Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Mont-Tremblant, 11 Jul 1976

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

Notes on the cars:

1. March 76B [10 or 15?] (Gilles Villeneuve): 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. According to Ecurie Canada mechanic Graham Scott, Villeneuve used his main car for all his wins, only racing his spare car at Westwood. At the end of the season, Villeneuve's main car was returned to Shierson, who rented it to Tom Pumpelly for the SCCA Run-Offs at Road Atlanta, where Pumpelly crashed it. John Norman (Oakland, CA) bought the remains of the Road Atlanta wreck and rebuilt it, then racing it as part of a two-car team with Dan Marvin in 1977 and 1978. Norman sold the car around 1984 to Graham Scott, but he lacked the finance to restore it. He sold it back to Norman, in partnership with Paul Pfanner, and it was restored to Villeneuve's livery by Norman, Dan Marvin, and others.
2. Lola T460 [HU6] (Tom Klausler): New to Tom Klausler (Palatine, IL) and raced in IMSA and Canadian Formula Atlantic in 1976, entered by Traylor Engineering. Then to Jerry Hansen (Long Lake, MN) in 1977, who borrowed it when his new Lola T560 was later being delivered. Chris Townsend's research shows that this car was briefly owned by Ed Midgley (Geneva, IL) in 1978, then sold to Niki Karabetsos (Chicago, IL) for 1979, and then to Sebastian Puleo (Chicago, IL) for SCCA drivers school and Regionals from 1982 to 1984. In 2005, it was acquired in Detroit by Derek Harling (Windsor Ontario), and retained by him as a source of spares for his T460 HU11. Harling sold both his T460s around 2017 to Joe Bunton (Fort Collins, CO).
3. Ralt RT1/76 [30] (Bertil Roos): 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 Bertil Roos in the 1976 Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in white Gabriel International Warranty livery. Unknown after 1976.
4. March 76B [4?] (Bobby Rahal): Doug Shierson Racing ran an orange #9 March 76B in 1976 for Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL). There were four orange March 76Bs according to March records but only one was built as part of the first batch of cars, 76B-4, strongly suggesting this was Rahal's car. The subsequent history of this car is not known until it was advertised in 1985 as "ex-Villeneuve".
5. March 76B [13] (Price Cobb): 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.
6. March 76B (Tom Pumpelly): Bobby Rahal had a spare March 76B for the 1976 Formula Atlantic season, which he recalls was on loan from Doug Shierson. He raced this car at Westwood in late May, but is believed to have used his main car at all other races. Shierson loaned this car to Tom Pumpelly to race at Mont-Tremblant on 11 July, after Pumpelly had wrecked his usual car in practice. This car is likely to have returned to Shierson, either after the CASC season completed on 22 August or after the IMSA season concluded in early October. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Lola T460 [HU1] (Héctor Rebaque): New to Carl Haas Racing for Héctor Rebaque to race in Canadian and IMSA Formula Atlantic races. Norman Allen (Hanover Park, IL) then raced a Lola in Central Division Formula B in 1977 and 1978, identified as a T460 at one Regional in 1978, and he advertised an "ex-Rebaque" Lola T460 in November 1978. Eleven years later, in September 1989, Michael Duncan (Los Altos, CA) advertised T460 "chassis #1" which he described as an "Ex-Carl Haas/works car driven by Tom Klausler/Hector Rebaque". Subsequent history unknown.
