OldRacingCars.com

Phoenix 150

Phoenix International Raceway, 2 Nov 1974

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Gordon Johncock Eagle 74 [7409] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#20 STP Double Oil Filter [Patrick Racing Team]
(see note 1)
150 1h 12m 27.770s
2 Bobby Unser Eagle 74 [7404 or 7405] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#48 Olsonite [AAR]
150 Finished
3 Mario Andretti Eagle 74 [7406] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#5 Viceroy [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
(see note 2)
148 Flagged
4 AJ Foyt Coyote 74 ['74-2'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#14 Gilmore Racing [Foyt Enterprises]
(see note 3)
148 Flagged
5 Al Unser Eagle 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#15 Viceroy [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
(see note 4)
147 Flagged
6 Billy Vukovich Eagle 74 [7407] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#4 Sugaripe Prune [Jerry O'Connell/Jud Phillips]
(see note 5)
147 Flagged
7 Johnny Rutherford McLaren M16C [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#3 McLaren [McLaren Cars] (see note 6)
146 Flagged
8 Jimmy Caruthers Eagle 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#21 Cobre Firestone [Robert L. 'Bob' Fletcher]
(see note 7)
144 Flagged
9 Duane "Pancho" Carter Eagle 72 or 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#11 Cobre Firestone [Robert L. 'Bob' Fletcher]
(see note 8)
143 Flagged
10 Jim McElreath Eagle 72 [7209?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#45 Thermo King [Don or Fred Gerhardt]
(see note 9)
142 Flagged
11 Bill Simpson Vollstedt 73 [13] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#27 Bryant Heating & Cooling [Vollstedt Enterprises]
(see note 10)
140 Flagged
12 Al Loquasto McLaren M16B [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#86 Martin Guitar [Al Loquasto]
(see note 11)
134 Flagged
13 Sam Posey (F5000) 5-litre Talon MR-1 ['2'] - Chevrolet V8
#34 Norris Industries
133 Flagged
14 Billy Scott Eagle 66 [203] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#76 Webster Racing [Marvin Webster]
(see note 12)
129 Flagged
15 Dick Simon Eagle 72 [7212] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#44 Fen-Lub [Dick Simon] (see note 13)
127 Flat tire
16 Jerry Karl (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU49] - Chevrolet V8
#52 LaBar Enterprises [Jerry Karl Racing]
(see note 14)
101 Ignition
17 Johnny Parsons Jr Kingfish 72 ['2'] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#38 Midwest Mfg Dura-Pot [Carl Gehlhausen]
(see note 15)
84 Gearbox
18 Wally Dallenbach Eagle 74 [7403] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#40 STP Oil Treatment [Patrick Racing]
(see note 16)
79 Gearbox
19 Roger McCluskey Riley 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#1 English Leather [Lindsey Hopkins]
(see note 17)
69 Gearbox
20 David "Salt" Walther McLaren M16C [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#77 Dayton-Walther [George Walther]
(see note 18)
63 Fuel feed
21 Karl Busson Vollstedt 66 [8] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#43 Fiore Racing [Frank J. Fiore]
(see note 19)
57 Broken half shaft
22 Steve Krisiloff Eagle 74 [7417] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#98 Lodestar [Agajanian/Leader Card]
(see note 20)
55 Wrecked
23 Tom Bigelow (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU44] - Chevrolet V8
#97 Lodestar Lola [Agajanian/Leader Card]
(see note 21)
52 Gearbox
24 Tom Sneva Kingfish 73 ['2'?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#24 Grant King Racing (see note 22)
29 Broken fuel line
25 Evan Noyes (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU51] - Chevrolet V8
#2 Eagle Creek Aviation (see note 23)
