Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 30 May 1969

Notes on the cars:

1. 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.
2. Eagle 69 [701] (Dan Gurney): New for Dan Gurney to race at the 1969 Indianapolis 500 as the #48 Olsonite entry, fitted with a 318 ci Gurney Weslake Ford stock block V8. Finished 2nd at Indy and presumably the car in which Gurney finished 2nd at Continental Divide, 1st at Indianapolis Raceway Park, 1st and 2nd at Brainerd and 1st at Sears Point at the start of the 1970 season. It was also presumably the Eagle, still with Gurney Weslake Ford engine, that Swede Save raced at Continental Divide and Indianapolis Raceway Park later in 1970. At the end of the year the car was sold to Shelby-Dowd, a new team set up by Carroll Shelby and Al Dowd, based in the old Shelby headquarters in Venice, CA, and with Carroll Smith as crew chief. Drag racing champion Danny Ongais was the intended driver but he stepped down after crashing the car during practice at Phoenix in March. Jerry Grant took over the drive and qualified the car at Indy, only to be bumped from the field. It was raced by Jim Malloy at two races later in 1971, and advertised by Al Dowd in December. Apparently not used again as the name of sponsor Norris Industries was still visible on the unrestored car in Walter Goodwin's workshop in 2014.
3. Lola T152 4WD [SL152/5] (Bobby Unser): New to Bobby Unser, financed by Bob Wilke of Leader Card and prepared by Jud Phillips in Inglewood, California. The car was in four-wheel drive configuration and fitted with a turbo Offy. Unser qualified third and finished third. At the next race, at Milwaukee, Unser was involved in a massive opening lap accident, but it is unclear how heavily damaged the Lola was. Thereafter, Unser used his two older Eagles, and the Lola was not seen again. In early 1970, it was reported that the newly-independent team of Clint Brawner and Jim McGee had acquired the ex-Bobby Unser Lola, but no Lola appeared with that team during 1970 and as Brawner's team ran Ford-powered cars in 1970, it is hard to see why a Offenhauser-powered car with a banned 4WD system would have been of interest. It seems more likely that the car ended its life in the Milwaukee pile-up.
4. Gerhardt 68 (Mel Kenyon): A new 1968 Gerhardt built for Mel Kenyon after his City of Lebanon 1967 Gerhardt was wrecked at Milwaukee in June 1968. This car had the same overall shape as the early-season 1968 cars but had outboard front suspension. Entered as the #15 in 1968, becoming #9 Krohne Grain Transport Spl at the 1969 Indy 500 where Kenyon finished in a fine fourth place. Driven by Sonny Ates as the #59 at Trenton later that year and by Kenyon at both Milwaukee races. This car then became Joseph B. Hunt's #99 'Joe Hunt Magneto Spl' from the start of 1970. Denny Zimmerman failed to qualify it for the 1970 Indy 500 but Bob Harkey put it in the 1971 Indy 500. It was then replaced by an ex-Bettenhausen 1968 Gerhardt, but may have continued in use as a short track car. Hunt died in June 1985, and about a year later both Gerhardts were sold by his widow Mary to Jack Thompson (Doylestown, PA).
5. Brabham BT25 [1] (Peter Revson): 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.
6. Eagle 69 [703] (Joe Leonard): New to stock car racing expert Henry "Smokey" Yunick (Daytona Beach, FL) and entered in the 1969 Indy 500 for Joe Leonard to drive as the #44 City of Daytona Beach Spl. Yunick did not enter the car in any further races and its history is unknown until it was advertised by Chuck Haines (St. Louis, MO) in February 2008. The car had received "complete, ground up restoration by A.J. Watson" and was in Leonard's gold #44 livery. It appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2008, and all four 1969 Eagles appeared together at the Speedway in May 2015. Sold by Haines around 2020 to Ray Skillman (Greenwood, IN).
7. Lola T152 4WD [SL152/4] (Mark Donohue): New to Roger Penske for Mark Donohue to drive at the 1969 Indy 500 as the #66 Sunoco entry. The car was in four-wheel drive configuration and built specifically for a turbo Offy. Donohue qualified 4th and finished 7th. For the rest of that USAC season, Donohue only competed in the road races Indianapolis Raceway Park, Brainerd, Seattle and Riverside, driving in each case a Lola-Chevrolet. He is believed to have used the team's older T150, meaning that the T152 was not used again in 1969. In 1970, Penske had a new T153 with turbo Ford engine for the Indy 500 and Ontario, but used a Lola-Chev at IRP, which could have been the T152. The T152 was sold to Leonard Faas at the end of 1971, but he did not use it either. It was been reported that this car went to Don Vesco in 1985, and then to Chuck Haines. By 2003, George Smidt was reported to have this car, and in February 2005, he sold it to Penske Restorations, where it was restored by Bernie King's team.
8. Coyote 69 ['69-1'] (AJ Foyt): New for AJ Foyt at the 1969 Indy 500 as Ansted-Thompson Racing's #6 Sheraton-Thompson entry. Foyt qualified on pole position and finsihed eighth. Photographs indicate that he raced the car at Milwaukee in June, Trenton in July, Dover Downs in August 1969, Trenton in September, and Phoenix in November. He used a 1968 Coyote on short tracks and road courses that season. In 1970, this may well have been Foyt's early-season car. It was then driven by George Snider at Indy in 1970 as the #84 Sheraton-Thompson entry. Later in the season it was Foyt's road racing car at Continental Divide (probably) and at IRP in July, and the car he used at Milwaukee in August, when it had acquired an extra fuel tank on the left side. Assumed to be the car he drove at Phoenix in November. During this time it also had different fuel fillers to the other Coyotes. In 1971, it was used by Foyt at Phoenix in March, and was then Donnie Allison's #83 Purolator entry at the Indy 500 and presumably the #83 he drove a week later at Milwaukee. Its last observed outing with the team was as Foyt's car at Milwaukee in August 1971. For 1972, the car was sold to Lee Brayton (Coldwater, MI) and was the blue #61 Eisenhour Racing Coyote that he crashed during practice on 11 May. It was replaced by a 1970 Coyote and was not rebuilt. Brayton kept the damaged car in storage for many years until it was reported to have been sold some time around 2008. In 2016, it emerged that Bob Donahue (Indianapolis, IN) was the new owner.
9. Vollstedt 67 ['B'] (Larry Dickson): 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.
10. 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.
