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1970 Quasar SR-70

Fred Puhn of Southern California was a Mechanical Engineer with a background in the aerospace industry. His experience as a structural and design engineer was instrumental in building his racing cars, resulting in a car with exceptional stability, low drag, and high downforce.

His race car won the first four races in which it competed, earning admiration from the racing community and convincing Puhn to form the Chassis Engineering Co. The company's mission was to produce cars and sell plans enabling home-grown mechanics to build a worthy competitor infused with upgrades of their own creation.

Various power sources were installed, including an Ocelete Suzuki 750cc, a 1300cc Ford Escort engine, and a Lotus Twin Cam unit. The suspension was independent with A-arms at the front and coil springs at the rear. Disc brakes provided the stopping power.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Racer
Chassis number: 003

This 1970 Quasar SR-70 Sports Racer is believed to have been one of two cars tested by Road and Track in period. Its first owner was Jim Serniuk who was a partner with Puhn in Chassis Engineering Company. It wore a prominent rear spoiler and was originally powered by an Ocelet Suzuki 750cc engine which was later replaced by a 1300cc Ford Escort engine, a Lotus Twin Cam unit, and then a Honda 1200cc 4-cylinder unit.

In 1973, the car was sold to Bill Tannhaeuser, an accomplished privateer in the Midwest SCCA racing scene. With the Quasar equipped with the Honda engine, Tannhaeuser collected 6 wins and 10 podiums in his first 11 races.

Langermann acquired the car from Tannhaeuser in 1997 and sent it to GMT racing in Newton Connecticut for a total restoration. It was given a new tub, and body panels created in fiberglass and Kevlar from the original factory molds, but retained the original chassis, drivetrain, and wheels. It retained the original wing design and upgrades were applied to make it legal for SVRA events, which he planned to run.

After the restoration was completed, the car was taken to New Hampshire International Speedway for shakedown runs. After testing, the car returned to the shop and was serviced in preparation for the next season. Before the next season, John retired from racing and the Quasar never raced, instead it later joined the Wells Auto Museum.

by Dan Vaughan