Here's a blast from the past

[Bardahl77]

1973, Pacific Raceways - Mark Donohue in the AMC (!) powered Lola. And yes, Clay Regazzoni is next to him!

[dc]

You can't post images from a Slack channel.

[Bardahl77]

You can't post images from a Slack channel.

Interesting. Upload it is! Thanks.

[Steve Demeter]

Look at the difference in the angle of attack

[Roland V. Johnson]

Look at the different positioning of the rear wings.

[Lynn]

The AMC engine was about 25 lbs lighter, had bigger valves and better exhaust port design than the Chevy 302. But no one except Penske was familiar with it.

[GP15]

The AMC engine was about 25 lbs lighter, had bigger valves and better exhaust port design than the Chevy 302. But no one except Penske was familiar with it.

I don't think this is correct...
Per my dog eared well read copy of "The Unfair Advantage" Chapter 23, Mark stated "We thought that the only difference we couldn't overcome was the fact that our AMC motor was about 100lbs heavier than the Chevrolet. What we didn't know at the time was that certain of our competitors had experimental new Chevrolet heads with better port shapes which were worth some unknown additional horsepower"

[Steve Demeter]

Ditto

[Lynn]

AMC V8 540 lbs
SBC V8 575 lbs
https://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/engineweights2.html

Penske and Donohue weren't exactly the most truthful competitors. Unfair Advantage = we cheat.

[provamo]

Unfair Advantage

also that list of engine weights shows a reference to a 30# heavier AMC

additionally the reference does not tell us what was weighed ie complete ready for installation etc etc etc

what I did notice is that the captains car was still running the 13" front wheels at that time

its all fun

[veeten]

Legend around Hueytown is that the Allison Javelin had a SB Chevy with AMC details for at least 1 NASCAR race.
Could be old crew members just talkin!

[Lynn]

Unfair Advantage

also that list of engine weights shows a reference to a 30# heavier AMC

additionally the reference does not tell us what was weighed ie complete ready for installation etc etc etc

what I did notice is that the captains car was still running the 13" front wheels at that time

its all fun

Are you referring to the 60 lb heavier Rambler 327? I had the 250 ci version of that engine in my '61 Rambler Classic. A total different engine. Having been involved with a short track stock car back in the day, and having been involved with removing and installing both the SBC and AMC engines, there is no damn way the AMC was heavier. And it certainly wasn't 50 lb heavier than a Cadillac 472 as Donohue claims.

[Lynn]

Legend around Hueytown is that the Allison Javelin had a SB Chevy with AMC details for at least 1 NASCAR race.
Could be old crew members just talkin!

The Grand American Javelin was usually driven by Jim Paschal, but Allison did drive it at least once. At that level, NASCAR would not have allowed a Chevy engine. Allison used a Hornet for short track racing, and it is possible that a Chevy engine was used once or twice. We used the AMC engine, which burned 10 days ago in my AMX, a couple of times in our Camaro when we didn't have a Chevy engine that week. Shh, don't tell anyone.

[scorp997]

Where on the track was this picture taken? The only place I could think of is from the outside of turn 2? Maybe turn 8? Track doesn't look like this any longer

1973, Pacific Raceways - Mark Donohue in the AMC (!) powered Lola. And yes, Clay Regazzoni is next to him!

[Bardahl77]

Where on the track was this picture taken? The only place I could think of is from the outside of turn 2? Maybe turn 8? Track doesn't look like this any longer

I'm pretty sure that's from the outside of the turn 8, this would be what was behind them

.

[Bardahl77]

The AMC engine was about 25 lbs lighter, had bigger valves and better exhaust port design than the Chevy 302. But no one except Penske was familiar with it.

I found my ancient Steve Smith "Race Car Fabrication" book, it says the AMC V8 was 540 pounds, the Small block Chevy 550. Although it also lists the 289/302 Ford as 460 pounds and the 350 Buick as 450 pounds. So not sure how "dressed" each engine was. Otherwise you would have seen a lot of destroked Buick-powered F5000 cars!

[provamo]

Sandy Shepard ran a Yunick Pontiac in a T300

John Cannon ran a BOP at Pocono in a March seven twenty something

Freddy Van Buren (sp?) a Rolls Royce at Watkins Glen in a modified McLaren 10

[Rick Iverson]

Regazzoni’s car, From what I can see, is a Lola T300. The same chassis used on the T242 FB. I owned one.

[Bardahl77]

Regazzoni’s car, From what I can see, is a Lola T300. The same chassis used on the T242 FB. I owned one.

According to the registry, it's a T-330 (HU4) with Jones-Eisert as the team (with Bobby Muir). Regazzoni only drove it once, the most famous driver to run that car.

I find it interesting that both cars are T330s, Donohue's being HU19, a replacement for HU5 that was destroyed in a fire at the Penske shop a few months earlier. Fascinating how folks made tweaks back then.

[provamo]

looks like a T300 center cockpit (very high sides) but longer T330 nose (not short and squat like a T300)

and yes T300 was based off the T240/2 tub!

[scorp997]

Yup, you are correct - outside exit of turn 8. The infield area has a lot more pavement these days and I'm pretty sure an unprotected telephone pole is also not there!

Still one of the best viewing points on the track for most people. There is a great vantage point at the top row of the grandstands on the opposite (infield) side of the track. From there you can now see all of the 7/8/9 complex, most of the straight, and looking over the backside can see a lot from 4/5/6.. Just takes a long time to walk there (track crossing only between events) and no services! Of course the best place to view Pacific Raceways is from the driver's seat!

I'm pretty sure that's from the outside of the turn 8, this would be what was behind them

.

[E1pix]

Thanks for the photos!!!

Regga's car was definitely a T330, normally driven by Bob Muir. I remember Bob getting onto the PA at Road America and announcing he was, without question, going to win that day. He didn't.

I seem to recall a story about the Eisert team modifying the side inlets for better cooling.

F5000 was truly spectacular.

A memory stab at ID:
-- Brian Redman, Lola T330
-- Peter Gethin, Chevron B24
-- Clay Regazzoni, Lola T330
-- Mark Donohue, Lola T330-Rambler
-- Evan Noyes, McRae GM1 (yellow)
-- David Hobbs, Lola T330 (blue/yellow)
-- Tom Heyser, March 73A (purple)
-- Eppie Weitzes, Lola T330 (blue)
-- Tony Settember, McLaren M10B (white)
-- Red car (?), unsure (Harry Ingle?)
-- Blue car unknown
-- Jim Hawes, Lola T330 (or T300)
-- Eddie Miller, Lola T300 (about to be written off)
-- White car unknown, think it's a Matich)

I'm pretty sure that's from the outside of the turn 8, this would be what was behind them

.

[provamo]

Jim Hawes was incredible !, in a customer T-330 (maybe 332) towed on an open trailer behind some random Pontiac ? running fourth or fifth behind the likes of Mario, Redman, Hobbs , running close to them!