OldRacingCars.com

Players (Canadian) Formula B Series Race

Gimli, 5 Aug 1973

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Ric Forest Brabham BT35 - Ford twin cam
#94 Astro Sports (see note 1)
77
2 James King March 73B [10] - Ford twin cam
#22 James King Racing Ltd (see note 2)

3 Bill Brack Lotus 59/69 [ ] - Ford twin cam
#7 Bill Brack Racing Enterprises

4 Peter Ferguson Chevron B20 [72-7] - Ford twin cam
#18 Ferguson/Wilson Racing Team-Esso
(see note 3)

5 Reg Scullion March 71BM [1] - Ford twin cam
#95 Scullion-Donolo Racing (see note 4)

6 Craig Hill Brabham BT40 - Ford twin cam
#2 Fother-Hill Ltd (see note 5)

7 John Powell Brabham BT38 [14] - Ford twin cam
#30 Fleet Truck Bodies Inc (see note 6)

8 Ron Shantz Lotus 69 [71/69.5.FB] - Ford twin cam Hart
#15 Auto Race Developments

9 Roy Folland March 73B - Ford twin cam
#6 Roman Brio (see note 7)

10 Ron Cohn March 73B [7] - Ford twin cam
#56 DRC Racing (see note 8)

12 Paul Wheatley Chevron B18 [18.71.1] - Ford twin cam Hart
#26 (see note 9)

R Bill Eagles Brabham BT40 [24] - Ford twin cam
#46 Tex-Made (see note 10)

R Allan Lader Brabham BT40 [37] - Ford twin cam
#73 (see note 11)
fuel pressure
UNK Ken Huband March 71BM - Ford twin cam Greatorex
#9 Tangent Travel (see note 12)

UNK Jeff Parsons Lotus 35 - Ford twin cam
#11 Jaypar Racing

UNK Alfred J. Zeller Mallock U2 Mk 12 - Ford twin cam Holbay
#14 Zeller Racing Developments

UNK Hugh Cree Brabham BT35 [19] - Ford twin cam
#16 (see note 13)

UNK Linda Wilson Chevron B20 [20.72.05] - Ford twin cam
#19 Ferguson/Wilson Racing Team-Samsonite Action Pak
(see note 14)

UNK Wayne Ricciardi March 722 - Ford twin cam
#24 Raceshop Inc (see note 15)

UNK Al Justason Brabham BT35 [10] - Ford twin cam Hart
#32 (see note 16)

UNK Bruce Jensen March 722 [23] - Ford twin cam
#41 Jenmac Racing (see note 17)

UNK Bob Armstrong Chevron B18C [18.A.71.1] - Ford twin cam
#44 Doug Lowder Racing (see note 18)

UNK Richard Paul March 73B [2] - Ford twin cam
#48 Fire Suppression Inc (see note 19)

UNK Patricia Smith March 71BM [8?] - Ford twin cam
#51 (see note 20)

UNK Bruce MacInnes March 73B [17] - Ford twin cam
#60 DRC Racing (see note 21)

UNK Gilles Léger Brabham BT40 - Ford twin cam
#72 Gilles Leger Racing (see note 22)

UNK Ted Coconis Lotus 69B - Ford twin cam
#88 (see note 23)

UNK Tim Coconis Lotus 69 [71/69.7.FB] - Ford twin cam Hart
#89 (see note 24)

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Qualifying
Qualifying information not available

Notes on the cars:

