This is the first Merlyn Mk 20 FF produced and subsequently shipped to the US to compete in the final 1971 IMSA F100 event at Daytona (pictured) and a week later at the SCCA FF Runoffs in Atlanta.
This chassis number:325/FF/71 was put on pole of both races by Gordon Smiley in interestingly the first ever time an FF was used with slick tires. The rears on this vehicle are actually Firestone FB front tires, tested and tested at MAR in St. Louis to get the balance correct, and they caused quite a stir at both Daytona and Atlanta when put on for the final minutes of qualifying.
Pictured next to Smiley is the eventual winner and champion David Loring in a Caldwell D9. The Merlyn dnf'd at Daytona due to a cracked condenser mounting tab in the distributor and finished second at the runoffs after having a rear wheel bent by a competitor's nosecone.
Chassis is currently back in the U.K.
15 Nov 2006, 13:48 (Ref:1766806)
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