IRP Indy 150

Indianapolis Raceway Park, 26 Jul 1970

Notes on the cars:

1. Colt-Lola T150 [SL150/2] (Al Unser): New to Al Retzloff for his Retzloff Racing Team, prepared by George Bignotti and entered at the 1968 Indianapolis 500 as the #5 Retzloff Chemical car. The car was in two-wheel drive specification for this race, with lead driver Al Unser also having SL150/1 available in 4WD specification as the team's #24 entry. Unser damaged SL150/2 in practice, and raced SL150/1, leaving teammate Carl Williams out of a drive. The car was returned to England for repairs, and was returned in time for the twin races at Indianapolis Raceway Park, both of which Unser won, with the car now in 4WD specification. He also raced it in the twin races at Mont-Tremblant two weeks later, but crashed in the second race and severely damaged the rear suspension. Unser raced it several more times that season. The team was transferred to Parnelli Jones and Vel Miletich's Vel's Parnelli Jones Ford team (Torrance, CA) for 1969, including both Unser and Bignotti, and this car was Bud Tingelstad's #15 drive at the 1969 Indy 500. It was then raced by Jim Malloy and Unser later that season, but its exact usage in 1969 is still to be resolved. In 1970, it was retained by the team, modified along the lines of Bignotti's new Colts, and was raced by Unser on road courses, winning at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July. For 1971, it was sold to Agajanian Faas Racers, and raced as the team's #98 entry by Sammy Sessions. When Agajanian and partner Leonard Faas separated, Faas kept the car and it became his #11 King O'Lawn Special later that season. It appeared once more, at Ontario in September 1972, where Bruce Walkup drove it during practice as the #51 King O'Lawn Special. In 1978, it was sold to Milt Jenson, and in 2000 he sold it to Michael & Danna Huntley-Lashmett. They sold it in 2002 to Harvey Cluxton, who sold to a Nevada car museum which closed in 2007. After that, it was sold to Bill "Speedy" Smith for his Speedway Motors Museum in Lincoln, NE.
2. Lola T152 2WD [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.
3. Eagle 68 [405] (Gordon Johncock): The #42 AAR entry for Denny Hulme at the 1968 Indy 500 with Olsonite backing and fitted with a 255ci Ford V8. Sold after Indy to Gordy Johncock's Gilmore-backed team and raced at the Mosport Park race in mid-June but crashed and "extensively damaged". It was reported that Johncock returned to Eagle for two new cars but it would appear that the original car was repaired. Johncock used the Eagle-Ford at all the other road course events in 1968: at Continental Divide, IRP, Mont-Tremblant and Riverside. In 1969, he raced it at Continental Divide, IRP and Brainerd, winning at Continental Divide and finishing first and second in the two Brainerd races. He retained it for road courses again in 1970 at Sears Point, Continental Divide and IRP. It was last seen in Johncock's hands at IRP in July 1970. This car then went to Ray W Smith (Eaton, OH), who fitted it with a 206 ci turbocharged Chevrolet engine and entered it as the #70 Smith Speed Shop Special for Tom Bigelow (Whitewater, Wisc.) to drive at Indy in 1972, but Bigelow did not complete his rookie test. It was at Michigan in July, but Bill Puterbaugh did not qualify. Smith returned to sprint racing, and the Eagle is then unknown for some years until it was located and purchased by Roger Rager (Mound, MN), who had heard about changes to stock block rules for the 1979 Indy 500, and thought it could be competitive. He fitted a 355 ci Chevrolet engine and impressed many by getting the car over 181 mph during practice, but did not make a qualifying attempt. Later in the season he raced the car at Milwaukee in June, TWS in July, and Milwaukee again in August. At some point this car must have returned to AAR as it is now in the Gurney family's collection wearing the 405 chassis plate. It was restored as Dan Gurney #48 car, and is usually on display in the AAR museum but in 2011 it was on display at Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, CA), in 2017 it was was part of the Gurney Exhibition at the Petersen Museum in 2017, and in mid-2018 it was on display in the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana.
