Halibrand Shrike car-by-car histories
The Halibrand Engineering Company was formed by Ted Halibrand in 1947 and became a highly respected supplier of wheels and other cast magnesium components during the 1950s and 1960s. After noting the success of the 1961 Cooper T54 and the 1963 Lotus 29, Halibrand embarked on a project to build a complete Indy car, designed by his chief engineer Norman Timbs. The car followed the basic outline of the Lotus but instead of the fabricated steel bulkheads used by Lotus, the chassis comprised four cast magnesium bulkheads to which were riveted 15-gauge (0.064 inch) magnesium skins. Two pontoons. Offset suspension.
The rear suspension was based on the Lotus, with lower wishbone [single top link?] and radius rods. At the front, the car had rocker arm suspension with inboard springs, again following Lotus practice. The rack and pinion steering was also of Halibrand design and manufacture. Aircraft-style outboard disc brakes. Even the pedals were cast magnesium. The engine compartment was designed to accept either the Meyer-Drake Offy engine or the new Ford V8, and the length of the engine bay could be altered during construction as required. The car had a total of eight fuel tanks, including three rubberised nylon bladders in each pontoon. Aircraft-style fueling system.
Already had started design work on a quick-change two-speed transaxle, and Halibrand also used cast magnesium for other components such as the front suspension arms and rear wheel hub supports.
1964
The first car to be built was sold to the DVS team for Eddie Sachs to drive at the 1964 Indy 500. Finance for this came from the Red Ball Transport Company of Indianapolis. DVS had been formed a year earlier by three Indianapolis businessmen, George J Deeb, Robert A. Voight and Richard W Sommers. Deeb was head of Precision Piston Rings, Voight owned the Eagledale shopping centre and Sommers owned the Big Top drive-in restaurant. They first entered a Watson roadster for Sachs to drive in 1963, with Wally Meskowski as chief mechanic. Sachs was running well when he went off on oil being leaked by leader Parnelli Jones, oil that chief steward Harlan Fengler pretended he could not see.
The car was assembled at Halibrand's factory at Torrance, California, by Meskowski and his assistant George Morris, together with Bruce Bromme and Bud Thompson. A second Shrike was then assembled with a Mayer Drake 'Offy' engine, and this second car replaced more of the steel components with magnesium.
New to DVS, fitted with a Ford engine, and entered for Eddie Sachs to drive at the 1964 Indy 500 as the #25 American Red Ball entry. On the second lap of the race, Sachs was in a tightly-packed group of cars when Dave McDonald got his car sideways. He hit the wall and car exploded into flames, leaving a trail of burning fuel behind it. As it slid towards the outer wall, it was hit by Sachs in the Halibrand. Sachs died on impact. The Halibrand was damaged beyond repair by the fire, but reports say that its rubberised tanks held, and none of its own fuel was spilt. USAC mandated rubberised fuel tanks for the 1965 season. According to various second-hand stories, the remains of the car stayed with Ted Halibrand. It is said that it was relatively undamaged despite the fire and that the car's own fuel had not leaked. Sachs died from a neck injury, not from burns. At some point either the IMS Museum or Red Ball contacted Halibrand about the car, and this led to its restoration. A more recent story, which seems more plausible, is that "The American Red Ball Transit Company later commissioned an exact replica to be built as a tribute to Eddie Sachs and the Halibrand family presented the car to the Indianapolis Hall of fame". The car is sometimes on display at the IMS Museum.
Driven by: Eddie Sachs. First race: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (R3), 30 May 1964. Only one recorded race.
New to DVS, fitted with an Offy engine, and entered at the 1964 Indy 500 as the #75 DVS entry, with no driver nominated. There was a delay getting it completed, and AJ Foyt was one of the drivers who tried it out during practice. Duane Carter is reported to have driven the car at some point during practice, but no attempt was made to qualify. Then sold to Bill Forbes Racing for Lloyd Ruby to drive as the #75 Bill Forbes Racing entry for the rest of 1964. Ruby won the final race of the season, at Phoenix on 22 November, but immediately announced that he and his chief mechanic Dave Laycock were leaving Forbes' team. Ruby was moving to a team owned by David McManus, and made an offer to Forbes for the Phoenix-winning car.
