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Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic Series Race

St Johns, 27 Jul 1974

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Atl unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B27 [27-74-15] (Howdy Holmes): Consigned to Opert, July 1974, for "a Californian SCCA driver". Almost certainly the Opert car that appears July 1974 for Howdy Holmes, described as 'brand new'. Used by Tom Pryce at Trois Rivieres and badly damaged. Rebuilt for Holmes at Watkins Glen. Sold to Dan Neuman (St. Paul Minnesota) early 1975. For sale in Autoweek 28 Feb 1976 p.21 by Neuman, 'ex Pryce three races from new' which means the car had not been raced by him. Still for sale Autoweek 9 Oct 1976 p29. Very probably then the car used by Tom Cooney (Cen Div SCCA) from 1977 to 1981 or later.
2. Chevron B27 [27-74-04] (James King): Chevron build record says sold via Opert to Doug Shierson Racing. According to Chevron the car used by James King at Mallory Park before being shipped to the USA. (King and Mead owned their own cars in the Shierson team.) Badly damaged by King at Mosport and rebuilt around a new tub. Formula Mar 75 p29 reports, 'King is trying to sell the B27 he drove in 1974 under Shierson's management'. (King still has the plate for this car.) Sold to Lloyd Callaway (Chicago) and used in 1975 early 1976 SCCA and some pro races. Callaway advises that the car was sold to Fred Opert in early 1976 in p/x for a new Chevron B34. A very strong candidate for the car of Tom Christ (Racine, WI) in 1976/77.
3. Chevron B27 [27-74-06] (Richard Melville): Chevron build record says an Opert team car, initially used in European F2 races by Bertil Roos. Also used in UK Atlantic races and then shipped to the US after the Hockenheim F2 race. Sold to Derek Cook, 1975. Interestingly, this car seems to have the bodywork run by Roos in European F2 in 1974. By 1976, when the B29 is sold to Rossiter, this B27 is the one car that Cook retains and he keeps it until at least 1977, using it in ShellSport G8 races.
4. Chevron B27 [27-74-05] (Hugh "Wink" Bancroft): An Opert team car, used by Hugh "Wink" Bancroft in 1974. Possibly also used by Roos and James Crawley in SCCA before the Canadian season started. The car was owned by Bancroft, who according to Formula and Sports Car retained it unraced in 1975, and then wheeled it out again for a few SCCA So Pac division races in early 1976. (Riverside SCCA Feb uses 'the same B27 that he campaigned in 1974' Formula May 76 p26.) For sale in Autoweek Vol.26 no.19 May 76 p33. Possibly the Mike Morris car in 1977.
5. Chevron B27 [27-74-03] (Chip Mead): Chevron build record says sold via Opert to Doug Shierson Racing. According to Chevron the car used by Chip Mead at Mallory Park before being shipped to the USA. Sold to Keith Feldott for SCCA races in Cen Div in 1975 and retained by him to at least 1977.
6. March 73B (Tim Cooper): 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 Dec 1973. Raced extensively in SCCA racing early in 1974 and then in the Pro F/Atlantic series, prepared by Charlie Williams Racing. Probably then the "75B" that Cooper raced as part of Doug Shierson Racing in 1975; maybe the 75B/76B that Wilbur Bunce ran for him in 1976, and possibly the self-entered 77B he had in early 1977. Might then be the ex-Cooper March "75B" later entered by Ted Titmus in 1978 and 1979. The latter years of this history become less likely and we're very keen to talk to Tim Cooper.
7. Chevron B27 [27-74-17] (Peter W. Broeker): Chevron build record says sold to Peter Broeker, June 1974. This car was destroyed in a trailer fire in late 1974 on the way to Trois Rivieres.
8. Chevron B27 [27-74-18] (Bobby Brown): Chevron build record says sold to Bobby Brown of B&B Racing Enterprises, June 1974. The car was badly damaged in an accident at Trois Rivieres in 1974. Brown says that the remains were returned to Chevron in p/x for two B29s in 1975. However, for sale by Brown AW 31 May and 7 June 1876 'not raced since complete rebuild at Chevron' which suggests that the car survived. This chassis number attributed to a B27 recently for sale by the Henry family and it seems as if they bought the car somewhere between 1977 and 1979, running it alongside their ex Brown Chevron B25 and ex Holmes B34. Run for Denny Sideri in FC in Cen Div SCCA in 1980.
