Lola T240 and Lola T242 car-by-car histories
Syd Demovsky in his Lola T240 at Laguna Seca in 1972. Copyright Gus Hutchison 2006. Used with permission.
The Lola T240 was built primarily for SCCA Formula B, although a somewhat half-hearted Formula 2 version was produced. It was a big seller in the US.
Lola's US agent Carl Hass had sold over 50 Formula Ford Lola T200s during 1970, and a number of his customers could be interested in a move up to Formula B for 1971, if a suitable car could be made available. Lola's answer was the T240, a dramatic looking car based on a very wide and flat monocoque, with the fuel held in in low sidepods. The car was first seen at the Racing Car Show in January 1971, and although Lola talked of versions for Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula Atlantic, it was clear that the entire production run was destined for Carl Haas and Formula B.
Lola had been absent from Formula 2 since the Lola T102 design built for BMW in 1968, but Lola's European agent Jo Bonnier was keen to run a car in 1971 for rising star Helmut Marko, who was driving one of Bonnier's Lola T210 sports cars in the European 2-litre championship. There was some discussion of a Chevron B18, but Lola did not want to lose business to their sports racing rivals, so the prototype T240 was converted to Formula 2 specification. It was tested by Frank Gardner at Snetterton at the end of March, but was still completely unsorted when taken to Hockenheim for the F2 race a week later, and its results were poor. Such was Marko's success in sports car racing that he was elevated mid-season to the BRM F1 team, and the F2 Lola was handed back to the factory. Gardner raced it at Hockenheim in October, and got it working better, but the damage to its reputation could not be undone.
In contrast to Marko's experiences, Mike Hiss qualified third and finished second in the T240's first Formula B race. However, after Hiss wrecked his car, the other T240s did not prove to be on a par with the March 71BMs, Brabham BT35s or even Chevron B18s. An improved version, the Lola T242, was released for 1972, but there were few takers. We are still a long way from fully understanding these cars. If you can add any further information, please email Allen.
New to Écurie Bonnier to Helmut Marko to race in Formula 2 in 1971. Then a Lola Cars entry for Frank Gardner and Jo Bonnier at the end of the F2 season. Then sold via Carl Haas to the US for Formula B, and according to the SCCA log book, its first owner was Jeff Overleese (Clinton, IL) who advertised it in February 1975. It went to Daniel Moon September 1975, then to Daryl Foster (Southgate, MI) August 1977, then to Ralph Denney October 1978, and then to Lyn Hanover (Columbus, OH) in June 1979. Entered by Hanover Automotive for Terry Whitlock to race in 'A' Sports Racing in 1980, and co-driven by Whitlock and Michael Canan at the 1981 IMSA Lumbermens 500. It raced into the mid-1980s, latterly in IMSA configuration, after which it was reacquired by Ralph Denny. Acquired by 2013 by Mike Winn, still in sports car bodywork.
Driven by: Helmut Marko, Frank Gardner, Jo Bonnier, Darryl Foster, Terry Whitlock and Michael Canan. First race: Hockenheim (R1), 4 Apr 1971. Total of 10 recorded races.
New to Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) and his red #11 Demovsky Racing Lola T240 in the 1971 Pro FB series. Retained for 1972 and again did a full season, still red and still using #11. In June 1973 it was sold together with HU5 by Charlie Hayes to Eric Steele of Formula Cars Inc (Mansfield, Ohio). It is believed that the two cars were intended for the Mid-Ohio Racing School. Subsequent history unknown. A car with this chassis number raced by Bob Juggins in 1996/97.
Driven by: Syd Demovsky. First race: Seattle (R1), 23 May 1971. Total of 16 recorded races.