4. Vollstedt 67 ['B'] (John Cannon): 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.
5. 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).
6. Eagle 68 [401] (John Mahler): Sold new to Lindsey Hopkins for Roger McCluskey to drive in 1968 as the #8 G. C. Murphy entry. McCluskey also drove Hopkins' older 1967 Eagle during the season and the '68 car was mainly used for road courses. McCluskey moved to AJ Foyt's team for 1969 and the activities of the Eagle for most of that season are unknown. It was raced by Wally Dallenbach as Hopkins' #22 Sprite entry at the Riverside 300 in December 1969, but was not retained as part of the Hopkins stable after that. John Mahler (Bettendorf, IA) acquired the car, and it was his #100 Eagle-Chev in 1970 and early 1971 before he acquired a McLaren M15A. He retained the Eagle as a backup for 1972, racing it at Trenton in April, and it was taken by Mahler to the 1972 Indy 500 as a backup. It was later the #34 rear-engined car used by Mahler in a Sprint Car race at Winchester Speedway (Indiana) in July 1973, and was raced by Gary Bettenhausen at Winchester in October 1973. Its next owner was Tom Brewer (Roanoke, IN) during whose ownership it is said to have raced at Winchester and Salem (Indiana). Later from Brewer to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) some time before 1998, but it is possible the car went via Robert Ames (Tigard, OR). Restored for Chuck by Walter Goodwin and appeared at the 1998 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
7. Gilbert 68 ['1'] (Bill Simpson): The #28 Gilbert was the first Gilbert to appear in 1968 and was raced by George Follmer in the early races of that season as George R. Bryant's #28 entry. Follmer took over the sister #41 car at the Indy 500 and the #28 was run in practice by Rick Muther but crashed. After Bryant died in June 1968, the #28 reappeared at the end of 1968 when it was raced by Bill Simpson (Los Angeles, CA) at Riverside in December as his #28 Simpson Safety Equipment entry. Retained by Simpson for the 1969 season when it was fitted with a Chevrolet engine and used in both USAC and SCCA Formula A races. Raced regularly by Simpson again in 1970 as the #28 Carborundum-Kynol car in Indy races and last seen at Milwaukee in August. Sold in mid-1970 to Chuck Elliot (Playa del Rey, CA) who prepared it for Bruce Eglinton to drive at the Riverside USAC race. The car did not appear, but Elliott later used it in local SCCA Regional Formula A races. Advertised by Charles W. Elliott (Manhattan Beach, CA) as a "Gilbert-Brabham" in December 1974. Sold to Art Evans in 1985 and raced in vintage events from 1985 to 1987 by drivers including Jack Brabham and Rodger Ward. Evans started a restoration in 2001 but that stalled until the car was bought by Tim Kuchel (Adelaide, Australia) in 2005. It was then restored by Greg Mobbs in Adelaide. Sold in September 2016 to Steve Francis (New Milford, CT) and shipped to the US.
8. Eagle 69 [701] (Swede Savage): 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.
9. Scorpion 70 ['1'] (Roger McCluskey): Clint Brawner's original Scorpion was driven by Roger McCluskey at Indy in 1970 and was the #64 backup car for Art Pollard at the 1971 Indy 500 (Hungness 1971). In between these races, it is hard to speculate to its history as Brawner had a second Scorpion for Pollard to drive alongside McCluskey at the 1970 California 500 and then Pollard wrecked a Scorpion at Phoenix at the start of 1971. Jimmy Caruthers had driven the #64 car in practice for the 1971 Indy 500 and it is presumed that this is the same car he ran as the #64 second car at Milwaukee and Pocono.
