WCAR Formula Atlantic Championship Round

Riverside, 7 Oct 1984

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

Notes on the cars:

1. March 77B [76B-13] (John Herne): Doug Shierson Racing ran a 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 advertised 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.
2. Ralt RT1/78 (John Treder): 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.
3. March 77B (Ron Householder): Cal Huartson (Bellingham, WA) raced a March 77B in SCCA Natiomnals at Portland in 1978. Sold to Ron Householder (Portland, OR) and raced in ICSCC events in 1979, 1980 and 1981, as well as occasional SCCA Nationals. He retained the car again for 1982, racing it Portland in April 1982. He then appeared in the June Sprints SCCA National at Laguna Seca in June 1983, and in WCAR events in 1983, 1984 and 1985.
4. Ralt RT1/76 [35] (Peter West): New to Ron Dennis's Project Four Racing in August 1976 and fitted with a Hart 420R engine for Eddie Cheever to race in European F2, replacing his March 762. First raced by Cheever at the Brands Hatch Shellsport G8 race on 30 August, then in two F2 races, and another Shellsport G8 race at Brands Hatch. Dennis bought three new Ralts for 1977, and RT1-35 was not used again until May 1978, when it was bought by Alo Lawler, still with its 1976-spec Hart 420R, to use in the Aurora AFX British F1 championship. Raced in three rounds, retiring from each, and was easily beaten in a libre race at Croft by Andy Barton. It was then unseen in 1979 and 1980, until advertised in November 1980 as a "hardly used" rolling chassis. It was acquired by Richard Fry (Bath, Avon) and fitted with a 2.5-litre Hart engine and run at the Prescott hillclimb on 5 April, where Fry was sharing with Ted Williams. The pair later moved to a Pilbeam MP40, and the Ralt was abandoned again. In December 1982, it was advertised by Dave Williams (Humble, TX), who had been racing in the UK and had evidently taken the car home with him to Texas. From him it went to Joe Sposato (Rossmoor, CA) and was sold for 1984 to Peter West. He raced it in the WCAR event at Riverside in October 1984 but failed to start, and car was returned to Sposato. He then sold it to Tom Shanley (Riverside, CA)
5. Argo JM9 [056-FA] (Jim Blackwell): New to Tyrrell Arnold to race in the 1981 Irish Atlantic series, then to Jim Blackwell (Seattle, WA) in 1982 and raced in WCAR events in 1984 and 1985, then Marty Knoll (North Vancouver, BC) who raced it in WCAR in 1986 and 1987. Then to Terry Edwards in 1987-88 and from him to Gary Milligan (Richmond, British Columbia) who used it as the basis of the Buick-engined Lotus Europa with which he won the National Autocross Championship in 1994.
6. March 722/76B (Steve Hartgraves): In January 1980, Jim Buick (Berthoud, CO) registered a Formula Atlantic March 722/76B with SCCA's Colorado Region. He first raced it at La Junta in May 1980, but sold it in August 1980 to Bill Murray, who then raced it at La Junta in October. Roy Jo Peltz, better known as a sprint car racer, bought the March in September 1982 and raced it at Pueblo and La Junta in 1982 and 1983. Then to Steve Hartgraves (Sunnyvale, CA) who raced it in Solo I and in west coast WCAR Formula Atlantic races in 1984. It was advertised by Steve's father Roger Hartgraves (Sunnyvale CA) in March 1985, but unfortunately Steve cannot remember where it came from or where it went. This car was acquired soon after by John Hammill (Albuquerque, NM), and has remained with him since then.

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 On Track and Sports Car, plus 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.

Individual sources for this event

Chris Townsend's sources for these races include Autosport and On Track magazine.