Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières

Trois-Rivières, 3 Sep 1978

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT1/78 [119] (Ken Duclos): New to Ken Duclos (Boxboro, MA) and used in SCCA Nationals and three Pro races in 1978. Duclos finished second in Northeast Division, breaking a run of six successive titles. He finished second at the SCCA Runoffs. Retained by Duclos for 1979, when he raced in the Pro series. He continued to race the car, but only in local events, and advertised it in August 1981. CT
2. March 78B [8] (Robert J. Nelkin): New to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY) for the Labatts Formula Atlantic series and SCCA Nationals in 1978. Despite reports that Nalkin raced it at Palm Beach in February and had it as a spare car at Long Beach in April, its SCCA number indicates that it was first used at Charlette's Super-National in mid-April. Nelkin finished 16th in the Labatts series and finished fifth in NEDiv, scoring 22 points. Chris Townsend advises that the car went to Paul Corazzo (Wethersfield, CT) for 1979, so would be the March he raced in SCCA Nationals in 1979 and is presumably the "79B" he had as late as 1987. The car was next seen in January 2004 when it was advertised from Virginia, having been raced in US historic racing in 1996. The car was acquired by Daryl Taylor and returned to the UK, but at some point was involved in a workshop fire and the tub was destroyed. A new tub was fabricated, and the car was raced by Taylor raced a March 78B in HSCC events from 2007 to 2014, during which time it was also driven by Bruce Fullerton, Simon Taylor, Ashley Taylor, Martin Trott and Robert Wainwright. In 2021, it was sold to Martin Wood (Faversham, Kent), and for the 2022 season, he converted it to 782 F2 specification with a BMW engine.
3. Ralt RT1/78 [127] (Rick Bell): New to Rick Bell (Lakeville, CT) and used in the 1978 Labatts Formula Atlantic championship. Retained for 1979, again in the North American Pro series. Retained for a third season in 1980, and again raced regularly in the North American Pro series. In 1981, he sold the car, and believes it went through three other drivers until it was bought by a friend of Bell's. Bell has been racing the car in historic racing, mainly at Lime Rock, since then.
4. Excalibur EE2B [March 77B] (Rick Koehler): Rick Koehler (Milwaukee, WI) raced an Excalibur EE2B in Formula Atlantic in 1978, with sponsorship from Brooks Stevens. The car was essentially a March 77B and was described as ex-Shierson and ex-Brack in adverts in late 1978 and 1979. It was leased to Joe Castellano for the Long Beach race in April 1979, and then sat unused until August 1980 when it was sold to David Locke (Cambridge City, IN). Locke fitted the car with 79B bodywork and Bobsy fenders so that it could be used in Can-Am racing, using an 1850cc Hart BDA engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox. In October 1981, Locke ordered a Kevlar Cicale body for the car, and used it in this form in 1982 and 1983, but without success. He acquired a Hart 420R engine from Jim Trueman for 1984 and raced the car in Can-Am and then CAT until 1987. Chris Townsend advises that it was sold to Lee Johnson in Colorado in April 1988, and was still with Johnson in 2012.
5. Ralt RT1/76 [10] (John Connolly): 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
6. Ralt RT1/78 (Bertil Roos): Bertil Roos (Blakeslee, PA) raced a white #24 Ralt RT1 in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship in 1978 from late July onwards, with sponsorship from ACME Machine Products. He only raced the car three times, at Road America in July, Trois-Rivières in September and Montréal three weeks later. Roos was increasingly docused on his racing school, and bought an older Chevron B27 for 1979, converting it into a Can-Am car.
7. March 78B (Jeff Wood): Jeff Wood (Studio City, CA) had a pair of March 78Bs in 1978, entered by Great Plains Racing in Formula Atlantic in 1978 and he then raced one of them in New Zealand in December 1978 and January 1979. He started the 1979 season with one of the 78Bs at Long Beach, and then had a new 79B at either the second or third race. One of the 78Bs was sold to Greg Sun who ran it (as a 78-79B) in SCCA events in 1979. It was then acquired by Bob Schader (Boulder, CO) and raced by him in 1980 in 79B specification. Retained by Schader in for Long Beach in early 1981. Schader then moved into FSV and the 78B was sold to Dorsey Schroeder (Manchester, MO) and used extensively in SCCA in 1981, when he won Midwest Division Formula Atlantic, and in 1982. Later to John Strickler (St Louis, MO). Subsequent history unknown.
