Surtees TS5 and Surtees TS5A car-by-car histories
David Hobbs' brand new Surtees TS5A at Dallas in 1970. Copyright David Hutson 2006. Used with permission.
The car now known to history as the Surtees TS5 began life as a project designed and built by Len Terry's company for Roger Nathan. Once taken over by James Garner and John Surtees, it became the TS5 and after a difficult start, became one of the fastest F5000s of 1969.
Late in 1968, Roger Nathan announced that he would be entering the new Formula 5000 with a Len Terry designed car. Terry started the design but the project soon changed hands as James Garner's AIR team needed a car for US Formula A and did a deal with John Surtees' fledgling operation to take over and manufacture the Nathan-Terry project. The first four cars were built at Len Terry's Design Auto workshops in Poole with later cars being built at Surtees' base at Slough and then at the team's new premises at Edenbridge in Kent.
According to John Surtees autobiography, he originally just acted as an agent between Len Terry and James Garner. Just five cars were to be built with two to be run by Team Surtees in the 1969 UK series and two by Garner in the US series. Garner, with partners John Crean and Don Rabbit, had struck a deal with AMC to provide engines.
The car was rechristened the TS5 presumably for Terry-Surtees-5000, with the planned US cars being called Garner TS5. A prototype was tested in England by AIR driver Scooter Patrick during the winter and at the end of March 1969, Garner announced that his AIR team would be selling their Lola T70 Mark 3s and their new Can-Am Lola T162s to concentrate on the two-car TS5 Formula A team of David Hobbs and Scooter Patrick. However, the engines were behind schedule and when AIR's first two cars arrived, in the middle of March, they had to be fitted with Chevrolet V8s. A four-day test was organised at Riverside 14-18 April with team drivers Patrick and Dave Jordan but both cars suffered suspension failures and Crean decided to terminate the relationship with Surtees and commission Dan Gurney to build Eagles instead. Shortly after this, AMC pulled out and the whole project dissolved.
With three or four cars now complete and a fifth on the way, Surtees continued with the project, running a pair of TS5s in the UK and another pair in the US as Team Surtees entries. The car soon became known as the Surtees TS5 and after early successes with the works cars, Surtees put the TS5 into production and soon made his first sale, Mike Goth buying the freshly-completed fifth car. However, only two more were built and the only sales were of second-hand cars in the US. One of these was to Garner who had parted company with AIR in August 1969 and ran a TS5 for Scooter Patrick.
Thanks to Chris Townsend, Dave Jordan, Mark Harmer, Wolfgang Klopfer, Al Moore, Jeremy Jackson, David McKinney, Pete Stowe, Ian Hebblethwaite, Anthony Smith, Eli Solomon, Rob Fischetti, Hamilton Vose III, Andrew Sleutjes, Todd Hankinson, Franz Guggemos, Chris Novatny, Wouter Melissen, Hugo Becker, Kelly Holtzclaw, D David France, Jim Bandy, Warwick Mortimer, Frank Mayer, Rob van Westenburg and Didier Mantz. All and any help would be gratefully received. Please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com if you can add anything.
Scooter Patrick in Garner's TS5 at St Jovite in 1969. Around the car are chief crew Max Kelly, Rob Fischetti and three of Garner's film crew. Copyright Rob Fischetti 2005. Used with permission.
Andy Sleutjes' Surtees TS5 in 2016 as it approached the end of its restoration. Copyright Andrew Sleutjes 2017. Used with permission.
This car built by Len Terry (see Motoring News 21 Aug 1969 p12). Team Surtees UK 1969: driven by Andrea de Adamich (R1 - R7) and Taylor (R8 Zandvoort 10 Aug: won; and Oulton Park Gold Cup 16 Aug 1969: 4th). Not seen thereafter but not used as De Adamich went to US. Unlikely to be the de Adamich US car as his first race was only seven days after Oulton Park. More likely that de Adamich used TS5/04 in the US, and that TS5/01 was redundant at this point. Chassis 001 is then likely to be the car sent to the US for James Garner's Cherokee Racing to run for Scooter Patrick (R10 Lime Rock on 1 September, and R11 St Jovite where he crashed). The roll hoop on this car appears different to those on the later cars.
The car was sold by Garner to Harvey Lasiter (Studio City, CA), who had been sharing a McLaren M1A Can-Am car with Doug Hooper (Studio City, CA) for the past two seasons. Raced by Hooper in two Pro events (R4 Laguna Seca 14 Jun 1970 and R12 Mid-Ohio 27 Sep 1970) and by Lasiter in the SCCA National at Riverside 5 Jul 1970. Almost certainly the Surtees driven by Lou Sell (Fullerton, CA) at the SCCA National at Ontario Motor Speedway on 20 Sep 1970.
According to Kelly Holtzclaw, who hung out at Riverside as a kid and remembers waxing this car many times, this same Surtees was driven by Hooper, Ozzie Pohl and Mickey Fowler. He also says that Lou Sell drove the car on several occasions.
