1971 Challenger pace car VIN numbers
and unofficial registry

This list was given to me by Gene Piurkowski of Rindge, NH.  Gene says he received the list directly from Eldon Palmer in February 1994.

VIN Use / driver Current owner or status

Last update

JH27 N1B 266664 Track (Primary Pace Car) Steve Cage, Indianapolis, IN.  Fully restored. 5/06
JH27 N1B 341009 Track (Back-up Pace Car) Steve Cage, Indianapolis, IN. 5/06
JH27 G1B 329582 Candice Sue Gluster, "500" Festival Queen Steve Cage, Indianapolis, IN. 5/06
JH27 G1B 329583  Maurel Rothbaum, Vice Chairman    
JH27 G1B 329584 Michael G. Schaefer, Chairman of the Board Steven Donahue, Indnanapolis, IN.  Needs full restoration. 12/03
JH27 G1B 329585 Clyde L. Peterson, President    
JH27 G1B 329637 Fred C. Tucker, Jr., Senior Vice President    
JH27 G1B 329638  John T. Barnett, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329639 Mrs. John Burkhart, Board of Directors Sold on eBay in June 2005, needing full restoration.  Current owner unknown.  
JH27 G1B 329630 Charles R. Davis, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329631 David K. Easlick, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329632 Marvin W. Farber, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329633 C. Perry Griffith, Board of Directors Mark Winzenread, Indianapolis, IN.
Purchased June 7, 1971 from McGinty Dodge
5/05
JH27 G1B 329643 James E. Pauloski, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329644 Gene Turner, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329645  Joseph M. Areddy, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 337713 Richard A Steele, Board of Directors Sold for parts in 1992.  
JH27 ??? 329622 Thomas W. Binford, Board of Directors    
JH27 L1B 329623 Howard R. Bunnell, Board of Directors    
JH27 L1B 329624 Mrs. Darroll French, Board of Directors Julia Johnson.  Purchased in 1972, 
restored in 2003. 383 engine.
2/04
JH27 G1B 329625 Otto N. Frenzel III, Board of Directors Russell Bawcum, Woodbridge, VA (as of 6/05).  Needs full restoration.  
JH27 G1B 329634 William E. Kennedy, Jr., Board of Directors Larry Kennedy, Wanamaker, IN 5/06
JH27 G1B 329635 Robert D. Kiley, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329636 Walter B. Kirkwood, Jr., Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 336041 Ted B. Lewis, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 336042 Dr. Frank P. Lloyd, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 336043 E. B. Lyle, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 336044 James B. Mathis, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 336045 Robert G. Moorhead, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329577 Elmer H. Ostermeyer, Board of Directors Tina Exline Kirkpatrick, Indnanapolis, IN.  Purchased by Emerson and Donita Exline from Palmer Dodge. 3/05
JH27 G1B 329578 Mrs. Walter J. Pippert, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329579 Mrs. Robert M. Raber, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329580 Russell M. Romine, Board of Directors Bought by Tom Finocchio, Wilmington, DE, in 7/03.  Sold to D. Wagley of Martinsburg, WV in 7/05.  Sold with original engine plus 440 4-spd installed.  Current whereabouts unknown. 3/07
JH27 G1B 329626 Mrs. Robert Sexson, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329627 Elmer C. Snow, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329628 Mrs. Josephine Hauck, Executive Director, 500 Festival    
JH27 G1B 329629 Dr. Robert Tarplee, Board of Directors Gene & Dianne Piurkowski, Rindge, NH 5/06
JH27 G1B 329640 Richard L. Tewksbury, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329641 John R. Walsh, Board of Directors    
JH27 G1B 329642 Governor Edgar Whitcomb, Governor of Indiana    
JH27 G1B 334216 Rep. Austin Barker, US Congressman    
JH27 L1B 310515 Gene Beltz, President, Shadeland Dodge Thomas Donatucci, Philadelphia, PA.
383 engine.
6/05
JH27 G1B 300018 Ralph Hesler (sports writer?)    
JH27 G1B 313831 Claude Wallsmith, President, Capitol Dodge    
JH27 H1B 285646 Eldon Palmer, President, Palmer Dodge Dennis Bower, Anamosa, IA 5/06
JH27 G1B 287238 William Sutterfield (occupation unknown)    
JH27 G1B 284355 Marvin Maguire (occupation unknown)    
JH27 H1B 337696 Bernard McGinty, President, McGinty Dodge Jim Beall, Twelve Mile, IN.  340 engine. 5/06
JH27 H1B 285649 R. B. McCurry, President, McCurry Dodge    
JH27 G1B 334167 K. W. Byers (occupation unknown) Currently for sale on eBay.  Located in Granite Bay, CA 3/07

Additional cars of note:

WP45 G1A 105427 - Dodge Coronet Station Wagon, assigned to track use

JH27 H1B 358847 - AKA the "Judy Ham" car
This is a "clone" car and not an actual pace car.  According to Gene, the VIN number of this car puts the build date too late in the year for it to have been at the Indy 500.

One of the first owners of this car was Judy Ham of Lexington, KY.  (One source tells me that she was the original owner, others say she purchased the car used.)  She is credited with adding the pace car lettering to the car.  A friend of Judy's tells me that she purchased a set of cling decals at a swap meet but then decided to preserve the original decals and instead had the lettering painted on the car.  "She just wanted a clone car and was not trying to deceive anyone," says Ron Snowden.  Ron says that when Judy sold the car many years later, she was very clear that it was a reproduction, not an actual pace car.  Unfortunately she also sold the original decal set with the car, which may have added to the confusion and given credibility to claims that it was an actual pace car.  This car also has a rally hood with a hood scoop, which none of the track cars had.

As of October 2002, this car was owned by Gary Fazenbaker.

JH27 G1B 293393 - I received an email claiming that this car was one of two Y28 public relations cars provided by Ray Johnson of Shadeland Dodge.  The owner at the time (Jim Hostetler) referred to it as "#3 of 52 pace cars built" and says this has been verified by Galen Govier.  As of February 2004, this car was owned by Todd Martin.

 

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