OldRacingCars.com

Trenton 300

Trenton International Speedway, 3 Oct 1971

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Bobby Unser Eagle 71 [7101] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#2 Olsonite [Oscar Olson-AAR] (see note 1)
200 2h 07m 51.650s
2 Mario Andretti McNamara T501 ['4'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#5 STP Oil Treatment [Andy Granatelli]
(see note 2)
198 Flagged
3 Joe Leonard Colt 71 [115] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#15 Samsonite [Vels Parnelli Jones Ford]
(see note 3)
197 Flagged
4 Billy Vukovich Hayhoe 68 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#32 Sugaripe Prune [Jerry O'Connell]
(see note 4)
197 Flagged
5 AJ Foyt Coyote 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#9 ITT-Thompson [AJ Foyt] (see note 5)
196 Flagged
6 Mark Donohue McLaren M16A [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#66 Sunoco [Roger Penske] (see note 6)
194 Flagged
7 Steve Krisiloff Kingfish 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#20 STP Gas Treatment [Andy Granatelli/Grant King]
(see note 7)
193 Wrecked
8 Greg Weld Gerhardt 68/69 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#31 Federal Engineering [Dan Levine]
(see note 8)
193 Flagged
9 Wally Dallenbach Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#22 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Duane Glasgow]
(see note 9)
191 Flagged
10 George Eaton Colt-Lola - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#70 Fejer Brothers (see note 10)
191 Flagged
11 Cale Yarborough Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#21 Gene White Firestone (see note 11)
189 Flagged
12 Mel Kenyon Kenyon-Coyote - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#23 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Don Kenyon]
(see note 12)
188 Flagged
13 Denny Zimmerman Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#40 STP Keep-Kool Treatment [Andy Granatelli/Grant King]
(see note 13)
184 Flagged
14 George Snider Eagle 67 [210] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#4 G. C. Murphy [Leader Card/AJ Watson]
(see note 14)
174 Flagged
15 Don Brown Gerhardt 66? - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#39 Seymour Enterprises [Louis Seymour]
(see note 15)
162 Flagged
16 Swede Savage Eagle 70/71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#42 Olsonite [Oscar Olson-AAR] (see note 16)
145 Wrecked
17 Al Unser Colt 71 [101] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#1 Johnny Lightning 500 [Vel's Parnelli Jones]
(see note 17)
134 Radiator
18 Eldon Rasmussen Gerhardt 67 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#35 Federal Engineering [Dan Levine]
(see note 18)
134 Wrecked
19 Bill Puterbaugh Morris 69 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#29 MVS [Stan Malless, Bob Voigt and Dick Sommers]
(see note 19)
100 Wrecked
20 Art Pollard Scorpion 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#8 Gilmore Racing [Clint Brawner]
(see note 20)
93 Broken valve
21 Tom Sneva Vollstedt 65 [7] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#79 Kramer [Larry Kramer] (see note 21)
91 Spindle
22 Roger McCluskey Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#6 Sprite [Lindsey Hopkins/Don Kenyon]
(see note 22)
87 Turbocharger
23 Lloyd Ruby Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#12 Utah Stars [Gene White] (see note 23)
85 Broken piston
24 Gary Bettenhausen Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#16 Thermo-King [Don Gerhardt] (see note 24)
77 Broken throttle link
25 Dick Simon Lola T152 2WD [SL150/3?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#10 TraveLodge Sleeper [Dick Simon]
(see note 25)
17 Spindle
26 Carl Williams Eagle 66 [201] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#95 City of Terre Haute [Vatis Enterprises]
(see note 26)
15 Turbocharger
27 Jim McElreath Eagle 67 [214] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#3 Patrick Petroleum [Michner Petroleum]
(see note 27)
0 Engine failure
28 Bill Simpson Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#28 Wynn's Kwik Kool [Bill Simpson]
(see note 28)
0 Engine vibration
DNS Karl Busson Halibrand Shrike 65 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
#73 Cavanagh-Tomlinson [Bob Cavanagh & Bob Tomlinson]
(see note 29)
Did not start
(Broken crankshaft in qualifying)
DNQ Johnny Rutherford Brabham BT32 ['1'] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#18 Patrick Petroleum [Michner Petroleum]
(see note 30)
Did not qualify
Qualifying
1 Bobby Unser Eagle 71 [7101] - Offy 159 ci turbo
2 Mark Donohue McLaren M16A [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
3 Al Unser Colt 71 [101] - Offy 159 ci turbo
4 Steve Krisiloff Kingfish 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
5 Swede Savage Eagle 70/71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