So from Lasiter and Hooper it passed to Eric S Pohl (Santa Fe Springs, CA) - also known as Ossie Pohl or Ozzie Pohl - SCCA Regionals 1970: driven by Pohl at the Willow Springs Regional 13 Dec 1970). Also driven by Sell in a National at Riverside 13 Feb 1971 and by Ozzie Pohl in the opening Pro race, at his local Riverside 25 Apr. Pohl crashed at Turn 7A when he turned into Skip Barber and ended upside down. The car was heavily damaged but Holtzclaw reports that it was later repaired and sold to Micky Fowler (Glendale, CA). Raced by Fowler in SCCA Nationals and Regionals in California from April to July 1972. Although he won at least one National, he is missing from the end of season points table. Advertised in Autoweek 19 Aug 1972 and 30 Sep 1972 ("leading So Pac National points").
Bought from Fowler by D. David France (San Anselmo, CA) and used in SCCA Driver's School to obtain his competition licence. As it rained and France had only slick tyres available, it wasn't an ideal choice of car for a novice! It was raced by France in San Francisco Regionals at Sears Point and Laguna Seca in 1973 (first known event being at Sears Point 22 Jul 1973) and then in Regionals and at least one National in the same area in 1974. Sold to his brother John France (San Anselmo, CA) and raced in Nationals at Sears Point, Portland and Laguna Seca in 1976. Used by John France in 1977 and its last known appearance was when he collided with Bob Allen in practice at Sears Point 13 Aug 1978 and ruptured the fuel tank on the Surtees, resulting in a fire that severely damaged the car. D. David recalls that after the crash and fire, John sold the car disassembled but does not know the name of the purchaser.
Bought from France via Bruce Tennery of Fantasy Junction by Andrew Sleutjes (Westlake Village, CA) in 2000. Based on information from John Surtees, Andy identified it as the car "originally sold to James Garner". He reskinned the monocoque as there had been so much damage to it over the years. By February 2017, the car was close to the end of its restoration, and Andy expected to run it later in the year.
Driven by: Andrea de Adamich, Trevor Taylor, Scooter Patrick, Doug Hooper, John McDonald, Harvey Lassiter, Lou Sell, Ozzie Pohl, Micky Fowler, D. David France and John France. First race: Brands Hatch (UK R2), 7 Apr 1969. Total of 44 recorded races.
Jackie Pretorius' Doug Serrurier-owned Surtees TS5 in the Bulawayo paddock in 1970. Copyright Doug Brown 2005. Used with permission.
Anthony Smith's Surtees TS5 just after the completion of its restoration early in 2005. Copyright Anthony Smith 2005. Used with permission.
Never seen in the UK so presumably AIR for US 1969. If so, it would have been white. An Autoweek (28 Jun 1969 p2) news item, reporting that AIR have switched to Eagles, says that the TS5s "have been returned to Surtees' TS Research and Development shop in England". This might have been the white car used by Trevor Taylor at Sebring (US R13 28 Dec 1969), but it seems more likely that he would have used chassis 006.
According to the F1 Register, this was the Surtees owned by Doug Serrurier and raced by Jackie Pretorius in the South African championship in 1970. It was fitted with a Ford V8 engine. To Willie Ferguson for 1971, but replaced with a Surtees TS8 after two races. Then raced by Spencer Shultze for the rest of the 1971 season. Having driven the Team Gunston F1 Brabham in 1971, Pretorius returned to the TS5 for 1972. Sold to Nolly Limberis for 1973 and 1974. Not seen in 1975. The car was then sold to Phillip Smith to be used in drag racing, but was crashed on its first outing, damaging the rear suspension. Smith sold the engine and stored the rest of the car, still unrepaired, until 2013, when he sold it to Anthony Smith, who brought it to the UK and started a not-and-bolt restoration. The restoration was completed early in 2005.
Bought in the UK by Warwick Mortimer (Matakana, New Zealand) in 2009 and raced at Pukekohe, Hampton Downs and Ruapuna over the next four years, as well as in Australia for the 2011 Australian Grand Prix F5000 support race and in the UK at Oulton Park and Brands Hatch in 2011. Raced by Mortimer in the Tasman Revival in 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15. Last seen at the Howden Ganley F5000 Festival at Hampton Downs in January 2015.
Driven by: Jackie Pretorius, Willie Ferguson, Spencer Schultze and Nolly Limberis. First race: Roy Hesketh (R3), 30 Mar 1970. Total of 41 recorded races.
Team Surtees UK 1969: driven by David Hobbs. For first two races early April; then presumably to US for Hobbs/TS/Garner (DNS US R1 Riverside). Most likely to have been Hobbs' US car later in 1969.
Driven by: David Hobbs. First race: Oulton Park (UK R1), 4 Apr 1969. Total of 2 recorded races.
Team Surtees UK 1969: driven by Trevor Taylor at R3 Brands Hatch 11 May (pole but DNS), by David Hobbs at R4 Mallory Park 26 May, Taylor again at R5 Silverstone 15 June, and then Hobbs at R6 Mondello Park 13 Jul, where he won, the first win for the marque. The car then disappears from the British series and presumably was shipped out to the US for Hobbs. Hobbs' first race in US was R6 Elkhart Lake 20 Jul, just seven days after Mondello Park, so he is more likely to have been driving TS5-003, which had left the UK some weeks earlier, and TS5-004 is then likely to have been De Adamich's US car later in the season.
