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Jerry Mong, designer/builder of Bobsy Race Cars, originally built this Monza for Jim Trueman’s IMSA effort. Trueman was owner of Red Roof Inn, the motto of which was, "Sleep Cheap."

According to Kim Mason, drivers of the Monza have included Jim Trueman, Bobby Rahal, Don Yenko, Jerry Thompson, Tom Bagley and Herb Adams. Bobby Rahal co-drove the car with Trueman at Sebring in 1976. According to Kim Mason, it was Rahal’s first drive in the Sebring 12 hour race. Don Yenko also co-drove this car with Trueman on a few occasions and purchased the car when Trueman decided to move on to other racing ventures.

Yenko had a partner in the ownership by the name of Jim Phillips. During Yenko's ownership, an aluminum 495 cubic inch big block was fitted. Jerry Thompson tested the car at Daytona with that engine. According to Kim Mason, it was unofficially very close to the closed course record at the time. The big motor made the car unmanageable to drive especially trying to get it stopped. Yenko sold his interest in the car to his partner, Jim Phillips.

Kim Mason bought the car from Phillips in 1981. The car was again powered by a small block. The car was raced in the 1984 Daytona 24 hour race in the blue/silver livery (shown above). FIA homologation for Monzas ceased in the mid-1980s and Kim re-bodied the car with a C4 Corvette body. The car was campaigned in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s as a Corvette in various SCCA Trans-Am events. In 1995, there was a rules change concerning engine location in the chassis relative to the front axle. This chassis would require major changes to be legal under the new rules. Mason decided to quit campaigning the car and returned it to being a Monza again.

The car was then put up for sale and Garry Lefever purchased it in 1999. He and his son have campaigned the car since then at Watkins Glen, VIR, and Summit Point in vintage events.

Garry Lefever, February 07, 2011

Date

Race

No.

Chassis

Drivers

Entrant

Result

Nov 30, 1975

IMSA Daytona Finale 250 mi

15

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

59th

Mar 20, 1976

IMSA Sebring 12 hr

05

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman / Bobby Rahal

Red Roof Inns

53rd

Apr 11, 1976

IMSA Road Atlanta 100 mi

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

13th

May 02, 1976

IMSA Laguna Seca 100 mi

05

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

37th

May 09, 1976

IMSA Ontario 100 mi

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

40th

Jun 06, 1976

IMSA Mid-Ohio 100 mi

05

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

37th

Jul 10, 1976

SCCA Trans-Am Wat Glen 6 hr

c/n Trueman-Mong

Trueman / Thompson

Red Roof Inns

DNA

Aug 15, 1976

IMSA Pocono 100 mi

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

21st

Aug 29, 1976

IMSA Mid-Ohio 6 hr

05

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

38th

Sep 19, 1976

IMSA Road Atlanta 500 km

1

DeKon c/n 1003??

Trueman / Thompson

Red Roof Inns

DNA

Oct 03, 1976

IMSA Laguna Seca II - 100 mi

05

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

DNA

Nov 28, 1976

IMSA Daytona Finale 250 mi

15

c/n Trueman-Mong

Trueman / Thompson

Red Roof Inns

5th

Feb 06, 1977

IMSA Daytona 24 hr

05

c/n Trueman-Mong

Trueman / Thompson / Yenko

Red Roof Inns

29th

Mar 19, 1977

IMSA Sebring 12 hr

05

c/n Trueman-Mong

Trueman / Thompson / Yenko

Red Roof Inns

22nd

Jun 05, 1977

IMSA Mid-Ohio 100 mi

05

c/n Trueman-Mong

Jim Trueman

Red Roof Inns

29th

Feb 04, 1979

IMSA/WSCC Daytona 24 hr

24

c/n Trueman-Mong 

Thompson / Yenko / Shaw

Graham Shaw

DNF

Feb 5, 1984

IMSA Daytona 24 hr

03

c/n Trueman-Mong

Kim Mason/Adams/Thompson

Mason Racing

29th

Jun 10, 1984

IMSA Mid-Ohio 500 km

03

c/n Trueman-Mong

Kim Mason/Jerry Thompson

Mason Racing

22nd

Owners of c/n Trueman-Mong