8. Chevron B34 [34-76-15] (Jeff Smith): New to Gilles Léger (Lachute, Quebec) and raced in Canadian Formula Atlantic races in 1976. Unknown in 1977. Reappeared in 1978, raced by Jeff Smith (Vancouver, British Columbia) in the Labatts Formula Atlantic championship. To Gordon Munroe (Victoria, BC) for 1979, and raced in ICSCC events. Retained by Munroe for 1980 and 1981. Rex Thompson recalled in correspondence with Vince Howlett in 2008 that the Chevron went to "to a very nice guy in Nanaimo [BC]" who fitted a Mazda rotary engine. When he retired, he sold it to someone in Langley who crashed it heavily at Westwood. Thompson believed the tub was beyond repair. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Ralt RT1/78 [128] (Mike Follett): New to Mike Follett (Lewiston, Idaho) and raced in the North American Formula Atlantic series from 1978 to 1980. He kept the car until the end of 1983 when he crashed heavily in a WCAR race at Sears Point. CT
10. 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.
11. Ralt RT1/78 [136] (Skeeter McKitterick): A white and blue Ralt RT1/78 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson in August 1978. To AME Racing for Skeeter McKitterick (San Diego, CA/Woodland Hills, CA), debuting at Trois-Rivières in early September. Also raced by McKitterick at the Macau Grand Prix in November as part of the Flying Tigers team. Retained by McKitterick for 1979, when he had sponsorship from CAM 2 Motor Oil. Raced in the North American series and again in Macau, entered by Flying Tigers Dunhill Racing Team. Entered a few times in 1980, but rarely seen. Sold to Kyle Buxton (Trabuco, CA) who raced it in Formula Atlantic in 1981 and 1982, then fitted a sports car body for Can-Am racing later in 1982, using a Ford BDP engine. To Dennis Brisken, and used in ASR class racing in 1984, but later wrecked at Sears Point. Sold to Carl Olsson (San Diego, CA) and rebuilt as a FC, and later as a CSR. Then to Tom Nelson (San Francisco area, CA) who rebuilt it again as an improved CSR. CT
12. 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.
13. Chevron B34 [34-76-34] (Bob Earl): New to Fred Opert Racing and believed to be the car raced by Alan Jones at Trois-Rivières in early September. To Butch Owsley (Aptos, CA/San Jose, CA) and raced in the IMSA race at Laguna Seca in early October. Retained by Owsley for SCCA Nationals and Regionals in 1977. Then raced by Bob Earl (Novato, CA) at a couple of late-season SCCA Regionals. The car was bought by actor James Brolin and run for Earl to drive by Ron Tourte's Tourté Racing in 1978, then Earl raced it in Pro events and SCCA Nationals. Earl did not get the results he expected, and also raced Doug Dreager's March 76B in one race, and ended the season in one of Fred Opert's newer Chevron B39s. The B34 went to Mike Buckenham (Stockton, CA) for 1979 and he raced it in SCCA Nationals until 1982 at least. The car was then taken by Joe Ordoqui (Boeing, CA) in partial payment for his March 80A. Ordoqui recalls that the Chevron sat in his garage for a couple of years but he is not sure where it went. Subsequent history unknown.
14. Ralt RT1 [96] (Kevin Cogan): New to Kevin Cogan (Redondo Beach, CA) and raced in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship, entered by Ralt American. Sold to John Paul Jr (Lawrenceville, GA) for 1979 and used in the North American Formula Atlantic series. Paul had two Ralts, this car with bolted rollhoop stays and a newer car with welded stays, but it appears that he used the older ex-Cogan car in the Pro series. Then sold to Steve Overton (Belleville, IL) and used in Midwest Division SCCA Nationals in 1980, 1981 and 1982. According to the SCCA logbook with the car in 2022, its drivers after Overton were: Duane McLain (Omaha, Nebraska) who raced it in SCCA Nationals and Regionals in 1982; Bob Ericksen who raced it in SCCA Regionals in northern California in 1984, the WCAR event at Seattle in September 1984, and Regionals again in 1985; Joseph Holmes who raced it in SCCA Solo 1 and Regionals in 1985 and 1986; and then Gerald Lieberg who raced it SCCA Regionals at Lime Rock in 1990 and then in historic events from 1993 to 1995. After Lieberg it was owned by Ron Benadetti from 1998 to 2000, but he did not race it. It was then owned by Mike Agnifilo from 2001 to 2004 and used in SVRA and HSR historic events, and then by Greg Lane from 2004 to 2022. CT
15. 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.
