WCAR Formula Atlantic Championship Round

Westwood, 22 Jul 1984

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

Notes on the cars:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Lola T360 [HU14] (Patrick Murphie): Sold via Carl Haas and Pierre Phillips to Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA). Karlberg raced it in the opening round of the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series, finishing an impressive fifth, but did not race at the second round as the car was not running well. Sold to Larry Bergman (Los Gatos, CA), who was seen very infrequently with it during 1976 and 1977. The Lola was advertised by Bergman in March 1977, then by Don Breidenbach in April 1977. Then unknown for three seasons until owned by Patrick Murphie (Seattle, WA) from 1980 to 1984, fitted with a 2-litre Lotus 907 engine and raced in SCCA North West region and - somehow! - in the WCAR race at Seattle in 1984. To Michael Bledsoe (Seattle, WA) 1988 and raced in SCCA North West region. To David D. Weldon (Manhattan Beach, CA) November 1990, and stored at first, then restored and raced with VARA from 2001 to 2003, still with the Lotus 907 engine.
5. Argo "JM8" [044-FA] (Jim Burnett): Believed to be a new car supplied to Mike Nugent for 1980, built on a new monocoque but incorporating parts of Nugent's previous JM5. The monocoque of the new car was wider and longer than on the older car, extending either side of the engine. This car appears in Argo records as "JM8-044-FA" and was described by Nugent as a JM8, but it is not related to the 1981 F3 car that also used that designation. Raced by Nugent in the Irish Formula Atlantic series in 1980 and at one raced at the start of 1981, but Nugent went off on warm up lap. Then sold to Jim Burnett (Bellevue, WA) and raced by him in WCAR events in 1983 and 1984. The car remained with Burnett until his death in May 2012, at which point both Burnett's Argos were acquired by Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA), who raced the "JM8" in 2013. Sold to Douglas Schumacher (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) in early 2015, and he ran it at Road America later that year, only for it to be damaged when a freak gust of wind blew a golf cart onto it. Raced at Mid-Ohio in 2016 and at again Road America in 2017, then taken to Kirkistown in 2019 where it was tested by original owner Mike Nugent. Bought by Nugent, and in the process or restoration in Northern Ireland during 2020.
6. March 77B [21?] (John Wink): Tennyson Kwok (Long Beach, CA) raced a March 77B at Long Beach in April 1979, and advised Chris Townsend that it was an ex-Holmes car that he bought the car from Wally Farrell who used it in SCCA Nationals with Cal Club in 1978. As 77B-22 is known to have gone to Dan Carmichael, Kwok's car is likely to have been 77B-21. Kwok then used it in a few SCCA events prior to Long Beach. It was sold to Bill Fickling (San Clemente, CA), who raced it at Long Beach in 1982, after three years in which it had barely been used. It was then sold to John Wink (Sacramento, CA) for 1983 but was wrecked at an SCCA National at Laguna Seca in 1984. The remains of the car were sold to Chuck Billington (Modesto, CA) who built them onto a CSR using a new monocoque. This is too late to be the Tracer TR2 that Billington raced in 1983, so may have been for a customer. Subsequent history unknown.
7. 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.