Legends of Motorsports
On behalf of United Autosports chairman and co-owner Zak Brown, United Autosports maintains a fleet of pristinely restored and maintained historic race cars. Collectively, these "Race Cars of Distinction" see on-track action in North American in the Legends of Motorsports.
Click Here for Download: Race Cars of Distinction Book
1969 LOLA T163
Racing Pedigree:
Special Eric Broadley designed lightweight T163 Lola, one of two built.
Roger Penske wanted even more than the standard T163 and asked Lola to build a special extra lightweight version just for Penske Racing. Broadley wasn't enthusiastic about the idea, but complied, creating a unique lightweight tub with multiple reinforcements to make up for the light gauge aluminum used.
One of the most anticipated events of the 1969 Can-Am season was the arrival of the long-rumored Penske Sunoco Lola T163. The Lola, with Mark Donohue driving, finally showed up at Mid- Ohio, five races into the 11-race season. Donohue qualified third fastest in spite of half-shaft and engine problems.
Donohue broke another half-shaft eight laps into the race, and the big blue Lola was driven off into the sunset never to return.
Chassis: #17
Manufacturer: LOLA CARS INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Series: Can-Am
Team: Penske Racing
Driver: Mark Donahue
Performance Statistics
850 Horsepower
0-60 in 3 seconds
190mph Top Speed
1974 VPJ Lola T332 FORMULA 5000
Racing Pedigree:
This car was campaigned by Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing in 1974 and 1975 and raced by Mario Andretti. He had six pole position’s and won three races in 1974 at Watkins Glen, Elkhart Lake and Riverside and finished 2nd in the Championship. In 1975, Andretti had eight pole positions and won four races at Mosport, Elkhart Lake, Laguna Seca and Riverside and again finished second in the 1975 Formula 5000 Championship. In the same year Andretti also competed in his first full season of the Formula One World Championship.
The car was demonstrated prior to the 1994 Long Beach Grand Prix to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Grand Prix and later that year was awarded 1st place in the Competition Car Class at the Newport Beach Concours.
Chassis: HU29
Manufacturer: Lola
Series: Formula 5000 | Can-Am
Team(s): Vel’s Parnelli Jones, Skeeter McKitterick, Rocky Moran
Performance Statistics
550 Horsepower – Chevy 5 litre
0-60 in 3.5 seconds
190mph Top Speed
1977 McLAREN M26
Racing Pedigree:
This chassis was driven during the 1977 and 1978 Formula 1 World Championship seasons by World Champion James Hunt, Jochen Mass and Patrick Tambay . It was driven to a win by Hunt at the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix and was driven to podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix (Mass), and French Grand Prix (Hunt).
A Gordon Coppuck design, it was last raced at the Canadian Grand Prix in October of 1978.
Chassis: M26/3
Manufacturer: McLaren
Series: Formula 1
Team: Marlboro McLaren
Performance Statistics
525 Horsepower
0-60 in 3.5 seconds
195mph Top Speed
1986 Porsche 962-120
Racing Pedigree:
The Porsche 962 is one of the most successful sports cars in history, accumulating 54 wins in IMSA competition alone, 40 of which came between 1985-1987. The 120 chassis was heavily modified by Dyson Racing. A high-downforce nose and air tunnels under the car were designed by noted aerodynamicist, Dick Yagami.
The car won in its debut at the 1986 Six Hours of Riverside, commencing a streak of four podium finishes to start the season. Additionally, it earned wins at Charlotte and Sears Point helping Price Cobb finish second in the 1986 IMSA GTP Championship and Dyson Racing win its second Porsche Cup. It went on to collect a win at Watkins Glen in 1987 and another at Miami in 1988.
Chassis: #120
Manufacturer: PORSCHE
Series: IMSA
Team: Dyson Racing
Drivers: Price Cobb | Rob Dyson | James Weaver
Performance Statistics
800 Horsepower
0-60 in 4 seconds
240mph Top Speed
1991 Penske PC20
Racing Pedigree:
This car was driven by Rick Mears to victory at the 1991 Marlboro 500, at Michigan International Speedway. The car was also driven by Rick Mears at Mid-Ohio, Elkhart Lake, Denver and Laguna Seca.
