Formula Atlantic Labatts Championship Series Race

Mosport Park, 22 May 1977

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

Notes on the cars:

1. March 77B [20] (Price Cobb): New to Doug Shierson for Price Cobb (Dallas, TX) to race North American Formula Atlantic. As well as racing in the Labatts series, where he won at Mosport Park in May and at Trois-Rivières in September, Cobb also scored 18 points in SCCA Nationals, suggesting he won two Nationals, and finished third in Southwest Division. This qualified him for the Runoffs (the Champion Spark Plug Road Racing Classic) where he finished second. The car was advertised from Dallas, TX, in June 1979, presumably by Cobb, with a comment that the car had "5 races on new tub". That supports the theory that Cobb's car was retubbed after the St-Félicien race so the five races would be Trois-Rivières on 4 September, the Bridgehampton National on 18 September which Cobb is is known to have attended, Québec City, the Runoffs at Road Atlanta and one other, presumably a National. Subsequent history unknown.
2. March 77B (Gilles Villeneuve): To Ecurie Canada for Gilles Villeneuve to drive in the Labatts Formula Atlantic series in 1977, supported by Direct Film. The car was white, and ran as #69. The two Ecurie Canada cars, both now described as "ex-Villeneuve", went to Bertil Roos and Chris Gleason for 1978. Roos and Gleason are understood to have run together, and it is believed that Roos had Villeneuve's usual car. After four races, Roos moved to AME Racing to drive a Ralt, and the March was only used once more. Advertised by Joe Solvino Racing in December 1978, then sold to Paul Tavilla (Miami, FL), who crashed it Sebring in early 1979. Then to R.J. Capone (Riviera Beach, FL) and raced by him later in 1979. This car was later sold to Hubert Phipps and "destroyed" at Roebling Road in April 1980 in a collision with Sandy Brandt.
3. Ralt RT1/76 [33] (Kevin Cogan): New to Brian Robertson's Quick-Trans/Gabriel International Warranty team in the middle of the 1976 season, replacing the team's Lola T460s, and run for Craig Hill at Mosport Park in August 1976, a round of the 1976 Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series. Then used by Kevin Cogan in the IMSA race at Laguna Seca in late 1976 and retained as his main car in 1977 when he also had RT1/75-10 as a spare car. Then retained by Cogan as an unused spare car in 1978, and advertised by him in October 1978. Retained again as a spare car in 1979, and still owned by Cogan in early 1980. CT
4. Ralt RT1/76 [11] (Chip Mead): New to Chip Mead (Dayton, OH) and raced by him in the 1976 Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series, run for him by Cavanaugh Racing in dark blue livery. Retained by Mead for 1977, when it was run for him by Pierre's Motors. It was then sold to Rick Shea Racing but unused as Shea ran a newer Chevron B45 for hire drivers. Retained by Rick Shea Racing for 1979 when it was used by Mark McCaig at Long Beach, although his regular car that season was Shea's Chevron B45. To Carlos Bobeda (Northridge, CA) late 1979 and raced by him in 1980 and 1981. It was rebuilt on Marc Bahner tub during this time. Sold to Stu Hayner (Yorba Linda, CA) for 1982. CT
5. March 76B (Tom Gloy): Rick Shea Racing Team ran a #11 March 76B in 1977 for Tom Gloy (Lafayette, CA) but the origins of the car are unclear. The current owner of the ex-Gloy car has history indicating it is the ex-Gloy car but Shea's recollection is that this car was Mortensen's which can be identified with confidence as 76B-7. Shea and Gloy retained the car for 1978, when it was run as #38 and had a front-mounted radiator. Gloy last raced it at Hamilton in August, after which it was advertised by Bud Rude in September, noting that it had a new monocoque. It was then sold, still yellow and with its front radiator, to Gary Fernandez for 1979, who painted it red. Fernandez crashed the car in April 1979, and it was repaired by Arnie Loyning, who ended up owning it, and raced it a couple of times. It was subsequently traded (for a Sports 2000) to Bob Lesnett (Berkeley, CA), owner of Pfieffer Ridge Racing, so would be the "77B" he raced in SCCA Nationals in 1982, and during his ownership the tub was rebuilt by Marc Bahner. An "ex-Gloy" March was later advertised by Pfeiffer Ridge Racing in Richmond, CA, in January 1984. Larry Savage has a car in 2019 that is said to be ex-Gloy and has the SCCA Log Book from when Gary Fernandez owned it in 1979. The car is now on a 77B tub, but a different 77B tub to the one recorded by the SCCA in 1979, and wears a replica "76B-9" chassis plate.
