OldRacingCars.com

Formula Atlantic Labatts Championship Series Race

Halifax, 7 Aug 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Bill Brack March 77B - Ford BDN Nicholson
#7 STP-Doug Shierson Racing
65 1h 12m 23.4s
2 Price Cobb March 77B [20] - Ford BDN Nicholson
#22 (see note 1)
65 1h 12m 26.2s
3 Richard Spenard March 77B - Ford BDN Morris
#96 Ecurie Canada Direct Film (see note 2)
65 1h 12m 28.7s
4 Howdy Holmes March 77B [21 or 22] - Ford BDN Race Shop
#8 Creative Motorsports-Doug Shierson Racing
65 1h 12m 30.4s
5 Tom Gloy March 76B - Ford BDN Morris
#11 Rick Shea Racing Team (see note 3)
64
6 Craig Hill Ralt RT1/77 [73] - Ford BDN Titan
#26 Quick-Trans/Castrol (see note 4)
64
7 Gregg Young Chevron B39 [39-77-07] - Ford BDN Titan
#6 Valvoline [Fred Opert Racing]
(see note 5)
63
8 Cliff Hansen March 77B [28] - Ford BDN Willis
#21 Performance Marketing Team (see note 6)
63
9 Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/76 [36] - Ford BDN
#0 Ralt American (see note 7)
63
10 Jeff Wood March 77B [1] - Ford BDN Jennings
#20 Robert Wood
61
11 Bobby Rahal March 76B [10 or 15?] - Ford BDN Morris
#56 Morgan Racing/Red Roof Inns
(see note 8)
61
12 Brad Abbott March 77B [6?] - Ford BDN Stimola
#98 Stimola Racing (see note 9)
61
13 Chip Mead Ralt RT1/76 [11] - Ford BDN Willis
#31 Pierre's Motors (see note 10)
59
14 Mike Rocke March 77B [29] - Ford BDN Nicholson
#15 R&R Racing (see note 11)
47
15 David Oxton Tui BH2 [3] - Ford BDN Nicholson
#70
45 Accident
16 Dan Marvin March 76B - Ford BDN Cosworth
#59 Norman Racing/Boxtrom-Berglen
(see note 12)
37
17 Marcel Talbot March 77B [23] - Ford BDN Hine
#10 Tamaco [Colin Hine Racing] (see note 13)
33 Throttle cable
R Terry Visger March 76B [15 or 10?] - Ford BDN
#55 (see note 14)
31 Engine
R Bruce Jensen Chevron B29 [29-75-14] - Ford BDN Hine
#41 (see note 15)
28 Accident
R Keke Rosberg Chevron B39 [39-77-09] - Ford BDN Titan
#4 Excita [Fred Opert Racing] (see note 16)
25 Clutch
R Gilles Villeneuve March 77B - Ford BDN Morris
#69 Ecurie Canada Direct Film (see note 17)
19 Accident
R Kevin Cogan Ralt RT1/76 [33] - Ford BDN Willis
#33 (see note 18)
18 Accident
R Juan Cochésa Ralt RT1/77 [78] - Ford BDN Willis
#36 Pierre's Motors (see note 19)
16 Front suspension
R Carl Liebich Lola T460 [HU18] - Ford BDN Bertils
#54 Liebrau Racing (see note 20)
7 Suspension
R Jon Norman March 76B [3] - Ford BDN Cosworth
#58 Norman Racing/Boxtrom-Berglen
(see note 21)
5 Accident
R Robert J. Nelkin March 77B [14?] - Ford BDN Nicholson
#67 Hunter Mountain (see note 22)
0 Accident
T Keke Rosberg Chevron B39 [39-77-08] - Ford BDN Titan
#4 Excita [Fred Opert Racing] (see note 23)
(Only used in practice)

