OldRacingCars.com

Can-Am Challenge Race

Charlotte Motor Speedway, 19 May 1979

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Jacky Ickx Lola T333CS [HU12] - Chevrolet V8
#1 Carl A. Haas Racing Team, Ltd.
69 1h 29m 01.56s
104.630 mph
2 Elliot Forbes-Robinson Spyder NF-11 [CA-01] - Chevrolet V8
#4 Newman-Freeman Racing
69 1h 29m 20.01s
3 Keke Rosberg Spyder NF-11 [CA-02] - Chevrolet V8
#5 Newman-Freeman Racing
68
4 Geoff Lees Lola T333CS [HU2] - Chevrolet V8
#2 Racing Team VDS
68
5 Bobby Brown Lola T333CS [HU11] - Chevrolet V8
#79 Bobby Brown Racing
66
6 Tony Cicale (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Cicale-Ralt RT1½ [RT1-94] - Hart 420R
#47 Cicale Champion Racing
65
7 Gary Gove (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B26 [74-08] - Cosworth FVD
#52 Pete Lovely (see note 1)
65
8 John Morton Prophet - Chevrolet V8
#8 U.S. Racing [Herb Caplan]
65
9 Chris Strong (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B36 [36-76-06] - Ford BDG
#96 (see note 2)
64
10 Bill Tempero Lola T332/T332C [T332 HU30] - Chevrolet V8
#9 Bill Tempero Racing (see note 3)
64
11 S Peter Smith (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Bobsy - Ford
#54 Red Roof Inns
63
12 John Gunn Lola T332 [HU47] - Chevrolet V8
#39 Gunn's Goodies (see note 4)
62 Engine
13 Rocky Moran Lola T333CS [T332 HU29] - Chevrolet V8
#58 American Spirit Racing (see note 5)
57 Suspension
14 Robert J. Nelkin Lola T333CS [HU6?] - Chevrolet V8
#67 R. J. Nelkin
40 Bodywork
15 Rick Villate (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T294 [T292 HU65] - Ford BDG
#26 RVR Inc (see note 6)
40 Accident
16 Al Holbert Hogan HR-001 - Chevrolet V8
#10 Hogan Racing, Ltd.
40 Holed piston
17 Horst Kroll Lola T332 [T330 HU2] - Chevrolet V8
#37 Horst Kroll Racing (see note 7)
33 Accident
18 Chuck Smith (Sports racing) 1.8-litre Chevron B19 [71-6] - Cosworth FVC
#72
27 Mechanical
19 Price Cobb Lola T332 [HU53] - Chevrolet V8
#68 R. J. Nelkin (see note 8)
25 Oil pump belt
20 E. B. Lunken (Sports racing) 2-litre March 73S [14] - BMW M12
#61 E. B. Lunken (see note 9)
23 Accident
21 Tim Evans (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T290 [HU27] - Ford BDG
#51 Diversified Engineering Services
18 U-joint
22 Howard Kelly Lola T332/Riley [HU33] - Chevrolet V8
#6 (see note 10)
14 Accident

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

Qualifying
1 Keke Rosberg (Can-Am) 5-litre Spyder NF-11 [CA-02] - Chevrolet V8 1m 09.19s
2 Jacky Ickx (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU12] - Chevrolet V8 1m 09.25s
3 Geoff Lees (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU2] - Chevrolet V8 1m 09.66s
4 Elliot Forbes-Robinson (Can-Am) 5-litre Spyder NF-11 [CA-01] - Chevrolet V8 1m 09.95s
5 Rocky Moran (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [T332 HU29] - Chevrolet V8 1m 10.1s
6 Price Cobb (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU53] - Chevrolet V8 1m 10.59s
7 Al Holbert (Can-Am) 5-litre Hogan HR-001 - Chevrolet V8 1m 10.62s
8 Bobby Brown (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU11] - Chevrolet V8 1m 11.36s
9 John Morton (Can-Am) 5-litre Prophet - Chevrolet V8 1m 11.38s
10 John Gunn (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU47] - Chevrolet V8 1m 12.36s
11 Robert J. Nelkin (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU6?] - Chevrolet V8 1m 12.45s
12 Bill Tempero (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332/T332C [T332 HU30] - Chevrolet V8 1m 13.77s
13 Horst Kroll (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [T330 HU2] - Chevrolet V8 1m 14.31s
14 Howard Kelly (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332/Riley [HU33] - Chevrolet V8 1m 15.37s
15 Tony Cicale (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Cicale-Ralt RT1½ [RT1-94] - Hart 420R 1m 15.41s
16 Tim Evans (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T290 [HU27] - Ford BDG 1m 16.25s
17 Gary Gove (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B26 [74-08] - Cosworth FVD 1m 16.93s
18 S Peter Smith (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Bobsy - Ford 1m 19.13s
19 Chris Strong (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B36 [36-76-06] - Ford BDG 1m 19.36s
20 Chuck Smith (Sports racing) 1.8-litre Chevron B19 [71-6] - Cosworth FVC 1m 24.29s
21 E. B. Lunken (Sports racing) 2-litre March 73S [14] - BMW M12 1m 27.14s

Notes on the cars:

  1. Chevron B26 [74-08] (Gary Gove): After the closure of Red Rose Racing, Roger Hire struck a deal to run works-assisted Chevron B26s in 1974 under the name Forge Mill Racing. John Lepp ran the main car and Rafael Barrios joined the team to run a second B26, now positively identified as chassis 74-08. This car only raced once in 1975 but was then bought by Robin Smith to be used in endurance and Interserie in 1976. Gary Gove (Tacoma, WA) acquired it for Can-Am in early 1977 and raced it for three seasons, winning the Pacific Coast title in 1978 and the last BSR title at the Run-Offs. It went to John Graham in Canada for the 1981 season and then to Luc Behar-Bannelier for 1982. The B26 was sold to Gil Baird for Thundersports in England in 1983 then to Richard Piper for another three seasons during which time it was converted to DFV power before moving to Ireland in the late 1980s where it stayed for nearly 15 years. It was sold back to the US again around 2003 and has raced in US vintage racing.
  2. Chevron B36 [36-76-06] (Chris Strong): 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.
  3. Lola T332/T332C [T332 HU30] (Bill Tempero): See full history: Lola T332 HU30.
  4. Lola T332 [HU47] (John Gunn): See full history: Lola T332 HU47.
  5. Lola T333CS [T332 HU29] (Rocky Moran): See full history: Lola T332 HU29.
  6. 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.
  7. Lola T332 [T330 HU2] (Horst Kroll): See full history: Lola T330 HU2.
  8. Lola T332 [HU53] (Price Cobb): See full history: Lola T332 HU53.
  9. 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.
  10. Lola T332/Riley [HU33] (Howard Kelly): See full history: Lola T332 HU33.

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.