Driven by: Trevor Taylor and David Hobbs. First race: Mallory Park (UK R4), 26 May 1969. Total of 3 recorded races.
Mike Goth's Surtees TS5 at Road America 1969. Copyright Tom Schultz 2005. Used with permission.
Either Fred Phillips or Ron Grable in Phillips' Surtees TS5 at Lime Rock in 1970. Copyright Autosports Marketing Associates and Bill Oursler 2001. Used with permission.
Mike Goth US 1969 (four races; debut R6 Elkhart Lake 20 Jul); Tasman 1970 (crewed by Brian Burness and Joey Cavaglieri). Taken in part-exchange by Charlie Hayes for a Lola T190 by May 1970 and advertised by Hayes 23 May 1970. To Fred Phillips (New Orleans, LA) US 1970 (R9 Brainerd 16 Aug). Collided with Ron Grable in practice for R10 Lime Rock 7 Sep 1970 and Philips was blamed for accident. Philips did not start and loaned car to Grable for the race; Grable finished 8th. Advertised by Phillips 30 Jan 1971 ("Late Surtees TS5 … spares for nearly a complete extra car").
To Chris Cook (Holland, TX) US 1971 (5 races; debut R2 Laguna Seca 2 May 1971); US 1972 (1 race only: R3 Watkins Glen 18 Jun 1972). According to Rob van Westenburg's research, Cook reversed the car into the wall at Elkhart Lake and damaged the left rear. The TS5 was sold to Ron Franklin and his brother in Oklahoma soon after and was traded to John Barker (Denver) 1974 who restored it.
Frank Mayer (Colorado Springs, CO) purchased the car from John Barker's Performance Development & Racing (Denver, CO) in boxes in 1985. He completed the restoration in 1988, and raced in Colorado at Avon, Copper Mountain, Steamboat Springs and LaJunta; in Arizona at Firebird, in New York at Waktkins Glen, and in Connecticut at Lime Rock. Advertised in Victory Lane in 1991. In 1993, he sold the car to John Obilero (Denver, CO). By 1995, the car had moved to Rob van Westenberg (Morrison, CO) 1995.
Rob van Westenberg still has this car in February 2017.
Driven by: Mike Goth, Fred Phillips, Ron Grable and Chris Cook. First race: Road America (US R6), 20 Jul 1969. Total of 20 recorded races.
A new white car built for Tetsu Ikusawa but the deal fell through, and the car was entered by Team Surtees for Trevor Taylor at the Koksijde round of the Guards F5000 championship on 3 Aug 1969. Taylor won first time out in the car, giving the team back-to-back wins. The car was then raced by Derek Bell at Zandvoort a week later, and then by Andrea de Adamich at the Oulton Park Gold Cup on 16 August. Then handed to Team Elite for Taylor late season (R9 Snetterton 1 Sep 1969, R10 Hockenheim where said to be green and white, R11 and R12), but crashed at the last race. Later "found to be more badly damaged than at first thought" - Autosport 6 Nov 1969 pp22-23.
Almost certainly the white car used by Taylor at Sebring (US R13 28 Dec 1969). Presumably sold in US for 1970 season to Sherwood Johnston. (NB: This number given by F1 Register to Alex Blignaut's TS5 driven by Eddie Keizan in South Africa in 1972 but see TS5A/007.)
Driven by: Trevor Taylor, Derek Bell and Andrea de Adamich. First race: Koksijde (UK R7), 3 Aug 1969. Total of 7 recorded races.
Fellow competitor Sandy Shepard took this shot of David Hobbs' Surtees TS5 at Sebring in 1969. Copyright Sandy Shepard 2006. Used with permission.
Robert Fischetti's Surtees TS5, probably at Laguna Seca 1971. Copyright Al Moore 2002. Used with permission.
Team Surtees US 1969: New for David Hobbs at Sebring, the final round of the US series, which he won. Next seen when raced by Trevor Taylor in the UK series in 1970 as a development car, testing wheels and brakes for the forthcoming TS7 F1 car. Damaged in a startline accident at Brands Hatch in early May, and replaced with a brand new TS5A.
The TS5 was sold to Robert Fischetti (Redondo Beach, CA): SCCA Nationals late 1970 (first seen winning an SCCA National at Ontario on 20 Sep 1970; 2nd Southern Pacific Division with 8pts); US 1971 (all 8 races plus both USAC Seattle races); US 1972 (DNQ at R1 Laguna Seca 7 May). Wrecked in practice at R2 Watkins Glen 1972.
Surviving parts of the car were used to construct the FA 101 Formula 5000 car that Fischetti raced in 1973.
Driven by: David Hobbs, Trevor Taylor and Robert Fischetti. First race: Sebring International Raceway (US R13), 28 Dec 1969. Total of 15 recorded races.
Surtees TS5A
The 1970 development of the TS5, dubbed the TS5A, appears to have only very minor changes. Motoring News (4 Dec 1969 p14) mentions only "revised front and rear suspension, simplified fuel and oil systems, increased braking efficiency, new magnesium steering rack, chassis mods, choice of Hewland LG500, 600 or DG300 gearbox plus many other detail modifications to improve efficiency and maintenance". A bragging war was going on with Trojan, who had stated their intention to build 50 M10Bs (they didn't manage half that) so Surtees said the initial batch of 15 TS5As "will probably be increased" and Autosport, the same week, said that 15 firm orders had been received from the US. Coverage of the TS5A in the UK specialist press was minimal and when it was mentioned in Autosport (4 Dec 1969 p2), there was no picture and Trojan had bought the facing page for a M10B advert. Between seven and ten TS5As appear to have been built.
