OldRacingCars.com

Phoenix 150

Phoenix International Raceway, 17 Mar 1974

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Mike Mosley Eagle 72 [7221] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#98 Lodestar [Agajanian/Leader Card]
(see note 1)
150 1h 17m 08.000s
2 Bobby Unser Eagle 74 [7404 or 7405] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#48 Olsonite [AAR]
150 Finished
3 AJ Foyt Coyote 74 ['74-1'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#14 Gilmore Racing [Foyt Enterprises]
(see note 2)
150 Finished
4 Gordon Johncock Eagle 74 [7409] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#7 Patrick Racing (see note 3)
150 Finished
5 Mario Andretti Eagle 74 [7406] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#5 Viceroy [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
(see note 4)
150 Finished
6 Wally Dallenbach Eagle 73 [7303] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#2 Patrick Racing (see note 5)
149 Flagged
7 Johnny Rutherford McLaren M16C [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#3 McLaren [McLaren Cars] (see note 6)
149 Flagged
8 Billy Vukovich Eagle 72 or 74 [7204??] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#4 Sugaripe Prune [Jerry O'Connell/Jud Phillips]
(see note 7)
147 Flagged
9 Lloyd Ruby Eagle 72 [7228] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#9 Unlimited Racing (see note 8)
146 Flagged
10 Jim McElreath Eagle 72 [7209?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#45 Thermo King [Don or Fred Gerhardt]
(see note 9)
146 Flagged
11 Bentley Warren Finley 73 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#94 Vatis [Tassi Vatis] (see note 10)
145 Flagged
12 Al Loquasto McLaren M16B [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#86 T-T Rally 500 [Al Loquasto]
(see note 11)
129 Flagged
13 Dick Simon Eagle 72 [7212] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#44 Travelodge [Dick Simon] (see note 12)
123 Wheel vibration
14 Gary Bettenhausen Eagle 72 [7225] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#8 Penske Products (see note 13)
79 Gearbox
15 Tom Sneva Kingfish 73 ['2'?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#24 Grant King Racing (see note 14)
63 Spun, broken shock
16 Roger McCluskey McLaren M16B [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo
#1 Hopkins Buick [Lindsey Hopkins]
(see note 15)
54 Spun out
17 George Snider Atlanta 72 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#82 Gilmore Racing [J.H. Greer]
(see note 16)
31 Overheated
18 Al Unser Eagle 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#15 Viceroy [Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing]
(see note 17)
29 Broken turbocharger hose
19 Jimmy Caruthers Eagle 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
#21 Cobre Firestone [Robert L. 'Bob' Fletcher]
(see note 18)
8 Accident
20 John Cannon Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
#53 Minnesota Serendipity [Pat O'Reilly]
(see note 19)
0 Did not start, broken half shaft
Qualifying
1 Al Unser Eagle 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
2 Johnny Rutherford McLaren M16C [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
3 Bobby Unser Eagle 74 [7404 or 7405] - Offy 159 ci turbo
4 Lloyd Ruby Eagle 72 [7228] - Offy 159 ci turbo
5 AJ Foyt Coyote 74 ['74-1'] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
6 Gordon Johncock Eagle 74 [7409] - Offy 159 ci turbo
7 Mario Andretti Eagle 74 [7406] - Offy 159 ci turbo
8 Gary Bettenhausen Eagle 72 [7225] - Offy 159 ci turbo
9 George Snider Atlanta 72 - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
10 Wally Dallenbach Eagle 73 [7303] - Offy 159 ci turbo
11 Tom Sneva Kingfish 73 ['2'?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
12 Roger McCluskey McLaren M16B [2] - Offy 159 ci turbo
13 Jimmy Caruthers Eagle 74 - Offy 159 ci turbo
14 Dick Simon Eagle 72 [7212] - Foyt-Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8
15 Billy Vukovich Eagle 72 or 74 [7204??] - Offy 159 ci turbo
16 Jim McElreath Eagle 72 [7209?] - Offy 159 ci turbo
17 Bentley Warren Finley 73 - Offy 159 ci turbo
18 Al Loquasto McLaren M16B [4] - Offy 159 ci turbo
19 Mike Mosley Eagle 72 [7221] - Offy 159 ci turbo
20 John Cannon Mongoose 71 - Ford 159 ci quad cam turbo V8

Notes on the cars:

