1969 Parnelli Jones Racing car

[pje]

I saw a short video of this restored 1969 Parnelli Jones car on Facebook the other day. In May of 1969 I had just gotten back from Viet Nam and was rather out of touch with what was going on for the race. I did have plans to see the 1969 race and a buddy of mine and I had tickets, but then he got transferred out of Indianapolis, and so I had no place to stay, so we just sold the tickets.
Anyway, I’m curious about this particular car. I believe that Al Unser was scheduled to drive the car until he broke his leg. I think another driver was given the car, but couldn’t get it up to speed.
I’ve conversed with Stu about the car and he shared a number of photos that he took of the car when it was on display last year.
What I’m curious about is that it looks like another Lotus 56 clone. I know about the two Granatelli cars of 1969, but I know nothing of this one. Was it called a Colt? Something else?
Please feel free to jump in if you can add anything to the story of this car.

Paul Erlendson

[harveythedog2]

Looking at the 69 USAC stats is show Al Unser winning several races that year. Cars driven were a Lola Ford and a King Ford. The King Ford was possibly the dirt car? The above photo hardly looks like a Lola but who knows. A lot of teams were making wedge shaped cars like Gary B's Thermo Twin and Lloyd Ruby's Wynn's.

[roadcourse]

Yes, the car was on display at the Speedway last year. It is a close copy of a Lotus 56, but does have design/structural differences. It was powered by a turbo Ford and ran a few races during the season with Joe Leonard as driver.  I also took a number of pictures, (with the intent of trying to do a model of it).  The track also has a few pictures of the car taken in the parking lot during May of '69.

[harveythedog2]

Mystery solved I think. I found this on the internet:


1969 FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE PARNELLI
A few yards away, Cleveland enthusiast Doug Winslow helped load a sleek blue, white and orange car into its trailer. It was a 1969 Vels Parnelli Jones Indy car that was designed after the wedge-shaped Lotus STP turbine cars of the previous year.
This car was an imitation in looks - and an innovation in mechanics. It's a four-wheel-drive car with inboard brakes and a turbocharged four-cam Ford engine that's mounted backwards. All four tires are the same size, unlike rear-wheel-drive cars with rears larger than the fronts.
In the cockpit, the driver must pull the gear shift backwards for first and third gears, forward for second and fourth.

Its history is as unique as its design.
Al Unser Sr. drove the car to impressive speeds early in practice in 1969. But Unser broke his leg while riding a motorcycle in the infield at the speedway and couldn't race in the 500. Winslow said Parnelli Jones put other drivers into the car, but nobody could get it up to qualifying speed. It never raced at Indy.
Winslow bought it several years ago, "and it was filthy." He had it restored and has put it on the track three times at vintage events – last year at Indianapolis and Pocono, and this weekend at Indy – which may be more than it has raced.
"I did a little research and found at least one time when they ran this car (in a race)," Winslow said.
Winslow said Unser has seen the car in its restored state but offered little reaction.
"Maybe he doesn't have good memories of that car," Winslow said.
What matters, though, is that Winslow and others with these cars have preserved an important part of history. And they've blessed us with their willingness to put them back on the track.

[roadcourse]

In most race reports it was listed as a "Lotus." Leonard finished 19th with it at Riverside.