OldRacingCars.com

Can-Am Challenge Race

Laguna Seca, 10 Oct 1982

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Al Unser Jr Frissbee GR3 - Chevrolet V8
#15 Galles Racing
60 59m 55.25s
114.151 mph
2 Al Holbert VDS 001 [(002?)] - Chevrolet V8
#1 Racing Team VDS (see note 1)
59
3 Jim Crawford (Can-Am) 3-litre Ensign N180B [MN15] - Cosworth DFV V8
#73 Amco Racing
58
4 John Kalagian Frissbee-Lola T333CS - Chevrolet V8
#9 Kalagian-Ardisana Racing
56
5 Horst Kwech (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Toleman TG280 [03] - Hart 420R
#63 Ausca Racing (see note 2)
56
6 Jacques Villeneuve Sr (Sports racing) 2-litre Osella PA9 [110] - BMW M12/7
#33 Canadian Tire Racing (see note 3)
56
7 Bill Alsup (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Ralt RT2/79 [153] - Hart 420R
#16 Ausca Racing
55
8 John Graham (Can-Am) 3-litre March 811 [RM05] - Cosworth DFV V8
#4 Gordon Lightfoot Racing
55 Accident
9 Tom Foster (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Cicale-Ralt RT1½ - Hart 420R
#72 Tracer Racing
54
10 Kyle Buxton (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [136] - Ford BDP
#35 Buxton Motor Sports (see note 4)
54
11 Charles Monk (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre March 77S/802 [77ST-1] - Hart 420R
#30 Monk Racing (see note 5)
54
12 Jerry Molnar (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Invader 001 (Chevron B29) [29-75-14] - Ford BDG
#21 Lou Infante Motoracing (see note 6)
52
13 John Morton Frissbee - Chevrolet V8
#46 Conte/Daffy/Racing
48 Oil line
14 Geoff Brabham Frissbee GR2 - Chevrolet V8
#7 Galles Racing
44 Suspension
15 Frank Joyce Holbert CAC-2 - Chevrolet V8
#43 TRW Corporation Phantom
44 Accident
16 Robert Meyer Spyder NF-11 - Chevrolet V8
#39 Robert Meyer
43 Accident
17 Randy Lewis Holbert CAC-1 - Chevrolet V8
#2 Cribari Wine
42 Accident
18 Rex Ramsey Lola T530 [HU4] - Chevrolet V8
#22 Ramsey Solution (see note 7)
42 Accident
19 Mike Freberg Lola T530 [HU9] - Chevrolet V8
#11 Can-Am Racing (see note 8)
42 Accident
20 E. B. Lunken (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Invader 002 (March 802) [18] - BMW M12/7 Heidegger
#61 Lou Infante Invaders
42 Accident
21 Paul Macey (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T294 [HU78] - Ford
#74 GPS Racing
42 Accident
22 Chuck Billington (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T296 - Ford BDX
#71 Tracer Racing
41 Accident
23 Danny Sullivan March 827 - Chevrolet V8
#5 Newman/Budweiser
38 Wheel hub
24 Merle Brennan Frissbee-Lola T332 ["76-13"] - Chevrolet V8
#19 Reno Automotive Center
38 Body damage
25 Rick Parsons Conquest - Chevrolet V8
#76 DY-CON Inc.
37 Unknown
26 Dan Marvin (Can-Am 2l) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [317] - Ford BDD
#87 John Norman Racing
27 Engine
27 Michael L. Allen Frissbee-Lola T332 ["33-790"] - Chevrolet V8
#59 Frohling McDonalds
22 Accident
28 Eddie Wachs (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Toleman T850 [HU2-2] - Hart 420R
#62 Ausca Racing (see note 9)
11 Body damage
29 Michael Brayton Lola T530 [HU8] - Chevrolet V8
#12 Lutzoff Automotive (see note 10)
4 Rear end
29 Bertil Roos (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Marguey CA82 [March 782] - Hart 420R
#69 Elite Racing
8 Engine
DNS Duane Eitel Chevron B24/B28 - Chevrolet V8
#23 Blue Engineering ('MLR 003')
Did not start
DNS Jim Trueman (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre March 822 [812-7] - Hart 420R
#25 Red Roof Inns (see note 11)
Did not start
(Fuel cell leak)
DNS Bill Blackledge (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Ralt RT2/80 [172] - Hart 420R
#68 Elite Racing
Did not start

