• F1
• F2
• F3
• F5000
• Indy
• Can-Am
• Tasman
• Atlantic
• Formula B
• Drivers

Can-Am Challenge Race

Road America, 22 Jul 1979

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Lola T294 [HU75] (Mike Hall): Mike Hall bought a new Lola T294 in 1974 for use in SCCA BSR racing. He was highly successful in the car at National level, winning the Run-Offs in 1975, and also competed in the Can-Am series from 1977 to 1980. The car was then sold to Chuck Storrie in Quebec and entered for 'Uncle' Jacques Villeneuve in Can-Am in 1982. It was bought from Storrie by Bob Roy for the 1983 season. Bob recalls selling it back to the US to somewhere in the Great Lakes area. The SCCA log book next records it being raced by Joe Graziano in vintage racing in Oct 1993. Sold by Graziano to Peter Read about 2008 and then to Steve Read in 2010. Prepared by Pete Racely (Sports Racing, Inc.) for the 2011 season.
2. Lola T496 (Jeff Miller): Four Lola T496s were built in 1976, intended for SCCA C Sports Racing with Cosworth BDH engines. Jeff Miller bought one of the cars but fitted a two stroke Kohler engine, originally developed for snowmobiles. Miller won the Run-Offs in this CSR car in 1978 and also competed in Can-Am between 1978 and 1980, running the car with a 6-cylinder 1600cc engine. Many years later, Miller bought the car back from the man he'd sold it to and continues to run it in vintage events in the Midwest.
3. Chevron B26 [74-08] (Gary Gove): After the closure of Red Rose Racing, Roger Hire struck a deal to run works-assisted Chevron B26s in 1974 under the name Forge Mill Racing. John Lepp ran the main car and Rafael Barrios joined the team to run a second B26, now positively identified as chassis 74-08. This car only raced once in 1975 but was then bought by Robin Smith to be used in endurance and Interserie in 1976. Gary Gove (Tacoma, WA) acquired it for Can-Am in early 1977 and raced it for three seasons, winning the Pacific Coast title in 1978 and the last BSR title at the Run-Offs. It went to John Graham in Canada for the 1981 season and then to Luc Behar-Bannelier for 1982. The B26 was sold to Gil Baird for Thundersports in England in 1983 then to Richard Piper for another three seasons during which time it was converted to DFV power before moving to Ireland in the late 1980s where it stayed for nearly 15 years. It was sold back to the US again around 2003 and has raced in US vintage racing.
4. Lola T292 [HU60] (James Gutfreund): Only one T292 was invoiced to US agent Carl Haas and the car was 'viking orange' identifying it as the car Jerry Hansen used with great success in SCCA racing in 1973 and 1974. In late 1974, Hansen sold the car to James Gutfreund who raced it 30 times in SCCA events over the next five seasons, winning 23 of them. He also entered the car for Gordon Smiley at the Mid-Ohio Can-Am race in August 1977 who won his class easily. Gutfreund retained the car until 1994 when he sold it to an owner in New York state. Research is ongoing into this car.

Sources

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' orginal results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen if you can add anything.