Ford Falcon Racing Chronology

Ford Falcon Racing Chronology

Version 2 – October 26, 2015

September 9, 1959 Falcon introduced to the press in U.S.

October 3, 1959 Falcon’s U.S. debut

October 9, 1959 Falcon finishes 3rd in Rip Van Winkle Rally in NYS driven by Richard Smith and Roger Bohl.

October 13, 1959 Falcon competes in American International Rally, starting in NYC. Car is DNF with Capt. H. E. Thomas and Dick “Smitty” Smith after Smith was struck with food poisoning. Could be same Smith from Rip Van Winkle Rally, Source says Smith contracted food poisoning on “NY Rally”.

November 15, 1959 Three Falcons finish 3rd, 4th and 15th in a 6 Hour compact-economy car race at Continental Divide Raceway. Third place car driven by Steven Wendt & Dave Pauling. Fourth place car driven by Jim Sterling and Joe Giba (SP?). Fifteenth place car driven by Davey/McNeil.

December 12, 1959 In a support race for Compact-Economy sedans at the 1959 USGP at Sebring, a Falcon driven by Denise McCluggage finishes 8th. Car said to have been driven straight off showroom floor.

January 31, 1960 Three Falcons competed in Cannonball Compact races, one oval, one road course, at Daytona driven by Joe Weatherly, Curtis Turner & Harry Atkinson. Highest placed car 4th on oval and 8th on road course, both driven by Weatherly.

February 12, 1960 Two Falcons in Canadian Winter Rally with H. W. Hunter & R. T. Towson (22nd) and J. Bateman & J. Riddell (72nd).

November 11, 1960 Art Nelson & Bob Brisco finish 4th driving a Falcon in the Cariboo Rally.

November 20, 1960 Two Falcons compete in Class D (Classes set by displacement) at Armstrong 500 in Australia driven by Bob Jane & Lou Molina (3rd) and Ron Phillips & Ern Seeliger (DNF).

November 20, 1960 John McLaughlin finishes 6th (?) in a Falcon in the sedan support race for the 1960 USGP at Riverside.

February 19, 1961 Four Falcons competed in Cannonball Compact race at Daytona on road course driven by Curtis Turner, Harry Atkinson, Joe Weatherly and Jack Lawrence. Highest placed car 6th driven by Turner

June 25, 1961 Bill Clawson wins Sedan-HP race at Waterford Hills, MI in a Falcon.

September 3, 1961 J. D. Sherman finishes 10th in the Australian Touring Car Championship race at Lowood in Queensland.

November 1961 Augie Pabst Falcon swimming pool incident at Laguna Seca.

November 19, 1961 Falcon finishes 2nd in Class B at Armstrong 500 driven by Ken Harper, Syd Fisher & John Raeburn.

March 24, 1962 Holman-Moody Falcon Challenger of Marvin Panch and Jocko Maggiacomo finishes 34th at Sebring 12 Hour.

March 27, 1962 FIA Homologates Falcon de luxe under Number 1123. ASN given as AUS (Australia). Engine listed as 2366 cc (144 CID). Forms are FM (Forms Missing) at FIA in Paris today.

April 19, 1962 Five Australian Falcons compete in the East African Safari crewed by Harry Firth/Graham Hoinville, Ken Harper/Des Scott, Geoff Russell/Dick Collingwood, Jack Ellis/Mal McPherson and Doug Hughes/Rex Lewis. Firth/Hoinville were highest placed in 16th.

May 18, 1962 Laura & Jim Nash finish 8th in Midway USA Rally with a Falcon.

October 21, 1962 Ford Falcon XL of Harry Firth & Bob Jane wins Class B (classes set by purchase price) and was “First Across the Line”. Four other Falcons also contest Class B; Ken Harper, John Raeburn & Syd Fisher (2nd), Alan Caelli, J. Edwards & John Bodinnar (3rd), John Callaway, Frank Porter & Jim Smith (4th) and Kevin Loft, Tom Roddy & Brian Devlin (8th).

