Seattle Grand Prix

Seattle, 23 May 1971

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. McLaren M10B [400-01] (David Hobbs): See full history: McLaren M10B 400-01.
2. Lola T192 [HU19] (Brett Lunger): New to Roger Penske for Mark Donohue to drive in the 1970 US series, starting at Mosport 13 Sep 1970. To Competition Research & Development (Pomona, CA) for Brett Lunger US 1971, then to Larry McNeil US 1972, US 1973 and then in SCCA Nationals from 1974 to 1978. Via Alan Marvin to Gordon Close (Hinsdale, IL) 1979, and used it for 1979 SCCA drivers school and Regionals. To former racer Don O'Sullivan (Perth, Western Australia) in 1983 but not run by him and sold to Bob Harborow (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia) in 1989. Restored and used in historic racing in Australia, including VHRR Historic Sandown and Phillip Island Classic 1999-2013, and the Australian GP support races in 2009 and 2010. Reappeared in October 2015, when run by Kieran Patel (Victoria, Australia) at the Baskerville Historics. More information about Lola T192 HU19
3. McLaren M10A [300-05-2] (Jon Milledge): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-05.
4. McLaren M10B (Dennis Ott): New to Eppie Wietzes (Thornhill, Ontario): US and Canada 1970 (#94 white-and-red; debut Harewood Acres 10 May 1970; 16 races in total). To Dennis Ott (Montclair, CA/Upland, CA) replacing an earlier car wrecked at R2 Laguna Seca 2 May 1971: US 1971 (R3 to R6), SCCA Nationals 1971 (last seen Phoenix 26 September 1971). In December 1971, Ott advertised two M10Bs, "one new rolling chassis, one complete". The complete car would be his ex-Weitzes car but the origins of the new rolling chassis remain unknown. Ott recalls that he sold his new rolling chassis to Bob McGinty, but it is possible he was mistaken and McGinty got the ex-Wietzes car.
5. Eisert 69 (Ken Hamilton): Dennis Ott (Montclair, CA/Upland, CA) raced a Eisert in Formula A in 1970. He later advertised the car as a 1970 model, but it looked much like a 1969 model, and may actually have been second hand. At 6'2" and 185 lbs, Ott was large for a racing driver at the time. He came up through modified racing in his home state of Nebraska, then California Racing Association sprint cars in 1967, and then FA in 1970 at the age of 24. He advertised the Eisert in November 1970, describing it as a "1970 wedge style Eisert USAC or F/A" with Hewland LG600 gearbox that had been "road raced nine times". For 1971, he acquired a McLaren M10B, and the Eisert was sold to 29-year-old CAMRA driver Ken Hamilton (Boise, ID), who completed the SCCA drivers school at Seattle International raceway in April 1971 and drove the Eisert in SCCA Regional and National races that season, as well as the USAC road-racing event at Seattle in August. In 1971 he was considering having Jerry Eisert convert the car to use in the 1972 Indy 500, but nothing came of this. He was entered for the Laguna Seca and Edmonton Pro F5000 races in early 1972, but there is no record of his participation in either event. He focused on CAMRA and MRAO (Modified Racing Assn of Oregon) racing in 1972, driving for Art Sugai, and had a very successful season. The car was sold by Hamilton to Lonnie Knigge (Salt Lake City, UT), to use in Super-Modified racing, but the ex-Ott car had been joined by the 1972 Eisert at some stage, and which one Knigge raced is unclear. Knigge sold both Eiserts to Bill Freeman (Colerain, NC), and he sold the ex-Ott car in 1982 to Wes Brunner (Salt Lake City, UT). It was then modified by cutting away the back of the monocoque and attaching a motorcycle rear end. The fate of the resulting vehicle is unknown.
6. Lola T142 [SL142/41] (Lew Florence): See full history: Lola T142 SL142/41.
7. Lotus 69/49B [69.F2.5] (Pete Lovely): New to Jochen Rindt Racing Ltd, managed by Bernie Ecclestone, for John Mikes and Graham Hill to race in F2 in 1970. According to Richard Spelberg's research, this car was Hill's previous Lotus 59B chassis 59-F2-20 converted to Lotus 69 specification for 1970. Also driven by Eugenio Baturone at Montjuich Park. Retained by Ecclestone for Hill to race in the first few F2 races of 1971, then sold to Pete Lovely and fitted with the rear end of his Lotus 49B for suitable races at his home track in Seattle, and for the 1971 US GP. After Lovely died in 2011, the car was sold by his daughter to Peter Gleeson (Seattle, WA), a BMW collector originally from England.
