1970 Lightning P.J. Colt Indy Car

Southern California businessman Vel Miletich and 1963 Indianapolis 500 Champion Parnelli Jones formed the Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing (VPJ) Team in 1969. For the 1970 season, the VPJ team included drivers Al Unser Sr. and Joe Leonard. VPJ paired chief mechanic George Bignotti with Unser in the Johnny Lightning Special PJ-Colt equipped with a turbocharged four-cam Ford V8 engine.

For the 1970 Indianapolis 500, Unser qualified his Johnny Lightning Special on the pole with a four-lap average of 171.233 mph. Despite losing the lead to Johnny Rutherford at the start of the race in the very first turn, Unser quickly regained the lead by Turn 2. Unser led 191 laps out of the 200, only surrendering the lead during pit stops.

Unser continued to use the Johnny Lightning Special in four other races, winning three of them. The VPJ team won their first USAC National Championship - a feat that the VPJ team accomplished from 1970-1972. For 1971, Unser drove the Johnny Lighting Special in the early part of the season, winning three races. It then became the backup car for Pocono, Michigan, and Milwaukee, where it was wrecked and retired from use.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2021