Lotus 61 FB

Guys, I need your help. In reading some of the other posts there seems to be a lot of knowledge out there about early FB cars. Recently I purchased Lotus 61/FF/140. It is configured to what appears to be FB spec of the era. Very professionally done. Of course not much factual history came with the car. So I am putting out a lot of feelers.

Here's what I know so far (not all of it factual I'm sure).

The car was supposedly sold new to Jim Russell new as a roller and immediately built into a FB car. This was in 1969, when it was not uncommon to convert other class cars to FB and a number of chassis were sold new as rollers for such purposes. Also, at that time I believe Jim Russell had a school in California, where the car appears to have spent most of it's life.

Then there is a fuzzy grey period until 1972 when an SCCA log book is issued (19-619) The log book shows the car as a FB and the photos support this. I've been trying to track down the names listed. Unfortunately, I have run into several deceased parties rather quickly. Some of the names in the log are: Ronald Chiniqery (sp?) 1972, Doug Wright 1976, John Ulrick 1979, Steve Sego 2009, then to me .... Gary Dausch 2018. I have found a photo of Mr. Ulrick sitting in the car and, of course, had discussion with Mr. Sego.

If you can share any knowledge of the car or connections to people that might know of it, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, any photos would be of significant help too.

Thanks in advance

i know a little about that car, have seen it on (and off...) track years back. it was on BaT auction like a year or so ago as well. its a FF 61 that someone has tried to put together as an FB'ish car. the wings make no sense... and there was (back then) some questionable prep.

my .2 cents - its a FF, put it back to a proper 61 FF. its folly to try to put it up against a real FB and defiantly silly to put it against anything with wings.

cheers

Fitfan - tell me more. What time period did you see the car? Who was driving? What color was it? Do you have any grid sheets or results? Photos? Thanks.

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Originally Posted by e-drive115

Fitfan - tell me more. What time period did you see the car? Who was driving? What color was it? Do you have any grid sheets or results? Photos? Thanks.

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id have to look but about 7 years ago? was terribly slow and he was off track multiple times every session and don't believe it ever completed a race session. it was slower than the FF's... in fact, caused a full course red flag fiasco that resulted in a bad accident elsewhere on track. anyways... back then it appeared to be a combo of a poorly put together car not driven very aware. the 61 chassis is just a bad bad starting point for an FB, its already too noodley as a FF.... i think it would be next to impossible to get that chassis to work with wings and slicks and real power.

same colors, car looked pretty much unchanged when it was on BaT many years later. honestly, IMO - it just looks like it was never put together right, or was done on the cheap, or un-informed about how to do it best. that was my take away. i forget who owned it then, i met and briefly spoke with him. seemed like a nice enough guy, but my god that car was disaster on track and almost got some innocent bystanders on track killed. (vara should have sent it home, no idea why they let it start the race).

This may be a link to it;

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-lotus-61-fb/

T-Tom.
Yep. Thats the one.

I' m finding this all somewhat humorous. In the early 70's this car appears to have been much more successful. But, as it sits now, there's a lot to be considered. I haven't touched it yet, except to measure the ride height (it just didn't look right) and found it was over an inch off in the rear. That's a mile by IndyCar standards :). And the tires with FF geometry will probably be off the charts too!

However, I'm not interested because I think I can win vintage races with it. This is my 6th Lotus 61.I think it has an interesting history to be found in the early 1970's. Canadian Craig Hill did amazing things with his Lotus 61 twincam in FB. I believe he won the Canadian national championship one year.

i have no illusions that it will ever handle like my BT-29 or be as fast as my March 80-A. We need some old timers to chime in who raced in the early 70's.

thanks

I have recently found a photo of Mr. Ulrick sitting in the car. He was listed in the log book as the owner/driver circa 1979. Unique parts of the car are still present as the car sits today. Perhaps this will jog some memories.

Thanks

I remember this car being raced in Cal Club in the early '70s by Ron Chinquey. I recall someone telling me that Ron had built the car up from an FF he had bought from the Russell school. The car was always beautifully prepared and never seemed to DNF. Running FB against TCs and later BDs, Ron wasn't going to be at the pointy end of race. He knew that and just raced the car for the pure enjoyment.

Do you have any information on how I might contact Mr.Chinquey ? I have many questions about the modifications. Your info tracks with fragments we are trying to confirm. Many thanks for your input. Very important to figuring this car out.

In an earlier day the car looked like this. I'm thinking the photo is from approximately 1972 when the log book began with Mr. Chinquey.

I was told a few years ago that Ron had moved to Hawaii. Beyond that. I don't know much more. The logbook photos are exactly how I remember the car. Yes, he did run LeGrand wheels. FF engine with side-drafte Webers. I'm pretty certain it had a much hotter cam.