Driven by: Duane Carter, AJ Foyt and Lloyd Ruby. First race: Milwaukee Mile (R4), 7 Jun 1964. Total of 5 recorded races.
New to DVS late in the 1964 season. Entered at Phoenix November 1964 as the #56 Tombstone Life car for Bob Veith. Retained for Jim Hurtubise to drive in 1965, but wrecked during practice on the first day of qualifying for the Indy 500. The car hit the wall at the northwest turn and was reported to be extensively damaged. George Deeb bought a share of one of Andy Granatelli's cars for Hurtubise to drive instead, and the Halibrand was said to have been "rendered into a heap of scrap".
Driven by: Bob Veith and Jim Hurtubise. First race: Phoenix International Raceway (R13), 22 Nov 1964. Total of 3 recorded races.
A test and development car late in the 1964 season, and raced by AJ Foyt at Phoenix in November 1964. Photographs suggest this was the 1964 car borrowed by Lindsey Hopkins for Bud Tingelstad to drive at the start of 1965, before Hopkins' new 1965 Halibrand was ready. The car was entered by Ted Halibrand for the Indy 500 (as #19) but when AJ Foyt and Parnelli Jones both had wheel failures in their Lotus 34s during practice, Jones looked for a backup to his Lotus. As a result, Wally Weir sold his roadster to Jones' car owner JC Agajanian. Weir then bought the #19 Halibrand and used it as his #19 Mobil Oil entry. It was raced for him by Chuck Rodee at the 1965 Indy 500 and at three other races later in the season. Retained for Indy 500 in 1966 but wrecked by Art Malone on Saturday 14 May during practice. Malone hit the wall and the car burst into flames. Press reports said that it was extensively damaged with even the metal bulkheads broken in two, and Weir later described it as "completely demolished".
Driven by: AJ Foyt, Bud Tingelstad, Chuck Rodee, Greg Weld and Art Malone. First race: Phoenix International Raceway (R13), 22 Nov 1964. Total of 6 recorded races.
1965
Duane Carter commented in an interview that Tel Halibrand had built seven and sold six. (https://www.newspapers.com/image/404292536/?terms=%22Lindsey%20Hopkins%22%20%22Halibrand%22&match=1)
A new 1965 Halibrand Shrike with Ford V8 engine bought by Dan Gurney's All American Racers for 1965 and raced by Roger McCluskey as the #25 AAR entry. Wally Meskowski was chief mechanic. It was the first of AAR's cars to be ready and was raced by McCluskey at Phoenix in late March. McCluskey retired early from the Indy 500 and then used the team's Lotus 38 at the next three races. He returned to the Halibrand for four races in July and August. The car was not seen again after this. This car is said to have become a show car for Halibrand Engineering before being sold to a collector. It was advertised by Fantasy Junction in 2005/2006.
Driven by: Roger McCluskey. First race: Phoenix International Raceway (R1), 28 Mar 1965. Total of 6 recorded races.
A new 1965 Halibrand Shrike (Clymer 1965 p41) entered by David R McManus (Hanover, Michigan) for Lloyd Ruby at the 1965 Indy 500 as the DuPont Golden 7. The team was listed as American Eagle Racing Team. The car was entered as #7 and Dave Laycock was chief mechanic. McManus and DuPont were later said to have had a "disagreement", and Ruby moved to the AAR team. Jim Hurtubise took over the McManus Halibrand for the next five races, and then Dempsey Wilson drove it at Phoenix at the end of the season. Entered at the 1966 Indy 500 as the #61 McManus Bros entry, now with an Offy engine. It was practiced by Bob Tattersall and Gary Bettenhausen, but no attempt was made to qualify. Later in the season, Bettenhausen was too slow to qualify at Milwaukee in June, then crashed in practice at Atlanta and was again too slow to qualify at Milwaukee in August. The subsequent history of this car is unknown, but in July 1970 it was being used as a show car by Ashland Oil.
