OldRacingCars.com

Can-Am Challenge Race

Watkins Glen, 9 Jul 1978

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Warwick Brown Lola T333CS [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
#2 Racing Team VDS
55 1h 40m 03.333s
111.380 mph
2 Al Holbert Lola T333CS [HU9] - Chevrolet V8
#10 Hogan Racing, Ltd.
55 1h 40m 31.897s
3 Rocky Moran Lola T333CS [T332 HU29] - Chevrolet V8
#58 Rocky Moran (see note 1)
54
4 John Gunn Lola T332 [HU47] - Chevrolet V8
#39 Gunn's Goodies (see note 2)
53
5 Michael L. Allen Lola T332 [HU46] - Chevrolet V8
#59 Don Weber (see note 3)
53
6 Elliot Forbes-Robinson Spyder NF-10 [CA-01] - Chevrolet V8
#3 Newman-Freeman Racing
52
7 Bob Nagel Lola T332/Riley [HU33] - Chevrolet V8
#9 Nagel Racing Enterprises (see note 4)
52
8 Tony Cicale (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Cicale-Ralt RT1/78 [RT1-94] - Ford
#47 Cicale Champion Racing
52
9 Tom Spalding Schkee DB1 [2] - Chevrolet V8
#7 Tom Spalding Racing
52
10 Leonard Janke Lola T332/Riley - Chevrolet V8
#56 Janke Auto
50
11 Horst Kroll Lola T300 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8
#37 Horst Kroll Racing (see note 5)
49 Broken axle mount
12 S Peter Smith (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B19/B21 [71-06] - Ford
#54 Red Roof Inns
49
13 Brian Burgess (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B21/B23 [72-27] - Hart 420R
#13 Dog Ring Services
48
14 E. B. Lunken (Sports racing) 1.8-litre March 73S [14] - Cosworth FVC
#61 E. B. Lunken Racing (see note 6)
47
15 Alan Jones Lola T333CS [HU7] - Chevrolet V8
#1 Carl A. Haas Racing Team, Ltd.
45
16 Michael Brayton Wolf-Brayton 001 - Chevrolet V8
#12 Michael Brayton (see note 7)
41 Accident
17 Howard Kelly Lola T330 [HU2] - Chevrolet V8
#30 Howard Kelly Racing (see note 8)
41 Overheating
18 Dean Dietrich March 76A [2] - Chevrolet V8
#43 Dietrich Racing Ltd. (see note 9)
34
19 Bill Phaneuf (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B26/B31 - Ford
#73 Systems Mechanical Contractors
32 Accident
20 Randolph Townsend Shadow DN10 - Dodge V8
#0 Shadow Cars
25 Gearbox failure
21 Dwight Zillig Lola T330/T332 [HU3] - Chevrolet V8
#35 Phantom Racing Team (see note 10)
21 Fuel spill on driver
22 Mike Roche Lola T332 [HU42] - Chevrolet V8
#80 Roche Racing (see note 11)
19 Suspension
23 Jean-Pierre Jarier Shadow DN10 - Dodge V8
#0 Shadow Cars
17 Gearbox
24 Ray Petry (Sports racing) 1.8-litre Chevron B21 [72-3] - Cosworth BDE
#68? (see note 12)
engine trouble
25 Alain de Cadenet (sports racing) 3-litre De Cadenet Lola LM [LM-4] - Cosworth DFV V8
#4 British Post Office
DNF
26 Bill Tempero Chevron B78C - Chevrolet V8
#15 Cloverleaf Texaco
DNF
27 George Follmer Prophet - Chevrolet V8
#8 U.S. Racing [Herb Caplan]
DNF
DNS Dave Johnson (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T290 [HU34] - Ford BDG
#60 P.S.B. Speakers
Did not start
DNA TBA Lola T333CS - Chevrolet V8
#5 Racing Team VDS
Did not arrive
DNA Vern Schuppan Elfin MR8A-C [8772] - Chevrolet V8
#11 Vern Schuppan/Robert Boxx (see note 13)
Did not arrive
DNA Rick Villate (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T294 [T292 HU65] - Ford BDG
#26 RVR Inc (see note 14)
Did not arrive
DNA John Morton Lola T333CS [HU8] - Chevrolet V8
#46 John Morton
Did not arrive
DNA Warren Purdy (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T290 [HU27] - Cosworth FVC
#51 Warren Purdy
Did not arrive
DNA Don Chab (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B19/B26 - Ford
#52 C & H Specialties
Did not arrive

