Ontario Motor Speedway
Ontario, California
Pre-season team testing and practice
BRE Datsun 510s
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Lime Rock Park
Schaefer Trans-Am
SCCA Two-Five Challenge
May 6, 1972
BRE Datsun 510
Grid: 1st
DNF (engine)
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Evansville_Press
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection
Bryar Motorsports Park
Trans-Am Sedan Championship Races
May 29, 1972
Datsun 510
Grid: 2nd
Finish: 1st
Results:
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Trans-Am Sedan Championship Races
June 4, 1972
Grid: 1st
Finish: 16th (overheating)
Watkins Glen
SCCA Two-Five Challenge
BRE Datsun 510
June 17, 1972
Grid: 3rd
Finish: 2nd
Morton collection
Results:
Donnybrooke Speedway
SCCA Two-Five Challenge
July 4, 1972
BRE Datsun 510
Grid: 1st
Finish: DNF
Charles Fawcett photo
Charles Fawcett photo
Road America
SCCA Two-Five Challenge
BRE Datsun 510
July 16, 1972
Grid: 1st
Finish: 1st
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection
Road America
L&M Continental 5000 Championship
Lotus 70B – Ford V8
July 16, 1972
Grid: 19th
Finish: Heat 1: 6th, Heat 2: 10th, 7th overall
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Results:
Donnybrooke
Brainerd, Minnesota
L&M Continental 5000 Championship
BRE Lotus 70B – Ford V8
July 30, 1972
Finish: DNF (engine)
Morton collection
Road Atlanta
SCCA Two-Five Challenge
BRE Datsun 510
August 19, 1972
Grid: 1st
Finish: 1st
Morton collection
Morton collection
Morton collection
Morton collection
Results:
Road Atlanta
L&M Continental 5000 Championship
BRE Lotus 70B – Ford V8
August 20, 1972
Grid: 6th
Finish: 4th
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Rick Foltz photo
John moves from his sixth starting position into third place behind Brett Lunger and Brian Redman.
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Results:
Following the checkered flag, a deep river of water coming from the pit wall moved out and rushed across the track. The Lotus hit the water, hydroplaned, and hit the guardrail seriously damaging the car.
Portland International Raceway
SCCA Two-Five Challenge
BRE Datsun 510
September 17, 1972
Grid: 1st
Finish: 1st
Results:
Laguna Seca Raceway
Monterey Grand Prix
SCCA Two-Five Challenge
BRE Datsun 510
October 15, 1972
Grid: 3rd
Finish: 1st
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Mark Mooney photo
Morton collection
Results:
Riverside International Raceway
Los Angeles Times Grand Prix
BRE Datsun 510
October 28, 1972
Grid: 1st
Finish: 1st
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – John Mulvey photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – John Lamm photo
Morton collection – John Lamm photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
Results:
There is no race queen, no trophy, no celebration at Riverside. Joe Henderson, the SCCA series steward, presents John his old fishing hat because no one has provided a trophy.
Morton collection – Stan Sholik photo
The last race of the season is again a runaway for John with Gregg and Allison in the team cars. Bobby Allison, winner of the Martini & Rossi Driver of the Year award, gives John the ultimate compliment — he wants to follow him around the track to see how he does it; he calls John “Super Shoe.” Kwech hit John on the first lap in turn six when John went wide to miss some oil on the course. Kwech explains, “I thought he had screwed up when he went wide and tried to dive inside. Then I hit the oil and hit John.” This time Kwech got the worst end of the fender bending and had to pit for fender straightening. Again the Datsun wins the race but is retired for the season with a Kwech dent.
John finishes fourth in the Super Vee race, thoroughly enjoying the close competition that he had missed all season. He now has five straight victories in the 2.5, equaling his 1971 record of six wins for the season. But this year the series is dead, finished. There is no race queen, no trophy, no celebration at Riverside. In the embarrassing scene in the winner’s circle, Joe Henderson, the SCCA series steward, presents John his old fishing hat because no one has provided a trophy.
Jan looks at the hat and says, “I bet that old hat had a lot of sentimental value. You can’t win, can you?” she questions. “Last year they said he won by default. This year he wins decisively and they say he destroyed the series.”
*The Stainless Steel Carrot
Riverside International Raceway
Los Angeles Times Grand Prix
F.J Maka Racing Hawke Formula Vee
October 28, 1972
Grid: 10th
Finish: 4th
Morton collection
Mexican 1000
National Off-Road Racing Association
November 1, 1972
BRE Datsun 510
On November 1, BRE entered a car in the Mexican 1000, the Baja, 950 miles of off-road racing over boulders, through sand and dry lakes that were turned to mud by recent flooding and storms. It was BRE’s final effort of the 1972 season, sponsored by Sugar Daddy and Goodyear. John and Pete drove the Baja together for 29 hours in a Datsun 510 sedan. They finished.
Morton collection – Jim Ober photo
Morton collection
Morton collection – Jim Ober photo
Morton collection