OldRacingCars.com

Jimmy Bryan 150

Phoenix International Raceway, 18 Mar 1972

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Bobby Unser Eagle 72 [7201] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#6 Olsonite [AAR] (see note 1)
150 1h 27m 31.630s
2 Mario Andretti Colt 71/72 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#9 Viceroy [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
(see note 2)
150 Finished
3 Mike Mosley Eagle 68 [402] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#98 Agajanian-Leader Card (see note 3)
149 Flagged
4 Gary Bettenhausen McLaren M16A [1] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#7 Sunoco [Roger Penske] (see note 4)
149 Flagged
5 Joe Leonard Colt 71/72 [115] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#1 Samsonite [Vel's Parnelli Jones Ford]
(see note 5)
149 Flagged
6 Al Unser Colt 71/72 [101] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#4 Viceroy [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
(see note 6)
148 Flagged
7 Roger McCluskey Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#14 Unsponsored [Lindsey Hopkins/Don Koda]
(see note 7)
148 Flagged
8 AJ Foyt Coyote 71 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#2 ITT-Sheraton [AJ Foyt] (see note 8)
147 Flagged
9 Wally Dallenbach Eagle 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#10 Unsponsored [Lindsey Hopkins/Duane Glasgow]
(see note 9)
146 Flagged
10 Mike Hiss Eagle 70/71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#72 Page Racing [Mary & Tom Page]
(see note 10)
142 Flagged
11 George Eaton Colt-Lola - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#25 Fejer Brothers (see note 11)
136 Flagged
12 Jim Hurtubise Coyote 70 ['69-2'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#56 Miller High Life [MVS Inc - Malless, Voigt and Sommers]
(see note 12)
122 Wrecked
13 Johnny Rutherford Brabham BT32 ['1'] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#18 Patrick Petroleum [Michner Petroleum]
(see note 13)
118 Cracked oil cooler
14 Art Pollard Scorpion 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#11 Quality Racing [Clint Brawner]
(see note 14)
118 Wrecked
15 Jim Malloy Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#16 Thermo-King [Don Gerhardt] (see note 15)
111 Broken throttle link
16 George Snider Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#35 King [Grant King Racers Inc]
(see note 16)
104 Broken intake manifold
17 Mark Donohue McLaren M16A [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#66 Sunoco DX [Roger Racing] (see note 17)
76 Lost wheel
18 Dick Simon Peat-Lola 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#44 Travelodge [Dick Simon] (see note 18)
69 Broken piston
19 Swede Savage Eagle 70 [802?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#42 Patrick-Michner (see note 19)
36 Cracked oil cooler
20 Billy Vukovich Eagle 72 [7204] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#3 Sugaripe Prune [Jerry O'Connell/Jud Phillips]
(see note 20)
31 Spun into infield
21 Lloyd Ruby Atlanta 72 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#5 Wynn's [Gene White Racing] (see note 21)