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

Qualifying
1 Gilles Villeneuve (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 77B - Ford BDN Morris 1.02.863
2 Bill Brack (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 77B - Ford BDN Nicholson
3 Brad Abbott (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 77B [6?] - Ford BDN Stimola 1.03.464
4 Keke Rosberg (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B39 [39-77-09] - Ford BDN Titan
5 Howdy Holmes (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 77B [21 or 22] - Ford BDN Race Shop
6 Richard Spenard (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 77B - Ford BDN Morris
7 Price Cobb (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 77B [20] - Ford BDN Nicholson
8 Chip Mead (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/76 [11] - Ford BDN Willis
9 Kevin Cogan (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/76 [33] - Ford BDN Willis
10 Dave McMillan (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/76 [36] - Ford BDN
11 Tom Gloy (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 76B - Ford BDN Morris
17 David Oxton (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Tui BH2 [3] - Ford BDN Nicholson

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 (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.
  3. 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.
  4. Ralt RT1/77 [73] (Craig Hill): New to Brian Robertson's Ralt America for Craig Hill to drive in the CASC Formula Atlantic series, backed by Quick-Trans and Castrol. To Hugh Owen in New Zealand for 1978, and raced in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series starting in January 1978. Retained by Owen for the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons. Then sold to Dave McMillan and used as a spare car to his Ralt RT4/81 in the 1980/81 season, McMillan's earlier RT1 having been converted to FSV specification by this time. Fitted with a Nissan LZ14 engine for the 1981/82 and 1982/83 seasons when it was raced by McMillan at some races and also by Ray Lipper. Reappeared at Baypark Raceway in January 1985 when owned by John Crawford. CT
  5. 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.
  6. March 77B [28] (Cliff Hansen): New to Cliff Hansen (Laguna Beach, CA) in time for the race at Edmonton at the beginning of July. Hansen wrecked it in practice at St-Félicien and it was rebuilt on a new monocoque. Crashed again at Trois-Rivières. Sold to John Bauer (San Luis Obispo, CA) and raced in 1978 and at the Long Beach race in 1979. Advertised by Bauer in February 1980.
  7. Ralt RT1/76 [36] (Dave McMillan): To Cavanaugh Racing and run for Kevin Cogan in two late-season 1976 Canadian Formula Atlantic races. Sold to David McMillan and raced in the 1976/77 New Zealand Gold Star season, and in the January 1977 New Zealand International Formula Pacific series. Taken back to Canada for McMillan to race in two Canadian series races in 1977, then back to New Zealand for the 1977/78 Gold Star series and the January 1978 International series. Retained by McMillan for the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons, while also used in a handful of North American races in 1979 and 1980. Rebuilt as a Formula Super Vee for McMillan in 1980. McMillan moved to Ray Lipper’s Centreline Wheels team in 1981 and the old RT1 was raced by Lipper that season. CT
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. March 77B [29] (Mike Rocke): New to Mike Rocke (Livermore, CA), who raced the car through 1977 and 1978 until a serious accident at Trois-Rivières which left Rocke very badly injured and destroyed the 77B.
  12. March 76B (Dan Marvin): Dan Marvin (El Sobrante, CA) drove a #59 March 76B in 1977 as part of Jon Norman's Boxtrom-Berglen Norman Racing team. The car was built up using a tub that Norman had fabricated himself, using an unknown number of parts of unknown origin. It was, in effect, a new car. Marvin raced the car in both Pro Formula Atlantic and in SCCA Nationals in 1977 and 1978.
  13. 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.
