Stapp showed up at the Hulman Classic that spring -- 1975 -- in a sharp looking No. 1 and won the feature with Joe Saldana hot on his tail. If I remember right, Stapp sold, or gave, that car to McQueen.
When USAC returned to Terre Haute in June, Stapp had this car in primer black because it was just finished. Stapp told me a year ago that Russ Clendenon gave him a lot of grief because the car did not have a polished paint job. It ran that way for most of the rest of the season, just in spite. Didn't figure even USAC would dare keep the defending champion from running, unfinished paiint job or not.
That was back in the era when USAC exercised a lot more control over car numbers, etc. Just read in Speedy Bill's book that USAC would not allow him to run his traditional 4X because it did not allow letters as part of the number, so it ran as a 64. The top 10 car owners ran the number of the position their car finished the year before. Pancho won the championship with Stapp in 1974 and carried a No. 1 the next year. He was fourth in 75 and ran a No. 4 in 1976. He had a No. 1 in 1977, and so forth. He drove a No. 44 in 1978 and 1979. (I was a huge Pancho fan/)
You didn't just show up, pay your money and run USAC back then.
I remember that first day in June of 1975 that Pancho was having a heck of a time keeping the left front wheel anywhere close to the ground with the primer black car.
As far as the 48, I don't believe Jan or Bubby were driving it, them, that year -- 1975. (I could be wrong.) Jan was driving the car in 1976 after the Hulman Classic. The track is definitely not New Bremen. Banked too high. Tri-County might be a possibility. Never went there. Looks too big for Winchester.
Jim Morrison
---------- Post added at 01:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 AM ----------
I just checked
www.openwheeltimes.com. Bruce Walkup drove the Ben Leyba No. 4 AND the Hillin No. 48 in 1975. Ran the Hillin car at Illiana, Winchester, Salem, Minnesota State Fairgrounds, Birmingham International Speedway, among others.
Jim Morrison
---------- Post added at 01:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 AM ----------
Bill Puterbaugh drove the De Palma 12 at Winchester in April of 1973. The track definitely looks like Winchester prior to the 1976 pavement job. It also looks like an older full-face helmet.
Merle Bettenhausen never drove a 11, according to openwheeltimes.com
Jim Morrison