23 Oil leak
22 Lee Kunzman Gerhardt 69 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#37 Caves Buick [Caves Buick Co.]
(see note 22)
15 Poor handling
23 Mel Kenyon Kenyon-Eagle - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#23 Unsponsored [Hopkins/Don Kenyon]
(see note 23)
11 Fuel problem
24 Bill Simpson Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#28 Unsponsored [Bill Simpson] (see note 24)
10 Injection
DNQ David "Salt" Walther Colt-Lola - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#77 [Dayton Steel Wheel/George Walther]
(see note 25)
Did not qualify
  Steve Krisiloff Kingfish 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#15 [Grant King Racers Inc] (see note 26)
On entry list
  TBA unknown - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#20 STP [STP Corporation]
On entry list
  Cale Yarborough Atlanta 72 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#21 Firestone [Gene White Racing]
(see note 27)
On entry list
  Jim McElreath Hawk II (67) - Chevrolet 355 ci V8
#22 [McElreath] (see note 28)
On entry list
  John Mahler Eagle 68 [401] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#31 Harbor Fuel [John Mahler] (see note 29)
On entry list
  Ludwig Heimrath Eisert 67 - Chevrolet 355 ci V8
#55 [Ludwig Heimrath]
On entry list
  Lee Brayton Coyote - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#61 Eisenhour
On entry list
  George Snider Kingfish 71? - Offy 159 ci turbo
#74 [Grant King Racers Inc] (see note 30)
On entry list
  TBA Eisert 69 - Webster Ford 319 ci stock block V8
#76 [Webster] (see note 31)
On entry list
  Ron Dykes Eagle - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#81 Trautman
On entry list
Qualifying
1 Bobby Unser Eagle 72 [7201] - Offy 159 ci turbo
2 Al Unser Colt 71/72 [101] - Offy 159 ci turbo
3 Johnny Rutherford Brabham BT32 ['1'] - Offy 159 ci turbo
4 Mario Andretti Colt 71/72 - Offy 159 ci turbo
5 Billy Vukovich Eagle 72 [7204] - Offy 159 ci turbo
6 Roger McCluskey Kuzma-Kenyon 71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
7 Mark Donohue McLaren M16A [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
8 Gary Bettenhausen McLaren M16A [1] - Offy 159 ci turbo
9 Joe Leonard Colt 71/72 [115] - Offy 159 ci turbo
10 Mike Mosley Eagle 68 [402] - Offy 159 ci turbo
11 AJ Foyt Coyote 71 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
12 Swede Savage Eagle 70 [802?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
13 George Snider Kingfish 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
14 Jim Malloy Gerhardt 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
15 Mike Hiss Eagle 70/71 - Offy 159 ci turbo
16 Lloyd Ruby Atlanta 72 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
17 Wally Dallenbach Eagle 70 - Offy 159 ci turbo
18 Bill Simpson Eagle 67 [212] - Offy 159 ci turbo
19 Dick Simon Peat-Lola 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
20 Jim Hurtubise Coyote 70 ['69-2'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
21 Art Pollard Scorpion 70 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
22 Lee Kunzman Gerhardt 69 - Offy 159 ci turbo
23 Mel Kenyon Kenyon-Eagle - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
24 George Eaton Colt-Lola - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8

Notes on the cars:

  1. Eagle 72 [7201] (Bobby Unser): The prototype 1972 Eagle was tested over the winter and then used as AAR's #6 Olsonite entry for Bobby Unser on "the mile tracks" during 1972, winning at Phoenix, Trenton, Milwaukee and Phoenix again in November. Sold to Stan Malless, Bob Voigt and Dick Sommers of MVS and converted to turbo Ford engines. Raced for MVS by Sammy Sessions as the #9 in 1973 then reappeared at the 1974 Indy 500 for Denny Zimmerman and at the 1975 Indy 500 for various drivers but did not qualify for either race. Then almost certainly the #72 Custom Motor Home car raced by Tom Frantz (Littleton, CO) in 1976 which went to Ed Crombie (Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada) for 1977, when it was driven by Larry Cannon and Jerry Sneva. Crombie still had the car in 1983 when he ran it at the Knox hillclimb (Kelowna, British Columbia). History then unknown until advertised by Bob Jordan's Investment Motorsport Inc (Glenview, IL) in June 1990, when it still had its Ford engine and was said to be unraced since 1976. At some point the car was restored by former AAR fabricator Mike Lewis to its 1972 livery and with an Offy engine. It appeared in this specification at the Amelia Island concours in 2002, and was raced by Bob Jordan (Winnetka, IL) at Road America in July 2006. It was offered at the Gooding & Co Pebble Beach auction in August 2008 but did not sell. In 2010, the car was featured on a 'The Motorcar Society' video.
  2. Colt 71/72 (Mario Andretti): This car was originally built as a spare car during 1971, but not needed, so only completed in early 1972 as an interim car for new team member Mario Andretti. It was updated to 1972 specification and raced by Andretti at Phoenix in March 1972, finishing second. Its history thereafter is not known, but Mike Lashmett, who was a teenage 'gofer' with the VPJ team in 1971, has commented that Andretti's car was built from a spare tub, was later used for Viceroy PR, and that it became the car in Al Unser's 1971 Johnny Lightning Special livery that has been on display at the Unser Racing Museum (Albuquerque, NM) since it opened in September 2005.
