/ORGENSEN FORMULA 5OOO RACING NEWS =Vol. 1No. l; May 1974 Jbigensen Steal Sogns Dan Gurney's Eagles. The Earle M. Jorgensen Com- titles for Formula Two, with left on the schedule, and he pany has signed to sponsor Dan his own team. Driver assign- won two and placed second in Gurney's newly formed Formula ments for the new Jorgensen the other one. In his first 5000 road racing team. Gurney Eagles will be handled by 28 year of racing, 1968, he won will campaign two new Jorgensen year old ex-Marine lieutenant three races. Gurney is more Eagles in the Sports Car Club Brett Lunger, who has exper- than excited about his join- of America's 1974 Formula 5000 ience in Formula 5000 overseas ing the team, saying: "People Championship Series. Gurney's as well as here in the U.S.A. are going to hear a lot from All American Racers, Inc., de- A new face in the Formula 5000 this young man. With him and signed and built the new cars ranks has joined the team grad- Brett I think we really have especially for road racing, uating from the Pro Super Vee the two best young drivers in which is Gurney's first love. ranks, Elliott Forbes-Robinson the country on our team." The team manager will be Roy II. Forbes-Robinson, 30years The cars will carry the Jor- Winkelmann, whose record book old, joined the Super Vee series gensen colors: light blue, shows two European Championship last year with but three races trimmed with dark blue § red. ***** Artist's concept 1974 Schedule of new F5000 The Formula 5000 schedule JORGENSEN EAGLE begins at Mid-Ohio June 2, moves to Canada at Mosport on June 15, then to Watkins Glen, N.Y. July 14, to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin July 28. The final three races are in California: Ontario Sept. 1, Laguna Seca Oct. 13 and Riverside, Oct. 27. MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE P.O. Box 3008 Lexington, Ohio 44904 Telephone: (419) 884-2295 JORGENSEN EAGLE FORMULA 5000 SPECIFICATIONS: MOSPORT PARK LIMITED Powered by 305-cubic inch Chevrolet V-8, modified and tuned 1905 Avenue Road in AAR's own engine shop by John Miller. Goodyear racing Toronto, Ontario M5M 3Z9 tires, mounted on Melmag wheels. 13-inch diameter, 11-inch Telephone: (416) 781-6626 wide fronts, 13 § 15-inch diameter, 17-inch wide rears. Hew- WATKINS GLEN land gearbox. Hurst/Airheart disc brakes, inboard front P.O. Box 1 and rear with ventilated discs. Purolator filters and Good- Watkins Glen, N.Y. 14891 year fuel cells. Leibeck wings with Gurney patented flap. Telephone: (607) 535-4505 Wheelbase 102.4-in. Overall length 177.75-in. ROAD AMERICA Front track 63-in. Overall height....46.5-in. Elkhart Lake, Wis. 53020 Rear track 62-in. Weight 1500 Ibs. Telephone: (414) 876-2900 Ground clearance.3-in. Fuel capacity 30 U.S. gals, ***** The OpposLtion 1974 promises to be the most competitive season to date. Last year's 2nd place champ- ion, Brian Redman will return in a new Carl Haas/Jim Hall p pared Lola. They just missed the championship last year by skipping two races early in the P season. Redman had 130 points to champion Jody Scheckter's 144 points. Points are award- ed to the first 10 on a 20-15 Brett Lunger E.Forbes-RdbinsonlE 12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 basis. Red- Twenty-eight year old Brett Thirty year old, Elliott For- man became stronger at the end Lunger will be returning from bes-Robinson II, the newest of the series, winning the fin- his European honeymoon to join member of the Jorgensen Eagle al four races. the Jorgensen team at Mid-Ohio. team, brings with him the Scheckter will not be in it Brett did most of the test winningest record in Formula this year, having moved into a driving of the new prototype racing. In his last six races Formula One ride, taking re- Jorgensen Eagle, beating the Elliott won four and was sec- tired World Champion Jackie old, unofficial, track record ond in the other two, giving Stewart's ride with Tyrrell. at Riverside, before he left to him a runaway start in the 1972 Champion Graham McRae marry his bride, Jo. The test Gold Cup Super Vee champion- and runner-up Sam Posey have results solidly confirmed the ship for 1974. Elliott was teamed up, building their own feelings at Dan Gurney's shop signed to drive by Gurney fol- cars and they could take it all that they had indeed, built a lowing his win in the 6-hour Mario Andretti, USAC-Indy car capable of winning the Camel GTrace in Atlanta, Ga., star, joins the series for the championship. earlier this year. first time, in a new Lola pre- In 1973 Brett drove for the Like his father