CASC North American Formula Atlantic Series Race

Mexico City, 26 Oct 1980

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

Notes on the cars:

1. 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]
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. March 79B (Tom Phillips): New to Dan Marvin (El Sobrante, CA) and raced in the CASC North American Formula Atlantic series in 1979, entered and prepared by Marvin-Clegg Racing. Also raced by Price Cobb at Trois-Rivières. To Tom Phillips (Portland, OR) for 1980. Advertised in February 1981.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. March 75B/77B (Gustavo Bolaños): Ted Titmas (Van Nuys, CA) registered a Formula B March with the SCCA Cal Club Region in Southern California in June 1977. That SCCA log book gives the chassis number as '722-33', but it is unclear why the car had not already been logbooked by the SCCA before June 1977. However, Titmas had two very similar cars, one red and one orange, and it not yet clear which was the old 722. Titmas ran a March "78B" or "77B" for a number of hire drivers from 1977 onwards. In 1977, he is said to have run it for Dennis Firestone (Los Angeles, CA), but Firestone focused on Formula Ford that season, and it is not clear where he raced the March. In 1978, Titmas ran it for Ben Schilachi (Beverley Hills, CA), at which time it was blue and entered as #22. He retained it for 1979, when it was entered for Dick Gamble at the Long Beach race, and then Titmas sold it to Juan Carlos Bolaños. Bolaños advertised a March 73B in July 1979, which only deepens the mystery of this car. Subsequent history unknown.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. March 78B [17] (Michael Provost): New via importer Doug Shierson Racing to Cliff Hansen (Laguna Beach, CA), identified by the invoice as chassis 78B/17. Presumably Hansen's spare car for the Labatts Formula Atlantic championship in 1978, entered by Charles Gladding and sponsored by Furnas. Sold to Ted Titmas for 1979, and presumably the car entered for Mexican driver Juan Carlos Bolaños at the Mexico City race in April 1979. Sold to Garth Pollard (Cobble Hill, BC), and raced by Pollard and by Michael Provost in the Formula Atlantic series in 1980. Probably then to William Ayoub (Montréal, Quebec), who told Chris Townsend that he bought a 78B in Vancouver. Raced by Ayoub at Trois-Rivières in 1981 and 1982. History then unknown until bought in Quebec by Russ Bond in October 2023. Bond's car has the Hewland FT200 from Hansen's sister car 78B-4, and a much later tub number, suggesting it was rebuilt on a new monocoque at some point.

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.