SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B/C Race

Riverside, 24 Sep 1972

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT35 [31] (Mike Hansen): New to Mike Hansen (Belmont, CA) and Steve Marx (Fremont, CA) of Hansen-Marx Racing (or Marx-Hansen Racing) and raced by them in SCCA Regionals and Nationals predominately in southern California in 1971. Retained by the pair for 1972, and raced by Hansen in SCCA Nationals up and down the west coast, and then in Pro events later in the season. To Bill Cooper (San Jose, CA) for 1973, and used in SCCA Regionals. Retained by Cooper for 1974 and raced in SCCA Nationals. Seen less often in 1975, and advertised by Cooper with a BDA engine from September 1975 to July 1976. It is reported to have gone to Tom Smith after Cooper. It was bought from Tommy Smith in July 1978 by John Hafkenschiel and raced in Californian Formula Atlantic before selling it in the winter of 1984. In November 2016, Ron Hornig (Laramie, Wyoming) bought the car and has thoroughly restored it. Note that Hornig also has two F3 BT35s which he uses in historic racing.
2. March 722 (Bob Lazier): Bob Lazier (Vail, CO) raced a black #6 March 722 in the Pro Formula B series in 1972, winning at Bryar Motorsports Park in May. The car was sold to Byron Hatten (Altadena, CA) for 1973, and he entered it for John Angus (formerly of Hartland, WI, but living in Marina Del Rey, CA at this time) for 1974. According to a later advert, this was the "76B" driven by Hatten at the IMSA Formula Atlantic race at Ontario in 1976, and it was then sold to George Seydel (Pasadena, CA), who raced a Formula B March in SCCA Regionals at Riverside in 1978. According to this car's SCCA logbook, it was raced by Seydel until 1979. The SCCA Logbook records its "Manufacturers Identification No." as 722-16, but this was the chassis number reported in Europe to be Xavier Perrot's F2 car, so this identity remains unconfirmed.
3. Brabham BT38B [16] (Bill Middleton): Sold new to Bill Middleton (Newport Beach, CA) and raced in the 1972 SCCA Formula B series, starting at Watkins Glen in August 1972. Also raced in SCCA Nationals and at the SCCA Run-Offs. Retained by Middleton for 1973 and run in SCCA Nationals, winning at Holtville in March. Retained again for the early 1974 Nationals and then said to have been seized by the sheriff at the Phoenix National for unpaid alimony. Next seen in May 1975 when Pete Halsmer (Huntington Beach, CA) raced "the ex-Middleton Brabham BT-38" in Formula B. Raced by Halsmer for three seasons, during which time it was extensively modified by Halsmer. Halsmer won the Laguna Seca June Sprints in the BT38 in 1977. The car is then unknown for ten years, until it was bought by John Hafkenschiel as a disassembled roller from Grant Koaller (Lakewood, Ohio) in July 1987. Hafkenschiel used this car as a pattern for the restoration of his BT38B, then sold it to a Mr Schaffer in California in November 1988. Since Mr Schaffer's death, the car is believed to have remained with his family, and is still unrestored.
4. Brabham BT35 [32] (Gordon Strom): Raúl Pérez Gama was one of several Mexican customers of Fred Opert racing in the early 1970s. For 1971, he had a brand new orange-and-yellow Brabham BT35 and raced as part of the Fred Opert Racing team in Pro Formula B events with entry number #66. He retained the car for the two Bogotá races in early 1972 after which BT35-32 has been identified as the car driven in SCCA events by Gordon Strom (Santa Cruz, CA or Sunnyvale, CA) in 1972 and for the following three seasons, retaining the car's original orange and yellow colours throughout. For 1976, Strom acquired a Chevron B29 and the Brabham may have been traded back to Fred Opert.