  3. 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.
  4. McLaren M16A [1] (Gary Bettenhausen): To Roger Penske at the 1971 Indy 500 for Mark Donohue (#66 Sunoco). Donohue retired from the Indy 500 but his car was later "destroyed" when Mike Mosley crashed his Eagle into it. It was said that nothing was salvageable and a new car (M16-4) was built in time for Pocono. However, detailed study of photographs establishes that M16-1 was rebuilt and was raced by Gary Bettenhausen for Penske at short-track races in the first half of 1972. Sold to Roy Woods Racing for John Mahler (#74) at Ontario 1972 but wrecked in the race. Not seen again until entered by Roy Woods for David Hobbs (#73) at Ontario September 1973 then for Mahler (#74) at the 1974 Indy 500 but DNQ. It had been updated to M16C form during this time. Sold to Al Loquasto, replacing the M16B he had previously raced, and used from 1975 to 1978 as Loquasto's #86 Frostie Root Beer entry. Loquasto may have used his M16B at some tracks, but no photographic evidence has yet been found for that. Sold by Loquasto to Robert W. LaWarre Sr. (Titusville, FL) for Tony Bettenhausen II (#86 Tilton) late 1979. History then unknown until the M16 was bought from someone in Florida by Joe Baird (Shelbyville, IN) and a partner in the 1990s, when the car still had Loquasto and LaWarre bodywork. Sold via Jim Mann and Steve Truchan to former Formula Atlantic driver Glen A. Smith (Rockwall, TX) and retained by Smith until his death in 2008, after which his wife sold it to Bob Boyce (Michigan City, Indiana).
  5. Colt 71/72 [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.
  6. Colt 71/72 [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.
  7. 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.
  8. Coyote 71 (AJ Foyt): New as AJ Foyt's backup car for 1971 and taken over by NASCAR driver Donnie Allison for the Indy 500. Also raced by Allison at Pocono where he hit the wall during the race and as far as can be determined it did not appear again that season. Presumably the car raced by Foyt at Phoenix at the start of 1972. Taken to the 1972 Indy 500 as Foyt's #84 backup car and qualified by George Snider. Raced by Sammy Sessions as Foyt's #84 entry at Michigan, Pocono and Ontario later that season. Subsequent history unknown, but it was in Jim Brucker's Movieworld/"Cars of the Stars" museum at Buena Park, CA at some point. When Brucker's museum closed in 1978, his collection was moved to Santa Paula where it sat in a warehouse until 1993. The Coyote was loaned to the Santa Paula Union Oil Museum for its "Legends of Auto Racing" exhibit in December 1993. It was next seen in 2001 when bought from Jerry Friedrich (also then in Santa Paula, CA) by Bruce Linsmeyer (Orlando, FL) and restored by his Avon Aero between 2001 and 2005 when it was fitted with a non-turbo Ford V8 and was missing its left-hand side radiator. Traded to former single-seat Can-Am racer Chuck 'Rick' Parsons (Inverness, IL) for a 1968 Shelby Turbine Indy car and run by Parsons in The Mitty at Road Atlanta in early May 2011. Sold via Mecum Auctions in May 2011.
