All American Racers

Last updated

All American Racers
Anglo American Racers logo.svg
Base Rye, East Sussex, UK and Santa Ana, California, USA [1]
Founder(s) Dan Gurney
Formula One World Championship career
First entry 1966 Belgian Grand Prix
Races entered25
Engines Climax, Weslake
Constructors'
Championships
0
Drivers'
Championships
0
Race victories 1
Podiums2
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 2
Final entry 1969 Canadian Grand Prix
All American Racers
Career
Debut 1979 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 (Phoenix)
Latest race 1999 Marlboro 500 (Fontana)
Races competed134
Drivers' Championships 0
Indy 500 victories 0
Race victories1
Pole positions 1

All American Racers is an American-licensed [2] auto racing team and constructor based in Santa Ana, California. [3] Founded by Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby in 1964, All American Racers initially participated in American sports car and Champ Car races as well as international Formula One events with cars named Eagle. The Formula One team, based in the United Kingdom and using British-built Weslake engines was named Anglo American Racers. Under team manager Bill Dunne they set up shop in Rye, East Sussex. [4] The team were adjacent to Harry Weslake's engine development plant and half a mile from Elva cars. [5] They participated in 25 Grands Prix, entering a total of 34 cars.

Contents

The first Eagles were created after AAR entered a Goodyear-backed Lotus 38 in the 1965 Indianapolis 500 and Gurney hired former Lotus designer Len Terry to develop their own car for 1966. The resulting Ford-powered Eagle T2G was codeveloped with the Eagle T1G for Formula 1. After exiting Formula One in 1968 and concentrating on Champ Car, Eagle turned to sports car racing in the 1980s, partnering with Toyota to develop the Celica and later sports prototypes for the IMSA GT Championship.

The company built the Ben Bowlby-designed DeltaWing that was run by Highcroft Racing at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Formula 1


An Eagle Mk1, in early, four-cylinder Climax-engined T1F form. The car wears the Imperial blue paint, the national racing colour of the United States. Eagle T1F.jpg
An Eagle Mk1 , in early, four-cylinder Climax-engined T1F form. The car wears the Imperial blue paint, the national racing colour of the United States.

In order to run the Formula 1 operations, Gurney established the Anglo American Racers team, based in Rye, East Sussex, UK, though the cars were built in Santa Ana, California, USA by the All American Racers team. The Eagle T1G car, powered by an obsolete Coventry Climax engine, debuted at the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix and scored its first points with a fifth place three weeks later at the French Grand Prix. For the 1967 season Richie Ginther was signed as a second driver. The Climax engine was replaced by a new 3-liter Weslake V12 designed by Aubrey Woods and built in Great Britain by Harry Weslake. At the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix Gurney achieved a victory, the first "all-American" victory in a Grand Prix since Jimmy Murphy´s triumph with Duesenberg at the 1921 French Grand Prix. Excluding the Indianapolis 500, this is the only win for a USA-built car as well as one of only two wins of an American-licensed constructor in Formula One. [3] [6]

The Eagle-Weslake was a beautiful and efficient car, one example of which was constructed in titanium and exotic alloys. More than this, the Eagle was designed to make the tall Gurney fit comfortably at the wheel. Their efforts produced a V12 that was smooth and powerful. At Monza, an insight into the future of engine design was seen for the first time. The engine had four valves per cylinder at a narrow included angle (thirty degrees) that allowed a single cover to enclose both the close-spaced camshafts on each bank. The sixty-degree-vee layout had a larger bore than stroke (72.8 X 60mm). Gurney's program ran out of money in 1968 and by the end of the year he returned to the United States to concentrate his efforts on the more successful Indycar program, in which Bobby Unser had won the Indianapolis 500 and the 1968 Indycar Championship. A non-works version briefly appeared with privateer Al Pease in the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix, but Pease became noticed for all the wrong reasons and made history as the only F1 driver ever disqualified for being too slow.

