1973 Carling F5000

1973 F5000 with the Carling team

I drove for Roy Woods in the Carling Black Label Lola T-330, serial number HU10. It was yet another beautiful racer of Roy’s. Highly photographed. The Carling people really loved me. I drove their Indy car at Ontario Speedway for early commercial shoots for Carling Black Label, but Roy was in amour with David Hobbs for the Indy car and Can-Am – all Carling sponsored. So I was relegated to the 5000 car for the season.

The tall air intake was not used all season, could never determine any gain for top speed. I determined that it worked like a sail to redirect the car’s attitude in cross winds. The last race of the season in Seattle, Jan and I changed the air intake from a vertical to a horizontal similar to the Lotus F1 car. This reduced the sail affect, however the real trick was not to seal it to the intake stacks. We never got that to work any better, even with spring loaded flaps to exit air. I had Jan fabricate the intake to shroud down along the intake manifold as close to the block as possible. That provided cold air around the intake manifold, which made a huge difference in performance. We were now able to hand touch the manifold from the outside, where previously it was too hot to touch when the car came into the pits. We saw significant RPM gains on the straight. The intake system blended with the rear engine cover providing a better airflow to the rear wing as well, exiting hot air under the wing. It was later that Jim Hall developed a one piece cover for Redman’s car the following year, thus taking things one step further in development. Do you think Jim Hall was observing the Carling F-5000 development? Who knows?

I managed to be somewhat competitive during the season despite the Lola breaking such things as a front shock/spring tower that collapsed at mid-Ohio under braking. A rear axle broke at Watkins Glen going up the hill, turning me hard right into the guard rail not far from where Francois Cevert lost his life in a F1 Tyrrell. I was given a ride back by Australian Frank Matich while hanging onto his roll bar and straddling the engine bay. That must have been a sight, sure wish we had some photos of that. The Matich 5000 car looked like a McLaren prototype in orange colors with a Holden engine. Great guy, designer, lovely wife.

Lola T330 chassis HU10 at Riverside (Adamowicz collection)

Adamowicz collection – Richard George photo

A short promotional video featuring a young Tony Adamowicz can be seen here.

April 29, 1973

Riverside International Raceway

Riverside, California

Round 1

Qualified: 6th

Result: 3rd

Riverside Raceway in southern California was the site of the 1973 L&M sponsored North American season opener on April 29^th. The Roy Woods Racing squad was there, and Tony and the team were able to qualify the jet black Lola T330 in sixth place behind pole sitter Jody Scheckter, who qualified his Trojan T101 in the top spot with a 1:15.522 lap around Southern California’s most incredible racing facility. Second was snatched by American Brett Lunger, with third going to F5000 legend Brian Redman, both men piloting Lola T330s that weekend. Other notable entries that April weekend were David Hobbs and Peter Gethin, the latter being the European F5000 Champion in 1969 and 1970, as well as Jerry Grant, Horst Kroll, and Skip Barber.

The season opener was off to a great start for the Carlings Black Label car, as the race would see Adamowicz bring the Lola home in third place after 40 laps, just behind Scheckter’s Trojan and winner Brian Redman’s T330.

– Will Silk

Adamowicz collection – Dean Lester photo

Tony and David Hobbs finished 3rd and 4th (Adamowicz collection – Pete Biro photo)

Adamowicz collection

Hobbs and Bret Lunger were the big deal in F5000 in Europe having won at Goodwood prior to coming to the first American race at Riverside. I beat them both there. My fond accomplishment was at Mid-Ohio, where despite a cast on my hand, I qualified second to F1 World Champion Jody Schecter. Mark Donohue, David Hobbs, Brett Lunger, and Brian Redman were all behind us. My limited slip gave out in the race, Redman and Schecter battled it out to the end.

Adamowicz collection – Kevin Ohlson photo

Brett Lunger and Tony line up at Riverside

Tony and Brett 41 years later at an event at the Riverside International Automotive Museum in 2014.

