and the team was wound up. The #41 car was sold to Follmer (Arcadia, CA) and raced by him, still as the #41, at Riverside in December 1968. Fitted with a Chevrolet engine and raced by Follmer as the #62 through 1969, including a stunning victory in the USAC race at Phoenix in March 1969. Raced by Follmer mainly on road courses in 1969 and regularly qualifying in the top six. Sold to John Martin as a backup to his Brabham BT25 for 1971. Martin was unable to qualify it at Phoenix at the start of 1971. He raced it as either his #89 or his #92 in 1972. Advertised in 1972 and two owners or so later was acquired by Bob McConnell (Urbana, OH) and some time before 1989 was involved in a deal with John Mecom Jr (Houston, TX) where ten cars were traded for the Diet Rite Cola Spl, a 1963 Watson roadster. As a result, the Gilbert ended up with Steve Forristall (Houston, TX) in 1989 and passed via New Englander John Malher to Bob Norwood of Norwood Autocraft (Dallas, TX) but ownership then unclear until located in Texas by Pete Lewis (Santa Rosa, CA) in 2000 or 2001 and bought by him. Sold to Steve Morici of of Morici Motorsports West (Wrightwood, CA) in 2005.
37. Gerhardt 66 (Bill Puterbaugh): George Walther (Dayton Steel Foundry) acquired a second 1966 Gerhardt to replace the car wrecked in Carl Williams' qualifying crash at Milwaukee in August 1966. The replacement car appeared in September 1966 and was driven by George Snider, Rick Muther, Arnie Knepper, Bruce Jacobi and Al Smith until it was wrecked by Smith at Milwaukee in 1967. Presumably the same car was rebuilt and appeared again as the #77 Gerhardt used by the team in the first half of 1968. Walther then withdrew from Indy racing (until 1970) and although the Gerhardt was entered for Indy in 1969, it did not arrive. The last mention of it was in November 1970, when Walther's crew chief George Morris was considering putting a Chevy engine into it for road races. The car mysteriously reappeared in the UK some time in the mid-1990s. With Paul Coombs of SVS Ltd (Eccles, Gtr Manchester) by 2006 . Bought by Alex Elliott in February 2007. When Alex removed a piece of post-68 bodywork, the car was found to still have the livery and stickers from the 1968 Indy 500. In July 2015, Alex advised that the car "now lives in New York and has been restored to full working condition".
38. Eagle 67 [214] (Bill Cheesbourg): New to Walt Michner's Michner Petroleum team and described as a new 1968 Eagle for the 1968 Indy 500, but photographs show that it was a 1966/67-type Eagle. Assigned to Mike Mosley, then Rick Muther, then Ronnie Duran, and finally to Bill Cheesbourg, who qualified it but was bumped. Norm Brown then took over the drive but was badly injured at Milwaukee in the accident that took the life of Ronnie Duman and destroyed the Michner Lola T80. Michner then recruited Johnny Rutherford and he drove this car, and a 1966 sister car, in 1969, 1970 and 1971, by which time the team had become Patrick Racing. This 1967 car, nicknamed "Old Shep", appears to have been the road racing car in 1969, and was then the car qualified by Tony Adamowicz for the 1970 Indy 500, but bumped, while Rutherford raced the sister car, known as "Geraldine". Rutherford then wrecked it in practice at Langhorne in June and it was not seen again that season. In July 1971, the 1967 car was the first of the pair to be fitted with McLaren M16-style wings instead of the wedge bodywork used on "Geraldine" at the 1971 Indy 500. Sold to Bentley Warren for 1972 as his #36 Bay State Racing entry. Retained for 1973 and 1974, after which the car remained in his garage. In the early 2000s, Warren sold the car to a consortium "Eagle Partners", who rebuilt the car to the 1971 wedge-sided configuration used on the sister car, "Geraldine". In 2006, the restored car appeared at the Amelia Island Concours, and in 2007 it was sold at auction by Kruse (Auburn, IN) to Chuck Haines. In 2008, Haines sold it to Jim Vieira, and it appeared at an Indianapolis historic event in 2009. By early 2011, it was at John Mueller of Entrepreneur's Motor Sports (Fresno, CA), to be restored to Richie Ginther's 1967 #42 livery. In this form, it was sold in 2013 to Rob Dyson (Millbrook, NY). See full history: the Michner Eagle.
39. Lola T92 [SL92/5] (Larry Dickson): New to John Mecom's team, fitted with a Ford engine and entered for Jackie Stewart as Mecom's #43 Bowes Seal Fast entry at the 1967 Indy 500, with the same entry number and sponsor Stewart used in 1966. Stewart qualified on the first weekend but his time was slow, so another car was built up for him to use on the second qualifying weekend. His #43 car was indeed bumped, and Stewart qualified and raced the newer car. After Mecom closed his team and George Bignotti continued with Al Unser as a Retzloff entry, it is unclear how the three T92s were used, but photographs suggest that the #43 car was John Surtees' #24 Bowes Seal Fast at Riverside in November. Press reports then suggest that this was the car bought from Bignotti in April 1968 by Memphis and Mississippi aircraft dealer Jack Adams as a backup to his main turbine car at the 1968 Indy 500, an identification which is supported by photographs. Howard Millican was Adams' chief mechanic on the Lola. Bob Hurt initially drove it as the #36 Jack Adams Aircraft entry but Larry Dickson took over the drive before qualifying. Dickson qualified but was bumped. Dickson was replaced by Jim McElreath later in 1968. For 1969, the car's Ford engine was replaced with a turbo Offy, and it was driven by Bobby Grim, Jim Malloy and Rick Muther. By the end of 1969, reports said that it had been updated with "Eagle-copy front and Brabham-copy rear suspensions" but when it appeared at the 1970 Indy 500 its front suspension appeared normal. This car's last appearance was at that 1970 Indy 500, when it was entered by 'Two Jacks' as the #72 Hustlin' Hoosier for Jigger Sirois. Sirois hit the wall on 23 May and caused minor damage to the car, leaving no time for repairs before final qualifying the next day. The Adams team continued the season with the other two cars in its stable and the Lola was not seen again. Subsequent history unknown.
40. Gerhardt 67 (Al Miller): A new car in 1967 for Walter Weir (Webster Groves, MO) and fitted with a DOHC Ford. Entered at the Indy 500 for F1 driver Lorenzo Bandini but when the Italian died after a crash at the Monaco GP, the Gerhardt was driven in the 500 by Al Miller. Weir returned to the Indy 500 with the car in 1968 and 1969 but it did not qualify for either race. Weir died in a motor accident in February 1970 and the Gerhardt was bought five months later by Dudley Higginson (St Louis, MO). He entered for the 1971 Indy 500 as the #30 St Louis Special, by which time it had been reconfigured into a "wedge" and fitted with a turbo Offy. Bill Puterbaugh got the drive but he put it in the wall in practice and it was "extensively damaged. It must have been repaired, as Higginson entered it again in 1972 but it did not arrive. Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) later found it in Missouri and sold it to Charles S. Hayes (Elkhart, Indiana) in the early 1990s. Bought from Hayes by Jimmy Brokensha (Nth Vancouver, BC, Canada) and Pete Schomer, and restored by them to 1967 spec. Bought by Mike Canepa (Grants Pass, OR) in the spring of 2000 for vintage racing but not used and advertised in 2014 before being sold to Jack Murray (San Diego, CA).
