Seb Coppola's Lola T192 Formula 5000 Racecar, Number 12

Seb Coppola's Lola T192 Formula 5000 Racecar

Owner: Seb Coppola
City: Rochester Hills, Michigan
Model: Lola T192 (circa 1970)
Engine: Chevy 302cid V8

Lola T192 Chassis HU192/29

Seb Coppola's Lola T192 was originally ordered on speculation by American distributor Carl Haas. It arrived in the United States in April 1971. At the time of delivery, the bodywork was white. The car was built-up with a Chevy 302 (5.0L) engine and with a Hewland (DG300-207) five speed transaxle.

Gentleman racer Jack Eiteljorg of Englewood, Colorado had entered an Eisert 68/69 in the first race of the 1971 Formula 5000 season. After qualifying to start in 25th position, Eiteljorg DNF'd for unknown reasons just five laps into the first heat. He would need a newer and more competitive racecar to contest the series, and he went to Carl Haas to get one.

Within one month, the Lola was ready to race. Or perhaps it was only almost ready to race, because in its first outing at Seattle the new Lola suffered its own first heat DNF. Eiteljorg's Lola was far more successful in the forth race of the season; Mid-Ohio Eiteljorg and the T192 finished sixth. Two weekends later, Eiteljorg and his Lola finished eighth overall.

Jack Eiteljorg's results with HU192/29 in 1971

VenueDateQualifiedFinishedNotes
1RiversideApril 25XX(See above.)
2Laguna SecaMay 2XX(Didn't participate.)
3SeattleMay 2326DNF(Heat 1: DNF, Heat 2: DNS)
4Mid-OhioJuly 5196(Heat 1: 10th, Heat 2: 6th)
5Road AmericaJuly 1818 8(Heat 1: 9th, Heat 2: 8th)
6EdmontonAugust 11912(Heat 1: 11th, Heat 2: 11th)
7BrainerdAugust 151620(Heat 1: 11th, Heat 2: DNF/oil pressure)
8Lime RockSeptember 6XX(Didn't participate.)

Eiteljorg hoped to continue racing his Lola T192 in the 1972 season, but he had less luck. He was slow in the first round race, at Laguna Seca, and chose to DNS the second heat. He then sat out the second round. Eiteljorg entered the T192 in the third round race at Watkins Glen. There, he set a qualifying time of 1:59.273. With this qualifying time, he would have started in ~25th position, but instead he elected to withdraw. The entry list for Watkins Glen shows his team name as "Debbie Eiteljorg Racing", whereas earlier entries were in his own name. In all of the above events, Eiteljorg's Lola T192 wore racing number 12.

Jack Eiteljorg's results with HU192/29 in 1972

VenueDateQualifiedFinishedNotes
1Laguna SecaMay 73031(Heat 1: 28th, Heat 2: DNS)

Larry Castleman purchased the ex-Eiteljorg Lola T192 in 1992 and raced the car in various vintage races during the mid 1990s. In 1998, ownership transferred to RM Motorsport.

Seb Coppola purchased the Lola T192 in 2001. He has raced the car enthusiastically with HSR, SVRA, and other historic racing events at Watkins Glen, Road America, Mosport, Mt.Treblant, Road Atlanta, VIR, etc.

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Engine Installation

Chevrolet small-block V8 engine, built to five liter displacement.
Chevrolet small-block V8 engine, built to five liter displacement.

Dual bolted-on braces spanned rearward across the engine.
The Lola T192 model came with a taller roll structure to meet new 1972 rules. A distinctive feature
of the T192 roll structure is that dual bolted-on braces spanned rearward across the engine bay.
(In this photo you can see the mounting tabs, but the braces weren't installed.)

mounting tabs and car insurance
Evidently, at some point in this car's racing history a single central rearward brace replaced
the two symmetrical braces. Mounting tabs for that additional brace are at the top of the hoop.

Four Weber 48IDA carburetors.
Four Weber 48IDA carburetors.

Stainless steel four-into-one headers.
Stainless steel four-into-one headers.

MSD distributor, capacitive discharge ignition system and rev-limiter. Taylor spark plug wires.
MSD distributor, capacitive discharge ignition system and rev-limiter. Taylor spark plug wires.