Penske Racing teammates Emerson Fittipaldi and Paul Tracy also drove this car in test sessions.
Mears victory in August 1991 at Michigan was his last IndyCar race win. He finished fourth in points that year, including the pole and record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 win.
Mears is the third of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991), and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991). Mears is also a three-time CART national champion (1979, 1981 and 1982).
He retired at the end of the 1992 season.
Chassis: #PC20-006
Manufacturer: PENSKE
Series: Cart
Team: Penske Racing
Drivers: Rick Mears
Performance Statistics
800 hp
235 mph
0-60 2.5
1992 BENETTON B191B
Racing Pedigree:
Michael Schumacher achieved his first two podiums by finishing third in this car at the 1992 Mexican and South American Grands Prix.
Nelson Piquet drove this car in his final grand prix (Adelaide '91) and Martin Brundle used the same chassis for his Benetton Team debut (South Africa '92).
The car's designer, John Barnard, originally intended the car to have a paddle-shift, but the team could not handle the software and electronics and was forced to use a normal gearshift. It was the last car Barnard designed with a gear lever.
Chassis: #B191B 06
Manufacturer: FORD
Series: Formula 1
Team: Benetton
Drivers: Martin Brundle | Nelson Piquet | Michael Schumacher
Performance Statistics
750 Horsepower
0-60 in 3 seconds
210mph Top Speed
1998 Dallara/Oldsmobile
Racing Pedigree:
Starting from 17th position, Eddie Cheever, Jr. drove this car to win the 1998 Indianapolis 500.
Cheever Jr. led 76 of 200 laps to win the 82nd Indianapolis 500, despite sliding in the first turn of the race's first lap, helping bring out the race's first caution period. He was the first owner/driver to win the race since A.J. Foyt in 1977.
The qualifying average speed was 217.334 mph. Cheever won the race with a 3.14-second margin of victory over runner-up Buddy Lazier.
Chassis: #020
Manufacturer: DALLARA
Series: Indy Racing League
Team: Cheever Racing
Drivers: Eddie Cheever, Jr.
Performance Statistics
750 Horsepower
0-60 in 4 seconds
225mph Top Speed
2003 Smirnoff Ice Ford Taurus
Racing Pedigree:
Matt Kenseth won once in 2003 (Las Vegas), but his consistency kept the rest of the field at bay. With a series-best 23 top-10 finishes and 11 top-five finishes, he led the championship point standings for a record-breaking 34 straight weeks en route to Roush Racing's first ever Cup title.
Chassis: #RK-198
Manufacturer: FORD
Series: NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Team: Roush Racing
Drivers: Matt Kenseth
Performance Statistics
750 Horsepower
0-60 in 6 seconds
190mph Top Speed
2006 Ferrari Challenge F430
Racing Pedigree:
Owner Zak Brown made his North America Ferrari F430 Challenge debut at Fontana in 2007. He qualified on pole and led every lap to win the event. In 2008, Brown scored another dominating win at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Brown seized the lead on the first lap and held off the field to win on the same circuit that hours later hosted the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix.
In 2009, Brown had eight podiums, three poles and had the fastest race lap in Ferrari Challenge. He also finished third in the Championship.
The F430 Challenge was created to allow Ferrari customers a chance to enjoy their cars in a structured competitive environment, racing against other Ferrari owners on the most challenging race tracks in North America.
The F430 Challenge retains the same general look and the 490 bhp engine as the road-going version. The car also incorporates a large number of significant track-oriented modifications.
Chassis: #99
Manufacturer: FERRARI
Series: Ferrari Challenge North America
Team: Ferrari of Silicon Valley
Drivers: Zak Brown
Performance Statistics
550 Horsepower
0-60 in 5 seconds
175mph Top Speed