Adamowicz collection

I did all my early helmet paint jobs myself and they always got photographers busy. The one for Carling was painted black and red to match the Lola, with my wraparound American flag on both sides.

“Riverslide” – that’s what Dan Gurney called it!

Adamowicz collection – F5000 promotional photo

Adamowicz collection – Carling photo

F5000 promotional photo – posed heading the wrong direction in the Riverside esses with Turn 6 stands in background.

During the season, I started my writing career by doing a race-by-race recap for AutoWeek/Competition Press. Leon Mandel cornered me to do that for them at Riverside. I had to mail in a typewritten report no later than Monday after each race. Where were the fax machines and E-mail then? Old Autoweek articles in 73 had a real recount of each race. I actually wrote them with no ghost writer. Vicki proofread each one. It was great to get the publicity, but lots of hard work.

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Luke Lundquist photo

May 6, 1973

Laguna Seca

Round 2

Qualified; 6th

Result: DNF

The F5000 Series moved up the coast to Laguna Seca which was held on the 6th of May 1973. That race would not end well for the Roy Woods squad as the black Lola would fail to finish, ultimately placing 20th overall after a crash. Adamowicz comments, “The Laguna race ended in a crash shortly after setting a new track race record. A slower Formula B car touched my rear wheel while lapping him, sending me into the guard rail past the start finish line.”

Tony left Laguna Seca that weekend with a broken navicular bone in his left wrist and his ride for the remainder of the 1973 season in serious question. “I was relegated to wearing a cast for the rest of the season”, says Adamowicz. Tony continues, “I could only hold the steering wheel with my left hand thumb, while I shifted with my right hand.”

-Will Silk

Adamowicz collection

I set a new race track record at the second race at Laguna Seca. Brian McKay, the manifold design guy, was always developing drag-racing cams for the engine. What a waste of talent. We never had consistent engines. The gearing was preset for Laguna. When I drove the car, the gearing was all wrong, power not in the right places. He said drive it at higher revs, I topped 9500 RPMs with that small block Chevy.

Adamowicz collection – Wolfgang Klopner photo

On my way to a new race lap record at Laguna F 5000 in the Carling Lola T330

I’m leading David Hobbs through Laguna Seca’s Cork Screw

Adamowicz collection – Dennis Gray photo

Adamowicz collection – Wolfgang Klopner photo

The Laguna race ended in a crash shortly after setting a new track race record. A slower Formula-B car touched my rear wheels while lapping him, sending me into the guard rail past the start finish line.

The engine was later torn down, and we found the valve seats and valves were pounded to death. Wouldn’t have lasted the race anyway. It was then that McKay finally got the idea that torque works better coming off turns. The small block Chevy engine became really quiet at high revs. Not sounding like a Chevy at all…

Adamowicz collection – Wolfgang Klopner photo

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Ronald C. Miller photo

Adamowicz collection – Ronald C. Miller photo

Tony leads Jerry Grant in his Lola

Adamowicz collection – Richard George photo

Adamowicz collection – John Arrington photo

I almost lost my ride from this crash, as I had broken my navicular bone in my left wrist. I was relegated to wearing a cast for the rest of the season. I could only hold the steering wheel with my left-hand thumb, while I shifted with my right hand. Of course, all my steering correction was one handed with my right hand. Not great, took a long time to master. Quite a feat in road racing, especially with a twitchy 5000 car. I was always under scrutiny by Roy, however Carling liked me and my contract was never revoked.

May 20, 1973

Michigan International Speedway

Round 3

Qualified: 17th

Result: 6th

The third round of the L&M F5000 Series was held on May 20^th, and Adamowicz was ready, cast and all, to take the controls at Michigan International Speedway that weekend. After qualifying 17^th, Tony was able to drive the Chevy V-8 powered car from Huntingdon to a fine 6^th place finish.

