OldRacingCars.com

WCAR Formula Atlantic Championship Round

Westwood, 22 Jul 1984

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Chris Bender Ralt RT4/83 - Ford BDD
#7 Bender Warehouse Co
37 38m 55.53s
2 Steve Cameron Ralt RT4/81 - Ford BDD
#2 Hopkins Screen Printing/Rick Shea Racing
37
3 John Della Penna Ralt RT4/83 - Ford BDD
#64 Pacific Motorsports
36
4 Mike Downs Ralt RT4/83 [82-319] - Ford BDD
#6 Fox Fabrique [Pierre Phillips]
37
5 Jim Blackwell Argo JM9 [056-FA] - Ford BDD
#14 USAG Tool (see note 1)
37
6 Ross Bentley Johnston JM6c - Ford BDD
#86 Keen Engineering
36
7 Dan Marvin Ralt RT4/83 - Ford BDD Hasselgren
#1 H.C. Boerner Co/Jon Norman Racing
32
8 Riley Hopkins Ralt RT4/82 [81-270] - Ford BDD Jennings
#3
31
9 Bob McGregor March 79B [78B-13] - Ford BDD
#71
35
10 J C Myers March 79B - Ford BDD
#19 Barstow Liquid Gas
26
11 Fred Whitehead Ralt RT4/82 [81-205] - Ford BDD
#61 MDB Systems
22
12 David Roland Ralt RT4/81 - Ford BDD
#9 Hollywood Sport Cars
35
13 Mike Buckenham March 80A [10] - Ford BDD
#36 Stuttgart West
34
14 Rod Bennett Ralt RT4/82 [308] - Ford BDD Jennings
#15 Symtron/W.R. Hatch Inc
21
15 Steve Boley Argo JM11 [065-FA] - Ford BDD
#40 Northwest Systems
35
16 Ron Householder March 77B - Ford BDD
#16 Automotive Racing Enterprises
19
17 Tom Blackaller Ralt RT4/83 [81-213] - Ford BDD
#11 Gold Star/Rick Shea Racing
20
18 Harold Kaesbauer March 78B [7] - Ford BDD
#44 HK Racing
35
19 Phil Simon March 81A [8] - Ford BDD
#74 Formula America
20
20 Martin Pang Ralt RT4/82 [311] - Ford BDD
#8 Mary Pang's Inc
17
21 John Herne March 77B [76B-13] - Ford BDD
#17 Putney Station/Pennzoil/Medencina Racing
(see note 2)
7
22 Ron McKay Ralt RT4/83 [82-306] - Ford BDD
#5 American Earth Stations/Pierre Phillips Racing
9
23 Jimmy Santos Ralt RT4/82 [81-249?] - Ford BDD
#21 Santos Racing
5
DNA Bob Collins Ralt RT4/81 [210] - Ford BDD
#4 Steamers/Fish Again/Fortner-Lucini Motorsports
Did not arrive
DNA Patrick Murphie Lola T360 [HU14] - Ford BDD
#20 PM Testing Laboratory Inc (see note 3)
Did not arrive
DNA Jim Burnett Argo "JM8" [044-FA] - Ford BDD
#33 Olkscar (see note 4)
Did not arrive
DNA John Wink March 77B [21?] - Ford BDD
#41 Trimline/FAP/Winkrace Enterprises
(see note 5)
Did not arrive
DNA Steve Hartgraves March 722/76B - Ford BDD
#90 (see note 6)
Did not arrive

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

Heat 1 Laps Time Speed
1Chris Bender18
2John Della Penna18
3Steve Cameron18
4Riley Hopkins18
5J C Myers18
6Rod Bennett18
7Tom Blackaller18
8Mike Downs18
9Jim Blackwell18
10Ross Bentley18
11Mike Buckenham17
12Bob McGregor17
13Martin Pang17
14David Roland17
15Steve Boley17
16Harold Kaesbauer17
17Dan Marvin13Gearbox
18Jimmy Santos5Engine
19John Herne4Gearbox
20Fred Whitehead3Clutch
21Phil Simon2Electrics
22Ron McKay1Clutch
23Ron Householder0Electrics
Heat 2 Laps Time Speed
1Steve Cameron19
2Chris Bender19
3Dan Marvin19
4Fred Whitehead19
5Ron Householder19
6Mike Downs19
7Jim Blackwell19
8Ross Bentley18
9Bob McGregor18
10David Roland18
11John Della Penna18
12Steve Boley18
13Harold Kaesbauer18
14Phil Simon18
15Mike Buckenham17
16Riley Hopkins13Spun
17Ron McKay8Clutch
18J C Myers8Driveshaft
19John Herne3Gearbox
20Rod Bennett3Clutch
21Tom Blackaller2Spun
Martin PangDNS
Jimmy SantosDNS
Qualifying
1 Ron McKay (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/83 [82-306] - Ford BDD 1.00.28
2 Dan Marvin (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/83 - Ford BDD Hasselgren 1.00.62
3 Steve Cameron (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/81 - Ford BDD 1.01.38
4 Fred Whitehead (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-205] - Ford BDD 1.01.44
5 Chris Bender (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/83 - Ford BDD 1.01.50
6 Jimmy Santos (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-249?] - Ford BDD 1.01.60
7 John Della Penna (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/83 - Ford BDD 1.01.64
8 Rod Bennett (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [308] - Ford BDD Jennings 1.01.90
9 Tom Blackaller (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/83 [81-213] - Ford BDD 1.02.42
10 Ron Householder (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 77B - Ford BDD 1.01.43
11 J C Myers (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 79B - Ford BDD 1.03.29
12 Mike Downs (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/83 [82-319] - Ford BDD 1.03.38
13 Bob McGregor (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 79B [78B-13] - Ford BDD 1.04.22
14 Jim Blackwell (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Argo JM9 [056-FA] - Ford BDD 1.04.23
15 Ross Bentley (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Johnston JM6c - Ford BDD 1.04.37
16 John Herne (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 77B [76B-13] - Ford BDD 1.04.76
17 Mike Buckenham (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 80A [10] - Ford BDD 1.04.98
18 Martin Pang (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [311] - Ford BDD 1.05.05
19 Phil Simon (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 81A [8] - Ford BDD 1.05.31
20 David Roland (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/81 - Ford BDD 1.05.59
21 Harold Kaesbauer (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 78B [7] - Ford BDD 1.07.09
22 Steve Boley (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Argo JM11 [065-FA] - Ford BDD 1.07.96
23 Riley Hopkins (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-270] - Ford BDD Jennings No time