10. Eisert 69 (Ron Grable): New to Marvin Webster's Webster Racing and fitted with Webster's 319 ci stock block Ford V8 engine for Jim Malloy to drive in the California 200 at Hanford Motor Speedway in April 1969. It was later raced by Jerry Grant at Continental Divide, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Seattle and Riverside later that year. He also drove it at Phoenix in November but was too slow to qualify. Kevin Bartlett drove it at Sears Point in April 1970, then failed to qualify at the Indy 500, and later drove it at Continental Divide in June. Rob Grable raced it at IRP in July, after which it was not seen for over a year until Lothar Motschenbacher raced it at Seattle in August 1971, when it was still black with a red stripe, as it had been since new. Ronnie Bucknum tried it briefly in practice at Ontario, and then Johnny Parsons Jr crashed it while trying to qualify at Phoenix. Its last known appearance was when Don Brown drove it at Ontario in 1972, but again no attempt was made to qualify. According to a later Bonhams auction catalogue, the car was then stored by Webster until 1987, when he sold it to Tom Armstrong (Bellevue, WA). Armstrong restored it with a Gurney-Weslake V8 and used it in US historic racing from 1988 to 2003. It was offered for sale from 'the Tom Armstrong Collection' by Bonhams in August 2012, but did not sell.
11. 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.
12. Vollstedt 67 ['A'] (Dick Simon): New for 1967 and run by Vollstedt Enterprises as the #17 Bryant Heating & Cooling Spl in 1967 and 1968 with a 255 ci Ford quad cam engine. Appeared at Indy in 1969, now with a turbo Ford but still as the #17 Bryant Heating & Cooling Spl. Dick Simon raced this car for the Vollstedt team at a few races late 1969 as the All Seasons Sports car and then acquired the car, which became his #44 entry in 1970 and then his #44 TraveLodge Sleeper backup in 1971. Retained as part of Simon's stable until the end of 1975 when it was sold to Art Sugai (Ontario, OR) and became his #90 Eastside Café entry for Frank Weiss in 1976. Sold in 1978 to Tom Black (Portland, OR) and Bob Ames and restored by them as the #21 ex-Jim Clark car after being incorrectly identified as that car by Rolla Vollstedt. Then to Don Mack and Hank Albers in 1979 and sold a year later via Eoin Young to Peter Briggs and put on display in his York Motor Museum in Western Australia. Offered for sale by Bonhams at Quail Lodge in August 2009 at which point it was correctly identified as the #17 car. Sold to Greg Smith in 2010.
13. Eagle 68 [402] (Mike Mosley): Sold new to the Leader Card team and prepared by Jud Phillips and Tom 'Red' Herrmann for Bobby Unser to race in 1968 as the #3 Rislone entry. He won the Indy 500, but just two weeks later "wiped out" his 500 winner in an accident on only the third lap at Mosport Park. Unser used his two 1967 Eagles after that, and also in early 1969 until his new Lola T152 was ready. After the Lola was badly damaged at Milwaukee in June, Unser appeared in a 1968 Eagle at Continental Divide in July and at other road course events later in the season. At Riverside on 5 December 1969 his car was described as "the actual Indy winner". This car was transferred to the AJ Watson half of the Leader Card operation and was raced by Mike Mosley at the Indy 500 and at Ontario in 1970 as the #9 G. C. Murphy entry. For 1971, Watson acquired a second '68 Eagle, but Mosley wrecked this at the Indy 500. George Snider drove the original ex-Unser car at the Indy 500, and also drove it for the team later in the season, while Mosley was recovering from his accident. Photographs show that this was the car used by Mosley in the first two races of 1972, but the team had also bought the ex-Dan Gurney '68 Eagle from the Jim Robbins team, and it was that car that Mosley raced in the Indy 500. After his crash in the Indy 500, Mosley was again out of racing for some months, and Rick Muther drove the team's original ex-Unser car in four races in the summer of 1972. Mosley returned again in time for the Ontario 500, at which he raced his repaired Indy 500 mount. Photographs show that the ex-Robbins car was used at Ontario in 1972, and at Ontario in 1973, so it is assumed here that it was also used in the intervening races. The last race for the ex-Unser car was therefore at Milwaukee in August 1972. In January 1973, it was sold to the Indianapolis Speedway Museum, and by May 1973, it was on display as Bobby Unser's 1968 Indy 500 winning car. It has remained on display ever since, and still carries the 402 chassis plate.