41. Eagle 66 [203] (Jerry Titus): 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.
42. Gerhardt 67 (Bob Hurt): Having run a 1966 Gerhardt through the 1966 season, the Caves Buick team acquired a new 1967 model in time for that year's Indy 500. It was raced by Al Miller as the #85 entry for the rest of the season, but it is possible the team's older 1966 car was used at some tracks. At the 1968 Indy 500, the team's main #14 Quaker State Special Gerhardt-Offy was their usual 1967 car, but a "twin" had been acquired as the backup #73 entry. Chuck Hulse drove Caves' #14 entry in the pre-Indy 500 races, and then ran the #73 car in practice at the Speedway before leaving the team on 18 May. Bob Hurt took over the drive but crashed the car heavily on the morning of final qualifying, resulting in significant rear damage to the car. Hurt suffered broken vertabrae in his neck and spinal cord injuries which left him paralysed from the neck down. Whether the car was repaired or replaced is uncertain, but Sammy Sessions drove Caves' #14 entry for the rest of 1968 and it is assumed the team used the new "twin" thereafter.
43. Gilbert 68 ['1'] (Rick Muther): The #28 Gilbert was the first Gilbert to appear in 1968 and was raced by George Follmer in the early races of that season as George R. Bryant's #28 entry. Follmer took over the sister #41 car at the Indy 500 and the #28 was run in practice by Rick Muther but crashed. After Bryant died in June 1968, the #28 reappeared at the end of 1968 when it was raced by Bill Simpson (Los Angeles, CA) at Riverside in December as his #28 Simpson Safety Equipment entry. Retained by Simpson for the 1969 season when it was fitted with a Chevrolet engine and used in both USAC and SCCA Formula A races. Raced regularly by Simpson again in 1970 as the #28 Carborundum-Kynol car in Indy races and last seen at Milwaukee in August. Sold in mid-1970 to Chuck Elliot (Playa del Rey, CA) who prepared it for Bruce Eglinton to drive at the Riverside USAC race. The car did not appear, but Elliott later used it in local SCCA Regional Formula A races. Advertised by Charles W. Elliott (Manhattan Beach, CA) as a "Gilbert-Brabham" in December 1974. Sold to Art Evans in 1985 and raced in vintage events from 1985 to 1987 by drivers including Jack Brabham and Rodger Ward. Evans started a restoration in 2001 but that stalled until the car was bought by Tim Kuchel (Adelaide, Australia) in 2005. It was then restored by Greg Mobbs in Adelaide. Sold in September 2016 to Steve Francis (New Milford, CT) and shipped to the US.
44. Gerhardt 67 (Sammy Sessions): New for Art Pollard to drive in 1967 as the #16 Thermo King entry managed by Fred Gerhardt's son Don Gerhardt and with chief mechanic Phil Casey. This was the first of Pollard's three Gerhardts during 1967, and was fitted with a supercharger Offy engine. Pollard raced this at Phoenix in early April, at Langhorne in June, and probably at Mosport Park in early July. After Pollard's testing accident at Trenton later in July, photographs show that this car was sold to Weinberger Homes, fitted with a Ford V8, and was raced by Norm Brown as the team's #49 entry at Milwaukee, and by Mickey Shaw at Trenton in September, replacing an earlier Gerhardt-Ford that had been damaged at IRP. At the Indy 500 in 1968, Sammy Sessions drove the Weinberger Homes #49 Gerhardt turbo Offy in practice, but crashed prior to the start of qualifying, and the car could not be repaired for the race. Weinberger Homes did not run a Gerhardt again after this, focusing instead on the team's two Eagles. John Fugate worked for the Weinberger team from 1967 to 1970, and his recollection that that the Sessions Gerhardt was sent to be reskinned, and was still disassembled and unpainted when the team disbanded in 1970. Fugate was asked to sell the cars, and says that both this ex-Sessions car and a second ex-Gordon Johncock Gerhardt were sold to father and son racers in the US northwest who intended to use them in Super-Modified racing. Fugate later heard that one of them was killed in a racing accident and does not believe either Gerhardt was raced. Subsequent history unknown.
45. Watson 64 (Jerry Titus): Built new by AJ Watson for Rodger Ward to race in 1964 for the Leader Card team as the #2 Kaiser Aluminum entry. Fitted with a Ford V8. Finished second at Indy that year and had two other second places later in the season. Taken by Leader Card to Indy again in 1965 as the #15 backup and used in practice by Jud Larson but wrecked and did not start. Brought back out later in the 1965 season for Bob Mathouser, and again for the same driver once at the start of 1966. Sold to Norm Hall over the 1966/67 close season who linked up with Barney Navarro to use the 199 ci 6-cylinder AMC Rambler turbo engine that Navarro had been developing. Appeared from 1967 to 1972 but, as a general rule, failed to qualify or failed to start. It appeared at Rafaela 1971 - only its fourth actual race start - driven by Dave Strickland and in practice at Indy that year by Les Scott. Jigger Sirois made another unsuccessful attempt to qualify the #50 Navarro-Rambler at the 1972 Indy 500. It was later acquired from Navarro by Rodger Ward and restored to its 1964 specification in the late 1980s. Subsequent history unknown until part of a display of Indycars at Monterey in August 2007 when it was owned by Tom Malloy and said to be "s/n 001" and then at Fontana in March 2008 alongside the Branson sister car.
46. Gerhardt 66? (Bobby Johns): New for Bob Hurt (Potomac, MD) and entered during 1966 by Robert J Ricucci (Washington, DC) as the #36 Viking Racing Offenhauser car. In 1967, Hurt returned in a Gerhardt but the #29 REV 500 car entered by Malcolm J Boyle. Entered again by Boyle's PMB Racers Inc of Chicago, IL, for Hurt in early 1968. Driven by Bobby Johns and Ronnie Duman during practice for the 1968 Indy 500, but crashed by Duman. Photographs show that this car then went to Arthur W. 'Buzz' Harvey's Bulldog Stables Inc (Hardwick, Mass), still as the #26, to run alongside the team's #36 Gerhardt-Chev on the USAC trail towards the end of 1968. Then believed to be the 1966 Gerhardt sold by Bulldog Stables to Louis A. Seymour (Marlboro, Mass), who fitted a Chevy engine and entered it as the #39 Seymour Enterprises car for Don Brown and others in 1970 and 1971. Retired by Seymour in late 1971 and sold to an unknown owner in 1988 who sold it to Phil Gumpert (Noblesville, IN) in 1996. Restored by Roger Beck and Brian Stewart of Indianapolis. Still with Gumpert in 2006 but in 2008 Charley & Vera Lawrence were exhibiting a "1968" Gerhardt with Chevy engine but in the #26 livery of Rick Muther's 1969 Indy 500 entry. Despite its livery, the car was the shape of a 1966 Gerhardt but with the outboard springs that did not appear on Gerhardts until 1968. Offered at Kruse's Auburn Spring Car Auction in May 2009, where it was described it as a 1968 car, but did not sell. Later bought from Lawrence by Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) some time before May 2013.
