22 replies to this topic

[stevew]

From Nigel Roebuck's "Ask Nigel" at Autosport.com

http://www.autosport...d=19786&s=5&l=2

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..."and I remember it came back to me one day in a conversation with Gilles Villeneuve. We were talking about other drivers, about who he thought really quick, really talented, and who he thought over-rated. We'd been through a long list, and then he said this: "There's a guy I raced against in Formula Atlantic, called Tom Klausler. A very quiet, shy, guy, not at all pushy, and he never had much money. But I tell you what: he had as much natural ability as anyone I've ever seen in a race car - and the world's never going to know it..."
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I vaguely remember seeing that name in various race reports back in the '70s.

Any more info about this driver?

[Buford]

I knew him. He was from the Chicago area and he was a very good driver. There were and I'm sure are many, many good drivers who never make it to the top due to lack of funds. Today a lot of those kids never even make it into cars at all. They are riding skate boards or those goofy little bikes. Tom had enough money to run Formula Atlantic cars so he wasn't broke. But obviously not enough to finance himself into higher levels. I think he did make it to Indy one year though, unless my memory is failing.

[Mac Lark]

Bearded,balding - he looked even less like a racing driver than Teo Fabi.

He won the inaugral 'F5000 with mudguards' Can Am race in 1977 in a wierd looking device called the Sckee? - or something like that.

And - he would get about the pits with a Burmese cat on a lead.

Not sure if he was a Californian but given the cat on a lead, who would be surprised.

[Marques]

http://www.startribu...66/2862578.html

[Henri Greuter]

About Tom Klausler at Indy,

Right, I don't have the Hungness books available here but out of the top of my head, 1979, driving s Schkee-Chevy. a turbo-V6 version. Perhaps the same brand that A.J. put his faith in in later years? (If it wasn't '79, then '80)
for a non- groundseffects car, neat looking machine as I remember. Just about as nice as the Can-Am car he ran in '78.

Henri Greuter

[Buford]

Anybody who qualifed for Indy, in the years before the IRL and the shame of guaranteed starting positions, did so on merit and was a REAL race driver.

[Brian Lear]

Tom Klausler - 1981 Indy 500
Schkee - Chev V8
Qual. Speed 186.732
Started Position 30
Finishing Position 29
Retired lap 60 - Gearbox
Source ; Indianapolis 500 Chronicle - Rick Popely

[cheesy poofs]

These pictures are from the 1977 Can-Am event run at Mosport...

[fines]

Any Schkee expert around here? What type of Schkee was the 1980 Indy car? Klausler raced the DB6 Indy car in 1983, and I know the DB1 was a single-seat CanAm. Anyone knowing more types pretty please?

[Maranello Man]

I worked with Gary Kohs Mustang GT team at the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours in 1983. Tom Klausler was one of the drivers along with John Morton and the late Ronnie Bucknum.
If I can I will get a picture of him on this thread.

[Don Capps]

The 1981 car was the Schkee DB-4 and used a turbo Chevrolet (apparently a 209 V-8).

[ehagar]

From this thread he had some seriously good results in Formula Atlantic. 1974 multiple wins...


http://www.atlasf1.c...ht=Tom Klausler

[Don Capps]

As I were -- the brain said V-6, the fingers wrote V-8..... :

Klausler was always one of those I thought would make it into the upper levels. He was one of those emerged from the days when F/Atlantic was perhaps the spawning ground for some very serious talent (Rahal, Gilles, Cogan, Rosberg among others...). It would seem that the economy of the early 80's may have done him in, which is a real pity.

[Marc Sproule]

I got to know Tom in '76 when I started covering the Atlantic series for Autoweek in '76. What Gilles said is true. Besides being one helluva driver he was also a great guy to be around. Smart, quick-witted and easy to get along with. His usual crew that year was his wife Vicky and Colin, a Brit whose last name escapes me. Definitely a low-key effort.

And yes, he did bring a cat or two to the races. I once had to help him round up one in a motel hallway after it had escaped from his room. Still makes me laugh.

