OldRacingCars.com

Rafaela Indy 300 (2)

Autodromo de Rafaela, 28 Feb 1971

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Al Unser Colt 70 [001?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#1 Johnny Lightning 500 [Vel's Parnelli Jones]
(see note 1)
53 1h 01m 26.100s
2 Lloyd Ruby Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#12 Gene White Firestone (see note 2)
53 Finished
3 Joe Leonard Colt-Lola 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#15 Vel's Parnelli Jones (see note 3)
53 Finished
4 Roger McCluskey Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#41 Vantreight Daffodil [Grant King]
(see note 4)
53 Finished
5 Swede Savage Eagle 70 [805] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#42 Olsonite [Oscar Olson-AAR] (see note 5)
53 Finished
6 Dick Simon Lola T152 2WD [SL150/3?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#10 TraveLodge Sleeper [Dick Simon]
(see note 6)
52 Flagged
7 Gary Bettenhausen Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#16 Thermo-King [Don Gerhardt] (see note 7)
52 Flagged
8 Cale Yarborough Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#21 Gene White Firestone (see note 8)
51 Flagged
9 Carlos Alberto Pairetti Vollstedt 67 ['A'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#44 Fiecha Coca-Cola [Dick Simon]
(see note 9)
51 Flagged
10 Gordon Johncock Vollstedt 67 ['B'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#7 Vollstedt Enterprises [Rolla Vollstedt]
(see note 10)
51 Flagged
11 David "Salt" Walther Morris Marauder (71) - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#77 Walther's [George Walther] (see note 11)
51 Flagged
12 Dee Jones Watson 65 - Ford
#51 Minnesota Serendipity [Pat O'Reilly]
(see note 12)
49 Flagged
13 Bill Simpson Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#28 Wynn's Kwik Kool [Bill Simpson]
(see note 13)
49 Flagged
14 Don Brown Gerhardt 66? - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#39 Seymour Enterprises [Louis Seymour]
(see note 14)
48 Flagged
15 Dave Strickland Watson 64 - AMC Rambler Navarro turbo 6
#50 Navarro (see note 15)
48 Flagged
16 John Mahler Eagle 68 [401] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#100 Mahler Eagle 100 [John Mahler]
(see note 16)
46 Flagged
17 Max Dudley Gerhardt 67 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#61 Dudley Boat and Trailer [Max L. Dudley]
(see note 17)
46 Flagged
18 Ludwig Heimrath Eisert 67 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#55 Heimrath Porsche [Ludwig Heimrath]
44 Flagged
19 Denny Zimmerman Vollstedt 66 [8] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#43 Fiore Racing Enterprises [Frank J Fiore]
(see note 18)
33 Broken intake manifold
20 Johnny Rutherford Vollstedt 66 [9] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#17 Vollstedt Enterprises (see note 19)
30 Blown engine
21 Jim Malloy Morris 69 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#29 MVS [Stan Malless, Bob Voigt and Dick Sommers]
(see note 20)
23 Broken turbocharger wheel
22 Tom Bigelow Huffaker 66 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#34 Midwest Mfg Dura-Pot [Carl Gehlhausen]
(see note 21)
21 Engine failure
23 Mike Mosley Eagle 68 [402] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#4 G. C. Murphy [Leader Card (Ralph Wilke)/AJ Watson]
(see note 22)
9 Broken valve
24 Bentley Warren Finley 69 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#94 Vatis [Tassi Vatis] (see note 23)
9 Wrecked
25 Rick Muther Gerhardt 66 - Allison 250 turbine
#54 Jack Adams Aircraft [Jack Adams]
(see note 24)
8 Engine failure
26 Larry Cannon Philipp 64 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#47 Autotron Photoelectric [Richard M. Blacker]
(see note 25)
2 Spun off track
27 Bobby Unser Eagle 70 [801] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#2 Olsonite Eagle [Oscar Olson-AAR]
(see note 26)
0 DNS
Qualifying
1 Al Unser Colt 70 [001?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
2 Lloyd Ruby Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
3 Mike Mosley Eagle 68 [402] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
4 Swede Savage Eagle 70 [805] - Offy 159 ci turbo
5 Roger McCluskey Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
6 Joe Leonard Colt-Lola 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
7 Johnny Rutherford Vollstedt 66 [9] - Offy 159 ci turbo
8 Cale Yarborough Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
9 Gordon Johncock Vollstedt 67 ['B'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
10 Bentley Warren Finley 69 - Offy 159 ci turbo
11 Gary Bettenhausen Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
12 Carlos Alberto Pairetti Vollstedt 67 ['A'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
13 Dick Simon Lola T152 2WD [SL150/3?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
14 Jim Malloy Morris 69 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
15 David "Salt" Walther Morris Marauder (71) - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
16 John Mahler Eagle 68 [401] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
17 Bill Simpson Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo
18 Don Brown Gerhardt 66? - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
19 Dave Strickland Watson 64 - AMC Rambler Navarro turbo 6
20 Max Dudley Gerhardt 67 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
21 Tom Bigelow Huffaker 66 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
22 Rick Muther Gerhardt 66 - Allison 250 turbine
23 Larry Cannon Philipp 64 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
24 Denny Zimmerman Vollstedt 66 [8] - Offy 159 ci turbo
25 Ludwig Heimrath Eisert 67 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
26 Dee Jones Watson 65 - Ford

