Tony Bettenhausen 200
Milwaukee Mile, 15 Aug 1971
Results | Laps | Time/Speed | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bobby Unser | Eagle 70/71 - Offy 159 ci turbo #2 Olsonite [Oscar Olson-AAR] (see note 1) |
200 | 1h 49m 42.330s |
|||||
2 | AJ Foyt | Coyote 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #9 ITT-Thompson [AJ Foyt] (see note 2) |
200 | Finished | |||||
3 | Gary Bettenhausen | Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo #16 Thermo-King [Don Gerhardt] (see note 3) |
199 | Flagged | |||||
4 | Wally Dallenbach | Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo #22 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Duane Glasgow] (see note 4) |
199 | Flagged | |||||
5 | George Snider | Eagle 67 [210] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #4 G. C. Murphy [Leader Card/AJ Watson] (see note 5) |
197 | Flagged | |||||
6 | Lloyd Ruby | Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #12 Utah Stars [Gene White] (see note 6) |
195 | Flagged | |||||
7 | Sammy Sessions | Colt-Lola T150 [SL150/2] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #98 King O'Lawn [Agajanian-Faas Racers Inc.) (see note 7) |
193 | Flagged | |||||
8 | Cale Yarborough | Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #21 Gene White Firestone (see note 8) |
192 | Flagged | |||||
9 | George Eaton | Colt-Lola - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #70 Fejer Brothers (see note 9) |
191 | Flagged | |||||
10 | Greg Weld | Gerhardt 68/69 - Offy 159 ci turbo #31 Federal Engineering [Dan Levine] (see note 10) |
191 | Flagged | |||||
11 | Carl Williams | Finley 69 - Offy 159 ci turbo #95 City of Terre Haute [Vatis Enterprise] (see note 11) |
188 | Flagged | |||||
12 | John Martin | Mongoose 67 - Offy 159 ci turbo #97 Agajanian-Faas [Agajanian-Faas Racers Inc.) (see note 12) |
187 | Flagged | |||||
13 | Bill Puterbaugh | Morris 69 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #29 MVS [Stan Malless, Bob Voigt and Dick Sommers] (see note 13) |
184 | Flagged | |||||
14 | Billy Vukovich | Hayhoe 68 - Offy 159 ci turbo #32 Sugaripe Prune [Jerry O'Connell] (see note 14) |
140 | Magneto | |||||
15 | Larry Dickson | Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo #40 STP Keep-Kool Treatment [Andy Granatelli/Grant King] (see note 15) |
140 | Turbocharger | |||||
16 | Art Pollard | Scorpion 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #8 Gilmore Racing [Clint Brawner] (see note 16) |
138 | Dropped valve | |||||
17 | Al Unser | Colt 70 [001] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #1 Johnny Lightning 500 [Vel's Parnelli Jones] (see note 17) |
118 | Wrecked | |||||
18 | Roger McCluskey | Kenyon-Coyote - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #23 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Don Kenyon] (see note 18) |
107 | Dropped valve | |||||
19 | Mario Andretti | McNamara T501 ['2'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #5 STP Oil Treatment [Andy Granatelli] (see note 19) |
92 | Fuel leak | |||||
20 | Arnie Knepper | Eagle 68 [406] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 #90 C. H. E. K. Racing Inc (Belleville, IL) (see note 20) |
61 | Oil leak | |||||
21 | Don Brown | Gerhardt 66? - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 #39 Seymour Enterprises [Louis Seymour] (see note 21) |
41 | Blown piston | |||||
22 | Jerry Karl | Gerhardt 69 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 #101 Emrich Chevrolet (Manchester, PA) (see note 22) |
30 | Fire | |||||
23 | Karl Busson | Halibrand Shrike 65 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 #73 Cavanagh-Tomlinson [Bob Cavanagh & Bob Tomlinson] (see note 23) |
21 | Broken suspension | |||||
24 | Steve Krisiloff | Kingfish 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo #20 STP Gas Treatment [Andy Granatelli/Grant King] (see note 24) |
17 | Oil leak | |||||
25 | Gordon Johncock | McLaren M15A [3] - Offy 159 ci turbo #7 Vollstedt Enterprises [Rolla Vollstedt] (see note 25) |
17 | Oil leak | |||||
DNS | Mel Kenyon | Kenyon-Coyote - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #23 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Don Kenyon] (see note 26) |
Did not start (handed car over to McCluskey) |
||||||
DNS | Dick Tobias | Gerhardt 69 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 #101 Emrich Chevrolet (Manchester, PA) (see note 27) |
Did not start (car driven by Karl after Karl spun #102) |
||||||