6. Chevron B29 [29-75-09?] (Peter Ferguson): New to Peter Ferguson (Toronto, Ontario), to be used in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series, entered by Ferguson Canada Racing as #76 with Samsonite sponsorship. The Samsonite deal was not renewed, so Ferguson did not race the car in 1976. He returned for the opening race of the 1977 season, at Mosport Park with Gingerbread Displays livery and finished a highly impressive sixth, but did not reappear. The car was sold to Colin Hine, then to Paul Swinwood, for whom Nigel Mortimer sold it to Dr Warren Eads (Rolling Valley Hills, CA). It next passed to collector Art Valdez (Torrance, CA), and remained in Valdez' collection for many years, until sold to a UK consortium in 2017. Sold to Marcus Pye early 2018, and then on to Richard George (Marsh Green, Kent) later in 2018, who took it to Paul Fox of Foxcraft to be rebuilt.
7. March 76B [10 or 15?] (Bobby Rahal): Ecurie Canada ran a pair of green #69 March 76Bs in 1976 for Gilles Villeneuve (Lasalle, Quebec) with support from Skiroulle. Skiroule's signature green colour suggests they were the two cars listed in March records as being "leaf green", 76B-10 and 76B-15. Villeneuve had several crashes during 1976 and probably raced both cars, but exactly how they were used is not known. Two 76Bs were sold to Jim Morgan who raced them in early 1977 SCCA races alongside Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL) and then entered them for Rahal in the 1977 Pro series with sponsorship from Red Roof Inns. Rahal also had a 77B but this was crashed at the opening race. One 76B then went to Ron Levanduski (Elmira, NY) and the other to Bob Earl.
8. March 77B (Richard Spenard): To Ecurie Canada for Richard Spenard to drive in the Labatts Formula Atlantic series in 1977, supported by Direct Film. The car was white, and ran as #96. The two Ecurie Canada cars, both now described as "ex-Villeneuve", went to Bertil Roos and Chris Gleason for 1978. Roos and Gleason are understood to have run together, and it is believed that Gleason had Spenard's usual car. After three races, Gleason acquired a new 1978 Ralt RT1, and the only other time the 77B was used was at Hamilton in August. Then sold to Giovanni Distasio (Edgewater, NJ) to replace his March 75B, and raced by him at Trois-Rivières and Montréal in September. Retained for 1979. Advertised by DiStasio in January 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Chevron B29 [29-75-14] (Bruce Jensen): New to Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario) and used in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series in 1975, sponsored by Jensen Exotic Plants. Retained by Jensen for 1976, and retained again for 1977. Leighton Irwin, who crewed for Jensen at this time, recalls that it was sold in early 1978, he thinks to Michigan. Subsequent history unknown, but believed to be the car later converted to A Sports Racing by Lou Infante Motoracing and raced by Jerry Molnar (Lathrup Village, MI) in Can-Am in 1982. To Frank Jellinek (N. Hampton, NH), and used by him at two Can-Am races in 1983. Later sold to a "Dave", and Roger Sieling reports that it was stolen from him some time in the mid-1980s near Cleveland Ohio along with his tow truck, trailer, and an Austin-Healey Sprite. The car was never recovered.
10. March 76B [13] (Steve "Gas" Saleen): Doug Shierson Racing ran an maroon/red #8 March 76B in 1976 for Price Cobb. In early 1977, it was entered by Doug Shierson Racing in SCCA Nationals for Steve "Gas" Saleen (Whitter, CA), but when the Pro series started in May, his entrant was Clayton Racing Team. The car's log book states that it was chassis 76B-13. Run by Clayton Racing for Frank Beetson (San Diego, CA) in 1978, when it was entered as a 77B. Also seen once in mid-1979 with Beetson, and later adbertised by him in February 1980. Its history is then unknown until 1983, when it reappeared in the hands of John Herne (Santa Ana, CA). He retained it for WCAR in 1984, then sold it in early 1985 to John Blizzard (Prescott, AZ), who raced it in WCAR that season. Blizzard remembers selling it to someone in Phoenix, AZ. Subsequent history unknown.
11. Chevron B39 [39-77-06] (Francisco Romero): New to Fred Opert Racing and raced in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship. Believed to be the car raced by Francisco Romero at the opening round. Believed to be the car intended for Didier Pironi at St-Félicien in August, but crashed in practice. Repaired and entered for Patrick Depailler at Trois-Rivières and Québec City as the team's #2 car. Retained by Fred Opert Racing for the 1978 New Zealand series, where it was the team's #2 entry raced by Bobby Rahal. Then raced by Jim Crawley in two North American races in early 1978. It is then likely to be one of two B39s retained by the Opert team later in 1978, and as such may be the car raced by Rosberg at the final race of the season. Opert again had two B39s for the 1979 season, one in red bodywork and one in orange. He advertised both these cars in December 