6 Gary Bettenhausen Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
7 Dick Simon Lola T152 2WD [SL150/3?] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
8 Jim McElreath Eagle 67 [214] - Offy 159 ci turbo
9 Art Pollard Scorpion 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
10 Billy Vukovich Hayhoe 68 - Offy 159 ci turbo
11 Joe Leonard Colt 71 [115] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
12 Wally Dallenbach Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
13 Mario Andretti McNamara T501 ['4'] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
14 Greg Weld Gerhardt 68/69 - Offy 159 ci turbo
15 AJ Foyt Coyote 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
16 George Snider Eagle 67 [210] - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
17 Lloyd Ruby Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
18 Roger McCluskey Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
19 George Eaton Colt-Lola - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
20 Bill Simpson Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo
21 Mel Kenyon Kenyon-Coyote - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
22 Carl Williams Eagle 66 [201] - Offy 159 ci turbo
23 Eldon Rasmussen Gerhardt 67 - Offy 159 ci turbo
24 Bill Puterbaugh Morris 69 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
25 Denny Zimmerman Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
26 Cale Yarborough Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
27 Tom Sneva Vollstedt 65 [7] - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
28 Don Brown Gerhardt 66? - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
29 Johnny Rutherford * Brabham BT32 ['1'] - Offy 159 ci turbo
30 Karl Busson * Halibrand Shrike 65 - Chevrolet 320 ci V8
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Eagle 71 [7101] (Bobby Unser): New for Bobby Unser to drive at the 1971 Indy 500 as AAR's #2 Olsonite entry. As the sister car was wrecked by Lee Roy Yarbrough at the Speedway, this is likely to be the 1971 Eagle raced by Unser at Pocono, Michigan, Ontario, Trenton and Phoenix. For 1972, the car was sold to a consortium led by James C Rogers that entered it as "The Minnesota Invader" for Larry Dickson (Marietta, Ohio) to drive, with sprint car builder Paul Leffler (St Paul, Indiana) as chief mechanic. It did not qualify after Leffler claimed that the money needed for a new engine did not turn up from "the Minnesota people" and the car was not seen again that season. Leffler and Dickson focused instead on their successful USAC Sprint campaigns. In April 1973, Rogers and his associates sued Leffler who they claimed had retained the Eagle. The car then found its way into the ownership of Greg Hodges (San Francisco, CA). Photographs of the car in 1974 or 1975, show it in virtually identical configuration to when Dickson drove it at Indianapolis. This is presumably rhe 'Eagle' that Hodges raced at Mosport Park in 1976, but photographs of that car remain elusive. Subsequent history unknown but at some point acquired by Gary Schroeder (Burbank, CA) and restored by Phil Reilly & Co. to its original Unser #2 livery. It won Best in Class at the Amelia Island Concours in 2004 and was part of the Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase at California Speedway in January 2005. By 2010 the car was on display in the NHRA Motorsports Museum. In March 2012, the car was on display in the Riverside International Automotive Museum. By March 2017, it had moved again, and was on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
  2. McNamara T501 ['4'] (Mario Andretti): The STP team produced a heavily revised McNamara for Mario Andretti to drive at the California 500 at Ontario. The car was said in press reports to be the longest Indy car in history at 184 inches, "33 inches longer than the car from which it was rebuilt". Andretti qualified eighth. It was this Ontario car that Andretti revved noisily on the White House lawn when President Nixon invited a number of auto racing luminaries to Washington on 21 September. Photographs show that he also raced this car at Trenton in early October and at Phoenix three weeks later. It was not seen at a race track again but appears to have become an STP show car. In 1977, McNamara loaned a number of their show cars to different institutions, and this car was loaned to the Briggs Cunningham Automotive Museum (Costa Mesa, CA). That museum closed in 1987 and most of the collection was acquired by the Miles Collier Collection in Florida. However, what happened to the McNamara during this time is unknown. It was on display at an Andretti-Hannah Auto Wash in Allentown, PA in 1994, and was then photographed in the Don Garlits Drag Museum in October 2005, when it had a board saying it was on loan from, or had been donated by, STP.
