CASC North American Formula Atlantic Series Race

Bridgehampton, 14 Sep 1980

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT1/79 [147] (Rogelio Rodriguez): A white Ralt RT1 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson in mid-January 1979. The name of the customer in Ralt records appers to say Gloy. To Lane Sport In for Tom Gloy (Lafayette, CA/Pacheco, CA) to race in the CASC North American Formula Atlantic series. His car was yellow and entered as #38. He won at Long Beach in April 1979 and scored five more second places (two in his spare car) to win the championship. Retained by Lane Sports for 1980, whehn it was raced by Rogelio Rodriguez as the team's No 2 entry. The car was retained again by Lane Sports in 1981, when it was driven by Norm Hunter in the opening round at Long Beach. It was entered for Daniel Muñiz at the next race but did not appear. Thereafter the team used Ralt RT4s for all three team drivers, and the old RT1 was not seen again.
2. Ralt RT1/79 (Steve "Gas" Saleen): Steve "Gas" Saleen (Los Angeles, CA) raced a black Ralt RT1 in the CASC North American Formula Atlantic series in 1980. The car was said to be new, but no new RT1s were built for 1980, so this is likely to have been a late-1979 car. Saleen won the Brainerd round in June, and finished third overall in the series. He appeared once more with the car at the start of 1981, but then changed his attention to Trans-Am.
3. Ralt RT1 (Tom Gloy): Tom Gloy (Lafayette, CA) acquired a Ralt RT1 of unknown vintage as a spare to his newer RT1/79 for the 1979 season, when he was run by Lane Sports. Retained by Lane Sports for 1980 when it was driven by Gloy and by Kip Penske. [CT]
4. Ralt RT1 (Whitney Ganz): Whitney Ganz (Los Angeles, CA) raced a Ralt RT1 in 1980, but its identity has not been determined. It had welded rollhoop supports so was built some time after February 1978, but could be a 1978 or 1979 car. Nothing more known.
5. Ralt RT1/79 [164?] (Jon Milledge): Archie Snider (Los Gatos, CA) acquired a Ralt RT1 which was raced by Jon Milledge in the CASC North American Formula Atlantic series in late 1980. It was entered as #97 by M&S Racing. Milledge had previously raced Snider's Formula B and Formula Atlantic cars since 1972 or earlier. Snider entered the car for Willy T. Ribbs at Long Beach at the start of 1981, and then raced it himself in the championship round at Westwood in August. Milledge drove the car in a SCCA Regional in March 1982.
6. March 80A [9] (John Mortensen): Run in 1980 by Doug Shierson Racing for John Mortensen in North American series then to Howard Cherry for 1981 and 1982 (prepared and run by Dennis Eades of Competition Preparation). Sold to an Italian-American 1982 and disassembled; to John Barrett 1990 and rebuilt with the help of Ed Midgley but not raced; to Jim Ozane 1999 (used in vintage racing); to Christian Forrer 2005 (US vintage racing); to Kim Jones (Australia) 2008.
7. Ralt RT1/78 [127] (Rick Bell): New to Rick Bell (Lakeville, CT) and used in the 1978 Labatts Formula Atlantic championship. Retained for 1979, again in the North American Pro series. Retained for a third season in 1980, and again raced regularly in the North American Pro series. In 1981, he sold the car, and believes it went through three other drivers until it was bought by a friend of Bell's. Bell has been racing the car in historic racing, mainly at Lime Rock, since then.
8. March 78B [19] (Ed Midgley): Sold new to Jerry Hansen (Long Lake, MN) and used in SCCA Nationals, winning the 1978 Run-Offs. Sold to Ed Midgley (Geneva, IL) in January 1979 and used again only in SCCA Nationals that season. Updated to 79B specification for 1980 and raced by Midgley in the Pro championship until he wrecked it at Trois Rivieres. Midgley acquired a second 78B to complete the season. The damaged 78B was sold to Carl Berggren (Elmhurst, IL) who rebuilt it and raced it in SCCA Formula Atlantic in 1981 and 1982. He advertised it in 1983 and it was later with Bruce Cambern (Bloomfield Hills, MI) who advertised it in 1985. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Ralt RT1/78 [146] (Bob Earl): A white Ralt RT1/78 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson in early December 1978. To Bob Earl (Novato, CA) and raced at a SCCA National at Riverside in February 1979, where it was described as new. However, when Earl raced it at Long Beach in April, it was called "ex-Cogan". Raced by Earl in the 1979 North American series, sponsored by National Treaty Services and entered by NTS Racing. Raced by Earl at Macau in November 1979. Retained for the 1980 North American series, when it was entered by Earl Motor Racing, and again raced at Macau as part of the Flying Tigers Racing Team. Towards the end of 1980, it was again described as a ex-Cogan. Sold to Andy Mahood (Vancouver, BC) and raced in ICSCC and SCCA events in 1981 and 1982. Sold to Martin Pang (Seattle, WA) and raced in WCAR events in 1984, 1985 and 1986. [CT]
10. Ralt RT1/78 (Dan Marvin): Kevin Cogan (Redondo Beach, CA) raced a large number of Ralt RT1s between 1976 and 1980, and distinguishing them is dificult. In 1979, he had two, a RT1/78, believed to be chassis RT1-132, and a RT1/79 that is not yet identified. At Long Beach at the start of 1980, he was entered by Ralt American/Theodore Racing and had two RT1s available. The car he raced was red and had been his intended spare car. His 1978 RT1-132 went to Kent Combs later in 1980, and Cogan's Long Beach race car was sold to Jon Norman Racing, so Norman presumably got his RT1/79. It was raced later in 1980 by Dan Marvin (El Sobrante, CA), who had driven Norman's March 80A earlier in the season. Retained for Marvin to drive at Long Beach in March 1981 and Mexico City in April 1981. Then sold to John Treder, and used in SCCA Nationals in Northern Pacific Division in 1982 and 1983. Driven in Pro races in 1984, when it was entered by Whale Racing. Raced again by Treder in Pro events in 1985.
11. Ralt RT1/76 [10] (John Connolly): New to Eddie Pinto's Team Gunston for Roy Klomfass at the end of 1975 and fitted with a Swindon BDA for the 1976 South African Formula Atlantic season. It was also fitted with a centre-post rear wing fabricated by GP Metalcraft, the only Ralt not to have an end-plate-supported rear wing. It was used through the 1976 season in South Africa, during which time it was extensively modified. In early 1977 it was sold "to a guy in Los Angeles". This must have been Kevin Cogan (Torrance, CA, in southwestern Los Angeles County), who raced his newer RT1/76-33 in 1977 but kept chassis 10 with its distinctive centre-post rear wing as a spare car for the first part of 1977. It was borrowed by Pierre Phillips at Mosport Park in May for Juan Cochésa to race after the Venezuelan crashed his intended car in practice. Then very probably the car acquired from Brian Robertson by John Connolly (Brooklyn, NY) and raced by him at Trois-Rivières in September 1977. Raced by Connolly in Labatts Formula Atlantic and SCCA Nationals in 1978, 1979 and 1980, when a photograph of Connolly's car shows a 1976 rollhoop. Presumably the car flipped by Connolly during the Bridgehampton SCCA National in September 1980. The car is thought to have remained with Connolly until advertised by him in early 1982, but he also had a newer RT1/78 and a Ralt RT4. After Connolly, the car may have gone to James Malapanis (Carlisle, MA) 1982-83 and then Richard Mullins (Hannover, PA) up to 1993. We would be keen to make contact with Malapanis or Mullins. [CT]

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.