  9. Eagle 70 (Wally Dallenbach): For 1972, Lindsey Hopkins added a 1970 Eagle to his already crowded stable for Wally Dallenbach to drive as the #10 entry. The origins of the Eagle are presently unknown but it could be the redundant ex-Gurney AAR car or the unwanted Gordy Johncock car. Dallenbach drove it in the opening races of the season but was bumped at the Indy 500. He then joined the STP team to replace the injured Art Pollard and Hopkins recruited Lee Kunzman to take over the #10 Eagle. A 1972 Eagle replaced the 1970 car at some point, but a photograph shows Kunzman drove the older car at Texas World Speedway in April 1973, so exactly where Kunzman raced this car instead of the new '72 Eagle is not clear, and photographs are needed to completely resolve this. Photographs indicate that this was the 1970 Eagle acquired by Patrick Santello (Syracuse, NY) for 1975. His mechanic Willie Davis fitted it with one of Richard Moser's DOHC Chevrolet V8 engines, but the car did not race until near the end of the season, when Larry Dickson raced the #65 City of Syracuse Spl at Phoenix in November 1975. Retained by Santello for the 1976 season as a backup to a newer 1972 Eagle, and raced by Dickson, Lee Kunzman and Jerry Karl. Subsequent history unknown but this is likely to be the car advertised by Ron Cameron (San Diego, CA) in March 1991, when it was identified as "VIN: AAR-805" and "USAC: R71-10". The car was then dark blue with a white stripe and fitted with a Chevrolet V8 engine. Its nose and water pipes were in 1970 works form, but it had 1972-style front and rear wings. A year later, it was for sale by G & G Motorsports Ltd (Indianapolis, IN) who described it as the car Gurney drove to third place in the 1970 Indy 500. It was next seen Tom Hollfelder drove it in a VARA historic event at Willow Springs in October 1995, where it was still dark blue with a white stripe but now wore number #48. Hollfelder also ran the car at Road America in 2009. Steve Zautke and Jacques Dresang have examined the car and observed Santello era paintwork showing through the more recent dark blue. It still has a Chevrolet small block engine, as it did when Santello owned it.
  10. Eagle 70/71 (Mike Hiss): 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Coyote 70 ['69-2'] (Jim Hurtubise): Roger McCluskey's Foyt team car at the 1969 Indy 500 was described as a new car, but it may not be a coincidence that one of the 1968 cars disappears just as this car appears. Raced by McCluskey as the #82 G. C. Murphy entry during 1969, but it is possible that McCluskey drove an older car from the Foyt stable at short track races. Entered for the 1970 Indy 500 as the #14 Greer-Foyt car for Jim McElreath. This car was described in Hungness as new but looked strikingly similar to the '1969' Coyote that Roger McCluskey had raced in 1969. Drilled holes in the screen suggest that this may be the car AJ Foyt drove in short track events through the summer of 1970 but its next certain appearance is for McElreath again at the California 500 at Ontario in September which he won. McElreath's win was only the fifth by a Coyote and the only time anyone other that Foyt ever won a race in a Coyote. Probably the '1970' Coyote in which McElreath was bumped at the 1971 Indy 500. Then sold to MVS as a backup car to their 1971 Coyote and used on short tracks by Jim Hurtubise and George Snider in 1972. It also appeared at Indy in 1973 as Snider's backup car. The car became part of the collection of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum at some point during the 1970s, and was on display at a Ford-themed auto show at Indiana State Fairgrounds in November 1981. It has remained in the collection ever since.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. Gerhardt 70 (Jim Malloy): 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".
  16. Kingfish 70 (George Snider): 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.
  17. 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.
  18. Peat-Lola 71 (Dick Simon): Built by Wally Peat for Dick Simon (Salt Lake City, UT) and first appeared at the Ontario race in September 1971 as the #10 TraveLodge Sleeper Special. Raced by Simon through 1972 until he acquired a new Eagle near the end of the season. The Peat-Lola was then sold to Tom Frantz (Littleton, CO) who entered it for the 1973 Indy 500 for Bruce Jacobi to drive, but was turned away. After using the car in supermodified racing, Frantz returned to Indy racing with the car in 1975 as the #96 Spirit of Idaho entry, using a Chevrolet engine. He may then have driven it briefly in 1976, but photographs found so far indicate that his #72 Custom Motor Home entry was an Eagle-Foyt. The next few years of the Peat-Lola's life are unknown, but by June 1980 it had been modified by Keith McArthur, to use in supermodified racing at Bonneville Raceway Park's ⅓-mile oval, "chopping" the chassis and modifying the aerodynamics. In July 1980, after McArthur had tested it a few times, it was acquired by Kent Knowley, Marc Sullivan and Wes Brunner Sr for Brunner's son, Wes Brunner Jr to race, and he quickly came to dominate local Salt Lake Valley Racing Association events. Brunner crashed the car heavily in early July 1981, but it was rebuilt by Knowley and Sullivan, and raced again in August. Brunner continued to race the car in 1982. After Brunner died in early 1984, the car was raced for Knowley and Sullivan by Jeff Nish, who set a new track record of 15.074s at BRP in May 1984. Its subsequent history is unknown, but some years later the car was acquired by Duncan Fox. At that time, it carried the name of Beehive Bail Bonds, owned by Gary Walton in Salt Lake City, suggesting it had remained in the Salt Lake area to the end of its racing career. Fox removed the engine and gearbox, and sold on the rest of the car.