DNQA | Joe Leonard | Colt 71 [115] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #15 Samsonite [Vels Parnelli Jones Ford] (see note 28) |
Did not make qualifying attempt | ||||||
T | Roger McCluskey | Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 #6 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Don Kenyon] (see note 29) |
(Only used in practice) | ||||||
T/C | Jerry Karl | Gerhardt 66? - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 #102 Jerry Karl (see note 30) |
(Crashed in practice) | ||||||
DNP | Jim Malloy | McNamara T500 - Plymouth 318 ci stock block V8 #60 STP Corporation [Andy Granatelli] (see note 31) |
Did not take part in official practice (oil tank split when engine fired up) |
||||||
DNA | Ronnie Bucknum | unknown Dayton Steel Foundries [George Walther] |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | Dick Simon | unknown #10 Travelodge [Dick Simon Ltd] |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | Johnny Rutherford | unknown #18 Patrick Petroleum [Michner Petroleum] |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | Bill Simpson | Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo #28 Wynns [Simpson Safety Equipment] (see note 32) |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | Denny Zimmerman | unknown #43 Fiore Racing Ent. [Frank J. Fiore] |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | TBA | unknown #44 Dick Simon Ltd |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | John Mahler | McLaren M15A [1] - Offy 159 ci turbo #75 Florida International [Eagle 100 Owners] (see note 33) |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | David "Salt" Walther | unknown #77 Dayton Steel Foundries [George Walther] |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | Jerry Grant | Eagle 68 [403] - Offy 159 ci turbo #78 Farrell's Ice Cream [Jerry Grant Racing] (see note 34) |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | Bob Harkey | Gerhardt 68 - Offy 159 ci turbo #99 Joe Hunt Magneto [Joe Hunt (Los Angeles, CA)] (see note 35) |
Did not arrive | ||||||
DNA | TBA | unknown - Offy 159 ci turbo #109 Wayne Woodward (Quakertown, PA) |
Did not arrive |
Qualifying | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bobby Unser | Eagle 70/71 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 29.438s | ||
2 | Al Unser | Colt 70 [001] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 30.07s | ||
3 | AJ Foyt | Coyote 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 30.109s | ||
4 | Roger McCluskey | Kenyon-Coyote - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 30.249s | ||
5 | Mario Andretti | McNamara T501 ['2'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 30.277s | ||
6 | Steve Krisiloff | Kingfish 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 30.572s | ||
7 | Wally Dallenbach | Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 30.612s | ||
8 | Lloyd Ruby | Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 30.624s | ||
9 | Billy Vukovich | Hayhoe 68 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 30.665s | ||
10 | Gary Bettenhausen | Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 30.710 | ||
11 | John Martin | Mongoose 67 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 30.85s | ||
12 | Larry Dickson | Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 30.911s | ||
13 | George Snider | Eagle 67 [210] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 30.930s | ||
14 | Sammy Sessions | Colt-Lola T150 [SL150/2] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 31.278s | ||
15 | Gordon Johncock | McLaren M15A [3] - Offy 159 ci turbo | 31.297s | ||
16 | Art Pollard | Scorpion 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 31.379s | ||
17 | Greg Weld | Gerhardt 68/69 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 31.436s | ||
18 | Carl Williams | Finley 69 - Offy 159 ci turbo | 31.828s | ||
19 | Karl Busson | Halibrand Shrike 65 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 | 31.969s | ||
20 | George Eaton | Colt-Lola - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 32.110s | ||
21 | Cale Yarborough | Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 32.30s | ||
22 | Don Brown | Gerhardt 66? - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 | 32.483s | ||
23 | Jerry Karl | Gerhardt 69 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 | 32.51s | ||
24 | Bill Puterbaugh | Morris 69 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | 33.032s | ||