14. Gerhardt 67 (Jim Malloy): 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).
15. 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.
16. McNamara T500 ['1'] (Mario Andretti): New for Mario Andretti at the 1970 Indy 500 as the #1 STP entry. The car arrived late and did not get on track until 11 May, but crashed almost immediately when a universal joint broke and Andretti used a newer car for qualifying and the race. It was rebuilt to road racing specification with a 255 ci Ford engine and used by Andretti at Continental Divide in late June, where he won. Its last known appearance was at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July, when the radiators had been repositioned from the side to the back of the sidepods. It was damaged during the race when Andretti collided with Scooter Patrick's Eisert. It then turned into a show car for use in Europe. It was on display at the Jochen-Rindt-Show at Essen in December 1970, at a show in Stockholm in 1971, and at the Rothmans 50,000 at Brands Hatch in August 1972. In 1977, McNamara loaned a number of their show cars to different institutions and a #1 car, believed to be this one, was noted as being retained at STP Headquarters. Subsequent history unknown.
17. Eisert 69 (Scooter Patrick): Michael Bohanan entered a 1969-shape Eisert with Chevrolet V8 engine for Scooter Patrick to drive in the USAC race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July 1970. The car was plain black, and entered as #121 by Bohanan Racing Enterprises. Mike Bohanan was a well-known character in the Los Angeles area, where he was one of the founders of the "Banzai Runners" who raced their cars around the Los Angeles freeways at the start of the 1970s. His name is variously recorded as Mike Bohannan or Mike Bohannon, but a photograph of his car at IRP clearly shows the spelling Bohanan. Patrick qualified the Eisert respectably, but was eliminated from the race in an accident with Mario Andretti and Ronnie Bucknum. The Eisert was not seen again, and its fate is unknown. A year after this, Bohanan acquired a Lola T70 Mk 3B that had been converted by Roger Penske to be road legal, and continued his exploits on the road.
18. Cecil 69 (Ronnie Bucknum): 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.
19. Morris 70 (George Follmer): According to Bob Sawicki who talked with Jeff Walther at the Walther Auction, the Walthers bought a car from George Morris for the 1970 season, and then had two more built for the 1971 season. The 1970 car appeared at the 1970 Indy 500 where Kevin Bartlett narrowly failed to qualify. Whether this was the second 1969 car or a new 1970 car is not clear. Photographs of the car at Indy in 1970 show a car very similar to the 1969 Morris used by MVS. It was raced for the rest of the 1970 season as the #77. Again according to Jeff Walther, this 1970 car was the #55 entry at Indy in 1971 and was then wrecked by Salt Walther during Indy testing in the fall of 1971.
20. Gerhardt 69 (Gary Bettenhausen): After losing two cars in accidents in June and July 1969, the Gerhardt team appears to have built two new cars later that season. This car, the second of those, is believed to be a road racing car raced by Gary Bettenhausen at Riverside in early December with a Chevrolet engine. This would then be the car used by Bettenhausen at Sears Point in April 1970. Speculatively, it would be the car raced at IRP in July, although Bettenhausen's car at that race was said to have a turbo Offy engine. Finally, photographs suggest it was the #45 backup car (the team's third entry) seen at Ontario in September 1970. Subsequent history unknown, but as this car was set up for road circuits and had fittings for a Chevrolet engine, it may be the car that Bruce Crower used for the Dodge Hemi project in 1973, or could have become Bob Krajcirik's Formula A car in 1975.