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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.
  2. 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".
  3. Colt-Lola 70 (Joe Leonard): As well as his new 1970 Colt, Al Unser had two other similar cars available to him for the 1970 season, one for one-mile paved ovals such as Phoenix, Trenton, Milwaukee and Langhorne, and one for the road races at Sears Point, Continental Divide and Indianapolis Raceway Park. Photographs show that Unser used the same car on all the one-mile ovals and at Michigan, and that this was not his new 1970 Colt and was not his road-racing car, which has been identified as the team's remaining Lola T150. This extra "mile car" appears to have been built on a new Lola monocoque, presumably the same tub that was acquired so that it could be copied to create the 1970 Colts. According to press reports, this "Colt" was new for the Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix in March 1970. He used it at eight races in 1970, winning three. This car was then raced by Joe Leonard in the early races of 1971, and is likely to be the car driven by Leonard at Milwaukee in June 1971, described in press reports as "Al [Unser]'s '70 backup car". Subsequent history unresolved.
  4. Kingfish 70 (Roger McCluskey): 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.
  5. Eagle 70 [805] (Swede Savage): A new car built later in 1970 to use the Gurney Weslake Ford 318 ci stock block engine. It was entered as #42 as a backup car for Dan Gurney at the California 500, but after he qualified his regular #48 Offy car, the stock block was handed over to Swede Savage, who qualified it but retired. Savage's car was then extensively modified with wide, flat bodywork extending from behind the front wheels all the way to above the rear wheels, to act as a huge spoiler, and tested in this form at the Speedway in early November. Savage then raced this Gurney Weslake car in this form at Phoenix in November, winning the race after passing Roger McCluskey on the final lap. This car was then fitted with an Offy turbo engine for 1971, when it was the team's backup car at the Indy 500, so it is presumably the #42 car that Savage and Lee Roy Yarbrough had used in the Rafaela, Phoenix and Trenton races held prior to the Indy 500. It was entered as the #48 backup car at the Indy 500, but was raced by Jim Malloy as the #42 entry after Yarbrough wrecked his original #42 1971 Eagle and then withdrew. As both 1971 Eagles were damaged at the 500, this 1970 Eagle was then raced by Bobby Unser (as #2) at Milwaukee in June. Subsequent history unresolved.
  6. Lola T152 2WD [SL150/3?] (Dick Simon): 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.
  7. Gerhardt 70 (Gary Bettenhausen): New for Gary Bettenhausen for the 1970 Indy 500 as the Gerhardt team's #16 Thermo-King entry, where he qualified 20th and retired early. He used this car at Milwaukee eight days later, but then used one of his 1969 cars for much of the summer before racing his Indy 500 car again at Ontario in September, Trenton in October and Phoenix in November. He raced it again at Rafaela in February but then used the heavily modified sister car at Phoenix and Trenton. This car was modified along the same lines for Bettenhausen to use at the 1971 500. It was then modified again, this time along McLaren M16 lines, for Bettenhausen to race at Pocono in July, Michigan in August, Ontario in September, and Phoenix in October. It was then Jim Malloy's #16 entry at the start of the 1972 season, then the #46 car at the 1972 Indy 500 that was changed to run as #16 for Jerry Karl after Malloy's crash in the team's new Eagle. Johnny Rutherford then took over the car at Milwaukee in June but consumed in a "fiery and spectacular crash".
  8. 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.
  9. Vollstedt 67 ['A'] (Carlos Alberto Pairetti): 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.
  10. Vollstedt 67 ['B'] (Gordon Johncock): 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.
  11. Morris Marauder (71) (David "Salt" Walther): 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 main 1971 car was the #77 entry at the 1971 Indy 500 and it is assumed that this car was used for the rest of 1971 and in early 1972. This car, still unrestored and carrying USAC tag "#C-71 177", was sold at auction at Auburn in June 2012 to Doug Winslow (Cleveland, OH). Sold in July 2015 to Mark Klingerman (Bourbon, IN) and Gary Berkey (Warsaw, IN). Restored and appeared at the Historic Indycar Exhibition in May 2016 and in May 2017.
  12. Watson 65 (Dee Jones): 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.
  13. 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".
  14. 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.