25 | Arnie Knepper | Eagle 68 [406] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8 | 33.459s | ||
26 | Jim Malloy * | McNamara T500 - Plymouth 318 ci stock block V8 | no attempt | ||
27 | Joe Leonard * | Colt 71 [115] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8 | no attempt | ||
* Did not start |
Notes on the cars:
- Eagle 70/71 (Bobby Unser): At the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Milwaukee in August 1971, Bobby Unser drove an updated 1970 Eagle for the AAR team, in place of his usual 1971 car. This car had a new single fuel filler on the side, the same style as the twin fuel fillers used on the 1971 Eagle. The car had the same McLaren-style rear wing and front wings used on Unser's 1971 Eagle at Michigan. The mirrors on the car were the same as Unser's early season car, hinting that it was the same car, updated. However, a press report in 1972 suggested that Savage's late-season car was the car Jim Malloy had raced at the 1971 Indy 500, which would make it AAR's other 1970 Eagle. Its identity is not yet resolved. Unser took pole at Milwaukee and won in this revised car, and it was then assigned to Swede Savage for his return to the AAR team at the California 500 at Ontario. Savage used this car in three races, but did not finish any of them. This car was then sold to Mary & Tom Page, and entered by their Page Racing for Mike Hiss through the 1972 season. It became the #60 entry at the Indy 500 when STP bought a share in the car. In early 1973, Bob Criss was killed while testing the Page Racing Eagle prior to Phoenix. Reports suggest that the car was comprehensively destroyed in the accident.
- Coyote 71 (AJ Foyt): New for AJ Foyt at the 1971 Indy 500, where he finished third. Presumably the car he used for the rest of the season, but it is possible he used the sister car or older cars at short track events. NSSN reported that he used this car when he won at Phoenix in October 1971, his first USAC race win in over two years, when the car had "undergone major chassis changes, including the moving of the radiators to the rear of the chassis, ala McLaren". The car was sold to the MVS team for 1972 and raced by Jim Hurtubise at the Indy 500. MVS also bought an older 1969/70 Coyote for the short ovals. This car was then raced by George Snider as MVS's #29 entry on the longer tracks later in 1972. Although Sessions was reported to be driving the team's 1972 Eagle at all his races in 1973, photographs and race video show him driving the Coyote at least twice. It was bought from MVS in 1975 less engine by the Dewco Construction team of Jack Owens (Indianapolis, IN), and fitted with a stock block Chevrolet. It ran in this form for two years, but only started one race. Then unknown until the early 1980s when it was entered by Robert W. Gaby's B&G Racing for Steve Ball (Osslar, IN) at the 1981 Indy 500. Ball's entry was withdrawn after the team's owner ran into financial issues, but Ball was invited to start the Pocono race a month later as USAC were short of entries. The car was later sold to Chuck Haines, who later sold it to a new owner who took it to Walt Goodwin to be restored.
- Gerhardt 70 (Gary Bettenhausen): As well as his #16 primary car, Gary Bettenhausen also had a second brand new car entered as the Gerhardt team's #78 Thermo-King entry at the 1970 Indy 500. This car was driven in practice by Larry Dickson, whose qualifying run had to be aborted, and Tony Adamowicz, who brushed the wall just before the start of final qualifying. As far as can be determined (so far), this car was not used again in 1970 as Bettenhausen had his primary 1970 car and also one of the 1969 cars to use. It is presumably the modified car that he drove at Phoenix and Trenton in early 1971, and was then his #46 backup car at the 1971 Indy 500, which was qualified by Jimmy McElreath but bumped. Later on in the season it was Bettenhausen's regular short-track car, being used at both Milwaukee races. It was then used by Jimmy Caruthers as the team's #46 entry at Ontario, by Bettenhausen as the #16 at Trenton in October, and by Caruthers as the #46 again at Phoenix. After Johnny Rutherford destroyed the sister car at Milwaukee in June 1972, this is likely to be the car he raced at Michigan in July and Milwaukee in August. Subsequent history unknown, but possibly the car that Bruce Crower used for his Dodge Hemi project in 1973, although it remains more likely that Crower had a 1969 car.
