Can-Am Challenge Race

Road America, 23 Jul 1978

All cars are 5-litre Can-Am unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Elfin MR8A-C [8772] (Vern Schuppan): New to Vern Schuppan (Adelaide, Australia) and raced as part of Ansett Team Elfin in 1977 Australian Internationals. Converted to Can-Am form, and raced by Schuppan in the Can-Am series in late 1977, and again in 1978 and 1979. Next seen when advertised by Stuart Bradbury (Phoenix, AZ) in July 1984. Advertised by Chuck Haines in 1990. To John Wales and Ron Gouttman (NSW, Australia) in 1990, and raced by Gouttman in Australia in Can-Am form in 1992/93. To Laurie Donaher (NSW) 1998, then to Aaron Lewis (Cessnock, NSW, Australia) in 2001. Restored to F5000 form, and raced in the F5000 Tasman Revival series in 2003/04. To Bill Hemming (Victoria, Australia) 2005, who raced it in the Tasman Revival series from late 2006 onwards.
2. Lola T332/Riley [HU33] (Bob Nagel): See full history: Lola T332 HU33.
3. Lola T332 [HU42] (Mike Roche): See full history: Lola T332 HU42.
4. Wolf-Brayton 001 (Michael Brayton): Michael Brayton (Newport Beach, CA) acquired a Talon Formula 5000 car for 1977, but previous history of the car is unknown. During 1977, he rebodied the car for SCCA A Sports Racing, and then raced the car, as the "Wolf-Brayton 001" in Can-Am from 1978 to 1981. The car was later acquired by Mike McComas, who was then under the impression it was the Wolf-Dallara WD1. He sold it to Tony Roberts and Duncan Fox in New Zealand in 2003, where it was restored to F5000 specification. Raced by Roberts in the F5000 Tasman Revival from 2003 to 2005, when it was sold to Aaron Burson, then raced by him from 2005 onwards.
5. March 76A [2] (Dean Dietrich): For Doug Shierson using monocoque 'M76A:01' and gearbox DG300-445 and fitted with 5-litre Bartz-Chevrolet for US F5000 series. Run by Sid Taylor and driven by Alan Jones. First run at Silverstone 9 Jun 1976. Jones won on his debut at Watkins Glen on 11 Jul but drove a Lola T332C at the next race and the March was handed over to Bruce Allison, who failed to start. The car reappeared back in Shierson's possession at Riverside on 17 Oct, driven by Maurizio Flammini. The Italian qualified 13th but retired early from both his heat and the final with mechanical problems. To Dean Dietrich: raced in Can-Am 1978 (4 races); Can-Am 1979 (4 races). Dean recalls selling the car to someone in Texas but does not remember the name. Subsequent history unknown.
6. Lola T330/T332 [HU3] (Dwight Zillig): See full history: Lola T330 HU3.
7. Chevron B24 [24-73-02] (T. Patrick McGonegle): New for 1973 season. Doug Shierson for Peter Gethin: raced in UK 1973 (won Race of Champions) and US 1973. To Roger Bighouse (Eastlake, OH): raced in US 1974 (7 races); US 1975 (4 races + 1 DNS) - Pat McGonegle (Cincinnati, OH): raced in US 1976 (1 race) and Can-Am 1977 (4 races + 1 DNS); probably the car entered by McGonegle as 'Mannix MX-2' in Can-Am 1978; advertised April 1979 - Danny Johnson (Kewanee, IL) 1979: raced in Can-Am 1979 (1 race), Can-Am 1981 (5 races), Can-Am 1982 (6 races) - Brian R Taylor (now Clive, Iowa) for Mike Engstrand (Des Moines, Iowa): raced in Can-Am 1985 (3 races) - Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) - Anthony Taylor (Blackburn, UK) 2001: due to be rebuilt and raced in FORCE Historic F5000 series (UK) 2001. Then unknown until owned by Greg Thornton in 2011 and raced in UK and New Zealand 2011/12. Badly damaged in a fire at Thornton's garage in June 2012 but completely reconstructed.
8. Chevron B36 [36-76-06] (Mort Platt): New to Mort Platt (Kansas City, MO) and used in SCCA BSR racing from 1976 to 1978, qualifying for the Run-Offs each year. Also used in Can-Am races at Road America in July 1977 and July 1978. Then to Chris Strong (Lawrence, KS) and used in Can-Am in 1979 and 1980. Then probably the car raced by Dick Leppla in Can-Am in 1981 and still being raced in BSR several years later. Then via Ed Henning (early 1990s), Rudy Junco and Steve Fusillo to Brian Stark (Mequon, WI) by around 2004. Still with Stark in 2013.
9. Lola T294 [HU75] (Mike Hall): Mike Hall bought a new Lola T294 in 1974 for use in SCCA BSR racing. He was highly successful in the car at National level, winning the Run-Offs in 1975, and also competed in the Can-Am series from 1977 to 1980. The car was then sold to Chuck Storrie in Quebec and entered for 'Uncle' Jacques Villeneuve in Can-Am in 1982. It was bought from Storrie by Bob Roy for the 1983 season. Bob recalls selling it back to the US to somewhere in the Great Lakes area. The SCCA log book next records it being raced by Joe Graziano in vintage racing in Oct 1993. Sold by Graziano to Peter Read about 2008 and then to Steve Read in 2010. Prepared by Pete Racely (Sports Racing, Inc.) for the 2011 season. At the beginning fo the 2012 season, HU75 was being raced by Mike Thurlow (Kingsburg, CA).