First owners unclear, but mentioned on an invoice in June 1973 when it was sold together with HU4 by Charlie Hayes (Santa Ana, CA) to Eric Steele of Formula Cars Inc (Mansfield, Ohio). It is believed that the two cars were intended for the Mid-Ohio Racing School. In May 1995, HU5 was acquired by Tim Gaffney, and sold straight on to Chris Fox, who rebuilt it and sold it in March 2000 to Tim Barrington (Loughborough, Leicestershire). Raced by Barrington in European Historic Formula 2 Club Trophy, International Historic Formula 2, Grand Prix Masters and HSCC Historic Formula 2 from 2000 to 2014. Later to Alex Penrith (Ojai, CA) by April 2020.
Chuck Powell's second Lola T240. Copyright Gary Powell 2020. Used with permission.
First owner(s) unknown but identified as the second Lola T240 owned by Charlie Powell (Riverside, CA), and raced by him in 1974 after his first car had been wrecked. His son Gary recalls that it was black when bought, which matches the colour of HU6 in Lola production records. Powell stopped racing at the end of 1974 or early 1975, and the Lola remained in his garage until 1978, when 18-year-old Gary re-engined the car with a Steve Jennings BDA, and then raced it in 1979. It was then parked again until being sold by Powell in July 1987 to James Jaqua (Hemet, CA), who fitted with a Cosworth BDP. To Jim Larkin (Colorado Springs, CO) in 1989 and retained to 2014. Sold to Alex Penrith (Ojai, CA) 2014. Still with Alex in April 2020, when he had also acquired HU5.
Driven by: Charlie Powell. First race: Riverside, 17 Mar 1974. Total of 3 recorded races.
Identified as the red Lola T240 raced by Chuck Wannemacher (Ottoville, Ohio) in CenDiv and Pro FB events in 1971. Retained for 1972 but only seen rarely that season. To Ed Kasprowicz (Detroit, Michigan) for 1973 and raced in the Pro event at Watkins Glen that October. Retained for 1974 and 1975, continuing to race in CenDiv Regionals and Nationals, and picking up a surprise second in class at Mid-Ohio in July 1975. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Chuck Wannemacher and Ed Kasprowicz. First race: Mid-Ohio, 6 Jun 1971. Total of 10 recorded races.
James Paterek with his Lola T240 in less-than-ideal weather conditions for racing. Copyright John Paterek 2022. Used with permission.
The first owner of this car is not known, and its history is a mystery up to 2012 or 2013, when it was advertised by K.R. Baker of Vintage Race Car Sales (Pittsfield, MA). It was then in F2 specification with a "recent Bahner tub" and alloy Cosworth BDG engine. It was sold to James Paterek (Bayville, New Jersey). Still owned by James Paterek in January 2022.
Dan Walker with his Lola T240 twin cam in the early 1980s. Copyright Daniel Walker. Used with permission.
Identified as the #8 Lola T240 raced by Quin Calhoun (Chicago, IL) in CenDiv FB events in 1971, scoring 16 points in FB that season. Retained and raced again in CenDiv in 1972 but only scored 1 point. To Carmon Solomone (Woodridge, IL) for 1973 and raced in Pro and CenDiv events over the next two seasons. History then unknown until 1981, when it was bought from somebody in Chicago by Dan Walker (Oyster Bay, NY). He autocrossed it for a couple of years, advertising it in December 1983, then sold it to somebody in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Again its history is then unknown, but it is said to have been bought by an unknown owner c1991 and owned for 20 years before being advertised c2011. Mentioned by Kim Baker of vintageracecarsales.com as traded to him around July 2013. A car with this number advertised by Greg Jacobs of Ignite Performance in January 2014.
Driven by: Quin Calhoun and Carmon Solomone. First race: Mid-Ohio, 5 Jul 1971. Total of 13 recorded races.