In December 1969, Hamilton Vose III formed Royal American Competition Enterprises in Chicago and RACE were appointed mid-western importer of the new TS5A. Vose bought both of Team Surtees' 1969 US cars and was said to have three TS5As on order but Vose told the author in 2005 that he did not buy any TS5As. Fred Opert also ordered a car for John Gunn, and Gregg Young ordered a car, but the only other US order came from Mike Goth who traded his for a Lola T190 before it even raced. The only UK customer was Irish Racing Cars for Alan Rollinson.
At the end of the 1971 season, Alex Blignaut did a deal with Team Surtees to buy a pair of old TS5As. These were TS5A/007, the 1970 Hobbs US car used only for a hire deal in 1971, and the ex-Rollinson/Trimmer TS5A/008. Both were fitted with Ford engines for South Africa. With 001 and 009 having been wrecked, all the other surviving TS5As were in the US.
New car as a Team Surtees entry in the UK series in 1970. Driven by Trevor Taylor at the first three races, and then taken over by David Hobbs at Zandvoort in April, with Taylor moving into the team's "development" TS5. Raced by Hobbs again at the International Trophy, and at the Brands Hatch round on 3 May. At the start of the second heat at Brands, Hobbs and works Lola driver Mike Hailwood collided, and the Surtees was "severely damaged". Not seen again as a new car was built for Hobbs to race in the US, so presumably written off.
Driven by: Trevor Taylor and David Hobbs. First race: Oulton Park (UK R1), 27 Mar 1970. Total of 5 recorded races.
May be the Fred Opert/John Gunn car. However, it is distinctly possible some of the numbers 002, 003, 004 and 005 were not used for a complete car.
May be the Fred Opert/John Gunn car. However, it is distinctly possible some of the numbers 002, 003, 004 and 005 were not used for a complete car.
May be the Fred Opert/John Gunn car. However, it is distinctly possible some of the numbers 002, 003, 004 and 005 were not used for a complete car.
May be the Fred Opert/John Gunn car. However, it is distinctly possible some of the numbers 002, 003, 004 and 005 were not used for a complete car.
Fred Stout's Surtees TS5A at Mosport Park in 1975. Copyright Jerry Melton courtesy Cliff Reuter etceterini.com 2017. Used with permission.
Gregg Young (Wilton, Conn) had raced a McLaren M10B in the 1970 US Formula A series, but at Mid-Ohio in late September, he was entered in a Surtees TS5A. It appears that he raced his McLaren as usual, but the Surtees was driven for Young's Young-American Racing Team by John Gunn (Miami, FL), who had raced a TS5A for Fred Opert Racing until it had been wrecked at the preceding race. Gunn raced the car again at Sebring 25 Oct 1970. The car was then driven by Nestor Garcia Veiga at the Argentine GP 24 Jan 1971, where Young was again racing his McLaren.
Sold to Bill Johnson (Kansas City, MO) for Jim Bandy (Grandview, MO) US 1971 (4 races; debut R1 Riverside 25 Apr 1971, entered by Bill Johnson Racing) and called the Spirit of Kansas City; SCCA Nationals (won at Mid-America Raceway 13 Jun and Hutchinson 8 Aug; Midwest Division: 5th with 9pts) then raced by Ron Stafford (Lake Lotawana, MO) SCCA Nationals 1971 (first seen winning FA class at Dallas International Motor Speedway 10 Oct 1971). SCCA Midwest Division: 3rd with 15pts; also 3rd at ARRC in TS5A.
Bought from Johnson by Fred Stout (Brentwood/St Louis, MO) and his mechanic partner Bland McCoy, and raced in SCCA Nationals and occasional Pro races in 1975. In September 1975, Stout crashed the car very heavily in an SCCA race at Mid-America Raceway. He lost control, hit the guardrail and then hit a telegraph pole. The cockpit of the car had folded in, trapping him, and the dashboard and other metal had to be cut away to free him. He was taken to hospital with two broken legs and a broken ankle. Stout's nephew, Fred Stout Jr, recalls that the car was later 'purchased by unknown but went to England for restoration and racing'.
Driven by: John Gunn, Nestor Garcia Veiga, Jim Bandy, Ron Stafford and Fred Stout. First race: Mid-Ohio (US R12), 27 Sep 1970. Total of 12 recorded races.
David Hobbs in his victorious Surtees TS5A at Lime Rock in 1970. Copyright Autosports Marketing Associates and Bill Oursler 2001. Used with permission.
Didier Mantz's beautifully restored Surtees TS5A, shwoing that it is possible to extend a rollhoop for historic racing without damaging the car's aesthetics. Copyright Didier Mantz 2018. Used with permission.