11. Watson 69 (Mike Mosley): AJ Watson built a new car for the Leader Card team in 1969 which was Mike Mosley's #90 Zecol-Lubaid ride at the Indy 500 that year. He raced it at Milwaukee and Langhorne in June, and it is then believed to have been his #90 car for much of the rest of the season, but photographs are slowly clarifying that. In 1970, it was entered for Bob Veith as the #90 G. C. Murphy car but he hit the wall during practice and damaged the car. There is no definite sighting of the car after that; it may have been the #90 car raced by George Snider at Michigan but as he failed to complete a single lap of the race, photographs are proving hard to find. Subsequent history unknown but later to the collection of Bob McConnell (Urbana, OH) and restored for him by Walter Goodwin.
12. Coyote 69 ['69-2'] (Roger McCluskey): New for Roger McCluskey at the 1969 Indy 500 as AJ Foyt Enterprises' #82 G. C. Murphy entry. McCluskey had started the season in Foyt's 1966 Coyote, but appears to have driven the new 1969 car at every race from the Indy 500 onwards. Entered for the 1970 Indy 500 as the #14 Greer-Foyt car for Jim McElreath. This car was described in Hungness as new but photographs show that it was the 1969 Coyote that Roger McCluskey had raced the previous season. It was raced by AJ Foyt at Milwaukee in June and at Michigan in July, then by McElreath again at the California 500 at Ontario in September which he won. McElreath's win was only the fifth by a Coyote and the only time anyone other that Foyt ever won a race in a Coyote. McElreath drove it again at the 1971 Indy 500, but was bumped. Foyt then used it at Milwaukee in June and Michigan in July, just as he had in 1970, and its final appearance with the team was as Donnie Allison's #84 Purolator entry at Ontario in September. The car was then sold to MVS as a backup car to their 1971 Coyote and used on short tracks by Jim Hurtubise and George Snider in 1972. It also appeared at Indy in 1973 as Snider's backup car. The car became part of the collection of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum at some point during the 1970s, and was on display at a Ford-themed auto show at Indiana State Fairgrounds in November 1981. It has remained in the collection ever since.
13. Lola T150 2WD [SL150/2] (Bud Tingelstad): 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.
14. Coyote 68 ['68-1'] (George Snider): 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).
15. Hayhoe 68 (Sonny Ates): 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).
16. Eagle 69 [704] (Denis Hulme): New for Denny Hulme to drive at the 1969 Indy 500 as the #42 Olsonite factory entry. Hulme ran second behind Mario Andretti for a while, before his clutch let go. Hulme was only entered for Indy but this is probably the car raced four times later in the season by Swede Savage, its original 159ci Ford quad cam turbo V8 having been replaced by one of the team's 318 ci Gurney Weslake Ford stock block V8s. Identified by a Laycock card as the Eagle-Ford of Bud Morley (Denver, CO) at the Speedway in 1970, crewed by chief mechanic Carroll Horton of ABC Engines assisted by Dick Corrow, and then said to be a car just purchased from Dan Gurney. Morley did not start after failing to complete his Rookie Test, but then fitted the car with a Chevrolet V8 and raced it at Continental Divide later in the season. He was unable to qualify the Eagle-Chevy at Phoenix in November 1970 and again in March 1971, after which he returned to F5000. The Eagle is then unknown until 1976, when Chuck Bartlebaugh (Rochester, MI) acquired an ex-Indy car directly from AAR, which he recalled was still set up for ovals. He entered it as as the #26 Bartlebaugh Eagle, a "1970 Eagle", at the Riverside F5000 race in October 1976 but failed to start. He set the 38th fast time in practice, but the throttle stuck open during practice and although Chuck was able to bring the car to a halt without injury, the engine was damaged and he could not start the race. Bartlebaugh, who later ran the Center for Wildlife at Missoula, Montana, said that his brother sold the car in the Chicago area, where it was to be raced on short ovals. According to the Indy Star, the car was sold by the Bartlebaughs to Dean Vetrock (Racine, WI) in April 1980. He fitted it with a 355 ci Chevrolet V8 and ran it in several Indy events, but the only time he qualified was in the poorly-supported USAC race at Pocono in June 1981. Sold by Vetrock to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) in the fall of 1981 and later restored for him by Walter Goodwin. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2006 completely restored to Hulme's dark blue #44 livery. Bought late 2007/early 2008 by Doug Magnon and put on display in the Riverside International Automotive Museum (RIAM), also having occasional outings at historic events. After Magnon's death in February 2015 the car remained in RIAM until sold by RM Sotheby's at Monterey in August 2016 to Mike Moss (Ottsville, PA).
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. Eagle 67 [208] (Wally Dallenbach): 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.
20. Morris 69 (Arnie Knepper): New to the MVS team, fitted with a Ford turbo engine and entered at the 1969 Indy 500 for Arnie Knepper to drive as the #29 MVS Special. The new car went very well during the practice month and Knepper qualified comfortably, but crashed out of the race. After four more races in the Morris-Ford, Knepper was replaced by Sam Sessions, who finished fourth at Trenton in September. The Morris was largely a backup in 1970, but was raced regularly during 1971, by Jim Malloy early in the season and by Bill Puterbaugh later on. Subsequent history unknown.
21. Eagle 68 [404] (Lee Roy Yarbrough): 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.
22. 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.
23. Gerhardt 69 (Carl Williams): A Gerhardt wedge built for Grant King's STP-backed team for the 1969 season and raced by Art Pollard at the start of the season as the #20 STP Oil Treatment entry. Became the #57 at the Indy 500 where it was raced by Carl Williams. Won at Milwaukee in June in Pollard's hands. Fitted with a Plymouth stock block engine for road races and won again at Dover Downs in August. Retained for 1970 as part of Pollard's team and raced by Pollard as the #10 at Phoenix and by Greg Weld as the #93 at the Indy 500. Sold by Pollard later in the year to Roy 'Shorty' Emrich (Manchester, PA) who fitted a Chevrolet engine and ran it for local sprint car star Bobby Allen at Phoenix in November 1970. Emrich also ran the car a few times in 1971, and it appeared at Trenton in April 1972 for Dick Tobias, but failed to start . Later restored by Bill Smith and reunited with the Plymouth engine in the late 1980s when Smith persuaded Vince Granatelli to part with it. Was on display at the Eddie Evans Car Museum (Bedford, Indiana) around 2000. On display at the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, NE in 2012.
