Monterey Grand Prix

Laguna Seca, 2 May 1971

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. McLaren M10B [400-10-2] (Frank Matich): New to Frank Matich (Australia) and fitted with Repco's new Holden V8 F5000 engine for Australian racing. Raced for the first time at Warwick Farm on 12 July 1970 but crashed, and rebuilt on a new tub as "M10C". Next raced at Calder on 18 Oct 1970, then at Australian Grand Prix 22 Nov 1970. Raced in the 1971 Tasman series, then to the US for the L&M series before returning to Australia for the 1971 Gold Star series. Crashed prior to Oran Park 27 June and rebuilt on third tub. To Frank Radisich at the end of 1971 and raced in the 1972 Tasman series, the 1972 Australian Gold Star, and the 1973 Tasman. To Keith Laney (NZ), fitted with a Chevrolet V8 and appeared in the Tasman series in 1974 and 1975. Then to Dennis Phillips for hill climbs 1976, then Russel Greer (Blenheim, NZ) and fitted with a 6.3-litre Chevy to win the 1979/80 NZ hill climb championship. Sold to Peter Addison (Australia) but history then unknown until acquired by Max Warwick (Australia) in the mid-1990s. Raced at Historic Sandown from 1998. Sold to Graham Wadsworth (Melbourne, Australia) 2006.
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. Brabham BT29 (Mike Hiss): At the end of 1969, Jay Jamison (San Diego, CA) bought a new red Brabham BT29 from Chip Gompf and Wayne Mitchell, who had three new BT29s in stock. Jamison raced the car in San Diego Region's early-season event at Holtville Aerodrome on 1 Feb 1970 and raced in the Pro series until an accident at Edmonton curtailed his season. The car was repaired but the Pro season was complete before he could return to competition. After two more Holtville Regionals in November 1970 and January 1971, Jamison sold the car to local dealer Charlie Hayes. Jamison is sure that this was the car Hayes then entered for Mike Hiss later in 1971. This would include the Pro Formula 5000 race at Laguna Seca 2 May 1971 where Hiss ran in Formula A with a BDA engine fitted to the Brabham.
4. Lola T142 (Len Guneau): Len Guneau (Hermosa Beach, CA): first seen winning FA class in SCCA Regionals at Laguna Seca on 12 Oct 1969, then at Riverside two weeks later, so possibly second hand but there are no obvious contenders except the cars crashed at St Jovite. If new, then likely to be one of the last three Haas cars (43, 44 or 45). Raced at Sebring 1969, the West Coast races in 1970 and at Laguna Seca 1971. On the entry list for Laguna Seca 1972. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Lola T142 [SL142/28] (Dan Harper): Invoice date 5 Mar 1969 (Sold to Haas). New to Bud Morley (Denver, CO) and raced through the 1969 US series, when it was red and entered as #14 . He advertised the car in November 1969 and again in August 1970. Sold in April 1971 to Dan Harper (Eureka, CA) who raced it at the Laguna Seca Pro race 2 May 1971 despite only having had a chance to drive it briefly at Vacaville earlier in the week. He intended to race in SCCA Nationals for the remainder of 1971 but a broken bulkhead required a lengthy rebuild and he did not score any points at SCCA level that season. He had planned to follow all the west coast Pro races in 1972, and appeared on the entry list for race at Laguna Seca on 7 May 1972 but there is no record of his participation. He also raced the car at the Laguna Seca June Sprints in 1973. Harper advertised the car in August 1974, describing it as "Best T-142 in the country; rebuilt throughout, new fabroids, etc; fresh Al Bartz engine; have full history of car; never bent". He recalled to Mike Matune in 2021 that he sold it in April 1975 to Don Korntved (Weaverville, CA) and his son Chris, who ran it in Redwood Sports Car Club (RSCC) events from 1975 to 1977. They ran the car in the RSCC's Lord Ellis Hillclimb at Blue Lake, the Keno Hill Climb near Klamath Falls, Oregon and the Virginia City Hill Climb in Nevada. Chris Korntved also won RSCC Autocross events at Samoa Field, a former airstrip in Eureka, northern California, July 1976, September 1976 and July 1977, and competed at Chico, CA, Redding, CA, and Medford, OR. He advertised the T142 at the end of 1977 and traded it to Jerry Dulski (Plymouth, MN) for Dulski's A Sedan Camaro. Dulski ran the car in Midwest SCCA Formula A until an accident at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota, when his wing collapsed in the high speed Turn 1 and he left the track, hitting a telephone pole. The car continued airborne through a number of trees before coming to a stop upside down still in the trees. Dulski was very lucky to walk away unharmed, but the Lola was a complete loss. Dulski salvaged the Hewland gearbox and used it in his next car, a Lotus 70, and the Chevy engine was later used in a Trans-Am Camaro in historic racing. A part from a few suspension parts that were sold, nothing else remained of the Lola.
6. Lola T142 (Don Inferrera): See full history: Lola T142 'the Dave Heinz car'.
7. McLaren M10A [300-02] (Gregg Peterson): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-02.
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 (Elisabeth, CO) by 2007.
9. McLaren M10A [300-05-2] (Jon Milledge): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-05.

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.

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.