Twenty-five row engine oil cooler.
Twenty-five row engine oil cooler.

This engine oil reservoir has been specially modified to provide clearance to the exhaust pipe.
This engine oil reservoir has been specially modified to provide clearance to the exhaust pipe.

Custom aluminum oil catch tank and breather.
Custom aluminum oil catch tank and breather.



Curtis Jacobson: freelance automotive journalist

Suspension / Steering / Etc.

Lola T192 front suspension.
Lola T192 front suspension.

Front antisway bar stiffness is continuously variable by sliding the attachment clamps.
The front antisway bar is solid, which is probably period correct for this car, and its
stiffness is continuously variable by sliding the attachment clamp along the bar ends.

Lola T192 rear suspension.
Lola T192 rear suspension.

KONI 8212 aluminum bodied, double-adjustable coilover shock absorbers.
The rear antisway bar is tubular to reduce weight, and rear roll stiffness is selected
by moving connection links from drilled connection point to point along the bar.
Original Metalastic driveshaft couplings have been replaced with splined joints.
KONI 8212 aluminum bodied, double adjustable coilover shock absorbers are correct.



Interior

Simpson six-point safety harness. Car Insurance.
Simpson six-point safety harness.

Stewart Warner oil pressure gauge (5-100psi) and fuel pressure gauge (0-30psi).
Mountney steering wheel, mounted on a (modern) quick release steering wheel hub.
Stewart Warner oil pressure gauge (5-100psi) and fuel pressure gauge (0-30psi).

AutoMeter Sport-Comp oil temp (140-280F) and Stewart Warner water temp (100-265F) gauges.
AutoMeter Sport-Comp oil temp (140-280F) and Stewart Warner water temp (100-265F) gauges.

Jones mechanical tachometer (0-10000rpm).
Jones mechanical tachometer (0-10000rpm).

Gear selector mechanism.
Gear selector mechanism.


Racecars typically vary both in original design and construction details, and also in
preparation for a particular driver's or team's needs and preferences. Additional variance
may result from necessary repairs. Compare the pedal boxes of these two Lola T192s:

Pedal spacing.
Seb Coppola's Lola T192 (HU192/29)

Mead Korwin's pedal box
Mead Korwin's Lola T192 (HU192/22)

How many differences can you identify?

Left: quick-coupling for a battery charger or for jump starts. Right: battery disconnect switch.
Left: quick-coupling for a battery charger or for jump starts. Right: battery disconnect switch.


Exterior

2009 U.S. Vintage Grand Prix of Watkins Glen
We enjoyed watching Seb race his Lola T192 at the 2009 U.S. Vintage Grand Prix of Watkins Glen,
where his best lap was 2:13.875, for an average of 91.4mph over the challenging 3.4 mile circuit.

Graham McRae
One of history's finest drivers, multiple Formula 5000 championship winner Graham McRae (standing
in center of frame) of New Zealand, served as Seb's Crew Chief for the Watkins Glen weekend.

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Operating in the turbulant wake of the roll hoop...
High-mounted rear wings were banned at the start of the 1972 racing season for safety reasons.
Operating in the turbulent wake of the roll hoop, the engine, and in this case behind a rather
large oil cooler, the wing's performance is largely compromised.

Vitaloni Sebring Mach 1 black mirrors (473B).
Vitaloni "Sebring Mach 1" black mirrors (473B).

Seb Coppola races his Lola under the same number - 12 - as it raced back in 1971 and 72.
Seb Coppola races his Lola under the same number - 12 - as it raced back in 1971 and 72.

Lola wheels (mounted on six studs).
Lola wheels (mounted on six studs).

Avon tires (23.5/11.0/15 front, 27.0/14.0/15 rear).
Avon tires (23.5/11.0/15 front, 27.0/14.0/15 rear).

All photos shown here are from September 2009 when we viewed the car at The US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. All photos by Curtis Jacobson and Don Moyer for BritishRaceCar.com, copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

If you liked this article, you'll probably also enjoy these:
Eric Haga's Lola T190 Eric Haga
1970 Lola T190
Mead Korwin's Lola T192 Mead Korwin
1971 Lola T192
Jim Stengel's McRae GM-1 Jim Stengel
1973 McRae GM-1
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