Driven by: Lloyd Ruby, Jim Hurtubise, Dempsey Wilson, Bob Tattersall and Gary Bettenhausen. First race: Phoenix International Raceway (R1), 28 Mar 1965. Total of 10 recorded races.
A new 1965 Halibrand Shrike with Ford V8 engine bought by Dan Gurney's All American Racers for 1965 and raced by Joe Leonard as the #29 AAR entry. Leonard retired early from the Indy 500, but finished second at Milwaukee a week later, and won at Milwaukee again in August. He also finished second at Trenton and took several other good placings, finishing sixth in the USAC National championship. AAR built their own Eagle Indy cars for 1966 and the AAR Shrikes were not seen again after the end of 1965. This car was later used in Supermodified racing, where it was owned by Jack Huffman and driven by Duane Spangler. Spangler raced it as the Bicentennial Express at Berlin Raceway (Grand Rapids, MI) in 1976. By 2023, it was in Bob McConnell's collection, described as the ex-Leonard car but still in Spangler's livery.
Driven by: Joe Leonard. First race: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (R3), 31 May 1965. Total of 8 recorded races.
A new 1965 Halibrand Shrike bought by Jack Adams, Jack Wallis and Robert Carr and entered for Paul Goldsmith to drive in the 1965 Indy 500 as the #36 Jack Adams Aircraft entry. Chief mechanic was Danny Oakes. The car did not arrive until 16 May, and the team appear to have underestimated the difficulty of sorting the car and getting it up to speed. No attempt was made to qualify. The car was next seen at Trenton where Johnny Rutherford and Chuck Rodee both drove it. Rutherford failed to start after an oil tank cracked. The car then moved to AAR and was driven by Lloyd Ruby for the rest of the 1965 season. This is presumably the #30 AAR-entered Halibrand-Ford raced by Ruby in the Phoenix Jimmy Bryan Memorial on 20 March 1966. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Paul Goldsmith, Johnny Rutherford, Lloyd Ruby and Roger McCluskey. First race: Indianapolis Raceway Park (R8), 25 Jul 1965. Total of 7 recorded races.
A new 1965 Halibrand Shrike bought by Lindsey Hopkins for Bud Tingelstad, as a backup to his Lola T80. The car was entered as #35, but both cars carried #5. Jack Beckley was his chief mechanic. He only used the Halibrand during practice at the Indy 500. Not seen again.
Driven by: Bud Tingelstad. First appearance: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (R3), 31 May 1965.
New to Herb Porter and Ebb Rose's Racing Associates, and driven by Johnny Rutherford at the 1965 Indy 500, entered as #24. Rutherford qualifed well, but was one of the first retirements from the race. Later in the season, the car was sold to John Mecom's new Mecom Racing Team with chief mechanic George Bignotti and driver Rodger Ward. He drove it in three races at the end of the season, at Milwaukee, Trenton and Phoenix. Subsequent history unknown. This car was later reported to have been sold to Joe Barzda, before being restored by Jim Mann. In April 2023, it was fully restored and in Ray Skillman's collection.
Driven by: Johnny Rutherford and Rodger Ward. First race: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (R3), 31 May 1965. Total of 3 recorded races.
1966
By the start of the 1966 season, ten Halibrands had appeared in Indy racing, four built in 1964 and the other six in 1966. We can be confident that the Eddie Sachs 1964 car was destroyed, and it is likely that Jim Hurtubise's #56 Tombstone Life 1964 car had also been destroyed in 1965. That would have left eight cars, but the only ones of those that can be traced into 1966 were Wally Weir's ex-Foyt 1964 car and David McManus's 1965 car. The other six cannot be traced: the #75 Bill Forbes Racing 1964 car; the two AAR 1965 cars, the Jack Adams 1965 car which also moved to AAR, the Lindsey Hopkins 1965 car, and Mecom Racing's ex-Racing Associates 1965 car.
As well as Weir's #32 and McManus's #61, another five Halibrands were present at Indy in 1966: David Paul's #23; Ollie Prather's #48; Lysle Greenman and Dempsey Wilson's #51; Karl Hall's #71 and Joe Barzda's #87.
