Lola T240

[Mike Winn]

Originally Posted by Ken Rochocki

Spare chassis does not have a chassis plate or decals. Two spare rollbars do not have any i.d. One of these rollbars has been damaged; bashed inward on driver's right, lower down near where it attaches to a tub. Spare chassis has no damage . Complete car has no i.d. on rollbar. Spare main body section = dark green/black underside. Has a recess behind driver's neck with a blue/silver label, reads: Specialized Mouldings Ltd, Huntindon England. Complete car main body section = white/red, white underside sprayed; has black/dark areas. Has the same recess, label painted over, can make out England. Engine cover = white/red, black underside. Nosecone = white/red, adj. canards, raw under underside. Wings = 1 spare all fibreglas 2 post light blue. 1 spare aluminum single post large sideplates. 1 on car aluminum with 2 chrome rear gussets going into 2 front gussets. Spare fuel bladder = MARSTON Wolverhampton England Mfg Apr 71. Contractors Part No D240/12004RH, Serial No JM______, Material FIA FT3, Inspection Stamp _JM___. Will send photos on next missive. My associate on the Lola was Walt. He has a Rondel. If you look under Motul m1, he sent a posting to you, which appears to have no response. I hope all of this helps and leads us to more info. Thanks much. Ken.

Ken;
I have Lola HU1 that was converted to IMSA Lite with a modified chassis. I would like to restore it to the original configuration and am interested in your spare chassis and body pieces that may be extra. Mike Winn / winnmill@windstream.net

[Mike Winn]

Hi Ken;
I have HU-1 Lola T242 that has been modified to race in the IMSA Lite series enclosed sports racer. I would like to return it to its original F2 configuration. I am looking for a T240 tub and body to go with my suspension and chassis plate. Do you want to sell your spare tub.
Mike Winn / winnmill@windstream.net

[Mike Winn]

Anyone in this forum knowing of a Lola T240 Chassis or body work that could be purchased for the restoration of HU1 Lola T242 please contact me. I have posted my phone number and email for this purpose. HU1 deserves to be restored and raced again in it's original configuration. I have all the original suspension and Hewland.
Mike Winn ( Rookie)

[neatwheels]

Stumbled on this site. Have not been a student of all racing cars in my past. BUT thought it unusual that in the opening post HU17 was missing in action.

HU17 was imported to the US in early Spring of 1972 by Carl Haas to replace a T240 car that I attempted to race in the Bogota races in February of that year.

The T240 was ex-Sarich and was a total mess. Having been severely altered and completed screwed up. After sorting all the maladies out it turned out to be a not to bad car but somewhat dated.

Carl Haas offered a T242 to me to drive for the '72 season and it was the HU17 chassis. I built the Lotus twin cam and the rest was as is from Lola cars.

I won five SCCA National races that year in the car including the first out of the box at MIS. Finished third in points.

Went to the '72 ARRC with the car at that point having been sold to a fellow by name of J. Lewis Cooper of Detroit. It rained so hard in the race that the long back straight had 2" of water flooding it and while looking in my mirrors the Webers were totally encapsulated in ice and car running for crap.

With the notion in my head that it was already sold I pulled into the paddock for a hot cup of tea and a smoke and called it a day.

Now what prompted me to write this was that in downsizing as the exit approaches I found the SCCA log book that verifies the above.

Now you have heard an important part of the Lola T242 - HU17 story.

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by neatwheels

Stumbled on this site. Have not been a student of all racing cars in my past. BUT thought it unusual that in the opening post HU17 was missing in action.

HU17 was imported to the US in early Spring of 1972 by Carl Haas to replace a T240 car that I attempted to race in the Bogota races in February of that year.

The T240 was ex-Sarich and was a total mess. Having been severely altered and completed screwed up. After sorting all the maladies out it turned out to be a not to bad car but somewhat dated.

Carl Haas offered a T242 to me to drive for the '72 season and it was the HU17 chassis. I built the Lotus twin cam and the rest was as is from Lola cars.

I won five SCCA National races that year in the car including the first out of the box at MIS. Finished third in points.

Went to the '72 ARRC with the car at that point having been sold to a fellow by name of J. Lewis Cooper of Detroit. It rained so hard in the race that the long back straight had 2" of water flooding it and while looking in my mirrors the Webers were totally encapsulated in ice and car running for crap.