Invoiced to Hayes Racing in late June 1971, but it is now known how this car was used in 1971. To Ted Titmas (Van Nuys, CA) for Formula B in 1972. Retained for the first race of 1973. History then unclear until February 1978 when acquired by Rob Mullaney (Pleasant Hill, CA), but the car was still wearing Titmas's #4 Autohaus livery so may not have been used since 1973. Raced by Mullaney in SCCA Regionals in San Francisco Region in 1978. To Tom Tampi in January 1979, and raced in one SCCA Regional, then to Nathan Burmeister (Manton, CA) September 1980, and raced from 1981 to June 1984, when the car was retired and stored. Restored by Burmeister 2001 to 2003, and advertised by him on race-cars.com in February 2005. The car was acquired at that time or soon after by Bob Yarwood (Lymm, Cheshire) and returned to the UK. Later to Tim Harrison (Ripon, North Yorkshire).
Driven by: Ted Titmas, Rob Mullaney and Nathan Burmeister. First race: Riverside, 28 May 1972. Total of 17 recorded races.
Shown in Lola records as a red Lola T242 invoiced in May 1972 so probably the red #60 Lola T242 bought by Tom Fraser (Atlanta, GA), sponsored by his 't.edwards' stores. Fraser only raced it once, in the Road Atlanta Pro race in July 1972, but found it difficult to drive and spun in corner one during the race. Fraser had been entered by Bobby Rinzler Racing when he raced a Lola T212 in 1971 and his T242 was advertised by Bobby Rinzler Racing as "new car with race on it" in January 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Tom Fraser. First race: Road Atlanta (R4), 8 Jul 1972. Only one recorded race.
New to Jim Harrell (Tecumseh, Michigan), replacing the ex-Sarich T240 he raced in the Bogotá races. Used in CenDiv Formula B in 1972 and qualified for the Runoffs in November, where he retired. Sold to J. Lewis Cooper (Detroit, Michigan). History then unknown until it was advertised by Tom Young (Columbus, OH) in January 1982. Sold by Young to Charles Warner (Memphis, TN) who sent it to Mike Gue's Essex Racing in Atlanta, GA for restoration but this did not go ahead. Later sold it about 1988 to someone in North Carolina who wanted the suspension and bits for an autocross car. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Jim Harrell. First race: Nelson Ledges, 20 May 1972. Total of 5 recorded races.
Unidentified Formula B cars in 1971
Fourteen T240s are listed in Lola records (HU1 to HU15, excluding HU13) and two T242s (HU16 and HU17). All are shown as invoiced to Carl Haas except HU15 which was invoiced to Charlie Hayes on 28 June. Chassis number observations have allowed the first owners to be identified for HU4, HU8 and HU12, and information from the SCCA Logbook has helped with HU1, HU6 and HU15. Former owner Jim Harrell supplied the history for HU17.
That still leaves nine of the original production run that have unknown first owners: HU2, HU3, HU5, HU6, HU7, HU9, HU10, HU11 and HU14. The first owners of these nine cars are likely to be the nine 1971 T240 drivers whose cars are yet to be identified: Mike Hiss, Skipp Walther, Max Mizejewski, Rocky Moran, Chuck Sarich, Jim Sarich, Vincent Dileo, Bill Middleton and Howard Jackson. John Sirmons was partners with Vincent Dileo.
Charlie Hayes entered a new Lola T240 for Mike Hiss at the start of the 1971 US FB season. Hiss crashed the car at Mexico City at the end of June, flipping end over end. Hayes bought a new car to replace it so it is likely that the T240 was destroyed in this accident.
Driven by: Mike Hiss. First race: Seattle (R1), 23 May 1971. Total of 2 recorded races.
Skipp Walther (Dayton, OH) raced a royal blue or blue/silver #24 Lola T240 in the 1971 US FB Pro series. His last appearance was at Road America in August where he retired for unknown reasons. He did not appear in the CenDiv or NEDiv FB points table, implying he limited his appearances to the Pro series. Nothing more known.
Driven by: George "Skipp" Walther. First race: Seattle (R1), 23 May 1971. Total of 5 recorded races.
Vincent Dileo's Formula B Lola T240. Copyright Mathew V. Dileo 2022. Used with permission.