Team Surtees for David Hobbs US 1970 (8 races: debut R6 Dallas 5 Jul; won at R10 Lime Rock 7 Sep). Advertised by TS Research as "Hobbs' Continental winning car complete as raced ... at Fred Opert's" in February 1971. Returned to UK and leased by TS to Hervé Bayard UK 1971 (2 races: retired at R15 Oulton Park 18 Sep; 11th at R16 Brands Hatch 26 Sep).
Sold to Eddie Keizan December 1971 and converted to Ford engines (the ex JW Mirage units). Prepared and run by Alex Blignaut for Keizan SA 1972 (debut Killaney 8 Jan 1972); for Nols Niemann SA 1973 (R1 and R2 only; replaced by the TS8) - Peter Haller SA 1973 (from R3 Welkom); SA 1974; not seen in 1975.
Later sold to "a chap in Durban", then to Brian Tyler and sold by him to Jon Reakes (UK) first seen in HSCC events 1987 but may have been racing earlier. Raced until 1995 at least (some time between 1987 and 1992, the car's livery changes from blue to red) including Donington Park 19 Jul 1987, Colerne sprint 1991, Donington Park 13 Sep 1992, Mallory Park 23 May 1993, Donington Park 3 Sep 1994 and Castle Combe on 5 Aug 1995. Via Brooks to Peter Kormann (Germany) 1997 - Frank Dennert 1999 - Franz Guggemos (Bavaria, Germany) 2005. Guggemos retained the car until March 2012 when he sold it to Klaus Fiedler (Wald, Switzerland). The car remained dark blue at that point and stayed based near Hockenheim. By 2013, Fiedler had repainted it in Hobbs' 1970 livery. In late 2016, the car was bought by Gislain Génécand (Geneva, Switzerland) and was restored in France by Didier Mantz. Raced in the Grand Prix de France Historique at Paul Ricard in June 2021.
Driven by: David Hobbs, Hervé Bayard, Eddie Keizan, Nols Nieman, Peter Haller and Jon Reakes. First race: Dallas International Motor Speedway (US R6), 5 Jul 1970. Total of 41 recorded races.
This picture taken in the pits at Killarney almost certainly shows Rob Thomas's TS5A. In the background is the sister TS5A still in Blignaut's Lucky Stripe colours, implying it was taken early 1973. Copyright Danie van den Berg 2005. Used with permission.
New to Mick Mooney's Irish Racing Cars in June 1970 for Alan Rollinson to race in the British F5000 series. This car returned to Surtees at the end of the season, and was loaned to Tony Lanfranchi for 1971 if he could find an engine for it. A deal for David Hepworth to run it for Rollinson fell through at the last moment, and the car sat in the paddock at the International Trophy, unused. The car was then loaned to Tony Trimmer, who acquired a Lola-modified Chevrolet engine and raced it from July 1971 onwards.
It again returned to Surtees, and was sold to Eddie Keizan in December 1971 as a spare to TS5A/007 and converted to Ford engines (the ex JW Mirage units). Prepared and run by Alex Blignaut for Richard Sterne SA 1972 (debut Kyalami 3 Jun 1972). Then to Bob Thomas Racing for Rob Thomas SA 1973 (from R1); disappears mid-season; not seen in 1974 or 1975. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Alan Rollinson, Tony Trimmer, Richard Sterne, Guy Tunmer and Rob Thomas. First race: Silverstone (UK R10), 6 Jun 1970. Total of 18 recorded races.
New in May 1970 and driven by John Surtees in about 10 test laps at Brands Hatch prior to the F5000 race at Mallory Park on 24 May. Raced by Trevor Taylor at Mallory Park, quaifying fifth, and finishing third. Taylor then won the next race, at Mondello on 1 June, but did not start at the Silverstone race the following weekend, because the Traco engine was down on power. After missing the next two races due to the lack of a serviceable engine, he returned to F5000 for the Salzburgring race, now using a Bartz engine rebuilt by Charles Lucas Engineering. During the afternoon practice session, he had a front tyre burst as he approached a flat-out right hander at 160 mph, hit the guard rail and ended up upside down in the track. The car was a complete write off, but Taylor emerged unhurt.
Driven by: Trevor Taylor. First race: Mallory Park (UK R8), 25 May 1970. Total of 2 recorded races.
Tom Snellbeck's Surtees TS5A being restored at Baci Motorsports in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Copyright Chris Novatny 2006. Used with permission.
Kyle Hallett's restored Surtees TS5A in April 2021. Copyright Kyle Hallett 2021. Used with permission.
Sold new to RACE but not used. It would appear that RACE continued to use their ex-works TS5s. This must be the car advertised by Hamilton Vose (Chicago, IL) in Autoweek 15 Apr 1972, described as a 1970 TS5A that "has never been out of our shop". The car then had a Weismann gearbox, indicating that it is the unassembled Surtees that was later owned by Donald Finlayson but again not raced by him. Finlayson sold it to Tom Snellback (of The Last Detail, North Chicago, IL) and it was restored for him by Baci Motorsports in the late 1980s. Raced by Snellback at Elkhart Lake in 1991 and advertised by him in September 1993. Snellback put the car into an auction at Elkhart Lake in 1999 where it was bought by Tom Juckette (Clive, IA). He was entered in a race at Elkhart Lake in July 2000 and also finished sixth in class at the BRIC event at Elkhart Lake in July 2001 in the #411 "1970 Surtees TS5". Juckette died in 2005 but the car was retained by his wife Linda Juckette until sold in March 2015 to Kyle Hallett (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia), who has researched the car's history. The restoration was completed by June 2021, when the car ran demo laps at Queensland Raceway. Sold by Hallett to Rod Robertson (Brisbane) in 2024.