  1. Brabham BT35 (Ric Forest): Bryant Cougle, an Ottawa sports team owner, owned a Brabham BT35 to be driven by Scott MacKenzie in the 1973 Canadian FB series, entered by Cougle's Astro Sports. MacKenzie crashed the car, believed to be BT35/18, at its second race and both driver and car were unable to continue the season. Cougle owned a second BT35, and this was raced by Ric Forest as an Astro Sports entry at Mosport Park in July. Bertil Roos then drove it at Debert, then Forest returned to the seat for Gimli, winning the race. Forest also drove it at Mosport Park and Trois-Rivières, and in between these races, it was driven by Dave McMillan in two SCCA Pro FB races at Road America and Watkins Glen. Astro Sports did not return to competition in 1974, and Cougle filed for bankrupcy in January 1975. The subsequent history of the Brabham is unknown.
  2. March 73B [10] (James King): New to James King (East St Louis, IL) and used in Central Division SCCA Formula B, one round of the Players Canadian series, and the Watkins Glen Pro race in October. Raced briefly in SCCA Nationals in early 1974 before his new Chevron B27 arrived from England, then leased to Ric Forest and Fred Phillips for the 1974 Players Canadian series. King took over the car again for 1975, rebuilt it on a new tub, fitted a March 742 nose and side radiators, and raced it in the Players Canadian series. It then went to Porter Brownlee (Little Rock, AR) who raced it in Midwest Division Formula B in 1976 and 1977. After blowing the engine, he sold it to Mike Winn (Little Rock, AR) who raced it for one season before selling it to Chuck Blair (North Little Rock, AR), who had previously maintained it for Brownlee. Blair ran it a couple of times before selling it, scoring two points in Midwest Division Formula Atlantic in 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
  3. Chevron B20 [72-7] (Peter Ferguson): Sold via Fred Opert to Ferguson/Wilson Racing Team for 1973, when it was described as brand new. Raced by Peter Ferguson (Toronto, Ontario) in the Canadian FB series, but then "wiped out" in practice at Trois-Rivières in September. Ferguson then took over the team's second B20, and it is likely that was the car he drove in 1974. According to documentation later submitted to CAMS, his original car was owned by Players from 1974 to 1978, then was in storage from 1978 to 1984. It was owned by Alex Polsinello from 1984, then George McLean in 1991, then Russell Sewell in 2010. It was bought by Martin Bullock (Western Australia) in 2011.
  4. March 71BM [1] (Reg Scullion): Gordie Dewar was appointed March importer into Canada for 1971 and his first purchase, chassis 71BM-1, went to Delta Racing Developments for Ian Coristine (Montréal, Quebec) to race in the Players FB series. Coristine finished the season fifth in the red #50 March but crashed in practice for the final race, at Circuit Ste-Croix in October. The car went to Reg Scullion (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Montréal, Quebec) for 1972 and it was entered for him by Kris Harrison's Ecurie Canada, and prepared by Andy Roe and Tom Greatorex. Ecurie Canada had also bought Wilson Southam's engine manufacturing business, acquiring Greatorex with it, and were preparing the engines in Scullion's car. Scullion started the season racing in Nationals in Texas before returning to Canada for the Players season. He ended the Canadian season in ninth place but then returned to the US to finish second in the SCCA Run-Offs. He retained the car for 1973 as a Scullion-Donolo Racing entry, and it was raced by partner Louis "Lou" Donolo (Montréal, Quebec) once or twice. Subsequent history unknown.
  5. Brabham BT40 (Craig Hill): Craig Hill (Missassagua, Ontario, Canada) raced a white #2 Brabham BT40 in the Players Canadian Formula B series in 1973, entered by Fother Hill Ltd with sponsorship from Castrol GTX. Retained by Hill for 1974 and fitted with a Cosworth BDA engine for the new Formula Atlantic series, when it ran as #4. Unknown in 1975. It was bought from Opert Racing's Brian Robertson by Howard Kelly (Kingston, Ontario), and raced at the IMSA Formula Atlantic race at Road Atlanta in April 1976, then at a couple of later Players rounds in Canada. Kelly traded it to Jerry Jolly (Denver, CO) for a Lola T322/4 Formula Super Vee. Owners after Jolly are believed to have been George Gettel (Denver, CO) - so it would be the Brabham he raced in 1979 - then Sherry M Fagans in 1981, then Jim Christiansen and then Ron Doyle, who had been Fagans' mechanic at one stage. It was then owned by a man named Forrest Grove (Denver, CO) in 1984, and raced by him with a Mazda engine in ASR in 1985 and 1986. Grove won the MiDiv Regional title in ASR in this car in 1986. After Grove's death, it was acquired from his son by John Streeter (Ford Collins, CO) in 2009.