8. March 76B [11] (James King): New to Isola Racing for Seb Barone (Portland, CT or Dilliner, PA) to drive as the team's #28 entry in 1976, but run by Doug Shierson Racing. Barone crashed the car at Trois-Rivières in September and was not seen in it again. According to former Ecurie Canada/James Morgan mechanic Graham Scott, this car was rebuilt, updated to Ecurie Canada specification and sold to James Morgan for the 1977 season, together with the ex-Gilles Villeneuve spare car. Exactly how these two cars were used is unknown, but it is assumed here that Morgan himself raced the ex-Villeneuve car in early 1977 SCCA Nationals, entered as #56, and the ex-Barone car was fielded as the #65 for Bill Prout to use at first, then taken over by Bobby Rahal. Rahal then took over the #56 car for the Pro series, leaving the ex-Barone car as a spare car, presumably the one raced by Terry Visger at Halifax in August (#55) and by Morgan at Lime Rock in September (#65). This car is unknown in 1978 and 1979, but was acquired in 1980 by Ron Levanduski (Elmira, NY), who drove a March "773" in SCCA Regional and National Formula Atlantic races at his local Watkins Glen in 1980. He retained the car for 1981, when he also used the "76B/77B" in the CASC Formula Atlantic series race at Montréal in September. He appeared in it again a few times in 1982. An advert described the car as being both ex-Villeneuve and ex-Rahal, indicating it was one of the James Morgan team cars in 1977, but it was also described in a press report as the car used by James Hunt at Trois-Rivières. In June 1988, Levanduski mentioned in his 'Trackside' column in the Elmire Star-Gazette that the ex-Villeneuve 76B, which he still owned, had been restored to its 1976 Direct Film livery and was due to go on display at the Gilles Villeneuve Museum which was opening on 24 June. In May 2012, Levanduski mentioned the car again in his column, saying he had owned it since 1980, that it was chassis 11, and that Villeneuve had driven it just once in a race, at Westwood in 1976. In 2014, a feature on Levanduski mentioned that he had once a race at Watkins Glen in a 76B that was "later driven by James Hunt of the move 'Rush' fame to a third place finish at Trois-Rivières"! The chassis plate on the car in the museum confirms that it is chassis 76B-11, so the ex-Barone car.
9. Chevron B34 [34-76-26] (Howdy Holmes): New to Bill Scott Racing for Howdy Holmes, replacing 76-09 burnt out at Laguna Seca. Sponsored by Jiffy Mixes. Raced by Holmes for most of the season, but by Tom Pumpelly in the final IMSA round at Road Atlanta. Crashed here and said to have been "destroyed" but likely to have been rebuilt. This is presumably the "ex-Howdy Holmes" Chevron B34 raced by Jim Lyles (Columbia, MD/Palm Beach, FL) in SCCA Regionals and Nationals from 1977 onwards. In late 1983 it was damaged in a racing accident and sold unrepaired to Dennis Austin in late 1983/early 1984. He rebuilt it and used it in the ECAR series in 1985 and 1986. Sold to Ron Parks (Florida) in 1987.
10. March 76B [18] (Bobby Brown): New to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) to replace a Chevron B34 and raced in Pro events and in SCCA NEDiv FB in 1976, winning the 1976 Run-Offs. Brown won an early-season SCCA National at Charlotte in April 1977 before moving into Can-Am with a March 77S. The 76B was advertised in Road Racers Magazine in November 1977, so Brown must have kept it through the 1977 season. The car is then unknown for the next three seasons, returning to view when it was sold by fabricator Marc Bahner (Santa Ana, CA) to Chris Bender (Reno, NV) at the end of 1980. This is presumably the car Bender used to finish third in Northern Pacific Division Formula Atlantic in 1981. Bender later sold it to Ric Shaw (Santa Rosa, CA) who ran it as a CSR in NPDiv from 1982 to 1985, and then as a Formula Atlantic. Subsequent history unknown, until sold by Mark Rincon (Redding, CA) to Ken Stone (Redding, CA) some time before 2010, then sold to Jack Woodruff (Vail, Colorado) in 2013. It was restored from CSR to Formula Atlantic spec by Bahner but Woodruff wrecked the car at Laguna Seca when the front suspenson collapsed. It returned to Bahner again for a new chassis, and was racing again by 2020.
11. Lola T460 [HU17] (Tim Coconis): New to Tim Coconis (Palo Alto, CA) for Canadian and IMSA Formula Atlantic races in 1976. Retained for SCCA Nationals in 1977, 1978 and 1979. Sold to John Keller, who continued to run the car in SCCA events up to the mid-1980s. Bought by Don Harris in 1990, who confirmed the provenance to Chris Townsend. Sold by Harris to Terry Fullerton (UK) in May 2007. Painted during this time in Tim Coconis's 1978 Carmel Plaza livery. In late 2010/early 2011 it went to Jim Blockley, who sold it a year later to Fred Phillips in South Africa. Phillips raced it at East London in 2012. Bought from Phillips by Andre Bezuidenhout in early 2019.
12. 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.
13. March 75B/76B (Tim Cooper): Tim Cooper (Kansas City, MO) raced a yellow #8 March 75B for Doug Shierson Racing in 1975 with backing from Rutledge Oil. Joe Grimaldi recalls that Cooper hired a new 75B from the team for 1975, and that the car then returned to Shierson. Chip Mead drove Cooper's car at Halifax, with Mead's bodywork transplanted onto it. Cooper moved to Wilbur Bunce Racing in California for 1976, taking the 75B with him, and the car was updated to "75B/76B" specification during the season.