The UK cars in the US in 1969
During the 1969 season, the Team Surtees cars disappeared one by one from the British championship and popped up in the US series. However, as we know two TS5s had been at Riverside testing in mid-April, it is difficult to be certain about the movements of the first four TS5s. The histories below show the most likely usage of the cars, but only very detailed photographs from every race would allow this to be verified.
Team Surtees for David Hobbs US 1969 (from R6 Elkhart Lake 20 Jul): seven races, wins at Donnybrook, St Jovite and Thompson. Then sold to Hamilton Vose III of RACE for the remaining Canadian and US races of 1969 (debut Mosport Park Canadian R9 14 Oct 1969; also raced at Sebring US R13 28 Dec 1969).
Reports at the time say that RACE bought one or two new TS5As for 1970 but Hamilton Vose recalls only the two ex-works cars. If he is right, this, or its sister ex-de Adamich car would be the one used by Vose in US 1970? If so, the 2-speed automatic at Riverside April 1970 (CP&A 23 May 1970 p5). Crashed at Sears Point June 1970 and sold, still damaged, to Ken Kloster.
Driven by: David Hobbs and Hamilton Vose. First race: Road America (US R6), 20 Jul 1969. Total of 10 recorded races.
Team Surtees for Andrea de Adamich US 1969 (from R9 Mosport Park 23 Aug 1969): four races: best result second place at St Jovite behind Hobbs. Sold to RACE and driven by Rick DeJarld at Sebring in December. Advertised by Richard L. DeJarld (Joliet, Illinois) in March 1970 as "Former De Adamich car, identical to Hobbs' winner, 6 races only". According to Hamilton Vose, he did not buy new TS5As for 1970 so this car would have to be the John Martin "TS5A" in 1970.
Presumably then the complete car sold to Ken Kloster.
Driven by: Andrea de Adamich and Dick DeJarld. First race: Mosport Park (US R9), 23 Aug 1969. Total of 5 recorded races.
Trevor Taylor made a one-off appearance in the US series, driving a white TS5 at Sebring in late December 1969. Given what we know about the movements of 001 (a red car by then with James Garner's Cherokee Racing), 002 (white, but sold to South Africa for 1970), 003 and 004 (probably the two cars sold to Hamilton Vose's RACE operation), 005 (with Mike Goth) and 007 (a dark blue car new for Hobbs at Sebring), this car is almost certainly chassis 006.
This is then likely to have remained in the US, so would probably be the car raced by Sherwood Johnston in 1970.
Driven by: Trevor Taylor. First race: Sebring International Raceway (US R13), 28 Dec 1969. Only one recorded race.
1970
Also, four new TS5 combinations appear in 1970: Sherwood Johnston (from R1 Riverside 19 Apr) and Lou Sell (in Ozzie Pohl's TS5/001) joining Fred Philips in TS5/005 and Robert Fischetti in TS5/007. As five or six TS5s appear to have remained in the US and as Vose appears to have still had 003 and 004 in 1970, it would seem likely that Johnston's car must be chassis 006.
Sherwood Johnston (Scottsdale, AZ) and fitted with Ford engine. Entered in the US Pro series by J & B Racing (Phoenix, AZ) R1 Riverside 19 Apr 1970 to Road America 18 Jul 1970; also raced by Lou Sell (R5 Sears Point). Not seen again after the Road America race, from which it retired with a blown head gasket. The car was orange and was entered as #15. Subsequent history unknown but see the Nick Dioguardi car. Sherwood Johnston died in November 2000.
Driven by: Sherwood Johnston and Lou Sell. First race: Willow Springs, 15 Mar 1970. Total of 6 recorded races.
John Gunn in Fred Opert's Surtees TS5A at Lime Rock in 1970. Copyright Autosports Marketing Associates and Bill Oursler 2001. Used with permission.
Fred Opert (New Jersey) for John Gunn US 1970 (10 races: best finish 2nd place at R5 Sears Point 28 Jun and R6 Dallas 5 Jul). Wrecked in practice crash at R11 Mosport Park 13 Sep. Gunn moved to the Young America team with a new TS5A/006.
Subsequent history unknown but the damaged tub still in Gunn's livery was sold by Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) to Rob van Westenberg (Morrison, CO) about 2003. This tub still with van Westenberg in February 2017, when it was in the process of being reconstructed.
Driven by: John Gunn. First race: Riverside (US R1), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 10 recorded races.
RACE (Chicago, IL) for John Martin (Bristol, Wisc.) US 1970 (9 races: debut R4 Laguna Seca 14 Jun; best finish 4th at R6 Dallas 5 Jul and R11 Mosport Park 13 Sep). Vose now advises that Martin's car was one of his ex-works TS5s, not a TS5A. It is then likely to be the complete car sold to Ken Kloster.
Driven by: John Martin. First race: Laguna Seca (US R4), 14 Jun 1970. Total of 10 recorded races.
