Tag Archives: Haas

Wanted Gofer – Lola Hart THL1 #85-002

It must have been soon after I had helped my school friend Sven by cleaning the windscreen of his Ford Capri during the 1985 Willhire 24 hour race at Snetterton that I realised a year after leaving college my life did not appear to be going anywhere particularly fast and that I ought to expand my horizons when I saw a vacancy for a gopher for Carl Haas’s FORCE Formula One team being run by Teddy Meyer, in Autosport.

Without hesitation and in possession of the aforementioned experience, along with the requisite van driving experience, a clean driving licence and a B.A. Hons in European Business (2,2) from Trent Polytechnic I applied the same day thinking no one on gods great earth could possibly match my credentials… I was of course completely wrong, I got a nice letter from Mr Meyer informing me I had not been selected for interview and wishing me luck for the future, I can’t say I was not disappointed, but at least I had made one attempt, no matter how ill judged, to run away with the circus.

Lola Hart THL1, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Late in 1984 Carl Haas secured sponsorship for his Champ Car Team which won the ’84 Championship with Mario Andretti from Beatrice Foods, part of the agreement included a deal to part fund and expansion by Haas into Formula One with Carl Haas’s FORCE being responsible for the design, Ford for the exclusive supply of a new Cosworth turbocharged V6 motor and 1980 World Champion Alan Jones who was to make his second return to Formula One since officially retiring at the end of 1981.

For some reason probably not unconnected with the fact that Haas had been the long time US importer of Lola, Andretti drove the T800 in 84 and T900 in ’85, Lola was nominated as the car’s manufacturer although they had no input to either it’s design or manufacture, ex Williams employee Neil Oatley designed the THL1 which was initially adapted to take the Hart turbocharged 4 cylinder engine while the Cosworth was readied for the 1986 season.

Lola Hart THL1, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

The THL1 appeared at the Italian, European, South African and Australian Grand Prix at the end of 1985 and retired from all but the South African event where Alan Jones qualified a season high 18th but was unwell and did not take the start.

At the start of the 1986 season the Cosworth V6 was still not ready and so Alan was forced to soldier on with the Hart motor in Brazil and Spain, he qualified 17th for the latter, but was involved in a collision with Jonathon Palmers Zakspeed which saw both cars retire on the opening lap.

Alan, 1978 Can Am2 Champion driving a Haas Lola, was joined in 1986 by Patrick Tambay who had also won Can Am2 championhships with Haas in 1977 and 1980. Like Alan he had to make do with a Hart powered THL1 for his first three starts, Patrick out qualified Alan qualifying a promising 11th at San Remo where he retired, as in Brazil, but he brought his THL1 home to a non points paying 8th from 18th on the grid and in so doing became the only driver to bring a THL1, chassis #85-002 seen in these photographs taken at Goodwood, across the finish line of a Championship Grand Prix.

The teams fortunes improved moderately with the arrival of the new turbocharged Cosworth V6 powered THL2, Alan scored a best 4th at Monza where he was followed home by Patrick in 5th, at the following Belgian Grand Prix Alan finished 6th and by the end of the season a change of management and policy at Beatrice saw them terminate their sponsorship leaving Haas with little option but to close his team down, while Alan sold his Ferrari and headed home to Australia.

Thanks for joining me on this “Gopher Wanted” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the very first Mercedes Benz 300 SLR. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Drag Winner – Maserati 450S #4504

Valerio Colotti commenced the initial design of the tubular chassis and body of Maserati 450S in 1954, the model was known internally as the Tipo 54.

Sharing some components with the 3 litre / 183 cui Maserati 300S the 450S, which was first raced in 1957, is differentiated by employing a 4,478 cc / 273 cui short-stroke V8 motor equipped with four Weber carburetors which produced 400hp.

Future Indy 500 entrant Jim Kimberly took delivery of today’s featured 450S chassis #4504 in time to race it at Road America where he finished 6th in June 1957, Jim’s only other known result is a 16th place finish in the 1958 Cudan Grand Prix.

Maserati 450S, Robson Walton, Rolex Reunion, Laguna Seca,

By July 1958 Harry Rollins had become the owner of #4504 and drove it in 3 events over the SCCA Carnival of Speed weekend at Walterboro winning the ITA Drag Event, finishing 2nd in race 3 and retiring from race 5.

Don Perkins bought the car in October 1958 and entered it in three meetings one each for John Haas, Ed Crawford and Hal Ullrich.

Ed scored a best 2nd overall and 1st in class in the 1958 Memorial Trophy during the Nassau Speed Week.

Maserati 450S, Robson Walton, Rolex Reunion, Laguna Seca,

At some point during the 1960’s the motor was taken out and used for a speed boat project.

In 1980 Virgil Milette is credited is reuniting the motor and chassis. Under the ownership of Luigi Mancini in 1987 #4504 was restored by Carrozzeria Garuti in Modena Italy.