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

Qualifying
1 Alan Jones (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU7] - Chevrolet V8 1m 44.128s
2 Warwick Brown (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU1] - Chevrolet V8 1m 44.911s
3 George Follmer (Can-Am) 5-litre Prophet - Chevrolet V8 1m 45.203s
4 Elliot Forbes-Robinson (Can-Am) 5-litre Spyder NF-10 [CA-01] - Chevrolet V8 1m 45.95s
5 Al Holbert (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU9] - Chevrolet V8 1m 46.22s
6 Jean-Pierre Jarier (Can-Am) 5-litre Shadow DN10 - Dodge V8 1m 48.106s
7 Rocky Moran (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [T332 HU29] - Chevrolet V8 1m 48.754s
8 John Gunn (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU47] - Chevrolet V8 1m 48.895s
9 Tom Spalding (Can-Am) 5-litre Schkee DB1 [2] - Chevrolet V8 1m 48.955s
10 Howard Kelly (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T330 [HU2] - Chevrolet V8 1m 50.799s
11 Bill Tempero (Can-Am) 5-litre Chevron B78C - Chevrolet V8 1m 50.891s
12 Bob Nagel (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332/Riley [HU33] - Chevrolet V8 1m 51.947s
13 Tony Cicale (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Cicale-Ralt RT1/78 [RT1-94] - Ford 1m 52.201s
14 Michael L. Allen (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU46] - Chevrolet V8 1m 54.955s
15 Horst Kroll (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T300 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8 1m 56.788s
16 Mike Roche (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU42] - Chevrolet V8 1m 56.816s
17 Randolph Townsend (Can-Am) 5-litre Shadow DN10 - Dodge V8 1m 57.417s
18 S Peter Smith (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B19/B21 [71-06] - Ford 1m 57.658s
19 Michael Brayton (Can-Am) 5-litre Wolf-Brayton 001 - Chevrolet V8 1m 58.094s
20 Alain de Cadenet (sports racing) 3-litre De Cadenet Lola LM [LM-4] - Cosworth DFV V8 2m 00.545s
21 Ray Petry (Sports racing) 1.8-litre Chevron B21 [72-3] - Cosworth BDE 2m 00.967s
22 Leonard Janke (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332/Riley - Chevrolet V8 2m 01.428s
23 Dwight Zillig (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T330/T332 [HU3] - Chevrolet V8 2m 01.56s
24 Dean Dietrich (Can-Am) 5-litre March 76A [2] - Chevrolet V8 2m 03.227s
25 Brian Burgess (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B21/B23 [72-27] - Hart 420R 2m 03.558s
26 Bill Phaneuf (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B26/B31 - Ford 2m 05.648s
27 E. B. Lunken (Sports racing) 1.8-litre March 73S [14] - Cosworth FVC 2m 09.282s
28 Dave Johnson * (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T290 [HU34] - Ford BDG 2m 06.005s
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Lola T333CS [T332 HU29] (Rocky Moran): See full history: Lola T332 HU29.
  2. Lola T332 [HU47] (John Gunn): See full history: Lola T332 HU47.
  3. Lola T332 [HU46] (Michael L. Allen): See full history: Lola T332 HU46.
  4. Lola T332/Riley [HU33] (Bob Nagel): See full history: Lola T332 HU33.
  5. Lola T300 [HU15] (Horst Kroll): Invoice date 30 Mar 1972 (sold to 'Haas', colour 'Yellow'). Horst Kroll (Canada) US 1972-1974; driven by Bert Kuehne US 1975 (5 races); Kroll US 1976; damaged in crash at Watkins Glen but rebuilt and converted to Can-Am. Kroll Can-Am 1977; rental car thereafter: e.g. Marcel Talbot Can-Am 1978 (1 race: Trois-Rivieres - 04 Sep 1978), Can-Am 1979 (1 entry in "T300": Road Atlanta - 06 May 1979, entry list only); Mike Freberg 1981; Duff Hubbard 1982; John Macaluso 1983; Walter Lechner 1984; Joe DeMarco 1985 and 1986; John Graham 1986. Rebuilt as "Frissbee KR5" for 1986. Mike Engstrand recalls driving Kroll's T300-based Can-Am car at St Louis and Hallet in 1986; used until 1987 - Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) 1989 - Don Jensen (US) about 1998: used extensively in vintage racing still in Can-Am specification until 2007 - Andrew Kluver (Sydney, Australia) August 2007.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Lola T330 [HU2] (Howard Kelly): See full history: Lola T330 HU2.
  9. 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.
  10. Lola T330/T332 [HU3] (Dwight Zillig): See full history: Lola T330 HU3.
  11. Lola T332 [HU42] (Mike Roche): See full history: Lola T332 HU42.
  12. Chevron B21 [72-3] (Ray Petry): Sold new to Peter Smith and raced by him and co-driver David Welpton through 1972 and 1973 primarily in distance events across Europe but also in some short British events. Updated to B23 specification for 1974 and raced by Smith with various co-drivers including Rupert Keegan. Co-drivers in 1975 included John Turner. The car was replaced by the ex-KVG/John Hine Chevron B31 for 1976 and was sold to Ray Petry (Boston, MA) for SCCA racing and then for the new Can-Am series that started in 1977. Ray used an ex-Rondel 1840cc BDE engine that he'd bought from Tony Cicale. Raced in Can-Am 1978 to 1980. Ray later sold the car to dealer Mike Gue of Essex Racing, who sold it to Canada. Subsequent history unknown.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.

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.