14. 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. It then went to Dennis d'Angelo (Duck Key, FL) in 1988, Randy Goodman in 1989, Chris Cunningham (Cold Spring, NY) in 1991, Peter McLaughlin (Hannover, NH) in 2004, Fred Kaimer (Concord, CA) in 2006 and Danny Baker in 2021. It was sold to Dave Vegher of Veloce Motors West (Petaluma, CA) in 2022 and then to Dave Zurlinden (Monterey, CA) in 2023. [CT]
15. Chevron B29 (Marcel Talbot): Marcel Talbot (Granby, Quebec), raced a second-hand Chevron B29 in the 1976 CASC and IMSA Formula Atlantic championships. The car was black and raced as #10, with Tamaco Industries sponsorship. After Mont-Tremblant in July, he upgraded to a new Chevron B34. Nothing more known.
16. March 73B [12] (Frank Del Vecchio): New to Frank DelVecchio (Trumbull, CT) and raced in SCCA Formula B and in rounds of the Players (Canadian) Formula B series in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. When Formula B changed in 1975 to accept the BDA engine, Frank continued with a fuel-injected Ford twin cam engine. He recalls that he sold the car to Peter Neumahr, who had raced a 71BM/733 in 1976 and would progress to a new 77B in 1977, but is thought to have raced this 73B briefly in late 1976 and early 1977. Neumahr sold the car to Jack Deaso (New York, NY), who DelVecchio recalls crashing it at Lime Rock first time out. Subsequent history unknown.
17. Chevron B34 [34-76-18] (Rick Bell): To Rick Bell (Lakeville, CT) and used in Northeast Division Formula B, entered by Bell Racing. Also raced in two Pro races in Canada in July and August. Retained for 1977 again for NEDiv FB, but also taking in two Pro races at Trois-Rivières and Québec City. Subsequent history unknown.
18. Chevron B29 [29-75-03] (Carl Liebich): New to Fred Opert Racing as a Formula 2 car for Hector Rebaque. Raced by Rebaque in the first five races of the season and then hired to Maxime Bochet for Pau in May. The car was next seen in September when it was raced by Rebaque at Zolder and Nogaro, and it was very probably the car then driven by Tom Bagley at Vallelunga in October. It was then converted to Formula Atlantic specification and sold to Carl Liebich (Plymouth, WI) and used in the IMSA and Players Formula Atlantic series. In August, Liebich acquired a new Lola T460, and the Chevron was advertised by Lola importer Carl Haas in November 1976. The history of the Chevron is then unknown until it was advertised by David Klutsenbaker (Nashville, TN) in February 1984. Klutsenbaker had owned a 1972 Brabham BT38B until January 1983, so it likely that he had only had the Chevron for one season. The B29 was bought by Ted Voruz (Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin) in 1990. It was bought from Voruz by Howard Blight (Sydney, NSW) in late 2005, and raced in a few events in 2008. Then to David Kent, and raced by him from 2013 to 2016.
19. Lola T460 (Craig Hill): Entered by Brian Robertson's Quick-Trans Racing for Craig Hill (London/Missassagua, Ontario) in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1976, sponsored by Gabriel International Warranty. Collided with Marcel Talbot in practice at Trois-Rivières in September 1976 and not seen again.
20. Chevron B34 [34-76-14] (Bill Brack): New to Bill Brack (Clarkson/Toronto, Ontario) and used in North American Formula Atlantic, entered by Bill Brack Racing and sponsored by STP. Brack crashed heavily in the second practice session at Laguna Seca and "wrote off" the car, but was back up and running at Ontario Motor Speedway just a week later. He drove the B34 for the rest of the 1976 season. Brack moved to Doug Shierson Racing for 1977 to drive a March 77B, and the subsequent history of the Chevron B34 is unknown.
21. Chevron B29 (William Kneeland): Bill Kneeland (Franklin, NH) bought a pale blue Chevron B29 from Fred Opert for the 1976 season. He raced it in several Pro races as well as a program of SCCA racing in 1976 with support from Real Estatement Marketing. Photographs show that Kneeland's B29 was driven by Max Sebba (Sandy Springs, GA) at the SCCA Runoffs, instead of the much older March 722 he had used in SCCA Nationals. Kneeland did race at the Runoffs, so it seems likely he had hired a new car, so a B34, from Opert. Kneeland acquired the first of the Chevron B39s for 1977, but the Runoffs at the end of October 1976 is too early for it to have been that car. The B29 went back to Fred Opert as a trade on the new car. Subsequent history unknown.