47. Vollstedt 67 ['A'] (Bobby Johns): 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.
48. Huffaker 66 (Chuck Booth): In 1968, Frank J. Fiore brought a 1966 Huffaker to the Indy 500 for Chuck Booth to drive, entered as the #34 Speedy's Broasted Chicken Spl. Booth stepped out of the car on 13 May, saying that it was not safe to drive, and was replaced by Dee Jones. Jones started his refresher test in the car but had to withdraw after two laps due to engine problems, and that was the last that was heard of the car that month. Jones was entered at Milwaukee on 9 June but was too slow to start the race. George Benson qualified the car at Hanford in December, but retired with a seized engine. Fiore entered Johnny Parsons Jr in the car for the 1969 Indy 500, but he was refused a rookie test due to inexperience, so the drive went to midget racer Dave Strickland. The car was unable to get up the speed necessary to get Strickland through his rookie test. The car was then sold to Carl Gehlhausen for his driver Tom Bigelow, then doing very well in Gehlhausen's #84 sprint car, prepared by mechanic Eddie Baue. The Huffaker was entered as the #34 Midwest Manufacturing car for Bigelow for a number of races in 1969, 1970 and early 1971, all without success. It was then converted by Gehlhausen as a sprint car and raced with great success by Tom Sneva in 1973 until it was banned. By 1990, it was in Chuck Haines' collection in St Louis, MO.
49. Huffaker 66 (Dee Jones): In 1968, Frank J. Fiore brought a 1966 Huffaker to the Indy 500 for Chuck Booth to drive, entered as the #34 Speedy's Broasted Chicken Spl. Booth stepped out of the car on 13 May, saying that it was not safe to drive, and was replaced by Dee Jones. Jones started his refresher test in the car but had to withdraw after two laps due to engine problems, and that was the last that was heard of the car that month. Jones was entered at Milwaukee on 9 June but was too slow to start the race. George Benson qualified the car at Hanford in December, but retired with a seized engine. Fiore entered Johnny Parsons Jr in the car for the 1969 Indy 500, but he was refused a rookie test due to inexperience, so the drive went to midget racer Dave Strickland. The car was unable to get up the speed necessary to get Strickland through his rookie test. The car was then sold to Carl Gehlhausen for his driver Tom Bigelow, then doing very well in Gehlhausen's #84 sprint car, prepared by mechanic Eddie Baue. The Huffaker was entered as the #34 Midwest Manufacturing car for Bigelow for a number of races in 1969, 1970 and early 1971, all without success. It was then converted by Gehlhausen as a sprint car and raced with great success by Tom Sneva in 1973 until it was banned. By 1990, it was in Chuck Haines' collection in St Louis, MO.
50. Morris 68 (Al Miller): New for Joe Leonard to drive for Vel Miletich and Parnelli Jones at the start of 1968 as the #9 Vel's Ford Sales entry. It was believed to be the car used by Leonard at Hanford, Stardust International, Phoenix and Trenton, but photographs have now established that the team's older Mongoose was used all of these races. After Leonard moved to the STP team, the Morris was driven by Al Miller in practice for the Indy 500 but he did not start a qualifying run. It was not seen again that season. It was retained by the team until their surplus material was sold at auction in 1998. Photographs from the auction clearly show that the Mongoose was sold off, so it appears that the car retained in the VPJ collection and restored as their 1967 Mongoose was actually the Morris. Acquired with the rest of the VPJ collection by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in May 2012.
51. Vollstedt 67 ['A'] (Greg Weld): 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.
52. Halibrand Shrike (Dempsey Wilson): Lysle Greenman (Northridge, CA) and Dempsey Wilson (Hawthorne, CA) entered a Halibrand at the 1966 Indy 500 for Wilson to drive. The car had a Chevrolet engine and was entered as #51, a number it retained through its career. Dempsey failed to qualify at Indy or at Milwaukee a week later. Greenman and Dempsey returned for 1967 but again failed to start any race that season. Dempsey finally started a race in it at Hanford in 1968, and managed to start at Phoenix in April as well, but failed to start any others. Wilson entered four races in 1969, utilising a turbocharged Chevy on occasion, but the car's final appearance came when Dempsey wrecked it in practice at Trenton in September. Subsequent history unknown.
53. Vollstedt 67 ['A'] (Arnie Knepper): 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.
54. Cecil 66 (Sonny Ates): Built by Dick Cecil in late 1965 and first tested during Firestone tyre tests at Indy in December 1965. The car was initially used with an Offy engine but changed to a Ford V8 during practice at the 1966 Indy 500, its first competitive appearance. It was entered by DVS at the 1966 Indy 500 as the #37 Sam Liosi Special for Arnie Knepper to drive. He qualified 26th but was eliminated in the startline accident. He appeared five more times with the car that season, failling to start for two of them, retiring from the IRP race, and then taking a remarkable third place at Fuji, aided by the high rate of attrition. Raced by Knepper again in early 1967. He finished eighth at Phoenix and again qualified for the Indy 500, but retired with a blown engine. Ronnie Duman drove the car later in the season. Neither Sonny Ates nor Greg Weld could get it up to speed for the 1968 Indy 500. Knepper then took over the drive again for the rest of 1968. The car was then retired. Subsequent history unknown, but at some point it was acquired from Charlie Roden (Camdenton, Missouri) by Chuck Haines (St Louis, Missouri). The car was complete but dismantled and showed signs of having been fitted with a roll cage, suggesting a later career in Super-Modified racing.
55. Cecil 66 (Greg Weld): Built by Dick Cecil in late 1965 and first tested during Firestone tyre tests at Indy in December 1965. The car was initially used with an Offy engine but changed to a Ford V8 during practice at the 1966 Indy 500, its first competitive appearance. It was entered by DVS at the 1966 Indy 500 as the #37 Sam Liosi Special for Arnie Knepper to drive. He qualified 26th but was eliminated in the startline accident. He appeared five more times with the car that season, failling to start for two of them, retiring from the IRP race, and then taking a remarkable third place at Fuji, aided by the high rate of attrition. Raced by Knepper again in early 1967. He finished eighth at Phoenix and again qualified for the Indy 500, but retired with a blown engine. Ronnie Duman drove the car later in the season. Neither Sonny Ates nor Greg Weld could get it up to speed for the 1968 Indy 500. Knepper then took over the drive again for the rest of 1968. The car was then retired. Subsequent history unknown, but at some point it was acquired from Charlie Roden (Camdenton, Missouri) by Chuck Haines (St Louis, Missouri). The car was complete but dismantled and showed signs of having been fitted with a roll cage, suggesting a later career in Super-Modified racing.
