Remembering Chuck Jones: An American original

ABOVE: Chuck (far left) first worked with Clay Regazzoni in F5000 in 1973, and the two would go on to partner in F1 and become life-long friends. LEFT: Chuck at his Costa Mesa, Calif. shop with the Gurney Weslake Eagle that he once owned and a Le Mans Ferrari that he also owned. 

Charles Curtis – better known as Chuck – Jones was an iconic representative of the versatile, can-do breed of enthusiasts to develop out of the Southern California car culture that blossomed after World War II. Chuck, who passed away peacefully in the early morning hours on Monday, achieved success in nearly every kind of motorized vehicle and in an equally wide variety of roles. As a self-taught engineer, designer and competitor, Jones went on to extremely accomplished career as a car owner and team manager.

After first gaining notoriety with his "sidewinder" dragster designs in the 1950s, Jones moved on to SCCA sports car racing in the Can-Am and United States Road Racing Championship, Formula 5000 and finally got where he had always wanted to go – Formula 1.

"I spent a number of years in Formula 5000 competition with a view of building my credentials toward grand prix (racing)," Jones said. "The challenge was enormous but that is the sport's greatest appeal to people like me."

For Dan Gurney – another luminous graduate of that SoCal culture – connections to Jones run all the way back to the beginning of Dan's All American Racers in Santa Ana, Calif., and continue into the present.

"The building that we are still in right now was one that we purchased from Chuck," notes Gurney. "At the time we were starting All American Racers and it looked like a big building to us – but gradually through the years we filled it!

Although the two never competed directly in F1, as AAR had turned its attentions elsewhere by the time Jones began his involvement with Mo Nunn's Ensign team ("Our money ran out before his did!" Dan jokes), the two stayed in touch as Dan recognized a kindred spirit.

"We continued communicating through the years – he was involved in quite a few other racing-related activities and I could tell that he couldn't seem to get rid of the virus," Gurney says. "We could commiserate over the things that didn't work and celebrate the things that did."

Chuck became a partner in Nunn's Ensign team in 1975 after becoming convinced that the Briton – like himself both a hands-on engineer as well as owner/operator – could design, build and race a competitive F1 car.

"I learned a lot more from Mo Nunn than he ever did from me," Jones told Sports Car Digest in 2011. "My strong point was finding sponsorship and a certain amount of organization. For some reason I could spot a driver and I had a good feel for drivers." Among those he tapped for Ensign's team was a young F3 racer named Nelson Piquet...

Although the playing field then was not quite as tilted against independents as in today's era of factory teams and virtually unlimited budgets, the odds were still long and Ensign never did muster a GP win, although it produced some memorable moments with drivers like Piquet, Clay Regazzoni (ABOVE) and Derek Daly.

RIGHT: How different was Ensign's approach is evident here, as the 1980 F1 car undergoes tinkering in Chuck's garage...

"He (Jones) was a great storyteller and loved to re-live the old days," recalls Daly, who drove for Ensign in 1978-'79. "I did not realize when I met him first how engrained he was in engineering and design of racecars. At Ensign he was the somewhat quirky American co-owner with the brash mustache. He loved the sport and being in the paddock. He could recall hours of clear memories of great race and paddock moments that gave him great joy.

"I would have loved to be around the California hot rod scene with him because he was made for fast cars and flash. He was an authentic colorful personality and contributor to our sport."

Jones and Nunn sold Ensign in 1986, with Nunn going on to become a winning engineer and team owner in CART Indy cars. Jones retired from active competition but remained involved as a consultant and mentor to young drivers and in various racing-related projects.

Enjoy these views of Chuck's cars and teams through the years, courtesy of his son, Sean Jones, Sports Car Digest, and Jerry Entin.

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