22. March 76B (Marty Loft): Marty Loft (Olympia, WA) hired a March 76B from Doug Shierson Racing for the 1976 Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series. The car was orange and entered as #4 with support from Hanna Car Washes, who had sponsored Loft during his very successful Formula Ford season in 1975. Loft won at Westwood, but crashed in the final series round at Mosport in August. Subsequent history unknown, but this may have been the car that was repainted black for Vittorio Brambilla to drive at Trois-Rivières in September with Sony backing.
23. Chevron B34 [34-76-16] (Hugh "Wink" Bancroft): New to Hugh "Wink" Bancroft (Newport Beach, CA/Costa Mesa, CA) and run for him by Fred Opert Racing in North American Formula Atlantic in 1976. His car was entered by Performance Marketing, the tyres, parts and repair services company Bancroft had founded five years earlier. It appears that he moved from Opert to Shierson Racing in time for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in early September. Bancroft crashed the B34 in practice at Trois-Rivières, and it was reported to have been written off. The Chevron was replaced with a March 76B, but it is quite possible that the car returned to Opert and was repaired.
24. Chevron B29 [29-75-23] (Syd Demovsky): New to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) and run by his B&B Racing for customer Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) in the CASC Players Formula Atlantic series in 1975. Retained by B&B Racing and Demovsky for 1976. Sold to Bob Williams, and raced in SCCA Central Division Nationals and Regionals in 1977. Retained by Williams for 1978. To Richard Shepard (San Francisco, CA) by 1980 and run by him in Formula Atlantic in Colorado until 1985. Then unknown until owned by Peter Gates in 1990. Sold by Gates to Robert Clarke in 1992, and still with him as a bare tub in 2006.
25. Lola T460 [HU4] (Tom Gloy): New to Pierre Phillips of Pierre's Motor Racing, and entered for Tom Gloy to race in IMSA and Canadian Formula Atlantic in 1976. Gloy then moved to Allan McCall's Tui team, and the Lola was next seen raced by Phil Currey (Concord, CA) in 1976 and 1977. Unknown after November 1977, but probably the "ex-Gloy" T460 advertised by Rob Mullaney (San Francisco, CA) in 1981 and 1982. Also likely to be the "ex Gloy" T460 advertised from Britton, OK, a suburb of Oklahoma City, in December 1987.
26. March 75B (Vince Muzzin): Vince Muzzin (Northville, Michigan) drove a red #99 March 75B for Doug Shierson Racing in Formula Atlantic in 1975. Muzzin's main focus in 1975 was Formula Ford, but he retained the 75B for another season of Atlantic in 1976, but without any success. He advertised the car in November 1976, noting that it had a McCoy engine, and again in April 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
27. Chevron B34 [34-76-21] (Lloyd Callaway): New to Fred Opert Racing for Jim Crawley in the IMSA Formula Atlantic series, appearing at Road Atlanta in April and Laguna Seca in May. He then missed the Ontario Motor Speedway as the car was reported to have been "destroyed" in a testing crash at Willow Springs. It was evidently rebuilt in time to be rented by Ric Forest at Edmonton in May. Crawley raced it again at Westwood, when it was pale blue and entered by Opert as #52. This is presumably the car then entered for Lloyd Callaway (Chicago, IL) to drive at Mont-Tremblant, Halifax and Mosport Park in July and August 1976, as his car was also pale blue and entered by Opert as #52. Like RJ Nelkin's similarly semi-private car, it evidently returned to Fred Opert Racing after these three races. It may then have been one of the cars hired from Opert for the SCCA Runoffs by Bill Anspach and Bill Kneeland. It is then thought to be the car used by Eddie Marcello at the Philippines GP in December. In January 1977, Opert took a team out to the New Zealand Formula Pacific series, and chassis 76-21 was identified as the car raced there by Keke Rosberg, winning three of the five races and taking four pole positions. It was then sold to Pocolo Ramirez (Philippines) and raced by him in southeast Asian races from 1977 to 1982. It is believed to have been imported into New Zealand from Asia by Graham Simms. It was then sold to Ken Smith and then Andy Higgins in New Zealand, then acquired by David Gathercole in 2009. He fully rebuilt it to Formula Atlantic specification by June 2011 for Rod Stead, who raced it at HSCC Donington Park in May 2012. Bought from Stead in November 2012 by Andy Huxtable. Raced by Huxtable in HSCC Derek Bell Trophy races in 2013.