56. Eagle 67 [214] (Ronnie Duman): New to Walt Michner's Michner Petroleum team and described as a new 1968 Eagle for the 1968 Indy 500, but photographs show that it was a 1966/67-type Eagle. Assigned to Mike Mosley, then Rick Muther, then Ronnie Duran, and finally to Bill Cheesbourg, who qualified it but was bumped. Norm Brown then took over the drive but was badly injured at Milwaukee in the accident that took the life of Ronnie Duman and destroyed the Michner Lola T80. Michner then recruited Johnny Rutherford and he drove this car, and a 1966 sister car, in 1969, 1970 and 1971, by which time the team had become Patrick Racing. This 1967 car, nicknamed "Old Shep", appears to have been the road racing car in 1969, and was then the car qualified by Tony Adamowicz for the 1970 Indy 500, but bumped, while Rutherford raced the sister car, known as "Geraldine". Rutherford then wrecked it in practice at Langhorne in June and it was not seen again that season. In July 1971, the 1967 car was the first of the pair to be fitted with McLaren M16-style wings instead of the wedge bodywork used on "Geraldine" at the 1971 Indy 500. Sold to Bentley Warren for 1972 as his #36 Bay State Racing entry. Retained for 1973 and 1974, after which the car remained in his garage. In the early 2000s, Warren sold the car to a consortium "Eagle Partners", who rebuilt the car to the 1971 wedge-sided configuration used on the sister car, "Geraldine". In 2006, the restored car appeared at the Amelia Island Concours, and in 2007 it was sold at auction by Kruse (Auburn, IN) to Chuck Haines. In 2008, Haines sold it to Jim Vieira, and it appeared at an Indianapolis historic event in 2009. By early 2011, it was at John Mueller of Entrepreneur's Motor Sports (Fresno, CA), to be restored to Richie Ginther's 1967 #42 livery. In this form, it was sold in 2013 to Rob Dyson (Millbrook, NY). See full history: the Michner Eagle.
57. Thompson 67/RE (Danny Ongais): New for 1967 and entered at the Indy 500 for Gary Congdon as the #18 Mickey Thompson's Wynn's Special. Did not attempt to qualify. Reappeared at the start of the 1968 season as Thompson's #68 entry for Danny Ongais but wrecked in practice at Hanford Motor Speedway in March and then failed to qualify at Phoenix in April. Then the #63 City of Long Beach entry for Ongais at the Indy 500 but USAC rejected Ongais's nomination and told him to get more experience. Practiced by Bill Puterbaugh but did not attempt to qualify. Retained thereafter by Micky Thompson and, following his death in 1988. by his son Danny Thompson. Sold to George Lyons (Erie. PA) in 2014.
58. Thompson 67/RE (Bill Puterbaugh): New for 1967 and entered at the Indy 500 for Gary Congdon as the #18 Mickey Thompson's Wynn's Special. Did not attempt to qualify. Reappeared at the start of the 1968 season as Thompson's #68 entry for Danny Ongais but wrecked in practice at Hanford Motor Speedway in March and then failed to qualify at Phoenix in April. Then the #63 City of Long Beach entry for Ongais at the Indy 500 but USAC rejected Ongais's nomination and told him to get more experience. Practiced by Bill Puterbaugh but did not attempt to qualify. Retained thereafter by Micky Thompson and, following his death in 1988. by his son Danny Thompson. Sold to George Lyons (Erie. PA) in 2014.
59. Vollstedt 66 [9] (TBA): Built for 1966 as the #17 Jim Robbins car and used by several drivers at Indy that year but did not qualify. Became the #67 in 1967 and raced by Lee Roy Yarbrough at the Indy 500. Raced by Jim Malloy at a few races later in the season and then as a regular entry through 1968. For Lee Roy Yarbrough again at the 1969 Indy 500 as the #27 Jim Robbins entry but did not qualify. Returned to Vollstedt for 1970 and run as the #17 on a few occasions in 1970 and early 1971. Sold by Vollstedt to the Crombie Brothers for 1976, and raced by Ed Crombie (Williams Lake, British Columbia) at Trenton on 2 May. Crashed in practice at the Speedway later that month and not raced again. According to Michael McKinney's research, it was acquired from Crombie by Jerry Proper (Spokane, WA), modified significantly, and raced in CAMRA (Canadian American Modified Racing Association) Super-Modified races in the Pacific North West and Western Canada in the 1980s and 1990s.
60. Gerhardt 67 (Bob Harkey): Pete Salemi's Central Excavating team entered Don Thomas in a #73 Gerhardt-Offy at the Indy 500 in 1967, and photographs suggest that it was a new 1967 car. Thomas got through his Rookie test but then crashed the car on Wednesday 17 May. Bruce Jacobi drove the #73 car at Milwaukee in early June, then Thomas was back in the seat at Langhorne a fortnight later, but failed to qualify. He crashed again in practice at IRP in July, at which point Bob Hurt took over the drive, qualifying for the race. Jacobi drove it at the next two races but at Mont-Tremblant on 6 August, put the car into a bank, severely damaging it. The team's entry changed from #73 to #81 after this accident, suggesting they were using a different car, but photographs show that it was the same car. Later used by the team at Milwaukee and Trenton in the fall of 1967, then at four races in 1968, up to and including Ronnie Duman's fatal accident at Milwaukee in June 1968. This car was very heavily damaged in the accident and it seems highly unlikely that it would have been used again. Salemi acquired an updated 1966 Gerhardt from Gordon Van Liew's team, and completed the season with that.
61. Gerhardt 67 (Dempsey Wilson): Pete Salemi's Central Excavating team entered Don Thomas in a #73 Gerhardt-Offy at the Indy 500 in 1967, and photographs suggest that it was a new 1967 car. Thomas got through his Rookie test but then crashed the car on Wednesday 17 May. Bruce Jacobi drove the #73 car at Milwaukee in early June, then Thomas was back in the seat at Langhorne a fortnight later, but failed to qualify. He crashed again in practice at IRP in July, at which point Bob Hurt took over the drive, qualifying for the race. Jacobi drove it at the next two races but at Mont-Tremblant on 6 August, put the car into a bank, severely damaging it. The team's entry changed from #73 to #81 after this accident, suggesting they were using a different car, but photographs show that it was the same car. Later used by the team at Milwaukee and Trenton in the fall of 1967, then at four races in 1968, up to and including Ronnie Duman's fatal accident at Milwaukee in June 1968. This car was very heavily damaged in the accident and it seems highly unlikely that it would have been used again. Salemi acquired an updated 1966 Gerhardt from Gordon Van Liew's team, and completed the season with that.