John Sirmons (Weston, CT) and Vincent Dileo (Greenwich, CT) shared a white Lola T240 in Formula B in 1971, Sirmons racing it in SCCA Nationals and Dileo in Canadian FB events in the latter part of the 1971 season. Dileo retained the car for 1972, racing in NEDiv SCCA FB events and in the Pro event at Watkins Glen in August. Bought from Dileo by Tom Frasca in 1974 but a year later crashed at Lime Rock and totalled. Frasca scrapped the tub and parted out the other components.
Driven by: John F. Sirmons and Vincent Dileo. First race: Thompson Speedway, 13 Jun 1971. Total of 10 recorded races.
Chuck Powell with his Lola T240 and 12-year-old son and chief mechanic Gary Powell, in August 1972. Copyright Gary Powell 2020. Used with permission.
Bought by Jean de la Bruyere (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for Max Mizejewski (Woodland Hills, CA) to race in SCCA Formula B in 1971 as "The Edmonton Flyer", after an initial project involving a March 71BM fell apart. Raced by Mizejewski in two early races of the Canadian FB series, at Edmonton (as #27) and at Mont-Tremblant (as #97). The number #97 appears on a red T240 later in 1971, and in 1972, and it seems highly likely that this was the same car. It was used by Brooks Frybarger (Carmel, CA) in an SCCA Regional at Riverside in October 1971, and then by Gordon Strom (Santa Cruz, CA/Sunnyvale, CA), entered by The Tex-All Comp, at two raced at Riverside in February 1972. Frybarger then raced it in four more northern California FB events from April to June 1972, including the Pro FB race at Laguna Seca in May. Then sold to Charlie Powell (Riverside, CA), also sometimes called Chuck Powell, who raced it in Formula B in 1972 and early 1973. His only known races in the car are at his home town track but he may have ventured further afield. He crashed the car in an SCCA National in Feb 1973, when he flipped sideways and landed upside down on the barrier, resulting in a 10-day stay in hospital. He acquired a replacement car for 1974, now known to be HU6. The fate of this first car is unknown, but it is assumed to no longer exist.
Driven by: Max Mizejewski, Brooks Frybarger, Gordon Strom and Charlie Powell. First race: Edmonton (R1), 20 Jun 1971. Total of 12 recorded races.
Rocky Moran (Arcadia, CA) raced a black #10 Lola T240 in the 1971 US FB Pro series. At the end of the season, Rocky recalls that he sold it to someone in Boulder, Colorado. This must be Bill Bachman (Boulder, CO/Nederland, CO) who raced a Transcendental Racing Lola in MWDiv Formula B in 1972. Bachman raced the Lola in a Wichita Region SCCA National at Hutchinson in June 1972, finishing second overall and winning the two-car FB class. He ended the season on 16 points and qualified for the Runoffs, Although he was a non-starter at Road Atlanta, his car was identified in the programme as a Lola T240. He retained the car for 1973, finishing third in class at MAR in May, but he did not add to his score so it is possible this car went to fellow Boulder resident Carl McIntyre who raced a Lola T240 in MWDiv FB later that season. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Rocky Moran and Bill Bachman. First race: Monterrey (R2), 20 Jun 1971. Total of 8 recorded races.
Chuck Sarich (McLean, VA/Rockville, MD) drove a silver/black/orange #57 Quicksilver Racing Ent Inc Lola T240 in the 1971 US FB Pro series. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Chuck Sarich. First race: Monterrey (R2), 20 Jun 1971. Total of 6 recorded races.
Jim Sarich (McLean, VA/Rockville, MD) drove a silver/black/orange #67 Quicksilver Racing Ent Inc Lola T240 in the 1971 US FB Pro series. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Jim Sarich. First race: Edmonton (R4), 1 Aug 1971. Total of 3 recorded races.