24. Gerhardt 69 (Gary Bettenhausen): A new wedge design built for Don Gerhardt as the #8 Thermo King 'house car' for Gary Bettenhausen in 1969. Bettenhausen qualified it for the Indy 500, but retired early. At Milwaukee for the Rex Mays Classic ten days later, Bettenhausen had a "massive accident" in this new car, and overturned several times. He then used his older 1968 car at the next couple of races, until that was also wrecked. It is assumed that the car he drove at Milwaukee in August was a new wedge car, and that this first wedge car was effectively destroyed in the June accident.
25. 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.
26. Hawk I (65) (Jim McElreath): 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).
27. Eagle 66 [203] (Johnny Rutherford): A customer car sold to John W. Klug (Newport Beach, CA) of Pacesetter Homes, fitted with a 255ci Ford V8 and entered at the 1966 Indy 500 as the #88 Bardahl-Pacesetter Homes Special for Jerry Grant to drive, with Roy Campbell as chief mechanic. Klug's USAC entry form identifies the car as chassis 203. Grant was dropped by AAR's team of Can-Am Lola T70s at the beginning of October 1966, and set up Friedkin Enterprises Racing Division with financial backing from his old friend Tom Friedkin (San Diego, CA), and with ex-AAR mechanics Larry Stellings and Larry Webb. The new operation had two Eagles, Grant's #88 Indy 500 car chassis 203 which Friedkin acquired from Klug and the former Yamaha #6 car of Joe Leonard, and acquired a new Lola T70 which Grant drove at Riverside in October, entered by Alan Green Chevrolet. Grant drove the #88 Eagle at Phoenix in November as a Bardahl entry and this is presumably the #78 Friedkin Enterprises entry for Grant at the 1967 Indy 500 and at road course events later in the season. It was entered by Friedkin Enterprises as the #76 for Jerry Titus at the 1968 Indy 500. No sign has been found of it racing again in 1968, but photographs show that this was the car used in the Universal Pictures film 'Winning', starring Paul Newman and filmed during the summer of 1968, where it appeared as the #42 car of Robert Wagner's character Luther Lou Erding. It was then sold to Jackson oilman Walt Michner for his Michner Petroleum team, and used by driver Johnny Rutherford as a backup to his 1967 Eagle. The 1966 car was fitted with an Offy turbo for 1969 and entered as the #36 Patrick Petroleum car for Rutherford throughout the season. Retained by Michner for Rutherford during the 1970 and 1971 seasons still in partnership with Michner's 1967 Eagle as the #18 entry. The 1966 car was nicknamed "Geraldine" during this time and the 1967 car "Old Shep". Then to Marvin Webster (who had previously owned 'the AAR/Leonard car') and on the entry list at Ontario in 1972 for Don Brown. Next seen in practice at the 1973 Indy 500, entered by Webster as the #76, and later at Ontario in September 1973 where John Cannon raced it. Advertised by Webster in December 1973 with a 1968 Eagle. Unknown until owned by Anthony Seibert (Boulder, CO) in May 1983. Reappeared when sold by Joseph D Lhotka, Trustee, Shawn S Trust (Westminster, CO) to Centennial Import Motor Co (Boulder, CO) in April 1987, and then sold almost immediately to Chuck Haines (Manchester, MO). Retained by Haines until 2005, when sold to Aaron Lewis (Cessnock, NSW, Australia) and restored to Rutherford #36 livery. Run at the Phillip Island Classic 2011 by Lewis, and displayed car at Indianapolis in 2017 and 2018. Sold to Bobby Rahal (Chicago, IL) in October 2018.
28. Eagle 68 [406] (Ronnie Bucknum): Roger Penske bought a road-racing version of the 1968 Indy Eagle and Mark Donohue raced it at Mosport and Riverside that season with a Chevrolet V8. It went to Weinberger Homes for 1969 and was driven at Indy by Ronnie Bucknum. It was not seen in 1970, but then went to Arnie Knepper and became his #90 C.H.E.K. Racing entry in 1971 and 1972, and finally his #45 entry at the 1973 Indy 500. It was then the LaWarre Precision Eagle entered by Robert W. LaWarre Sr (Titusville, FL) for Larry Rice and John Hubbard in 1974 and 1975. The Eagle was then retired but remained in LaWarre's ownership until his death in April 1997, after which it was bought by Joe Pirrotta (Palm City, FL) in 1999. The Eagle was fully restored to Penske livery and appeared at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2005.
29. STP 69 (Art Pollard): Built in STP's premises at Santa Monica, CA, for the 1969 Indy 500 as the #40 entry, a backup for Art Pollard. As insurance against the Plymouth not being ready, it was fitted with a turbo Offy engine. As Pollard focused on the Plymouth-powered sister car, this car was not completed until 23 May, just one day before the start of qualifying, but Pollard comfortably qualified it on the fourth row. With so little time to sort the car, it was no surprise when it retired early from the race. Pollard also raced this car at Milwaukee and Trenton, after which he moved back to his STP-sponsored Gerhardt and the #40 was raced by Joe Leonard and George Follmer later in the season. For its final race, at Riverside, the #40 was fitted with a Plymouth V8 and an automatic transmission. The chassis from this car was later rebuilt to its original Lotus 56 form.
30. Mongoose 67 (Billy Vukovich): 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.
31. Gerhardt 68 (Bruce Walkup): 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).
32. Curtis 67 (Dee Jones): The original Frank Curtis Indycar design first appeared at Trenton in September 1967, where ex-NASCAR driver Bay Darnell drove, but did not start the race. Darnell drove the car throughout 1968, but its record was dire: a mixture of failures to qualify, failures to start, wrecks and blown engines. After Dee Jones tried it briefly during practice for the 1969 Indy 500, the drive was taken over by Al Loquasto for the rest of 1969, and in July, it was the only rear-engined car in a dirt track race at Nazareth. He qualified last, and was lapped 16 times in the 89-lap race. However, the ninth placed finish was the highest in the car's three-year career. Loquasto continued with the Curtis-Chevrolet until Trenton April 1970, where he had engine problems and swapped into Gig Stephens' car for the race. For the 1970 Indy 500, Loquasto acquired a 1968 Gerhardt, entered by Robert Raines, with Frank Curtis staying on as chief mechanic. The Curtis-Chevrolet was not seen again. In April 2007, the Curtis was offered on eBay looking pretty much untouched since its 1969 Indy 500 appearance. In 2019, it was owned by Greg Smith (Melbourne, Australia).