  19. Eagle 70 [802?] (Swede Savage): The Michner-Patrick team bought a 1970 Eagle but it did not appear at the Speedway that year. Although it may have appeared later in the season, or possibly in 1971, it seems likely that Rutherford stuck with his usual 1967 Eagle "Geraldine" until the team acquired their Brabham. When Swede Savage joined the team for 1972, it is not surprising that he raced the team's Eagle 70 as he had been a part of the development program for that car at AAR. He raced it at Indy in 1972 and it is safe to assume that all other appearances of Savage in a Patrick Eagle also refer to the Eagle 70. Subsequent history unknown, but in 1985 Jim Gilmore commented that he had an ex-Savage Indy car in the recreation room at his house, and there is a good chance that it was this one. The car was seen in the collection of Bob McConnell (Urbana, OH) in 2010, still with the Antares-inspired nose it wore in 1972 and wide 1972 rules rear wing, but painted in orange Gilmore colours and with AJ Foyt's name on it, suggesting Gilmore had used it as a show car.
  20. Eagle 72 [7204] (Billy Vukovich): One of two 1972 Eagles bought new by Jerry O'Connell's Sugaripe Prune team and raced by Billy Vukovich as the #3 entry in 1972, with Jud Phillips as chief mechanic. As the later history of 7207 is known from an invoice, and as the cars have distinct differences that can be seen in photographs, 7204 can be safely identified as Vukovich's 1972 Indy 500 car, after which it swapped roles with 7207 and became his short track car. It remained his short track car in 1973, and is then believed to have raced just twice in 1974. Sold to Donald Mergard and very probably the car raced by Bob Harkey as Mergard Racing's #42 entry at Michigan late that season. Retained by Mergard for another six seasons, racing as the #42 with numerous drivers and sponsors. In 1981, this car appears to have become Tom Frantz' #71 entry for Bob Frey. Subsequent history unknown.
  21. Atlanta 72 (Lloyd Ruby): New for Lloyd Ruby at the Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix in March 1972, where it was Gene White Racing's #5 Wynns entry, and then used by him at the Indy 500, where he finished sixth. Ruby then tried the team's Lola T270 at Milwaukee, and tried both cars in practice at Pocono before it was rained off. He then crashed the Atlanta before the race at Michigan in July, and used the Lola for the rest of the season. Almost certainly the Atlanta-Ford sold to Loyd Meek's Quality Racing Team for 1973, where it was due to be enginered and raced by Eldon Rasmussen, but Rasmussen did not appear in the car until Texas in October, where it went very well. Rebuilt by Rasmussen as a "Ras-Car", and thereafter described as a 1974 car. Raced by Rasmussen in the 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978 seasons, although he generally only appeared for the longer races at Indianapolis, Ontario, Pocono and Michigan. This is believed to be the car that was demolished in Rasmussen's huge accident at Pocono in 1979.