Howard E. 'Bud' Jackson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) drove a blue #32 Lola T240 in Central Division SCCA Formula B events in 1971 and also in the Pro race at Brainerd. He raced the car again in 1972, this time using #63. He retained the car again for 1973 and finished second in the Falstaff Classic at MAR in May, but "destroyed" the car at Road America in June when he hit the guard rail just after the start/finish line, leaving Jackson in hospital with cuts, bruises, and a broken ankle.
Driven by: "Bud" Jackson. First race: Mid-Ohio, 5 Jul 1971. Total of 8 recorded races.
Bill Middleton (Newport Beach, CA) bought a yellow #31 Lola T240 late in the 1971 Southern Pacific FB season to replace an elderly Brabham BT21C. He won enough points in this car to clinch second place in the division. Retained for 1972 and used in both Pro and SPDiv events, winning the division by a considerable margin. Last seen in late July 1972, after which Middleton acquired a Brabham BT38B. Advertised by Fred Opert in October 1972 and again in February 1973, implying it had gone to Opert in part-exchange when Middleton bought the Brabham. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Bill Middleton. First race: Bonneville Raceway Park (R6), 6 Sep 1971. Total of 14 recorded races.
Unidentified Formula B cars in 1972
For the 1972 season, Syd Demovsky retained HU4, Chuck Wannemacher retained HU8 and Quin Calhoun retained HU12. There were also two new T242s which appear to have gone to Tom Fraser and Jim Harrell. Of the unidentified T240s, Howard Jackson, Vincent Dileo and Bill Middleton retained their cars, Rocky Moran’s went to Bill Bachman, and Max Mizejewski's appears to have gone to Brooks Frybarger and then onto Charlie Powell, but Skipp Walther, and Chuck and Jim Sarich all appear to have sold their cars.
One of those three unidentified T240s from 1971 that cannot be traced into 1972 must logically be HU15, originally canary yellow, which was bought by Ted Titmus for 1972. Also one of the Sarich cars went to Jim Harrell but that was quickly traded back to Carl Haas so could well have been resold before the regular season began, and there is some suggestion that it went to Bob Lillquist. Finally we have to add HU1 to the mix as that was sold to the US in early 1972 and was with Jeff Overleese in 1972. So that leaves two T240s unaccounted for early in 1972.
New Lola T240 owners in 1972 whose cars cannot be identified include Chris Gleason, Lee Pitman, Cliff Phillips, Joe Shepherd and Bob Lillquist. Lillquist was from Florida but was temporarily resident in the Midwest, and bought a Lola from Carl Haas before returning to Florida. He appeared at a Midwest Council event in July 1972, but did not start the race.
Older Lolas complicate the picture in 1972. Alex Yerkes scored a point in Southern Pacific Division and Bud Rude two points in Northern Pacific Division, both in Lolas of unknown vintage. Another FB Lola driver mentioned here for purposes of elimination was Gerald Hudson who scored three points in Midwest Division in the ex-Brian Cullen Lola T60.
Jim Harrell (Tecumseh, Michigan) bought an ex-Sarich Lola T240 from Carl Haas after winning the Formula Ford title at the 1971 Runoffs. After having real problems with it in the Bogotá races in February and March 1972, he returned it to Haas in exchange for a new T242. Nothing more is known of the T240.
Driven by: Jim Harrell. First race: Bogotá, 27 Feb 1972. Total of 2 recorded races.
Lee Pitman (La Hambra Heights, CA) raced an orange #57 Lola T240 in SCCA races at Riverside and Laguna Seca from 1972 to 1978 at least. He was a member of CSCC but rarely scored points at National level. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Lee Pitman. First race: Riverside, 9 Apr 1972. Total of 14 recorded races.
Chris Gleason (Johnstown, PA) raced a #5 black/red Lola T240, backed by Keystone Auto Products briefly at the start of the 1972 NEDiv season. He scored six points in the opening race at Nelson Ledges on 20 May and was on the entry list for the third race, at New Thompson Speedways in June, but was not mentioned in the results. Subsequent history unknown, but this could be the car Joe Shepherd raced later in 1972.