-Will Silk

Adamowicz collection – Mark Windecker photo

Caricature by Don Magee – Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection

Kas Kaster and Tony

“Never be beaten by your equipment” – Kas Kastner

Adamowicz collection

Kas Kastner was the overall team manager for Roy Woods Racing. Roy had an Indy Eagle and a Can Am McLaren M20 for David Hobbs. We beat him and Bret Lunger at Riverside, the first race. I was able to do Carling commercials at Ontario in the Indy Eagle, my only chance in the car. No chance of getting an Indy ride.

The Formula 5000 Carling Lola T330 was considered last on the totem pole. No offense to Poles everywhere. Although Kas and I went back many years to the Triumph days and Group 44, he saw the Indy and Can Am series as more important.

June 3, 1973

Mid-Ohio

Round 4

Qualified: 5th

Result: 4th

From Michigan, the F5000 gang moved south to Mid-Ohio for the weekend of June 3, 1973. Mark Donohue showed up that weekend with a Lola T330, only his was powered by an AMC V-8 engine instead of the more typical Chevy 5.0 liter unit many teams turned to for power. As usual, Donohue was very fast in the race, but had only posted a qualifying time good enough for 18^th spot. Tony had qualified chassis HU10 5^th place behind Lunger, Muir, Redman (all in T330s), and Scheckter in P1 piloting his Trojan T101. The race would see little change of the top qualifying slots, as Muir and Lunger would retire and ultimately be classified in 24^th and 20^th place respectively. Adamowicz would finish 4^th behind the T330s of Donohue in 3^rd and Redman in 2^nd place. Scheckter would again come home to top spot on the podium.

-Will Silk

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Jack Webster photo

Jody Scheckter and Tony

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Mark Windecker photo

The starting grid at 1973 Mid-Ohio

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Mark Windecker photo

Jody Scheckter and Tony near turn one at start of Mid-Ohio

Adamowicz collection

June 17, 1973

Watkins Glen

Round 5

Qualified: 9th

Result: DNF

While the Watkins Glen round of the L&M F5000 Series would again see a Scheckter-Redman 1-2 finish, the race didn’t quite turn out to favor Tony and the black Lola T330, now a new tub with chassis number HU7. Tony relates, “A rear axle broke at Watkins Glen going up the hill, turning me hard right into the guardrail not far from where Francois Cevert lost his life in a F1 Tyrrell. I was given a ride back by Australian Frank Matich while hanging onto his roll bar and straddling the engine bay. That must have been a sight, sure wish we had some photos of that.” The shunt occurred during practice for the race, and HU7 was readied and given to Adamowicz for the race. Tony would retire in 17^th with the car that weekend in upstate New York.

Watkins Glen was a turning point for series front runner Jody Scheckter as well. Jody had crashed his Trojan and his team placed him in a Lola T330, chassis number HU20. Adamowicz comments on the change, “He [Scheckter] was awesome after his crew changed engines and set the suspension in a back marker Lola. Jody broke the existing Formula 1 lap record by 1.5 seconds.”

-Will Silk

Adamowicz collection – Bill Oursler photo

Adamowicz collection – Jim Schwabel photo

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Bill Oursler photo

Watkins Glen is where Jody Schecter got into a Lola for the first time, after he crashed his Trojan. He was awesome after his crew changed engines and set the suspension in a back marker Lola. Jody broke the existing Formula 1 lap record by 1-1/2 seconds. Everyone was astonished, including Mark Donohue with his AMC powered trick Lola with Formula B rear tires on the front to compensate for understeer. I asked Mark if he was really trying hard. His response was: “I never tried so f##king hard in my life!”

I knew then that Jody was destined to be great; and of course, later with Ferrari he became F1 World Champion. I was privileged to be on the front grid beside him at Mid-Ohio. We had some formidable drivers behind us: Donohue, Redman, Hobbs, Lunger, EFR and more. Takes my breath away thinking back. My car gave out with the limited slip chicklets going away, so I got to watch Brian Redman and Jody interlock wheels during the race.