0 Broken cylinder
DNS Brett Lunger (F5000) 5-litre Eagle 74A [003] - Chevrolet V8
#6 Jorgensen
Did not start
(broken gearbox)
DNSC Dan Murphy Cicada 72 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#25 Adams Automotive (see note 24)
Did not start (crashed)
Qualifying
1 Johnny Rutherford McLaren M16C [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
2 Bobby Unser Eagle 74 [7404 or 7405] - Offy 159 ci turbo
3 AJ Foyt Coyote 74 ['74-2'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
4 Gordon Johncock Eagle 74 [7409] - Offy 159 ci turbo
5 Mario Andretti Eagle 74 [7406] - Offy 159 ci turbo
6 Wally Dallenbach Eagle 74 [7403] - Offy 159 ci turbo
7 Steve Krisiloff Eagle 74 [7417] - Offy 159 ci turbo
8 Al Unser Eagle 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
9 Jimmy Caruthers Eagle 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
10 Jim McElreath Eagle 72 [7209?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
11 Duane "Pancho" Carter Eagle 72 or 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
12 Tom Sneva Kingfish 73 ['2'?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
13 Roger McCluskey Riley 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
14 David "Salt" Walther McLaren M16C [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo
15 Billy Vukovich Eagle 74 [7407] - Offy 159 ci turbo
16 Dick Simon Eagle 72 [7212] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
17 Al Loquasto McLaren M16B [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
18 Bill Simpson Vollstedt 73 [13] - Offy 159 ci turbo
19 Johnny Parsons Jr Kingfish 72 ['2'] - Offy 159 ci turbo
20 Jerry Karl (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU49] - Chevrolet V8
21 Tom Bigelow (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU44] - Chevrolet V8
22 Billy Scott Eagle 66 [203] - Offy 159 ci turbo
23 Sam Posey (F5000) 5-litre Talon MR-1 ['2'] - Chevrolet V8
24 Karl Busson Vollstedt 66 [8] - Offy 159 ci turbo
25 Evan Noyes (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU51] - Chevrolet V8
26 Brett Lunger * (F5000) 5-litre Eagle 74A [003] - Chevrolet V8
27 Dan Murphy * Cicada 72 - Offy 159 ci turbo
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Eagle 74 [7409] (Gordon Johncock): New to Patrick Racing and identified by Gene Lee Gibson as Gordon Johncock's #20 STP entry in 1974. Entered in the early-1974 races as the #7 Patrick Racing car until a deal was done with STP and it became the #20 STP Double Oil Filter entry at the Indy 500. Brushed the wall on 9 May and replaced by the ex-Dallenbach car for qualifying and the race. Presumably Johncock returned to this car for the remainder of the 1974 season. Identified from pictures as the car raced by Johncock on short tracks in 1975. Then sold to Richard Routh and entered for Gary Allbritain as #75 in early 1976 but Allbritain crashed in practice for his first two races and his entry for the Indy 500 was refused. The car was then kept by Todd Gibson as a source of spare parts for the ex-Andretti Eagle that the Routh team bought from VPJ. The left rear corner from this car was removed to repair the ex-Andretti Eagle after Gibson crashed it at Milwaukee in 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
  2. Eagle 74 [7406] (Mario Andretti): The 1975 Hungness year book says that Mario's Andretti's #21 car was the same #5 car he had driven in 1974. The car was wrecked at Indy in 1975 and the 1976 Hungness appears to say that the repaired tub was used to rebuild the Routh team's ex-Patrick Eagle 74. Presumed to have been Andretti's car from the start of 1974 until his wreck at Indy in 1975. The "original" #5 1974 Eagle was advertised for sale in the early 1990s, mentioning chassis number 7406, but it is not clear whether this is the ex-Routh car or something different.
