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REAR VIEW: Follmer's Phoenix masterclass

Robin Miller / Images by Follmer family

WHAT: George Follmer wins in a stock block Chevy

WHERE: Jimmy Bryan 150, Phoenix International Raceway
WHERE: 30 March, 1969

George Follmer did a lot of amazing things during his racing career, from making a points-paying Formula 1 debut at age 39, to becoming a super-sub for Roger Penske's Can-Am team, to winning races and Parnelli Jones' respect in Trans Am. But what he did in USAC's Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix International Raceway in March of 1969 almost defies description.


As owner/driver of a chassis that had never won a race, powered by a stock-block engine, Follmer captured that season's IndyCar season opener – by three laps.
"It ranks near the top," replied Follmer when asked about his favorite race. "Finishing third in my second grand prix in Spain [in 1973], winning Mid-Ohio in the rain for Roger [Penske] in the Porsche and pulling off what we did at Phoenix. It was a gamble but it was better than sitting in the grandstands."
A road racing prodigy, Follmer had dabbled three times on ovals in 1968 without much success, but decided to test a theory in '69. He bought George Bryant's Cheetah (built by IndyCar magicians Quinn Epperly, George Salih and Howard Gilbert) and hired Al Bartz of Traco fame to prepare his engine.
"I felt that if I got it wound up and kept it on the cam, we could be competitive," says the 82-year-old from his home in Phoenix. "It was a steel engine and it was real heavy with 70 gallons of fuel so we ran 15 percent nitro. But we planned on only making one pit stop."
If nobody paid any attention to the blue no.62 when it pulled into PIR, it had everyone talking after qualifying as Follmer just missed winning the pole position, losing by a few tenths to Al Unser.
The race began with Unser showing his heels to the field before losing an engine. Then Mario Andretti took charge until his motor pitched, and that left Bobby Unser on the point for 83 laps before he also blew up. Follmer, who had stopped at the halfway point to top off his fuel, kept getting quicker as the fuel load lessened and picked off Gordon Johncock, Lloyd Ruby and Mike Mosley before finding himself in the lead on lap 122.
"I couldn't run with Al, Bobby and Mario with that big fuel load, but I got my car working and could run high or low in the corners and was passing people on the outside all day," he continued. "I knew I was running faster than anybody I came up on so I figured we had to be doing something right."


George took the checkered flag three laps ahead of Wally Dallenbach, with Ruby five laps back in third, Bill Vukovich fourth and Jigger Sirois fifth. The record book shows that he out-lasted much of his competition, but he also out-smarted them.


"We didn't have the speed to be competitive on bigger ovals or even the road courses but Phoenix was a perfect match for that package with its length and configuration," reasoned Follmer, who qualified that same car with a turbo Ford at Indy a few weeks later.
"We only had three guys on the team and I was mixing the fuel just before the start so we were quite happy with the result. It was also the first IndyCar win for a stock block and it didn't get a lot of publicity but we got a lot of satisfaction.