Brett Lunger - Sports Cars and Formula 5000

Sports Cars and Formula 5000

Lunger finished 8th in a McLaren Chevrolet in the 1966, 252-mile (406 km) Nassau Trophy race, in Nassau, Bahamas. He was only a few seconds behind Peter Gregg in a Porsche Carrera 6. Lunger fielded a Lola chassis in the 1968 Canadian American Challenge Cup (Can-Am). Others who drove Lola 160 cars were Swede Savage and Chuck Parsons. Lunger was among drivers in the 1971 L&M Grand Prix, at Lime Rock Park, who were competing for 2nd place in the sports car championship. His first major win was that year at Donneybrooke in Brainard, Minnesota. Lunger had 58 points prior to the event. Lunger started the race with a 103 degree fever having been diagnosed with mononucleosis the previous day. As race progressed he started to lose strength allowing Sam Posey to pass and moving Lunger to third in the championship. He was hospitalized after the race for several days. David Hobbs had clinched 1st place with 99 points. Lunger came in 3rd overall in the 1971 L&M Grand Prix at Laguna Seca Raceway. His home at the time was Pomona, California. In 1972 Lunger was 3rd in the L&M Continental 5000 Championship, trailing Graham McRae and Sam Posey. He combined participation in Continental racing with Formula Two. He moved into 3rd place following a win at Road Atlanta in August. In March 1973 Lunger placed 2nd to Peter Gethin in the opening race of Rothman's Formula 5000 European championship at Brands Hatch. He was in a Lola. In the April 1973 Formula 5000 race at Riverside International Raceway, Lunger finished 6th. He led the first 19 laps before a stuck throttle forced him to spin at turn 7. A 17 second pit stop to look for damage dropped him to 7th place. Lunger was 3rd in a Lola Chevrolet at the L&M Watkins Glen Grand Prix, in June 1973. Jody Scheckter and Brian Redman came in ahead of him in the Formula 5000 race. Lunger was 2nd in a Lola in a Formula 5000 race at Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, in September 1973. Lunger drove for the Dan Gurney Eagle Anglo American Racers team which debuted in Formula 5000 in 1974. The marque was introduced in Formula 5000 in preparation for an entrance into Formula One in 1975. Redman won the Mid-Ohio Formula 5000 race in Lexington, Ohio, in June 1974. Lunger placed 2nd, 1 minute and 14 seconds behind. Lunger was 3rd in the Mosport International Raceway Formula 5000 race on June 16. He drove an Eagle-Chevrolet.

In July Lunger piloted a BMW in the six hours of Watkins Glen and competed in a Trans Am race, sponsored by the Sports Car Club of America, with George Follmer. Lunger started 8th and ran as high as 4th in the Can-Am Challenge Trophy race of July 1974. He developed engine problems with 4 laps to go. Lunger said, We're not ready yet, but we're getting there. Lunger won 2 heat races but crashed during the 1974 California Grand Prix at Ontario Motor Speedway. He was trying to pass a slower car and at the same time hold off eventual race winner, Mario Andretti. Lunger's Eagle Chevy collided with Mickey Rupp as they entered a turn at the end of the infield straight. Their cars spun in a cloud of dust 100 feet (30 m) off the race track. Lunger assisted rescue workers in pulling Rupp from his car. Lunger and Follmer secured 2nd place in a turbocharged Porsche 935 in the 1977 six hours endurance race at Watkins Glen. They were more than 3.377 mile-laps behind the winning team of Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass. The victors drove a factory Porsche 935 with a 150 horsepower (110 kW) advantage over the 20 other customer Porsches, which composed the field of 44.

Lunger finished 4th in the 1978 BRDC International Trophy auto race at Silverstone. He was behind winner Keke Rosberg, 2nd place Emerson Fittipaldi, and Tony Trimmer. The $190,000 event was hampered by rain over its 117.28 miles (188.74 km). Lunger teamed with Follmer and Derek Bell in a Vasek Polak entry in the Los Angeles Times 6-Hour Grand Prix of Endurance in April 1979. The 3-man team placed 3rd, 6 laps behind in a Porsche 935/79. The car started in the 23rd row due to engine problems during qualifying that kept it from posting a time.