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

Qualifying
1 Al Unser Jr (Can-Am) 5-litre Frissbee GR3 - Chevrolet V8 55.472s
2 Geoff Brabham (Can-Am) 5-litre Frissbee GR2 - Chevrolet V8 55.792s
3 Danny Sullivan (Can-Am) 5-litre March 827 - Chevrolet V8 56.201s
4 Al Holbert (Can-Am) 5-litre VDS 001 [(002?)] - Chevrolet V8 56.293s
5 John Morton (Can-Am) 5-litre Frissbee - Chevrolet V8 58.018s
6 Jim Crawford (Can-Am) 3-litre Ensign N180B [MN15] - Cosworth DFV V8 59.361s
7 Randy Lewis (Can-Am) 5-litre Holbert CAC-1 - Chevrolet V8 59.624s
8 John Kalagian (Can-Am) 5-litre Frissbee-Lola T333CS - Chevrolet V8 1m 00.342s
9 Horst Kwech (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Toleman TG280 [03] - Hart 420R 1m 00.585s
10 Jacques Villeneuve Sr (Sports racing) 2-litre Osella PA9 [110] - BMW M12/7 1m 00.604s
11 Frank Joyce (Can-Am) 5-litre Holbert CAC-2 - Chevrolet V8 1m 00.971s
12 Michael L. Allen (Can-Am) 5-litre Frissbee-Lola T332 ["33-790"] - Chevrolet V8 1m 01.113s
13 Eddie Wachs (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Toleman T850 [HU2-2] - Hart 420R 1m 01.166s
14 Bertil Roos (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Marguey CA82 [March 782] - Hart 420R 1m 01.413s
15 John Graham (Can-Am) 3-litre March 811 [RM05] - Cosworth DFV V8 1m 01.725s
16 Dan Marvin (Can-Am 2l) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [317] - Ford BDD 1m 02.129s
17 Rex Ramsey (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T530 [HU4] - Chevrolet V8 1m 02.381s
18 Bill Alsup (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Ralt RT2/79 [153] - Hart 420R 1m 02.749s
19 Rick Parsons (Can-Am) 5-litre Conquest - Chevrolet V8 1m 02.99s
20 Kyle Buxton (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [136] - Ford BDP 1m 03.088s
21 Tom Foster (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Cicale-Ralt RT1½ - Hart 420R 1m 03.637s
22 Michael Brayton (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T530 [HU8] - Chevrolet V8 1m 03.698s
23 Robert Meyer (Can-Am) 5-litre Spyder NF-11 - Chevrolet V8 1m 03.956s
24 Merle Brennan (Can-Am) 5-litre Frissbee-Lola T332 ["76-13"] - Chevrolet V8 1m 04.086s
25 Mike Freberg (Can-Am) 5-litre Lola T530 [HU9] - Chevrolet V8 1m 04.187s
26 Charles Monk (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre March 77S/802 [77ST-1] - Hart 420R 1m 04.303s
27 E. B. Lunken (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Invader 002 (March 802) [18] - BMW M12/7 Heidegger 1m 04.634s
28 Paul Macey (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T294 [HU78] - Ford 1m 04.869s
29 Jerry Molnar (Can-Am 2l) 2-litre Invader 001 (Chevron B29) [29-75-14] - Ford BDG 1m 05.106s
30 Chuck Billington (Sports racing) 2-litre Lola T296 - Ford BDX 1m 05.224s

Notes on the cars:

