Formula Atlantic Labatts Championship Series Race
Gimli, 26 Jun 1977
Results | Laps | Time/Speed | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bobby Rahal | March 76B - Ford BDN Morris #56 Morgan Racing-Red Roof Inns (see note 1) |
75 | 1h 09m 23.009s |
2 | Keke Rosberg | Chevron B34 - Ford BDN Titan #4 Fred Opert Racing (see note 2) |
75 | 1h 09m 23.309s |
3 | Bill Brack | March 77B - Ford BDN Nicholson #7 STP-Doug Shierson Racing |
75 | |
4 | Marcel Talbot | March 77B [23] - Ford BDN Hine #10 Tamaco-Colin Hine Racing Team (see note 3) |
74 | |
5 | Cliff Hansen | March 76B [2] - Ford BDN Jennings #21 Performance Marketing Team (see note 4) |
74 | |
6 | Juan Cochésa | Ralt RT1/77 [78] - Ford BDN Willis #36 Pierre's Motors (see note 5) |
74 | |
7 | Chip Mead | Ralt RT1/76 [11] - Ford BDN Willis #31 Pierre's Motors (see note 6) |
74 | |
8 | Tom Gloy | March 76B - Ford BDN Morris #11 Lane Sports-Rick Shea Racing Team (see note 7) |
73 | |
9 | Richard Spenard | March 77B - Ford BDN Morris #96 Ecurie Canada Direct Film (see note 8) |
73 | |
10 | Kevin Cogan | Ralt RT1/76 [33] - Ford BDN Willis #33 (see note 9) |
73 | |
11 | David Oxton | Tui BH2 [3] - Ford BDN Nicholson #70 Team Tui |
73 | |
12 | Jeff Wood | March 77B [1] - Ford BDN Jennings #20 Great Plains Motor Racing (see note 10) |
73 | |
13 | Steve "Gas" Saleen | March 76B [13] - Ford BDN Clayton #39 Clayton Racing Team (see note 11) |
72 | |
14 | Gregg Young | Chevron B39 [39-77-07] - Ford BDN Titan #6 Valvoline [Fred Opert Racing] (see note 12) |
72 | |
15 | Robert J. Nelkin | March 77B [14?] - Ford BDN Nicholson #67 Hunter Mountain (see note 13) |
72 | |
16 | Bruce Jensen | Chevron B29 [29-75-14] - Ford BDN Hine #41 Exotic Plants (see note 14) |
72 | |
17 | Price Cobb | March 77B [20] - Ford BDN Stimola #22 (see note 15) |
68 | Out of fuel |
18 | Dave Webber | Ralt RT1/76 [34] - Ford BDN Hine #50 Webber Racing Team (see note 16) |
67 | |
19 | Gilles Villeneuve | March 77B - Ford BDN Morris #69 Ecurie Canada Direct Film (see note 17) |
27 | Engine |
20 | Howdy Holmes | March 77B [21 or 22] - Ford BDN Race Shop #8 Shierson Racing |
4 | Gearbox |
All cars are 1.6-litre F/Atl unless noted.
Qualifying | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Qualifying information not available |
Notes on the cars:
- March 76B (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. 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.
- Chevron B34 (Keke Rosberg): Keke Rosberg joined Fred Opert Racing for the 1977 season to race both a Chevron B40 in Formula 2 in Europe and a B39 in Formula Atlantic in North America. Photographs show that Rosberg used an older Chevron B34 at the opening three rounds, at Mosport Park, Gimli and Edmonton, before moving to a Chevron B39 for the next four races. Rosberg returned to the B34 for the final race at Quebec in September, when it had been updated with a B39 nose. Subsequent history unknown.
- 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. Alamy then acquired a March 78B. The 77B was driven in practice at Hamilton by Armando Trentini, who had been trying to raise capital to drive a March 78B for Hine, and is assumed to be the March he drove in the Palm Beach SCCA National in February 1979. Hine recalled that "the car was sold to a team in Mexico and shipped there in the winter of 1978/79". 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.
- 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.
- 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]
- 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]
- 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 nearby Richmond, CA, in January 1984.
- 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.
- 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]
- March 77B [1] (Jeff Wood): New to Jeff Wood (Studio City, CA) for the 1977 South Pacific Division Formula B season and then the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship. Entered at different times that season by Great Plains Motor Racing, Steve Jennings Team, Robert Wood and R&R Racing. Sold for 1978 to Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA). Karlberg recalls selling it to Don Courtion of seattle, a gentleman racer who never raced the car. Then unknown until 1989, when Nancy James (Fremont, CA) raced it as a C Sports Racer.
- March 76B [13] (Steve "Gas" Saleen): 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Ralt RT1/76 [34] (Dave Webber): 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 Richard Spenard in the 1976 Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in yellow Planter's Peanuts livery. Both the Robertson team cars were offered for sale by Fred Opert in early 1977. Bought from Opert by Dave Webber (Mississauga, Ontario) who raced his "ex-Spenard Ralt" in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship in 1977. Weber badly damaged the car in a practice accident at St-Félicien in August. It was then rebuilt by Roy Hayman of Hayman Engineering in Ontario as a sports car, and Hayman raced it in Ontario regional events in 1979. Hayman retained the car for many years, before selling it to Chuck Haines' Can-Am Cars Ltd in October 2008. Haines sold it to Bruce Domeck (Louisville, KY) in 2010.
- 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.
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 for these races include Autosport, Motoring News, Formula Magazine and NZMA.