Fortin Sr. and Clark shared
driving and navigating duties,
simply switching seats during
the events, and they racked
up 21 race wins, including five
overalls, as well as 56 top-five
finishes, between 1968 and
1971. In 1971 alone, the two
would take the top step of the
podium 10 times. However, after
beating the best that top names
like Ford (with their Broncos),
GM (with their Baja Boot
prototype), and Sandmaster
(Fortin Sr. and Clark beat top
driver Bobby Ferro for the
overall at the '71 Palm Springs
250) could throw at them, rule
changes for the 1972 season
meant that a car in their class
would now have to weigh a
minimum of 3,250 pounds.
Seeing no way to hold his own
with more than half a ton of
additional ballast, Fortin Sr.
retired the "Puppy."
New Ideas, New
Challenges
As the "Puppy's" era came to
a close, Lynn Chenowth came
to Fortin Sr. offering to let him
drive his all-new Chenowth
"Wedge" single seat open-
wheel buggy. Once again,
Fortin Sr. allied himself with
like-minded, innovative thinkers,
and their collective effort, led
by Chenowth, produced a
featherweight car (just 1,050
pounds) with several firsts in
FORTIN JR. WAITS FOR HIS FATHER AT THE FINISH
LINE OF THE MINT 400 SOMETIME IN THE 1970S.
FORTIN SR. (BEHIND THE WHEEL),
CLARK, AND LEROY HOOTEN POSE
FOR A FEATURE ARTICLE IN THE
SEPTEMBER 1970 ISSUE OF DUNE
BUGGY MAGAZINE.
FORTIN JR. CLIMBS BACK
INTO HIS CAR, VICTORIOUS,
AFTER THE PODIUM
CELEBRATIONS AT THE
1988 SCORE WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP AT
RIVERSIDE.
062
SCORE JOURNAL