1979, one in "original red gelcoat" and one "repainted orange", describing them as ex-Rosberg and ex-Rahal cars. Rahal only drove 77-06, and as that was originally blue, it cannot have been the "original red gelcoat" car in the advert so must have been the orange car. Subsequent history unknown, but in December 2005 "Joe" from Northern New Jersey was seeking information about chassis "39-77-06". He said he had contacted Fred Opert who had told him that it had been used by Rosberg in New Zealand, and by Jacques Lafitte, Patrick Depailler and James Crawley in the Canadian series. It had orange bodywork, again indicating that it had been Tolama's orange car. "Joe" advertised it for sale on the Autosport Forum in January 2006. A restoration then began that included a new monocoque by Prince Race Cars and the car was advertised on race-cars.com in dark blue bodywork. It was next seen when restored by The Progress Group (Placentia, CA) in 2011/12 with pale blue B39 bodywork and white Excita signwriting, and raced by Chris Cord at the Monterey Historics in 2013.
12. Chevron B39 [39-77-07] (Gregg Young): New to Fred Opert Racing and raced in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship by Gregg Young as the team's #6 Valvoline entry using Opert's usual pale blue bodywork. Young damaged the car at Trois-Rivières and raced one of the team's Ramada-liveried B39s at the final race at Québec City. Retained by Fred Opert Racing for the 1978 New Zealand series, where Jacques Laffite had been its intended driver but it ended up being used as a spare car for Keke Rosberg, still in pale blue bodywork. Sold to Peter Robinson (Madison, Wisconsin) and raced in SCCA Nationals and in a couple of Labatts Championship Pro races in 1978. He scored 19 points in Central Division in 1978. He was not seen in 1979, but reappeared with the car in Southwest Division in 1980, now as a member of Lone Star Region, and qualified for the Runoffs. He converted the car to Formula C for 1981, and retained it until 1984 at least, when it was advertised from Austin, TX. Subsequent history unknown, but some time around 2003, the car was acquired by Jeff Mckay (Tacoma, WA) from the estate of a collector in Texas. Mckay sold the car in 2004 to John Bradshaw (Manchester). Bradshaw found the tub was creased so had a new tub made by ex-Chevron fabricator Dennis Aldred at Motorsport Components in Bolton. After running the car in the Chevron 40th anniversary event at Oulton Park in August 2005, Bradshaw sold it to Sandy Watson, who raced it in European Historic F2 and HSCC Derek Bell Trophy from 2006 to 2009. Then sold to Roland Wiltschegg (Austria) who raced it from 2010 to 2013.
13. March 77B [75B?] (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 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.
14. March 77B [12] (Bobby Fisher): Bobby Fisher (Charlotte, NC/Vero Beach, FL) had a red/yellow March 77B for the 1977 season, running as #13 with Stroh sponsorship. On the basis of the colour, this was probably 77B-12, the only car listed with such colours in March records. Fisher, was a beer distributor from Vero Beach, FL, whose business and race team were based in Charlotte, NC, moved into NASCAR for a couple of seasons before trying to get an entry for the Indy 500 in 1980. The March 77B was sold to Bill Anspach (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) for 1978. At the Runoffs, Anspach hit the bank very hard, which caused a problem as Anspach had arranged to sell the car to Bill Marlowe. After a new monocoque was fitted, the sale did go ahead, and Marlowe raced it in 1979. He recalls that he sold it to Joseph Hamilton (Sarasota, FL). Subsequent history unknown.
15. March 77B [23] (Marcel Talbot): New to Marcel Talbot (Granby, Quebec) and run for him by Colin Hine Racing Team in Formula Atlantic in 1977, sponsored by Tamaco. Retained by Colin Hine Racing for 1978, and entered for Willy T. Ribbs at Long Beach, then for Jean-Pierre Alamy at two further races. Subsequent history unknown. 28 years later, a car with the chassis plate was advertised on race-cars.com from Indianapolis, IN, in 2006, when it was blue and had just been restored by restoration by McNamara Motorsports/Adkins Racing. It was next seen in Historic F2, where it was fitted with a BDG engine, and driven by Bo Warmenius from 2007 to 2014. Photographs indicate this is then the car used by Alain Girardet and Gislain Genecand between 2017 and 2019.
16. March 77B [6?] (Brad Abbott): Brad Abbott (Messapequa, NY) raced a March 77B in SCCA Nationals and then the Pro series in 1977, run by Stimola Racing. He retained the car for 1978, but was seen less often that season. Subsequent history unknown.