before him, pared by Gurney's rival Indy independent Carl Hogan team in Elliott began in amateur club car owner, Pamelli Jones. a Lola, as well as selected events, also gaining valuable Mario has always preferred to races in England for Irishman experience on his Dad's pit run road races and now is do- Sid Taylor winning at Mallory crew. Before Gurney became ing just that, using Formula Park and qualifying on the known, one of his first rides 5000 racing as a springboard front row in a combined race was in Robinson Sr's. cars. to a full Formula One season with Formula One cars at the Gurney was really happy to be for the Jones team in 1975. Brands Hatch circuit. With able to sign Elliott, figuring All-time points standings this experience and now with him to be an undiscovered talent leader, David Hobbs, 391 pts., a new car, many pick Brett to that has not had the kind of returns with car owner Carl be a man to watch in 1974. break he rightfully deserves. Hogan and a one-car effort. ****«• ***** ***** New Eagles Four new Formula 5000 Eagles under construction in Dan Gurney's Santa Ana works. Two plus a back-up will run the Jorgensen colors, the fourth is for Argentine Champion Nestor Garcia-Veiga. In 1968 and 1969, when Gurney built the first Formula 5000 Eagles but did not run a team, priva' entrants won the championship: It is hoped the 1974 Eagles will carry on in the traditioi of their predecessors. ***** in a month a select group of drivers was invited for the History of shakedown runs around the 15- Mid-Ohio Course turn course which featured a 3000-foot straight and 129 First race on the calendar feet in elevation changes. is at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car At this time Chuck Dietrich Course located just south of of Sandusky, Ohio returned from the Mansfield suburb of Lex- a season of European GP racing ington, Ohio. Road racing in and predicted no car would lap the U.S. began in the 1950's the 2.4 miles in under 1:45. originally on public roads, Since then he has won 19 races then on airport runways. This in 19 different cars, and has all came to a grinding halt seen his prediction fall by as when the Federal Government much as 25 seconds to hundreds EcyWinkaLmann outlawed racing on airport of drivers, including himself. Roy Winkelmann, team manager runways where the FAA had con- On August 17, 1962 Ohio's Don of the Jorgensen Eagles, had trol, then the Buckeye State Sesslar became the circuit's retired his team in England got into the act with a law first official race winner in from competition in 1970 af- prohibiting competitive auto- a Sunbeam Alpine. Some 402 ter ten years of participation motive performance trials on drivers from 29 states, Canada in Formula Two racing. public roadways. Switzerland, Australia, South However, this was not before With conditions looking Africa and England have won the his team had secured its right- bleak, the only solution for 818 races held through the end ful place in the annals of the Ohio fans was the 300-800 mile of the 1973 season. sport, having placed in the drive up to Elkhart Lake, Wis. Mid-Ohio has prospered dur- top three in forty-nine races, or East to Watkins Glen, N.Y. ing it' s first decade in a time twenty-five of which were out- Les Griebling, a young which saw many multi-million right wins. Winkelmann racing sports car dealership owner, dollar circuits die a sudden won the European championship and amateur driver Chuck Akins financial death. It is now twice in this period. located a semi-abandoned 200 recognized as one of the top Winkelmann's successes were acre farm in 1961, in Morrow road courses in the nation and achieved as an independent, County, south of Mansfield. earned the title: "The most privately owned team, running A private corporation, Mid- competitive in the country!" against factory teams of Lola, Ohio Sports Inc., was formed, Mid-Ohio's first experience Ferrari, Lotus, Brabham, Matra, stock was sold and local bank- with a pro race was in 1963 with McLaren and Cooper. Competing ers were convinced this would the old U.S. Road Racing Champ- with drivers such as Jim Clark, become reality and would add ionship series. Since then, 26 Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Den- more income from tourism for pro races have been held with ny Hulme, Bruce McLaren and the area than anything else. purses totaling $913,000 and a Jacky Ickx. It was with Wink- By June of '62, a graded road possible $186,000 in three ev- elmann Racing that Austrian 32-48 feet wide was covered ents scheduled in 1974.