OldRacingCars.com

Can-Am Challenge Race

Laguna Seca, 14 Oct 1979

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Bobby Rahal Prophet - Chevrolet V8
#8 U.S. Racing [Herb Caplan]
48 48m 20.08s
113.211 mph
2 Elliot Forbes-Robinson Spyder NF-11 [CA-01] - Chevrolet V8
#4 Newman Freeman Racing
48 48m 38.53s
3 Geoff Lees Lola T333CS/Riley [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
#2 Racing Team VDS
48
4 Howdy Holmes Spyder NF-11 [CA-03] - Chevrolet V8
#18 Newman Freeman Racing
48
5 John Morton Lola T333CS [HU8] - Chevrolet V8
#46 John Morton Racing
48
6 Keke Rosberg Spyder NF-11 [CA-04] - Chevrolet V8
#13 Newman Freeman Racing
48
7 Vern Schuppan Elfin MR8A-C [8772] - Chevrolet V8
#11 Wendy's, Thomas Barrett/Theodore Racing
(see note 1)
48
8 Jacky Ickx Lola T333CS [HU12] - Chevrolet V8
#1 Carl A. Haas Racing Team, Ltd.
47
9 Bobby Brown Lola T333CS [HU11] - Chevrolet V8
#79 Bobby Brown Racing
46
10 Bill Tempero Lola T332/T332C [T332 HU30] - Chevrolet V8
#9 Bill Tempero Racing (see note 2)
46
11 Patrick Gaillard Schkee DB1 [2] - Chevrolet V8
#98
46
12 John Gunn Lola T332 [HU47] - Chevrolet V8
#39 Gunn's Goodies (see note 3)
45
13 Michael L. Allen Lola T332 ["33-790"] - Chevrolet V8
#7 Don Weber
45
14 Michael Brayton Wolf-Brayton 001 - Chevrolet V8
#12 Michael Brayton (see note 4)
44
15 Tim Evans (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T290 [HU27] - Ford BDG
#51 Diversified Engineering Services
44
16 Gary Gove (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B26 [74-08] - Cosworth FVD
#52 Pete Lovely (see note 5)
44
17 Hurley Haywood (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B21 [72-15] - BMW M12/7
#42 Vasek Polak Racing (see note 6)
44
18 Charlie Kemp Lola T332 [HU53] - Chevrolet V8
#32 (see note 7)
42 Flat tyre
19 Hal Whipple Spartan MK3-B [Talon MR1A "007"] - Chevrolet V8
41
20 Duane Eitel Chevron B24/B28 - Chevrolet V8
#23 E-K Racing
29
21 Randy Lewis Lola T332 [HU39] - Chevrolet V8
#0 Carl A. Haas Racing Teams, Ltd.
(see note 8)
25 Steering
22 Geoff Brabham Hogan HR-001 - Chevrolet V8
#10 Hogan Racing, Ltd.
16 Engine
23 Bob Allen SSE [001] - Ford V8
#69
11 Accident
24 Mike Roche Lola T332 [HU42] - Chevrolet V8
#80 Roche Racing (see note 9)
5 Engine
25 John Sorbello Sorbello GM5 [005] - Chevrolet V8
#19 (see note 10)
4 Engine
DNS Keke Rosberg Spyder NF-11 [CA-02] - Chevrolet V8
#5 Newman Freeman Racing
Did not start
(Accident in practice)
DNS Rocky Moran Lola T333CS ["33-673"] - Chevrolet V8
#58 American Spirit Racing
Did not start
DNS Richard Guider (Sports racing) 1.8-litre Chevron B21/B23 - Cosworth FVC
#68 (see note 11)
Did not start
(head gasket)
DNS Garth Pollard (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T294/T296 [HU77] - Ford
#88 N.S.F. Racing (see note 12)
Did not start
DNS Jay Jacobs (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B21/B23 - Hart 420S
#91 Genoa Racing
Did not start

