10 pedigreed open-wheel racers at American Speed Festival 2021
Grace Houghton
06 October 2021
Share It’s easy to say that the Chaparrals stole the show in Pontiac, Michigan, during
the first-ever American Speed Festival. However, with all due respect to Jim Hall’s winged wonders, his “2” cars kept some mighty fine company under the tents of M1 Concourse the first weekend of October: 100 pedigreed cars spanning over 120 years of racing history, from a replica of Henry Ford’s first “race car” to a Porsche 917 and a ’90s F1 car. With such a select but prestigious group of vintage metal, we couldn’t choose between our favorite Indy cars and Formula 5000 contenders, so we decided to cast a wide net. Here are 10 of the most fabulous fenderless racers at American Speed Festival 2021, with one oddball bonus. Enjoy!
1984 Lola T8600
Cameron Neveu
Cameron Neveu
Cameron NeveuSponsored by Domino’s Pizza through its entire tenure (’82-90) in CART, Doug Shierson Racing won the Indy 500 in 1990—and Cory Hoonhout was there to witness it. “No speed limits, no helmets in the pits,” he remembers, standing next to his red-white-and-blue Lola, once raced by Danny Sullivan in ’84. “After a guy got hit in Long Beach in ’91 they had [speed] limits—no helmets, though.” Before going back to school to be a small-animal veterinarian, Hoonhout drove a semi for Team Shierson and changed the outside rear (or inside rear, depending on the circuit) tire.
This particular car finished fourth in the ’86 CART season in the hands of Al Unser, Jr., and since receiving a careful restoration, it’s gotten its fair share of exercise thanks to Hoonhout and the vintage Indy car community. The Cosworth-DFX-powered maching has returned to the Brickyard for vintage events Indy three years running, with Hoonhout himself handling the Hewland five-speed in the narrow cockpit: I’ve hit 160, 170 [mph] in it at St. Louis,” he says.