Driven by: Chris Gleason. First race: Nelson Ledges, 20 May 1972. Only one recorded race.
Cliff Phillips (Palos Park, IL) raced a red #60 Lola T242 at Road America in June 1972. Tom Fraser (Atlanta, GA) also ran his T242 as #60 but a share between drivers in Atlanta and Illinois seems unlikely; also Phillips' car was reported as red, and Fraser's as orange. Phillips then entered his car for the Road America race in August 1972, and raced it at the same venue in the SCCA Pro Formula B race in August 1973.
Driven by: Cliff L. Phillips. First race: Road America, 18 Jun 1972. Total of 4 recorded races.
George Herscher's Lola T240 at VIR in April 1974. Copyright John Davison (virhistory.com) 2021. Used with permission.
Joe Shepherd (Indianapolis, IN) raced a black #51 Lola T240 in CenDiv FB and in the Road Atlanta and Road America Pro FB races in 1972. As his car was black with red wings and wore #51, it may have been the black-and-red #5 Lola T240 that Chris Gleason had used briefly earlier that season. Shepherd also scored two points in SCCA Central Division FB, so must have raced it elsewhere. Just after Christmas 1972, George Herscher (Charleston, WV) bought a black Lola T240 in Indianapolis and raced it as #51, so this must be the same car. Herscher raced it Virginia International Raceway at in 1973 and 1974. He was on the entry list for the 8 April 1973 event, but was not in the results. He then raced at VIR in October 1973 and April 1974, and scored points in CenDiv FB in 1974. George's son John Herscher remembers picking it up in Indianapolis, and as Joe Shepherd lived in Indianapolis and had a Lola T240, and both Shepherd and Herscher entered their cars as #51, it is very likely to be the same car. John recalls that it was traded to Carl Haas for a new Lola T340 Formula Ford. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Joe Shepherd and George Herscher. First race: Road America, 18 Jun 1972. Total of 6 recorded races.
Bob Lillquist (St Petersburg, FL) raced a Lola T240 (or T242) in Midwestern Council events in 1972, and then on his return from the Midwest to Florida, in SEDiv Formula B in 1973, finishing third in the division. At the VIR race in April 1973, Lillquist's car was shown as a T242 but at the equivalent race in 1974, he was shown as running a T240 in Formula Ford. As the T240 used a monocoque chassis, it would have been completely ineligible for Formula Ford, so this must be a mistake. A newspaper article in early 1973 said that Lillquist's car was a factory Lola that had been shipped from England to Bogota for the races there (at the start of 1972), and then returned to the US. This might be a muddled reference to Jim Harrell's Lola T242, but as the article did not even get Lillquist's name right, refering to him throughout as Bob Tullius, anything is possible! Nothing more known.
Driven by: Bob Lillquist. First race: Virginia International Raceway, 8 Apr 1973. Total of 4 recorded races.
Formula B Lola T240/T242s in 1973
For 1973, Jeff Overleese retained HU1, Ed Kasprowicz bought HU8, and Carmon Solomone bought HU12. Rocky Moran, Howard Jackson, Vincent Dileo and Chuck Powell all retained their cars, although Powell's was wrecked in February and Jackson's destroyed in June. Ted Titmus only had HU15 at the very start of the year, and Tom Fraser's HU16 was also only seen at the very start of the year. J. Lewis Cooper apparently bought HU17, but what he did with it is unknown. Syd Demovsky's HU4 went missing, as did the unidentified car of Bill Middleton. From the 1972 unidentified cars, Lee Pitman, Cliff Phillips and Bob Lillquist all retained their cars into 1973, and Joe Shepherd's car went to George Herscher in West Virginia, but Jim Harrell's T242 went missing almost immediately.