  1. Eagle 72 [7221] (Mike Mosley): New to Leader Card Racers in time for the TWS race at the start of 1973. Raced by Mike Mosley as the #98 Leader Card entry. Then taken to the Indy 500 as a backup, renumbered #97, and qualified by Rick Muther. It was then Mosley's short track car, and raced by Muther at Pocono and by Johnny Parsons Jr at Ontario and at the late-season races. Presumably for Parsons again at Ontario in March 1974. Then Mosley's short track car when he wasn't using his new 1974 Eagle. Signs of repairs to the left side of this car allow it to be identified from 1975 onwards. It was raced by George Snider as the #97 at Ontario at the start of 1975, then by Steve Krisiloff in the Indy 500 as the #98 and later in the season as the #98 and then the #10. For 1976, the car was sold to Patrick Santello and was his #65 City of Syracuse or S&M Electric entry that season for Larry Dickson and Lee Kunzman. Then to Gus and Richard Hoffman (Milford, OH) of Hoffman Racing for 1977 and entered for Jerry Grant and later Joe Saldana as the #69. Driven again by Saldana in 1978 and 1979. Also appeared once for Bob Frey in 1980. Reappeared briefly in 1982 when it was entered by George T. Smith's GTS Racing as the #86 Empress Traveler for Al Loquasto. Sold by Smith to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) who sold it to Bob Colllings (Boston, MA) in April 1985. Retained by Collings and now forms part of the auto collection in The Collings Foundation (Stow, MA).
  2. Coyote 74 ['74-1'] (AJ Foyt): New for the start of the 1974 season, and raced by AJ Foyt as Foyt Enterprises' #14 Gilmore Racing entry at Ontario, Phoenix and Trenton. Foyt crashed in practice at Trenton and returned to base. He then raced a new, second,1974 Coyote at the Indy 500, and the only times this older car was seen was as his #10 backup car used in practice for the Indy 500, and then as the #10 entry driven by George Snider at Michigan in September. This older car was almost certainly the team's backup car at the start of the 1975 season, when it was the #10 entry prepared for Joe Leonard at Ontario in March 1975, and raced by Rick Muther after Leonard failed a medical. Photographs show that the same car was used by Foyt at short track races that season: Phoenix in March, Trenton in April, Milwaukee in June and August, Trenton in September, and Phoenix in November. This car reappeared at the start of 1976, now updated with the same style of bodywork used on the other 1974 car the previous year, and was raced by Foyt at Phoenix in March, Trenton in May, Milwaukee in June, and Trenton In August, where Foyt clipped the wall and retired with broken suspension. The car was not seen at all during 1977, and probably not in 1978, although this still remains uncertain. This car was not in the Foyt auction in 1992, and its current whereabouts are not known. One possibility is that it was extensively rebuilt as the 1978 car.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Eagle 73 [7303] (Wally Dallenbach): New for Jerry Grant to race at the 1973 Indy 500 as AAR's #48 Olsonite Eagle. Grant was not entered at the Pocono 500 and the car was sold to Patrick Racing prior to that race. It was raced by Gordy Johncock for the rest of the season as his Indy-winning car was wrecked at Pocono. Raced by teammate Wally Dallenbach in the early races of 1974, then brought to the Indy 500 to replace a '74 car damaged by Johncock in practice. Raced by Johncock at Indy and at Milwaukee in June, and believed to have been his short track car for the rest of the year. Then to Lee Elkins and entered as the #83 McNamara Eagle for Bill Puterbaugh at Indy and at Pocono in 1975, qualifying for both. Retained for the 500-mile races 1976, when Puterbaugh qualified for the Indy 500 and Ontario, and also in 1977 when, now as the #16 entry, he again qualified for the Indy 500. Immediately after qualifying, the car was acquired by George Walther who wanted to put son Salt into it but after an uproar, Puterbaugh drove it in the race. Then from Walther to Bob Olmstead who fitted a Volker V12 engine for Indy 1978 but did not get the car on track. The car was stored until after Olmstead's death, and was sold to Bill Simpson in the early 1990s. It was restored as a show car for Simpson by Wayne Leary and put on display in North Carolina to represent the Eagle that Simpson had raced at Indy. Sold around 2013 to Jeff Urwin (New York, NY).