  14. March 76B [15 or 10?] (Terry Visger): 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Chevron B39 [39-77-09] (Keke Rosberg): New to Fred Opert Racing and raced in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship. One of two cars run by the team for Keke Rosberg, this one having wider track. Believed to have been new for Rosberg at Halifax in August. Then used by Didier Pironi at St-Félicien a week later after damaging his intended car in practice. Then raced by Jacques Laffite as the team's #1 entry at Trois-Rivières and Québec City. This may be the car raced by Page Roos in 1978. This may also be the car acquired by Dick Leppla and advertised by him in On Track magazine September 1982 as "ex Opert" and "chassis number B39-D9". It was retained by Leppla until 1987 at least. Subsequent history unknown, but a chassis "09" was advertised by Vintage Racing Services in Hemmings magazine in June 2009.
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. Ralt RT1/77 [78] (Juan Cochésa): New to Pierre Phillips Racing for Juan Cochésa to drive in the CASC Formula Atlantic series in 1977, but only arrived in time for the second race, at Gimli in June. Later used by Bobby Rahal in the final round of the season, at Québec City. Sold to Richard Lingren (Oswego, OR), then to Jerry Lieberg (Milford, CT/Fairfield, CT) who raced in in NEDiv in 1978 and 1979. Then to Peter Greenfield (Freeport, NY/Manhassat, NY) and raced in NEDiv in 1981 and 1982, before being converted to sports car bodywork and used in the 2-litre Can-Am category in 1984. CT
  20. Lola T460 [HU18] (Carl Liebich): New to Carl Liebich (Plymouth, WI/Two Rivers, WI) for Canadian and IMSA Formula Atlantic races late in the 1976 season. Liebich was said to have a new T560 for 1977, but it appears it was his nearly-new T460 updated. Retained for 1978, 1979, and the start of 1980. Chris Townsend's research shows this car was sold to Chuck Dietrich in 1980 and used by him in SCCA Central Division Formula Atlantic until 1982. It was then retained unraced by Dietrich until sold to Lowell Blossom (Zionsville, IN) in 1995. Raced by Blossom at Lime Rock in May 1996 and at Grattan Raceway in August 1997. It was sold by Blossom to Dave Jordano (Indianapolis, IN) in 2005. Subsequent history unknown, but believed to be the T460/T560 raced by Tom Thornton in HSCC Derek Bell Trophy races in 2010 and 2011.
  21. March 76B [3] (Jon Norman): Tom Pumpelly (McLean, VA) raced a yellow #34 March 76B, entered by National Tire Wholesale. The only yellow 76B shown in March records was chassis 76B-3. Pumpelly raced the car until it was damaged in a collision with Bancroft at Mosport Park in August, after which it was acquired by Ecurie Canada whose regular driver Gilles Villeneuve had damaged both his cars. It is therefore believed to be the car driven by Villeneuve to win at Trois-Rivières and Road Atlanta in September but this is by no means certain. Then bought by John Lane who rented it back to Pumpelly for the SCCA Run-Offs at Road Atlanta, where Pumpelly crashed it again. Sold to John Norman (Oakland, CA) who raced it as part of a two-car team with Dan Marvin in 1977 and 1978. Norman then sold the car but later bought it back and restored it to Villeneuve's livery.
  22. 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.
  23. Chevron B39 [39-77-08] (Keke Rosberg): New to Fred Opert Racing and used in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship. One of two cars run by the team for Keke Rosberg, this one having narrower track, but Rosberg used a B34 at four races that season and exactly how he used this B39 remains uncertain. Retained by Fred Opert Racing for the 1978 New Zealand series, where it was Rosberg's main race car as he easily won the championship. Then believed to be the car raced by Divina Galica at Long Beach in early 1978. It was sold to Dean Lundgreen (Franklin, MN) later in 1978 and raced in SCCA Nationals, scoring 13 points that season. He scored 15 points in 1979, and continued to race the car in 1980 and 1981. Advertised by Lundgreen in April 1982 and February 1983 as "Rosberg's Tasman winner". Sold to Mike Rand (Amherst, Massachusetts) later in 1983, then sold on to Joe Ostrowski (Trenton, NJ) who raced it from 1984 to 1986 at least. The car remained in Ostrowski's garage until 2004, when he sold it to Mark Wehrman. It was then sold to Lee Brahin (Philadelphia, PA) in 2006 and raced by him in red bodywork with non-standard sidepods in 2008 and 2009. Then to Martin Lauber (Tiburon, CA) in August 2011 and raced by him in pink Excita livery (but still with the same distinctive sidepods) from 2012 to 2019. It was sold to Laurent Parmentier (Los Angeles, CA) in January 2020, and raced by him in 2020 and 2021.

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 Formula magazine Nov 77 pp 44-45, NZMA 26 Aug 1977 pp3-4. A CASC announcement on 17 August 1977 gave the revised finishing positions and laps completed shown here.