MidWest Division SCCA Formula B 1970
Having been won by a Formula Ford in 1969, Midwest Division started the new season with three competitive FB cars and every chance of an exciting title battle. Jim Gutfreund probably had the most potent car, a Brabham BT29, and led the Division at the end of July but his BRM twin cam blew up, putting him out for the season. Also struggling with reliability was Colorado's Warren Flickinger who took second place at the MAR opener but whose only other point-scoring finish in the Division was another second place in his home race at Continental Divide - beaten both times by out-of-Division drivers - again in the mystery Chevron that we haven't been able to identify.
This left the door open for St Clair's Dennis Wilson, driving an ex-Group 44 LeGrand MK6B in his first season of single-seater racing. Group 44 had been due to field two Mk6Bs in 1969 but the deal had fallen through and Wilson picked up one of the HRE-powered cars in time for the opening race of the MWDiv season. Despite a suspension breakage leaving him with a car on his head at that race, he won the Olathe National and with other cars breaking even more often than his LeGrand, a third place in the final round was enough to take the title.
Although Formula Ford had breathed life into MWDiv Formula B in 1968, the success of the newer formula choked FB in 1970. Out-of-division racers seeking a route to the Runoffs ensured good fields at the Nationals but at Regional level, few FBs appeared. At the final St Louis Regional of the 1970 season, seven Formula Fords entered but not a single FB or FC.
Final standings
| 1. | Dennis E. Wilson | LeGrand [Mk 6B] | St Louis | 13 pts |
| 2. | Warren Flickinger | Chevron | Colorado | 12 pts |
| 3. | James Gutfreund | Brabham BT29 | DMV | 10 pts† |
| 4. | Tom McEntire | LeGrand | Kansas City | 6 pts |
| 5. | Ann Purcker | COOP/Lotus 51 | Kansas City | 4 pts |
| 6. | Bob Schutt | Brabham BT18 | St Louis | 4 pts |
| 7. | Richard Kibling | Lotus 51 | Kansas City | 3 pts |
† Indicates total includes points earned out of home division.
1970 Schedule
| 24 May 1970 | Mid-America Raceway | Southern Illinois Region |
| 05 Jul 1970 | Mid-America Raceway | St Louis Region |
| 19 Jul 1970 | Olathe Airfield | Kansas City Region |
| 02 Aug 1970 | Continental Divide | Colorado Region |
| 16 Aug 1970 | Lake Afton | Wichita Region |
| 20 Sep 1970 | Mid-America Raceway | St Louis Region |
Midwest Division sources
Race results for Midwest Division Nationals from 1970 to 1978 have been kindly provided by veteran MiDiv historian Rocky Entriken. We also have some background information from Competition Press up to about 1973, when its interest in such events waned considerably, but we know little of the goings-on away from these events and are are keen to acquire or borrow 1960s, 1970s and 1980s copies of SCCA regional publications from this Division. The key ones are:
- Checkpoint (Kansas City Region)
- Course Record (Arkansas Region)
- The Echo (Southern Illinois Region)
- Exhaust Notes (Nebraska) - full archive available at nrsccahistory.com.
- Gasket Gazette (Oklahoma Region)
- Neokla Observer (NE Oklahoma Region), renamed Sports Car Observer in 1980
- The Offside Undo (Kansas Region)
- Redline (Colorado Region)
- Steerin’ Column (Mid-South Region)
- Wheelspin (St. Louis Region)
- Witches Wail (Wichita Region)
We are also keen to get scans of entry lists from SCCA Nationals for this division.