33. Parnelli-Lotus 56 (Al Unser): New for 1969 and appeared at the Indy 500 as the #3 Vel's Parnelli Ford entry, intended for Al Unser. Raced three times later in the season by Joe Leonard. Retained by Vel's Parnelli until their equipment was auctioned off. One of these two cars, believed to be the only one that was ever completed, was acquired by Douglas Winslow and restored by his Winslow Motorsport Inc (Westlake, OH).
34. Lotus 64 [2] (Graham Hill): Built as Graham Hill's intended #70 STP entry for the 1969 Indy 500, and was dispatched from England on 4 May, still incomplete. It took some time to get the car running, and Hill's initial speeds were well off the pace. By 16 May, the day before first qualifying, Mario Andretti in chassis 64/4 was fastest at 171.789 mph, but Hill's fastest speed was just 161.812 mph. Hill then headed off to Monaco, where he won the Grand Prix for the fifth time. When he returned, the car was no better, and when he finally ran it on the Wednesday, his speed was a miserable 157 mph, with the car constantly trying to turn right and the engine still misfiring. His last run, the following day, saw the car just as slow, and at this point Lotus withdrew, blaming the upright that had broken in Andretti's accident.
35. Lotus 64 [3] (Jochen Rindt): Built as Jochen Rindt's intended #80 STP entry for the 1969 Indy 500, but did not arrive at the Speedway until 8 May, still incomplete. Rindt ran the car for the first time on 21 May, the day of Mario Andretti's accident in 64/4. A further run the next day went no better, and the car did not go out on track again while attempts were made to create new hubs. It ended its career having run only 58 laps. It was returned to England and stored until acquired by Robs Lamplough in 1977.
36. Gerhardt 67 (Bobby Johns): 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).
37. Watson 64 (Les Scott): 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.
38. Watson 68 (Bob Veith): 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.
39. Vollstedt 66 [9] (Lee Roy Yarbrough): 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.
40. Gerhardt 68/69 (Bobby Johns): A late-1968-style Gerhardt that first appeared as part of the Federal Automotive team at the 1969 Indy 500 as the #31 Federal Engineering entry for Bobby Johns. Johns did not qualify and Bud Tingelstad took over the #31 for the rest of 1969. This car returned to Indy in 1970 as Federal's #31 Stearns Transi-Tread entry with Paul Brooks as chief crew for driver Jim Malloy who qualified. The 1969 car is presumed to be the #31 car from then until the team disappears at the end of 1971. Subsequent history unknown until Hurricane Charley in August 2004 damaged a building in Florida, revealing the little-known car collection of real estate developer Walter Medlin. The #31 Gerhardt, in apparently original condition, was visible in pictures of the damaged building. In April 2007, the car was pictured on an open transporter on Interstate 65 heading north of Nashville, TN. With it were the 1979 Cicada and an unidentified #99 car. Rumoured to be in a private museum in Indianapolis (and the I-65 through Nashville is exactly on the route from Florida to Indianapolis).
41. Huffaker 66 (Dave Strickland): 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.
42. Gerhardt 67 (Max Dudley): Max Dudley (Auburn, WA) raced a Chevrolet-powered Gerhardt in Indy racing from 1969 to 1971, and then reappeared briefly in 1974. The car replaced a 1965 Halibrand Shrike that Dudley had raced in 1968 and early 1969, and which he sold to Bob Cavanaugh. Cavanagh's recollection is that the Gerhardt was new. (Curiously, Dudley was reported by Autoweek to be running the Halibrand Shrike at the Seattle USAC Road Racing Championship race in September 1971.) The only other time he appeared was at Trenton in early 1974 with a Gerhardt-Chev again. Dudley retained the Gerhardt until 1999, when he sold it to Bill Cammarano (Tacoma, WA). It was seen fully restored at the 2009 Seattle Historic Races when it was said to be a 1968 Gerhardt. Also at the Classic Car Races at Sears Point in June 2011. It was driven by Bill Watkins at the Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase in June 2012. Cammarano died in September 2023, and the car was auctioned by Mecum in May 2023.
43. Gerhardt 66? (Denny Zimmerman): ARDC midget owner Ken Brenn Sr (Warren, NJ) ran a #57 Gerhardt for Bob Harkey in 1967 (also driven by Lothar Motschenbacher at Phoenix) and then ran a #88 Gerhardt in 1968 for a variety of drivers. According to Gary Mondschein, these were two different cars, the first being a '66 car and the second a '67 car, and Brenn told him both cars came from Goodyear and were unraced. Simmo Iskül's analysis supports them being two different cars, but shows that both were 1966 Gerhardts. Brenn's 1967 car went to Bulldog Stables for 1968 and would be the #36 Gerhardt-Chev run on the USAC trail in 1968 and the #68 in 1969 for drivers such as Gene Bergin, Bob Harkey and Denny Zimmerman. It was joined by a Gerhardt-Offy towards the end of 1968 and the team ran both cars a few times early in 1969. The ex-Brenn #68 then reappears as Jerry Karl's Trackstar Helmet entry (photos in the Hungness yearbook 1969 p41 and 1970 p103 show the car almost unchanged) becoming his #52 entry in 1970 and presumably his #102 Winters Transmission entry in 1971. It was then sold to Geoff Bodine who added a roll-cage and set it up as a Super-Modified and raced it at Oswego Speedway (near Syracuse, NY) in 1972, taking a fourth place finish in a race on 3 June 1972. The car was later in the collection of Bob McConnell (Urbana, OH), still unrestored in Bodine's colours. Sold to Gary Mondschein in 2011 and was being restored in 2014 by Walt Goodwin.
44. Epperly 69 roadster (George Benson): One of the very last front-engined cars built for Indianapolis, the #89 Maxson Special was built by Quin Epperly (Gardena, CA) who had helped fabricate the George Salih laydown roadster with which Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan won the 1957 and 1958 Indy 500s. The car was described as being of monocoque construction with the engine to the left of the driver's legs. Rear suspension followed De Dion principles, the engine was of course a turbo Offy, and a Hewland transmission was used. It was commissioned by Darwin Maxson (Downey, CA), who entered it at the 1969 Indy 500 for short track racer George Benson (Campbell, CA) to drive, but the car was completed too late for Benson to start his rookie test. Benson gave it its race debut at Milwaukee a week later, and Bruce Walkup took it to a surprisingly competent eighth place at Phoenix in November. George Snider bettered that with a seventh place finish, again at Phoenix, in March 1970. The car was present at the Ontario Motor Speedway in September 1970 for Denny Zimmerman to drive, but he failed to pass his refresher test, and the Maxson Spl remained unused. It appeared in Racing Pictorial's review of the March 1971 Phoenix event, but was not mentioned in the results. Subsequent history unknown.
