6 replies to this topic

[MG Brown]

This weekend is the opening race of the 2014 IndyCar Season.

 

 
This day in IndyCar history: March 3, 1982
 

UMW photo

 

In what would turn out to be his final race run aboard the car he purchased from AAR in 1981, Chip Mead started 14th and finished ninth in the Kraco Car Stereos 150, held at Phoenix International Raceway.

It was the debut race for Bill Jamieson's ownership of Mead's 1981 All-American Racers Eagle-Cosworth #8101, which carried sponsorship from Sky Harbor Parking for the day. 

The #49 Eagle-Cosworth finished eleven laps down from race winner Rick Mears' Penske PC-10/82-Cosworth, but was by far the top-finishing Eagle for the day.

[TSR]

By 1982, if you had a Chevrolet-based engine against the Cossie V8, you did not stand a chance. While the Eagle chassis with brilliant low-drag ground-effects was possibly the best in 1981, the engines were short of nearly 100 HP to compete with the Cosworth. It was a losing battle.

[MG Brown]

Please note that the 1981 Chip Mead Eagle 8101 was Cosworth Turbo equipped "in the day".

 

 

 

This Eagle was lovingly restored and now has a home in the UMW collection located in Plymouth, WI along side the Penske Eagle 7225 that was recently shown at the Amelia Island Concours winning the "Amelia Award".

 

 

http://www.uemsimoto...e-8101-cosworth

[TSR]

Mick, not in that race, it is listed as Eagle-Chevrolet in the final race results. I think that the Cosworth was installed later. I will have to verify that. There were three Eagles, 1980 and 1981 chassis in that race, all listed with Chevy's.

 

http://racing-refere...ar_Stereo_150/R

[MG Brown]

On UMW's information page about 8101 (referenced above) there are these quotes:

 

"With luck on his side, Mead was able to make his dream a reality. ‘Amazingly, the next day I showed up in LA with the money, and among the other things I acquired was a contract with Dan Gurney for a brand new Eagle chassis. Dan honored this contract, finished the car, and then arranged for me to use a couple of Teddy Yip’s Cosworth engines from his prior Indycar campaign.’

 

‘We leased the Cosworth from Dan Gurney,’ said Priest. ‘The reason we selected the Cosworth was cost. We did not have enough money to purchase the stock block Chevy, so we leased the motor and wheels from Dan Gurney. Ed Pink did the rebuilds on the motor later between races.’ "

 

I guess it boils down to what information on the internet that you believe.

[TSR]

Indeed! I had that car Chevy powered for that race.

 

Yes, it is correct, there was a DFX in the car that day. Not a successful outing... 

 

The car was gorgeous, with a beautiful paint scheme.

[MG Brown]

UMW photo

July 1, 1973: Mark Donohue leads eight laps with Roger Penske's AAR Indy Eagle #7225 before retiring with piston failure at the Schaefer 500 at Pocono International Raceway.

It would be the final laps Donohue would lead on the USAC/IndyCar circuit.