  3. Coyote 74 ['74-2'] (AJ Foyt): New for AJ Foyt at the 1974 Indy 500 as Foyt Enterprises' #14 Gilmore Racing entry. Photographs show that it was also raced by Foyt at Milwaukee in June, Pocono, Michigan in July, Milwaukee in August, probably Michigan again in September, Trenton in September and Phoenix in November. It was also used to set a new record speedway lap of 217.854 mph at Talladega on 3 August 1974. Photographs also show that this was one of three cars used by Foyt during the 1975 season: at Ontario in March, as his #10 backup car at the Indy 500, and at both Michigan races in July and September 1975. In 1976, Foyt raced the older 1974 car at early-season short track races and the newer 1975 car at the Indy 500, but used this car for every race from Pocono in June to the end of the season. In 1977, it was raced by Foyt at Ontario and Phoenix in March, TWS in April, Pocono, Mosport, and Trenton in September; and by Billy Vukovich at the Indy 500. In 1978, it was raced by Foyt at Phoenix in March, Trenton in April, Mosport, and Milwaukee in June, by Snider at Pocono, and probably at Michigan, where he hit the wall. It may be the car raced by Foyt in the August Milwaukee and by George Snider in the two races in Britain in October 1978, but this remains uncertain. Foyt then bought Parnelli VPJ6Cs, and the Coyotes were finally retired. This car passed to Foyt's long-time sponsor Jim Gilmore and was on display in his second-floor office in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and was in his living room at his home by 1985. After Gilmore died in a traffic accident in 2001, the Coyote moved to the Gilmore Museum, also in Kalamazoo, which had been founded by his uncle, Donald S. Gilmore in 1966. Its display board calls it a 1974 car, and that it was the Talladega record car.
  4. Eagle 74 (Al Unser): Al Unser started the 1974 season in one of two second-hand 1973 Eagles acquired by Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, before moving to a new 1974 Eagle in time for the Phoenix 150 in mid-March. The team bought three or four 1974 Eagles, so Unser may have used more than one Eagle during the 1974 season, but for now, it is assumed all his results were in the same car. Vel's Parnelli retained the same Eagles for 1975, but the "super team" were in decline, and only appeared at the three 500-mile races. Again, it is assumed here that Unser used the same car as in 1974. The team was disbanded in July, when when it returned, it focused on the new Parnelli VPJ6. The subsequent history of the Unser Eagle is unknown.
  5. Eagle 74 [7407] (Billy Vukovich): New to Jerry O'Connell's team for 1974 and raced by Billy Vukovich as the #4 Sugaripe Prune Special, with Jud Phillips as chief mechanic. Presumably the car used through 1974 by Vukovich and then through 1975 by Mike Mosley but the team had older 1972 Eagles available and those older cars may have been used at some races. Used again by Mosley in 1977 but O'Connell also acquired a new Lightning for that season. After Pocono in July 1978 the Eagle was sold to Jim McElreath, who had damaged his ex-Patrick 1973 Eagle at that race. Identified by Simmo Iskül from photographs as McElreath's #23 in 1979, and presumed to be the McElreath Racing #23 right up to 1981, although the ex-Patrick car was also repaired and used again. Subsequent history unknown, but at some point in the next 30 years the car was acquired by Chuck Haines and restored to it original Sugaripe Prune livery. For reasons currently unknown, Haines advertises the car as chassis 74-08.
  6. McLaren M16C [4] (Johnny Rutherford): The history of this car in 1973 and 1974 remains unproven, but believed to be new for Peter Revson as McLaren Cars' #15 entry at the 1973 Indy 500. Crashed by Revson and it is unclear when the car returned to the team. Almost certainly Johnny Rutherford's black rollhooped short track car in 1974. McLaren records show that M16C/4 was sold to Roger Penske in November 1974. Raced by Tom Sneva in 1975 as the #68 Norton Spirit entry after his original M16C was wrecked at the Indy 500. Used again by Sneva as his #68 car during 1976, and appears to have been the #68 driven by Mario Andretti in two late-season races. Sold to Bill Simpson with M16C/3 and became part of Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing team in 1977 as their #38 car, raced by Clay Regazzoni at the Indy 500 and by Rick Mears later in the season. Unknown in 1978 but reappeared in 1979 as Bill Alsup's #41 WASP Racing car. Raced by Phil Caliva for Alsup Racing in 1980 as the #47 and at Indy 1981 where it was "extensively damaged" on 12 May in an accident during practice. Not seen again.