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. 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.
  6. McLaren M16A [4] (Mark Donohue): Roger Penske 1971 for Mark Donohue (#66 Sunoco) at Pocono and Ontario, replacing M16/1 destroyed at the Indy 500. Also for Donohue in the early races of 1972 and probably the #8 backup entry at the Indy 500. It was then sold to George Walther and raced by Salt Walther later in 1972. The Walthers bought other McLarens over the winter and this was retained as an unused backup in 1973. Walther raced it at Trenton in April 1974 and may have used it at other short-track events in 1974 and 1975. For 1976, it was sold to James C Bidwell (Indianapolis, IN) and Robert Bidwell (Lauderhill, FL) and entered as the #36 Shurfine Foods for Jerry Karl after Indy in 1976 and for Jerry Sneva in 1977. To Frank Fiore (#88 Machinists Union) late season 1978 for Tom Gloy; and Ontario only 1979 for Ken Nichols. Then sold to Buddy Boys (Calgary, Alberta) and entered as the #68 at the Indy 1980 for fellow Canadian Frank Weiss to drive, but crashed heavily during practice. The Hungness Yearbook describes the impact as having been on the left front and the car as "extensively damaged", adding that the injured Weiss had to be released using a Hurst rescue tool, the so-called "jaws of life" which could have done significant damage to the monocoque.
  7. 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.
  8. 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).
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Kingfish 70 (Denny Zimmerman): 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Eagle 70/71 (Swede Savage): 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.
  17. Colt 71 [101] (Al Unser): The new 1971 Colt destined for Al Unser was first tested at Indianapolis in March 1971 and returned to the Speedway for its first race in May. Unser only qualified fifth, significantly slower than the leading Offy turbo cars, but in race trim could run with the leaders and took over the lead when Mark Donohue's McLaren M16 retired. He held on to win from Peter Revson in another McLaren. Unser won again at Milwaukee a week later but the Colt was then converted to Offy power for the rest of the season. The car proved unreliable in this form and Unser did not win another race. The car was converted to 1972 form but only raced once in that specification and was then retired. It was soon converted back to its 1971 Indy 500 winning form with Ford engine and used as a show car by Parnelli. Remained in the Vel's Parnelli Collection until the collection was sold to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in May 2012.
  18. Gerhardt 67 (Eldon Rasmussen): Dan Levine's Federal Engineering acquired two new Gerhardts for the 1967 season, one with Dzus-fastened sides which was fitted with a supercharged Offy engine, and this fully-rivetted car which was fitted with a Ford engine. This was the #10 Federal Engineering entry for Bud Tingelstad at the 1967 Indy 500 and was his car at most races that season. It was fitted with a turbo Offy for 1968, and was again Tingelstad car at the Indy 500 and most races. It is thought to have been Bobby John's #35 Federal Engineering Special at Indy in 1969, a car that had outboard front springs. It continued in use alongside the team's newer 1968-type Gerhardt in 1970 and also had a handful of outings in 1971, being driven by Eldon Rasmussen at the last two races of the season. History then unknown until a car with outboard springs seen fully restored to Tingelstad's #10 livery at Indianapolis in May 2011 when it was driven by Parnelli Jones. Prepared then by Greg Elliff of G.E. Autosports (Avon, IN).
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. Vollstedt 65 [7] (Tom Sneva): Larry Kramer entered the old 1965 Vollstedt for Tom Sneva at one race at Trenton in 1971. The car had been used in Supermodifed racing in 1970 and the Chev in the back was presumably the same 320ci engine that it had used in Supermodifieds. (Source: 'Vollstedt' by Rolla Vollstedt with Ralph Zbarsky 2003.)
  22. 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.
  23. 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".