With the notion in my head that it was already sold I pulled into the paddock for a hot cup of tea and a smoke and called it a day.

Now what prompted me to write this was that in downsizing as the exit approaches I found the SCCA log book that verifies the above.

Now you have heard an important part of the Lola T242 - HU17 story.

Welcome Jim Harrell! Many thanks for this.

The Sarishs had two T240s, one each. Do you remember whether yours was the Chuck Sarich #57 car or the Jim Sarich #67 car?

And did the ex-Sarich T240 go back to Haas when you got the T242?

Oh yes, one more thing. Any idea where the T242 went after you?

[neatwheels]

Have no idea which Sarich car I had. After winning the '71 Formula Ford run offs Haas entertained me to drive a Lola in Formula B. Since SCCA was promoting several races in Bogota I was invited to race there as part of a 25 team group being sent there to race. It was pretty cool to say the least.

I was able to get the car from Chicago to my shop base in Adrian Michigan. Put a fresh home brew motor in it and did some testing at MIS. That T-240 was atrocious. Ride height at front about an inch and a half off the earth and springs so soft it bottomed out with little effort.

Anywho we got it up off the ground with in design limits and the car really picked up. Unfortunately my skill with the car due to my big head allowed me to spend some time in the flora and fauna of the Autodroma of Bogota.

Got back to the states and returned car to Haas with no idea of where it went. Meantime the T-242 had arrived at Haas via airfreight. We shot over, got it and thrashed to put it together for the first season race at MIS.

Outa the box we won that race beating the likes of Mike Hall and Chuck Dietrich. They were surprised as I was. From there we won the next four races. But some ensuing brain fade relegated us to third in the CenDiv standings.

As mentioned earlier the ARRC event sucked. Freezing cold and rain rain rain. Prior to the run offs I had sold the car to J. Lewis Cooper of Detroit. From there I have no clue where it went.

A surprise in my getting closer to the exit door and shedding lots of racing memorabilia I found the original SCCA log book for the car. No clue why I retained it but I think with the new owner a new log book was put in place??? Also have fair amount of period photos of the car at various tracks.

The car came to us in white gel coat. I painted it purple, lavender and white. Kinda far out an kool for its time. It handled marvelously and was a true pleasure to drive with no quirks.

Be interesting to know where the car is now???

[neatwheels]

Hi Allen,

Kinda interesting digging up old stuff. I noticed in your listing of the SCCA Cendiv results that I finished 3rd. in 1972 which is correct ( due to getting sideways and letting Deitrich by at BlackHawk Farms) but in fact the car I drove was a Lola T-242 (as I did in all of 1972) and not a T-240 as listed.

Keep up the great work. Its fun to revisit.....jim

[allenbrown]

Thanks for this. I have made a few changes to the site.

My records of CenDiv FB in 1972 are very thin as Autoweek coverage dropped away significantly. I haven't even been able to establish the calendar of Nationals with any great confidence. Did you find any paperwork from 1972 that might help us? Results sheets, programmes, copies of 'Open Exhaust', etc, etc?

[neatwheels]

My SCCA log book lists the races in Cendiv that we participated in. That's about the extent of it.

Of course today with the internet and the hunger for reliving the past makes digging this stuff up pretty easy. Lots of people out there sitting on records, photos etc., and like me have such sitting on the shelf.

I am now at 72 digging this stuff out. From Marlboro race track in the late '50's to 2005 when I finally gave up competing.

There's more......stay tuned.....jim

[ampeng]

In an effort to help locate/identify where they are: I recently aquirred T240 HU6. It is in excellent condition with a 2 ltr BDP with an FT200 Hewland. Now running with VARA as an F2 car and formerlly run with RMVR out of Colorado Springs. I know the previous three owners but don't know about its first several years.

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by ampeng

In an effort to help locate/identify where they are: I recently aquirred T240 HU6. It is in excellent condition with a 2 ltr BDP with an FT200 Hewland. Now running with VARA as an F2 car and formerlly run with RMVR out of Colorado Springs. I know the previous three owners but don't know about its first several years.

I don't know HU6's first owner but I do know its colour and its delivery date so there are only two real possibilities. Does your car have a SCCA number stamped on the roll hoop? If it does, we should be able to say which one it is.

You can email me at allen@oldracingcars.com if you prefer.

