1971 Riverside Trans-Am synopsis of the race as found in an official Riverside results folder.
Many thanks to Frank Dihartce for sharing this very rare item with us from his personal collection.
[Note: The document states in error that it is the ninth of ten Trans-Am events for the season.
It was in fact the tenth and final race of the season.]
Riverside Trans-Am
Sunday, 10-3-’71
TRANS-AMERICAN SEDAN SERIES
Parade lap: This ninth race of the 10-race Trans-Am series began at 3:12 p.m.
The race will be 79 laps, a total of 201.45 miles. The pace car is being
driven by Dale Duncan and, as the race begns, top qualifier George Follmer
in the number 69 AMC Javelin leads the field through turn one.
Lap 1 – George Follmer’s American Racing Associates (ARA) Javelin led team-
mate Vic Elford’s number 68 Javelin across start/finish by 2.2 seconds, ave-
eraging 100.260 mph.
Thirty cars started the race at 3:14 p.m. after the one pace lap. Car 0,
Jim Moffatt’s Camaro went out of the race with mechanical problems during
the pace lap, parking in turn 2; Car 3, Tony DiLorenzo’s Mustang, stopped
running in turn 9 and DiLorenzo attempted to push the car into the pits. He
did so and his crew got him back in the race on lap 4.
Lap 5 – Follmer’s ARA Javelin has a 5.5 second lead on teammate Vic Elford’s
number 68 Javelin. Car 60, Max Dudley’s Camaro, pits to pull the left front
fender away from the tire. Car 40, John Putnam’s Camaro, is smoking heavily
in turn 6.
Lap 8 -- Car 51, Robert Hampton’s Barracuda, is smoking in turn 9, shuts off
exiting the turn and is driven into the garage area. He’s out of the race.
Meanwhile, the Roger Penske Trans-Am championship Javelin normally driven by
Mark Donohue is now running in sixth position after starting 12th. Jackie
Oliver is the driver. There are 19.6 seconds between Follmer’s Javelin
and Oliver’s as lap 9 begins.
Lap 9 -- Car 0, the Moffatt Camaro, is in the pits for a new water pump and
plans to reenter the race.
Lap 11 -- Car 3, the Tony DiLorenzo Mustang, rolls to a stop in turn 7. Car 90,
the Ken Jones Camaro, pits and the hood is up -- a similar experience for Car 43,
Jerry Oliver’s Camaro, also in the pits with its hood up.
10-Lap Rundown, Cars: 69, 68, 4, 24, 1, 6, 88, 62, 81, 76. Leader Follmer’s
average speed is 98.797 mph.
Lap 13 -- Richard Brooks in the Brock Yates Dodge Challenger, number 32, pits
and the hood is up. An interesting story about the car as Brooks had only
five laps at the wheel before qualifying 18th. This morning the crew was ob-
served pulling the rear springs from a Dodge Division “loaner” Polara with the
idea being to install them in the Challenger.
CORRECTION: Car 3’s driver is Tony DeLorenzo, not DiLorenzo.
Lap 15 -- Car 40, John Putnam’s Camaro, is black-flagged for an oil leak.
Car 40 is out of the race with what is explained as a “terminal oil leak.”
The car has a hole in its oil pan.
Lap 18 -- Car 12, the Bud Turner Camaro, pits with left side suspension ailment
and is out of the pits on lap 20.
Lap 19 -- Car 43, Jerry Oliver’s Camaro, pits and the hood is up.
Lap 20 -- Car 62, Dave Dralle’s Camaro, pits for fuel.
Lap 20 -- Car 1, Mark Waco’s Camaro pits for fuel.
Lap 20 -- Car 39, the Chaffey College Mustang, pits for fuel. Incidentally,
Sam Contino, crew chief and car racing instructor at the school, reports that
a oiled oil pan was trundled all the way back to the school in Upland this
morning for re-welding. The pan was returned and installation was completed
only one minute before the pre-grid was announced.