- Kuzma-Kenyon 71 (Wally Dallenbach): New for the 1970 Indianapolis 500, and fitted with a turbo Offy engine for Wally Dallenbach to use as Lindsey Hopkins' #22 Sprite entry. After the car blew three engines due to what was believed to be an oil plumbing issue, Dallenbach swapped to an older Eagle for qualifying and the race. The #22 car was used by Dallenbach at Trenton in October 1970, and was then his regular car in 1971, finishing second at Trenton in April, and finishing fourth twice. He crashed the car heavily in practice at Pocono in July, but it was repaired, now in orange paintwork, in time for Milwaukee in August. He then crashed the car again during practice at Phoenix in October 1971, and this time it was "badly damaged". Not seen again.
- Eagle 67 [210] (George Snider): Sold to the Jud Phillips half of the Leader Card team, fitted with a Ford V8 and entered for Bobby Unser as the #6 Rislone car from the start of the 1967 season. In 1968, this car was used by Unser on ovals, helping Unser to the USAC title, together with a second 1967 Eagle used for road racing and a 1968 Eagle with which he won the Indy 500. Retained again for 1969, but only raced Unser at Dover Downs. However, after his other 1967 Eagle was wrecked, this original car was used by Unser on ovals in 1970, with the 1968 Eagle being used on road courses. Unser and Phillips both left Leader Card Racers later in 1970, and their equipment was transferred to the AJ Watson half of the Leader Card team. The 1967 Eagle was raced by Watson's driver Mike Mosley to win at Trenton in April 1971, and by George Snider at five later races. At some point, this car was damaged, and the unrepaired monocoque was given by Watson to Bentley Warren, who was racing the ex-Michner 1967 Eagle. It was still unrepaired when bought from Warren by consortium "Eagle Partners" who restored the ex-Unser car and sold it in July 2005 to Aaron Lewis (Cessnock, NSW, Australia). Sold by Aaron in 2014 to Scott Borchetta (Nashville, TN), the founder of Big Machine Records, who ran it in the vintage event at Indianapolis in May 2015.
- Mongoose 71 (Lloyd Ruby): New for Lloyd Ruby in 1971 as the Gene White team's #12 car but "abandoned by Ruby after that year's Indy 500", presumably as it was the only year for some time that he had not led the race. Sold to Pat O'Reilly and entered as the #51 Minnesota Serendipity car in 1973 for Dee Jones, John Hubbard and Jigger Sirois. Returned in 1974 as the #53 for John Cannon but failed to qualify for the Indy 500. Raced later in 1974 by Jan Opperman and by Mel Cornett and appeared in 1975 for John Hubbard and Cornett again. Wrecked at Milwaukee in June 1975 and, according to Milwaukee Mile Historian Steve Zautke, was "wiped out".
- Colt-Lola T150 [SL150/2] (Sammy Sessions): 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. In 1978, it was sold to Milt Jenson, and in 2000 he sold it to Michael & Danna Huntley-Lashmett. They sold it to Harvey Cluxton in 2002, and it was then sold to a Nevada car museum which closed in 2007. It was then sold to Bill "Speedy" Smith for his Speedway Motors Museum in Lincoln, NE.
- Mongoose 71 (Cale Yarborough): New for Cale Yarborough to race in 1971 as the Gene White team's #21 car. After 1971, this car remained unused and was dismantled but still in exactly the same livery when in the collection of Bob McConnell (Urbana, OH) in 2010. Sold in August 2013 to Brad Edwards (Plainfield, IN) who started a full restoration with a view to having the car on track by May 2016.