45. Gerhardt 68 (Rick Muther): Arthur W. 'Buzz' Harvey's Bulldog Stables Inc (Hardwick, Mass) entered what was later claimed to be a new Gerhardt turbo Offy as their #26 entry at the 1969 Indy 500 for Rick Muther, who narrowly failed to qualify the car. It was the same shape as Gerhardt's own #16 entry, with the same outboard front suspension. After 1969, it was then sold to Al Loquasto (Manchester, PA), who ran it in 1970 and 1971 as the very popular Indy-On-A-Shoestring #26 Gerhardt turbo Offy. The car was entered by Bob Raines (New York, NY) and filmmaker Judd Maze at the 1970 Indy 500 with Frank Curtis as crew chief, but blew two engines during practice and then damaged its front suspension when the throttle on its sole remaining engine stuck open, so could not qualify. Loquasto started at Michigan and Trenton later in 1970, and had another attempt to qualify for the 500 in 1971. On this occasion he crashed again during practice, on 23 May, and the car was extensively damaged. Repaired and sold to Carl Gehlhausen (Jasper, IN) and Jim Masson (Kansas City, KS), and entered for Jerry Karl (Manchester, PA) in 1972, with Eddie Baue (Sparta, IL) as chief mechanic. After Karl was released, it was driven by Tom Bigelow later in the season. The team acquired a 1972 Kingfish for 1973, and the subsequent history of the Gerhardt is unknown.
46. Bryant (Al Miller): 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.
47. Gerhardt 67 (Jigger Sirois): 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".
48. Vollstedt 67 ['A'] (Jerry Grant): 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.
49. Lola T92 [SL92/5] (Bobby Grim): 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.
50. Epperly 69 roadster (Les Scott): One of the very last front-engined cars built for Indianapolis, the #89 Maxson Special was built by Quin Epperly (Gardena, CA) who had helped fabricate the George Salih laydown roadster with which Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan won the 1957 and 1958 Indy 500s. The car was described as being of monocoque construction with the engine to the left of the driver's legs. Rear suspension followed De Dion principles, the engine was of course a turbo Offy, and a Hewland transmission was used. It was commissioned by Darwin Maxson (Downey, CA), who entered it at the 1969 Indy 500 for short track racer George Benson (Campbell, CA) to drive, but the car was completed too late for Benson to start his rookie test. Benson gave it its race debut at Milwaukee a week later, and Bruce Walkup took it to a surprisingly competent eighth place at Phoenix in November. George Snider bettered that with a seventh place finish, again at Phoenix, in March 1970. The car was present at the Ontario Motor Speedway in September 1970 for Denny Zimmerman to drive, but he failed to pass his refresher test, and the Maxson Spl remained unused. It appeared in Racing Pictorial's review of the March 1971 Phoenix event, but was not mentioned in the results. Subsequent history unknown.
51. Eisert 69 (Al Miller): Fitted with a 202 ci turbocharged Chevrolet V8 engine to be Jerry Eisert's own #96 entry at the 1969 Indy 500, but Eisert was also chief crew for the Friedkin Green team, with their pair of Eagles. The methanol-fueled engine was developed for Friedkin Green by Eisert, with assistance from Chevrolet's Zora Duntov. The car passed its technical inspection on 11 May, and was tested by Friedkin Green driver Jerry Grant and by Bud Tingelstadt over the next few days, but no speed was recorded. The team reported that Grant reached 161 mph, and that Rick Muther later reached 162 mph, which would have been enough for the final row of the grid. On the final day of qualifying, Al Miller started a qualifying run, but came in after one lap when the engine shut off. The Friedkin Green Eagles also used the turbo Chev engine and Grant was similarly unable to get them up to speed. Grant raced Marvin Webster's stock block Eisert at road courses later that season. The Eisert was next seen a year later at the 1970 Indy 500, still yellow and entered as #96, and still fitted with the turbo Chevrolet engine, but now with slightly modified bodywork. Arnie Knepper managed a couple of laps at 165 mph, which might have been enough for the back row, but made no attempt to qualify. Kevin Bartlett also failed in his attempt to qualify the car for the California 500 at Ontario in September 1970, when it looked much as it had at Indianapolis. The turbo engine expired during practice, so Bartlett drove Lloyd Ruby's backup car instead. The Eisert was on the entry list for the 1971 Indy 500 but did not arrive. Subsequent history unknown.
52. STP 69 (Art Pollard): Built in STP's premises at Santa Monica, CA, for the 1969 Indy 500 as the #20 entry for Art Pollard. It was fitted with the Plymouth 318ci V8 engine with Weslake heads. The car arrived late and Pollard was unable to get it up to speed. However, the qualifying runs were delayed by rain, allowing him time to get it up to 165 mph on 20 May, 5 mph slower than the fastest time recorded by teammate Mario Andretti's Lotus 64. The next day, Andretti demolished his Lotus when a faulty hub failed and Colin Chapman decided to withdraw the three remaining 64s. On Friday 23 May, the STP team decided the #20 STP-Plymouth did not have the speed, so completed the second car, the #40 Offy-powered car, and Pollard qualified and raced that car in the 500. The #20 Plymouth car first raced at Continental Divide in July, where Pollard suffered brake failure and damaged the car. It was raced by Sam Posey at IRP, then by Jim Malloy at Milwaukee and Dover Downs. It was fitted with an automatic transmission for Posey to drive at Brainerd, where he failed to start; in two races at Seattle in September, where he finished fourth and third; and at Riverside in December. The chassis from this car was later rebuilt to its original Lotus 56 form.
