Champion Spark Plug Road Racing Classic (Formula A class)
Road Atlanta, 29 Oct 1978
| Results | Laps | Time/Speed | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stuart Forbes-Robinson | Lola T330 [HU26] - Chevrolet V8 #22 - (see note 1) |
18 | ||||||
| 2 | Charles Nearburg | (FA) March 76B/77B #72 - (see note 2) |
18 | ||||||
| 3 | Doug Correa | Lola T330 [HU24] - Chevrolet V8 #7 - (see note 3) |
15 | ||||||
| 4 | Ray Reimer | March "741" [73A/3(B)] - Chevrolet V8 #93 - (see note 4) |
13 | did not finish | |||||
| 5 | Bob Dunlop | Lotus 70 [02] - Ford V8 #97 Bob Dunlop Racing |
1 | ||||||
| 6 | Robert Goulet | McKee Mk 18A ['1'] - Chevrolet V8 #92 Sunbury Racing (see note 5) |
1 | ||||||
| DNS | Frank Schultz | Eagle 755 [01] - Chevrolet V8 #48 Bryant Htg & Cooling |
Did not start | ||||||
| Dana Leung | Lola T300 [HU14] - Chevrolet V8 #1 - (see note 6) |
On entry list | |||||||
| Dan Johnson | Chevron B24 [24-73-02] - Chevrolet V8 #38 Johnson Comp. Ent. (see note 7) |
On entry list | |||||||
| Jim Gustafson | March 73A [4-2] - Chevrolet V8 #82 J.G. Racing (see note 8) |
On entry list | |||||||
All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.
| Qualifying | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying information not available |
Notes on the cars:
- Lola T330 [HU26] (Stuart Forbes-Robinson): See full history: Lola T330 HU26.
- March 76B/77B (Charles Nearburg): Charles Nearburg (Dallas, TX) raced a March in SCCA Southwest Division Formula B in 1978, scoring 51 points. In an advert in October 1978, Nearburg revealed that this car was a 76B/77B, with a "complete Shierson update" and "new tub". At the end of the season, he bought one of Price Cobb's two March 78Bs, and raced that in the SCCA Runoffs. However, Nearburg had also qualified for the Runoffs in Formula A, so fitted the older 76B/77B with an oversized FB engine and ran it in the FA Runoffs. Subsequent history unknown.
- Lola T330 [HU24] (Doug Correa): See full history: Lola T330 HU24.
- March "741" [73A/3(B)] (Ray Reimer): See full history: March 73A/3.
- McKee Mk 18A ['1'] (Robert Goulet): New for Dick DeJarld (Joliet, IL) in 1972, and raced in SCCA Formula A events. Appeared at the Michigan Pro F5000 event in 1973 but did not qualify from the heat. Raced by DeJarld until sold to Ed Midgley (Geneva, IL) for 1976, when it was also raced by Jerry Hansen at Blackhawk Farms. To Robert Goulet (Wauwatsoa, WI) for 1977, and raced in SCCA Formula A. Goulet converted the McKee to sports car bodywork for 1979, appearing at Brainerd in July that year in the ASR class. Raced in Can-Am in 1980 and 1981, then renamed the "Sabre 001" for Can-Am again in 1983, and again in 1985. To Bob McKee and raced by Bill Scott in CAT races in 1986 and 1987. Then restored to its original specification for new owner Tom Simpson (Peoria, IL), and used in vintage racing, appearing at the Chicago Historic Races at Road America in 1988. It ran alongside several other McKee cars in historic races at Road America in the early 1990s, and also ran at HSR Mid-Ohio in August 1993. After a 20-year gap, Simpson ran the Mk 18 again in historic events in 2006.
- Lola T300 [HU14] (Dana Leung): Invoice date 8 Mar 1972 (sold to 'Haas', colour 'White'). New to Warren Flickinger and raced in the US series in 1972 (7 races, debut R1 Laguna Seca 7 May 1972) and in 1973. Advertised by Chuck Jones Racing (Costa Mesa, CA) in Formula Magazine (Vol 1 No 6, Mar/Apr 1974) and sold to Floyd Sable (Anaheim, CA) for SCCA National and Regional racing in 1974 and 1975. The original T300 bodywork was lost in a fire during this time, so Sable fitted T332 bodywork. Sold to Terry Hinesly (Prospect, Oregon) and raced for another two years. Then to Dana Leung (Vancouver, BC, Canada) in 1978 who ran it at Sears Point and Riverside, wrecking an engine, and then in an SCCA Regional at Portland, where he crashed it. The car passed into the ownership of mechanic Bob Hume but, before it could be repaired, it was stolen and stripped. Bob recovered the tub and retained the engine, but little more. It due course, he sold the tub to a New Zealand mechanic/driver called Peter who worked for Pierre Phillips. Nothing more known.
- Chevron B24 [24-73-02] (Dan Johnson): 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.
- March 73A [4-2] (Jim Gustafson): See full history: March 73A/4.
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.