12 replies to this topic

[Herbert]

I`m looking for a picture of Johnny Rutherford`s yellow Watson-Roadster at the Indy 500 in 1964 with Bardahl-sponsorship. I´ve never seen that car in the changed livery. Even the Qualification-shot shows the original black/red-livery of that car before Racing Associates picked up Bardahl as a sponsor.

Rutherford also practised at Indy with rear-engined car with the number 10. All I know is that it was also entered by RA and was Offy-powered. Anyone who has more infs about that car?

BTW: In many sources it is written that RA only picked up Bardahl as a sponsor just before the race because their original car (Jerry Grant`s Gerhardt-Offy) failed to qualify. But according to Phil Harms J.R. was already sponsored by Bardahl at preceding USAC-Race at Phoenix.

[Walter Zoomie]

http://www.fastmaste...therford_d1.jpg

http://www.autoescal...sel1/ca4407.jpg

http://www.motorspor...ardahlLeft.jpeg

Granted, these are photos of toys, but they give you an idea...

A couple of years ago I was talking to JR at Indy, and he said he picked up the Bardahl sponsorship right before the race in '64 due to the original Bardahl car not making the show, hence the paintjob change.

[Dave Ware]

I am in the process of reading J.R.'s autobiography, "Lone Star J.R." He talks about that race and the Bardahl sponsorship. I'll check it out tonight or tomorrow for details.

The book, btw, is very good...mainly because the subject is very good. Proof that you can be a sportsman and a gentleman and reach the top.

Dave

[Dave Ware]

This is what I found in JR's book. The Bardahl stuff confirms what Walter mentioned:

Regarding the Bardahl sponsorship at Indy in 1964, Rutherford says this in
his book (from page 85):

“We didn’t have a sponsor’s name on the car, but it was painted and covered
with decals from accessory firms such as Champion Spark Plugs and Monroe
Shock Absorbers.”

“After the last weekend of qualifying, Ron Musen, the publicity director for
Bardahl, visited us in the garage. Bardahl was sponsoring a team, but
neither of the Bardahl cars had qualified for the race. He offered to pay
us to paint our car Bardahl colors and carry their name in the race.”

“So the car’s colors went from Fontana rose and black to Bardahl yellow,
no.86, with “Bardahl” painted across the hood, and our car became the
“Bardahl Special.”

Regarding a rear-engined car, Rutherford drove one in 1965, winning the
Atlanta 250. He doesn’t identify the car or engine, but just says that he
drove for Bob Wilke and A.J. Watson. (page 91).

The appendix does not list him as driving a #10 car in 1965. His number in
’64 was “10D” or “10RE”, except at Indy and Miluwakee where he was “86R”.
(page 263.)

FYI, there are many copies of the book on ebay, usually around $5.00.

Dave

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Dave Ware
The appendix does not list him as driving a #10 car in 1965. His number in
’64 was “10D” or “10RE”, except at Indy and Miluwakee where he was “86R”.
(page 263.)

FYI, there are many copies of the book on ebay, usually around $5.00.

Dave

I think the letters after the numbers stand for Dirt, Rear-Engine and Roadster respectively. They are not part of the numbers themselves.

From the late Phil Harms' wonderful site, you can tell that he won the Atlanta race in a Watson-Ford with a rear engine, the Moog St Louis Special numbered 2 if you check the boxscore.

[Herbert]

The rear-engined car I meant was used by Rutherford during practice for the Indy 500 in 1964. I´m not sure, but I think Ebb Rose also took it out for some laps.

Jack Fox has a picture of it in his book, but the information about is very short (No chassis mentioned, Power comes from an Offy-engine)

[fines]

The #86 car should be Ebb Rose's 1963 Watson roadster (I think Don Capps once posted its chassis number as 63/6) - if you have Dick Wallen's "Roar from the Sixties" you can spot it on p252, outside of row 5, very small though and b&w! On p254 is an artists (Joe Henning) impression in colour. Apparently, he drove the car also at the Milwaukee fair meeting and Trenton in September, DNS at the latter.

The #10 car, I'm fairly sure, is the mystery RA rear-engined car that became (or became not) Boomboom Cannon's Autotron/Need-a-Sponsor - we discussed it in the A-Z thread, remember? I don't know if JR actually practiced the car, for all I know it may not have arrived at all! Its first appearance so far in my records is the Bobby Ball memorial later in '64.

The car he won his first Indycar race in was the 1965 Watson/Ford that Rodger Ward had wrecked in Indy qualifying.

[fines]

Alright, saw your post only now that I posted mine. So the #10 did arrive - any chance you can post the picture in the Fox book?

[Herbert]

Quote from the Watson Roadster book by Gary Wayne (p. 116) :

"In 1964, Rose practised at the Speedway in a new rear engine car, but never made a qualifying attempt."

Sadly, Wayne also omitted who built that chassis.

According to Jack C. Fox Racing Associates only entered one rear engined car and this was numbered 10. But he only lists J.R as the driver of that car. In the picture it is difficult to identify the driver. But I would guess that both sources talk about the same car.

[Herbert]

Here it is. Hope it`s ok.



This the Richard M. Blacker-owned mysterious Chevy-powered car of Larry Cannon from 1970/71. But is this the same car?

[Herbert]

Sorry, I don´t remember where I got the second picture from. The first one is from the book of Jack C. Fox.

[Gerr]

C/D, June 1964, '64 Indy Preview article has a list of entries:

The Racing Associates Special, Number: 10, Driver: Johnny Rutherford, Mechanic: Herb Porter, Engine: Offy, Chassis: Philips rear-engine.

Herbert, the Cannon #47 pic is from the late Jon Reynolds website.

[fines]

Originally posted by Herbert
This the Richard M. Blacker-owned mysterious Chevy-powered car of Larry Cannon from 1970/71. But is this the same car?

Thanks for the picture! As far as I can tell it could be the same car as the #24 in 1965. Don't really know about the Autotron, it was just a wild guess I made several years ago!