53. Watson 65 (Cy Fairchild): Built new by AJ Watson for Don Branson to race in 1965 for the Leader Card team as the #4 Wynn's entry. Fitted with a Ford V8 with Jud Phillips as chief mechanic. "Written off while tyre testing at the Speedway" (Wallen p309) in late June or early July 1965 but evidently survived as sold to Walter J. Flynn and entered for Ralph Liguori as the #35 Enterprise Machine Spl in 1966 and 1967. Unknown in 1968 but returned in 1969 owned by John Gavin (Winona, Minnesota), Patrick O'Reilly (Lake Crystal, Minnesota) and Mike DeMulling (St Paul, Minnesota) and entered as the Minnesota Serendipity. Appeared with ever decreasing regularity over the next four seasons, and last seen for sure at Milwaukee in August 1972, after which O'Reilly bought a 1971 Mongoose. The Watson was used to test an engine built by Ted Blair (North Hampton, MA) in 1973 and then sold to Blair. Passed on to his sons until sold to Don Danville (Storrs Mansfield, CT) in late 1977 and stored by him until 1990. To Walter Turell (North Easton, MA) 1990, then Harry Woodward (Camilla, GA) 1991 and Thomas W. Acker (Dunnellon, FL). Cleaned up by Acker and stored until sold to William Davis (Ortonville, MI) in 2000. Fully restored by William & Sharon Davis up to 2010 and appeared at the 2011 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Appeared at a parade at the Pocono 500 in July 2014.
54. Mongoose 67 (Charlie Glotzbach): 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.
55. Eagle 66? [202] (Jerry Grant): 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.
56. 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.
57. Eisert 69 (Jerry Grant): Fitted with a 202 ci turbocharged Chevrolet V8 engine to be Jerry Eisert's own #96 entry at the 1969 Indy 500, but Eisert was also chief crew for the Friedkin Green team, with their pair of Eagles. The methanol-fueled engine was developed for Friedkin Green by Eisert, with assistance from Chevrolet's Zora Duntov. The car passed its technical inspection on 11 May, and was tested by Friedkin Green driver Jerry Grant and by Bud Tingelstadt over the next few days, but no speed was recorded. The team reported that Grant reached 161 mph, and that Rick Muther later reached 162 mph, which would have been enough for the final row of the grid. On the final day of qualifying, Al Miller started a qualifying run, but came in after one lap when the engine shut off. The Friedkin Green Eagles also used the turbo Chev engine and Grant was similarly unable to get them up to speed. Grant raced Marvin Webster's stock block Eisert at road courses later that season. The Eisert was next seen a year later at the 1970 Indy 500, still yellow and entered as #96, and still fitted with the turbo Chevrolet engine, but now with slightly modified bodywork. Arnie Knepper managed a couple of laps at 165 mph, which might have been enough for the back row, but made no attempt to qualify. Kevin Bartlett also failed in his attempt to qualify the car for the California 500 at Ontario in September 1970, when it looked much as it had at Indianapolis. The turbo engine expired during practice, so Bartlett drove Lloyd Ruby's backup car instead. The Eisert was on the entry list for the 1971 Indy 500 but did not arrive. Subsequent history unknown.
58. Eisert 69 (Bud Tingelstad): Fitted with a 202 ci turbocharged Chevrolet V8 engine to be Jerry Eisert's own #96 entry at the 1969 Indy 500, but Eisert was also chief crew for the Friedkin Green team, with their pair of Eagles. The methanol-fueled engine was developed for Friedkin Green by Eisert, with assistance from Chevrolet's Zora Duntov. The car passed its technical inspection on 11 May, and was tested by Friedkin Green driver Jerry Grant and by Bud Tingelstadt over the next few days, but no speed was recorded. The team reported that Grant reached 161 mph, and that Rick Muther later reached 162 mph, which would have been enough for the final row of the grid. On the final day of qualifying, Al Miller started a qualifying run, but came in after one lap when the engine shut off. The Friedkin Green Eagles also used the turbo Chev engine and Grant was similarly unable to get them up to speed. Grant raced Marvin Webster's stock block Eisert at road courses later that season. The Eisert was next seen a year later at the 1970 Indy 500, still yellow and entered as #96, and still fitted with the turbo Chevrolet engine, but now with slightly modified bodywork. Arnie Knepper managed a couple of laps at 165 mph, which might have been enough for the back row, but made no attempt to qualify. Kevin Bartlett also failed in his attempt to qualify the car for the California 500 at Ontario in September 1970, when it looked much as it had at Indianapolis. The turbo engine expired during practice, so Bartlett drove Lloyd Ruby's backup car instead. The Eisert was on the entry list for the 1971 Indy 500 but did not arrive. Subsequent history unknown.
59. Parnelli-Lotus 56 (Bud Tingelstad): New for 1969 and appeared at the Indy 500 as the #3 Vel's Parnelli Ford entry, intended for Al Unser. Raced three times later in the season by Joe Leonard. Retained by Vel's Parnelli until their equipment was auctioned off. One of these two cars, believed to be the only one that was ever completed, was acquired by Douglas Winslow and restored by his Winslow Motorsport Inc (Westlake, OH).
60. Mongoose 69 (Lloyd Ruby): New for Lloyd Ruby as the Gene White team's #25 entry at Phoenix in March 1969. Used in practice by Ruby at the Indy 500, but the team's 1968 Mongoose proved significantly quicker, so Ruby qualified and raced the older car. Raced by Ruby at Milwaukee in June and by Joe Leonard at Trenton in July. Ruby crashed heavily in practice at Dover Downs in August in the 1968 car and was badly burnt,. He drove the 1969 car when he returned to driving at Phoenix in November, qualifying fifth, leading at one stage and ultimately finishing second behind Al Unser. Two new spaceframe cars were built for the 1970 season and the 1969 car was not raced again, but was repainted in the latest livery presumably for use as a show car. Like the two 1971 cars and one of the 1970 cars, this 1969 car was later in the collection of Bob McConnell (Urbana, OH).
61. 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.
62. 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.
63. Eagle 67 [207] (Bobby Unser): New for Richie Ginther at the 1967 Indy 500 as the #42 AAR entry, fitted with a Ford V8. After Ginther made two unsuccessful attempts to qualify the car was sold on 21 May to Friedkin Enterprises Racing Division for Jerry Grant to qualify, his #78 entry, a 1966 Eagle, having been bumped. The #42 car was qualified by Grant but retired from the race. Grant continued to drive for Friedkin Enterprises later in the season, using both the #78 and #42 numbers, but photographs show that his #42 car was not the AAR car he raced at the Speedway, but the team's second 1966 Eagle. Close study of photographs shows that later in 1967, the Ginther/Grant car moved to Leader Card Racers as a second 1967 Eagle for Bobby Unser to use. It can first be seen in Unser's hands at the Bobby Ball Memorial at Phoenix in November 1967, but he may have raced it earlier than that. In 1968, the team's two 1967 Eagles were very similar, but small differences indicate that this ex-Ginther/Grant car was the one Unser drove on road courses in 1968, still with its original Ford engine. In 1969, it was his regular short track car, raced at Phoenix, Hanford, Langhorne, Trenton and Milwaukee, and was his #86 backup car at the Indy 500. It is thought to be the car Unser crashed heavily at Phoenix in November 1969. Its distinctive features cannot be seen in photographs of Unser's 1967 Eagle during 1970, so its career after that accident is unknown. This car has now reappeared, but its exact provenance after the Phoenix accident is still being researched.