RACE (Chicago, IL) for Rex Ramsey (Sherman Oaks, CA) US 1970 (one race only: R7 Elkhart Lake 18 Jul). Presumably entered by RACE as entered at #88. Possibly the former Hamilton Vose TS5 crashed at R5 Sears Point 28 Jun 1970 but more likely to be the second "TS5A" mentioned in RACE adverts. In Autoweek 1 May 1971, RACE advertise two TS5As: one complete and one dismantled. The dismantled car is said to be needing $750 of work - suggesting an accident - and is said to have only one race on it. Only the Ramsey car would appear to fit this description. Subsequent history unknown but quite likely to be one of the cars involved in the deal between Vose and Ken Kloster for Kloster's Ford GT40. If so, see 'the Kloster car'.
Driven by: Rex Ramsey. First race: Road America (US R7), 18 Jul 1970. Only one recorded race.
Jeffrey Kallenberg (Shreveport, LA) advertised a TS5 on 7 Nov 1970. This is very probably Phillips' TS5/005 as Phillips was also from Louisiana and his company, Phillips Energy Inc, is based in Shreveport.
1971
Of the six 1969 TS5s that appear to have been racing in 1970 (those of Vose, Martin, Phillips, Fischetti, Johnston and Pohl), Pohl kept the 001 he had recently bought from Harvey Lasiter, Vose's 003 was wrecked, the second Vose car (now thought to be 004) went to Ken Kloster, Phillips' 005 went to Chris Cook, and Fischetti's 007 was retained, so only Johnston's (thought to be 006) disappears at this point.
Only two TS5As had appeared in custoemr hands in the US in 1970: the Opert/Gunn car had been wrecked, and the Young/Gunn 006 went to Bill Johnson for 1971. The other claimed TS5A sales, Mike Goth's along with an unknown number of RACE cars, did not appears in 1970 or in 1971.
Just one new mystery appears: Nick Dioguardi's "TS5B". Dioguardi was based in Los Angeles, close to the homes of Harvey Lasiter, Doug Hooper, Lou Sell and Micky Fowler, but he cannot have been driving TS5/001 as he appears in the same race as Ozzie Pohl at Riverside in April 1971. As Dioguardi's first known outing was at Phoenix, he seems likely that he was there picking up Sherwood Johnston's TS5-006, based nearby in Scottsdale.
Nick Dioguardi's Surtees TS5 at Lime Rock in 1971. Copyright Frank Cornell 2020. Used with permission.
Nick Dioguardi (Glendale, CA) acquired a Surtees TS5 late in 1970. He entered the car for the SCCA Runoffs in November, having qualified in a WRE, but did not arrive. Dioguardi raced the car in SCCA Nationals in early 1971, winning the FA class at Phoenix 28 Feb 1971, and finishing second at Willow Springs 14 Mar. He qualified for the Runoffs but retired. He also ran the car in all eight races of the 1971 Pro series. Retained for SCCA Nationals in early 1972, winning at Phoenix 27 Feb, and also appearing at Riverside earlier in February and at Holtville Aerodrome in March. Subsequent history unknown, but likely to be the car driven by Stuart Forbes-Robinson in southern California later in 1972.
Dioguardi died in his native Alia, in Italy, in May 2015.
Driven by: Nick Dioguardi. First race: Phoenix International Raceway, 28 Feb 1971. Total of 17 recorded races.
Ken Kloster (Toledo, OH) acquired two Surtees from Hamilton Vose in exchange for Kloster's Ford GT40 (chassis 1061), one of which was damaged from Vose's accident at Sears Point in June 1970. He raced one of these cars but only briefly as he crashed heavily in practice on his first 'Pro' F5000 appearance, at Mid-Ohio 5 Jul 1971. He ran off the course during ther Monday morning session "into dense trees" and was "hospitalised overnight with a broken shoulder and a 'slight broken neck'".
All Kloster's material was later sold to Howie Fairbanks.
Driven by: Ken Kloster. First appearance: Mid-Ohio (US R4), 5 Jul 1971.
1972
It is still possible to track the known US TS5s and TS5As into 1972. Of the six TS5s in the US, Pohl's 001 went to Micky Fowler for 1972, Vose's 003 had been wrecked, the second Vose car (presumably 004) was still with Ken Kloster, Chris Cook still had 005, and Fischetti had retained 007. The missing car is 006, possibly the car Sherwood Johnston had raced in 1970, and thought to have gone to Nick Dioguardi for 1971. Of the US-based TS5As, Bill Johnson's 006 was not seen in 1972 but is likely to have stayed in Missouri as it was later sold to Fred Stout, and the Opert/Gunn car had been wrecked. We now know that there was also an unraced TS5A-010 still with Hamilton Vose's RACE.
Of the earlier mystery cars, Dioguardi retained his car in California for the first few races of the 1972 SoCal season but it appears that it went to Stuart Forbes-Robinson later in the year.
Stuart Forbes-Robinson (Huntington Beach, CA) US 1972 (3 races); SCCA Nationals 1972 (won at Willow Springs 17 Sep, DSQ at Phoenix 1 Oct; Southern Pacific Division: 5th with 9pts). SFR's own recollection was that "I bought it from Sam Winston and picked it up at Sam Posey's house in Dana Point, CA" but it now looks like he's remembering his later TS8, not this TS5.