I believe that Robson Walton who is seen driving the car in these photographs by Geoffrey Horton at the 2013 Laguna Seca Rolex Reunion has owned #4504 since 1999.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton as ever for sharing his photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Drag Winner” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an Amilcar. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Too Much Added Lightness – Lotus 27 27-JM-22 & 27-JM-2

The design of the 1963 Lotus 27 Formula Junior car followed the principles of the 1963 Lotus 25 Formula One car featuring a monocoque. Keen to save weight, cost and promote the use of fibre glass which Colin Chapman used extensively in the Lotus Elite and Elan models the 27 monocoque initially differed from the bigger, aluminium skinned, Lotus 25 monocoque by having a fibre glass outer skin.

Former motor cycle racer and film distributor Ron Harris ran the works Lotus Formula Junior team in 1963 for 1962 Formula Junior champion Peter Arundell, Mike Spence and John Fenning. With only one car available for Peter first time out at Oulton Park the team scored a lucky victory after the faster Brabhams including that of Denny Hulme retired with engine problems. The victory was lucky because the monocoque was so weak it badly affected the handling of the Lotus 27.

5 or 6 Lotus 27 chassis are thought to have been constructed with fibre glass outer skins and nearly 4 months past before Peter returned to his winning ways by which time the fibre glass outer skin of his Lotus 27’s monocoque had been replaced by rolled aluminium which stiffened the monocoque and improved the 27’s handling.

With 6 successive late season wins Peter Arundell secured his second successive British Formula Junior title by one point over Denny Hulme.

Lotus 27, Goodwood Revival

Chris Locke is seen above at the Goodwood Revival in his Lotus chassis 27-JM-22. This car was sold originally to one C Haas, better known these days as the racing impresario the multi championship winning Newman/Hass/Lanigan Indycar team.

According to San Anselmo CA resident Lotus aficionado Chris Locke’s website, Carl sold the car to General Motors who wanted to study the monocoque engineering and design, some years later General Motors donated the Lotus to the auto shop department of a Detroit high school. Teacher Pat Nelson liberated the car by substituting a more practical vehicle for his students to learn from before the racer had been dismantled.

Pat raced 27-JM-22 from the late 60’s to mid 70’s before Jim Lloyd took over the car in 1977 and raced it some more. Jim was photographed with his 27 – JM – 22 parked next to Mario Andretti’s championship winning Lotus 79 at the US Grand Prix in 1978. Six successive owners owned and raced the car the last of which had a the tub replaced after an accident in 1999. Chris became the owner in 2001 and has the car looked after John Anderson Racing in the States and Historic Team Lotus in Europe.

Lotus 27, Goodwood Revival

The second Lotus 27, 27-JM-2, featured today driven by Nick Fennell above was acquired for Jean Vinatier by Ecurie Ford France on the 28th May 1963, The team were running tragic future Grand Prix driver Jo Schlesser in a rival Brabham BT6 at the same time.

Of the two Jo scored better and consistent results until the August 18th 1963 when Jean recorded fastest lap on his way to two heat wins and win on aggregate in a French Formula Junior Championship at Nogaro. Jean recorded a further 3rd place at Montlhéry near Paris before the seasons end.

Jean went on to become French National Rally Champion in an Alpine Renault in 1969 and represented the same team at Le Mans a track at which he recorded 15 24 hour race starts between 1950 and 1973.

Thanks to Peter, Pete, willga, and Ron at The Nostalgia Forum for their comments on the 27’s construction.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Too Much Added Lightness’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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It’s a lot of car ! – Lola T310

1972 proved to be the year that the Penske turbo Panzer dominated Can Am in much the same way as the hitherto mercurial McLarens.

Lola Chevrolet T310, Race Retro

The original 1966 Can Am series champion constructors Lola had started with fresh from scratch designs in 1970, ’71 & ’72, the vehicle seen here is the Lola T310 from 1972.

Lola Chevrolet T310, Race Retro

To overcome the under steering (push) characteristics Jackie Stewart had complained of driving the stubby L&M; Lola T260 during 1971, Eric Broadley & Specialised Mouldings developed this body work, measuring 4.527 meters / 180″ long by 2.172 m / 85.5 ” wide, in a wind tunnel to hug one of the largest Can Am monocoques ever built.

Lola Chevrolet T310, Race Retro

The monocoque was full width and unusually full length so that the engine could be mounted without the need of a separate steel sub frame.

David Hobbs was given the responsibility of driving the T310 for Carl Haas during the 1972 season but the car was completely outclassed, David managed just one season high 4th place and came in 7th in the final ’72 Can Am standings.

The car was sold at the end of 1972 and Jerry Hansen managed to win a minor race at Atlanta, the car ended its competition days in the 1977 5 litre/ 305.5 cui Can Am series in the hands of Bruce Langson.

Lola Chevrolet T310, Race Retro

Power for the T310 came from the mighty 8.1 litre / 494 aluminium Chevrolet V8, according to World Champion and twice Can Am champion Denny Hulme the motor was good for a maximum of 760 hp, regrettably this top estimated performance was completely outclassed by the conservative estimated 1000 hp plus the turbocharged flat 12 cylinder Porsche’s were kicking out at the time.

You can see and hear the T310 driven by Bobby Rahal in 2008 in this splendid little youtube clip.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s Can Am edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres and that you’ll join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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