So that's somewhere between five and seven T240s that we cannot track from 1972 to 1973. Two of these, HU4 and HU5, can be explained by a Charlie Hayes Racing Equipment invoice dated 14 July 1973 when he sold both cars to Eric Steele of Formula Cars Inc in Mansfield, Ohio. They are believed to have been intended for a racing school at Mid-Ohio. Two new T240 drivers appeared in 1973: Carl McIntyre, who probably acquired the ex-Bill Bachman T240, and John Kowalski (Cleveland, OH), who may have driven the ex-Demovsky HU4, although that would contradict the Charlie Hayes/Eric Steele invoice.
Relatively few T240s appeared in Divisional FB points tables in 1973. Lillquist was third in SEDiv with 19 points. In CenDiv there were four T240s, with Jackson scoring six points, Kasprowicz four, Solomone three and Cliff Phillips one point in his mystery car. In MWDiv, McIntyre finished third with 15 points, Bachman scored four in what we suspect was the same car earlier in the year, and Gerald Hudson also scored four in his T60. In Southern Pacific, Pitman scored one point in his regular T240. No Lolas appeared in the points tables for NEDiv, SPDiv or SWDiv.
John Kowalski (Berea, OH) raced a Formula B Lola T240 in SCCA Regionals in 1973. Bobby Rahal recalls racing against Kowalski and that his T240 was red. He advertised it in January 1974 from Cleveland, OH, noting an "immaculate stiffened chassis". Kowalski later acquired Tom Klausler's Brabham BT38 for 1975, and then replaced that with Bill O'Connor's Lola T360 for 1976.
As Kowalski entered his car as #11 and it was red, it is likely to have been the car raced by Syd Demovsky in 1971 and 1972. See Lola T240 HU4.
Driven by: John Kowalski. First race: Blackhawk Farms, 1 Jul 1973. Only one recorded race.
Carl McIntyre (Boulder, CO) raced a Lola T240 in MWDiv in 1973, finishing third in the division with 15 points. Geography and a common entry number (#70) would suggest this was the car raced by Bill Bachman (Boulder, CO/Nederland, CO) the previous year and then quite possibly became the car driven by Bob Young in 1974. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Carl McIntyre. First race: Hutchinson Naval Air Station, 15 Jul 1973. Total of 5 recorded races.
Formula B Lola T240/T242s in 1974
In 1974, Bob Young (J. Robert Young) won MWDiv in his Lola, believed to be a T242. In CenDiv, Ed Kasprowicz scored 19 points in his T240, George Herscher scored six in his T240, and Joe Hill scored two points in his Lola T242. In SEDiv, Bill Hartman scored points in FB with a Formula Ford Lola T200 and Shelley Marrs with a FSV Lola, but former SEDiv T240 racer Bob Lillquist was now racing a Lola in Formula Ford. No Lolas appear in the points tables for NEDiv, SWDiv, NPDiv or SPDiv.
J Robert Young (Snowmass Resort, CO/Glenwood Springs, CO) won MWDiv in 1974 in his Wagnon-Coulter Lola, identified at the Runoffs to be a T242. This could be the T240 raced by Carl McIntyre from nearby Boulder, CO, the previous year. Young moved up to a new Lola T360 for 1975, and advertised the T242 in April 1975. Later in 1975, it was bought from Bob and Don Preston by James Maetzold (Valley Centre, KS), who raced it in 1976 in SCCA Regionals and then SCCA Nationals. He upgraded to a Lola T360 for 1977 but still had the Lola T242 when he advertised it in October 1978. Maetzold recalls that he sold the T242 to someone in Michigan. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: J Robert Young and James Maetzold. First race: Hutchinson Naval Air Station, 9 Jun 1974. Total of 12 recorded races.
Joe Hill (Westerville, OH) scored two points in Central Division Formula B in 1974 in a Lola. In February 1975, Hill advertised a Lola T242 with fresh Hart twin cam engine. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Joe Hill. First appearance: Mid-Ohio, 1 Sep 1974.