  6. Brabham BT38 [14] (John Powell): Brand new for Motul Rondel Racing at Oulton Park at the end of March 1972, and raced there by Tim Schenken, who finished second. For Schenken again at Thruxton a few days later, then for Derek Bell at Nürburgring at the end of April, by Jean Max at Pau, and by Jean-Pierre Beltoise at Crystal Palace and Rouen. Schenken used the car for the rest of the season, winning at Hockenheim in October. Sold to John Powell (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) for Formula B in 1973. Sold to Bob Schutt (Kirkwood, MO) at Watkins Glen at the end of 1973, and used by him in Mid West Division FB racing. In the early 1980s, Schutt sold the car to Bob Willis (St Louis, MO), who is believed to still own it in 2019.
  7. March 73B (Roy Folland): Roy Folland (Montréal, Quebec) had a purple #6 March 73B for 1973 but crashed at Trois-Rivières in Sept and after being repaired, the 73B was sold to Ecurie Canada for guest driver Eppie Wietzes to race at the Watkins Glen Pro FB race five weeks later. Then sold to Tim Cooper (Kansas City, MO) who raced the "ex-Ecurie Canada" 73B at a Willow Springs Regional in December 1973. Raced extensively in SCCA racing early in 1974 and then in the Pro F/Atlantic series, prepared by Charlie Williams Racing. Cooper hired a new 75B and ran as part of Doug Shierson Racing in 1975, and the subsequent history of the 73B is unknown.
  8. March 73B [7] (Ron Cohn): New to Ron Cohn (Modena, NY), and run as a two-car team with Bruce MacInnes in 1973, entered by DRC Formula Racing Inc in Players Canadian and SCCA Formula B races, running as #56. Retained for 1974, running in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series and in the US GP support race at Watkins Glen in October. To Eric Kerman (Hempstead, NY/Glen Cove, NY) for 1975 and updated with new orange bodywork, entered as #81 or #87, and running as a 75B. Raced by Kerman in SCCA Nationals from 1975 to 1979. Later to Oran Bushey (Huntingdon, NY) and raced until 1982. Subsequent history unknown, but this is a leading candidate for the car used by Cory Mayo with a Chevrolet V6 engine in the RCCA series in the 1980s. .
  9. Chevron B18 [18.71.1] (Paul Wheatley): A new car built for Brian Redman after he wrecked the development B18 while testing in South Africa. Fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC engine and raced by Redman in two races in South Africa in January 1971. This car returned to Bolton and became the works entry in F2 for Chris Craft during the 1971 F2 season. It was then sold to Canadian John Powell and rebuilt to Formula B specification. Powell raced it in the Brands Hatch Boxing Day meeting at the end of 1971 and then loaned it to Brian Robertson to race in the two Bogotá FB races in February and March 1972. Raced by Powell (Ottawa, Ontario) in the Canadian FB series in 1972, Sold to Paul Wheatley (Montréal, Quebec) and raced in the Canadian series in 1973. Wheatley appeared on a couple of early-1974 entry lists but the car was not seen again until he advertised it in April 1975.
  10. Brabham BT40 [24] (Bill Eagles): New to Bill Eagles (Lasalle, Montréal, Quebec, Canada), and raced in the Players Canadian Formula B series in 1973, entered by Tex-Made Racing, Ville La Salle. Also driven by Allan Lader at Sanair in June. Retained by Eagles for 1974, again entered at #46, and fitted with a Cosworth BDA engine after the opening round. Eagles did not continue in Formula Atlantic after 1974, but in 1975 his car appeared at a race at Bushy Park, Barbados. It was still in Eagles' green/yellow #46 livery but it is not clear who was driving it that day. It was later owned and raced by David Kerr in Jamaica, and then sold by him to Richard Knox (Trinidad). Some time later, Knox sold both his Brabhams to UK dealer Bobby Howlings. The movements of the car are then unknown, but by 2005 it was in Tommy Reid's collection, still with Knox's name on the side.