USAC & CART Champ Car

The Eagle driven to 6th place in the 1969 Indianapolis 500 by Joe Leonard JoeLeonardEagle.jpg
The Eagle driven to 6th place in the 1969 Indianapolis 500 by Joe Leonard
1972 Gurney-Eagle Indycar chassis driven by Mark Donohue 1972 Mark Donohue Indycar Gurney Eagle.jpg
1972 Gurney-Eagle Indycar chassis driven by Mark Donohue
1968 Indianapolis 500-winning chassis, driven by Bobby Unser Eagle Rislone Special front Honda Collection Hall.jpg
1968 Indianapolis 500-winning chassis, driven by Bobby Unser

During the USAC years, the Eagle chassis was very successful in the late 1960s and 1970s. Eagles won 51 Champ Car races, including the 1968 and 1975 Indy 500's won by Bobby Unser and the 1973 race won by Gordon Johncock. During this two-decade period, Bobby Unser, who drove Eagle cars for most of his teams, joined AAR as the sole driver, winning the 1975 Indianapolis 500. Unser also claimed 22 wins and 52 podiums with Eagle cars. After Unser's departure from the team for Team Penske, All American Racers started to lose their edge in IndyCar competition. Mike Mosley won a few races for the team before being dismissed at the end of 1982. By 1984, AAR merged with Mike Curb's team to form Curb-All American Racers. After a two-year partnership with Curb, Gurney and Curb parted ways, and this marked the beginning of the end of AAR's time in IndyCar. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

The All American Racers team was inactive in single-seaters from 1987 to 1995 and returned in 1996 again building their own chassis and using new Toyota engines. However, this new effort, a combination of new and untested equipment, did not prove to be successful, never winning a race and collecting only occasional top-tens. The team ceased active racing after the 1999 CART season. [16]

CART/USAC drivers

IMSA GT

Gurney's team was contracted by Toyota in 1983 to enter the IMSA GT Championship with specially-modified Toyota Celicas.

In 1988, the team moved up to the GTP category with two chassis – a modified Toyota 88C Group C car and a team-designed Eagle HF89 purpose-built for IMSA competition.

AAR experienced its greatest success in GTP competition with the Eagle MkIII, introduced in 1991. Powered by a turbocharged 2.1-liter Toyota inline-4 developing up to 800 horsepower and generating 10,000 pounds of downforce at 200 mph, the MkIII won 21 of the 27 races in which it was entered – a record so dominant that it has been blamed for the collapse of the GTP series. [17] [18]

Trans-Am

AAR created a special Trans-Am Series version of the Plymouth Barracuda, running in the 1970 season with drivers Dan Gurney and Swede Savage. [19] A homologation special production edition was offered in 1970. [20]

Racing results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

Anglo American Racers

(key)

YearChassisEngine(s)TyresDrivers123456789101112PointsWCC
1966 Eagle T1G Climax S4
Weslake V12
G MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA MEX 47th
Flag of the United States.svg Dan Gurney Ret5RetRet7RetRet5
Flag of the United States.svg Phil Hill DNQ
Flag of the United States.svg Bob Bondurant DSQRet
1967 Eagle T1G Weslake V12 G RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA MEX 137th
Flag of the United States.svg Dan Gurney RetRetRet1FRetRetRetF3RetRetRet
Flag of the United States.svg Richie Ginther DNQ
Flag of New Zealand.svg Bruce McLaren RetRetRet
Flag of Italy.svg Ludovico Scarfiotti Ret
1968 G RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX 0*12th
Eagle T1G Weslake V12 Flag of the United States.svg Dan Gurney RetRetRetRet9Ret
McLaren M7A Ford V8 Ret4Ret [lower-alpha 1]

Non-works entries

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngineTyresDrivers123456789101112
1967 Castrol Oils Ltd. Eagle T1G Climax S4 G RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA MEX
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Al Pease NC
1968 Castrol Oils Ltd. Eagle T1G Climax S4 G RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Al Pease DNS
1969 John Maryon Eagle T1G Climax S4 F RSA ESP MON NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Al Pease DSQ

Complete Formula One Non-Championship results

(key)

YearChassisEngineDriver123456
1967 Eagle T1G Weslake V12 ROC SPC INT SYR OUL ESP
Flag of the United States.svg Dan Gurney 1
Flag of the United States.svg Richie Ginther 10

Complete CART PPG Indy Car World Series results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