20-lap Rundown: Cars 69, 68, 4, 6, 1, 24, 88, one lap down, 81, 76, 36. Leader
Follmer’s average speed is 100.005 mph.
Lap 22 -- Car 6, the Jackie Oliver cum Mark Donohue Javelin is running consis-
tent laps in the 1:31.5 e.t. bracket. George Follmer’s leading Javelin, mean-
while, is touring at 1:30.8.
Lap 24 -- Car 32, the Richard Brooks Challenger is out of the pits. It re-
turns on lap 26. According to the crew, the car is down on power and every-
thing has been tried. The car is being pushed to the garage area.
Lap 25 -- Car 0, the Moffatt Camaro, is in the pits again, same problem, water
pump.
Lap 28 -- Vic Elford Javelin, Car 68, leading at the time, pits for fuel and
left tires, 18.7 seconds. Elford took the lead from Follmer on Lap 26 and
lost it to Vic Elford during this pit stop. Shortly thereafter Follmer re-
gained the lead.
Weather: (As of 3:15 p.m., race start) Winds out of NW, 14 knots, gusting
to 22 knots. (As of 3:45 p.m.) out of NW, holding steady at 22 knots.
Lap 30 -- Car 6, Jackie Oliver pits for leftside tires and fuel. 18.5 seconds
Lap 31 -- Car 2, John Ware Camaro, slowing under the bridge with what appears
to be a flat tire. He is creeping toward the pits.
Lap 32 -- Car 88, Maurice Carter’s Camaro, running in the top 10 at the time
attempted to pit on lap 31, running into the pit access road. There was no
room for him to park and he had to go around again. He took on fuel, 27 sec.
Lap 31 -- Cars 61, 66, 78 all pit and take fuel.
Lap 35 -- Car 78, Alfred Ruys de Perez Camaro, pits and the hood is up.
Lap 33 -- Car 2, John Ware Camaro, pits to check suspension.
Lap 34 -- Car 67, Bob West’s Mustang, pits for fuel.
Lap 34 -- Car 57, Buzz Dyer’s Javelin, slows on the backstraight.
30-Lap Rundown: Cars 69, 68, 6, 4, 1, 88, 24, one lap down, 67, 62, two laps
down, 76. Leader Follmer’s average speed is 99.370 mph.
Lap 36 -- Car 0, Jim Moffatt Camaro, is slow on the backstraight.
Lap 38 -- Car 61, Burton Jackson Camaro, pits and then leaves the pits with
out a gas cap. He is subsequently black-flagged.
Lap 39 -- Car 59, John Silva Camaro, pits for fuel.
Lap 40 -- Car 21, Bill Maier’s Mustang, pits for fuel.
Lap 41 -- Car 1, Mark Waco Camaro, blown engine in turn 4. He’s out of the race.
Lap 42 -- Car 88, Maurice Carter Camaro, spins and continues in turn 7A.
Lap 43 -- Driver change in car 61. Starter Burton Jackson was overcome with
gas fumes in the cockpit and is relieved by Chuck McKay. Car 0, Moffatt Camaro
spins and continues in turn 7A.
Lap 44 -- Car 62, Dave Dralle Camaro, pits for fuel and LF tire.
Lap 44 -- Car 61, Chuck McKay Camaro, pits for suspension check on LF.
Lap 45 -- Car 39, Tim Sharp Mustang, pits for fuel, oil.
40-Lap Rundown: Cars, 69, 68, 6, 4, one lap down, 24, 88, 62, 8, 97, 36. Lead-
er Follmer’s average speed is 99.386 mph.
Lap 46 -- Car 12, Bud Turner’s Camaro, pits for fuel.
Lap 47 -- Marshall Robbins Camaro, pits for fuel.
Lap 47 -- Car 0, Moffatt Camaro, is out of the race with a blown engine at
turn 4.
Lap 53 -- Car 69, Follmer Javelin, race leader, pits for rightside tires,
fuel, 22 seconds. Lost the lead to Vic Elford, his teammate in car 68.