  1. VDS 001 [(002?)] (Al Holbert): New for the VDS team in 1981 and raced by Geoff Brabham, winning from pole first time out at Edmonton in August 1981. Raced with great success by Geoff Brabham in 1981 and then by Al Holbert in 1982 alongside a new car VDS-002. Sold to Jerry Hansen for 1983 and 1984, winning the ASR class at the Runoffs both years. Bought by John Foulston for 1985 but presented by him at the time as a rebuild of the standard T530 that he had raced in 1984. As part of this, it was fitted with the chassis plate of Foulston's previous Lola T530 HU10. VDS-001 then raced by Foulston and his co-drivers in UK Thundersports from 1985 until his death in 1987. Sold at auction by the Foulston estate in 1997 when the car still wore the HU10 chassis plate and no mention was made of its life as VDS-001. Bought by dealer and racer Nick Whale (Evesham, Worcestershire) 1997 and run by him at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1998. Sold to Don Braaten (Janesville, WI) 2000.
  2. Toleman TG280 [03] (Horst Kwech): New to Docking Spitzley Racing for Huub Rothengatter to race in F2 in 1980. Raced once by John Lewis in the Aurora series at the end of that season. Retained by Docking Spitzley for 1981 when it was run by Bob Salisbury for Ricardo Londoño. Retained by Docking Spitzley for 1982 when it was rebuilt with new rear suspension and "totally new bodywork" for Thierry Tassin to drive. Sold to Eddie Wachs' Ausca Racing at the end of the F2 season, and converted to Can-Am specification for Horst Kwech to drive. Retained for 1983, when it was raced by Wachs. Retained again for 1984, when it was driven by Wachs, Bill Alsup, and Enrique Mansilla. Subsequent history unresolved.
  3. Osella PA9 [110] (Jacques Villeneuve Sr): Jacques Villeneuve Sr drove an Osella PA9-BMW sports car during the 1982 Can-Am season. This car had began life as a PA8, chassis 091, for Gimax in 1980 and had been converted to PA9 specification and renumbered 110 for Villeneuve's Can-Am run. The car reappeared briefly for Scott Goodyear to drive in 1983.
  4. Ralt RT1/78 [136] (Kyle Buxton): A white and blue Ralt RT1/78 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson in August 1978. To AME Racing for Skeeter McKitterick (San Diego, CA/Woodland Hills, CA), debuting at Trois-Rivières in early September. Also raced by McKitterick at the Macau Grand Prix in November as part of the Flying Tigers team. Retained by McKitterick for 1979, when he had sponsorship from CAM 2 Motor Oil. Raced in the North American series and again in Macau, entered by Flying Tigers Dunhill Racing Team. Entered a few times in 1980, but rarely seen. Sold to Kyle Buxton (Trabuco, CA) who raced it in Formula Atlantic in 1981 and 1982, then fitted a sports car body for Can-Am racing later in 1982, using a Ford BDP engine. To Dennis Brisken, and used in ASR class racing in 1984, but later wrecked at Sears Point. Sold to Carl Olsson (San Diego, CA) and rebuilt as a FC, and later as a CSR. Then to Tom Nelson (San Francisco area, CA) who rebuilt it again as an improved CSR. [CT]
  5. March 77S/802 [77ST-1] (Charles Monk): Built new for 1974, fitted with a BMW engine and entered by March Engineering for Jean Ragnotti in the European 2-litre Sports Car championship, with Antar sponsorship. Fitted with a Richardson FVC after the first few races, and later with a Cosworth BDG. Retained by March for 1975, fitted with a Hart 420R engine, updated to 75S specification and plated as '75S-U2' for John Lepp to race. The car was retained again for 1976, now to 76S specification and reportedly using the identity '76S-1', now raced by Lepp as part of the Ultramar team. Sold to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) for the 1977 Can-Am season, now using the identity '77ST-1'. Sold to Greg Sorrentino (Troy, Michigan) and raced in 1979. In 1980, it was converted to centre-seat specification with a new body fabricated by Dave Craddock and campaigned in this form by Sorrentino in 1981, described as a March 802. To Charlie Monk (Sarnia, Ontario) for 1982, and then via John Adams Racing & John Kalagian to J. Byron Walker (Detroit, Michigan). Raced by Walker in 1983 and 1984 before being stored. Walker later acquired the 1977 bodywork from EB Lunken, who had used it on his March 73S, and found Lepp's Ultramar livery under the layers of paint. In 2013, Walker was in the process of restoring the car to its 1975 specification.
  6. Invader 001 (Chevron B29) [29-75-14] (Jerry Molnar): New to Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario) and used in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series in 1975, sponsored by Jensen Exotic Plants. Retained by Jensen for 1976, and retained again for 1977. Leighton Irwin, who crewed for Jensen at this time, recalls that it was sold in early 1978, he thinks to Michigan. Subsequent history unknown, but believed to be the car later converted to A Sports Racing by Lou Infante Motoracing and raced by Jerry Molnar (Lathrup Village, MI) in Can-Am in 1982. To Frank Jellinek (N. Hampton, NH), and used by him at two Can-Am races in 1983. Later sold to a "Dave", and Roger Sieling reports that it was stolen from him some time in the mid-1980s near Cleveland Ohio along with his tow truck, trailer, and an Austin-Healey Sprite. The car was never recovered.
