CASC North American Formula Atlantic Series Race

Lime Rock, 5 Jul 1980

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

Notes on the cars:

1. 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.
2. Ralt RT1 (Roger 'Kip' Penske Jr): 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]
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Ralt RT1/77 [79] (Bob Hoff): New to Gilles Léger (Lachute, Quebec), first appearing at Trois-Rivières in September 1977. Raced by Léger mainly in the Canadian rounds of the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship in 1978. Then used as a rental car by Léger for Marc Dancose to race at Quebec in June 1979 and Monique Proulx at Montréal in September. Sold to Bob Hoff (Long Beach, CA) for 1980, when it was run for him in the North American Formula Atlantic series by Gas Saleen Racing. [CT]
6. 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]
7. 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.
8. March 77B [5] (Charles Crotts): New to Joe Sposato and used in SCCA Nationals in 1977. Retained for Pro Formula Atlantic for first half of 1978, then sold to Charles Crotts (High Point, NC) for remainder of 1978. Believed to be the car retained by Crotts and run in SCCA events up to 1985.

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.