10. March 73S [14] (E. B. Lunken): Sold new to Henry Candler (Lakewood, CO) and used by him in a few British sport car races in May and June 1973, before he took it back to the US for SCCA racing in the BSR class. Candler soon decided the car was too quick for him, and he sold the car to his cousin, Edmund Backus Lunken (Cincinnati, Ohio), who entered his cars as E. B. Lunken, and was known to his friends as Ebby. Lunken first raced the car in 1977, then used it in the Can-Am series from 1978 to 1982. There has been some debate over the engine used in the 73S during this time, with some reports that it was a Ford, and others that it was a BMW. Irv Zwicker, who built engine for Ebby, says Lunken used BMW engine with Heidegger rods, Kugelfischer fuel injection and a proprietary intake cam. Lunken still had the car in 2006.
11. Chevron B36 [36-77-05] (Gordon Hamilton Jr): New to Gordon Hamilton Jr (Fairway, KS) for SCCA BSR racing and also for selected Can-Am events in 1978 and 1979. The engine was identified in entry lists as a 1975cc Cosworth, indicating a Cosworth BDG. According to a later advert by Graber Sportgarage AG (Toffen, Switzerland) seen in February 2014, the car was sold by Hamilton to Dr Nile Lestrange (Ft Lauderdale, FL) in 1980. Lestrange continued to race the car in BSR, winning the SCCA Southeast Division in 1980 and again qualifying for the Run-Offs in 1981. Subsequent history unknown until for sale by Graber Sportgarage.
12. Lola T294 [T292 HU65] (Rick Villate): The last T292 built went to John Abrahams in South Africa for the 1973 Springbok series. It was co-driven in the series by Charlie Lucas. The car went back to England under the care of Derrick Worthington and was the car raced by Rikki von Opel in the Nürburgring Interserie in June (although that car was listed as a Chevron B26). It was later raced in the Hockenheim 2-litre race in August (Christian Melville), the Brands Hatch 1000 km in September (Worthington and Nigel Clarkson) and at Kyalami in November (Abrahams and Richard Scott). In 1975, it was driven at Le Mans by Worthington and Clarkson and also appeared at the Spa 1000 km and in a couple of UK races. In 1976 it was sold to SCCA driver Dean Dietrich and was used in the revived Can-Am series in 1977. It then went to Rick Villate for two more seasons of Can-Am. To David P. Gough (Atlanta, GA) 1982 and used as a road car. To Ed Swart (Torrance, California) 1997 and then via six other US owners until bought by Cal Meeker (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) in 2013. As its identity was unknown until researched in 2013 by OldRacingCars.com, the car continued to race in Primagaz colours.
13. Lola T496 (Jeff Miller): Four Lola T496s were built in 1976, intended for SCCA C Sports Racing with Cosworth BDH engines. Jeff Miller bought one of the cars but fitted a two stroke Kohler engine, originally developed for snowmobiles. Miller won the Run-Offs in this CSR car in 1978 and also competed in Can-Am between 1978 and 1980, running the car with a 6-cylinder 1600cc engine. Many years later, Miller bought the car back from the man he'd sold it to and continues to run it in vintage events in the Midwest.
14. Osprey SR1 [Brabham BT38-1] (Dan Hartill): Built by KayDon Racing on behalf of MRD and initially designed to be works Formula 2 entry for Graham Hill. Hill was also leading the Brabham F1 team for 1972, so was not planning a full season of F2. When Hill acquired sponsorship from Jägermeister, a German liqueur maker, a deal was done for the car to be run by KayDon Racing, a new operation set up by former MRD employees David Kaylor and John Donnelly in Cobham. After borrowing a BT36 for the team's first two races, the BT38 was ready for the Pau Grand Prix in early May. The chassis number of the new car was reported to be BT38-1, which was odd as all other BT38 chassis numbers were 11 or above. This may have been to simplify carnet arangements as the BT36 which had already been taken to Hockenheim was chassis number BT36-1. In Hill's second race in the BT38, at Crystal Palace, he crashed heavily at the start of Heat 2 and the car had to be rebuilt on a new monocoque prior to the next race. He competed in six more races, including a win at Monza in June. The BT38 remained unused at Graham Hill Racing during 1973, and was sold at the end of the year to Tom Ogilvy for Tony Charnell (Dumfries, Scotland) to drive in libre in 1974, still with a 2-litre BDA. It was sold to Dean Dietrich (Hinsdale, IL) for 1975, and was raced in Formula B. Dietrich advertised it during 1976, and raced it again in Formula A in 1977. Dan Hartill (Indianapolis, IN) and Jack Finucan then acquired it from Dietrich, together with a body from Dietrich's Lola T294 and two 2-litre Cosworth FVC engines. They fitted the body and engines to the BT38, and ran it in Can-Am as the Osprey SR1 and ran it in a few races. Its history after 1978 is not yet understood, but at some point, believed to be around 1986, it was acquired from the US by Alan Miles, and brought back to England. In 2017, Jon Waggitt of SSCC Motorsport (Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire) acquired the car and started a thorough restoration. Sold in 2020 to Oliver Schimpf, son of the Jägermeister Racing Principal Eckhard "Ecki" Schimpf.
15. Lola T332 [HU47] (John Gunn): See full history: Lola T332 HU47.
16. Lola T330 [HU2] (Howard Kelly): See full history: Lola T330 HU2.
17. Lola T332 [HU46] (Michael L. Allen): See full history: Lola T332 HU46.
18. Lola T333CS [T332 HU29] (Rocky Moran): See full history: Lola T332 HU29.

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.

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.