  7. Eagle 74 (Jimmy Caruthers): New to Robert L. 'Bob' Fletcher's Cobre Firestone team and entered as the #21 car for Jimmy Caruthers in 1974. Firestone withdrew from racing In August 1974 and Fletcher, who ran the largest Firestone dealership in the US, had to use Goodyear tyres in 1975. He also lost chief mechanic Jim McGee to Penske. This car became the white #11 entry for Duane Carter in 1975. Unknown in 1976 but presumably a backup car for Bobby Unser's regular #3 car. Sold to Carl Gehlhausen and entered for Spike Gehlhausen as the #19 PV Corp car at four races towards the end of the 1977 season and then through the 1978 season, until it was crashed heavily at Michigan in September. Gehlhausen then bought Pat Santello's '74 Eagle to replace it. The Michigan wreck is believed to have been repaired for 1979, and may be the car sold to Todd Gibson for 1980.
  8. Eagle 72 or 74 (Duane "Pancho" Carter): Bob Fletcher's Cobre Tire team had two 72 Eagles (of which one was lost in Pollard's accident), one 73 Eagle and two or three 74 Eagles. For much of 1974 and 1975, it is not possible to tell which of this stable was being raced.
  9. Eagle 72 [7209?] (Jim McElreath): New to Don Gerhardt to replace chassis 7206 destroyed in Jim Malloy's fatal accident at the 1972 Indy 500. Raced by Johnny Rutherford as the #18 Thermo King Special entry for the latter half of 1972. Retained for 1973 when Mike Hiss took over as team driver but Gerhardt had also acquired chassis 7216, and 7209 was used mainly on short tracks that year. Jim McElreath took over the Gerhardt drive in 1974 and used both 7209 and 7216 at the 1974 Indy 500, racing 7209. Gary Bettenhausen rejoined Gerhardt for 1975 and raced 7209 at the Indy 500 and at Pocono, with 7216 now being used on short tracks. For 1976, Bettenhausen used 7216 at the Indy 500, and 7209 was allocated to Eddie Miller but he destroyed the car in a heavy accident during practice. The remains sat at a body shop in Fresno, CA for a long time, before they were acquired by John Mueller for parts to aid in his restoration of 7228. He scrapped what he did not need, but part of the footbox together with the chassis plate were sent to Jacques Dresang as a souvenir.
  10. Vollstedt 73 [13] (Bill Simpson): New for 1973 as Vollstedt Enterprises' #17 Norton Spirit entry for Bill Simpson but Simpson crashed during practice for the Indy 500, and the car could not be repaired in time for qualifying. Simpson drove the car again in practice for the Pocono 500, but left the team, saying the car was not fast enough. Bob Harkey took over the drive, and qualified. At the Ontario 500, Tom Sneva was brought into the team, but again crashed the car preventing it from qualifying. The car was converted to the McLaren-style design of the 1972 car for 1974 when it was raced by Bigelow as the #27 Bryant Heating car. Raced by Bigelow at Indy in 1975 but its usage during the rest of that season is still to be determined. Rebuilt extensively for 1976 with its radiators moved to the nose, the same as the 1972 car which had been modified the previous season. Raced by Dick Simon as the #17 Bryant Heating entry in 1976 and in early 1977. It was then retained by the team as a backup car in 1978 and was fitted with an AMC turbo V8 for some races in 1979. Its last known appearance was when driven by Gary Bettenhausen at Pocono in June 1981, when it was described as "an old shovel-nose car". Rolla Vollstedt's son Bruce recalls that the tub sat around for some time, the sides having been taken off with the intention of using it build a different style car. The sides were later put back on, it was sold to to Joe Green, and Rolla rebuilt the car for him in about 2001.