62. Gerhardt 67 (TBA): The Caves Buick team acquired a backup car in time for the 1968 Indy 500 that was described as a "twin" to their 1967 car. After Bob Hurt crashed the primary car during practice, it is assumed that Sammy Sessions drove this "twin" thereafter as the #14 Caves Buick entry. In 1969, Jigger Sirois took over the Caves drive and his car was described as a 1967 Gerhardt and also as "last year's car" at the start of the season, but his car had outboard springs at the Indy 500, a 1968/69 modification, whereas both cars at the 1968 Indy 500 had had inboard springs. Sirois was called off by Caves during his qualifying run when he would, with hindsight, have taken pole. Bob Harkey and Jim McElreath took over the drive later in 1969. At Trenton in July 1969, the team had a brand new Gerhardt wedge which implies the early 1969 car was their 1968 car carried over. A photo of the #14 car at Indy in 1969 (Hungness p37) matches the team's backup #53 car at Indy in 1970. The car was last seen at Langhorne in June 1970 when it was very badly damaged by fire after it was crashed by Sammy Sessions. Caves, who was then very unwell, said he doubted he'd repair it as it was "getting too bruised to be competitive".
63. Brabham BT25 [2] (Masten Gregory): 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.
64. Mongoose 67 (Gary Bettenhausen): New to the G. C. R. team managed by Jim Rathmann and backed by two US astonauts. Entered as the #71 at the 1967 Indy 500 but crashed in practice by Bobb Johns. Reappeared as Milwaukee later in the year as the #76 for Gary Congdon when it had been converted from Offy to Ford power. Then sold to J.C. Agajanian and entered as the #98 Agajanian REV 500 for Billy Vukovich at Riverside at the end of the season. Retained as the #98 entry for Vukovich through 1968 except at the Indy 500 where it was the #97 entry for Gary Bettenhausen. Retained again for 1969, again as the #98 for Vukovich when it was used with Ford, Offy and Chevrolet engines. Retained again for 1970 but now as the #97 entry as the Agajanian team had a new Wolverine car as the #98. It appeared yet again in the middle of 1971, when it was raced twice by John Martin as the team's #97 entry. Then unknown until it was bought from Bob Jongbloed by an unknown owner as a "Brabham" but still wearing a USAC registration tag '71 - 97'. Identified by Dave Laycock from photographs as a 1967 Mongoose. Sold it 2012 to Butch Gilbert (Westley, CA) who started a restoration of the car to its 1969 livery.
65. Watson 67 (Dempsey Wilson): Pedro Rodriguez had a new #90 Watson-Ford for the 1967 Indy 500 but was bumped. After Rodriguez returned to F1, the new car was raced by Jim Hurtubise, Jim McElreath and Chuck Parsons later that season, an old '66 car only being used a few times. Watson built a new car with an turbo Offy engine for 1968, but the older Ford-engined car was used at most races in 1968, driven by George Snider, Chuck Hulse (in practice for the Indy 500), Mike Mosley, Bud Tingelstad, Bobby Unser and Lothar Motschenbacher. As the last of the Ford-engined cars, it was used primarily on road courses in 1968. Although a further car was built for 1969, the old '67 car was used on road courses with a Chevrolet engine. AJ Watson started running a 1968 Eagle in 1970, but continued to use the 1967 car for Mike Mosley on short tracks, now updated to a turbo Offy engine. It was not seen during 1971, but was sold for 1972 to Joe Tetz (Middletown, NY), who ran it in a few USAC events in 1972 and 1973 with a Chevrolet engine. The next time it is seen with any certainty is when owned by Cyrus Clark (Katonah, NY) in 1987/88, when it was in F5000 configuration with a small block Chevy engine. Clark advertised in Hemmings in June 1988 as the 1967 ex-Rodriguez car and the wings, tanks, nose, rollbar fairing, paint scheme and exhaust headers all matched the car driven by Joe Tetz in 1972. Sold by Clark to Larry Less (San Francisco, CA) and retained by him for many years.
66. Gilbert 68 ['1'] (Masten Gregory): The #28 Gilbert was the first Gilbert to appear in 1968 and was raced by George Follmer in the early races of that season as George R. Bryant's #28 entry. Follmer took over the sister #41 car at the Indy 500 and the #28 was run in practice by Rick Muther but crashed. After Bryant died in June 1968, the #28 reappeared at the end of 1968 when it was raced by Bill Simpson (Los Angeles, CA) at Riverside in December as his #28 Simpson Safety Equipment entry. Retained by Simpson for the 1969 season when it was fitted with a Chevrolet engine and used in both USAC and SCCA Formula A races. Raced regularly by Simpson again in 1970 as the #28 Carborundum-Kynol car in Indy races and last seen at Milwaukee in August. Sold in mid-1970 to Chuck Elliot (Playa del Rey, CA) who prepared it for Bruce Eglinton to drive at the Riverside USAC race. The car did not appear, but Elliott later used it in local SCCA Regional Formula A races. Advertised by Charles W. Elliott (Manhattan Beach, CA) as a "Gilbert-Brabham" in December 1974. Sold to Art Evans in 1985 and raced in vintage events from 1985 to 1987 by drivers including Jack Brabham and Rodger Ward. Evans started a restoration in 2001 but that stalled until the car was bought by Tim Kuchel (Adelaide, Australia) in 2005. It was then restored by Greg Mobbs in Adelaide. Sold in September 2016 to Steve Francis (New Milford, CT) and shipped to the US.
67. Brabham BT25 [1] (Jack Brabham): Jochen Rindt's #35 Brabham was an early retirement from the 1968 Indy 500 and was then used by Jack Brabham at the Riverside race in December 1968. It reappeared only once more, as the #92 car for Peter Revson at the 1969 Indy 500. After the race, it was damaged during a technical inspection which resulted in the fuel tank being blown out of the car. It was returned to England for repairs but, after it had been reskinned, was no longer needed and was retired. Two years later, the car was found, still disassembled, in Chessington by Doug Nye and acquired on behalf of Tom Wheatcroft's Donington Museum. It was restored to 1968 specification in the museum's workshops with Ron Tauranac's help and has been on display since 1973. The car remained on display in the museum in 2011, and was then sold to Joe Willenpart (Austria) c2012. It was still in the Willenpart Collection in April 2014. Following Willenpart's death, the car was sold to a private collection.
68. Gerhardt 68 (Art Pollard): Don Gerhardt had a new #11 Thermo King Auto Air Cond entry from the start of 1968 and it is assumed that this Gerhardt-Offy turbo was new at Hanford in April, replacing the #16 car used in 1967. Art Pollard continued as driver for the opening races of the season but during practice for the Indy 500, he was poached by the Granatelli STP team to drive one of the new Lotus 56s. Gary Bettenhausen took over the Gerhardt drive for the Indy 500 and for the rest of the season. Bettenhausen drove the '68 car again at the start of 1969 before the team's new wedge design was ready. The '68 car was then driven by Bruce Walkup as the team's #16 entry at the 1969 Indy 500, by which time the car had a lower, flatter nose cone and had been converted to outboard front suspension. Bettenhausen raced it again at Langhorne in June and Trenton in July, but at the latter race it was crashed heavily. Its movements over the next couple of years are not yet understood, but in late 1971 or early 1972, it became #99 Joe Hunt Magneto Spl entered by Joseph B. Hunt (Los Angeles, CA). It was driven in practice by Bob Harkey and Jerry Karl at the 1972 Indy 500 in highly modified form, but did not attempt to qualify. It continued to evolve even further over the next three seasons, and was the car that Harkey tried to qualify for the California 500 as late as 1975. The two Gerhardts were retained by Hunt until he died in June 1985, and about a year later they were sold by his widow Mary to Jack Thompson (Doylestown, PA).