Also, car 4, the Jerry Thompson Mustang, pits for fuel in 16.3 seconds.
Lap 55 -- Car 68, Vic Elford Javelin pits, losing the lead to teammate Follmer ,
and takes on rightside tires and fuel in 24.2 seconds.
Lap 54 -- Car 2, John Ware Camaro, takes on fuel. Car 61, Chuck McKay Camaro
pits for fuel.
Lap 55 -- Car 81, Ed Hinchcliff Mustang, pits for fuel.
Lap 56 -- Car 6, the Jackie Oliver Penske Javelin pits for fuel and rightside
tires in 17.7 seconds. He reenters in third place, where he was racing before.
Lap 57 -- Car 39, the Tim Sharp (Chaffey College) Mustang, pits for fuel and
is observed overheating.
Lap 56 -- Car 97, Paul Jett Camaro, takes on fuel.
Lap 57 -- Chuck McKay Camaro, pits for fuel.
Lap 57 -- Car 76, Joe Chamberlain Camaro, blows engine in esses and is out
of the race in turn 5.
Lap 59 -- Car 61, Chuck McKay Camaro, back into the pits, stuck in third gear.
Lap 60 -- Car 88, Maurice Carter Camaro, pits for fuel.
Lap 62 -- Car 67, Bob West Mustang, pulls to a stop in Turn 7 area
and West climbs out of the car, retiring.
50-Lap Rundown: Cars 69, 68, 6, 4, one lap down, 88, 24, two laps down, 81,
three laps down, 62, 67, 97, 76. Leader Follmer is averaging 99.411 mph.
Lap 63 -- Car 66, Stan Bennett Camaro, pits for fuel.
Lap 65 -- Car 67, Bob West Mustang, is back in action after driver West made
a few quick adjustments, underneath the front end of the car. Press infor-
mation observers feel West removed some papers from the radiator.
Lap 66 -- Car 43, Jerry Oliver Camaro, spins and continues at Turn 7A.
60-Lap Rundown: Cars 69, 68, 6, one lap down, 4, two laps down, 24, 88, three
laps down, 62, 67, 97, 76. Leader Follmer is averaging 98.965 mph.
Lap 67 -- Car 62, Dave Dralle Camaro, spins and continues at Turn 6.
Lap 68 -- Car 62, Dave Dralle Camaro, pits for fuel.
Lap 70 -- Car 76, Joe Chamberlain Camaro, pits for fuel and oil.
Lap 71 -- Car 39, Tim Sharp (Chaffey College) Mustang pits after being black-
flagged for leaking oil and shunting with car 88, Maurice Carter Camaro.
Lap 72 -- Car 39, Tim Sharp (Chaffey College) Mustang, will be allowed to
take the last lap to be scored as a finisher.
Lap 73 -- Car 69, George Follmer’s leading Javelin, and Car 4, Thompson’s Mustang
running in fourth place, made contact in turn 7, but both cars continued.
Lap 76 -- Car 76, Joe Chamberlain’s Camaro, blew his engine entering turn 9 and
leaves a trail of oil late in the pits.
70-Lap Rundown: Cars 69, 68, one lap down, 6, 4, - - after this, scoring is
receiving some discrepancies so that the finish may be absolute (barring pro-
tests) when it is released. Leader Follmer’s average speed is 98.903 mph.
CORRECTION: Car 76 has been twice improperly reported as having suffered a
“blown” engine. In each case, what seemed perfectly apparent proved to be
simply a lost oil cap. He reenters the race, with his seemed “blown” engine,
as of lap 78.
Lap 79 -- Car 69, George Follmer’s American Racing Associates, Roy Woods, Jr.,
AMC Javelin wins today’s sixth annual Trans-American sedan championship event
at Riverside International Raceway. Follmer was 41.5 seconds ahead or ARA
teammate Vic Elford in the number 68 Javelin and 1:14.7 to the good of third
place finisher Jackie Oliver in the Roger Penske Sunoco Javelin. Follmer
averaged 98.679 mph and led 75 of the 79 laps.