5. Brabham BT29 (Bob Criss): Stephen M. Cole (Orange, CA) raced a Brabham in SCCA Regionals in Cal Club Region in 1971, winning the Cal Club Regional FB title. Although the type of the Brabham was not identified, it was presumably the same car he then entered for Bob Criss (originally from Terre Haute, IN, but by 1972 of Newport Beach, CA) in Pro Formula B races in 1972. Criss also raced a Brabham the Fort Sumner National in October 1971, and it seems likely that would have been this same car. The car was blue and wore #64 when raced by Criss in 1972. Cole himself also raced in Nationals and is thought to have been racing the same car at Riverside in May 1972. Criss signed with Mary & Tom Page's Page Racing for Indy racing in 1973 but was killed in a testing session in April 1973. Criss was Robert Dale Criss, born 1938, and should not be confused with the Bob Criss from Bethel Park, PA, who drove an Austin-Healey Sprite in SCCA racing as a member of Steel Cities Region at about this time. According to Richard Paul, Cole sold the Brabham via Chuck Willis to Jeff Alkana (Azusa, CA), who registered it with CSCC in July 1974, and went on to race it in the Formula B class in southern California from July 1974 to March 1975. The car was given as chassis BT29-16, but had been rebuilt on a new frame "WM74" fabricated by Wayne Mitchell. The car passed to William Nair in 1975, then at some later date from Nair to Terry Peterson, this sale being brokered by Wayne Mitchell. The car was acquired from Peterson by Peter McGlone in 1991, and remained with him until sold to Mark Shillingburg in 2018.
6. Brabham BT35 (Terry Allard): Terry Allard (Newbury Park, CA) raced a Brabham BT35 in SCCA events in 1972 and 1973, first appearing in the Pro event at Riverside in September 1972. It cannot have been Mike Hansen's BT35/31 or the Pacifico BT35/32 of Frank Fitch, as both were at that same race. In early 1973, a blue/red BT35 was advertised in Finish Line from an 805 area code, which matches Allard's location, saying it had seven races from new. Both the colour and the number of races make it a very good match for the car raced by Russ Tyndall (Addison, IL) in 1971. Allard retained the car for SCCA Regionals and Nationals in 1973, when the car was blue-white and wore #70, scoring 14 points and qualifying for the Runoffs. Unknown after the end of 1973.
7. Lola T240 [HU4] (Syd Demovsky): New to Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) and his red #11 Demovsky Racing Lola T240 in the 1971 Pro FB series. Retained for 1972 and again did a full season, still red and still using #11. In June 1973 it was sold together with HU5 by Charlie Hayes to Eric Steele of Formula Cars Inc (Mansfield, Ohio). It is believed that the two cars were intended for the Mid-Ohio Racing School. Subsequent history unknown. A car with this chassis number raced by Bob Juggins in 1996/97.
8. Brabham BT35 [39?] (Frank Fitch): New to Allan Lader in 1971 to replace the Brabham BT29 he had wrecked at Mexico City in June. Entered by Pacifico Inc. (Gresham, OR), and used by Lader to win at Road America in August and Mosport in September. Based on an annotation in a race program, this car is believed to be chassis BT35/39 (although a F3 car appeared in Germany in 1972 which is said to have the same chassis number). Presumably the Brabham BT35 entered by Pacifico for Frank Fitch at Riverside 24 Sep 1972 and, by extension, the Brabham raced by Fitch in other west coast events in 1972. Enetred by Fitch once in 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Lola T240 [HU15] (Ted Titmas): Invoiced to Hayes Racing in late June 1971, but it is now known how this car was used in 1971. To Ted Titmas (Van Nuys, CA) for Formula B in 1972. Retained for the first race of 1973. History then unclear until February 1978 when acquired by Rob Mullaney (Pleasant Hill, CA), but the car was still wearing Titmas's #4 Autohaus livery so may not have been used since 1973. Raced by Mullaney in SCCA Regionals in San Francisco Region in 1978. To Tom Tampi in January 1979, and raced in one SCCA Regional, then to Nathan Burmeister (Manton, CA) September 1980, and raced from 1981 to June 1984, when the car was retired and stored. Restored by Burmeister 2001 to 2003, and advertised by him on race-cars.com in February 2005. The car was acquired at that time or soon after by Bob Yarwood (Lymm, Cheshire) and returned to the UK. Later to Tim Harrison (Ripon, North Yorkshire).
10. Brabham BT29 [44] (Larry Wright): This late BT29 remained unused in 1970 and was sold by Charlie Hayes to Larry Wright (Riverside, CA) in Dec 1970, taking Wright's Chevron B15 in part exchange. Wright raced the orange-and-yellow #83 Brabham in Pro events and in SCCA National and Regional events on the west coast. In June 1973, he wrecked the car in practice for a National at Laguna Seca and replaced it with the ex-Archie Snider BT29. The damaged chassis went to Marc Bahner in 1974 who eventually repaired it and sold it to Lou Pavesi in 1980. It later passed to Steve Pike in Australia in 1993 and then to Jim McConville in 1998.