Later in that 1966 season, Clyde Lynch entered a #55 Halibrand-Offy for Gary Bettenhausen. This could only have been either the David Paul car or the David McManus car, which Bettenhausen had also driven earlier in 1966.
Joseph J. Barzda (New Brunswick, NJ) entered a Halibrand for William "Red" Riegel (Leesport, PA) to drive at the first few races of 1966 as the #87 California Speed & Shop entry. Joe Barzda described it as having been "built last year". It appeared throughout the 1966, 1967 and 1968 seasons, nearly always as #87 and still with its original Offy engine. Unknown after 1968.
Driven by: William "Red" Riegel, Chuck Arnold, Bruce Jacobi, Bob Harkey, Ronnie Duman, Sonny Ates, Wib Spalding and Rollie Beale. First race: Trenton Speedway (R2), 24 Apr 1966. Total of 11 recorded races.
David Paul (Berrien Springs, Michigan) entered a Halibrand-Offy at the Indy 500 in 1966, at Milwaukee a week later, and at the Atlanta race later in June. It was entered as the #23 Valiant Home Special. He was unable to complete his rookie test at Indy and was too slow to qualify for the other two races. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Dave Paul. First appearance: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (R3), 30 May 1966.
Charles Oliver Prather (Arcadia CA), known as Ollie, entered a Halibrand Offy at the 1966 Indy 500 shis #48 entry. It was originally intended for Billy Wilkerson to drive, but USAC would not allow him to take a rookie test, so Bob Harkey took over the drive. He could not get it up to speed and not attempt was made to qualify. The car was taken back to California and was not seen in Indy racing again. It was later sold at a Mecum auction at Anaheim in 2014 still in its original 1966 paintwork. It was subsequently placed in the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.
Driven by: Bob Harkey. First appearance: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (R3), 30 May 1966.
Gig Stephens in his Halibrand-Ford at Trenton in 1972, the seven-year-old car's last USAC race start. Copyright Rich Bunning 2020. Used with permission.
Leonard 'Gig' Stephens (North Reading, Massachusetts) ran a Halibrand-Offy in practice at the 1966 Indy 500. It was owned by Karl Hall (Orleans, IN) and was his #71 Fairchild Hiller entry. No attempt was made to qualify that year. Stephens and Al Smith appeared at a number of races with the car later that season, but it only started one race, with Stephens at Milwaukee in June. Stephens and the car returned in 1967, when it was the #36 Atamian Ford entry. Ronnie Duman and Sammy Sessions also raced it that season. Gig Stephens then took over the ownership and it was the #102 Halibrand Engineering or Tuonic Engineering entry in 1968, then the #104 Atlas Air Cargo entry for Stephens and Bob Pratt in 1969. It was then fitted with a Ford stock block engine and appeared for four more seasons of USAC racing with sponsorship from Atamanian Ford. He had a very poor record with the car failed to start a single race in 1973. In May 1973, he advertised the car, complete with 351 ci Ford "Boss" engine and Hewland LG 500, suggesting it was "ideal for Super Modified Racing". After the car finally stopped racing, it joined the collection of E Howard Brandon and was displayed still in Stephens' livery in his "Car Collectors Hall of Fame", which opened in Nashville in June 1979. The museum closed in 1998 and its contents were auctioned by Kruse in December that year, including a "1966 Indy Race Car" which was presumably the ex-Stephens Halibrand. Subsequent history unknown. In the 2000s, it was reportedly in the Talladega Museum. By 2023 the car was in Bob McConnell's collection, still wearing the #55 from its final season of competition in 1973
Driven by: Gig Stephens, Al Smith, Arnie Knepper, Ronnie Duman, Sammy Sessions, Bob Pratt and Al Loquasto. First race: Milwaukee Mile (R4), 5 Jun 1966. Total of 14 recorded races.