21. Watson 68 (George Snider): A new Watson built with a turbocharged Offy engine for 1968 and entered as the #90 Leader Card Racers car for Mike Mosley. The team also had their older 1967 Ford-engined car during 1968 and this also ran as the #90 on road courses. The 1968 car was also driven by Mario Andretti at Langhorne in July 1968 after the Italian's car blew a rod during his practice run. Retained into 1969 but Mosley also had a new 1969 Watson during practice for the Indy 500, eventually racing the newer car. Bob Veith was given the chance to qualify the 1968 car but crashed. The 1968 car was then entered as #91 later in the season for George Snider and once for Johnny Rutherford. It was Mosley's car at Riverside in November. In 1970, the two monocoque Watsons were rarely seen, the '68 car only appearing for Mosley at Michigan in July, Milwaukee in August, and probably Phoenix in November; and for Snider at IRP in July and Trenton in October. It was haled out one last time in 1971 after Mike Mosley wrecked the team's 1968 Eagle and was driven by Bill Puterbaugh at Pocono. History then unknown until it was found in very dilapidated condition in an old barn in Manteca, California by Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) some time around 2018.
22. Eagle 68 (Bobby Unser): Bobby Unser drove a 1968 Eagle for the Jud Phillips side of the Leader Card team in 1968 and 1969, and had major accidents at Mosport Park in June 1968 and in testing at Riverside in December 1968. Either this car, repaired, or a new car was then raced by Unser on road courses in 1969. In 1970, Mike Mosley drove a car for the AJ Watson side of the Leader Card operation that was identified as the 1968 Unser car, but whether that was the same car as the one Unser had driven in 1969 is unclear, but it assumed here for now that it was. Unser then drove a 1968 Eagle at Continental Divide and Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1970, which has to be a different car to the Mosley car. Its origins are not yet resolved. This was almost certainly the car driven by Steve Krisiloff at Ontario in September 1970 and by Jim McElreath in November. This car was also transferred to the AJ Watson operation and was raced by Mike Mosley at the Indy 500 in 1971 when it was identified in Carl Hungness's Yearbook as a car that had not previously raced at the Indy 500 but had been used "on the trail" by Unser. This car was comprehensively destroyed during the race when Mosley crashed into the outside wall and cannoned across into three retired cars parked against the inside wall. Mosley was hospitalised with a broken leg and elbow as well as serious burns.
23. Eisert 68/69 (Jack Eiteljorg): New to Jack Eiteljorg (Englewood, Colorado) in 1968 for Formula A, and raced in SCCA Continental Championship and in SCCA Nationals. The car was also eligible for the USAC National Championship, and Eiteljorg raced it at Continental Divide and Mont-Tremblant. After using a Lola T140 for much of 1969, he returned to the Eisert for SCCA Continental Championship and in SCCA Nationals late in 1969. Retained for 1970, when he raced it in SCCA Continental Championship and in SCCA Nationals, plus the USAC road racing events at Continental Divide and Indianapolis Raceway Park. Raced also by mechanic John Barker at Bonneville Raceway Park in September 1970. Retained for one race at the start of 1971, then replaced with a Lola T192. Sold in May 1971 to Bill Tempero (Fort Collins, CO), who already owned the original 1965 Eisert that had been in New Zealand for several years. Tempero planned to keep the older car as a spare and race the ex-Eiteljorg car, so it is assumed here that's what happened. Retained by Tempero for 1972, when he used it mainly in SCCA Nationals, winning overall at Hutchinson Naval Air Station in June. Then very probably to Arlon J. Koops (Denver, CO), who raced a light blue #85 Eisert in SCCA Formula A in 1973, entered by Solazure IV Ltd. He was entered for the two Californian Pro F5000 races at the start of the season, but did not appear. He then raced it in Midwest Division SCCA Nationals that year, leading the opening lap at Hutchinson in July before retiring, and winning his class at Fort Sumner in September. He was apparently present for the Road America Pro F5000 race in July, but failed to set a practice time and did not start, so his only start in the L&M series in the Eisert was at Seattle in late September when he finished 12th. Subsequent history unknown.
24. Huffaker 66 (Tom Bigelow): 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.
25. Gerhardt 66? (Jerry Karl): 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.
26. 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.