Gary

Again, thanks for your feedback. Each fragment that we get helps to complete the puzzle, and your comments have really helped us verify some things. The overall task is somewhat difficult because several people in the chain are deceased, and family members not known. I'm sure there are old photos, race entry and results, etc. that hold more clues. The search continues.

Im really curious about the roll hoop having a flat top.

I recall that rollbar, but it didn't really stand out as that unusual back then. Perhaps if you could find in-period photos of other 61s, you could determine if it was just something Ron did. Remember that this was probably at first a Russell school car at Willow Springs. They may replaced the Lotus original in an effort to accommodate a lot of different sized students.

Yes. The standard roll hoop has a curved top..This is the first one I have ever seen with a flat top. Here's a few of my former cars with standard configuration. Must be a story there somewhere.

I have a friend who worked at Russell around that time. If I can track him down, I'll ask what he recalls, if anything, about Chiniquey's car.

Awesome! Thank you.

Just wanted to keep you posted on my effort to find that guy who worked at Russell. So far, no luck. I did touch base with a guy who went through the school and the arrive-and-drive club racing program. He recalled that when he went through the school, there was a 61 being used. By the time he started racing the school cars, the Lotus was gone and the school was making a switch to Merlyns. His time frame is 1971. I recall Ron showing with his 61 in FB trim in early-mid '72.

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Originally Posted by e-drive115

Guys, I need your help. In reading some of the other posts there seems to be a lot of knowledge out there about early FB cars. Recently I purchased Lotus 61/FF/140. It is configured to what appears to be FB spec of the era. Very professionally done. Of course not much factual history came with the car. So I am putting out a lot of feelers.

Here's what I know so far (not all of it factual I'm sure).

The car was supposedly sold new to Jim Russell new as a roller and immediately built into a FB car. This was in 1969, when it was not uncommon to convert other class cars to FB and a number of chassis were sold new as rollers for such purposes. Also, at that time I believe Jim Russell had a school in California, where the car appears to have spent most of it's life.

Then there is a fuzzy grey period until 1972 when an SCCA log book is issued (19-619) The log book shows the car as a FB and the photos support this. I've been trying to track down the names listed. Unfortunately, I have run into several deceased parties rather quickly. Some of the names in the log are: Ronald Chiniqery (sp?) 1972, Doug Wright 1976, John Ulrick 1979, Steve Sego 2009, then to me .... Gary Dausch 2018. I have found a photo of Mr. Ulrick sitting in the car and, of course, had discussion with Mr. Sego.

If you can share any knowledge of the car or connections to people that might know of it, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, any photos would be of significant help too.

Thanks in advance

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I might be able to help you with some results from 1970s for this car. I'm pretty sure it crops up in my database of Cal Club FB/FC races in that decade, certainly in 1972. That would be the first year it could have got a log book.

Chris

Thanks for touching base. I look forward to any information you might be able to share.

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Originally Posted by e-drive115

Thanks for touching base. I look forward to any information you might be able to share.

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The first owner's name in the log book is, I think, Ron Chiniquy, who like many SoCal drivers of the day worked in the film business - in this case set design and scenery.

Yes that is the first name in the log book. So far it appears the car was run by him as a FB. It is also believed he purchased the car from Jim Russell. I have not been able to confirm wether Jim Russell converted the car to FB or Ron Chiniqery (sp?). To date I have no information about Mr. Chiniquery other than what you have stated.

Thank you you very much. We just have to keep digging.

Just received some information touching on the Chiniquy period of ownership. Records indicate that he switched from racing a Lotus 51 FF to a Lotus FB in late 1970. One form lists him racing a Lotus FB twin cam with sponsorship from LeGrand Race Cars. Does anyone know if LeGrand did the conversion into a FB car?

BTW, he seemed to have a number of top-five finishes.

Thanks

Does anyone have information as to how I might make contact with Chet Kastner or Steve Mignone or others who might have been involved with the California based Jim Russell Racing School in the early days ?

Thanks

Chet Kastner passed away quite a few years ago. His son John was very involved in the school and used to live in So Cal. Might be worth a search. Or--this just flashed into my head--how about J. Peter Halsmer. Before Peter became an Indy Car driver and a Mazda factory driver, he worked at the Russell School at Willow Springs within the time-frame you're dealing with. Yes, Ron did work in the film industry. One of his closest friends in racing was Russ Mayberry, a director Universal MCA on such programs as Rockford Files. Russ, after attending the school, got a Lola FF. Then he stepped up to a March 722 FB, which may have provided the impetus for Ron to get into that class, albeit on a lesser level. At the time all of this was going on, LeGrand hadn't yet moved to Willow and still had his shop in the San Fernando Valley (or close by.) Red could have easily done the conversion for Ron. After all, it just involved bigger wheels, front and rear wings and whatever engine mods, beyond the side-draft Webers. I don't think the engine was terribly hot as I could easily get by in my Brabham FC.

