OldRacingCars.com

IMSA Formula Atlantic Championship Race

Mid-Ohio, 29 Aug 1976

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Tom Klausler Lola T460 [HU6] - Ford BDA Traylor
#63 Traylor Engineering (see note 1)
42 1h 02m 25.053s
2 Price Cobb March 76B [13] - Ford BDA Race Shop
#8 Doug Shierson Racing (see note 2)
42 1h 02m 37.298s
3 Bobby Rahal March 76B [4?] - Ford BDA Race Shop
#9 Doug Shierson Racing (see note 3)
42
4 Howdy Holmes Chevron B34 [34-76-26] - Ford BDA BSR
#24 Bill Scott Racing (see note 4)
42
5 James King March 76B - Ford BDA
#47 Raggedy Ann Motorsports (see note 5)
42
6 Bobby Brown March 76B [18] - Ford BDA Hart
#79 Bob Brown Racing (see note 6)
42
7 Chip Mead Ralt RT1/76 [11] - Ford BDA Cosworth
Cavanaugh Racing (see note 7)
42
8 Tom Outcault March 76B [6?] - Ford BDA
#31 (see note 8)
41
9 Carl Liebich Lola T460 [HU18] - Ford BDA Hart
#54 Liebrau Racing (see note 9)
41
10 Hugh "Wink" Bancroft Chevron B34 [34-76-16] - Ford BDA Hart
#12 Fred Opert Racing (see note 10)
41
11 Joe Sposato Chevron B29 [29-75-20] - Ford BDA
#21 Sposato Motoracing (see note 11)
41
12 Vince Muzzin March 75B - Ford BDA
#99 (see note 12)
41
13 Joe Shepherd March 75B - Ford BDA
#97 (see note 13)
40
14 Robert J. Nelkin Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA Hart
#67 (see note 14)
40
15 Thomas Sokoly March 75B - Ford BDA
#55 (see note 15)
37
16 Dale Lang March 76B [8?] - Ford BDA Race Shop
#6 Doug Shierson Racing (see note 16)
37
17 John Egan ERD - Ford BDA
Egan Racing
17
18 Peter Dodge March 74B/75B [3] - Ford BDA
(see note 17)
13
19 Elliot Forbes-Robinson Chevron B34 [34-76-10] - Ford BDA BSR
Bill Scott Racing (see note 18)
10
20 Tim Cooper March 75B/76B - Ford BDA CRW
Wilbur Bunce Racing (see note 19)
7
  Tom Christ Chevron B27 [27-74-18] - Ford BDA
#53 (see note 20)
On entry list
  Rick Bell Chevron B34 [34-76-18] - Ford BDA Hart
#78 (see note 21)
On entry list
  Syd Demovsky Chevron B29 [29-75-23] - Ford BDA Smith
#80 (see note 22)
On entry list

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Bobby Rahal (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 76B [4?] - Ford BDA Race Shop