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. Eagle 66 [201] (Carl Williams): The first 1966 Eagle, chassis 201, was fitted with a 255ci Ford V8 and was Dan Gurney's #31 AAR entry at the 1966 Indy 500. Then fitted with the 303 ci Gurney Weslake Ford V8 stock block engine, and raced by Jochen Rindt as the #48 AAR entry at the 1967 Indy 500. Used by Gurney to win at Riverside in November 1967, and at Las Vegas in March 1968. Sold to Lothar Motschenbacher (Beverly Hills, CA) later in the year, fitted with a Chevrolet V8 and repainted red with Leader Card Racers signwriting. Motschenbacher intended to take part in the Rverside race in December, but did not take part. Then sold to Jerry Hansen (Long Lake, MN) for the Brainerd, Seattle and Riverside Indy road races in 1969. Then to the Tassi Vatis team, and was the team's #95 entry for Sam Posey at the 1970 Indy 500 but failed to qualify. It was the #95 entry again at the 1971 500, this time raced by Bentley Warren. Warren and later Carl Williams raced it in other events later in 1971 and Williams qualified it for the 500 in 1972. According to a later auction catalogue, it was sold to Bob Johnson and then to Jim Mann in 1978 before passing via Bob and Don Tarwaki to collector Bob Sutherland. It was restored for Sutherland by Jim Robbins then sold to Joe MacPherson (Tustin, CA). After MacPherson's death, it was sold at auction in 2008 to Riverside International Automotive Museum's Doug Magnon. The car was on display in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in May 2015, replacing the Museum's own 1966 car which had been on display earlier in the month.
  27. Eagle 67 [214] (Jim McElreath): New to Walt Michner's Michner Petroleum team and described as a new 1968 Eagle for the 1968 Indy 500, but photographs show that it was a 1966/67-type Eagle. Assigned to Mike Mosley, then Rick Muther, then Ronnie Duran, and finally to Bill Cheesbourg, who qualified it but was bumped. Norm Brown then took over the drive but was badly injured at Milwaukee in the accident that took the life of Ronnie Duman and destroyed the Michner Lola T80. Michner then recruited Johnny Rutherford and he drove this car, and a 1966 sister car, in 1969, 1970 and 1971, by which time the team had become Patrick Racing. This 1967 car, nicknamed "Old Shep", appears to have been the road racing car in 1969, and was then the car qualified by Tony Adamowicz for the 1970 Indy 500, but bumped, while Rutherford raced the sister car, known as "Geraldine". In July 1971, the 1967 car was the first of the pair to be fitted with McLaren M16-style wings instead of the wedge bodywork used on "Geraldine" at the 1971 Indy 500. Sold to Bentley Warren for 1972 as his #36 Bay State Racing entry. Retained for 1973 and 1974, after which the car remained in his garage. In the early 2000s, Warren sold the car to a consortium "Eagle Partners", who rebuilt the car to the 1971 wedge-sided configuration used on the sister car, "Geraldine". In 2006, the restored car appeared at the Amelia Island Concours, and in 2007 it was sold at auction by Kruse (Auburn, IN) to Chuck Haines. In 2008, Haines sold it to Jim Vieira, and it appeared at an Indianapolis historic event in 2009. By early 2011, it was at John Mueller of Entrepreneur’s Motor Sports (Fresno, CA), to be restored to Richie Ginther's 1967 #42 livery. In this form, it was sold in 2013 to Rob Dyson (Millbrook, NY). See full history: the Michner Eagle.
  28. 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) and raced by him with a Chevrolet engine and three 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".
  29. 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.
  30. Brabham BT32 ['1'] (Johnny Rutherford): New for Jack Brabham at the 1970 Indy 500 as Motor Racing Developments's #32 Gilmore Brabham entry. Brabham qualified 26th and finished 13th. Driven by Lee Roy Yarbrough at the California 500 in September, where it was sponsored by Norris Industries and tended by mechanic Roy Billington. It was sold to the Michner Industries/Patrick Petroleum team part way through 1971, replacing the 1966 Eagle that driver Johnny Rutherford had used earlier in the season. Driven again by Rutherford in early 1972, and then by Swede Savage later in 1972 after Rutherford moved to the Gerhardt team. It was not seen again after the end of 1972. At some point it was acquired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, and according to Aaron Lewis, it was in the basement for many years awaiting its turn to be restored.

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.