- Colt-Lola (George Eaton): In 1971, Canadian department store heir George Eaton acquired a "Colt" from the VPJ team and it was run for him by the Fejer Brothers in the last few races of the USAC season. It was variously described as the car driven by Joe Leonard in the 1971 Indy 500 and the car used by Al Unser to win the 1970 Indy 500. It was probably neither, and its most likely identity is the 1970 Colt driven by Leonard in the 1970 Indy 500. Eaton returned for 1972, when the car was described as a "1971 Jones", but failed his rookie test and announced his retirement from motor racing two weeks later. The car then passed to Jim Hurtubise, whose crew chief George Morris made some modifications to the chassis, including square sidepods and a chisel nose. The car was described as a 1969 Lola in press reports prior to the Indy 500, where Hurtubise was too slow to qualify. He did race it at Pocono in July, when it was wearing Miller High Life livery. At this point, the old car was finally put to one side. Mike Lashmett kept track of this car, and reports that it remained with Hurtubise until his death in 1989, after which it was bought from the estate by dealer/collector Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO). It remained in Haines' collection for many years until being sold to a Swiss owner.
- Gerhardt 68/69 (Greg Weld): A late-1968-style Gerhardt that first appeared as part of the Federal Automotive team at the 1969 Indy 500 as the #31 Federal Engineering entry for Bobby Johns. Johns did not qualify and Bud Tingelstad took over the #31 for the rest of 1969. This car returned to Indy in 1970 as Federal's #31 Stearns Transi-Tread entry with Paul Brooks as chief crew for driver Jim Malloy who qualified. The 1969 car is presumed to be the #31 car from then until the team disappears at the end of 1971. Subsequent history unknown until Hurricane Charley in August 2004 damaged a building in Florida, revealing the little-known car collection of real estate developer Walter Medlin. The #31 Gerhardt, in apparently original condition, was visible in pictures of the damaged building. In April 2007, the car was pictured on an open transporter on Interstate 65 heading north of Nashville, TN. With it were the 1979 Cicada and an unidentified #99 car. Rumoured to be in a private museum in Indianapolis (and the I-65 through Nashville is exactly on the route from Florida to Indianapolis).
- Finley 69 (Carl Williams): The Finley-Offy TC used by Bentley Warren, Carl Williams, Bob Harkey and Johnny Parsons in 1971 and 1972 is a puzzle. Bill Finley had run Huffakers for Tassi Vatis in 1966, 1967 and 1968 before producing a pair of 'Valvoline Wedge' cars in 1969. These cars were described as new (Autoweek 31 May 1969 p23) but the tube frame construction and 'hydroelastic' suspension paralleled the 64 Huffakers. In 1970, a single 'Finley' had been entered for Warren with a 1966 Eagle appearing as a second car at Indy for Sam Posey. This Eagle continues as a Vatis entry in 1971, suggesting the single 'Finley' is still descended from the 1969 cars. More research is required.
- Mongoose 67 (John Martin): 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.
- Morris 69 (Bill Puterbaugh): 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.
- Hayhoe 68 (Billy Vukovich): One of two cars built by Hayhoe Racing Enterprises, this is the car entered as the #59 Cleaver Brooks Spl in 1968. Presumed for now to be the same car used as the #59 on the team's other appearances, but it is possible that the sister car (the #62 at the Indy 500) was used at some events that season. To 3-K Racing Enterprises for 1969 and entered as the #59 Krohne Grain Transport at the Indy 500, but again it is possible that the sister car (the #39 at the Indy 500) was substituted at later short track events. To Jerry O'Connell for 1970 and both cars were entered as Sugaripe Prune Spls at four races that year. Retained for 1971 when Jud Phillips joined as O'Connell's new chief mechanic and run for most of the year with this car now as the #32 Sugaripe Prune entry for Billy Vukovich. Unknown after 1971 but if this was the only survivor, it would be the car raced by Dave Bowling (San Jose, CA) in Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) Sprint Car Racing in Northern California in 1975. It would also be the basis of his "ecology car", raced in 1977, and probably his rear-engined car in 1974. In 2008 the car was for sale with Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO), restored to its 1971 #32 livery. By 2015, it had been sold to Jim Griggs (Panama City, FL).