Ed Pitz' report on the July 1972 Riverside Regionals for The Wheel said that SFR won the F/SCCA race in "his ex-Dioguardi FA Surtees" but the results of that race show Micky Fowler winning the race, not SFR. Either way, one of them had the ex-Dioguardi car. As we can now be confident that the Fowler car was the ex-Pohl TS5/01 that then went to D. David France, it must indeed be the ex-Dioguardi car that SFR is racing.
Forbes-Robinson did not continue in Formula A in 1973, and when he next raced in the category in 1974, it was in a newer Surtees TS8. The subsequent history of the TS5 is unknown.
Driven by: Stuart Forbes-Robinson. First race: Road Atlanta (US R6), 20 Aug 1972. Total of 5 recorded races.
1973
Two TS5s appeared in 1973, one just in an advert but the other was the ex-Micky Fowler TS5/001, already a stalwart of Southern California local racing which was moving its activites to the north of the state where it was driven by intrepid novice D. David France.
John C. Hancock (Austin, TX) advertised a TS5 in Autoweek 14 Jul 1973. Nothing more known.
Austin is the nearest major city to Holland, TX, where Chris Cook's TS5-005 was based in 1971 and 1972.
1975-1979
Two old Surtees appeared in 1975 but little was seen of either. One was the ex-Bill Johnson TS5A/006, now being raced by Fred Stout; the other Howie Fairbanks' ex-Kloster car which was entered for the Runoffs at the end of the season. Stout wrecked his car, but Fairbanks continued to race his car through to the end of the 1979 season.
Much later than this, at a MIlwaukee Region drivers' school in May 1979, Joseph T Jezierski Jr drove a Surtees TS5A. It is not at all clear which car he could have had.
Howie Fairbanks' Surtees at Brainerd for an SCCA National in July 1977. Copyright Todd Peterson 2005. Used with permission.
Mark Harmer poses with John Surtees and his restored Surtees at Road America in the summer of 2003. Copyright Mark Harmer 2003. Used with permission.
Howie Fairbanks (St Paul, Minnesota) bought all Kloster's remaining Surtees parts through his company Lightweight Engineering. Howie's recollection was that Kloster had both TS5/003 and TS5/004 from Vose, and that it was TS5/003 that he crashed. Included in the parts Fairbanks acquired was a TS5 with no outer skins.
Fairbanks rebuilt the car to replace the 1969 McLaren M10A he had been using in SCCA Formula A and entered it at the 1975 Runoffs at the end of 1975, but actually raced the McLaren. He then used the Surtees in the SCCA FA class in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979. In 1980, Fairbanks sold the car to Richard Smith (Minneapolis, MN).
Nothing else known until sold by Porsche specialist Bruce Canepa (Santa Cruz, CA) to Jim Gallucci (Danville, CA). Then via InvestCar.com to Mark Harmer (Troy, MI) September 2001.
Using the SCCA number stamped on the roll bar, Harmer was able to trace the car back to Howie Fairbanks. Harmer tried to track down Ken Kloster, but was unsuccessful. Apart from the SCCA number, Mark reports that "The only other distinguishing marks on the car are the numbers stamped into the rear of the chassis and the rear crossmember, 004A".
It is still unclear whether this car is the car Kloster crashed at Mid-Ohio or was it the wreck from Vose's accident at Sears Point the year before. As Kloster bought two RACE cars, it would seem likely that this is TS5/004, the car used by de Adamich in the US in 1969 and then by DeJarld and then, presumably, John Martin in 1970. This matches its "004A" marking. However, that means that the two "TS5As" campaigned by RACE in 1970 were actually just the ex-works TS5s from 1969.
Retained by Harmer (Troy, MI) in 2009. Raced at Road America July 2013. Raced at the HAWK at Road America in July 2015 and at the Monterey Pre-Reunion a month later. Raced in the SVRA US Vintage GP at Watkins Glen in September 2016, and at Road America in July 2017. Raced at VARAC Mosport Park 16-17 June 2018, and the WeatherTech International Challenge at Road America in July 2018.
Driven by: Howie Fairbanks. First race: Road America, 6 Jun 1976. Total of 9 recorded races.
The later mystery cars
Jack Thompson's TS5 nearing the end of its restoration in 2013. Copyright Todd Hankinson 2013. Used with permission.
Jack Thompson (Philadelphia, PA) bought a TS5 or TS5A from Bill "Murph" Mayberry's Car Care Co. at Lime Rock in the 1980s. Todd Hankinson, who looks after the car, found three paint schemes while restoring it: an original all-white scheme, then "a black bottom with candy red top and yellow pinstriping", and finally "light baby blue" over that. The car has a "TS3" marking which may imply it was TS5/003. If TS5/003 was originally an AIR car, the white paint would match. However, that should have red paint over it from when it was driven by Hobbs or De Adamich later that season. Research continues.
The restoration continues and by October 2013 Todd reported it was 95% complete.
Other sources include a feature on the TS5 in Autosport (6 Nov 1969 pp22-23), the F1 Register's F5000 books, Autoweek's classified columns and Autosport's 1971 season review (6 Jan 1972 pp7-13).
These histories last updated on .