Notes on the cars:

  1. Argo JM9 [056-FA] (Jim Blackwell): New to Tyrrell Arnold to race in the 1981 Irish Atlantic series, then to Jim Blackwell (Seattle, WA) in 1982 and raced in WCAR events in 1984 and 1985, then Marty Knoll (North Vancouver, BC) who raced it in WCAR in 1986 and 1987. Then to Terry Edwards in 1987-88 and from him to Gary Milligan (Richmond, British Columbia) who used it as the basis of the Buick-engined Lotus Europa with which he won the National Autocross Championship in 1994.
  2. March 77B [76B-13] (John Herne): 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.
  3. Lola T360 [HU14] (Patrick Murphie): Sold via Carl Haas and Pierre Phillips to Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA). Karlberg raced it in the opening round of the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series, finishing an impressive fifth, but did not race at the second round as the car was not running well. Sold to Larry Bergman (Los Gatos, CA), who was seen very infrequently with it during 1976 and 1977. The Lola was advertised by Bergman in March 1977, then by Don Breidenbach in April 1977. Then unknown for three seasons until owned by Patrick Murphie (Seattle, WA) from 1980 to 1984, fitted with a 2-litre Lotus 907 engine and raced in SCCA North West region and - somehow! - in the WCAR race at Seattle in 1984. To Michael Bledsoe (Seattle, WA) 1988 and raced in SCCA North West region. To David D. Weldon (Manhattan Beach, CA) November 1990, and stored at first, then restored and raced with VARA from 2001 to 2003, still with the Lotus 907 engine.
  4. Argo "JM8" [044-FA] (Jim Burnett): Believed to be a new car supplied to Mike Nugent for 1980, built on a new monocoque but incorporating parts of Nugent's previous JM5. The monocoque of the new car was wider and longer than on the older car, extending either side of the engine. This car appears in Argo records as "JM8-044-FA" and was described by Nugent as a JM8, but it is not related to the 1981 F3 car that also used that designation. Raced by Nugent in the Irish Formula Atlantic series in 1980 and at one raced at the start of 1981, but Nugent went off on warm up lap. Then sold to Jim Burnett (Bellevue, WA) and raced by him in WCAR events in 1983 and 1984. The car remained with Burnett until his death in May 2012, at which point both Burnett's Argos were acquired by Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA), who raced the "JM8" in 2013. Sold to Douglas Schumacher (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) in early 2015, and he ran it at Road America later that year, only for it to be damaged when a freak gust of wind blew a golf cart onto it. Raced at Mid-Ohio in 2016 and at again Road America in 2017, then taken to Kirkistown in 2019 where it was tested by original owner Mike Nugent. Bought by Nugent, and in the process or restoration in Northern Ireland during 2020.
  5. March 77B [21?] (John Wink): Tennyson Kwok (Long Beach, CA) raced a March 77B at Long Beach in April 1979, and advised Chris Townsend that it was an ex-Holmes car that he bought the car from Wally Farrell who used it in SCCA Nationals with Cal Club in 1978. As 77B-22 is known to have gone to Dan Carmichael, Kwok's car is likely to have been 77B-21. Kwok then used it in a few SCCA events prior to Long Beach. It was sold to Bill Fickling (San Clemente, CA), who raced it at Long Beach in 1982, after three years in which it had barely been used. It was then sold to John Wink (Sacramento, CA) for 1983 but was wrecked at an SCCA National at Laguna Seca in 1984. The remains of the car were sold to Chuck Billington (Modesto, CA) who built them onto a CSR using a new monocoque. This is too late to be the Tracer TR2 that Billington raced in 1983, so may have been for a customer. Subsequent history unknown.
  6. March 722/76B (Steve Hartgraves): In January 1980, Jim Buick (Berthoud, CO) registered a Formula Atlantic March 722/76B with SCCA's Colorado Region. He first raced it at La Junta in May 1980, but sold it in August 1980 to Bill Murray, who then raced it at La Junta in October. Roy Jo Peltz, better known as a sprint car racer, bought the March in September 1982 and raced it at Pueblo and La Junta in 1982 and 1983. Then to Steve Hartgraves (Sunnyvale, CA) who raced it in Solo I and in west coast WCAR Formula Atlantic races in 1984. It was advertised by Steve's father Roger Hartgraves (Sunnyvale CA) in March 1985, but unfortunately Steve cannot remember where it came from or where it went. This car was acquired soon after by John Hammill (Albuquerque, NM), and has remained with him since then.

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 On Track and Sports Car, plus 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 for these races include Autosport and On Track magazine.