  11. McLaren M16B [4] (Al Loquasto): Roger Penske 1972 for Gary Bettenhausen (#7) at the Indy 500, Michigan and Pocono in July. Raced by Gordon Johncock at Milwaukee in August, again as the #7, and then became Mark Donohue's #66 entry at Trenton and Phoenix. Believed to be Bettenhausen's #5 car at Texas World Speedway in early 1973, after which it was sold to Al Loquasto and was the car he crashed during practice at the Indy 500. Raced by Loquasto for the rest of 1973 and retained in 1974. Unknown thereafter but presumably retained as a backup to his ex-Roy Woods McLaren M16C until 1979 and maybe used on short tracks. Sold with the M16C to Robert W. LaWarre Sr (Titusville, FL) in 1979, and retained by LaWarre until his death in 1997, after which it was sold as a bare tub to Penske in the late 1990s. Penske also obtained from the Goodyear Museum a show car that Penske had built using a replica tub and the bodywork from the 1972 cars. The bodywork and running gear was reunited with the M16B monocoque and restored as a replica of Mark Donohue's Indy 500 winner. The car has been on display in the Penske Racing Museum (Scottsdale, AZ) since 2012 or earlier.
  12. Eagle 66 [203] (Billy Scott): 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.
  13. Eagle 72 [7212] (Dick Simon): To Dick Simon, fitted with a Foyt-Ford V8 turbo engine and first raced as his #44 Travelodge entry at Phoenix in November 1972, where he was second fastest in Friday practice. Raced by Simon through 1973 and 1974 as the #44, retaining its Travelodge sponsorship until mid-1974. Returned in 1975 with Bruce Cogle Ford backing and in 1976 with Lan Hairpieces and later Robyn CB sponsorship when it was driven by Roger Rager. Not at Indy in 1977 but later in the year it was acquired by Nick Krantz and entered for Phil Threshie, still as the #44 but now with Mr. Golden Sunflower sponsorship. Crashed by Threshie in practice for the 1977 California 500 at Ontario and not seen again.
  14. Lola T332 [HU49] (Jerry Karl): See full history: Lola T332 HU49.
  15. Kingfish 72 ['2'] (Johnny Parsons Jr): The second new 1972 Grant King car appeared for the first time at the Indy 500 as the #15 car for Steve Krisiloff. As the other 1972 car was destroyed in Merle Bettenhausen's accident at the 1972 Michigan 200, it would be reasonable to assume this is the 1972 Kingfish acquired by Carl Gehlhausen's Mid-West Manufacturing Dura-pot team. A Racing Pictorial photograph shows that it first appeared as the team's #58 entry at Phoenix in November 1972, but driver Larry Dickson did not start. It was raced as the #58 by Dickson at the start of 1973, and was driven by Johnny Parsons Jr, Arnie Knepper, Tom Bigelow and Tom Sneva later that season. The Gehlhausen team only made a couple of appearances with the Kingfish in 1974, but made a more concerted effort in 1975, with the Kingfish now as the #38 entry, raced initially by Jerry Karl, and then by Al Loquasto, Jerry Sneva and Mike Hiss (who crashed it) in practice for the Indy 500. Spike Gehlhausen, Carl's son, was then given his first chance in the car after the 500 and kept the drive to the end of the season. The Gehlhausens then acquired a McLaren M16 as the #19 Spirit of Indiana entry, and the Kingfish acted as backup until an Eagle was acquired in mid-1977. Subsequent history unknown but at some point the car was repainted with Sta-On Glaze livery, Gehlhausen's 1979 sponsor. By 2008, it was part of a collection of unrestored Indy cars owned by Walter Medlin.