  11. Brabham BT40 [37] (Allan Lader): Sold new via Fred Opert to Al Lader (Gresham, OR) and used in the Canadian Formula B championship. Lader crashed in practice at Sanair in June, and it is unclear whether BT40-37 was the car Lader used all season, repaired as required, or whether it was a new car supplied after the Sanair accident. Lader won four races that season and would have won the championship if it had been open to non-Canadians. Sold to Ron Householder (Portland, OR) for 1974, and fitted with a BDA engine for the Canadian series, which was now to Formula Atlantic rules. Also raced in SCCA racing that year, where it was moved up to the Formula A class as the BDA was not allowed into Formula B until 1975. Householder continued to race this car in SCCA and ICSCC racing for the rest of the 1970s. It was then stored in an aircraft hanger until late 2011, when it was acquired by Collin Jackson (Langley, British Columbia, Canada), who had been a teenage crew member for Householder in the 1970s. The car was restored over the next three years by Jackson and Andy Pearson of Specialty Engineering, and it was raced by Jackson in vintage racing in 2015.
  12. March 71BM (Ken Huband): Ken Huband (Ottawa, Ontario) raced a #9/#8 red-and-white March 71BM in Canadian Formula B in 1973, with support from Tangent Travel Ltd. When Huband advertised the March, together with his older Brabham BT29, in CMB in September 1973, he said it had five races from new. Sold to Norm Joy (Montréal, Quebec) for 1974, with support from T.G.Yachts of Canada Ltd, but he failed to qualify at the opening race, and then skipped the second round. Then to David Westgate (Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec) for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Subsequent history unknown.
  13. Brabham BT35 [19] (Hugh Cree): New to Maurice McCaig (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), and raced in the Canadian Formula B series in 1971 and 1972. To Hugh Cree (Georgetown, Ontario) for Canadian FB in 1973, and then for Canadian Formula Atlantic in 1974. Advertised by Cree in November 1974, when it had a 1972 big valve Hart. History then unknown until it was advertised in Victory Lane August 1990 by Bill Schley (Hartland, WI), who described it as a "very original car in excellent condition" with a Hart BDA and FT200. Oddly, in the same edition of Victory Lane, Bob Hildreth and Ken Petrie from a Denver, Colorado number advertised a BT35 with the same "# 35-19" serial number, which was "original unrestored" and "in storage for 12 years".
  14. Chevron B20 [20.72.05] (Linda Wilson): Sold via Fred Opert and entered for Brian Robertson (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) in Formula B in 1972. To Ferguson/Wilson Racing Team for 1973 and raced by former Miss Canada pageant finalist Linda Wilson in Canadian Formula B. Due to be driven by Ric Forest at Trois-Rivières in September but teammate Peter Ferguson "wiped out" the sister car on the Saturday so took over Wilson's car for the race. Only one of the B20s was seen in 1974, driven by Ferguson, and it seems likely it was the ex-Wilson car. Advertised by Fred Opert in June 1975, suggesting it had returned to Opert in part exchange for Ferguson's new Chevron B29. Advertised again by Opert in early November 1975. Subsequent history unknown until bought as a rolling chassis by Ed Swart from somebody on the east coast who had been trying to restore it. It was black at that stage, and Ed repainted it to orange, the Dutch racing colours, and fitted a BDA engine as he completed the restoration. Raced by Swart from 1989 to February 1993, winning VARA's historic Formula Atlantic West coast title in 1992. Swart then acquired a Chevron B45, and the B20 was sold to Richard Morrison in Tennessee in February 1996.
  15. March 722 (Wayne Ricciardi): Wayne Ricciardi (N. Haldon, NJ) raced a #24 March 722 in Pro Formula B in 1972, entered by The Race Shop, the US March importer in which Ricciardi and Joe Grimaldi were partners. Ricciardi retained the car for Pro events in 1973, competing in most Canadian events plus the US GP support race at Watkins Glen. Subsequent history unknown.
