Ray Evernham’s Restored Brawner Hawk Scores Big At Amelia Island

Ray Evernham with Famed Indy 500 Crew Chief Jim McGee. Photos courtesy of Victory Management Group PR.

The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year during the second weekend in March at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Amelia Island, Florida. Founded by car collector Bill Warner, a photographer and writer for Road & Track magazine 1996, the charity event has a goal of raising at least $100,000 for the Community Hospice of Northeast Florida each year.

Hopeful entrants to the show submit an application for each car they hope to be chosen for display. The Concours field is selected from the large pool of prospective applicants. Once a car is accepted to the Concours, it cannot again be entered in the event for five years, unless  ownership of the car has changed, or the car has been restored.

This year’s show featured a unique and unusual entry from a familiar name.  Ray Evernham entered his freshly restored Brawner Hawk that Mario Andretti drove to the 1965 USAC National Championship and Rookie of the Year honors.

Evernham knew that the 21st annual Amelia Island Concour’s d’Elegance would be the right show to debut this special car. Taking first place in the race car class, Evernham’s Brawner Hawk was also treated to the Phil Hill Restorer’s award as a pat on the back for the painstakingly accurate restoration of the Andretti piloted car.

Andretti’s 1965 championship crew chief, Jim McGee with car owner Ray Evernham.

Andretti’s 1965 championship crew chief, Jim McGee, made a special appearance at the show, paying respect to the car that carried the crew to a memorable season.

“I’ve been a lifelong fan of Mario Andretti.  I watched him race growing up and have always admired his talent, his business leadership, his commitment to philanthropy and his passion for the sport,” said Evernham.  “To be able to restore his rookie Indy Car was truly a special opportunity. I can’t thank Jim McGee enough for leading the restoration of the car and am thrilled the Brawner Hawk was not only recognized for its historical significance but also for all of the effort Jim and the team put into it.”

“From the historian’s point of view, Ray Evernham’s ’65 Brawner Hawk is a pivotally important car,” said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. “It crystalizes a moment of monumental change in American race car design and construction: a true ‘technological changing of the guard’ — the first American-built rear engine car to win the national championship.”

While Andretti was already a familiar name in the sprint car circuits, the Brawner Hawk helped launch the Andretti legend in the USAC Champ Car series. The Champ Car series went on to become the CART series in 1978 with Andretti still active as a dominant driver.

Starting with the Brawner Hawk in 1965, Andretti became one of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport. Only one of two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportcar Championship and NASCAR.

Custom car builders and hot rods have deep roots in racing history, and both can appreciate Clint Brawner’s first rear-engine car to compete on the tracks with Andretti behind the wheel.

The 1965 Brawner Hawk’s next stop will be Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indianapolis 500 race weekend, where Mario Andretti will once again get behind the wheel of his rookie Indy Car for the first time in nearly 50 years.

The 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance was held March 11 to 13 on the 10th and 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.  The show’s Foundation has donated over $2.75 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other charities on Florida’s First Coast since its inception in 1996. In 2013 the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance won Octane Magazine’s EFG International Historic Motoring Event of the Year award.

About the author

Bobby Kimbrough

Bobby grew up in the heart of Illinois, becoming an avid dirt track race fan which has developed into a life long passion. Taking a break from the Midwest dirt tracks to fight evil doers in the world, he completed a full 21 year career in the Marine Corps.
Read My Articles

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