28. Chevron B34 [34-76-19] (Robert J. Nelkin): Tom Bagley (Centre Hall, PA) raced a yellow-and-blue Chevron B34 run by Fred Opert Racing in three IMSA Formula Atlantic races in early 1976, with Kent Oil sponsorship. This car was then raced by Juan Cochésa (Venezuela) in the Players Formula Atlantic series, starting at Edmonton on 16 May. Chris Waddell's report from Edmonton for Autosport described Cochésa's car as "an Opert B34 driven earlier in the year by Tom Bagley". Cochésa then moved to a new car, and the ex-Bagley car was sold to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY), who first raced it in an SCCA National at Summit Point in late June. He then raced it in Pro and SCCA races for the rest of 1976. Nelkin recalls that the car was then returned to Opert to be used as a spare car for Keke Rosberg and Mikko Kozarowitzky to use in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977. After the 1977 New Zealand series, the car was sold to Norman Lankshear (Feilding, New Zealand) and raced in the Gold Star series in 1977/78 and 1978/79, and the International series in early 1978 and early 1979. It was then sold to Bryan Hartley (Palmerston) and raced by him in the 1981/82 season. The car was then sold to John Wigston (Auckland), fitted with a Ford crossflow engine and used in hillclimbs in New Zealand in the late 1980s. Wigston was reported to still have the car in October 2016.
29. March 722/75B (Dave Walker): Vern Schuppan raced in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975 in a March 722 prepared by Rick Shea's Shea Racing. The car was yellow-and-white, in 73B (or 74B) bodywork, and ran as #11 with support from Rapid Movements. Later in the season, the car was raced by Shea himself at Brainerd in September. At the start of the 1976 season, Shea ran the car for Dave Walker. It was now described as a March "72-75" and was black, but still entered as #11. After Walker drove it in the first four races, it was later raced by Bob Beyea, Shea himself, and by Damien Magee at Trois-Rivières in September. The car was then sold to Frank Monise (Pasadena, CA), so is presumably the blue-and-white #25 March "75B" that he raced in southern Californian SCCA Nationals in 1977 and 1978. Advertised by Monise in September 1978 as a March "72 updated to 76" with "fresh CRW BDD". It was traded by Monise to Pierre Phillips in part-exchange on one of Rahal's Ralts in 1979.
30. March 76B [11] (Seb Barone): New to Isola Racing for Seb Barone (Portland, CT or Dilliner, PA) to drive as the team's #28 entry in 1976, but run by Doug Shierson Racing. Barone crashed the car at Trois-Rivières in September and was not seen in it again. According to former Ecurie Canada/James Morgan mechanic Graham Scott, this car was rebuilt, updated to Ecurie Canada specification and sold to James Morgan for the 1977 season, together with the ex-Gilles Villeneuve spare car. Exactly how these two cars were used is unknown, but it is assumed here that Morgan himself raced the ex-Villeneuve car in early 1977 SCCA Nationals, entered as #56, and the ex-Barone car was fielded as the #65 for Bill Prout to use at first, then taken over by Bobby Rahal. Rahal then took over the #56 car for the Pro series, leaving the ex-Barone car as a spare car, presumably the one raced by Terry Visger at Halifax in August (#55) and by Morgan at Lime Rock in September (#65). This car is unknown in 1978 and 1979, but was acquired in 1980 by Ron Levanduski (Elmira, NY), who drove a March "773" in SCCA Regional and National Formula Atlantic races at his local Watkins Glen in 1980. He retained the car for 1981, when he also used the "76B/77B" in the CASC Formula Atlantic series race at Montréal in September. He appeared in it again a few times in 1982. An advert described the car as being both ex-Villeneuve and ex-Rahal, indicating it was one of the James Morgan team cars in 1977, but it was also described in a press report as the car used by James Hunt at Trois-Rivières. In June 1988, Levanduski mentioned in his 'Trackside' column in the Elmire Star-Gazette that the ex-Villeneuve 76B, which he still owned, had been restored to its 1976 Direct Film livery and was due to go on display at the Gilles Villeneuve Museum which was opening on 24 June. In May 2012, Levanduski mentioned the car again in his column, saying he had owned it since 1980, that it was chassis 11, and that Villeneuve had driven it just once in a race, at Westwood in 1976. In 2014, a feature on Levanduski mentioned that he had once a race at Watkins Glen in a 76B that was "later driven by James Hunt of the move 'Rush' fame to a third place finish at Trois-Rivières"! The chassis plate on the car in the museum confirms that it is chassis 76B-11, so the ex-Barone car.
