George Follmer

George Richard Follmer (born January 27, 1934) is an American former auto racing driver, and one of the most successful road racers of the 1970s. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona. His family moved to California when he was just an infant.

Career Follmer began his career running a Volkswagen Beetle in Gymkhana competition in parking lots in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California.

Follmer raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1967-1971 and 1974 seasons, with 25 career starts, including the 1969-1971 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top-ten 11 times, with his one victory in 1969 at Phoenix International Raceway. His best finish at the Indianapolis 500 was in 1971. He started 29th and finished in the fifteenth position driving the Grant King Racer's turbo Offy.

In 1973, Follmer competed in Formula One with Don Nichols' UOP Shadow team. He took part in his first Grand Prix, in South Africa, at the age of 39 years and one month - making him F1's oldest débutant since the 1950s, a distinction he still holds. In thirteen Championship races, his best results were sixth in South Africa and a podium in Spain, where he finished in third, in his first two Grands Prix, which gave him thirteenth in the Drivers' Championship with five points. He also competed in several non-Championship races.

Follmer also had success in other racing series. In 1965, he won the SCCA United States Road Racing Championship. Follmer won two races in the 1970 SCCA Continental Championship for Formula A cars, placing sixth in the standings. He won the Trans-Am championship in 1972, winning four races with an AMC Javelin, and 1976, driving a Porsche 934 Turbo.

In 1972, Follmer was the Can-Am champion, substituting for the injured Mark Donohue in Penske Racing's Porsche 917/10, causing the racing press to dub Follmer "George Am". He was vice-champion in 1973 driving for Rinzler and 1974 in a Shadow. He collected six wins and thirteen podiums in the three-year spell. He is the only driver to win the Can-Am and Trans-Am championship in the same year.

Follmer competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup series in 1974, with appearances in thirteen of 30 races. He collected three top-five finishes and a pole position. In 1974 and 1975, he raced at the International Race of Champions, where he won a race.

In 1977, Follmer returned to the revived Can-Am, resulting sixth in 1977 and fifth in 1978. He won the 1978 St. Jovite Can Am in his Prophet-Chevy over Alan Jones.

After his retirement, Follmer came back to racing for the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans, obtaining a prestigious third place with a Porsche 956.

Though long-retired from professional motorsports competition, Follmer still competes in vintage races, often driving the very same cars in which he competed during his heyday.

In addition to his racing career, Follmer also owned a Porsche-Audi-Subaru dealership in Pomona, California, later relocated to Montclair, California, from 1977 to 1990.

Awards He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1999. He was inducted in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2019. He was also inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2019. He was inducted in the Trans-Am Series Hall of Fame in 2025.

2014 Saleen Mustang Limited Edition On August 17, 2013, Saleen introduced a limited edition Saleen | George Follmer Edition Ford Mustang. Based on the #16 1969 Boss 302 Mustang racecar that he drove in the 1969 SCCA Trans-Am series, the 2014 Saleen/Follmer Edition was period correct with its livery, naturally aspirated 495HP 5.0L high revving engine, track tuned suspension, and 6-speed manual transmission. Production was limited to 250 units.

Motorsports career results

Complete Canadian-American Challenge Cup results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1966 North American Racing Team Charlie Kolb Ferrari Dino 206S P 2.0 9 DNF DNF 1986 Joest Racing John Morton Kenper Miller Porsche 956 C1 355 3rd 3rd

American open-wheel racing (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

USAC Championship Car USAC Championship Car results Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Pts 1967 Rolla Vollstedt Vollstedt Ford PHX TRE INDY MIL LAN PPR MOS MOS IRP LAN MTR MTR SPR MIL DSF INF TRE SAC HAN PHX RSD 27th 230 1968 George R. Bryant Cheetah Ford HAN LVS PHX TRE INDY MIL MOS MOS LAN PPR CDR NAZ IRP IRP LAN LAN MTR MTR ISF MIL DSF INF TRE SAC MCH HAN PHX RSD 32nd 206 1969 George Follmer Cheetah Chevy PHX HAN IRP IRP MIL ISF DOV DSF INF BRN BRN TRE SAC SIR SIR 16th 880 Ford INDY MIL LAN PPR CDR NAZ TRE STP Racing Lotus 56 Offy PHX Plymouth RSD 1970 Brawner Hawk Ford PHX SON TRE INDY MIL LAN CDR MCH ONT DSF INF SED TRE SAC PHX NC 0 George Walther Morris Ford IRP ISF MIL 1971 Grant King Kingfish 70 Offy 159 ci turbo RAF RAF PHX TRE INDY MIL POC MCH MIL ONT TRE PHX NC 0 1975 American Kids Racer Eagle 72 Offy 159 ci turbo ONT ONT ONT PHX TRE INDY NC 0 Adams Automotive Eagle 72 Offy 159 ci turbo INDY MIL POC MCH MIL MCH TRE PHX

Indianapolis 500 Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team 1968 Cheetah Ford DNQ George R. Bryant 1969 Cheetah Ford 27 27 George Follmer 1970 Brawner Hawk Ford 21 31 STP Racing 1971 Kingfish Offenhauser 29 15 Grant King 1975 Eagle Offenhauser DNQ American Kids Racer Eagle Offenhauser DNQ Adams Automotive

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1974 Bud Moore Engineering Ford 5 20 1975 Moyer Racing Chevrolet 40 24

International Race of Champions (key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.) International Race of Champions results Year Make 1 2 3 4 Pos. Pts Ref 1973–74 Porsche RSD RSD RSD DAY 5th - 1974–75 Chevy MCH RSD RSD DAY 7th -

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pts 1973 UOP Shadow Racing Team Shadow DN1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR NED GER AUT ITA CAN USA 13th 5

Non-Championship Formula One results (key) (races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1971 Brian O'Neil Racing Lotus 70B Chevrolet 5.0 V8 ARG ROC QUE SPR INT RIN OUL VIC 1973 UOP Shadow Racing Team Shadow DN1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC INT