17. Chevron B34 (Keke Rosberg): Keke Rosberg joined Fred Opert Racing for the 1977 season to race both a Chevron B40 in Formula 2 in Europe and a B39 in Formula Atlantic in North America. Photographs show that Rosberg used an older Chevron B34 at the opening three rounds, at Mosport Park, Gimli and Edmonton, before moving to a Chevron B39 for the next four races. Rosberg returned to the B34 for the final race at Quebec in September, when it had been updated with a B39 nose. Subsequent history unknown.
18. Ralt RT1/76 [10] (Juan Cochésa): New to Team Gunston for Roy Klomfass at the end of 1975 and used through the 1976 South African Formula Atlantic season in South Africa, during which time it was extensively modified. In early 1977 it was sold "to a guy in Los Angeles". This must have been Kevin Cogan (Torrance, CA, in southwestern Los Angeles County), who raced his newer RT1/76-33 in 1977 but kept chassis 10 as a spare car for the first part of 1977. It was borrowed by Pierre Phillips at Mosport Park in May for Juan Cochésa to race after the Venezuelan crashed his intended car in practice. Then very probably the car acquired from Brian Robertson by John Connolly (Brooklyn, NY) and raced by him at Trois-Rivières in September. The car is thought to have remained with Connolly until advertised by him in early 1982, but he also had a newer RT1/78 and a Ralt RT4. CT
19. March 76B [2] (Cliff Hansen): Cliff Hansen (Laguna Beach, CA) campaigned a blue/red #6 March 76B in 1976 as part of the Doug Shierson Racing operation. Hansen retained the car for the start of the 1977 season, until his new 77B arrived, and then kept the 76B as a spare, needing it at St-Félicien and at Trois-Rivières after crashing the 77B. Its history in 1978 is unknown, but it is believed to be the car raced by Tom Contino (Ontario, CA) between 1979 and 1981, then sold by him in October 1981 to Damon Meek (Los Gatos, CA), who raced the car in SCCA Nationals in 1982 and has identified it as "76B-02" and ex-Cliff Hansen. Meek sold it to Lee Follansbee (San Jose, CA) and it would be the 76B raced by him in the Sears Point Pro race in 1984. Sold by Follansbee to Michael Olsen (Santa Clara, CA) who raced it at Sears Point in October 1988. Subsequent history unknown.
20. March 77B [14?] (Robert J. Nelkin): Robert J. Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY) raced a March 77B in SCCA Nationals, run by Stimola Racing, and then the Pro series in 1977. He was sponsored by the Hunter Mountain ski resort. Nelkin retained for start of the 1978 season and raced it at Long Beach after he had engine trouble in his new 78B. He then sold the car to Tony Altomare in New York, who used it in SCCA Formula B in 1978. Subsequent history unknown.
21. Ralt RT1/76 [34] (Dave Webber): New to Brian Robertson's Quick-Trans/Gabriel International Warranty team in the middle of the 1976 season, replacing the team's Lola T460s, and run for Richard Spenard in the 1976 Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in yellow Planter's Peanuts livery. Both the Robertson team cars were offered for sale by Fred Opert in early 1977. Bought from Opert by Dave Webber (Mississauga, Ontario) who raced his "ex-Spenard Ralt" in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship in 1977. Weber badly damaged the car in a practice accident at St-Félicien in August. It was then rebuilt by Roy Hayman of Hayman Engineering in Ontario as a sports car, and Hayman raced it in Ontario regional events in 1979. Hayman retained the car for many years, before selling it to Chuck Haines' Can-Am Cars Ltd in October 2008. Haines sold it to Bruce Domeck (Louisville, KY) in 2010.
22. Ralt RT1/77 [74] (Juan Cochésa): New to Pierre Phillips Racing for the CASC Formula Atlantic series in 1977, but crashed by Juan Cochésa in practice for the opening race at Mosport Park in May. It was used in two races all season, one of which was when Tom Bagley used it to win the "outlaw" race at Mexico City in November 1977. Advertised by Phillips in December 1977. Probably the car driven by James Morgan at Riverside in Feb 1978. It was then sold to Glen Finch (Brightwood, OR/Sandy, OR) but after a single SCCA National, Finch loaned the car to Allan Lader to use in the Pro race at Westwood in April 1978. Lader destroyed the car in his accident with Terry Visger. CT
23. March 77B (Bobby Rahal): Bobby Rahal drove for Jim Morgan, a Wall Street stockbroker, with sponsorship from Red Roof Inns in Formula Atlantic in 1977. For most of the year he drove one of the team's ex-Villeneuve March 76Bs but at the opening round he is believed to have raced a new March 77B, writing it off during practice.

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.

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 (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.

Individual sources for this event

Chris Townsend's sources include Autosport 2 Jun 1977 pp48-49, Motoring News 26 May 1977 p20 and NZMA 17 Jun 1977.