8. LeGrand Mk 11 (Jim Paul): Raced by Rex Ramsey in late 1969, winning at Trois-Rivières in September, but well off the pace in the L&M series. Jim Paul raced the car in 1970, with a best result of eighth in the Pro race at Laguna Seca, and appeared a few times in 1971 and early 1972. To Keith Saunders (Albuquerque, NM) for SCCA racing later in 1972, then to Bill Swope (Albuquerque, NM) for 1973. Swope advertised it late 1975, and it seems likely that this was the LeGrand used by JB Walton in SCCA Regionals in Utah Region in 1978. The next time it was seen was when Harold Janke owned it in Nebraska in the late 1990s. To Kirk Severson and racing in historic events by 2001. To Marty Fidrich (Elizabeth, CO) by 2007.
9. Lola T142 (Don Inferrera): See full history: Lola T142 'the Dave Heinz car'.
10. Eisert 68/69 (Bill Tempero): New to Jack Eiteljorg (Englewood, Colorado) in 1968 for Formula A, and raced in SCCA Continental Championship and in SCCA Nationals. The car was also eligible for the USAC National Championship, and Eiteljorg raced it at Continental Divide and Mont-Tremblant. After using a Lola T140 for much of 1969, he returned to the Eisert for SCCA Continental Championship and in SCCA Nationals late in 1969. Retained for 1970, when he raced it in SCCA Continental Championship and in SCCA Nationals, plus the USAC road racing events at Continental Divide and Indianapolis Raceway Park. Raced also by mechanic John Barker at Bonneville Raceway Park in September 1970. Retained for one race at the start of 1971, then replaced with a Lola T192. Sold in May 1971 to Bill Tempero (Fort Collins, CO), who already owned the original 1965 Eisert that had been in New Zealand for several years. Tempero planned to keep the older car as a spare and race the ex-Eiteljorg car, so it is assumed here that's what happened. Retained by Tempero for 1972, when he used it mainly in SCCA Nationals, winning overall at Hutchinson Naval Air Station in June. Then very probably to Arlon J. Koops (Denver, CO), who raced a light blue #85 Eisert in SCCA Formula A in 1973, entered by Solazure IV Ltd. He was entered for the two Californian Pro F5000 races at the start of the season, but did not appear. He then raced it in Midwest Division SCCA Nationals that year, leading the opening lap at Hutchinson in July before retiring, and winning his class at Fort Sumner in September. He was apparently present for the Road America Pro F5000 race in July, but failed to set a practice time and did not start, so his only start in the L&M series in the Eisert was at Seattle in late September when he finished 12th. Subsequent history unknown.
11. McLaren M18 [500-06] (Evan Noyes): See full history: McLaren M18 500-06.

Sources

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' original results.

1968 US information has been taken from SCCA results sheets with additional information from Autoweek race reports and from some entry lists. Thanks to David McKinney and Wolfgang Klopfer for providing these. Identifying the classes and model of some entries has proved very difficult so all new information would be welcomed.

1969-1971 US information has been collated by Chris Townsend using Autoweek reports. All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome.

1972-1976 US information was originally collated by Wolfgang Klopfer, converted to database format by Dawn Harrison and checked by Jim Thurman and Don Capps. Wolfgang's main sources are Autoweek and individual SCCA results bulletins but Autosport, Autocourse and Road Racing Annual have also been consulted.

US SCCA Runoffs, Nationals and Regionals results were collated by Wolfgang Klopfer from Autoweek reports. These reports were usually very brief so the information on the majority of races is limited just to the identity of the FA class winner.

Some race programs have also been used for entry lists and other information. My thanks to Richard Coe for the generous contributions from his collection.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen if you can add anything.