Alan Jones was a formidable weapon in anything; it took him four or so years to clear F3, but it was whammo after that as he stepped into more powerful cars: Formula Atlantic, F5000 and F1.
He raced F5000 on most continents, here in an F5000 in drag, a 5-litre central-seat Can-Am car, Carl Haas Lola T333CS Chev, at Riverside on October 15, 1978, where he won from fellow Aussie, Warwick Brown’s similar VDS Racing machine.
Jones won five of the 1978 championships’ ten rounds, gathering 2712 points and the title from Brown, on 2548 then Al Holbert in another T333 on 1674 points.
Jones is swapping notes in the Watkins Glen pits above with Jean-Pierre Jarier who raced a works Shadow DN10 Dodge, Q6/DNF gearbox. Brown won that round from Al Holbert and Rocky Moran, all three raced Lola T333CS, with Jones a DNF.
The rear of Jones’ T333CS Chev in the Watkins Glen paddock, essential elements at this end of the car are a 5-litre 525bhp or so Chev V8 and Hewland DG300 five-speed transaxle.
In the US, many Lola T332 Chev F5000 cars became Lola T332CS Chev Can-Am cars by buying the requisite body kit from Lola. You could buy a T332CS from the factory as well. The mildly updated Lola T333CS could be converted back the other way. The VDS Racing Lolas that Warwick Brown raced in the 1978-79 Rothmans F5000 internationals were T333 HU1 and HU2 fitted with good ‘ole T332C bodywork.
Check out the Lola T333CS on the Lola Heritage website:https://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/type_numbers/t333cs/t333cs.html and the 1978 Can-Am season here:https://www.oldracingcars.com/canam/1978/
Etcetera F5000…
Despite missing half the season, Jones was equal seventh in the 1975 Shellsport British F5000 Championship 1975, together with Bob Evans. He won two rounds in RAM Racing cars, here at Brands Hatch on August 25, aboard a March 75A powered by the Ford Cosworth GAA 3.4-litre twin-cam, four-valve V6 fitted to Ford’s Cologne Capri RS3100 touring cars. Tony Brise and Guy Edwards were second and third aboard T332 Chevs.
Brian Redman and Alan Jones on the front row of the rolling start Mosport Park round of the 1976 US F5000 Championship on June 20, 1976.
Jones won here and at Watkins Glen later in a season where Jones mixed his Surtees F1 and F5000 programs, finding the latter much more satisfying!
Allan Brown wrote, ‘With two rounds to go, Jones (2 round wins) and Oliver (1 win Shadow DN6B Dodge) were tied for the championship lead, but when Oliver retired at Road America, and Jones had to miss the race to be at the Dutch GP, Redman (3 wins) won and leapt into a significant points lead. Third place in the last round secured the Lancastrian his third successive title, while Al Unser’s win (1 win Lola T332) propelled him into second place in the final points table.’
Grids of great depth that year, in addition to the above, competitors included Warwick Brown, Vern Schuppan, Teddy Pillette, Peter Gethin, Graham McRae, John Cannon, Brett Lunger, Danny Ongais, and occasionals/one-offs David Purley, Bruce Allison, Derek Bell, Maurizio Flammini and Patrick Tambay.
Jones was far and away the quickest bloke on the grid in Australia’s four-round Rothmans F5000 Championship in 1977. Still, he jumped the start in the Oran Park AGP, boofed a car in Surfers Paradise, then had overheating at Sandown and DNFd. Still, he won in Adelaide and made it awfully clear to his countrymen – having not raced in Australia since finishing second in the September 1968 Sandown 3-Hour touring car race in a Holden Monaro GTS327 shared with Clive Millis – just how blindingly quick he was!
The Jones/Millis second place Holden HK Monaro GTS327 at Shell Corner, Sandown during the September 3-Hour ‘Bathurst warm up’.