27. Gerhardt (Darrell Dockery): Acquired from Fred Gerhardt by Darrell Dockery (Phoenix, AZ) as an unfinished monocoque, and built up by Dockery's chief mechanic Larry Burton at the Gerhardt race shop in Fresno, CA, using parts that were "lying around". Burton recalled that the tub had been intended for a turbo Offy engine, so Burton modified it to fit a Chevrolet V8 engine. However, photographs of the car in later life indicate that it was intended for a Ford engine, and is similar in construction to a 1967 Gerhardt. Like the 1969 Gerhardts, it had outboard front suspension. Dockery appeared in the #62 Gerhardt-Chev on a number of occasions in 1970, generally failing to qualify or going out with an oil leak. The 1970 Indy 500 entry list gives the engine as a 312 ci V8, but Burton recalls fitting a Ford quad cam engine during practice. The car was put to one side until 1976, when it was acquired by veteran Super-Modified class driver Lloyd Beard (Los Banos, CA), a distant cousin of Dockery, and his sponsor Dave Buchanen. He first raced the Gerhardt in May 1976 in Open Competition racing at Clovis Speedway in northern California. Despite the car's unreliability, Beard led an Open Competition race at San Jose Speedway in August 1977, and led again at San Jose two weeks later. Beard was killed in a sprint car accident at Calistoga on 27 October 1979, and the Gerhardt was sold off to Bob Beck. Subsequent history unknown.
28. Coyote [Lotus 38/4?] (Crockey Peterson): Built 1965 (fifth chassis built) from spares with symmetrical suspension and using some parts from the original 38/2. Used by Jim Clark at St Ursanne and Ollon-Villars 1965. For Jim Clark at the 1966 Indy 500 (#19 qualified 2nd, finished second). Sold to AJ Foyt and wrecked in practice at Milwaukee a week later when the suspension on the straight and the car hit the wall and burst into flames. Returned to Lotus in England and rebuilt; returned to Foyt August 1966 but no further results known in 1966. Likely to have been the #84 Lotus 38 used by Foyt in the opening races of 1967 at Phoenix and Trenton. Then used by Gary Congdon at the Indy 500 when he was bumped. With the other Foyt 38s wrecked, this last survivor was the car Foyt raced at Langhorne in July. Several years later, a ‘Coyote’ was raced in F5000 by Crockey Peterson, but photographs show that it was a Lotus 38, and it has been identified as 38/4. Later sold to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) and then to collector James L. Jaeger (Cincinnati, OH). Run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1997, 1998 and 2000. On display in the Speedway Museum March 2009. Ran again at Goodwood 2011.
29. Gerhardt 66 (Steve Krisiloff): Having run a 1966 Gerhardt in 1967, Ken Brenn (Warren, NJ) acquired a replacement Gerhardt with 255ci Ford V8 engine for the 1968 season, and ran it for Bob Harkey at the Indy 500 as the #88 entry, where he was bumped. This car has been described as a 1967 Gerhardt, but Simmo Iskül's analysis shows it was built to a 1966 pattern and The Indy Star called it a 1966 car in 1970. It was driven later in the 1968 season by Bruce Walkup. It was then sold to Mike Krisiloff's American Racing Associates (Lake Hiawatha, NJ) and run for his son Steve Krisiloff backed by VTM Finishing. The Gerhardt ran as #112 in 1969 and #92 in 1970. At Indy in 1970, Hungness notes that it has an underpowered non-turbo Ford, given as a 225 ci in press reports. It last appeared at Michigan International Speedway in July 1970, after which it was reported that it had been stolen from the Holiday Inn at New Stanton, PA, while on its way back to New Jersey. Subsequent history unknown but reported to have been parted out.