  22. Gerhardt 69 (Lee Kunzman): New wedge Gerhardt for Myron Caves team for 1969. Although announced in February 1969, the Caves Buick wedge was not expected to race until the Indy 500 and the team's older car was used by Jigger Sirois in the early-1969 races. The car actually missed the Indy 500 as it was still being put together in chief mechanic Bob Higman's garage in Romney, Indiana, and it first raced by Jim McElreath as the #14 Quaker State Spl at Trenton in July 1969. It was then the #74 Gerhardt driven by McElreath, Arnie Knepper and Sam Sessions in 1970. McElreath could not qualify the car at the 500 that year, where photographs show a very exaggerated wedge shape. Caves had heart surgery in June 1970 and his team disappeared until Ontario 1971 where the car was entered as the #37 Caves Buick with Bruce Walkup in the seat. Lee Kunzman qualified this car for the 1972 Indy 500, and it was raced later in the season by McElreath, Johnny Parsons Jr and Greg Weld. The Caves Buick team was wound up at the end of 1972. In 1978, Jim Jorgensen (Sanger, CA) started racing a 1969 Gerhardt as a Supermodified that bore a very strong resemblance to the Caves Buick car. It had been fitted with a 350 ci Chevrolet V8 and a rollcage, and was raced by Jorgensen as #61 in open competition races at Madera Speedway. After he finished racing it, it was reported to be in a barn in the Sanger area in the mid-1980s. Its history is then unknown until acquired by Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) in the Fresno area around 2020.
  23. Kenyon-Eagle (Mel Kenyon): One of Lindsey Hopkins' two 1967 Eagles was rebuilt by chief mechanic Jack Beckley over the 1967/68 winter with Brabham front suspension, and named 'Beagle'. It was fitted with a turbo Offy engine and tested by Roger McCluskey at Indianapolis on 20 March 1968, but it was not present at the Indy 500 that year. Photographs then show that 'Beagle' was first raced by McCluskey at Trenton in April, then at Milwaukee in June, Langhorne in June, Langhorne again in July, Trenton in September and Michigan in October. McCluskey used his 1968 Eagle at the Indy 500 and at road races, and then moved to the team's older 1966 car for the final races of the season. Wally Dallenbach took over the Hopkins ride in 1969, with Sprite sponsorship, and 'Beagle' was used for the press announcement at the end of March, but was not seen in competition all season as Dallenbach focused on other cars in the stable. The car returned to use in 1970, as its front suspension modifications are clearly visible in photographs of the car raced by Mel Kenyon for the Hopkins team at Milwaukee in August 1970. The car returned to service as Kenyon's #23 Hopkins entry for 1972, when it had been reworked with new sidepods but still with its distinctive outboard front suspension. It was first raced in this form at Phoenix in March, then Hopkins acquired Gilmore sponsorship in mid-April, which brought Duane Glasgow into the team as chief mechanic for Wally Dallenbach. The 1967 Eagle was raced by Kenyon at Trenton in April as his #23 Gilmore entry, and was then taken to the Indy 500 as the #73 Gilmore entry as a backup car for Kenyon, where it was practiced by Kenyon (wearing #23), Dallenbach, and also by Jim McElreath, who tried but failed to qualify it. Photographs show that Kenyon raced it later that season at Michigan, Pocono, Trenton in September and Phoenix in November, and quite possibly at both Milwaukee races. This is thought to be the Eagle acquired by Jim Gilmore in Jackson, MI, and displayed on the wall in Jim Gilmore Enterprises (Kalamazoo, MI), still in Gilmore Racing colours. Photographs show that it was later in the Gilmore Car Museum (Hickory Corners, MI), now with AJ Foyt's name on it, but with the same Brabham suspension and sidepods it had in 1972. It was bought by Bob Donahue (Indianapolis, IN) at the Jim Gilmore Estate auction held by Kruse International at Auburn, Indiana, in September 2005 and restored, but was badly at the Indycar historic event in May 2019. In September 2022, the repairs to the monocoque started to be documented on Youtube.
  24. 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".
  25. Colt-Lola (David "Salt" Walther): Salt Walther (Dayton, OH) acquired a car from the VPJ team for 1972 which was described as a 1970 Lola. Walther qualified at Phoenix on 18 March but was bumped, and then crashed the car in a Firestone tyre test at the Indianapolis Speedway on 24 March. Hal McCoy, in an article about Walther for his hometown Dayton Daily News on 26 March, said that "the Lola was built in England, then three cars were copied off it by the Jones folks and dubbed P. J. Colts". Walther's chief mechanic George Morris repaired the car, and Walther qualified comfortably for the 500 in 27th position, only to retire from the race on the first lap with magneto failure. Walther's next event in the car was at Michigan in July, where he again qualified comfortably but was eliminated when he totalled the car in a pre-race crash with Lloyd Ruby, the same person who had bumped him at Phoenix. Having previously claimed that the $15,000 Lola had taken all the money he had, Walther immediately bought a McLaren M16 from Roger Penske for a reported $75,000. Mike Lashmett says that the Lola chassis was buried on father George Walther's property.