  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 72 or 74 [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.
  8. Eagle 72 [7228] (Lloyd Ruby): Supplied as a monocoque to Lloyd Ruby and his chief crew Mike Devin after Ruby had crashed chassis 7224 at Ontario. Chassis 7228 was built up using the components of 7224 and raced as Ruby's #18 Commander Motor Homes for the rest of the season. Retained in 1974 as a backup car to Ruby's new 1974 Eagle, but actually raced more often than the '74 that season. Sold to Anastassios "Tassi" Vatis, a Greek shipping tycoon and veteran Indy car owner, and run by Vatis's faithful chief mechanic Bill Finley for Johnny Parsons Jr in 1975. In 1976, the team had a "new" car built on an "unused" chassis, presumably 7224 as it still carries the 7224 plate today. However, 7228 remained the main car, Parsons' #93 Ayr-Way/Vatis entry in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, 7228 was modified with straight sidepods and radiators repositioned to the rear of the tub, matching the specification of 7224, after which they are hard to tell apart. John Mahler (Bettendorf, Iowa) bought the Vatis team in November 1978 with the support of longtime backer Richard Deutsch, and it is believed that 7228 was the #92 car that Mahler had bumped after qualifying. Retained as a backup in 1980 and 1981, then sold to Rick DeLorto (Wood Dale, IL) who attempted to qualify for several CART races in 1982. Then to John Griffith (Chicago, IL) 1983, then Steve Burgner (Chicago, IL) 1984, after which it was sold to Mountain View Motorsport Park in Colorado. It then passed to a dealer in Connecticut, from which Eric Camiel (Danbury, CT) bought it in 1991. Then unknown until acquired from Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) by John Mueller (Fresno, CA) in late 2005. Chuck is believed to have got it from Lilo Zicron (Burbank, CA). Extensively rebuilt by Mueller to standard specification. Sold to Rick and Alison Dresang (Hartford, WI) in May 2016.
  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. Finley 73 (Bentley Warren): New for Johnny Parsons Jr at the 1973 Indy 500 as the Tassis Vatis's #94 Two Jacks Flyer entry. The car blew too many engines and no attempt was made to qualify. Raced by Parsons, John Hubbard and Bentley Warren later in 1973, always wearing #94. Retained for 1974 and driven by Warren, Parsons and Hubbard during the season, Parsons qualifying it for the Indy 500 as the Vatis Special. Retained again for 1975 and raced by Parsons in the early part of the season, then qualified by Mike Hiss for the Indy 500 as the Vatis Enterprises #94 Ayr-Way/WNAP car. Vatis acquired a 1972/73 Eagle in time for the 1975 Indy 500, and acquired a second one for 1976, so the "Fleagle" was not seen again. The car is believed to have been at McIntire Chevrolet for some years, but its movements are then unknown until Mike Guffey (Hartford City, Indiana) bought it from a car dealership and eventually sold it to Rich Morrison (Salina, KS). Morrison sold it to Toney Edwards (Greenwood, Indiana) in 2013. It was restored by Peter Jamie to its 1975 livery.