16. Ralt RT1/78 (Chris Gleason): Chris Gleason (Johnstown, PA) raced a white #75 Ralt RT1 in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship in 1978 from early July onwards, with sponsorship from Whalley BMW Sales. Gleason and Bertil Roos had been running together with a pair of March 77Bs earlier in the season, and both moved to Ralts at about the same time. Gleason retained the Ralt for 1979, when he was backed by Keystone Auto Products. This car looks like a new 1978 model, so could be chassis 135, a white Ralt invoiced to Robertson in late June. Retained by Gleason for 1979 when he ran at most rounds up to Road America in July, when he retired with engine failure. He entered for the next three races but does not appear in the results for any of them. Subsequent history unknown.
17. Chevron B45 [45-78-04] (Arturo Merzario): New to Fred Opert Racing for North American Formula Atlantic as a second car. Used as a spare by Keke Rosberg and as his race car at Lime Rock. Also raced by Eje Elgh and by Arturo Merzario at Trois-Rivières. Raced by Rosberg at Macau in November 1978. Advertised by Opert from ATS Engineering, where he had moved to become team manager, in March 1979 as a lightweight B45 with 1979 rear suspension and F2 fuel tanks. Then sold to Mike Peers and entered in the revived British series for Jim Crawford in 1979, winning five races and finishing second in the championship. Fitted with a BDX engine for 1980 and run by Plygrange Racing for Crawford in the F2 class of the Aurora series. Stayed with Plygrange for 1981 when raced by Vin Malkie (Northwich, Cheshire) in libre racing. Reappeared in 1983 when raced by Duncan Gray in the British Formula Atlantic series. It was entered by Peers himself in libre in 1984. Then to Steve Raine for Sprints, co-driven by Robin Boucher, and then hired to Bob Fearnley's RK Racing for Tiff Needell to drive in a pair of races in India in early 1985. Then reportedly to Stuart Ridge for 1986. To John Lloyd then to Simon Hadfield (Shepshed, Leicestershire) but damaged in an accident at Mallory Park. Restored with original Excita condoms bodywork and sold in 1998 to Jeff Wright, a Scotsman then living in Canada. Still with Wright (Wilmington, NC) in 2014 and raced regularly in vintage racing. By 2019, the car had moved to Scotland and was owned by George Coghill (Halkirk, Highland) and was prepared by Steve Worrad (Whitchurch, Shropshire) for sprints.
18. Chevron B39 [39-77-12?] (Riccardo Patrese): New to Fred Opert Racing and raced in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship. This car was new for Keke Rosberg to race at Trois-Rivières in September 1977. It was retained by Opert for 1978, and raced by Eje Elgh at the opening two rounds as his #5 Sheik Condoms entry before his new Chevron B45 was available. The B39 is then thought to be the #5 car raced by Divina Galica at Hamilton in August 1978. As Opert's other B39s all seem to have been sold off, this is probably the #6 Opert entry for Riccardo Patrese at Trois-Rivières, the #4 Excita B39 driven by Keke Rosberg at Montréal on 24 September, and then later the pink #5 Chevron raced by Marco Tolama for Opert at Road America in July 1979 after preferring it to his regular B45 and Opert's new March 79B. Then probably the #4 entry for Doug Titus at Montréal later that season, where he did not start. Subsequent history unknown, but this is likely to be the red "ex-Rosberg" B39 advertised by Opert in December 1979 and in February 1982.