69. Gerhardt 67 (Sammy Sessions): Having run a 1966 Gerhardt through the 1966 season, the Caves Buick team acquired a new 1967 model in time for that year's Indy 500. It was raced by Al Miller as the #85 entry for the rest of the season, but it is possible the team's older 1966 car was used at some tracks. At the 1968 Indy 500, the team's main #14 Quaker State Special Gerhardt-Offy was their usual 1967 car, but a "twin" had been acquired as the backup #73 entry. Chuck Hulse drove Caves' #14 entry in the pre-Indy 500 races, and then ran the #73 car in practice at the Speedway before leaving the team on 18 May. Bob Hurt took over the drive but crashed the car heavily on the morning of final qualifying, resulting in significant rear damage to the car. Hurt suffered broken vertabrae in his neck and spinal cord injuries which left him paralysed from the neck down. Whether the car was repaired or replaced is uncertain, but Sammy Sessions drove Caves' #14 entry for the rest of 1968 and it is assumed the team used the new "twin" thereafter.
70. Gerhardt 67 (Sammy Sessions): Having run a 1966 Gerhardt through the 1966 season, the Caves Buick team acquired a new 1967 model in time for that year's Indy 500. It was raced by Al Miller as the #85 entry for the rest of the season, but it is possible the team's older 1966 car was used at some tracks. At the 1968 Indy 500, the team's main #14 Quaker State Special Gerhardt-Offy was their usual 1967 car, but a "twin" had been acquired as the backup #73 entry. Chuck Hulse drove Caves' #14 entry in the pre-Indy 500 races, and then ran the #73 car in practice at the Speedway before leaving the team on 18 May. Bob Hurt took over the drive but crashed the car heavily on the morning of final qualifying, resulting in significant rear damage to the car. Hurt suffered broken vertabrae in his neck and spinal cord injuries which left him paralysed from the neck down. Whether the car was repaired or replaced is uncertain, but Sammy Sessions drove Caves' #14 entry for the rest of 1968 and it is assumed the team used the new "twin" thereafter.
71. Vollstedt 67 ['A'] (Henry Pens): 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.
72. Lola T92 [SL92/5] (Bob Hurt): New to John Mecom's team, fitted with a Ford engine and entered for Jackie Stewart as Mecom's #43 Bowes Seal Fast entry at the 1967 Indy 500, with the same entry number and sponsor Stewart used in 1966. Stewart qualified on the first weekend but his time was slow, so another car was built up for him to use on the second qualifying weekend. His #43 car was indeed bumped, and Stewart qualified and raced the newer car. After Mecom closed his team and George Bignotti continued with Al Unser as a Retzloff entry, it is unclear how the three T92s were used, but photographs suggest that the #43 car was John Surtees' #24 Bowes Seal Fast at Riverside in November. Press reports then suggest that this was the car bought from Bignotti in April 1968 by Memphis and Mississippi aircraft dealer Jack Adams as a backup to his main turbine car at the 1968 Indy 500, an identification which is supported by photographs. Howard Millican was Adams' chief mechanic on the Lola. Bob Hurt initially drove it as the #36 Jack Adams Aircraft entry but Larry Dickson took over the drive before qualifying. Dickson qualified but was bumped. Dickson was replaced by Jim McElreath later in 1968. For 1969, the car's Ford engine was replaced with a turbo Offy, and it was driven by Bobby Grim, Jim Malloy and Rick Muther. By the end of 1969, reports said that it had been updated with "Eagle-copy front and Brabham-copy rear suspensions" but when it appeared at the 1970 Indy 500 its front suspension appeared normal. This car's last appearance was at that 1970 Indy 500, when it was entered by 'Two Jacks' as the #72 Hustlin' Hoosier for Jigger Sirois. Sirois hit the wall on 23 May and caused minor damage to the car, leaving no time for repairs before final qualifying the next day. The Adams team continued the season with the other two cars in its stable and the Lola was not seen again. Subsequent history unknown.
73. Hayhoe 68 (Lee Roy Yarbrough): One of two cars built by Hayhoe Racing Enterprises, this is the #62 Cleaver Brooks car in which Bruce Walkup was bumped at the Indy 500 in 1968. This car may have been used as the #59 entry at some point during 1968 but its next definite appearance was at the 1969 Indy 500 when it was the #39 backup car for new owner 3-K Racing Enterprises but did not appear on track. In 1970, the cars had moved to Jerry O'Connell's Sugaripe Prune team and both were raced at selected events that season. Both cars were run again in 1971 and this car was the #58 Sugaripe Prune entry for Bud Tingelstad at the three 500-mile races. Crashed heavily at the Ontario 500 and reportedly destroyed.
74. Gerhardt 66 (Ralph Liguori): George Walther (Dayton Steel Foundry) acquired a second 1966 Gerhardt to replace the car wrecked in Carl Williams' qualifying crash at Milwaukee in August 1966. The replacement car appeared in September 1966 and was driven by George Snider, Rick Muther, Arnie Knepper, Bruce Jacobi and Al Smith until it was wrecked by Smith at Milwaukee in 1967. Presumably the same car was rebuilt and appeared again as the #77 Gerhardt used by the team in the first half of 1968. Walther then withdrew from Indy racing (until 1970) and although the Gerhardt was entered for Indy in 1969, it did not arrive. The last mention of it was in November 1970, when Walther's crew chief George Morris was considering putting a Chevy engine into it for road races. The car mysteriously reappeared in the UK some time in the mid-1990s. With Paul Coombs of SVS Ltd (Eccles, Gtr Manchester) by 2006 . Bought by Alex Elliott in February 2007. When Alex removed a piece of post-68 bodywork, the car was found to still have the livery and stickers from the 1968 Indy 500. In July 2015, Alex advised that the car "now lives in New York and has been restored to full working condition".
75. Gerhardt 66 (Rollie Beale): Having run a 1966 Gerhardt in 1967, Ken Brenn (Warren, NJ) acquired a replacement Gerhardt with 255ci Ford V8 engine for the 1968 season, and ran it for Bob Harkey at the Indy 500 as the #88 entry, where he was bumped. This car has been described as a 1967 Gerhardt, but Simmo Iskül's analysis shows it was built to a 1966 pattern and The Indy Star called it a 1966 car in 1970. It was driven later in the 1968 season by Bruce Walkup. It was then sold to Mike Krisiloff's American Racing Associates (Lake Hiawatha, NJ) and run for his son Steve Krisiloff backed by VTM Finishing. The Gerhardt ran as #112 in 1969 and #92 in 1970. At Indy in 1970, Hungness notes that it has an underpowered non-turbo Ford, given as a 225 ci in press reports. It last appeared at Michigan International Speedway in July 1970, after which it was reported that it had been stolen from the Holiday Inn at New Stanton, PA, while on its way back to New Jersey. Subsequent history unknown but reported to have been parted out.