  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 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.
  13. Eagle 72 [7225] (Gary Bettenhausen): To Roger Penske for Mark Donohue to drive as the #66 Sunoco DX car at the three 500 mile races in 1973. It was then driven by Gary Bettenhausen as the #5 Sunoco DX car in place of his usual McLaren M16C at Phoenix in November 1973 and again at Phoenix in March 1974. For 1976, the car was sold to Bill Simpson and raced as his #38 Nikon car until September that year when it was sold to Arthur E. 'Art' Sugai (Ontario, OR) and became the #90 Eastside Café car for Rick Mears. Raced by Mears, Steve Krisiloff and Bubby Jones in 1977. Sold to collector/dealer Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) in May 1980 and retained by him until purchased by Rick and Alison Dresang (Hartford, WI) in August 2004. Fully restored, and maintained by Kettle Moraine Preservation & Restoration.
  14. 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.
  15. McLaren M16B [2] (Roger McCluskey): McLaren Cars 1972 for Peter Revson (#12), and raced at the Indy 500, Pocono and Ontario. Also raced by Gordie Johncock at Trenton in September after his usual M16B/3 had been wrecked at Ontario. To Lindsey Hopkins for Roger McCluskey to race in 1973 as the #3 Hopkins Buick entry, but McCluskey raced his older M16A at the Indy 500 and at Pocono, before settling on the M16B at the end of the season. The two cars took McCluskey to the USAC National Championship. The M16B was retained for 1974 and 1975 as a backup to Hopkins' new Riley-built 'English Leather' car. The McLaren was used at Trenton in 1975, and then entered for Graham McRae at the 1975 Indy 500, but he could not qualify. Sold to Carl Gehlhausen for Spike Gehlhausen to drive in 1976 (#19 Spirit of Indiana) and 1977 (#19 PV Corp) but crashed at Ontario, Indy and Pocono in 1977 with serious damage each time. Replaced with an Eagle in mid-1977. Acquired from Gehlhausen by Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) some time in the 1980s, and restored by Gehlhausen's chief mechanic Eddie Baue and Walter Goodwin. USAC's history of this car identified it as the #86 "ex-Revson" McLaren (actually Hopkins' other M16) and it was restored to this specification and then sold to Gene Wagner (Atlanta, GA), who used it in US vintage racing between 1988 and 1990.
  16. Atlanta 72 (George Snider): New to AJ Foyt, and entered for the 1972 Indy 500 as the J.H. Greer #82 car, but did not arrive. The car was fitted with a Foyt-Ford V8 engine, and was entered at Indy a year later for Jim McElreath to drive, but he did not complete a qualifying attempt. It was brought out again in 1974, still as the #82 entry, and was driven by George Snider at Ontario Motor Speedway in March, at Phoenix two weeks later, and also at the Indy 500, where Snider qualified 13th but retired early. Photographs show that it was also raced by Sammy Sessions at Michigan, wearing #83. For 1975, the Atlanta was sold to Carroll Cheek (Bowling Green, Ohio), fitted with a Chevrolet engine, and entered in a couple of USAC races at Phoenix for Formula B racer "Butch" Harris (Houston, TX) to drive, Harris having driven Cheek's Supermodified racer. Harris ran the car in practice at Phoenix in November 1975, but could not qualify. In early 1977, it was sold to George R. Boyd (St Joseph, IL) and the Chevy engine was replaced by a Foyt-Ford acquired from Tom Frantz. Frantz was given the chance to qualify it at the 1977 Indy 500, but he spun during practice and Jerry Karl, Bob Harkey, and Mel Kenyon were all given a try in the car. It went well during the month but Kenyon was unable to rediscover that speed during his qualifying run. The car was retained by Boyd in his garage for over 40 years until his death in January 2018. Six months later it was sold to restorer John Mueller.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Mongoose 71 (John Cannon): 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".

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.