Chet Fillip

[Glenn]

Just driving through Texas for a wedding last week when I stop off at an Exxon station to fill up. Just outside of Ozona in the middle of NO WHERE I see this small Auto Museum with about a dozen cars. Large glass windows on each side of a very narrow building only about 80 feet by 30 feet. I see what looks like a couple of Indycars from the early 80's. Sure enough, this little car museum is in an RV park owned by none other than Tom Mitchell, a wealthy Texas Oilman who entered cars for Chet Fillip in the 1982 and 1983 Indy 500. Chet was from nearby San Angelo. I took a few photos through the very dirty windows.

[RayC]

Thanks for posting that picture Glenn. I would love to see more photos of that car, or the twin car that Team VDS had. If I remember correctly, John Ward modified a Penske PC-10 with new front suspension and new body work. I think John Paul Jr. wrecked the VDS car at Indy and was injured. Geoff Brabham ended up driving a more stock PC-10 to 4th for Team VDS. I don't remember if Chet made the field, but he ran his car in other races that season. I thought it was a very attractive car, especially from the front.

[Glenn]

Thanks for posting that picture Glenn. I would love to see more photos of that car, or the twin car that Team VDS had. If I remember correctly, John Ward modified a Penske PC-10 with new front suspension and new body work. I think John Paul Jr. wrecked the VDS car at Indy and was injured. Geoff Brabham ended up driving a more stock PC-10 to 4th for Team VDS. I don't remember if Chet made the field, but he ran his car in other races that season. I thought it was a very attractive car, especially from the front.

I'm so sorry that I didn't get a front photo, I had planned to, then I heard my wife honking the horn. Turns out she was locked into my car and didn't know how to get out. Darn car has electric door latches and she forgot about the mechanical release lever. But thank you for the info on the car. If you ever find yourself on I10 in Texas, be sure to stop off and look through the windows. There is also a stock car that Chet drove along with an old Cobra, GT40, and some show cars. Pretty neat little museum.

[Glenn]

There were 2 Indycars there, here's the other one.

[Glenn]

And here's the Stock Car and you can see the rear end of the GT40.

[ensign14]

Chet Fillip. My favourite bubble gamble ever. They couldn't get to 185 so just threw in what they had. And then it persisted down for the rest of qualifying...

Also perhaps the most obscure driver ever to have done the Indy-Daytona 500 duo.

[carl s]

Thanks Glenn for a wonderful slice of American pie.

[Glenn]

Thanks Glenn for a wonderful slice of American pie.

You are very welcome.

[11rowsof3]

Wow, I remember that #81 NASCAR Thunderbird from back-in-the-day. Amazing, that's awesome!

1987 or was it 1986? Here's a pic from the Semi-Official Cool Old Thread from 1986 but I thought I remembered that scheme running in 1987 (Although Ed Pimm had a similar colored Buick #98)... How about that? An Ed Pimm and Chet Fillip reference on the same day?

[Tifositoo]

Thanks for posting that picture Glenn. I would love to see more photos of that car, or the twin car that Team VDS had. If I remember correctly, John Ward modified a Penske PC-10 with new front suspension and new body work. I think John Paul Jr. wrecked the VDS car at Indy and was injured. Geoff Brabham ended up driving a more stock PC-10 to 4th for Team VDS. I don't remember if Chet made the field, but he ran his car in other races that season. I thought it was a very attractive car, especially from the front.

I think you're talking about 1983...I was there, and Geoff drove his heart out. He ran 2nd for awhile, IIRC. Chet also qualified, but was about 10 mph off the pace. That continued over into the race, and he was black-flagged after about 10 or so laps...he was already 2 laps down to Teo Fabi by then.




Dan

[richie]

Since the name Chet Fillip was brought up, it reminds me of an obscure trivia question.

Chet Fillip is part of an exclusive club of only 5 drivers who have raced in the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and the Anderson Little 500 in their careers. Chet Fillip is one. Can you name the other 4?

[ensign14]

AJ, I presume. Mario? Al Jr? Sneva?

[RayC]

Yeah, I think I had '83 and '84 mixed up. The modified cars were from '84, right? Brabham's great drive was in '83. I liked that VDS team. They had raced in F5000 and something in Europe with the same paint job before they came to Indy and CART.

I think you're talking about 1983...I was there, and Geoff drove his heart out. He ran 2nd for awhile, IIRC. Chet also qualified, but was about 10 mph off the pace. That continued over into the race, and he was black-flagged after about 10 or so laps...he was already 2 laps down to Teo Fabi by then.






Dan

[richie]

AJ, I presume. Mario? Al Jr? Sneva?

Nope, none of those guys ever raced in the Little 500.

[cbreez99]

Rutherford?