Can-Am Challenge Race

Sears Point, 30 Sep 1984

All cars are 5-litre Can-Am unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. VDS 004 (Michael Roe): Built up by Dallas Motorsports for 1984, using components built by VDS before the team was sold to Norwood-Walker Racing. Raced by Michael Roe in 1984, winning most of its races. Reappeared when used in the filming of a Peugeot TV commercial at Riverside in 1986. Raced in CAT in 1987 by Stuart Baumgard.
2. March 822 (Rod Cusumano): Greg Sorrentino's Different Drummer Racing ran a sports car bodied March 822 for Enrique Mansilla in Can-Am racing in early 1984. After three races, he left the team, and the car was taken over by Rod Cusumano (Summit, NJ). The March then remained with Sorrentino until February 1988, when it was sold to British GT racer Eddie McLurg, and raced in the Thundersports race at Snetterton in July 1988, where it was disqualified in a dispute over its allowed weight. McLurg ran the car as a F2 in 1989, winning the British libre series, but then refitted the Can-Am bodywork to use it in Interserie from 1989 to 1992. It was later used in libre racing as a F2, then in EuroBOSS up to 1998. In April 2019, it was still sitting in McLurg's garage, partly dismantled.
3. Osella PA9B/84 [126] (Armando Trentini): Martin Spetz observed the number 'Osella PA9B/84-126' on Trentini's Osella at Road Atlanta in 1984. As Mancini's car was also entered by Fiorano Sports Cars of Houston, as Trentini's had been, it is assumed to be the same car.
4. Frissbee-Lola KR3 [Lola T330 HU2] (Horst Kroll): See full history: Lola T330 HU2.
5. Lola T332 (Bill Tempero): This car started life with the Hogan team, was sold to Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) in 1977, and then to "Bronco" Brad Murphey (Phoenix, AZ) to convert for Can-Am. Neither Murphey nor next owner Arlon Koops (Denver, CO) raced it, but Koops loaned it to Bill Tempero (Ft Collins, CO) for Can-Am 1984. It went to Kent Painter (Fort Collins, CO) in 1988, and was then stored for 21 years until bought by Jay Bondini (Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Australia), who restored it to Hogan Racing 1974 specification. It was raced by Peter Brennan in the 2011 Australian GP support event, and later by Bondini at Australian historic events. Sold to Gary Gunn (Werribee, Victoria, Australia) in 2016. Sold to Chas Talbot in February 2018 and raced in Australian historic events in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. More information about Lola T332 'the Hogan/Haines car'
6. Frissbee-Lola T332 [HU53] (Drake Olson): See full history: Lola T332 HU53.
7. Ralt RT1/78 [136] (Dennis Brisken): A white and blue Ralt RT1/78 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson in August 1978. To AME Racing for Skeeter McKitterick (San Diego, CA/Woodland Hills, CA), debuting at Trois-Rivières in early September. Also raced by McKitterick at the Macau Grand Prix in November as part of the Flying Tigers team. Retained by McKitterick for 1979, when he had sponsorship from CAM 2 Motor Oil. Raced in the North American series and again in Macau, entered by Flying Tigers Dunhill Racing Team. Entered a few times in 1980, but rarely seen. Sold to Kyle Buxton (Trabuco, CA) who raced it in Formula Atlantic in 1981 and 1982, then fitted a sports car body for Can-Am racing later in 1982, using a Ford BDP engine. To Dennis Brisken, and used in ASR class racing in 1984, but later wrecked at Sears Point. Sold to Carl Olsson (San Diego, CA) and rebuilt as a FC, and later as a CSR. Then to Tom Nelson (San Francisco area, CA) who rebuilt it again as an improved CSR. CT
8. Marzda 'Banana Crate' [March 71BM-3] (Bill Hill): New to Chuck Willis's CRW Racing (Anaheim, CA) and leased to Jean de la Bruyere (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for Max Mizejewski (Woodland Hills, CA) to race in SCCA Formula B in 1971 as "The Edmonton Flyer". De la Bruyere then split from CRW and Ron Dykes (Marina del Rey, CA) then took over the 71Bm for Pro Formula B races and SCCA Nationals for the rest of 1971. Sold to Bob Newton (Cupertino, CA) and run in Pro FB and SCCA Nationals in 1972, 1973 and 1974. It was also raced by Craig Fraser (Santa Cruz, CA) in 1973 and 1974 before Newton's last known appearance in it in late 1974. To Jim Van Horn (Orange, CA) and raced in Cal Club Regionals in late 1975. Van Horn bought a newer Chevron B27 for 1976, but returned to the March for 1977, which was rebuilt to 76B specification by Marc Bahner and fitted with a BDA engine. The car was registered with the SCCA in September 1977, but curiously used the chassis number of a March 722, 722-38. Van Horn raced this car up to 1980. To Bill Hill (Olympia, WA) in 1981, fitted with a Mazda engine and a sports car body and raced the car in SCCA ASR and in Can-Am as the "Marzda" or the "Banana Crate". Crashed in an SCCA Regional (NW Region) at Olympia Airport in September 1986. Hill then bought a Lola T360 and the March chassis stayed in the rafters of his garage for many years. After Hill died, the car was sold to Phil Creighton (Georgia) in mid-2017, and then by him to Kevan McLurg (Brighton, UK) in 2018. Sold to Bruce Balchin (Southampton) in July 2019.
9. Frissbee-Brabham BT29 [Brabham BT29/11] (Jerry Kehoe): Bill Boyer (Tucson, AZ) raced an orange #88 Brabham BT29 in two early rounds of the 1970 SCCA Formula B championship, both in California, retiring both times. He was not seen again in the car but advertised it in August 1972, over two years later, complete with Vegantune FLC engine and said to be "ready for pro races". In 1973 or 1974, it was bought from dealer Pierre Phillips (Portland, OR) by Jerry Kehoe (Santa Rosa, CA), who recalls having seen it at Max Mizejewski's MRE operation in Santa Ana maybe a year earlier. Mizejewski had raced a MRE-entered BT29 at Sears Point 16 Sep 1973 and this is assumed to be the same car. Presumably the Formula B car Kehoe drove in SCCA races at Sears Point in 1975 and 1976. By 1977, Kehoe had fitted it with a Cosworth FVC engine and was using in in Formula A in SCCA Nationals. Kehoe later rebuilt the car as a sports car and used it in Can-Am in 1980 as a 2-litre car, then with a 3.5-litre Oldsmobille from 1981 to 1983 and finally with Frissbee bodywork in 1984. It later went to James Connell (Pollack Pines,CA) and Fred Schrameck (Orangeville, CA) . It changed hands again in 2007.
10. Frissbee-Lola T330 [HU19] (Drake Olson): See full history: Lola T330 HU19.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.