9. Lola T360 [HU6] (Gary Magwood): Lola sales record says sold to Haas for Robertson 19 Jul 1974, colour white, and with a Hart 416B t/c, fulfilling Haas order 36003 from Brian Robertson. Robertson was acting as agent for a sale in Canada and this car was for Gary Magwood, whose name appears on the Haas records under the order number. In February 2006 Gary Magwood advised that his car, run from 1974 to 1976 and owned by Jack Burnett, came from Robertson and was white before being sprayed black. Destroyed by Magwood in an accident at Atlantic Motorsports Park, Halifax 8 Aug 1976.
10. March 71BM [10] (Mauro Lanaro): One of two red March 71BMs acquired by Wilson Southam for Canadian FB and believed to be the car raced by Southam. Southam's operation was bought by Ecurie Canada and its mechanic Tom Greatorex for 1972 and this is the car believed to have been updated to side-radiator 722 specification and rented by Ian Coristine that season. Coristine stayed with the team for 1972 but the car was put back to 71BM specification. Then to Mauro Lanaro for 1974 and retained for a total of four seasons in Canadian FB and F/Atlantic. Coristine recalls that this car destroyed in a transporter fire on its was to a race at Debert.
11. Rondel M1 [206] (Chris O'Brien): Henri Pescarolo's main car in F2 in 1973; used also by Schenken at Pau, Kinnekulle Ring and Rouen. Sold via Fred Opert to Chris O'Brien for Canadian Formula Atlantic in 1974 then probably back via Fred Opert and eventually sold to Randy Zimmer as a source of spares for his Can Am car. Still with Zimmer in 2010.
12. Chevron B27 [27-74-06] (Bertil Roos): Chevron build record says an Opert team car, initially used in European F2 races by Bertil Roos. Also used in UK Atlantic races and then shipped to the US after the Hockenheim F2 race. Sold to Derek Cook, 1975. Interestingly, this car seems to have the bodywork run by Roos in European F2 in 1974. By 1976, when the B29 is sold to Rossiter, this B27 is the one car that Cook retains and he keeps it until at least 1977, using it in ShellSport G8 races.
13. Brabham BT40 (Mike Hall): Mike Hall (Twin Lakes, WI) raced a brand new Brabham BT40 at the Road Race of Champions at Road Atlantic 25 Nov 1972, the first BT40 to race. Although this car may have been on loan from Fred Opert, it is assumed here that it was the same car he then raced in Formula B and Fomrula Atlantic in 1973 and 1974. He replaced it with a Lola T360 for 1975 and is believed to be the car then raced by John Elder (Rosemount, Minnesota) in SCCA Nationals in 1975. Hall had modified his car with a wide nose and a higher and fuller tail, and Elder's car showed the same modifications.
14. Chevron B18 [18.F2.71.1] (Paul Wheatley): Chassis number given [AS 3 Jun 1971 p12] for the works car of Chris Craft at Crystal Palace F2 race, 31 May 1971, where it is also described as the ex-Redman works development car used in South Africa. John Powell's car at Brands Hatch, 27 Dec 1971 is described by MN as "the ex works development B18 which Redman raced in South Africa last winter". Powell was shaking the car down before taking it back to Canada, where he used it in the FB series in 1972. It was used by Brian Robertson at Bogota (Montreal Gazette). Paul Wheatley's car for 1973 is described in Canadian Motorsport Bulletin’s season preview as ex Powell.

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.

North American Formula Atlantic race results have been compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Formula and On Track, information drawn from Canadian newspapers and results sheets where available.

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

Individual sources for this event

Autosport 8 Aug 1974 p5, CMB [OMH], Chevron build records and March 74B build records