He was also a pretty good engine builder. I think it was Gimli that year when he had to install his backup engine after qualifying. Only problem was that he hadn't had time to finish building it before he left for the race. It was in pieces in his tag-along trailer. No problem. He put it together overnight and finished second to Gilles the next day if memory serves.

He also had a number of races in Allan McCall's Tui BH2 in '77.

I don't know where he is today but I do know that he moved to Livonia, Mi. and worked with Wiley McCoy at McLaren Engines for some time.

As Gilles said, Tom was definitely not big buck guy. I caught a ride with him from St. Jovite/Mont Tremblant to Chicago in '76 and I laughed like crazy at some of his antics. He was one of my favorite people in the series.

His tow vehicle was a Chevy Suburban, didn't get very good gas mileage and he stretched it so far at one point that we ended up coasting into a gas station in Windsor, Ontario. He had gas in the trailer for his Lola T-460 but didn't want to use it. Another chuckle.

In those days the Canadian dollar was actually worth more than the US buck. At one of the toll booths on the Ohio Turnpike...toll road...he tried to get the toll taker person to take some Canadian cash instead of American. The person in the booth wasn't interested in Tom's story about the money. Even more chuckles.

If somebody reading this knows how to contact him, tell him I'd love to hear from him.

Here are the pics I have of Tom in my flickr stuff. There are a lot more to be added as time goes on.

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4289237319

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4334225590

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4327397966

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4367516582

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4372238582

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4405768302

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4442801982

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4442022957

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4600562872

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4607554983

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4607555545

Edited by Marc Sproule, 24 June 2010 - 03:28.

[Frank S]

Tom Klausler is in the bottom row on this page:

Riverside, August 1983

[Marc Sproule]

Tom Klausler is in the bottom row on this page:

Riverside, August 1983

He's in a stock block Chevy powered March 82C. Too bad he never got a good champ car to drive. I should have some of him in that car too.

Here's one of him chasing Brabham at Trois Rivieres in '81. If memory serves it's an ex-Rahal Frissbee.

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4352325707

[arttidesco]

Here is the low down on Tom from racingsportscars.com

[Marc Sproule]

Another one of him in a Frissbee....

http://www.flickr.co...N03/4354834443/

[alfredaustria]

What is Tom Klausler doing today?
Perhaps has anyone got his actual address? I am trying to send him a letter.
I am very grateful for your help. Regards from Vienna - Alfred

[ReWind]

@Alfred: Ein Thomas A. Klausler, dessen Alter und Name dem ehemaligen Rennfahrer entsprechen, ist laut ergoogleten Online-Adress- bzw. Telefonbüchern wohnhaft in Northville, Michigan (810 West Main Street, Tel. [248]348-3164).
Da Klausler für McLaren Engines in Michigan arbeitet bzw. zuletzt gearbeitet haben soll, die in Livonia ansässig sind, was gleich nebenan liegt, gehe ich (fast) jede Wette ein, dass er der Richtige ist.

[Graham Clayton]

The 1981 car was the Schkee DB-4 and used a turbo Chevrolet (apparently a 209 V-8).

The DB-4 was the only turbocharged Chevrolet at the 1981 Indy 500, and was limited to a 208 ci capacity.

[E1pix]

It seems to me that Tom had an opportunity to qualify for an F1 race once.... but something went amiss at the last moment.

Anyone know this? I think it was related to funding, or some such unfortunate event that kept him from the grid.

He really was one fabulous driver, another great hope for America who never quite got his due.

[RA Historian]

Any Schkee expert around here? What type of Schkee was the 1980 Indy car? Klausler raced the DB6 Indy car in 1983, and I know the DB1 was a single-seat CanAm. Anyone knowing more types pretty please?

The 1981 car was the Schkee DB-4 and used a turbo Chevrolet (apparently a 209 V-8).

He's in a stock block Chevy powered March 82C.

Same car. The Schkee DB-4 was a March 82C massaged by Bob McKee and partially bankrolled by Doug Schulz. Hence the "Schkee".