- Kingfish 70 (Larry Dickson): Built by Grant King for 1970 and raced by Art Pollard in the early races of the season as his #10 Pollard Car Wash entry. Pollard and King separated after Milwaukee in June, and the car was next seen at Ontario where it was the #41 Grant King entry for Greg Weld. Weld then crashed it in practice at Trenton in October. It returned in 1971, still as the #41 entry, and was driven by Roger McCluskey at Rafaela. George Follmer put it in the race at Indianapolis and it then became the #40 STP entry for Larry Dickson and others later that season, including George Snider. As far as can be determined, this car was Snider's #35 car at the opening race of the 1972 season, and then used by Steve Krisiloff as the #15 at two short track raced later that season. It was then Krisiloff's #24 entry at the opening race of the 1973 season before finally being retired.
- Scorpion 70 (Art Pollard): The Scorpion that was Art Pollard's intended #8 car at the 1971 Indy 500 was then Jimmy Caruthers' car at the 1972 Indy 500 (although Hungness 1972 allocates Pollard's start to it). It seems likely that this would then be Pollard's #8 car after the 1971 Indy 500 at least up to the crash at Michigan. It is also presumed to be Caruthers #11 car after the 1972 Indy 500 up to his major accident at the Pocono 500. Caruthers crashed into the outside wall at turn 3, and was taken to hospital with burns and contusions. The team did not appear again. The Pocono wreck was later repaired and was owned by Doug Winslow (Westlake, Ohio) in June 2015.
- Colt 70 [001] (Al Unser): A brand new car fabricated by George Bignotti's crew for 1970, and raced by Al Unser for Vel's Parnelli Jones Ford as the #2 Johnny Lightning 500 Special. Unser dominated the 1970 Indy 500 in this car, and he also raced it at Ontario later in the season. This is believed to have been Unser's car for the early 1971 races, winning three of them. It was then the backup car that Unser drove at Pocono and Michigan in July, and at Milwaukee in August, where during a battle between Unser and his brother Bobby for the lead, the Colt suddenly swapped ends and hit the barrier, leaving the car "a mangled wreck". The damage was sufficient that the car was retired, but was later restored to its 1970 colours and used as a show car, before spending many years in the VPJ Collection's private museum in Torrance, CA. It returned to the Speedway for a race day celebration in 2010, and was acquired by the IMS Museum in May 2012 together with the rest of the VPJ Collection.
- Kenyon-Coyote (Roger McCluskey): The history of this 1970 Coyote chassis is unknown before July 1971. After Mel Kenyon's Kuzma was wrecked during the 1971 Indy 500, Mel and Don Kenyon acquired this chassis and it was raced by Wally Dallenbach, Roger McCluskey and Mel Kenyon later in 1971. It was progressively modified over the next three years by Don Kenyon and Eldon Rasmussen, and by 1974 Donald Davidson suggested that it should be called a Coyote - Kuzma - Kenyon - Eagle - Rasmussen. Raced at the Indy 500 by Mel Kenyon in 1972, and by Bob Harkey in 1973 and 1974, and also raced by Kenyon at a few short track races in 1973. It returned to the Speedway in 1976, but Kenyon crashed during practice. Last seen at Ontario later in 1976. History then unknown until 2013, when it was in Bob Boyce's collection (Michigan City, Indiana), still exactly as it had appeared at Ontario.
- McNamara T501 ['2'] (Mario Andretti): New for Mario Andretti as the #5 STP entry at the 1971 Indy 500. Andretti qualified ninth with a speed of 172.612 mph. The car was damaged during the race when Andretti spun on oil and hit the barrier but was rebuilt extensively by chief mechanic Jim McGee in time for Pocono in July. Andretti qualified fifth and finished fourth at Pocono, then also raced this car at Michigan two weeks later, where he qualified third but retired, and at Milwaukee in August. Andretti used a newer long-chassis car produced by McGee at Ontario, but returned to the Pocono car for the Trenton race in October. He took second place at Trenton, the best result by this model of McNamara, but then drove the Ontario car at Phoenix. It is possible that this Pocono car was the intended #20 for Steve Krisiloff at Phoenix, which he crashed in pre-race testing. The 1971 McNamaras were not used again, and McNamara prepared for the 1972 Indy 500 was a 1970 car. Subsequent history unknown.
