SL71/45 is currently owned by H. Budzynski who lives in Germany.
Lola T70 MkII Spyder SL71/45 Invoiced to Mecom Racing Team on the 23rd September 1966.
John Mecom Spare monocoque.
Chassis supplied to AAR and built by Larry Webb into a car to replace SL71/28, which Jerry Grant had crashed at Mosport in 1966.
1966
30/10: Riverside LA Times GP. CanAm: Jerry Grant, #81; 13th.
13/11: Las Vegas Can Am. Jerry Grant. #81; DNS. (Accident in practice).
BUT: Larry Webb, Grant's Crew Chief, says the car was crashed again at the end of 1966, at Las Vegas Can Am. Car replaced by SL71/46.
1967
Crashed tub bought by Ransom Weston.
14/6: Repaired and built into a car by Ransom Weston's shop, the Lotus importer for Texas, SL71/45 was then sold to Captain Anson L. Thompson (who raced as Anson L. Johnson), Miami, FL. in 1967, for $7,300 less gearbox. The car was then fitted with a Hewland LG600 five-speed gearbox.
Las Vegas test drive by Mario Andretti.
1968
Blue, fitted with MkIIIB Spyder bodywork.
2/6/68, Can Am. St Jovite, Anson Johnson; DNF.
28/7/68, USRRC, Road America, A Johnson/ J. Stevens, Lola T70 Mk3B; DNF.
01/9/68: can Am Road America: A Johnson, #23; DNA.
15/9: Can Am Bridgehampton: A. Johnson, #20; DNS. (Entered by American Racing Motors as a MkIIIb).
1969
29/12: Los Proceros, Venezuela Omar Butari (a friend of Johnson's), #28; RU.
SL71/45 was advertised for sale in Competition Press & Autoweek in March 1969, listing its specification as: '359 Bartz Chevy, new 5-speed LG600 Hewland, Bladders, vented disc, Konis, wide wheels, Aeroquip lines, Fabroids, chrome headers, rollbar.'
On his death, it passed to R.H. Sessions, Johnson's nephew.
1978
On the 29th December SL71/45 was sold to Mac McLendon now with a MkIII coupe body fitted.
The car was then sold to an owner in Europe who had the car restored to the original MkII Spyder configuration and fitted with a 5,753cc Chevrolet V8.