[ampeng]

SCCA logbook identity number 33-2911
From Lola: Lola chassis log shows HU6 was invoiced to HAAS on 14th May1971
Hewland FT200-629 and TC-Hart 71150
black bodywork
From Haas: no info available
may have run in Cal Club in early seventies, also may have run in Formula B Pro Series

possible info: Charles Powell - 2nd place Riverside Reginals August 18/20 1972
- overall reginal points standings as of 11/15,1972-3rd place with 12 points
other Lola T240 info(unk chassis number)
Dr Bill Middleton- winner at Riverside,Holtville, Willow Springs National
Races---overall leader in National FB points as of 8/1,1972

Documented information:July 18th,1987 HU6 purchased by James Jaqua of
Hemet California from Charles Powell car less engine for $8,000
Jim Jaqua purchased a Cosworth BDP from Bill Royster on 1/29/88(which was in
Steve Jennings shop at the time)
owner from 1989 to 2014 Jim Larkin of Colorado Springs
ATTACHED:
1)pictures of suggested wing modifications from Lola
2)Lola data sheet for type T242, possible HU16 and HU17 chassis
3)photo of Bob Lillquist’s T242 formula B 7/28,1973
4)info sheet from Autodynamics corp for 1971 T240 FB car

[ampeng]

Thought these might be of interest to others as well

[allenbrown]

The first appearance I am aware of for Chuck Powell in his T240 was a Regional at Riverside on 16 July 1972. Middleton had raced his T240 at Road Atlanta the previous weekend and then raced it again in an obscure IMSA Pro Formula B race at Las Vegas Int on 29 July. I have the results sheets for that and it shows Middleton still in his Lola. It is possible he had actually brought his brand new Brabham to that event but I'd say it's pretty unlikely IMSA wouldn't have changed their records to reflect that. That was Middleton's last appearance in the Lola but it was advertised by Fred Opert in February 1973, implying it had gone to Opert in part-exchange when Middleton bought the new Brabham. So I think we can be confident that Powell's car wasn't the ex-Middleton car.

The SCCA number is no help as it is much later than 1972. Log books were introduced by the SCCA for 1972 so any car that appeared at a National early in the 1972 season would have a log book numbered in the low hundreds. The number you quote is from years later and must mean it needed a replacement logbook for some reason. So we don't know where this car was in 1972.

The only clue we have left is that HU6 was originally delivered in a black gel coat. Rocky Moran drove a black T240 in 1971 and was from the Pasadena/Arcadia area to the northeast of California. Chuck Powell was from Riverside, CA, about 50 miles east. The other possible T240s are much further away: Skipp Walther in Ohio; Max Mizejewski in Canada; Chuck and Jim Sarich, John Sirmons, and Vincent Dileo all on the east coast, and Howard Jackson in Iowa.

So my best guess for the first owner of HU6 would be Rocky Moran. Rocky is very contactable - he's even on Twitter - and there's a chance he may remember who he sold his car to.

[ampeng]

Interesting, I see on the first page of this thread that Rocky had HU15 which is also suggested here, http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1285, which was a T240 auctioned by RM claiming Hiss and Moran. It also shows HU5 as also Rocky's which could of course be HU6 instead, did he have two of these?

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by ampeng

Interesting, I see on the first page of this thread that Rocky had HU15 which is also suggested here, http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1285, which was a T240 auctioned by RM claiming Hiss and Moran. It also shows HU5 as also Rocky's which could of course be HU6 instead, did he have two of these?

The suggestion that Rocky Moran drove HU15 came from Ted Titmus so the RM Auctions source is the same as our source. Titmas's claim makes less sense as our understanding of that 1971 season improves. Hayes entered a T240 for Hiss in 1971 but that car was rolled into a ball before HU15 was even invoiced. Titmas also connected Moran to the same car but Moran was racing his car before HU15 was invoiced. So I believe Titmus bought a T240 from Hayes for 1972 but was mistaken about what it had done in Hayes' ownership. Hayes was a dealer so this may have been somebody else's car going through his hands or it could be a car that Hayes bought for Hiss to replace the wrecked one. I am unconvinced by the Moran link.

The table that is the first post in this thread was put together by Chris and a lot of that was based on first appearance dates as we then knew them. Note he uses the word "probably" for all the ones where we were taking a best guess. That was ten years ago. I'm not sure we even had Lola's records then. We know so much more now.