76. Watson 67 (Chuck Hulse): Pedro Rodriguez had a new #90 Watson-Ford for the 1967 Indy 500 but was bumped. After Rodriguez returned to F1, the new car was raced by Jim Hurtubise, Jim McElreath and Chuck Parsons later that season, an old '66 car only being used a few times. Watson built a new car with an turbo Offy engine for 1968, but the older Ford-engined car was used at most races in 1968, driven by George Snider, Chuck Hulse (in practice for the Indy 500), Mike Mosley, Bud Tingelstad, Bobby Unser and Lothar Motschenbacher. As the last of the Ford-engined cars, it was used primarily on road courses in 1968. Although a further car was built for 1969, the old '67 car was used on road courses with a Chevrolet engine. AJ Watson started running a 1968 Eagle in 1970, but continued to use the 1967 car for Mike Mosley on short tracks, now updated to a turbo Offy engine. It was not seen during 1971, but was sold for 1972 to Joe Tetz (Middletown, NY), who ran it in a few USAC events in 1972 and 1973 with a Chevrolet engine. The next time it is seen with any certainty is when owned by Cyrus Clark (Katonah, NY) in 1987/88, when it was in F5000 configuration with a small block Chevy engine. Clark advertised in Hemmings in June 1988 as the 1967 ex-Rodriguez car and the wings, tanks, nose, rollbar fairing, paint scheme and exhaust headers all matched the car driven by Joe Tetz in 1972. Sold by Clark to Larry Less (San Francisco, CA) and retained by him for many years.
77. Watson 68 (George Snider): A new Watson built with a turbocharged Offy engine for 1968 and entered as the #90 Leader Card Racers car for Mike Mosley. The team also had their older 1967 Ford-engined car during 1968 and this also ran as the #90 on road courses. The 1968 car was also driven by Mario Andretti at Langhorne in July 1968 after the Italian's car blew a rod during his practice run. Retained into 1969 but Mosley also had a new 1969 Watson during practice for the Indy 500, eventually racing the newer car. Bob Veith was given the chance to qualify the 1968 car but crashed. The 1968 car was then entered as #91 later in the season for George Snider and once for Johnny Rutherford. It was Mosley's car at Riverside in November. In 1970, the two monocoque Watsons were rarely seen, the '68 car only appearing for Mosley at Michigan in July, Milwaukee in August, and probably Phoenix in November; and for Snider at IRP in July and Trenton in October. It was haled out one last time in 1971 after Mike Mosley wrecked the team's 1968 Eagle and was driven by Bill Puterbaugh at Pocono. History then unknown until it was found in very dilapidated condition in an old barn in Manteca, California by Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) some time around 2018.
78. Brabham BT25 [2] (Jack Brabham): 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.
79. Eagle 68 [405] (Dan Gurney): The #42 AAR entry for Denny Hulme at the 1968 Indy 500 with Olsonite backing and fitted with a 255ci Ford V8. Sold after Indy to Gordy Johncock's Gilmore-backed team and raced at the Mosport Park race in mid-June but crashed and "extensively damaged". It was reported that Johncock returned to Eagle for two new cars but it would appear that the original car was repaired. Johncock used the Eagle-Ford at all the other road course events in 1968: at Continental Divide, IRP, Mont-Tremblant and Riverside. In 1969, he raced it at Continental Divide, IRP and Brainerd, winning at Continental Divide and finishing first and second in the two Brainerd races. He retained it for road courses again in 1970 at Sears Point, Continental Divide and IRP. It was last seen in Johncock's hands at IRP in July 1970. This car then went to Ray W Smith (Eaton, OH), who fitted it with a 206 ci turbocharged Chevrolet engine and entered it as the #70 Smith Speed Shop Special for Tom Bigelow (Whitewater, Wisc.) to drive at Indy in 1972, but Bigelow did not complete his rookie test. It was at Michigan in July, but Bill Puterbaugh did not qualify. Smith returned to sprint racing, and the Eagle is then unknown for some years until it was located and purchased by Roger Rager (Mound, MN), who had heard about changes to stock block rules for the 1979 Indy 500, and thought it could be competitive. He fitted a 355 ci Chevrolet engine and impressed many by getting the car over 181 mph during practice, but did not make a qualifying attempt. Later in the season he raced the car at Milwaukee in June, TWS in July, and Milwaukee again in August. At some point this car must have returned to AAR as it is now in the Gurney family's collection wearing the 405 chassis plate. It was restored as Dan Gurney #48 car, and is usually on display in the AAR museum but in 2011 it was on display at Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, CA), in 2017 it was was part of the Gurney Exhibition at the Petersen Museum in 2017, and in mid-2018 it was on display in the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana.
80. Gerhardt 68 (Gordon Johncock): Gordon Johncock had two new 1968 Gerhardts in time for the 1968 Indy 500, but the second one appears to have had very little use that season as Johncock acquired an Eagle for road races. This backup was used for a couple of races in early 1969, but its usage thereafter is unclear. It is assumed it was the short track car. One of Johncock's two turbo Offy cars was destroyed in a fire during the Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix in March 1970. As his 1970 Indy 500 car was the same one he had raced in 1968, the car destroyed must have been this backup.
81. Lola T150 2WD [SL150/2] (Al Unser): New to Al Retzloff for his Retzloff Racing Team, prepared by George Bignotti and entered at the 1968 Indianapolis 500 as the #5 Retzloff Chemical car. The car was in two-wheel drive specification for this race, with lead driver Al Unser also having SL150/1 available in 4WD specification as the team's #24 entry. Unser damaged SL150/2 in practice, and raced SL150/1, leaving teammate Carl Williams out of a drive. The car was returned to England for repairs, and was returned in time for the twin races at Indianapolis Raceway Park, both of which Unser won, with the car now in 4WD specification. He also raced it in the twin races at Mont-Tremblant two weeks later, but crashed in the second race and severely damaged the rear suspension. Unser raced it several more times that season. The team was transferred to Parnelli Jones and Vel Miletich's Vel's Parnelli Jones Ford team (Torrance, CA) for 1969, including both Unser and Bignotti, and this car was Bud Tingelstad's #15 drive at the 1969 Indy 500. It was then raced by Jim Malloy and Unser later that season, but its exact usage in 1969 is still to be resolved. In 1970, it was retained by the team, modified along the lines of Bignotti's new Colts, and was raced by Unser on road courses, winning at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July. For 1971, it was sold to Agajanian Faas Racers, and raced as the team's #98 entry by Sammy Sessions. When Agajanian and partner Leonard Faas separated, Faas kept the car and it became his #11 King O'Lawn Special later that season. It appeared once more, at Ontario in September 1972, where Bruce Walkup drove it during practice as the #51 King O'Lawn Special. In 1978, it was sold to Milt Jenson, and in 2000 he sold it to Michael & Danna Huntley-Lashmett. They sold it in 2002 to Harvey Cluxton, who sold to a Nevada car museum which closed in 2007. After that, it was sold to Bill "Speedy" Smith for his Speedway Motors Museum in Lincoln, NE.