30. Gerhardt 66 (Steve Pfeifer): Gene Winther (Sacramento, CA) bought a Gerhardt Indy car in early 1970, and rebuilt it to race in 1970 with a 307 ci Chevrolet engine. The Gerhardt was initially described in press reports as a 1967 car that had previously been raced by Art Pollard and by Gary Bettenhausen, but was later described as a 1966 car. The position of a fuel filler on the right side of the car is consistent with it being the 1966 'prototype' Gerhardt, used by the Gerhardt team in 1966 and 1967 and raced by Pollard at least once. The crew chief for Winther Racing Enterprises (WRE) in 1970 was Robert Foster, also of Sacramento. Press reports said that Winther had competed in drag racing, but at his wife's insistence he employed a driver for the Gerhardt, choosing SCCA driver Steve Pfieffer. The car was entered for Pfieffer at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July 1970, but no record has been found of his participation. It was then taken to Argentina for Juan Carlos Salatino to drive in the Rafaela Indy 300 in early 1971, but he non-started after "block trouble". A press picture at that time showed the car had a right-side fuel filler matching that of the 1966 prototype Gerhardt. The Gerhardt was also entered as a "Winther-Chev" for the Seafair "200" at Seattle later in 1971, but again no record has been found of Pfieffer's participation. Winther's operation was said to be building two new cars for 1972, but nothing was seen of them. In February 1973, the revised team showed off a "WRE-Gerhardt", fitted with a turbo Offy engine acquired from the Gerhardt team. The wedge-shaped car was designed by Richard Raymond, and looks likely to have been the Gerhardt rebuilt with a new body shape. 27-year-old Johnny Anderson was nominated as the driver, but no further sign of the project has been found. In 1974, "one of" the Winther Indy cars was cut up by Mike Haas (Concord, CA), a Hot Rod builder, to create a four-seater "feature car", which he fitted with a 327 ci Chevrolet V8. Bob Bondurant, who had just moved his high-performance driving school to Sears Point, became involved to sort out the car's suspension and gave it a few laps of Sears Point, reputedly at speeds up to 140 mph. He encouraged actor and motor racing enthusiast James Garner to get involved, and the car was named the "James Garner Special". It was exhibited in this form at car shows from January 1975 up to June 1979, when it was on display in Honolulu, Hawaii. A book called "Weird Cars" later mentioned the car, and said that it had been restored by George Barber, of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. It was photographed in the museum in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
31. Gerhardt 66? (Don Brown): New for Bob Hurt (Potomac, MD) and entered during 1966 by Robert J Ricucci (Washington, DC) as the #36 Viking Racing Offenhauser car. In 1967, Hurt returned in a Gerhardt but the #29 REV 500 car entered by Malcolm J Boyle. Entered again by Boyle's PMB Racers Inc of Chicago, IL, for Hurt in early 1968. Driven by Bobby Johns and Ronnie Duman during practice for the 1968 Indy 500, but crashed by Duman. Photographs show that this car then went to Arthur W. 'Buzz' Harvey's Bulldog Stables Inc (Hardwick, Mass), still as the #26, to run alongside the team's #36 Gerhardt-Chev on the USAC trail towards the end of 1968. Then believed to be the 1966 Gerhardt sold by Bulldog Stables to Louis A. Seymour (Marlboro, Mass), who fitted a Chevy engine and entered it as the #39 Seymour Enterprises car for Don Brown and others in 1970 and 1971. Retired by Seymour in late 1971 and sold to an unknown owner in 1988 who sold it to Phil Gumpert (Noblesville, IN) in 1996. Restored by Roger Beck and Brian Stewart of Indianapolis. Still with Gumpert in 2006 but in 2008 Charley & Vera Lawrence were exhibiting a "1968" Gerhardt with Chevy engine but in the #26 livery of Rick Muther's 1969 Indy 500 entry. Despite its livery, the car was the shape of a 1966 Gerhardt but with the outboard springs that did not appear on Gerhardts until 1968. Offered at Kruse's Auburn Spring Car Auction in May 2009, where it was described it as a 1968 car, but did not sell. Later bought from Lawrence by Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) some time before May 2013.

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.