  16. Eagle 74 [7403] (Wally Dallenbach): New to Patrick Racing and identified by an Indianapolis 'Laycock card' as Wally Dallenbach's #40 STP entry in 1974. Given the early construction date, marked as January on the chassis plate, this car is assumed to be Dallenbach's ride from the start of 1974. Presumably his early-1975 car before the new Wildcats were ready. At Indy 1975 as the #60 spare. Sold to Leader Card Racers for 1976 and George Snider's #23 Hubler Chevrolet ride in that year's 500. Also for Mike Hiss at Ontario. Retained for 1977 and the #64 at the Indy 500 but thought to be the #23 at other races. Retained again for 1978 but wrecked in Tom Bigelow's accident at Mosport Park in June. Bought from AJ Watson by someone called Al in Grand Rapid, Michigan and sold by him to Bill Wiswedel (Holland, Michigan) around 2000-2004. In approximately 2017, Bill sold the car to James Long (Nevada City, CA) and he sold it to Bobby Rahal (Chicago, IL) in 2020.
  17. Riley 74 (Roger McCluskey): New for the 1974 season and entered by Lindsey Hopkins as the #1 English Leather entry for his reigning USAC champion driver Roger McCluskey. Retained for 1975 when it was the #15 Silver Floss Sauerkraut entry for McCluskey. Retained as a backup for 1976 when Mike Hiss drove it as the #11 Hopkins entry at Indy but did not qualify. Chuck Looper told Pete Klain that Hopkins traded three cars to Rolla Vollstedt, including the Riley, and Vollstedt sold it to Kenny Hamilton (Boise, ID) who fitted a Chevy engine and ran it as the #63 Spirit of Idaho in 1981, failing to qualify at Indy but starting at Riverside later that year. It then went to Terry Nish (Salt Lake City, UT) who used the suspension on a sprint car or supermodified. The chassis and other parts passed through several more owners until sold by Gary Trout (Zionsville, Indiana) to Pete Klain (Beverly Hills, MI). Klain visited Nish and bought the original uprights and started work on a complete rebuild with original fabricator Chuck Looper.
  18. McLaren M16C [2] (David "Salt" Walther): New for McLaren Cars at the start of 1973, and raced by Johnny Rutherford at the early short-track events. Possibly used by him at short track events later in the year. Also driven by Peter Revson as the #15 Gulf entry at Pocono and Ontario in 1973, taking pole position at both events. By early November, it had been acquired by George Walther, replacing the older M16 in which Salt Walther had been badly injured at the 1973 Indy 500, and was prepared by Dayton-Walther chief mechanic Tommie Smith from the team's new base in Dayton, Ohio. It was driven by Salt at the Indy 500 in 1974 as the #77 Dayton Walther Spl, but the Walthers then acquired M16C/6, retaining M16C/2 as his #33 spare car at the Indy 500 in 1975 and 1976. It was raced by Bob Harkey as the #33 Dayton-Walther entry at Indy and Pocono in 1975, and by David Hobbs at Indy in 1976. How it was used during the rest of the 1975 and 1976 season is unclear but it was quite possibly used as by Salt Walther a short-track car. Relegated to the team's third car for 1977 when Walther acquired M16C/5 from McLaren. Sold with M16C/6 to Jerry Karl/William R. Compton Sr for 1978. M16C/6 was converted to Chevrolet V8 power and entered by Tonco Trailer until 1981 and M16C/2 was kept as a backup until M16C/6 was wrecked at Riverside in 1981. M16C/2 was then used for the last three races of the 1981 season. Both M16Cs were sold to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) but M16C/2 had moved to Ron Rickard (San Diego, CA) by 1986 when he drove it at the Palm Springs historics. Sold to Tony Roberts and Duncan Fox (Auckland, New Zealand) in 1997 and used in historics with an aluminium 355 ci Chevrolet V8 from 1998 to 2000. Sold to the Mathews Collection still with its Chevrolet engine. From Mathews to Aaron Lewis (Cessnock, NSW, Australia) in 2009.
