June 2001

Rallye Magazine, Feb. 1976, featured one of the F-Square VW Rabbits on the cover. Painting by Toby Nippel.

When Knight Racing announced earlier this year that they would have a three-car team of Subarus to contest the SCCA ProRally series for 2001, Kurt Spitzner, Director of SCCA Performance Rally, asked if this was the first time that there had been an independent three-car rally effort.

"No," I replied, "There was a three-car VW Rabbit team out of Texas back in about 1975."

The effort was called F-Square Rally Team after the last names of two of the principals, Dick Fitzgerald and Tom French. Fitzgerald and his wife Karen drove two of the cars, with Sasha Lanz as the other driver. A fourth Rabbit was purchased by Andy Magnus as a Service Vehicle and emergency parts source. Co-drivers included Andy Magnus and Pam Magnus in the Fitzgerald cars, with occasional substitutions. The "All-Girl" team of Karen Fitzgerald and Pam Magnus helped the team to catch some Public Relations interest. Legendary co-driver Tom Grimshaw rode with Sasha Lanz on at least one occasion.

Fitzgerald and French were Saab owners and had rallied a Saab Sonett, but Saab wasn't interested in their idea of a team of 99s, so they approached University Volkswagen in Fort Worth about rallying VW's new front-wheel drive model, the Rabbit. A package was worked out and the four Rabbits were soon on their way to rally prep. Other sponsorship deals were arranged with Plaeco (a Dallas race-prep shop), Cooper Tires, Marchal of America, Stewart-Warner gauges, Koni shocks, General Battery Corporation, Tru-Ride tire sealer/balancer, APO International breakerless ignition and vapor injectors, and Alaska Brand oil coolant, mostly for free product in exchange for a sticker on the cars.

Fitzgerald installed the roll bars (roll cages were not required until a few years later) and skid plates, French did the mechanical work. Lanz worked on electrical wiring and installation of the Halda odometers.

The Rabbits were quite stock, and did not finish all that well if they finished at all. The cars were driven, not trailered, to PRO Rallies all over the country. They were popular with the crowds and did get some press, including the accompanying article in rallye magazine from February of 1976.

Tim Winker

Click on image for larger view, 615x800, 200KB