Formula B Lola T240/T242s in 1975
In 1975, Ed Kasprowicz soldiered on in CenDiv with his T240 and scored seven points. Bob Young won MWDiv again but had sold his T242 and now had a new Lola T360. Gerald Hudson still had his old Lola T60 in MWDiv but it now ran in FC. Jay Quinn (Salt Lake City, UT) advertised a Lola T240 in Autoweek 1 Feb 1975 p31, and in the same edition were Joe Hill advertising his mystery T242, and Jeff Overleese (Clinton, IL) advertising the ex-F2 car HU1. No Lolas appear in the points tables for NEDiv, SEDiv or SPDiv and the only Lolas in SWDiv and NPDiv were T360s.
George Roth (Chicago, IL) drove a Lola T240 at the June 1976 Road America June Sprints but failed to start the race. He had also entered it at the June Sprints in 1975. In September 1978, he advertised the car in SCCA Chicago Region's "Pit Patter" newsletter saying that the head was "off for valve job" and that he had "lost interest". Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: George W. Roth. First appearance: Road America, 6 Jun 1976.
Bob Welch (Alexandria, VA) raced a Lola T240 in Formula C in 1975 and 1976. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Bob Welch. First race: Lime Rock, 1 Sep 1975. Total of 10 recorded races.
Robert Jones (Tipp City, OH) drove a Lola T240 in SCCA Central Division Formula B races in 1975 and 1976. He advertised the car in Formula magazine in February 1977, when it still had a Hart twin cam engine. He raced it again later in 1977, appearing in a Mid-Ohio Regional in June. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Rob Jones. First race: Indianapolis Raceway Park, 21 Sep 1975. Total of 4 recorded races.
Formula B Lola T240/T242s from 1976 onwards
Harold Schafke exhibited his Lola T240 at New York Region's car show at Columbia Mall, Maryland, in January 1976. He later won his class at North Carolina Region's SCCA National at Charlotte on 13 Jun 1976, but as the only other FB car present failed to start, Schafke did not score points. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Harold Schafke. First race: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 12 Jun 1976. Total of 2 recorded races.
Ken Rochocki (Harvard, IL) and Walt Modelski (Woodstock, IL) shared a Formula B Lola T240 in Midwest Council Formula races in 1977 and 1978. In 2007, Rochocki commented on 10 Tenths that he had a Formula B Lola T240 with Hart twin cam engine and also had a spare chassis, but neither had a chassis plate. He said that he had bought the complete car from a Tom Fennel, of Northern Illinois. Rochocki died in August 2019, and Modelski sold the car and spare tub on behalf of the estate to Tom Kelley in mid-2020. Later sold by Kelley to Tim Harrison in England to act as a spare to his car.
Driven by: Ken Rochocki and Walt Modelski. First race: Milwaukee Mile, 24 Sep 1977. Total of 12 recorded races.
Of the cars used in historic racing, Bob Juggins' car was reported in 1996/97 to be HU4, Rick Carlino's was reported in 2007 to be HU11, Kim Baker had HU12 in 2013, and Tim Barrington raced HU5.
Acknowledgements
Chris Townsend has done a huge amount of work on these cars, and his ongoing research is still being integrated into this page. Other T240 drivers that he has uncovered include Tommy Fennell (Highland Park, IL) in 1977, Alex Davis (Houston, TX) in 1980, Jonathan Wolken (Roxbury, CT) and Joe Novak (Bridgeview, IL) in 1981, and Steve Hartgraves in California in 1984.
Thanks also to Tom Erwin for his period notes on US Lolas, to Jeremy Jackson, and to owners and former owners Gary Powell, Charlie Warner, Tom Frasca, Mike Winn, Jim Harrell, Alex Penrith, James Maetzold, Tom Fraser, John Herscher and Tom Kelley. Thanks also to Bobby Rahal and Sam Brown for their recollections of T240 drivers.
These histories last updated on .