  16. Brabham BT35 [10] (Al Justason): New to Brian Robertson (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) and raced by him in the Canadian Formula B series in 1971, entered by Fred Opert Racing. To Al Justason (Toronto, Ontario) for Canadian FB in 1972 and 1973. To Fred Beyer (Ottawa, Ontario) for the Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic series in 1974 and 1975. History then unknown until it was acquired from Bobby Brown in November 2006 by Kent Copeland (Dallas, TX). Brown is believed to have acquired it from Frank Costey in 2004. Copeland commented that it had been owned in Colorado in 1988, and its last races were believed to have been in 1986. It was red when acquired, but restored to a blue colour. Copeland died in July 2014 and, in May 2015, Todd Upp was advertising the car on behalf of his wife Holly. Sold in August 2022 to Stephen Temple (Santa Cruz, CA).
  17. March 722 [23] (Bruce Jensen): Roy Folland (Montréal, Quebec) raced a blue March 722 in the early rounds of the British Formula Atlantic series in 1972, before taking the car to Canada and running in the Players Canadian Formula B series. Sold for 1973 to Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario) and raced in the Players Canadian series. Sold to Edmond Villa (Clark, NJ), and raced in a New England Region SCCA Regional at Lime Rock in April 1974. In January 1976, he advertised a 722 in Competition Press & Autoweek from Port St Lucie, FL. Ed sold it to Folis Jones (Chesapeake, VA), who raced a March in SEDiv events in 1976 and 1977, and in SCCA Regionals at Summit Point in 1978 and 1979. This would be the March 722 with '77 bodywork advertised by Jones in December 1978 and February 1979. Subsequent history unknown.
  18. Chevron B18C [18.A.71.1] (Bob Armstrong): New to Graham Eden and delivered just in time for the Oulton Park Formula Atlantic race on 21 March 1971, the second round of the British series. Eden retired from driving shortly after and recruited Cyd Williams to drive the car. Williams won seven championship rounds and finished second in the 1971 championship. Eden ordered Ensigns for 1972 but cancelled the order and bought March 722s instead. Williams continued to drive the Chevron until his 722 arrived and won three of the first six rounds of the 1972 series. The car was later displayed at the London Racing Car show, where it was bought by Canadian Bob Armstrong (Winnipeg, Manitoba) for the Canadian Formula B series in 1973. Armstrong appeared in the early rounds of the series but made little impact and wasn't seen after June. Subsequent history unknown.
  19. March 73B [2] (Richard Paul): New to Richard Paul (North Hollywood, CA), and first raced it at the Phoenix SCCA National in February 1973 where it was entered as #48, sponsored by Fire Suppression Inc. Paul crashed heavily at Trois-Rivières in September. Paul retained the car for 1974, when it was usually described as a 74B, but wrapped it around a lamppost in practice for the St Johns Formula Atlantic race in July 1974. The car was rebuilt but may have used an older 722 monocoque. Paul entered it as a 742 in races in early 1975. Subsequent history unknown.
  20. March 71BM [8?] (Patricia Smith): Wilson Southam acquired two red March 71BMs for Canadian Formula B in 1971, one for Randy Fraser and one for himself. Fraser's was the first to appear, running as the #54 Tartan Fraser entry and is most likely to have been 71BM-8. In early 1972, the car was sold to Gilles Léger (Lachute, Quebec) and updated to 722 specification by Tom Greatorex, who also prepared the car for Léger. Then to Patricia Smith (Montréal, Quebec) in 1973 entered as #51 by P.S. Translations. Subsequent history unknown.