Lysle Greenman (Northridge, CA) and Dempsey Wilson (Hawthorne, CA) entered a Halibrand at the 1966 Indy 500 for Wilson to drive. The car had a Chevrolet engine and was entered as #51, a number it retained through its career. Dempsey failed to qualify at Indy or at Milwaukee a week later. Greenman and Dempsey returned for 1967 but again failed to start any race that season. Dempsey finally started a race in it at Hanford in 1968, and managed to start at Phoenix in April as well, but failed to start any others. Wilson entered four races in 1969, utilising a turbocharged Chevy on occasion, but the car's final appearance came when Dempsey wrecked it in practice at Trenton in September. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Dempsey Wilson. First race: Hanford Motor Speedway (R1), 17 Mar 1968. Total of 5 recorded races.
Clyde E. Lynch (Garden Grove, CA) entered a Halibrand-Offy for Gary Bettenhausen at Phoenix in November 1966 as his #55 entry. Later driven for Lynch by Gary Congdon, Tommy Copp and Bobby Hogle in 1967, again as #55 and still with its Offy engine. The drive was taken over by Keith "Porky" Rachwitz in 1968 and 1969. The car appeared again in 1970, now with Carl Trautman as mechanic and with a Ford stock block engine, but did not start a race. It appeared at a few races in 1971 and 1972 but did not qualify for any of them. Subsequent history unknown, but this is presumably the Halibrand Shrike with Ford Boss engine advertised from Los Angeles in March 1976.
Driven by: Gary Bettenhausen, Gary Congdon, Tommy Copp, Bobby Hogle and Keith Rachwitz. First race: Phoenix International Raceway (R16), 20 Nov 1966. Total of 7 recorded races.
1967
1968
Bob Falcon later wrote, "Several years later, we assembled six or seven "rollers" that were sold at a give away price of $6,500.00 through one half page ad in NSSN. These cars had a modification to the rear of the tub that permitted the installation of a rocker arm V8 engine. Most ended up in the Modified Class."
Karl Busson in his Halibrand-Chevy at Trenton in either 1970 or 1971. Copyright Rich Bunning 2020. Used with permission.
Max Dudley's 1968 car was identified by Phil Harms as a Gerhardt but a photograph in Dick Wallen's Roar From the Sixties clearly shows a Halibrand Shrike. Bob Cavanagh shared a shop with Dudley in this period and bought the Shrike after Dudley bought a 'new' Gerhardt. Dudley had bought it from AAR, making it a '65 Shrike, and its bulkier nose cone supports its AAR origins. Cavanagh then ran the car for Karl Busson from late 1969 to the end of 1971 and Bob confirms that it is the car that Harms identifies as a Gerhardt again in 1971. This is presumably also the "Halibrand Shrike" that Dudley drove at the USAC Seattle race in 1971.
Driven by: Max Dudley and Karl Busson. First race: Hanford Motor Speedway (R1), 17 Mar 1968. Total of 23 recorded races.
Jim Mulhall (Littleton, CO) entered a Halibrand-Chevy in Formula A in 1968, first appearing at the Road America Badger 200 in July, but failing to start his first two races. Mulhall raced it again in 1969, but it was destroyed in his crash at Continental Divide in June 1969. Mulhall lost control of the car and hit a water-filled oil drum that was acting as a barrier. Mulhall died later of his injuries, and a mechanic was also killed by debris.
Driven by: Jim Mulhall. First race: Laguna Seca (US R8), 12 Oct 1968. Total of 3 recorded races.
1969
It has been reported that Greg Weld had a Halibrand Shrike in Kansas City in the mid 1990s.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/halibrand-in-pursuit-of-history-stories.312153/page-4#post-6183604
But a later comment said "The car was purchased from Greg Weld's rafters a number of years ago and sat until it was recently slated for restoration. The car is almost completely restored now and resides in the Inland Empire. That specific Shrike was actually Halibrand's "house car" and they would loan it out to racers for the weekend and used it as a test best for product R&D. One of the big things that gave this car away was the fact that it had a center mount shifter, versus one on the right - which means it was designed for the guys coming up from Midget/Sprint cars that had In-N-Out boxes. The car is a 1966 model and was eventually purchased by Agajanian." Sounds like a 1966 car:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/halibrand-in-pursuit-of-history-stories.312153/page-6#post-9527903
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