One of only five lightweight spyders ever made by Lola, it was originally ordered by Penske for Mark Donohue to campaign in the 1967 Can-Am season. Its first race was a United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) event at Mid-Ohio in August where Donohue finished first. The other four Lola T70’s went to Dan Gurney, John Surtees, Parnelli Jones, and one was just used for parts.
After the 1967 season came to a close, Shelby Racing acquired the car in early 1968 through Ford Motor Company. Shelby Racing used the car to test different power plants and suspension settings. He planned to enter a car in the 1968 Can-Am series and he needed to know which Ford power-plants would be best suited for the grueling races. On June 30th 1968, Peter Revson set a new course record and qualified on the pole at a USRRC race at Kent, Washington. Unfortunately, starting from the pole position did not help him win the race. The aluminum 427 Ford-powered Lola retired after just two laps due to a failure of the #2 rod bearing.
In 1982 Skip Gunnell, a yacht builder from Fort Lauderdale, bought the car. It was given a complete restoration in 1996 and returned to its original Sunoco livery including a new 365 c.i./600hp Traco Chevrolet motor. It has been raced at many vintage events around the United States and Canada. Today it is a faithful representation of the car that Penske Racing took to the track in 1967. At the 2006 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the car was given special recognition and awards for its place in racing history. Further, at the 2008 Road America Kohler International Challenge, the car was awarded the Best in Class and Best Race Car trophies by Road and Track magazine for its historical significance and correctness.
[doptg id=”205″]
#SizeMatters3 "Speedy Delivery" is Mike Ryan's 3rd gymkhana styled video full of stunts, close quarters…
The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is the second oldest motor race in the United States…
NASCAR's premier series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, is the most popular sporting event…
19-year-old Noah Gragson drives the #18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series.…
As part of the My Life at Speed team, I've been able to share some…
If you watched Super Bowl LII, you saw one of the most epic contests of…