19. Ralt RT1/77 [79] (Gilles Léger): New to Gilles Léger (Lachute, Quebec), first appearing at Trois-Rivières in September 1977. Raced by Léger mainly in the Canadian rounds of the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship in 1978. Then used as a rental car by Léger for Marc Dancose to race at Quebec in June 1979 and Monique Proulx at Montréal in September. Sold to Bob Hoff (Long Beach, CA) for 1980, when it was run for him in the North American Formula Atlantic series by Gas Saleen Racing. CT
20. March 77B (Giovanni Distasio): 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.
21. March 76B [8?] (Ralph Manaker): Doug Shierson Racing ran a red March 76B for Dale Lang (Wilton, CT) in 1976. The only red 76B in March build records was 76B-8, suggesting this was Lang's car. Lang retained this car for 1977 and then sold it to Ralph Manaker (Erieville, NY) who raced it in 1978. Advertised by Manaker as a 76-77B in October 1978. According to Chris Townsend, the car was then sold to Steve Alexander (Columbus, OH) who raced it in SCCA Formula Atlantic in 1979, 1980 and 1981.
22. March 722/77B (Sans Thompson): Tom Crowther (Kentfield, CA, later Novato, CA) raced a March in Formula B/Atlantic from 1974 to 1976 and this is believed to have been the same March 722 throughout. At first the car was entered by "Pollard Racing, a division of Donald Pollard Associates". By the start of 1975, it had Falconer bodywork, but later that season it had acquired 75B bodywork, and was entered as a 75B at the 1975 Run-Offs and at a single Pro appearance in late 1976. Crowther ran the "75B" regularly through 1977, winning the Portland National in September. It was then sold via Pierre Phillips to Nick Lingren and was driven by Sans Thompson at Trois-Rivières in 1978. In February 1979, Pierre Phillips Racing was advertising the "ex-Crowther March" as a rolling chassis. Subsequent history unknown.
23. Chevron B29 [29-75-08] (Pierre Gadoury): Unknown in 1975, 1976 and 1977, but almost certainly a Fred Opert Racing car in 1975. To Pierre Gadoury (Saint-Lambert, Quebec) for 1978 but failed to start at its two appearances, at Trois-Rivières and Montréal. It went to Frank Vella (Detroit, Michigan) for 1979, when it was still in Opert blue and with Valvoline decals on the side. Then to Andy Falbo (Detroit, MI) in 1980. Falbo sold it to somebody in Florida who was planning to fit a Mazda engine. Later acquired as a project via race-cars.com in 2004 by Bill Murray (Durham) and brought back to the UK. After Murray died in 2013, the car passed to his son-in-law David Beatty.
24. Chevron B45 [45-78-02] (Riccardo Patrese): New to Fred Opert Racing for Keke Rosberg to for race in North American Formula Atlantic in 1978, with backing from Excita. Raced by Bob Earl at Montréal in September when Rosberg drove an older B39. Retained by Opert for 1979, and driven by Marco Tolama. To Paul Fostini (SCCA New York Region) and used in NEDiv Formula Atlantic in 1981, scoring seven points that season. It was then sold to AJ "Buddy" Pugliese (New Rochelle, NY) in 1982, and used in Race Car Club of America (RCCA) races, the club formed by Pugliese in 1979 to promote the Club Ford format. In 1983, Pugliese started a new RCCA class called Formula American, for pre-ground-effect Formula Atlantic cars with their Cosworth engines limited to 9200 rpm but also allowing the use of the Chevrolet 60° V6 engine limited to 6500 rpm. The B45 was fitted with the V6 engine and Pugliese raced it through much of the 1980s. In the early 1990s, he loaned the car to Walter Nelson who crashed it and then took it to a fabricator at Dutchess County Airport for repairs, where it sat for some time after the fabricator's business closed. In February 2014, Pugliese sold the whole project to Ric Baribeault, who first had to locate the missing tub and then took it all to Bob Cavanaugh for restoration. The restoration progressed slowly and was stil incomplete in 2020 when Baribeault sold it to Cordell Secrest (Houston, TX). Secrest moved the project to the Danbury, CT, workshop of Mike Agnifilo (North Salem, NY), and it remained with him until he eventually acquired it partly in payment of storage fees. Agnifilo plans to rebuild the car to original specification.
25. March 77B [28?] (John Bauer): 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.

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.