64. Lotus 64 [4] (Mario Andretti): Built as Mario Andretti's intended #2 STP entry for the 1969 Indy 500, and reportedly built at Lotus by two of Andretti's mechanics Jim McGee and Tony Buffone. Clint Brawner was in overall charge of the car, but now as part of Andy Granatelli's STP operation. The various parts of this operation were quick to take credit for what went well, and quick to allocate blame for what went wrong. The car was shipped from England on 30 April, and was ready to run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway two days later. Andretti set quickest time on eight days in total, and had a fastest time of 171.789 mph by Friday 16 May, well ahead of the competition. After the first weekend was rained off, he continued to practice through the next week, but the car was completely demolished in Andretti's accident on 21 May.
65. Lotus 64 [1] (TBA): Completed on 27 March 1969 and tested by Graham Hill at Hethel over the next few days. The 64 was then shipped to Los Angeles and tested by Mario Andretti at Hanford during tyre tests prior to the California 200 on 13 April. It was then returned to England with "an enormous job list". It was the lowest priority car to receive these changes and only arrived at Indianapolis on 11 May. In the scramble to get the race cars ready, 64/1 was not completed. Like the other 64s, it was returned to the UK after the race and remained in storage until December 1977. After the court case, Robs Lamplough took possession of all three 64s, and 64/1 was sold to the York Motor Museum (Perth, Australia). It was with Glen Waters in the UK in 1996. In 2008 it was fully restored by Classic Team Lotus to Andretti's #2 livery, and was driven by Andretti at the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed. By 2011 was in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum (Birmingham, AL).
66. Hawk III (68) (Mario Andretti): A second 1968 Hawk built for Mario Andretti to use in road racing events in 1968. This is presumably the car used by Andretti at Mosport Park, Continental Divide, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Mont-Tremblant and Riverside during 1968. Became part of the STP team for 1969, and likely to have been Andretti's #64 backup car at the 1969 Indy 500. Probably used at Langhorne in June, then likely to be the road racing car again used at Continental Divide and Indianapolis Raceway Park. After the oval racing sister car was wrecked at Dover Downs in August, the road racing car was used on oval tracks as well, and was raced by Andretti at Brainerd, Trenton, Seattle, Phoenix and Riverside. Retained for 1970 and used by Andretti at the beginning of the season, then by Follmer at the 1970 Indy 500, although it was reported at the time to be Andretti's 1969 Indy 500 car. Later in the season, Andretti drove it at Langhorne and at Michigan, where he crashed. Repaired and raced by Andretti at Milwaukee in August, by Follmer at Ontario, then by STP's No 2 driver Steve Krisiloff at Trenton in October, at Phoenix in November, and at Trenton again in April 1971, where he crashed it. The car was repaired for exhibition purposes and was later acquired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, where it is displayed as a replica of Andretti Indy 500 winner.
67. Eagle 66 (Wally Dallenbach): A customer car sold to Lindsey Hopkins and entered for the 1966 Indy 500 for Roger McCluskey to drive as the #8 G. C. Murphy car. Also raced by McCluskey for the rest of 1966 then McCluskey's backup #72 entry in 1967. Hopkins bought a new 1967 Eagle for McCluskey in 1967 and he used the newer car at the Indy 500, but used the 1966 car at Milwaukee in June, at Mosport Park in July, and at Riverside in November. The 1966 car was also raced Hanford and Phoenix early in 1968 but it was badly damaged at the latter race, and was not seen again until Phoenix in November and Riverside two weeks later, where AJ Foyt relieved McCluskey for part of the race. Wally Dallenbach took over as Hopkins' driver in 1969 and Hopkins' stable of four Eagles was reorganised. The 1966 car was raced by Dallenbach at Phoenix and Hanford at the start of 1969, was his backup at the Indy 500, and was then fitted with a Chevrolet engine for road races at Continental Divide and Indianapolis Raceway Park. After Dallenbach's usual primary car was heavily damaged at Dover Downs, the 1966 car, now nicknamed "Old Clyde", was his usual car in late 1969 and early 1970. He continued with "Old Clyde" during the 1970 season after the team's new Kuzma chassis proved too slow, and was last seen at Phoenix in November 1970. It was then retired but may have remained in Dallenbach's part of the Hopkins operation when Duane Glasgow (Hasting, MI) became his chief mechanic for the 1971 season. Glasgow remained with Hopkins until he retired from the sport in 1974, and he sold the 1966 Eagle and the two newer 1972 Eagles he'd been running to Fred Fuhr (Hastings, MI). Fuhr sold the 1966 car in 1979 to Bob Ames (Portland, OR), who sold it in about 1986 to Wally Dallenbach. Paul Dallenbach drove the car to Indianapolis in 1987 to be restored by Wayne Leary, and an article on the restoration in Open Wheel (December 1989 p66) referred to it as the 1966 McCluskey car. It later spent many years on display in the lobby of Unser Karting (Denver, CO). In late 2018 or early 2019, it was reported that the car had been sold to Chris MacAllister (Indianapolis, IN).