- Eagle 68 [406] (Arnie Knepper): Roger Penske bought a road-racing version of the 1968 Indy Eagle and Mark Donohue raced it at Mosport and Riverside that season with a Chevrolet V8. It went to Weinberger Homes for 1969 and was driven at Indy by Ronnie Bucknum. It was not seen in 1970, but then went to Arnie Knepper and became his #90 C.H.E.K. Racing entry in 1971 and 1972, and finally his #45 entry at the 1973 Indy 500. It was then the LaWarre Precision Eagle entered by Robert W. LaWarre Sr (Titusville, FL) for Larry Rice and John Hubbard in 1974 and 1975. The Eagle was then retired but remained in LaWarre's ownership until his death in April 1997, after which it was bought by Joe Pirrotta (Palm City, FL) in 1999. The Eagle was fully restored to Penske livery and appeared at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2005.
- 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.
- Gerhardt 69 (Jerry Karl): 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.
- Halibrand Shrike 65 (Karl Busson): Max Dudley's 1968 car was identified by Phil Harms as a Gerhardt but a photograph in Dick Wallen's Roar From the Sixties clearly shows a Halibrand Shrike. Bob Cavanagh shared a shop with Dudley in this period and bought the Shrike after Dudley bought a 'new' Gerhardt. Dudley had bought it from AAR, making it a '65 Shrike, and its bulkier nose cone supports its AAR origins. Cavanagh then ran the car for Karl Busson from late 1969 to the end of 1971 and Bob confirms that it is the car that Harms identifies as a Gerhardt again in 1971. This is presumably also the "Halibrand Shrike" that Dudley drove at the USAC Seattle race in 1971.
- Kingfish 71 (Steve Krisiloff): Built new by Grant King for 1971 but to the same basic design as the 1970 Kingfish. First appeared at the 1971 Indy 500 as the #45 Spirit of Indianapolis entry for Larry Dickson, who qualified. The team was then taken over by Andy Granatelli and the 1971 car became the #20 entry for Granatelli's regular driver Steve Krisiloff for the rest of the season. This may have been Krisiloff's #15 entry at Trenton in April 1972, and was then brought out of retirement for Greg Weld to drive as the #35 at Pocono, after one of the team's 1972 cars had been destroyed. The car then remained at King's workshop until his death in a road accident in December 1999. Shortly after this, the car was sold to Bruce Weatherston (Chicago, IL). It remains in his collection, still in unrestored original condition.
- McLaren M15A [3] (Gordon Johncock): Chris Amon's planned car for the 1970 Indy 500 was taken over by Carl Williams when Amon withdrew. It was sold to Gordy Johncock after the 500 and became his main car after M15/2 was wrecked at Michigan. Sold to Rolla Vollstedt for 1971 and raced for him by Johncock and Denny Zimmerman in 1971 and 1972. This car was later acquired by Tom Black (Portland, OR) and sold by him to the UK. Believed to be the car acquired from collector Nick Mason by McLaren International, restored and put on display in the Donington Collection.
- Kenyon-Coyote (Mel Kenyon): The history of this 1970 Coyote chassis is unknown before July 1971. After Mel Kenyon's Kuzma was wrecked during the 1971 Indy 500, Mel and Don Kenyon acquired this chassis and it was raced by Wally Dallenbach, Roger McCluskey and Mel Kenyon later in 1971. It was progressively modified over the next three years by Don Kenyon and Eldon Rasmussen, and by 1974 Donald Davidson suggested that it should be called a Coyote - Kuzma - Kenyon - Eagle - Rasmussen. Raced at the Indy 500 by Mel Kenyon in 1972, and by Bob Harkey in 1973 and 1974, and also raced by Kenyon at a few short track races in 1973. It returned to the Speedway in 1976, but Kenyon crashed during practice. Last seen at Ontario later in 1976. History then unknown until 2013, when it was in Bob Boyce's collection (Michigan City, Indiana), still exactly as it had appeared at Ontario.
- Gerhardt 69 (Dick Tobias): 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.
- Colt 71 [115] (Joe Leonard): Joe Leonard's 1971 Colt was also ready for the Indy 500, where he retired after the turbocharger failed. Leonard also drove this car at Pocono in July; at Milwaukee in August, where it failed during his qualifying run; at Ontario in September, which he won; and at at Trenton and Phoenix in October. The car was used once more in 1972 specification at Phoenix in March 1972 and was then retired. It remained in storage until 2000, when it was restored by Phil Reilly. Remained in the Vel's Parnelli Collection until the collection was sold to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in May 2012.