July 29, 1973

Road America

Round 6

Qualified: 8th

Result: DNF

Elkhart Lake would also end in retirement a few weeks later after just 5 laps for the black T330.

Adamowicz collection

Buckling in for battle.

Adamowicz collection – Thomas Horat photo

August 19, 1973

Road Atlanta

Round 7

Result: Crashed in practice

The seventh round of the L&M F5000 Series was held at Road Atlanta on August 19, 1973, and Tony, along with the Roy Woods Racing Team, was unable to start due to a crash earlier in the weekend with HU7. Redman and Donohue would take the top two spots on the podium with T330s in Georgia; Gethin would come home third piloting a Chevron B24 with Chevy power.

-Will Silk

Adamowicz collection

Tony comes streaking through the esses on his first lap and when he hit the brakes for turn five, all four tires simply stopped, and in a blinding cloud of dust and white tire smoke, Tony slid off the track at high speed, and slammed into the wall with a sickening thud. Tony started to exit the car when a small fire broke out in the rear, but little fires on a race car turn into big ones really fast. As Tony scrambled up from the car, my friend Dave and I reached over the fence and gave him a hand over.

Tony pulls his helmet off, recognizes me and smiles. We spoke for a couple of seconds, but understandably he had to get back top the pits and get the car looked over. Unfortunately it was so badly damaged that it was done for the weekend.

As Tony walked off, the last thing he said was “twenty years from now we’ll laugh about this.”

Well, that was the last time I actually saw Tony, but about thirty years later I found him through his website, and eventually Tony called me so we could share a few laughs. I asked him if he was ready to laugh about Road Atlanta and he says simply “Nah. It’s still not funny,”

– Dr. Austin, Autosport Nostalgia Forum

September 3, 1973

Pocono International Raceway

Round 8

Qualified: 6th

Result: 4th

A trip up the U.S. east coast to the Pocono Mountains in early September proved to be profitable for the Carling Black Label F5000 team. The race was held on September 3^rd at Pocono International Raceway, in the scenic north east corner of Pennsylvania. Adamowicz took 6^th position in qualifying, just ahead of F5000 veteran Gus Hutchison driving a March 73A and behind Peter Gethin piloting his Chevron B24. Gethin would finish 9^th that weekend in Pennsylvania, and Hutchison would come home further back in 16^th place, while Tony would drive home to a 4^th place finish in his T330. Redman, Lunger, and Scheckter were the top finishers in that order.

-Will Silk

Adamowicz collection – Jim Knerr photo

September 30, 1973

Seattle International Raceway

Round 9

Qualified: 8th

Result: DNS

For the final race of the L&M Series of 1973, Adamowicz managed to grid the Roy Woods Racing Lola in 8^th place at Seattle, Washington. Despite the qualifying effort, the black Lola would fail to make the start of the final race in the series due to engine failure. The L&M F5000 Series Champion for 1973 was none other than Jody Scheckter, who piloted both a Trojan T101, and later a Lola T330 to series domination and cemented himself amongst his peers as a driver that would someday become World Champion.

-Will Silk

Adamowicz collection – ENG photo

Adamowicz collection

The 1973 5000 season was somewhat dismal due to many Lola suspension and drive line failures, to say nothing of the engines. I only wish we could have continued the following year. Carling would have gone with me the next year with or without Roy. Another new organization if necessary.

I would have had my own team, however that was the year of the energy crunch. They could not get enough aluminum for the beer cans, so finally closed down US operations at Atlanta and Boston, returning to their roots in Canada.

The news was devastating for me, as I had an excellent rapport with everyone there. Gas rationing during the first Middle East oil embargo badly threatened American racing that year. The Indianapolis 500 feared a complete congressional shutdown. It was so bad, even Mario had a tough time getting sponsorship. I was out of a ride for 3½ years.