82. Gerhardt 66? (Ronnie Duman): New for Bob Hurt (Potomac, MD) and entered during 1966 by Robert J Ricucci (Washington, DC) as the #36 Viking Racing Offenhauser car. In 1967, Hurt returned in a Gerhardt but the #29 REV 500 car entered by Malcolm J Boyle. Entered again by Boyle's PMB Racers Inc of Chicago, IL, for Hurt in early 1968. Driven by Bobby Johns and Ronnie Duman during practice for the 1968 Indy 500, but crashed by Duman. Photographs show that this car then went to Arthur W. 'Buzz' Harvey's Bulldog Stables Inc (Hardwick, Mass), still as the #26, to run alongside the team's #36 Gerhardt-Chev on the USAC trail towards the end of 1968. Then believed to be the 1966 Gerhardt sold by Bulldog Stables to Louis A. Seymour (Marlboro, Mass), who fitted a Chevy engine and entered it as the #39 Seymour Enterprises car for Don Brown and others in 1970 and 1971. Retired by Seymour in late 1971 and sold to an unknown owner in 1988 who sold it to Phil Gumpert (Noblesville, IN) in 1996. Restored by Roger Beck and Brian Stewart of Indianapolis. Still with Gumpert in 2006 but in 2008 Charley & Vera Lawrence were exhibiting a "1968" Gerhardt with Chevy engine but in the #26 livery of Rick Muther's 1969 Indy 500 entry. Despite its livery, the car was the shape of a 1966 Gerhardt but with the outboard springs that did not appear on Gerhardts until 1968. Offered at Kruse's Auburn Spring Car Auction in May 2009, where it was described it as a 1968 car, but did not sell. Later bought from Lawrence by Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) some time before May 2013.
83. Eagle 67 [208] (Roger McCluskey): Sold to Lindsey Hopkins, fitted with a Ford V8 and entered for Roger McCluskey as the #12 G. C. Murphy car from the start of the 1967 season. Raced by McCluskey in 1967 at at the Indy 500, both Langhorne races, Milwaukee in August, Trenton in September and Hanford in October. At this latter race, McCluskey wrecked the 1967 Eagle and it would be out of service for some time. According to Bob Laycock's authoritative USAC records, the 1967 Hopkins Eagle car later returned to the Hopkins stable and was raced by new driver Wally Dallenbach at the 1969 Indy 500. Photographs show Dallenbach raced the same car at Milwaukee in June, Langhorne in June, Trenton in July, Milwaukee in August and Dover Downs in August. At Dover Downs, Dallenbach had a major crash, completely demolishing the Eagle and ending up in hospital with injuries to his face, hand and ankle. See full history of the Hopkins/McCluskey 1967 Eagle.
84. Lola T80 (TBA): New to Sheraton-Thompson, the team owned by Shirley Murphy and William Ansted, with George Bignotti as chief crew and AJ Foyt as lead driver. Murphy and Ansted ran auto parts maker Thompson Industries, which was owned by hotel chain Sheraton. Sheraton-Thompson also had a Lotus 34 for Foyt and he preferred that car, so the Lola was raced at Indy 1965 by Al Unser as the #45 entry. It was not seen again that season. Tentatively identified as the car entered by Michner Petroleum in 1966 as their #34 entry for Larry Dickson, Used occasionally during 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Michner until the car was destroyed in the accident at Milwaukee in 1968 that claimed the life of Ronnie Duman. Norm Brown was driving the Michner Lola and was hit by Duman's car. Brown was trapped in the burning car for some time and was badly burnt. The Lola was destroyed.
85. Hawk I (65) (Mario Andretti): The first Hawk appeared at the 1965 Indianapolis 500 as the #12 Dean Van Lines entry for Mario Andretti. Andretti used this car for seven other races in 1965, and also used it with great success in 1966, taking pole position nine times and winning seven times from ten race starts. The car was rebuilt for the 1967 season along the lines of the new 1967 Hawk but was damaged in practice at Phoenix. It was then Andretti's #64 backup car at the Indy 500, and then became the regular road racing car, being used by Andretti at Mosport Park in July, Mont-Tremblant in August, where it won both races, Hanford in October, Riverside in November, and finally Las Vegas in March 1968. It was entered at Indy again in 1968, this time as the #57, but did not appear on track. When the second 1968 Hawk was complete, the 1965 car was redundant, and its final appearance in Andretti's hands was at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb at the end of June. It was then sold to aircraft dealer Jack Adams, and it was raced as the #38 by Jim McElreath at four races from August onwards. It was entered by Adams for McElreath at the 1969 Indy 500 and although he qualified it, he retired early due to an engine fire. McElreath then left the Adams team and his replacements focused on the team's 1967 Lola, and the Hawk was not seen again until Indy the following May, when it was one of the team's three entries and had been rebuilt with wedge-shaped bodywork. Rick Muther qualified the car and went on to a most impressive eighth place. The Adams team by now was focused on a turbine car, but the Hawk was raced at Michigan and Ontario later in 1970. It returned yet again to the Indy 500 in 1971 and as the team's turbine car was again unable to get up to speed, Muther climbed into the ancient Hawk, now wearing inelegant bodywork crafted by chief mechanic Howard Millican, and qualified for its fifth Indy 500 in its seventh season of racing. Muther crashed out on this occasion. The car was still in Millican's workshop in February 1972 and it was sold for 1973 to Fred Graves (Hastings, NY) to be used as a Super-Modified at Oswego and Lancaster Speedways in northern New York State in 1973, still wearing the 1971 Millican bodywork. Graves crashed while leading at Lancaster on 25 July 1973 and the car was very badly damaged in the ensuing fire. The history of the car is then unknown for 16 years until 1990, when Steve Forristall (Houston, TX) was reported to own its remains. Nearly 25 years later it was acquired by Ray Evernham in 2014 in a very dilapidated condition and with many of its original components long gone. Evernham was aware that a replica that had been built by Tom Brawner, nephew of the late Clint Brawner, which he had created using the template from the long-abandoned Brabham BT12 frame and had completed using all the redundant parts found in his uncle's workshop. Evernham bought this replica and took both the heavily modified ex-Super-Modified car and the replica to the Hawk's original mechanic Jim McGee and Steve Panarites of Steve's Auto Fab (Jamestown, IN) for restoration. They carefully restored the original 1965 frame and built up the car using the original parts taken from the replica. It reappeared in early 2016 at the Amelia Island Concours where it took first in class, was driven at the Speedway by Andretti in May 2017, and was at the 2017 Pinehurst Concours and the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours. Sold by Evernham at the Mecum Auction in May 2022 to Ray Skillman (Greenwood, IN).
86. Eagle 67 [210] (TBA): 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.
87. Bryant (Bob Hurt): The Jack Adams Aircraft #54 entry was the last of the turbine cars, utilising an Allison Model 250 turboshaft turbine engine and a chassis built by Glenn Bryant of MSU. It was sometimes entered as an 'American Eagle', causing Phil Harms data to sometimes identify it as an AAR Eagle. It first appeared for Al Miller at Indy in 1969 but failed to qualify. In 1970, the team used a Gerhardt chassis instead.

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.