





Clint Brawner was one of American open wheel racing’s best designers and mechanics during the front engine roadster era of Indy cars. Dean Van Lines Inc. Dean had employed chief mechanic Clint Brawner in 1954 and Dean Racing Enterprises had won the USAC title in 1954, 1956 and 1957 with driver Jimmy Bryan. After earning his reputation as chief mechanics, Brawner developed his first rear engine racer, the Brawner Hawk, in 1965. Hawk cars competed between 1965 and 1969, and these cars also launched the career of racing legend Mario Andretti with five years of success behind the wheel of Hawks. Andretti drove a Hawk to a third place finish in the Indianapolis 500 with Rookie of the Year honors and continued to claim the 1965 USAC National Championship. The following year Andretti drove a Brawner Hawk to his second consecutive USAC National Championship. When Brawner’s Hawks were retired from competition at the end of the 1969 season, Andretti had driven a Hawk to his first Indianapolis 500 victory and a third USAC National Championship. Andretti joined Andy Granatelli’s STP team for 1969, and both 1968 Hawks were retained as part of the STP stable, with Brawner and his mechanic Jim McGee continuing to run his cars. However, Andretti crashed his new Lotus 64 during practice at the Indy 500, so the Hawk was brought out again for Andretti to qualify. He qualified second and won the race. It was Andy Granatelli’s STP first Indy 500 win after many years of trying, first with Novis, and then with the Turbine-powered cars. Mario Andretti’s 1969 Indy 500 win is the lone victory at the race for the storied Andretti racing family, as of 2021.
Season | Series | Event |
1969 | USAC National Championship | Indianapolis 500 |
Driver | No. | Entrant |
Mario Andretti | 2 | STP Corporation |
Chassis | Engine | Car Name |
Hawk III | Ford | STO Oil Treatment Spl. |
Scale | Manufacturer | Collection |
1:43 | Spark | |
Cat. No. | Quality | Rarity |
43IN69 | ![]() | ![]() |