  7. Lola T530 [HU4] (Rex Ramsey): Built April 1980. New to VDS Racing for 1980 and used as Geoff Brabham's T-car for the first part of the season, becoming his race car after HU3 was destroyed in a practice accident at Road America in July. Retained for 1981 and raced by Brabham until the team's new T530-based VDS-001 was ready. Sold to Rex Ramsey 1982 but very heavily damaged in an accident at Laguna Seca in October. The damaged and disassembled car sold to Mike McComas (Pampa, TX) 1988 and sold by him to Paul Sauer (Woodside, CA). In 2002, the car was still completely apart with the new tub still under construction.
  8. Lola T530 [HU9] (Mike Freberg): Built July 1980. New to Garvin Brown Racing for driver Danny Sullivan, replacing the Intrepid GB1. Raced for the rest of 1980 but Garvin Brown then acquired the ex-Rosberg car from Newman Racing and Sullivan raced that car instead at the start of 1981. Assumed for now that HU9 remained as Sullivan's backup car through the 1981 season. Sold to Mike Freberg (Toronto, Ontario) and raced by him through the 1982 Can-Am season but heavily damaged at Laguna Seca in October 1982. Mike Brayton is reported to have bought this car, repaired it and sold it to Burke Ratcliffe but the exact details are not known. Subsequent history unknown.
  9. Toleman T850 [HU2-2] (Eddie Wachs): New to Docking Spitzley for Kenny Acheson to race in F2 in 1981. Identified by Autosport as Acheson's car at Silverstone in March, and presumably the same car used up to his accident at Pau. The car at Pau was a write off, but at the start of 1982, Autosport reported that Carlo Rossi was racing the ex-Acheson chassis with revised bodywork for the Docking Spitzley team. Sold to Eddie Wachs' Ausca Racing when the F2 season ended in August, and fitted with fenders by Docking for Can-Am racing. Wachs' regular car in 1982, and also used by him in 1983 and early 1984. Also driven by Cheryl Glass, Bill Alsup and Wally Dallenbach in 1984. The car is then unknown until June 1994, when Frank Zucchi (Livermore, CA) raced it in a San Francisco Region SCCA vintage event at Thunderhill Raceway Park. Raced by Zucchi in VARA events later that year. Next seen just over a year later, when it was bought by Paul Flowers (Dothan, Alabama) from Robert W. Keelips (Deland, FL) in February 1996. Flowers entered it as a #17 1980 Toleman F2 at the 5th Annual Jefferson 500 at Summit Point in May 1996. He also raced it in the SVRA Zippo Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in 1999. Seen again in 2004, by which time it was being prepared for him by Lee Chapman. Reported to have been raced until 2010, and then sold to Takuya Arai (New Paltz, NY) who only uses it for track days.
  10. Lola T530 [HU8] (Michael Brayton): Built May 1980. New to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY) for Can-Am in 1980 and rebuilt on fresh tub after an accident. Sold by Nelkin to Newman Racing August 1980 but they changed their mind and the car quickly passed to Garvin Brown Racing for Danny Sullivan in the last half of 1980. Retained for 1981. Sold to Mike Brayton and raced in Can-Am in 1982. Later sold to Burke Ratcliffe to be used in Thundersports in England in 1986 but wrecked in a testing accident at Brands Hatch in June 1986. Retubbed and rebuilt by Jack Smith of VDS. Believed to be the car raced by Andy Ratcliffe (Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire), Mike Wilds and David Leslie in 1986, winning the last two races of the season. Also then likely to be the car shared by Wilds and Ian Flux through the 1987 season, winning two races, and then by Flux and other in 1988, when it dominated the series. Then to Mike McComas (Pampa, TX) 1989 and then to Bud Bennett of RM Motorsport (Wixom, Michigan) 1996. Completely restored by Bennett to Garvin Brown livery. It then went via either Scot Kennedy or Ron Coburn to Norm Goldrich (Cincinnati,OH) 1998 and was still with him in September 2001. Sold to Gregg Jackson (El Paso, TX) 2002 then to Kim Baker 2009 or 2010 and then to Larry Galbo (Buffalo, NY) 2011.
  11. March 822 [812-7] (Jim Trueman): Jim Trueman's 1982 Can-Am car is described in a variety of ways in that season's entry lists, ranging from a 822-Hart at Mid-Ohio to a Special at Caesars Palace. However, March records show that chassis 812-7 was invoiced to Trueman's Red Roof Inns on 28 May 1982 (invoice 5027). A list of March cars built in 1982 shows no sign of a 822 going to Trueman so his car must have been this 812.

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.