Complete results, including prize money shares, finishing orders and DNFs
follow shortly. It was a pleasure to see you here today and we look forward to
working with you again at the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix edition of the
Can-Am series, Oct. 31st.
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Another listing of the cars that qualified for the grid but since the race report above
mentions that 30 cars started the race, this must not be considered the final version.
Courtesy of Frank Diihartce- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(Preliminary) 1971 TRANS-AM OVER 2.5 LITER ENTRY LIST
CAR # DRIVER/HOME TOWN TYPE OF CAR/COLOR ENTRANT
0 Jim Moffatt Camaro Tri-Tech Assoc.
Santa Monica Blue/White
1 Mark Waco Camaro Mark Two Autoworks
Tarzana Blue
2 John Ware Camaro John E. Ware, Jr.
Los Angeles Pumpkin
3 Tony DeLorenzo Troy Mustang Troy Promotions,
Troy, Mich. Black/White/Blue Inc.
4 Jerry Thompson Troy Mustang Troy Promotions,
Clawson, Mich. Black/White/Blue Inc.
6 Donnie Allison Sunoco Javelin AMX Roger Penske
Hueytown, Ala. Sunoco Blue/White/Red Racing
12 Bud Turner Camaro Utilities Service
Long Beach Blue/Yellow Company
16 Tim Sharp Mustang Collegiate Racing
San Diego White/Red Chaffey College
18 Ken Deckman Camaro Busy "D" Racing
Auburn, Wash. Blue Enterprises
20 Ira W. Morrison Mustang Ira W. Morrison
Livermore White/Black
24 Marshall Robbins Camaro J. Marshall
Royal Oak, Mich. Orange/Black Robbins Ent., Inc.
30 Clay Priola Mustang Priola Motors
San Bruno Red/White
36 Frank Search Camaro Frank Search
San Leandro Dark Green
40 John Putnam Camaro J.B.R. Enterprises
San Diego White/Red
42 Whit Collins Mustang Burt Jackson
Torrance Red (Gold trim)
43 Jerry Oliver Camaro Donald Oliver
Concord Gold
51 Robert Hampton Barracuda Abbington Racing
San Mateo Yellow/Green Enterprises
55 Ted Roberts Javelin Roberts Racing
Granada Hills Red/White/Blue Enterprises
59 John Silva Camaro John Silva
San Lorenzo Red/Black
60 Bill Maier Mustang Maier Racing, Inc.
Hayward Orange
61 Burton Jackson Camaro Burton Jackson
Granada Hills Yellow
62 David F. Dralle Camaro Burton Jackson
Torrance Yellow
66 Stan Bennett Camaro Stanley R.
Portland, Oregon Orange Bennett
67 Bob West Mustang Jefferson Racing
Hollywood Blue
68 George Follmer Javelin AMX American Racing
Arcadia Yellow Assoc., Inc.
69 Vic Elford Javelin AMX American Racing
London, England Yellow Assoc., Inc.
76 Joe Chamberlain Camaro Arrow Heating Co.
Tigard, Oregon Red/Black
78 A. Ruys de Perez Camaro Carter Racing
Willowdale, Ontario Red
80 Max L. Dudley Chevrolet A. Sedan Max L. Dudley
Auburn, Wash. Orange/Black
81 Ed Hinchcliff Mustang Hinchcliff Racing
Ypsilanti, Mich. Silver/Blue
88 Maurice Carter Camaro Maurice Carter
Burlington, Ontario Red/White Chevrolet
90 Ken Jones Camaro Moreath Auto
Seattle, Wash. Dark Blue/White Stripes Parts
92 Jerry Faught Dodge Dart Camden Foreign
San Jose Yellow/Black Car
97 Paul Jett Handy Andy Camaro Paul Jett, Inc.
San Antonio, Texas Orange
Richard Brooks Dodge Challenger
Porterville, Oregon