31. March 76B [6?] (Tom Outcault): Tom Outcault (Middletown, OH or Cranford, NJ) raced a blue #31 March 76B in 1976, entered by Tom Outcault Racing. The colour suggests that this was 76B-6, the only blue car in March records for which an owner is not known. Outcault appears to have retained the car for SCCA racing in 1977, but is thought to have acquired a 77B later that season. Outcault was still racing a 76B or 77B as late as 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
32. Lola T460 [HU7] (Richard Melville): New to Wilbur Bunce Racing, and raced by Richard Melville and Dennis Firestone in IMSA and Canadian Formula Atlantic in the first half of 1976. Reappeared in early 1977 for Dennis Firestone in an SCCA National, then to Sam Nicolosi (San Diego) for the rest of the year. Retained by Nicolosi for 1978 for SCCA Nationals and Regionals. Advertised by Nicolosi in September 1978. Subsequent history unknown, but Nicolosi recalls that he sold it to "a racer in SCCA North Western region".
33. Chevron B34 [34-76-15] (Gilles Léger): 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.
34. March 75B (Joe Shepherd): Joe Shepherd (Indianapolis, IN) raced a #7 or #97 March 75B in SCCA National, Players Canadian and IMSA series races in 1976. He advertised the car in October 1976, noting that it had only raced three times in 1976. This car was unusual for a March 75B as a Tom Schultz photograph taken at the Road America June Sprints shows that it did not have a standard 75B left-hand radiator. Also at the back of the car, it can be seen to have its oil tank behind the gearbox, as on a 73B, this having been moved to the side of the gearbox on the 74B. That would suggest it was a 73B updated to side-radiator 75B form, and the obvious contender for this would be Price Cobb's March 73B/74B/75B, last seen at the end of 1975. Nothing more known.
35. Lola T460 (Richard Spenard): Entered by Brian Robertson's Quick-Trans Racing for Bertil Roos (Blakeslee, PA) in the opening rounds of the Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1976, sponsored by Gabriel International Warranty. After three races, Robertson replaced it with a new Ralt RT1. As teammate Craig Hill continued to race his Lola, this ex-Roos car must be the car raced by Richard Spenard (Montréal, Quebec) as the #22 Planter's Peanuts entry when he joined the team at Mont-Tremblant in July. He then moved to a Ralt for the next race, so the history of the Roos Lola T460 is not known after July 1976.
36. Chevron B34 [34-76-23?] (Juan Cochésa): Invoiced to Fred Opert Racing and believed to be the pale blue #5 Chevron B34 raced by Opert's customer Gordon Smiley in the first three races of the Canadian series, at Edmonton, Westwood and Gimli. It is then likely to be the pale blue car raced by Opert's F2 customer Juan Cochésa in the Canadian series races at Mont-Tremblant, Halifax and Mosport Park, and then at Trois-Rivières and Road Atlanta. As 76-19, 76-21 and 76-25 were all taken out by Opert to New Zealand and sold, this is the most likely candidate to be the spare B34 used by Opert's team in 1977.
37. Chevron B34 [34-76-20] (Kevin Cogan): New to Bill Brack Racing and raced by Kevin Cogan in the IMSA and Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic series in 1976. Unknown in 1977 and 1978. By late 1978, it was in the hands of Del Schloemer (Philippines) and raced by him and by Cherie Schloemer in Southeast Asia in 1979. Then unknown in 1980, but raced by Amir Mokhtar at the Shah Alam Grand Prix in 1981. Subsequent history unknown.
38. March 76B [12] (Herman Gugliotta): New to Isola Racing for Herman Gugliotta (Dilliner, PA) to drive as the team's #33 entry in 1976, but run by Doug Shierson Racing. Unknown in 1977 and for most of 1978, but Gugliotta returned in late 1978, in a Formula Atlantic March that was later identified as an updated 76B, presumably the car he had owned from new. Gugliotta won the 1979 NE Div title in this car, and scored points again in NEDiv in 1980. The car passed to Lyle Heck (Reading, PA) who scored points in it in NEDiv in 1981, and still owned it in 1982. Advertised by Heck in June and July 1982. Subsequent history unknown.