Awesome !!

The small pieces of this are beginning to align. Hopefully I can find a way to reach out to Pete Halsmer and Russ Mayberry.

It is looking more and more like the conversion was done at LeGrand. I was told by a previous owner that he remembered the car in Chiniquy's hands with a LeGrand decal on the nose. Anyone connected with LeGrand back then may also hold some definitive clues.

Thanks for your continued assistance to all who have contacted me.

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Originally Posted by Gary Jarlson

Chet Kastner passed away quite a few years ago. His son John was very involved in the school and used to live in So Cal. Might be worth a search. Or--this just flashed into my head--how about J. Peter Halsmer. Before Peter became an Indy Car driver and a Mazda factory driver, he worked at the Russell School at Willow Springs within the time-frame you're dealing with. Yes, Ron did work in the film industry. One of his closest friends in racing was Russ Mayberry, a director Universal MCA on such programs as Rockford Files. Russ, after attending the school, got a Lola FF. Then he stepped up to a March 722 FB, which may have provided the impetus for Ron to get into that class, albeit on a lesser level. At the time all of this was going on, LeGrand hadn't yet moved to Willow and still had his shop in the San Fernando Valley (or close by.) Red could have easily done the conversion for Ron. After all, it just involved bigger wheels, front and rear wings and whatever engine mods, beyond the side-draft Webers. I don't think the engine was terribly hot as I could easily get by in my Brabham FC.

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Halsmer might be somewhere in the Midwest. He was from Indiana. Mayberry, unfortunately, passed away. Kastner might be your best shot.

Here's a follow up to the curiosity about a LeGrand connection. It is suspected that Legrand may have done the conversion to FB configuration. Mr. Chiniquy had also listed LeGrand Race Cars as a sponsor. Someone has verified this and sent me a photo of the car with decal in place.

Anyone know about this part of the story ??

The Flat top roll bar looks just like the roll bar on my LeGrand. Could have been changed when the other LeGrand modifications were done. Is there a logbook number on the bar?
Steve

Log Book/Roll Hoop number is 19-619.

I'm wondering if there might have been a height rule in place for FB at that time causing the flat top.

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Originally Posted by sprint75r

The Flat top roll bar looks just like the roll bar on my LeGrand. Could have been changed when the other LeGrand modifications were done. Is there a logbook number on the bar?
Steve

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I believe 19 is CalClub. LeGrand roll bars had a round top until mid Mk7 series then switched to flat top around 68/69 not sure of exact timing.

There is a minor error in Post 22 above. It says some record shows Ron racing the 61 as a Twin Cam FB. In all the time I was around the car--from probably '72-'74--it had a push rod 1600 FF engine that used dual DCOE side-draft Webers. As I said earlier, another modification may have been a hotter cam than the standard FF item. That it might have been a Piper cam seems to stick in my memory.

I have some results for the Ron Chinquy car.

The roll hoop stamp of 19-619 suggests it did not immediately appear in 1972. There were about 260 cars at Riverside 13 Feb 1972 that would have got the 19 stamp as this was the first race they did under the new regulations where log books were issued with region stamps on the hoop or roll cage. (We know that 19-261 and 262 were issued at Willow Springs 23 April, the next Cal Club meet.) 619 may even be a 1973 stamp.

So
Holtville, 4 December 1971, entered at 70. Result unknown.
Holtville 30 January 1972, where Chiniquy is entered at #70, must be a DNA, or the car should have a 57, San Diego region, stamp.
Riverside Regional, 18 March 1973, Chiniquy 4th behind John McDonald's Lola T300, Olney Mairs March 722, and James Hall, March 722. This might be where the 19-619 stamp gets on the car.
Riverside Regional, 15 July 1973, 4th behind Russ Mayberry's March 722, David Eshelman's Lola T142, and Don Breidenbach's Lotus 44.
Riverside Regional 30 March 1974, 3rd behind Don Snider's GRD and Mair's Brabham BT40
Ontario Regional, 14 July 1974, 5th behind Danny Ongais, Lola T300, Pat Walter Elden FB, Robert Hall, March 722 and Breidenbach's March 74B.

Guys - thanks for the input. We are slowly getting closer to filling in the blanks.

I would still till like to find out if anyone connected with LeGrand knew this car. It remains suspect that they may have done the conversion. There's some very nice work done on it.