  21. March 73B [17] (Bruce MacInnes): New to Bruce MacInnes (Sharon, CT) and raced as part of a two-car team with Ron Cohn. Raced in the Players Canadian FB series and in the SCCA Pro FB races at Road America and Watkins Glen. Retained for 1974, and raced in the Players Canadian series again, and in the US GP support race at Watkins Glen in October. Sold to Joe Ostrowski (Trenton, NJ), and raced in NEDiv SCCA Nationals in 1975 and 1976. Presumably the March he raced in NEDiv in 1977 and 1978. Retained by Ostrowski until early 1982 when it was bought by Seann Burgess (Caledon, Ontario). Burgess won the CASC Ontario Formula Atlantic championship and the BARC Drivers Championship in 1982 as well as appearing in 'pro' events. After two more seasons of Atlantic, he converted the car to Can-Am specification at the end of 1985 and then fitted a McLaren M1B body and a Mazda 13B rotary engine for 1986. This "March RX10-B" was raced through the 1986 season. Burgess kept the Can-Am body after the car was retired from racing and sold the March to Richard Smith (Barrie, Ontario) who raced it in 1989 and 1990, still with the Mazda engine, and fitting 1975 bodywork for 1990. He sold it to Chuck Sieber (McLean, VA) who imported it back to the US in January 1991. He raced it in Solo events in 1991, and maybe in one or two more seasons until selling it back to Seann Burgess. Burgess initially restored it to MacInnes' 1973 livery, but at the request of the Villeneuve Museum traded his 73B bodywork to Marchives for a set of 1975 bodywork, and rebuilt the car to resemble Gilles Villeneuve's Skiroule March 75B. By May 2010, it was on display in the Musée Gilles Villeneuve (Berthierville, Quebec).
  22. Brabham BT40 (Gilles Léger): Gilles Léger (Lachute, Quebec, Canada) raced a white/blue #72 Brabham BT40 in the 1973 Players Canadian Formula B series, entered by Giles Léger Racing Team. Léger bought a new March 74B for 1974, and the Brabham was next seen at Trois-Rivières in September 1974 when it was entered by Fred Opert Racing for Chris Gleason (Johnstown, PA) to drive. It was now in Formula Atlantic specification. Gleason also drove it at Watkins Glen in October 1974. Subsequent history unknown.
  23. Lotus 69B (Ted Coconis): Ted Coconis (Weston, CT) bought a 1971 Formula B Lotus 69, chassis 71/69.7.FB and raced it in SCCA Pro and SCCA Nationals in 1971 and 1972, but at some point he acquired this second Lotus 69. In 1973, he and son Tim raced a pair of Lotus 69s, sponsored by Ted's company Graphics International Racing, but exactly how the second care was used during this time is unclear. The main car was typically entered as #88, with white numbers on a black background, so it only required a few pieces of black tape to change this into #83, #68 or #89, as required. Both cars are thought to have looked the same, but until a picture is found of them alongside each other, this cannot be confirmed. The Coconises were not seen in 1974, and when Tim returned in 1975, he used his father's original car. The subsequent history of the second car used in 1973 remains a mystery.
  24. Lotus 69 [71/69.7.FB] (Tim Coconis): New to "Lotus East/Hogan" in April 1971 with white bodywork according to the Lotus built record. Lotus East boss Fred Stevenson recalls that this car was sold to Ted Coconis (Weston, CT), a very successful graphic designer. Coconis raced the car in Formula B in Northeast Division in 1971 and 1972. The car was driven by Ted's son Tim Coconis (Palo Alto, CA) in the Canadian FB series 1973, when father and son raced as a team with two Lotus 69s. Tim returned with it in 1975, both in SCCA Nationals and in the Players Formula Atlantic series, but it was completely wrecked in an accident at the SCCA National at Watkins Glen in August 1975, injuring Tim Coconis. Tim disassembled the car, discarding the wrecked chassis and selling the engine and gearbox, and stored what was left until the 1980s, when it was bought by Bill Dolson (Estancia, New Mexico), later the owner of race-cars.com. A new chassis was fabricated by Peter Denty, and a new Hewland FT200 acquired, but restoration did not progress far. In August 2001, the project was advertised on race-cars.com, and was sold in May 2003 to Dave Bean (San Andreas, CA) who was still restoring this car before he died in August 2017.

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.

The 1971-1973 Canadian Formula B race results have been compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Canadian Motorsport Bulletin, results sheets where available and from information drawn from Canadian newspapers.

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.