39. Lola T360 (Joe Colantonio): Joe Colantonio (Glenolden, PA) raced a Lola T360 in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series and the IMSA Formula Atlantic Championship in 1976. His car was white with a black stripe, and carried support Dynacord and Barcus Berry. In May 1977, he advertised the car, noting that it had a new monocoque in April 1977 and had been "completely gone over". Subsequent history unknown.
40. Modus M3 [041-FA] (Lynn Bentson): New to Lynn Bentson (Las Vegas, NV) and used in the IMSA and Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic series in 1976.
41. Lola T360 (Victor Larose): David Westgate (Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada) raced a Lola T360 at Trois-Rivières in August 1975. In 1976, Westgate entered a T360 for Victor Larose (Mount Royal, Quebec) at Mont-Tremblant, Mosport Park and Trois-Rivières. Nothing more known.
42. Lola T360 [HU6] (Gary Magwood): New via North American agent Carl Haas and Canadian agent Brian Robertson to Jack Burnett for Gary Magwood (Toronto, Ontario) to race in the Canadian John Player Formula Atlantic series in 1974. Also raced by Magwood at the US GP Formula Atlantic support race at Watkins Glen in October 1974, but then not seen until Magwood returned to Formula Atlantic in July 1976. Comprehensively destroyed in Magwood's accident at Halifax in August 1976.
43. Brabham BT40 (Howard Kelly): Craig Hill (Missassagua, Ontario, Canada) raced a white #2 Brabham BT40 in the Players Canadian Formula B series in 1973, entered by Fother Hill Ltd with sponsorship from Castrol GTX. Retained by Hill for 1974 and fitted with a Cosworth BDA engine for the new Formula Atlantic series, when it ran as #4. Unknown in 1975. It was bought from Opert Racing's Brian Robertson by Howard Kelly (Kingston, Ontario), and raced at the IMSA Formula Atlantic race at Road Atlanta in April 1976, then at a couple of later Players rounds in Canada. Kelly traded it to Jerry Jolly (Denver, CO) for a Lola T322/4 Formula Super Vee. Owners after Jolly are believed to have been George Gettel (Denver, CO) - so it would be the Brabham he raced in 1979 - then Sherry M Fagans in 1981, then Jim Christiansen and then Ron Doyle, who had been Fagans' mechanic at one stage. It was then owned by a man named Forrest Grove (Denver, CO) in 1984, and raced by him with a Mazda engine in ASR in 1985 and 1986. Grove won the MiDiv Regional title in ASR in this car in 1986. After Grove's death, it was acquired from his son by John Streeter (Ford Collins, CO) in 2009.
44. Lola T460 [HU9] (Michael Landrum): New to Pierre Phillips of Pierre's Motor Racing, and raced by a succession of hire drivers in IMSA and Canadian Formula Atlantic in early 1976. Last seen in the Pro at Mont-Tremblant in July 1976, but in early August Jim Mullins appeared in a T460 at a Sears Point National entered at #36, the same number Michael Landrum had used in HU9's last Pro appearance four weeks earlier. In May 1977, Monte Shelton (Portland, OR) won an ICSCC race at Portland in a Lola T460 entered as #136, and the entry number and location suggest very strongly that this was Pierre Phillips' car, retained as a rental car in SCCA Nationals. Unknown after May 1977.
45. Chevron B34 [34-76-10] (Bill Scott): New to Bill Scott Racing and raced by Johnny Gerber in the IMSA and Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic series. Gerber's car was white with red/green trim, representing Mexico, and was sponsored by Batab. After six races, he crashed his car at Gimli in June and was then said to be out of budget. Bill Scott himself drove it at Mont-Tremblant in July, and it was raced by John Barringer and Elliot Forbes-Robinson later in the season. Subsequent history unknown.