- Kuzma-Kenyon 71 (Roger McCluskey): New for the 1970 Indianapolis 500, and fitted with a turbo Ford engine for Wally Dallenbach to use briefly in practice as Lindsey Hopkins' #6 Sprite entry. Chief mechanic Jack Beckley then left the team, and Don Kenyon took over his role. The #6 Kuzma was then presumably the car driven by Mel Kenyon at Michigan in July, and at Ontario in September. The #6 car then became Roger McCluskey's regular Kuzma-Ford during 1971, finishing third at Michigan in July, and second at Phoenix in October. McCluskey drove it at a few short track races in 1972, and it was also his unused spare car at the 1972 Indy 500.
- 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.
- McNamara T500 (Jim Malloy): In mid-August 1971, STP tested a "new, specially designed McNamara chassis" at the IMS fitted with a 318ci Plymouth V8 engine, the same powerplant the team had used in 1969. Photographs show that it was a 1970 McNamara 500. Jim Malloy was slated to drive the car in the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Milwaukee on 15 August as the #60 STP entry but the oil tank split when the engine was fired up and it did not get on track. Three weeks later at Ontario's California 500, the driver of the #60 was John Cannon, a road racing specialist who was yet to qualify for an oval Indy race. Soon after arriving for practice, the Canadian lost control of the car in Turn 1 and spun into the wall. Team director Vincent J. Granatelli determined that the car was too badly damaged to be repaired.
- Eagle 67 [212] (Bill Simpson): The #74 AAR entry for Dan Gurney at the 1967 Indy 500, fitted with a Ford V8 and with support from Wagner Lockheed. Sold after the race to AJ Foyt and photographs show that it was the car raced by Joe Leonard at Mosport Park in July 1967, still in works livery. The history of the car over the next three years remains unknown but according to the Hungness Yearbook, it reappeared at the 1970 Indy 500 still as part of the Foyt team but now equipped with a turbo Ford and entered as the #83 Greer car for Donnie Allison, who finished fourth. Then sold to Bill Simpson (Los Angeles, CA), fitted with a 203 ci Chevrolet turbo engine built by Bruce Crower, and raced by Simpson at two late-1970 races. Fitted with an Offy turbo for Simpson in 1971 and 1972. Sold to Marv Carman (Union City, Michigan) and turned into a supermodified, but at some point the car was very badly damaged in a workshop fire. The remains of the car were acquired by Richard Bible and they were stored until 2008, when bought by Indycar collector Bill Wiswedel (Holland, Michigan). In 2012, Wiswedel sold the fire-damaged tub and its surviving components to Justin Gurney, son of Dan Gurney and then CEO of AAR. He sent the tub to John Mueller and Jerry Wise of Entrepreneur's Motor Sports (Fresno, CA), who built a completely new car to take its place, there being no part of the damaged tub that was usable. Joe Boghosian built a quad-cam Ford engine for it. The new car was unveiled on Dan Gurney's 84th birthday in April 2015, when Autoweek quoted Mueller saying that "every piece on that car is new except uprights, the hubs and the transmission".
- McLaren M15A [1] (John Mahler): The prototype M15 was the #79 backup car at Indy in 1970 and was the car Hulme was using when a petrol leak led to a fire in which he was badly burnt. As M15/2 and M15/3 were sold to Gordy Johncock, this must be the car used by Revson in the Ontario 500 and then sold to John Mahler for 1971. Mahler raced it through the 1971 and 1972 seasons before it was retired. Mahler later sold the car to collector Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) and it was sold by him to the UK in the mid/late 1980s. This may be the car that was later owned by John Foulston (Dunsfold, Surrey), boss of high-flying IBM computer leasing company Atlantic Computers, who bought Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Snetterton from Eagle Star in May 1986. Foulston was killed testing a M15 at Silverstone on 29 September 1987.
- 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.
- Gerhardt 68 (Bob Harkey): 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).
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.