  26. 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.
  27. Atlanta 72 (Cale Yarborough): Completed by Gene White Racing after Atlanta Cars closed, and first seen as the team's #21 Bill Daniels GOP for Cale Yarborough at the 1972 Indy 500. Yarborough was then "asked to step down", and the car was converted from Ford to Offy power for team leader Lloyd Ruby to try in practice at Pocono. It was raced by Jimmy Caruthers as the #52 Wynn's Special at Ontario in September. Almost certainly the Atlanta-Offy sold to Larry McCoy Sr's Eastern Racing for his son Larry McCoy to drive in 1973, backed by James Bidwell's Shurfine Foods. Converted by Eldon Rasmussen to Ras-Car specification for 1974, and raced by McCoy and others up to 1977. To Frank Fiore for 1978, and his #87 Machinists Union entry for Jerry Karl, Phil Threshie and Al Loquasto that season. Then to Buddie Boys, a Calgary trucking magnate, and entered for Bob Harkey at the 1980 Indy 500, but he could not get enough speed out of it. The last that was heard of the car was just before the Milwaukee race, when the engine was said to have blown up during testing.
  28. Hawk II (67) (Jim McElreath): Built new for 1967 by Al Dean's Dean Racing Enterprises for Mario Andretti to drive as the #1 Dean Van Lines entry. First raced at Trenton in April, where Andretti won. He then used the new car at the Indy 500, where he took pole position again but was an early retirement. He generally used the old 1965 car for road courses in 1967 and the new car for oval tracks, and won four more races using the new car at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Langhorne, Milwaukee in August, and Phoenix in November. The 1967 car was retained for 1968 as a backup to the team's two new monocoque cars and in mid-season it was fitted with a turbo Offy engine, which had a significant power advantage over the Ford. Andretti raced the Hawk-Offy at Trenton, where he won, and at three more races, before it was refitted with the Ford for Jerry Titus to drive at Riverside in November. Andretti's ex-Al Dean equipment was then acquired by STP for 1969, but whether the old 1967 car was included in the deal is unknown. It was next seen in early 1972 when Jim McElreath entered it as a "Brabham-Chevrolet" at Phoenix in March and at Trenton in April. He used it in practice at Trenton but elected not to race, and it was not seen in it again that season. Three years later, McElreath ran it in practice for the USAC race at Trenton in April 1975, again failing to start. In December 1976, McElreath donated the car to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and it has remained in the collection ever since. It was restored in the early 1990s.
  29. 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.
  30. Kingfish 71? (George Snider): 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.
  31. Eisert 69 (TBA): New to Marvin Webster's Webster Racing and fitted with Webster's 319 ci stock block Ford V8 engine for Jim Malloy to drive in the California 200 at Hanford Motor Speedway in April 1969. It was later raced by Jerry Grant at Continental Divide, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Seattle and Riverside later that year. He also drove it at Phoenix in November but was too slow to qualify. Kevin Bartlett drove it at Sears Point in April 1970, then failed to qualify at the Indy 500, and later drove it at Continental Divide in June. Rob Grable raced it at IRP in July, after which it was not seen for over a year until Lothar Motschenbacher raced it at Seattle in August 1971, when it was still black with a red stripe, as it had been since new. Ronnie Bucknum tried it briefly in practice at Ontario, and then Johnny Parsons Jr crashed it while trying to qualify at Phoenix. Its last known appearance was when Don Brown drove it at Ontario in 1972, but again no attempt was made to qualify. It was then stored by Webster until 1987, when he sold it to Tom Armstrong (Bellevue, WA) who restored it and used it in US historic racing. It was offered for sale from 'the Tom Armstrong Collection' by Bonhams in August 2012.

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.