11. March 722 [33] (Dick Doherty): New to Dick Doherty (Hollywood, CA) and raced in Pro FB in 1972, as well as Cal Club SCCA events. Retained for Cal Club events in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Rebuilt by Wilbur Bunce to 75B specification for 1976, and run by him in Californian SCCA races for Dennis Firestone to drive, and later in Pro Formula Atlantic races in California for Ron Dykes, Rocky Moran, and Bob Lazier. It was red, and wore #10, #70 and #87 during the season. Sold to Ted Titmas (Van Nuys, CA) in early 1977, and run by him as a hire car in 1977, but Titmas had two cars in 1977, one red and one orange, and it is unclear which was which. Subsequent history unknown.
12. Brabham BT29 [45] (Phil Palm): This is one of a pair of late BT29s acquired by California dealer Charlie Hayes which remained unraced during 1970. It was sold it March 1971 to Doug Brenner (Pasadena, CA) and raced in Pro events and in SCCA Nationals that season. Brenner raced the yellow Brabham in the two Bogotá races in early 1972 and then sold it to Phil Palm and Ron Pohl 1972 who retained Brenner's entry number of #26 and raced the car in 1972. They sold it to Bill Summers (Middleton, WI) who raced it in SCCA Regional and Midwest Council races at Elkhart Lake, Brainerd, and Blackhawk Farms, and advertised it in October 1978 with a CRW engine. The next owner was Bob Mijolevic (Pardeeville, WI) who used it in Midwest Council events in 1980, later fitting a Mazda engine for use in autocross. Mijolevic last raced the car in September 1982 but after that the history is largely unknown until it was bought by Cy Moreland (Trainer, PA) who in turn sold it to Dave Burch (Los Altos, CA). Rebuilt in the mid-1990s using a replacement Marc Bahner chassis. Sold in late 2011 to Wayne Wilson (Sydney, NSW, Australia).
13. March 71BM [3] (Bob Newton): New to Chuck Willis's CRW Racing (Anaheim, CA) and leased to Jean de la Bruyere (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for Max Mizejewski (Woodland Hills, CA) to race in SCCA Formula B in 1971 as "The Edmonton Flyer". De la Bruyere then split from CRW and Ron Dykes (Marina del Rey, CA) then took over the 71Bm for Pro Formula B races and SCCA Nationals for the rest of 1971. Sold to Bob Newton (Cupertino, CA) and run in Pro FB and SCCA Nationals in 1972, 1973 and 1974. It was also raced by Craig Fraser (Santa Cruz, CA) in 1973 and 1974 before Newton's last known appearance in it in late 1974. To Jim Van Horn (Orange, CA) and raced in Cal Club Regionals in late 1975. Van Horn bought a newer Chevron B27 for 1976, but returned to the March for 1977, which was rebuilt to 76B specification by Marc Bahner and fitted with a BDA engine. The car was registered with the SCCA in September 1977, but curiously used the chassis number of a March 722, 722-38. Van Horn raced this car up to 1980. To Bill Hill (Olympia, WA) in 1981, fitted with a Mazda engine and a sports car body and raced the car in SCCA ASR and in Can-Am as the "Marzda" or the "Banana Crate". Crashed in an SCCA Regional (NW Region) at Olympia Airport in September 1986. Hill then bought a Lola T360 and the March chassis stayed in the rafters of his garage for many years. After Hill died, the car was sold to Phil Creighton (Georgia) in mid-2017, and then by him to Kevan McLurg (Brighton, UK) in 2018. Sold to Bruce Balchin (Southampton) in July 2019.
14. March 722 (Hugh "Wink" Bancroft): Hugh "Wink" Bancroft (Newport Beach, CA) raced a blue-and-white #82 March 722 in Formula B in 1972, under his own Bancroft Motorsport banner. He retained the car for 1973, when it ran as #12 and was fitted with Falconer bodywork. Later that season, the car was rented to Rocky Moran for a few races. Bancroft appeared in a few SCCA races at Riverside in the car during 1974, when it was still wearing Falconer bodywork. Subsequent history unresolved, but Richard Paul recalls buying this car for the 1975 season, when BDA engines were allowed in Pro races but not in SCCA races, fitting 732 bodywork and using it as a spare car.
