SL 71-32

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SL 71-32

Postby Napolis » Thu May 27, 2010 11:35 am

Will be at Quail this August. If you're there please say hello.



I had a nice phone call from John Starkey today who found some further documents that clarify the History of my Lola.

SL71/32.

Sold to Roger Penske in mid 1966 with Hewland gearbox number: LG 500-48, (but no noted engine), from John Mecom, the Lola distributor from Houston, Texas.
SL71/32 was Roger Penske’s second T70 for Mark Donohue, the first, SL71/21 having been crashed and burned at Watkins Glen. The development of /32 is well documented in Donohue’s “The Unfair Advantage”.
Briefly, Donohue won his first USRRC race with it at Kent, Washington in July, 1966 and it then did the Can Am season, which started in September. Donohue won at Mosport, and then took a further third place and two fourths.
Afterwards, /32 went to Nassau in December where Donohue won again.

SL71/32 was, in all likelihood used by the Penske/Donohue team for the 1967 USRRC Championship.

We believe, taking all the evidence into account, that SL71/32 was involved in a tire testing accident in July 1967 at Riverside, which resulted in her being "pensioned off" and SL71/47, (bought from Norman Smith in August, 1967), taking her place. SL71/32 was then repaired and, in January, 1968. SL71/32 was sold to John Meyer in March, 1968, who raced it successfully in SCCA races in 1968 and 1969, setting the all-time record at the Mount Equinox hillclimb.

In 1970, John Meyer sold /32 to Philip Vanscoy-Smith, who sold it to the present owner and who had it couped and has driven it over 20,000 miles on the road.

The present owner got the set up papers from Penske Racing and John Meyer when he bought the car. (There was no chassis plate, that was sent by Lola cars later on).

Jim Hall saw it at Goodwood in 1998 and said that he put the spoiler on it.
Eno Di Pasquale, Lola mechanic,.remembered it as being: “The car used by Donohue, I was present when it was being sold to John Meyer”.

1966: USRRC Season.
30/7: Kent, Washington, USRRC: Donohue;1st O.A.

To Jim Hall’s for tests and adjustments. Front airdam and rear spoiler fitted.

29/8: Mid-Ohio. USRRC: Donohue; DNF.


1966 Can Am Season:
11/9: Can-Am Round 1. Mont Tremblant-St Jovite: Donohue, #6; DNF.
18/9: Can-Am Round 2. Bridgehampton: Donohue, #6; 5th.
24/9: Can-Am Round 3. Mosport. Canadian G.P, #6; Donohue; 1st.
16/10: Can-Am Round 4. Laguna Seca: Donohue, #61; 4th.
30/10: Can-Am Round 5. Riverside: Donohue, #61; 4th.
13/11: Can-Am Round 6. Las Vegas. Stardust G.P. .Las Vegas: Donohue, #61; 3rd.
9/12: Governor’s and Tourist Trophy, Nassau Bahamas: Donohue, #7; DNF
12/12: Nassau Tropy, Bahamas: M. Donohue, #7; 1st.

1967 USRRC: (Donohue won the Championship).
23/4: Stardust Raceway, Las Vegas. USRRC. Donohue. 1st.
30/4: Riverside, USRRC. Donohue. 1st.
07/5. Laguna Seca, USRRC. Donohue. 3rd.
21/5: Bridgehampton. USRRC. Donohue. 1st.
25/6: Watkins Glen G.P. USRRC. Donohue. 1st.
18/7: Pacific Raceways. USRRC. Donohue. 1st.

1967:
??/7: Riverside: Firestone tire tests. Crashed.Repaired.

1968: January: Sold to John V. (Jack) Meyer from Connecticut who raced the car in SCCA and Can-Am races in late 1960's. Won SCCA 1968/9 ‘A’ Championship.
1968: 1st at Mount Equinox hillclimb,(all-time record).
1970: Sold to Philip Vanscoy- Smith. Still retained Sunoco blue paintwork,
1971: Sold to present owner.

Re-bodied with coupe bodywork. Blue. Used on the road.
2003: Chassis rebuilt with all new panels. Original bulkheads kept.
Napolis
 
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Postby Rhino » Fri May 28, 2010 12:52 am

After the tire test crash in 1967, was the tub/chassis replaced?
Just asking, since the crash was so early in it's life.
It seemed to be common practise if chassis were still available.
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Postby Napolis » Fri May 28, 2010 2:44 am

Rhino wrote:After the tire test crash in 1967, was the tub/chassis replaced?
Just asking, since the crash was so early in it's life.
It seemed to be common practise if chassis were still available.


I don't know. Anyone?
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Postby Johan » Sat May 29, 2010 1:14 am

Certainly anything is possible but in 1967 the current chassis would be the MK III. There is a nice article on the Penske T70s here and it is several pages long. http://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/scrapbook ... _page3.htm
Might have to hit the "previous" button to read the whole thing.
Not many people had the foresight to buy a T70 in 1971..
Good job Jim !
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SL71/32

Postby Writer » Mon Jun 07, 2010 7:45 pm

According to Karl Kainhofer, the Penske Crew Chief during the 1960s/70's/80's, who I interviewed a while back, SL71/32 was not re-chassised after the Riverside tire testing accident in 1967. Damage appeared to be confined to the Nosebox and front bodywork.

Instead, the team bought SL71/47, itself a re-chassised Mark 11 from Norman Smith, who had crashed the original car, (Chassis number unknown at present) at the Las Vegas Can Am race in 1966.

SL71/47 was given to George Follmer to race in the 1967 Can Am series, while Mark Donohue drove Mark 111b roadster # SL75/124. Follmer crashed SL71/47 in practice at the third race at Mosport, damaging the chassis, which was replaced by a spare Mark 111 chassis, SL73/126 for the next three Can Am races in 1967.

John Starkey
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Re: SL 71-32

Postby Napolis » Sun Dec 23, 2012 4:43 pm

John's latest edition arrive in the mail and it is very well done and interesting.

It clearly lists the history of each chassis.

Highly recommended.
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