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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".
  4. 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.
  5. March 76B (James King): James King (East St Louis, IL) had a #47 March 76B in 1976, entered by his own Raggedy Ann Motorsport but run by Doug Shierson Racing. The car was dark green, so is likely to have been chassis 76B/5. King crashed the car at Trois-Rivières in September while trying to pass Tambay and it was not seen again. King went to England for 1977, to race a works March in Formula 3. The wrecked 76B is likely to have ended up with Shierson, so is likely to have been repaired and sold. Subsequent history unknown but the Charles Nearburg car in 1978 is said to have been the King car rebuilt on a new chassis.
  6. 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.
  7. 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]
  8. 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.
  9. Lola T460 [HU18] (Carl Liebich): New to Carl Liebich (Plymouth, WI/Two Rivers, WI) for Canadian and IMSA Formula Atlantic races late in the 1976 season. Liebich was said to have a new T560 for 1977, but it appears it was his nearly-new T460 updated. Retained for 1978, 1979, and the start of 1980. Chris Townsend's research shows this car was sold to Chuck Dietrich in 1980 and used by him in SCCA Central Division Formula Atlantic until 1982. It was then retained unraced by Dietrich until sold to Lowell Blossom (Zionsville, IN) in 1995. Raced by Blossom at Lime Rock in May 1996 and at Grattan Raceway in August 1997. It was sold by Blossom to Dave Jordano (Indianapolis, IN) in 2005. Subsequent history unknown, but believed to be the T460/T560 raced by Tom Thornton in HSCC Derek Bell Trophy races in 2010 and 2011.
  10. 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.
  11. Chevron B29 [29-75-20] (Joe Sposato): New to Joe Sposato (Ridgefield, CT) and used in SCCA Northeast Division Formula B in 1975, entered by Spoasto Motoracing (Waccabuc, NY). Also used in one Players Canadian Formula Atlantic race at Mosport. Retained for 1976, again in NEDiv SCCA Nationals and for two IMSA Formula Atlantic Championship races. To John Higgins (Elizabeth, NJ) for 1977, and raced in NEDiv SCCA events. Presumably the Chevron he raced in 1978. Chris Townsend advises that the car then went to Mike Cronin, and was retained by him until it was sold to Mike Malley (Greenville, NC) in April 2001. Malley crashed the car at Summit Point in 2003, breaking his back, and the car was then rebuilt using "a new tub by Chevron" and sold to Dick Ward (Australia) in 2007 or 2008. Ward raced it in events at Waneroo Park from 2009 to 2014, before selling it to Gwyn Pollard in the UK in 2015. Pollard had the car extensively rebuilt by Vin Malkie, then fitted a Gathercole BDG and raced the car in HSCC racing from 2016 to 2019, prepared by Gerry Wainwright Motorsport.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. March 75B (Thomas Sokoly): For 1976, Thomas and Theodore Sokoly acquired a March 75B from Doug Shierson Racing. The car was blue when they first acquired it, and they were told that it had been raced by a Canadian hire driver at Trois-Rivières, who had damaged the engine during practice. This would seem to be a reference to Marcel Talbot, as he was the only Canadian to drive for DSR at that race, and he failed to start the race. With Tom Sokoly (Mayville, WI) driving, and brother Ted as chief mechanic, they raced the March 75B in Formula Atlantic in 1976, including one IMSA round, two Players rounds, plus SCCA Nationals. Tom did not score any points in Central Division in 1976, but scored three points in 1977. For 1978, the car was sold to Frank Scott (Racine, WI), a local Assistant District Attorney. He scored only three points in CenDiv FB in 1978, and took part in the Labatts Championship Series race at Road America in July 1978. Advertised by Scott in March 1979 as a 75B/77B with a choice of BDD and BDN engines. Subsequent history unknown.
  16. March 76B [8?] (Dale Lang): 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. It was then stored until bought from Alexander in the early 1990s by Tim Damm, who restored it for historic racing with a Bahner tub. It was sold to Michael Taradisch in 1997, then to Joel Finn in 2006. After Finns's death, it was sold by his estate to Ted and Tom Sokoly in 2017. Still with Tom Sokoly (Geneva, IL) in January 2019.
  17. March 74B/75B [3] (Peter Dodge): Believed to be the Ecurie Canada entry for Gilles Villeneuve (Berthierville, Quebec, Canada) at the opening race of the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic season with Schweppes sponsorship. Villeneuve appears to have then moved to a newer car, and 74B/3 was used by Chuck Hansen (Tenafly, NJ) at Edmonton and Sanair. It then returned to March importer Joe Grimaldi, and was raced as a Race Shop entry by Dale Lang at Road America in late August, before being updated to the latest F2 specification for George Follmer to drive as an Ecurie Canada entry at Trois-Rivières. Raced by Bertil Roos at Watkins Glen in October, then hired by Grimaldi to Eric Kerman for the SCCA Runoffs. Sold by Grimaldi to Tom Pumpelly and run for him by Cavanaugh Racing (Ambler, PA) in early 1975. Pumpelly then moved to Doug Shierson Racing but exactly and apparently updated to 75B specification. Advertised the car in January 1976 as a "74-75B", "ex-Follmer/Roos", and sold to Peter Dodge (New York, NY/Stamford, CT), for SCCA Nationals and IMSA Formula Atlantic in 1976. Sold to Omer Norton (Vernon, CT), who owned it from 1978 to 1983, and then to Ed Capullo (Norwich, CT), who crashed it in a test session at Lime Rock in 1984 and sold it off for parts. Subsequent history unknown.
  18. Chevron B34 [34-76-10] (Elliot Forbes-Robinson): 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.

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.