  15. Watson 64 (Dave Strickland): 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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 Sep 1971.) The only other time he appeared was at Trenton in early 1974 with a Gerhardt-Chev again. The Gerhardt was then unknown until 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. Believed to be the car owned by William Watkins. At the Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase in June 2012.
  18. Vollstedt 66 [8] (Denny Zimmerman): 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.
  19. Vollstedt 66 [9] (Johnny Rutherford): 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) supermodified races in the Pacific North West and Western Canada in the 1980s and 1990s.
  20. Morris 69 (Jim Malloy): 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. 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 siezed 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 numbner 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.
  22. 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.
  23. Finley 69 (Bentley Warren): 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.
  24. Gerhardt 66 (Rick Muther): New to Myron Caves, originally from Madison, Wisconsin and by 1966 a long-established Buick dealer in Gerhardt's home town of Fresno, CA. Fitted with a supercharged Offy and run for Mike McGreevy as the #85 Caves Buick Co. entry at the start of the season and also at Indy but despite the efforts of three drivers, it did not qualify. Presumably the same #85 Caves Buick Gerhardt-Offy SC driven principally by Al Miller through to the end of 1966, and at Phoenix in April 1967, where it was wrecked. Caves had a new Gerhardt for the 1967 Indy 500, but this 1966 car may have been repaired and retained as a short track car in 1967, 1968 and even 1969. Next seen when sold to Jack Adams who had entered a car at Indy in 1969 with a Bryant chassis and Allison helicopter turbine engine. The Gerhardt was rebuilt by chief crew Howard Millican to take the turbine and was practiced at Indy in 1970 by Jigger Sirois but could not find the speed to qualify. Raced by Rick Muther later in 1970, finishing eighth at Trenton, and in 1971. The chassis was sold to Mark Stainbrook in 1971 and he later sold it to Gary Bettenhausen. Subsequent history unknown.
  25. Philipp 64 (Larry Cannon): This car was originally built by Bob "Rocky" Phillip in Culver City, CA as the Rose Trucking Co.'s #10 rear-engined Offy entry for the 1964 Indy 500 to be driven by Ebb Rose. It was used in practice by Johnny Rutherford, running as a Racing Associates entry, but no attempt was made to qualify it. It was raced by Rutherford at Sacramento in October with a Chevrolet engine and then again at Phoenix (as the #24) at the start of 1965 with an Offy again. Rose drove it in practice for the 1965 Indy 500 where it was the #79 but crashed during practice. What happened next is unknown, but an article in the Decatur Daily Review in April 1970 revealed that the car had been bought by Richard 'Unk' Blacker (Champaign, IL) and repaired. Blacker then fitted a Chevrolet engine and entered it for supermodified driver Larry 'Boom Boom' Cannon (Danville, IL) in 1970 Indy racing as the #47 Autotron Photoelectric 'Blacker-Chevrolet'. After two failures to start a race early in the 1970 season, Cannon then crashed the car during practice for the Indy 500. He qualified for a couple of short track events later in 1970, and then joined the trip out to Argentina for the Rafaela race in early 1971. After two more failures to qualify later in 1971, the car was not seen again. Blacker, a former owner of Unk's Tavern in Champaign, died in 2002, aged 82. Cannon died in 1995. Nothing more is known of the history of their car.
  26. Eagle 70 [801] (Bobby Unser): New for Dan Gurney as the #48 AAR entry at Indianapolis in 1970, using a turbo Offy engine. Raced again by Gurney as the #48 at Ontario, where he qualified on the front row and led for five laps but then crashed heavily into the wall. Gurney retired from driving after this race, and Bobby Unser joined AAR from Leader Card Racers to take his place. Both 1970 Eagles were then significantly modified with wide, flat bodywork extending from behind the front wheels all the way to above the rear wheels, to act as a huge spoiler. Unser raced this car in this form at Phoenix, again as the #48 entry Olsonite entry, starting from second place on the grid and leading until he was forced out with a broken gearbox. This is presumably the car he raced as the #2 Olsonite Eagle entry in the opening races of the 1971 season at Rafaela, Phoenix and Trenton. Exactly how this car was used later in 1971 remains unresolved.

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.

Individual sources for this event

A lot of information on this race came from the Rafaela 300 threads on TNF and 10 Tenths. Gerry Measures has kindly made extensive amounts of information available from his files.