YearChassisEngineTyresDriversNo.1234567891011121314151617181920
1979 PHX ATL INDY TRTMCHWGLTRTONTMCHATLPHX
Eagle 79 Cosworth DFX V8 t G Flag of the United States.svg Mike Mosley 3661717313DNS2201214341410
1980 ONT INDY MILPOCMDOMCHWGLMILONTMCHMXCPHX
Eagle 80 Cosworth DFX V8 t G Flag of the United States.svg Mike Mosley 4819
Chevrolet V8 322317
1981 PHXMILATLMCHRIVMILMCHWGLMXCPHX
Eagle 81 Chevrolet V8 G Flag of the United States.svg Mike Mosley 481*DNS18DNS2624
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Brabham 199
Flag of the United States.svg Rocky Moran 6
1983 ATL INDY MILCLEMCHROAPOCRIVMDOMCHCPLLAGPHX
Eagle 83 Chevrolet V8 G Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Wood 98228
1984 LBHPHX INDY MILPORMEACLEMCHROAPOCMDOSANMCHPHXLAGCPL
Eagle 84SB Pontiac V8 G Flag of the United States.svg Mike Chandler 8816DNQ
Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Cogan 8
98209182022
Flag of the United States.svg Pete Halsmer 14
Flag of the United States.svg Ed Pimm 2613222219101219
1985 LBH INDY MILPORMEACLEMCHROAPOCMDOSANMCHLAGPHXMIA
Eagle 85GC Cosworth DFX V8 t G Flag of the United States.svg Tom Sneva 28202611321815521
Lola T9002471919
Flag of the United States.svg Tony Bettenhausen Jr. 9729
Flag of the United States.svg Ed Pimm 9821
Eagle 85GC12919DNS5112098314912
1986 PHXLBH INDY MILPORMEACLETORMCHPOCMDOSANMCHROALAGPHXMIA
Eagle 86GC Cosworth DFX V8 t G Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Lammers 98914DNQ
1996 MIA RIO SFR LBH NAZ 500 MIL DET PORCLE TOR MCHMDOROAVANLAG
Eagle Mk-V Toyota RV8A V8 t G Flag of Argentina.svg Juan Manuel Fangio II 362117152525221918141328142081928
Flag of the United States.svg P. J. Jones 98Wth2492423201625181327
1997 MIA SFR LBHNAZRIOGATMILDETPORCLETORMCHMDOROA VAN LAG FON
Reynard 96i Toyota RV8A V8 t G Flag of Argentina.svg Juan Manuel Fangio II 3620202615
Reynard 97i Toyota RV8B V8 t 20232110222119112510121527
Reynard 96i Toyota RV8A V8 t Flag of the United States.svg P. J. Jones 9828261621
Reynard 97i Toyota RV8B V8 t 16211414202521281714251710
1998 MIA MOT LBH NAZ RIO GAT MIL DET POR CLE TOR MCH MDO ROA VAN LAG HOU SFR FON
Reynard 97i
Reynard 98i
Eagle 987
Toyota RV8C V8 t
Toyota RV8D V8 t
G Flag of the United States.svg Alex Barron 36182414DNS1214DNS201415281516241920121913
Flag of the United States.svg P. J. Jones 98203011191312142516211924202221
Flag of Italy.svg Vincenzo Sospiri 22151523
1999 MIA MOT LBH NAZ RIO GAT MIL POR CLE ROA TOR MCH DET MDO CHI VAN LAGHOU SRF FON
Eagle 997 Toyota RV8D V8 t G Flag of the United States.svg Alex Barron 361517239231614
Flag of Brazil.svg Gualter Salles 27132025151118
Flag of Brazil.svg Raul Boesel 1217
Flag of Italy.svg Andrea Montermini 11242315

Notes

  1. Results scored in a McLaren-Ford did not count towards Eagle-Weslake's points total.

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References

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  2. "Eagle". StatsF1. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Saga of Audacity: Eagle F1". Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  4. Competition Press & Autoweek, March 26, 1966, Page 3.
  5. Competition Press & Autoweek, April 23, 1966, Page 6.
  6. Penske achieved a victory at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix having raced with an American licence, but the car was built at the British base in Poole. Though American-owned, the British-based Shadow achieved a victory at the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix having raced with a British licence.
  7. "REWIND: Miller on Dan Gurney's Indy-winning Eagles". August 27, 2021.
  8. "RETRO: The wild tale of 1982's Eagle Aviation Flyer IndyCar". May 26, 2022.
  9. "1969 Eagle Weslake Ford 'Santa Ana' Indy Car | S167 | Indy 2022".
  10. "1968 Eagle Indy Car".
  11. "1982 AAR Eagle Indy Car".
  12. "1972 AAR Eagle 7200 Indycar".
  13. "Eagle 1969 Indy car-by-car histories". September 24, 2022.
  14. "Eagle 1966 Indy car-by-car histories". February 5, 2023.
  15. "Eagle 1972 Indy car-by-car histories". January 27, 2023.
  16. "Eagle 987 Champ Car | Dan Gurney's All American Racers".
  17. Toyota Eagle MkIII Archived July 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine , Mulsanne's Corner
  18. Eagle MkIII GTP Archived February 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine , quoted from RACER magazine
  19. "Trans Am - The Early Years of American Sedan Racing". Car Craft. February 2009. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  20. "AAR 'Cuda". Mopar Muscle Cars. January 27, 2011. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.