[WouterM]

Has anyone figured out which car Tim Barrington is running? Here is another look from Zandvoort last year:

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/galle...Lola-T240.html

[Mike Winn]

Still looking for body parts and used tub for restoring HU-1 Lola T242. Anyone with information or has these parts for sale please contact me, Mike Winn
microgrinding@att.net or winnmill@windstream.net I would like to race it in vintage races before I get too old. I had some good races in my Merlyn FB against Bob Young at MAR in St. Charles, MO. and know it is a good car.

[ampeng]

Allen, did you ever hear from Rocky Moran regarding to whom he might have sold his car to? Still looking for the origin of HU-6.

[ProFORMANCE]

Originally Posted by ampeng

SCCA logbook identity number 33-2911
From Lola: Lola chassis log shows HU6 was invoiced to HAAS on 14th May1971
Hewland FT200-629 and TC-Hart 71150
black bodywork
From Haas: no info available
may have run in Cal Club in early seventies, also may have run in Formula B Pro Series

possible info: Charles Powell - 2nd place Riverside Reginals August 18/20 1972
- overall reginal points standings as of 11/15,1972-3rd place with 12 points
other Lola T240 info(unk chassis number)
Dr Bill Middleton- winner at Riverside,Holtville, Willow Springs National
Races---overall leader in National FB points as of 8/1,1972

Documented information:July 18th,1987 HU6 purchased by James Jaqua of
Hemet California from Charles Powell car less engine for $8,000
Jim Jaqua purchased a Cosworth BDP from Bill Royster on 1/29/88(which was in
Steve Jennings shop at the time)
owner from 1989 to 2014 Jim Larkin of Colorado Springs
ATTACHED:
1)pictures of suggested wing modifications from Lola
2)Lola data sheet for type T242, possible HU16 and HU17 chassis
3)photo of Bob Lillquist’s T242 formula B 7/28,1973
4)info sheet from Autodynamics corp for 1971 T240 FB car

Hi all, I just came across this thread while playing on the internet. I am Charles Powell's son Gary. I may be able to help a bit on some info regarding my fathers LolaT240 as I spent a lot of hours in the garage and at the track working on it. Granted I was only 14yrs at the time, but that didn't hold me back.
My father's original T240 was destroyed in a rain race in 1974, turn-1 inside guardrail at Riverside. My father hydroplaned after crossing the start/finish line, spun and backed it into the guardrail which then caused the car to flip over backwards landing upside down on the guardrail. He spent the following week in the ICU and came home after a 10-day stay in the hospital. My father found another roller chassis which he raced in 1975. In 1979, I ran a few So Cal club races in that same car with a Jenning's BDD engine. We sold the engine back to Jennings later that year and the car was sold in 1980-ish.
My father's original T240 had a polished tub, a beautiful polished rear wing, red bodywork and all chrome suspension. The second T240 was black with a black wing, non polished tub and rattle-can painted suspension. In 1979, the suspension was powder coated silver.
If if recall correctly, the log book for the second T240 was not the original logbook to the first T240. One or both of these log books may still exist in my families archives. Sadly, my father passed away about 4-years ago so I can not ask him.

[ProFORMANCE]

ampeng,

I'm quite sure the HU6 you have is my father's second T240. I do not know who he obtained the car from. But, Rocky does not live to far from me and I may be able to contact him to ask if he sold his car to my father.

By the way, the car in the pic you posted looks almost identical to my father's first T240. But, my father's 1st had a twin chrome post rear wing and the front wings were painted. Also, it had true knock-offs which we had a special tool for which slid into the hubs to beet the knock-offs on/off.

Let me know if you have resolved the history questions.

[ampeng]

Tom Barringtons car is HU5.

[Chris Townsend]

Originally Posted by ProFORMANCE

ampeng,

I'm quite sure the HU6 you have is my father's second T240. I do not know who he obtained the car from. But, Rocky does not live to far from me and I may be able to contact him to ask if he sold his car to my father.

By the way, the car in the pic you posted looks almost identical to my father's first T240. But, my father's 1st had a twin chrome post rear wing and the front wings were painted. Also, it had true knock-offs which we had a special tool for which slid into the hubs to beet the knock-offs on/off.

Let me know if you have resolved the history questions.

Gary

Another possibility for your dad's first car might be the T240 used by Brooks Frybarger, Carmel CA. It's red, and it disappears in mid 1972 having been a regular runner in Cal Club. Does that ring any bells?

bfrybarger@unitedauto.com was the email a while back. I never got a reply

Chris