November 26, 1962 FIA Homologates 1963 Falcon Sprint Hardtop under Number 1156. ASN given as USA. Engine listed as 4261 cc (260 CID).

December 2, 1962 Marvin Panch competes at Nassau Speedweek in Holman-Moody Falcon Challenger. Results are:

Nassau Tourist Trophy 5-lap heat 5th

Nassau Tourist Trophy 25-lap DNF

Governor's Trophy 5-lap heat 9th

Governor's Trophy 17-lap DNF

Nassau Trophy 56-lap DNF

January 20, 1963 Three Falcons compete in the 32nd Monte Carlo Rally. Bo Ljungfeldt/Gunnar Haggborn are 43rd. Peter Jopp/Trant Jarman are 35th. Anne Hall/Margaret Mackenzie are a DNF. Falcons are only Class 8 (Sedans over 3 liters) to finish, taking 1st and 2nd in class.

March 17, 1963 Falcon with Dayment & Allen finishes 3rd in W.S.C.C. Rally in Winnipeg.

April 20, 1963 Falcon Sprints finish 2nd, 3rd and 9th in the Trans-Canada Rally. Teams (in order) were Merson/Wilson, MacLennan/Dempsey and Howell/Silvera.

April 23, 1963 Henri Greder/M. Delalande win Tulip Rally in a Falcon.

May 10, 1963 Laura & Jim Nash finish 15th in their Falcon in the Rustler’s Run National Rally.

June 20, 1963 Henri Greder/? Retires in Alpine Rally

August 18, 1963 In Marlboro, MD, at the 12 hour SCCA/FIA National Open for Touring Cars, a Falcon driven by Walt Hansgen, Charlie Hayes and Bob Tullius finishes 3rd, while the Curtis Turner/Ed Diehl Falcon is a DNF. Cars are Holman Moody prepared.

September 5, 1963 FIA Homologates 1964 Falcon Sprint under Number 1250. ASN given as USA. Engine listed as 4727 cc (288.5 CID.

September 28, 1963 Jerry Polivka wins the sedan race in support of the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport.

November 4, 1963 FIA Homologates Falcon 1962 under Number 1247. ASN given as USA. Engine listed as 2786 cc (170 CID).

November 11, 1963 Three Falcons Retire at the RAC Rally. Teams were Bo Ljungfeldt/Fergus Sager, Denise McCluggage/Rosemary Sears and Peter Jopp/Les Leston.

January 18, 1964 Eight Falcon teams compete in the 33rd Monte Carlo rally with Bo Ljungfledt/Fergus Sager finishing 2nd overall on handicap. Remaining teams are Jo Schlesser/C. Leguezec, Henri Greder/M. Delalande, Anne Hall/Denise McCluggage, Peter Harper/John Sprinzel, Peter Jopp/?, Graham Hill/Ian Walker and Bo Lundberg/?.

January 24, 1964 Ford Falcon of Toney & D’Agostino finish 2nd in the sponsored class of the Abominable Snow Rally. Article says other Falcons finished 15th and 25th.

February 7, 1964 Three Falcons compete in the 12th Winter Rally in Canada. Full results unavailable, but article says they lost team award to Anglia by a point.

February 15, 1964 Walt Hansgen drives a Ford Falcon Sprint to 7th at the American Challenge Cup in Daytona.

March 20, 1964 Walt Hansgen finishes 2nd in 250 KM Stock Car race in Sebring.

April 18, 1964 Six Falcons participate in 1964 Shell 4000 Rally. They are Merson/Davies (3rd), Mac Lenan/Dempsey (7th), Henderson/Bickham (22nd), McLean/Gallop (23rd), Morgan/Hartley (28th) and Hayes/Wilson (31st).

April 21, 1964 Henri Greder/Martial Delalande finish 2nd in Tulip Rally.

November 16, 1964 FIA Homologates Nuevo Falcon under Number 1346. ASN given as RA (Argentina?). Engine listed as 2786 cc (170 CID).

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