15. Lola T240 (Charlie Powell): Bought by Jean de la Bruyere (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for Max Mizejewski (Woodland Hills, CA) to race in SCCA Formula B in 1971 as "The Edmonton Flyer", after an initial project involving a March 71BM fell apart. Raced by Mizejewski in two early races of the Canadian FB series, at Edmonton (as #27) and at Mont-Tremblant (as #97). The number #97 appears on a red T240 later in 1971, and in 1972, and it seems highly likely that this was the same car. It was used by Brooks Frybarger (Carmel, CA) in an SCCA Regional at Riverside in October 1971, and then by Gordon Strom (Santa Cruz, CA/Sunnyvale, CA), entered by The Tex-All Comp, at two raced at Riverside in February 1972. Frybarger then raced it in four more northern California FB events from April to June 1972, including the Pro FB race at Laguna Seca in May. Then sold to Charlie Powell (Riverside, CA), also sometimes called Chuck Powell, who raced it in Formula B in 1972 and early 1973. His only known races in the car are at his home town track but he may have ventured further afield. He crashed the car in an SCCA National in Feb 1973, when he flipped sideways and landed upside down on the barrier, resulting in a 10-day stay in hospital. He acquired a replacement car for 1974, now known to be HU6. The fate of this first car is unknown, but it is assumed to no longer exist.
16. Brabham BT29 [1] (John Angus): John Angus bought the first BT29, ordering the car as early as late summer of 1968 but taking delivery in August 1969. He ran it in Regionals in late 1969 before participating in the Pro series in 1970. He swapped from a Vegantune to a Racing Services engine for 1971 and continued in Nationals. Angus continued with the car in 1972, when Ron Dykes also drove it in the Bogotá races and again in 1973, when the car continued to be competitive at National level. To Marc Bahner (Santa Ana, CA) for 1974, and rebodied by him with March bodywork. Raced by Bahner in local SCCA events in 1974 and 1975. Bahner retained the car for many years, advertising it in December 1996 as "absolutely new - needing paint and assembly".
17. Brabham BT29 (Jon Milledge): Jim Gutfreund (Des Moines, Iowa) bought a new Brabham BT29 for 1970 and ran it in Midwest Div Formula B, winning two races and leading the division until his BRM-built Ford twin-cam blew. He sold the car to Archie Snider (Los Gatos, CA) for 1971 and Snider continued with the BRM engine until joining forces with Jon Milledge (Mountain View, CA) who crewed the car for Snider in Regionals while racing it in Nationals and in Pro events. They continued with the car through 1972 and into 1973, before Snider replaced it with a GRD. It then went to Larry Wright (Riverside, CA) to replace his earlier BT29 that he'd wrecked in June 1973. Wright kept the car until 1976 after which he retired and sold the car to "an unknown guy who lived in the Sierra Madre area of So Cal, near Pasadena".
18. Lola T240 (Lee Pitman): Lee Pitman (La Hambra Heights, CA) raced an orange #57 Lola T240 in SCCA races at Riverside and Laguna Seca from 1972 to 1978 at least. He was a member of CSCC but rarely scored points at National level. Nothing more known.
19. Brabham BT29 [38] (Mike Eyerly): John Ranson Lewis III, who raced as Randy Lewis (Sunnyvale, CA), had a blue Brabham BT29 for 1970 which was entered as #7. He raced the car through the full Pro season, finishing fourth at Sears Point in June and at Road America in August, end ending the season in eighth place in the championship. He did not compete in SCCA Nationals. The car was sold to Bunny Ribbs (San Jose, CA) for Mike Eyerly to drive in FB in 1971 (#63) and 1972 (#80). Jon Milledge also drove Ribbs car at Brainerd in Sep 1972. Ribbs, father of future Trans-Am star Willy T. Ribbs, advertised the car at the end of 1972. This is presumably the blue #80 Brabham BT29 raced by Lee Midgley at Road America in August 1973 and driven by Archie Snider at Trois-Rivières a week later. Subsequent history unknown.

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.

1970 US FB results were compiled from Autoweek reports by Jim Thurman; 1971 results were transcribed from Autoweek by Allen Brown and 1972 results were compiled by Chris Townsend from an SCCA results publication.

The US Formula B series did not continue in 1973 but a race was organised in Caracas in March 1973 that fits here probably better than anywhere else, as do the occasional SCCA F/Atlantic and FB races in 1974 and 1975.

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.