68. Gerhardt 67 (Roger West): 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).
69. Hayhoe 68 (TBA): 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.
70. Eagle 66 (TBA): The #14 AAR entry for Lloyd Ruby at the 1966 Indy 500 with Bardahl backing and fitted with a 255ci Ford V8. Ruby preferred to drive AAR's Lotus 38 for most other races in 1967, and the only other races for the Bardahl Eagle in 1966 were for Jim McElreath at Fuji that October and for Ruby at Phoenix in November. Sold to Weinberger Homes, fitted with a turbo Offy engine and used as the team's #47 entry for Norm Brown at the 1967 Indy 500 but crashed in practice. Raced by Johnny Rutherford on other occasions and thought to be the team's Offy car alongside their original Ford-engined Eagle and their Gerhardt, raced by Rutherford in 1967 and Ronnie Bucknum in 1968. Weinberger bought a new Eagle for 1968, relegating this car further down the order. It appears that this car was used in the Universal Pictures film 'Winning', filmed during the summer of 1968, where it appeared as the #3 car of Paul Newman's character Frank Capua. Photographs indicate that it rejoined the Weinberger team in October, and was the car Ronnie Bucknum used when he won the Michigan Inaugural 250. It remained in the Weinberger stable, and was seen a few times in 1969 and 1970, lastly as Weinberger Homes' unused #49 entry for Charlie Glotzbach at the Indy 500 in 1970. It was then sold to Ludwig Heimrath (Scarborough, Ontario, Canada), and fitted with a Chevrolet V8 engine for Formula 5000 in 1972. He retained it until 1975, when he sold to Don Ludewig (Clarkston, MI), and it remained with Don until it was sold to Peter Dyson (Winnetka, IL) in 2014.
71. Gerhardt 69 (Gordon Johncock): Gordon Johncock bought one of the new wedge Gerhardts for 1969 but it arrived too late to be completed for practice at the Indy 500. It remained in pieces in Johncock's Garage 47 during practice, while Johncock focused on his two older Gerhardts in the next door garages. He commented to the Indy Star reporter Joe Hamelin on 22 May that he hadn't paid for it yet and intended to send it back. Subsequent history unknown, but it is quite plausible that this car returned to Fred Gerhardt and was the car raced by Gary Bettenhausen from August onwards, after the team's first car was wrecked at Milwaukee in June.
72. Gerhardt 66 (TBA): The second of two new 1966 Ford-engined Gerhardts acquired by Leader Card Racers for 1966. This blue car was intended to be #91 backup for Don Branson at the 1966 Indy 500, but he preferred it over the white car he had used at the opening two races and swapped the numbers, so he raced the blue car wearing #4. Branson then raced the blue Gerhardt at Milwaukee in June, Atlanta, Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Milwaukee again in August. Bobby Unser drove it at Trenton in September but crashed in practice, and then raced it at Phoenix in November . Sold to Nick Fulbright, owner of the Four Flags Garage in Niles, Michigan, in March 1967 but he was unable to find a sponsor and sold the car to Walt Michner who entered it for Mickey Shaw at the 1967 Indy 500 as the #60. Raced later in the season by Mike Mosley and Rick Muther. It may have been retained in the Michner stable and was plausibly the #63 Gerhardt backup car entered for the 1969 Indy 500. Subsequent history unknown.
73. Lola T152 4WD [SL150/3?] (Mark Donohue): New to Roger Penske, in December 1968 according to Lola records, although it has been claimed that Penske's car was a rebuild of a car that raced some time in 1968. The car would be driven by Mark Donohue, who was also driving Penske's Lola T70 in sports car racing, and both Lolas used Chevrolet engines. The T150 did not run at the Indy 500, where Donohue used a brand new T152 instead, and was a non-starter at IRP in July. Donohue was seventh and fourth in two races at Brainerd in September, but retired at Seattle and Riverside. The car was fitted with a turbo Ford for testing at the start of 1970, but used a Chevrolet engine when raced at Sears Point and IRP. Sold to Dick Simon for 1971, and raced with a turbo Ford engine as the #10 TraveLodge Sleeper entry. Also used at Milwaukee in August 1972, when Simon focused on his new 1972 Peat-Lola, and possibly at other short track events. The car reappeared in 1976 when Greg Hodges (Indianapolis, IN) attempted to qualify it for several short-track Indycar races, without success. The car then had a Chevrolet engine, and still had the bulbous sidetanks seen when Simon had raced it in 1971. Subsequent history unknown, but some time around 1982 the car was in the collection of Dieter Holterbosch (Cove Neck, NY), a well-known collector of cars who died in July 2016 age 95. It was for sale from the collection at the time for $12,000.
74. Cecil 69 (TBA): Probably built late in 1969, but not known to have raced until 1970. Raced by Ronnie Bucknum in 1970 as the #19 MVS Special with stock block Ford or turbo Ford engines. Retained for 1971, again as the #19, when it was used by Arnie Knepper at the Indy 500, but he did not make a qualifying attempt. Bud Tingelstad failed to qualify it at Milwaukee in June, then Bon Harkey drove in practice at Pocono before being asked to step aside for Bob Harkey, who qualified, but retired early in the race. The car was not seen in 1972 but was then sold to Lloyd Gifford (Ft Wayne, IN) to replace an ancient Gerhardt and entered for Benny Rapp from Michigan 1973 to 1975 or 1976. At least one entry list in 1975 described it as a "Brabham". About 1985, it was bought from Gifford by Jim Mann who sold it directly to collector Bill Wiswedel (Holland, Michigan). It was retained in Bill's collection still in its red-and-blue Gifford livery until he sold it to Mark Klingerman (Bourbon, IN) in August 2014.
75. Eagle 66 [201] (Lothar Motschenbacher): The first 1966 Eagle, chassis 201, was fitted with a 255ci Ford V8 and was Dan Gurney's #31 AAR entry at the 1966 Indy 500. Then fitted with the 303 ci Gurney Weslake Ford V8 stock block engine, and raced by Jochen Rindt as the #48 AAR entry at the 1967 Indy 500. Used by Gurney to win at Riverside in November 1967, and at Las Vegas in March 1968. Sold to Lothar Motschenbacher (Beverly Hills, CA) later in the year, fitted with a Chevrolet V8 and repainted red with Leader Card Racers signwriting. Motschenbacher intended to take part in the Rverside race in December, but did not take part. Then sold to Jerry Hansen (Long Lake, MN) for the Brainerd, Seattle and Riverside Indy road races in 1969. Then to the Tassi Vatis team, and was the team's #95 entry for Sam Posey at the 1970 Indy 500 but failed to qualify. It was the #95 entry again at the 1971 500, this time raced by Bentley Warren. Warren and later Carl Williams raced it in other events later in 1971 and Williams qualified it for the 500 in 1972. According to a later auction catalogue, it was sold to Bob Johnson and then to Jim Mann in 1978 before passing via Bob and Don Tarwaki to collector Bob Sutherland. It was restored for Sutherland by Jim Robbins then sold to Joe MacPherson (Tustin, CA). After MacPherson's death, it was sold at auction in 2008 to Riverside International Automotive Museum's Doug Magnon. The car was on display in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in May 2015, replacing the Museum's own 1966 car which had been on display earlier in the month.

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.