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

Qualifying
1 Keke Rosberg * (Can-Am) 5-litre Spyder NF-11 [CA-02] - Chevrolet V8 57.155s
2 Bobby Rahal (Can-Am) 5-litre Prophet - Chevrolet V8 57.255s
3 Elliot Forbes-Robinson (Can-Am) 5-litre Spyder NF-11 [CA-01] - Chevrolet V8 58.01s
4 Geoff Brabham (Can-Am) 5-litre Hogan HR-001 - Chevrolet V8 58.389s
5 Geoff Lees (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS/Riley [HU1] - Chevrolet V8 58.406s
6 Howdy Holmes (Can-Am) 5-litre Spyder NF-11 [CA-03] - Chevrolet V8 58.485s
7 Jacky Ickx (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU12] - Chevrolet V8 58.613s
8 John Morton (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU8] - Chevrolet V8 58.718s
9 Vern Schuppan (Can-Am) 5-litre Elfin MR8A-C [8772] - Chevrolet V8 59.358s
10 Bobby Brown (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS [HU11] - Chevrolet V8 1m 00.525s
11 Randy Lewis (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU39] - Chevrolet V8 1m 00.749s
12 Keke Rosberg (Can-Am) 5-litre Spyder NF-11 [CA-04] - Chevrolet V8 1m 00.912s
13 Patrick Gaillard (Can-Am) 5-litre Schkee DB1 [2] - Chevrolet V8 1m 01.03s
14 John Gunn (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU47] - Chevrolet V8 1m 01.405s
15 Bill Tempero (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332/T332C [T332 HU30] - Chevrolet V8 1m 01.936s
16 Charlie Kemp (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU53] - Chevrolet V8 1m 01.939s
17 Rocky Moran * (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T333CS ["33-673"] - Chevrolet V8 1m 01.99s
18 Bob Allen (Can-Am) 5-litre SSE [001] - Ford V8 1m 02.886s
19 Michael L. Allen (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 ["33-790"] - Chevrolet V8 1m 03.115s
20 Michael Brayton (Can-Am) 5-litre Wolf-Brayton 001 - Chevrolet V8 1m 03.511s
21 Tim Evans (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T290 [HU27] - Ford BDG 1m 03.588s
22 Gary Gove (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B26 [74-08] - Cosworth FVD 1m 03.807s
23 Mike Roche (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU42] - Chevrolet V8 1m 04.368s
24 John Sorbello (Can-Am) 5-litre Sorbello GM5 [005] - Chevrolet V8 1m 05.331s
25 Hurley Haywood (Sports racing) 2-litre Chevron B21 [72-15] - BMW M12/7 1m 05.498s
26 Hal Whipple (Can-Am) 5-litre Spartan MK3-B [Talon MR1A "007"] - Chevrolet V8 1m 09.381s
27 Duane Eitel (Can-Am) 5-litre Chevron B24/B28 - Chevrolet V8 1m 09.519s
28 Garth Pollard * (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T294/T296 [HU77] - Ford 1m 11.699s
29 Richard Guider * (Sports racing) 1.8-litre Chevron B21/B23 - Cosworth FVC 1m 12.902s
 
* Did not start

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/T332C [T332 HU30] (Bill Tempero): See full history: Lola T332 HU30.
  3. Lola T332 [HU47] (John Gunn): See full history: Lola T332 HU47.
  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. 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.
  6. Chevron B21 [72-15] (Hurley Haywood): A reputedly lightweight car built for BMW to test a new 2-litre version of their Formula 2 engine. Entered by Bosch Racing Team Vienna for Dieter Quester who took pole on three of his four appearances in the car and won at Salzburgring on 21 May 1972. Crashed at Enna 15 Aug 1972 and heavily damaged. Later sold by BMW to Vasek Polak in the US and repaired by Hans Adam, Mark Flores and Bruce Ponder. It was raced in SCCA BSR racing in 1974 and 1975 by Ponder and later used in Can-Am in 1979 by Hurley Haywood. The car was retained in the Polak collection until it was sold back to BMW and restored to original specification for their museum. The car was raced by Hubert Hahne at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2001.
  7. Lola T332 [HU53] (Charlie Kemp): See full history: Lola T332 HU53.
  8. Lola T332 [HU39] (Randy Lewis): See full history: Lola T332 HU39.
  9. Lola T332 [HU42] (Mike Roche): See full history: Lola T332 HU42.
  10. Sorbello GM5 [005] (John Sorbello): See full history: McRae GM1/005.
  11. Chevron B21/B23 (Richard Guider): Richard Guider (Ben Lomond, CA) had a Chevron at the two Can-Am races at Laguna Seca and Riverside in October 1979 which was identified by Doug Waters as a B21/23 with 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC engine. He failed to start either race. Nothing more known.
  12. Lola T294/T296 [HU77] (Garth Pollard): Sold new to Ed Abate (Monte Sereno, CA) late 1974 and raced in SCCA BSR racing from 1975 to 1977 and in Can-Am in 1977 and 1978. Abate was second in the Run-Offs in 1976 and won in 1977. After one further Can-Am appearance in 1978, the Lola was sold to Garth Pollard, a Canadian then resident in Costa Mesa, California. He raced it in Can-Am in 1979 before selling it to Mike Hill (Quesnel, BC) who used it in local events before advertising it in April 1982 and selling it to Geoff Davie in Toronto. Davie sold it to Don Wood (Bournemouth, England) in Sep 1988 who had the car prepared by Ian Jones and raced it in the BRDC British C2 Sportscar Championship event at Donington in 1990, co-driven by Autosport legend Marcus Pye. Wood sold the car back to an American owner in 1992 and as of 2011 it is owned by a Californian owner.

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.