While entered by Jones, the car has Lloyd Holyoak Holden signage on it. Holyoak – still with us – was one of Stan Jones’ oldest friends/employees/confidants/supporters, so for sure Lloyd will have pulled the car off his Warrandyte dealership forecourt. One little old lady owner etc…
Melbourne enthusiast/historian David Zeunert (second from right) organised a small gathering of Stan Jones Nutters to pay our respects on the centenary of Stans birthday, March 16, 2023, at Springvale Cemetery, a stone’s throw from Sandown.
That’s Lloyd Holyoak sharing his recollections of all things Stan. Some Melburnian Aussie Rules fans may recall Holyoak, a very handy cricketer and football player in his youth, as the North Melbourne Football Club President when North won the VFL ’77 Flag.
Credits…
Kurt Oblinger, Richard Deming, Peter Goesina, Lola Heritage, Rod Steffanoni, autopics.com.au
Finito…
primotipo... 
Alan Jones also had a brief sojourn in Can-Am in 1977 driving a Shadow-Dodge DN4B, Chassis #5A.
Hi Mark, Can you send me the link to the story you did a few years ago on the 1961 AGP wining Cooper Climax., Regards, Dick. willisrg@smartchat.net.au.
Dick,
Emailed just now, HNY to you.
M
Great Article Mark, as always.
On the odd occasion I drop into Lloyds bookshop in East Kew, such an interesting person to talk to regarding Jones and football.
Perhaps a sad way Jones life ended up the last 5 or so years of his life but gee he packed a lot into during the 50s.
I’ve always thought he and Doug, had most of their assets and cash flow invested in the two Maserati cars, trying to compete with the far wealthier Hunt and Stilwell.
HNY Rob!
I’ve swung through Lloyd’s shop a few times. Is he still there? Since Mum’s death, that isn’t a regular rat-run for me.
Both self-made guys of course, and while they had decent cash-flow, both did well; Stan’s multiple sites would have trumped Doug’s single dealership operation.
Jim Gullan writes extensively about his close mate Whiteford, warts and all, mind you. I must reread that book. ‘That punch’ in a Bathurst servo cost him the lot, including the 300S. Tony Johns speaks very affectionately of Doug, whom he got to know well at PCA/Hamiltons when Doug was Service Manager. His Datsun sports car and series prod drives kept him in front of a new generation of punters like you and I.
I suspect his racing made him a few bucks or was self-funding, given the support he had and his self-preparation capabilities. I’ve always thought it a shame he didn’t buy a 250F when he bought the 300S. At 42, it would have been great to see him going head-to-head with Stan, Reg, Ted and Davo in single-seaters. But the 300S was probably a better start/prize money equation given the F Libre of the day.
Stan was 40 in 1963, getting on a bit, but it would have been special to see how he went in the Cooper race, that immediate pre-Tasman era. Yep, he had a T51, but the £ were getting tight.
The play goes something like this, is my guess: Menzies/Holt squash the economy in 1961 to combat inflation and a Balance of Payments problem. Demand stops, and the banks have been told to stifle loan growth. Stan’s geared to buggery. Stan’s sales stop. He and his finance man start lagging payments to the floor-plan man to pay the rent etc – say GMAC – soon the GMAC man realises Stan is in Conversion, then their trucks roll in and take the stock. Game over.
It’s all about cashflow…as you well know, the last outfit to turn to when you really need the money is a bank/financier.
If all those blokes were ‘in equal 2.5 T51s’, we would soon have seen who really was who in the Zoo relative to Jack!
Stan left nothing on the table; he was here for a good time, and it looks to me like he had an awfully good one, albeit his final years, as you say, woulda been tough.
m
Mark ,I think also the loss of Doug’s daughter would have knocked him around a lot .
And yes Stan would have been playing the conversion game with the lenders .
My knew them all very well ,he would say Stan was peasant who was a drunk ,A lad and a wife basher .
He always said Doug was the best of them as a driver ,yet Stan would have done well overseas !
It always surprises me as even now new photos appear of the 250fs and the 2x 300s
Typo my father knew them all well.
The 300s was start money and Formula Libre, when the 2 x 300s came up for sale he was advised Doug to buy the Behra car ,as it was the car less raced/thrashed .