46. Chevron B29 [29-75-28] (Hugh Cree): New to Hugh Cree (Georgetown, Ontario) and used in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series in 1975. Retained for 1976 and 1977, but seen only rarely. Subsequent history unknown, but possibly the March-nosed Chevron B29 advertised by Martin Handforth (Ottawa, Ontario) in 1984 with "less than ten races on car since new". Next seen when bought from Peter Gates by Robert Clarke (Santa Clarita, CA) in April 1991, at which time the car had been sitting unused for some time. Clarke restored the car and used it in historic events in 1992 and 1993, mostly at VARA events including Firebird, Phoenix, Willow Springs, Las Vegas and Sears Point, then less regularly from 1994 to 1998, after which it sat unused until it was advertised by him in 2011. The car was later driven by John Hill (Seattle, WA) at the 2014 Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
47. Chevron B27 [27-74-18] (Tom Christ): Chevron build record says sold to Bobby Brown of B&B Racing Enterprises, June 1974. The car was badly damaged in an accident at Trois Rivieres in 1974. Brown says that the remains were returned to Chevron in p/x for two B29s in 1975. However, advertised by Brown in May and June 1975 as 'not raced since complete rebuild at Chevron' which suggests that the car came back to him. Sold later in 1975 to Thomas Christ (Racine, WI), and raced by him in SCCA Nationals in late 1975, then in Pro Formula Atlantic and SCCA Nationals in 1976 and 1977. To John Scola (Kenosha, WI) for 1978 and 1979, and raced by him as late as July 1981. Then unknown until owned by Daniel Sauriol (Appleton, WI) in 1984. Sold to Cliff Ebben (Appleton, WI) at the end of the 1984 season, then sold by him to Comprep (i.e. Dennis Eade of ComPrep (Competition Preparation) in Zenda, WI) for ComPrep customer Alan Lewis (Indianapolis, IN). Run by ComPrep for Eade. Sold to Alan Azar (O'Fallon, IL) in 1999. With dealer Chuck Haines of Can-Am Cars Ltd (St. Louis, MO) in 2018.
48. 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.
49. LM Special 76 [March 71BM-2] (Mauro Lanaro): New for Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) and used in British Formula Atlantic at the start of the season, winning at Oulton Park 21 March, and then in the SCCA Pro Formula B series. The car was often described as a 712M but it seems more likely that he used the same 712BM all season. Also raced with a BDA in the Formula A race at Lime Rock in Sep and in one round of the Canadian series. Sold via Joe Grimaldi's The Race Shop to Frank Del Vecchio (Trumbull, CT) and used in NEDiv FB and in a couple of rounds of the Pro series. Sold back via Joe Grimaldi at the end of 1972; Frank thinks it went to a Canadian, and it is very likely to have been the car driven by Ken Huband, Norm Joy and David Westgate in 1973 and 1974. Sold to Mauro Lanaro (Montréal, Quebec) to replace the 71BM he lost in a transporter fire in 1974. Significantly modified in 1976 as the Lanaro Special with triangular sidepods, a different nose, and with its Cosworth BDA engine laid on its side. This car went through many evolutions, and was still being raced by Lanaro right up to 1995 when it was used in a vintage event. Lanaro eventually rebuilt to original 71BM specification about 1999. In late 2018, it was part of a package of cars bought from Lanaro by David Clubine (Brantford, ON), and was sold to a collector in Ontario.
50. March 74B [6] (Ron Rogers): New to Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada), and raced by him in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series. He competed in all seven rounds of the series, with a best result of second place at Edmonton in June, and took pole position at Sanair in July. He then competed in the Trois-Rivières race in September, and in the two Pro Formula B races later in the season, at Waterford Hills in September, and the US GP support race at Watkins Glen in October. The car was sold for 1975 to Jean Beaulieu (Quebec City, Quebec, Canada), who appeared very briefly at the start of the 1975 series, but he failed to start the opening race after a number of problems that culminated with a rod through the side of the engine. He sold the car to Ron Rogers (Trenton, Ontario), who raced it mostly in club events in 1976 and 1977 before selling it to Jim Close. Rogers ran the car for Close until Close took it back to California. Sold back to Rogers in the early 1990s, and retained until November 2020, when it was sold to Tom Smith of TS Historics (Newbury, Berkshire).
51. March 76B [15 or 10?] (Gilles Villeneuve): 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. The main car was owned by Ecurie Canada, but the spare car was on loan from March importer Doug Shierson. According to Graham Scott, who worked for Ecurie Canada in 1976 and then for James Morgan in 1977, Villeneuve's spare car was only raced once, at Westwood at the end of May. Villeneuve then crashed it in testing at St Jovite (Mont-Tremblant) in July, and it had to be rebuilt on a new monocoque. It was repainted in red Ramada livery and used by F1 star James Hunt at Trois-Rivières in September, and then by Howdy Holmes at Road Atlanta, where he wrecked it. Scott recalls that it was rebuilt on another new monocoque and sold to James Morgan, who ran a two-car team in 1977, his other car being the ex Seb Barone 76B. Morgan 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 is also reported to have had a 77B which was crashed at the opening race. The ex-Barone 76B then went to Ron Levanduski (Elmira, NY) in 1980, but it is not known where the ex-Villeneuve car went.

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.