  19. Vollstedt 66 [8] (Karl Busson): 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.
  20. Eagle 74 [7417] (Steve Krisiloff): Mike Mosley's #98 1974 Indy 500 drive for the Lodestar/Leader/Agajanian/Watson combine and identified in a letter from AAR to USAC in Feb 1974 as 7417. Said to be the #98 for Steve Krisiloff in 1975 but the #98 picture in the 1975 yearbook is clearly a 1972 car. Could this be the car Krisiloff wrecked at Phoenix at the end of 1974? It might also be the one he "damaged extensively" in practice at the 1975 Indy (6 May - see trackside report); although the 14 May trackside report says this car was rebuilt, it is an older '72 car that Krisiloff races. Later in 1975, Agajanian left Lodestar/Leader/Watson taking his #97/#98 numbers with him and joined Grant King. Krisiloff's Lodestar/Leader/Watson Eagle then took #10 for the rest of 1975, then moved to the #23/#24 numbers in 1976. Krisiloff may have raced the '74 car later in 1975 but it is not yet known how long the car took to rebuild. At Indy in 1976, Tom Bigelow is bumped in the Leader Card #24 entry which looks like a '74 Eagle but is modified around the front suspension. Maybe 7417 with suitable repairs? Again, the usage of this car in 1976 cannot yet be determined. In 1977, Joe Saldana was bumped in the #64 Leader Card entry, a standard-looking Eagle 74. A picture shows that Saldana's #23 car at the next race was also a '74 Eagle. Finally, at the 1978 Indy 500, Tom Bagley is pictured in Hungness driving a '74 Eagle in practice. As late as 1980, the Leader Card team used an Eagle at short-track events. Subsequent history unknown but this may be the Eagle that Harry Schwartz's Rattlesnake Racing acquired together with a 1977 Watson chassis for 1981.
  21. Lola T332 [HU44] (Tom Bigelow): See full history: Lola T332 HU44.
  22. Kingfish 73 ['2'?] (Tom Sneva): Built by Grant King for the 1973 season and appeared at the Indy 500 that year as the #75 entry for Greg Weld. Weld did not qualify but this car remained red and is therefore the car raced by Steve Krisiloff as the #24 entry on short tracks in 1973. In 1974, this second Kingfish was numbered #26 but only raced twice with that identity, at the Indy 500 with Bentley Warren and at Pocono in the hands of Bob Harkey. It also raced at some other tracks as the #24 but can be distinguished by its unmodified roll hoop. In 1975, the car was raced again at the Indy 500 by Sheldon Kinser, now as the #19 entry. King joined forces with JC Agajanian for 1976 and both 1973 Kingfish were used in the early races, this one as the #98 car for John Martin and later as the #96 for Bob Harkey. The cars reappeared in 1979, fitted with Chevrolet V8 engines and this car took sixth place at Milwaukee driven by Gary Bettenhausen. Its long race career was finally terminated by an accident in practice at Watkins Glen when driven by Tony Bettenhausen II. The car was advertised by racecars.com in 2009. In 2010, it was reported to be in southern California.
  23. Lola T332 [HU51] (Evan Noyes): See full history: Lola T332 HU51.
  24. Cicada 72 (Dan Murphy): Built for 1972 and loaned to Leader Cards, Inc.for the 1972 Indy 500. It was listed as Mike Mosley's #87 backup car, but he focused on his #98 Eagle, and the Cicada became the #97 entry for Bruce Walkup to complete his refresher test on 18 May. The following day, Jigger Sirois also used it for his refresher test and then attempted a qualifying run in the Cicada on 21 May but the engine blew up on his first warm-up lap. The car was not seen again for over a year until raced as the #93 Cicada Racing entry for Jerry Karl at Milwaukee in 1973, finishing 11th. It reappeared in 1974 when it Bob Harkey raced it as the #93 Cicada Racing entry in the first few races of the year,. It is possible that the car was present at more races in 1973 and 1974 but was unable to qualify and unmentioned in reports. It became the #25 Adams Automotive entry for Jigger Sirois at the 1974 Indy 500 but did not qualify and was then driven by Dan Murphy for Adams Automotive later that season. Murphy had a massive accident in the Cicada during practice at Phoenix at the end of the season and the car was destroyed. A second generation Cicada was built for 1975.

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.