CASC North American Formula Atlantic Series Race

Sears Point, 25 May 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 (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. 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.
4. 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.
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 RT1/78 [129] (Robert Silvestro): A blue and white Ralt RT1/78 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson for Pierre Phillips' Pierre's Motor Racing in mid-May 1978. It is believed to have been used as a spare car for Phillips' drivers Bobby Rahal and Chip Mead, but exactly how it was used in 1978 remains uncertain. At some point during 1979 it was sold to BTG Racing, but BTG had three cars (one being the very similar RT1/78-111 and the third being an older bolted-hoop car), and exactly how they were used in late 1979 and in 1980 remains uncertain. Chassis 129 is believed to have been the car raced by Robert Silvestro once in late-1979 and twice in early 1980. All three of BTG's car went to Tim Fortner during 1980, but chassis 111 quickly moved on, leaving Fortner Lucini Motorsports with 129 and the older bolted-hoop car in 1981. Chassis 129 is believed to have been raced by Bob Earl at Long Beach and by Riley Hopkins later in the season. Then sold to Nancy James for Northern Pacific SCCA racing in 1982. [CT]
7. Ralt RT1/79 [167] (Steve Jizmagian): The very last Ralt RT1 was a red Formula Atlantic car invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson, but with the date unrecorded. Steve Jizmagian (San Francisco, CA) remembers that his Ralt RT1 was delivered in September 1979 and was red, so must almost certainly have been this car. There was no other red Formula Atlantic Ralt RT1 delivered after May 1978. Raced by Jizmagian in SCCA events in 1979, starting with the Pacific Coast Road Racing Championship, where he finished second. Raced in the first three races of the Pro series in 1980, and again in the Edmonton and Westwood rounds in 1981. Jismagian crashed in the latter race, and was not seen again. Subsequent history unknown.
8. Ralt RT1/76 (Ed Donnelly): Ed Donnelly (Long Beach, CA) scored six points in Southern Pacific Division Formula Atlantic in 1979 in a Ralt. This was presumably the Ralt RT1 he raced in the North American Formula Atlantic series in 1980. He finished seventh in Southern Pacific Division that season, with 17 points, then finished second in the Division in 1981, qualifying for the Runoffs. He raced it again in 1982, when he ran at Long Beach, and it was still being raced by Donnelly in 1985. [CT]
9. Brabham BT38 [‘33’] (Warren "Bud" Pauge): A "new chassis" replacing the ASCA team's Brabham BT38 wrecked by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud at Rouen. It was raced by teammate Adam Potocki at Imola, where Potocki failed to qualify, and was then Jaussaud's car for the rest of the season. ASCA entered Jaussaud in the Brazilian F2 Torneio, but he was involved in the startline accident at the second Interlagos race, and the Brabham was badly damaged. According to Chris Townsend's research, this car was acquired by Fred Opert Racing and raced by Héctor Rebaque in the Caracas Formula B race in March 1973, then by Brian Robertson in the JAF Grand Prix in May 1973. It is not clear what else Opert used it for in 1973, but in January 1974, he sold it to John Bernadine (Tulsa, OK) for SCCA Formula B. Then to Warren Pauge (Hacienda Heights, CA) in August 1975, replacing his well-used Brabham BT21. Pauge retained the BT38 for many years, even running it as a Can-Am car once in 1982. After he finally stopped racing it in 1988, he sold it to Marc Bahner, then it went to George Steven in 1992, Tom Stapleton about 2008, and Paul Skilowitz (Stuart, FL) in 2016.
10. 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]
11. Ralt RT1/78 [111?] (Paul Grundrich): Paul Grundrich (Brewster, NY) drove a Ralt RT1 for BTG Investments (Los Angeles) at a few Pro races at the start of 1980. BTG is believed to have stood for "Beat The Government" and advertised "high leverage tax shelters" which included "Pro Auto Racing Teams". BTG had acquired two Ralt RT1s from Pierre Phillips Racing: RT1-129 which was raced for BTG by Robert Silvestro, and a second - logically RT1-111 - which was raced by Grundrich. However, a photograph of Grundrich at Sears Point in May 1980 shows his car had bolted rollhoop supports, so has to be older than RT1-111. It is assumed for now that this was the same RT1 Grundrich had driven in Northeast Division SCCA Regionals in 1979. When BTG was dissolved, both Ralts were acquired by Fortner Lucini Motorsports. The ex-Grundrich car was driven at Long Beach in April 1982 by Cliff Hansen (Laguna Beach, CA), but he crashed in practice and did not start.
12. 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.
13. 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]
14. Ralt RT1/76 [36] (Dave McMillan): To Cavanaugh Racing and run for Kevin Cogan in two late-season 1976 Canadian Formula Atlantic races. Sold to David McMillan and raced in the 1976/77 New Zealand Gold Star season, and in the January 1977 New Zealand International Formula Pacific series. Taken back to Canada for McMillan to race in two Canadian series races in 1977, then back to New Zealand for the 1977/78 Gold Star series and the January 1978 International series. Retained by McMillan for the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons, while also used in a handful of North American races in 1979 and 1980. Rebuilt as a Formula Super Vee for McMillan in 1980. McMillan moved to Ray Lipper's Centreline Wheels team in 1981 and the old RT1 was raced by Lipper that season. [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.