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Lou Sell's Eagle at Lime Rock in 1968. Copyright Jeff Savage  2004. Used with permission.

SCCA Continental Championship Formula A 1968

The first season of 5-litre Formula A was won by Lou Sell in the Smothers Bros' Eagle Mk 5. The Eagle was based on AAR's monocoque 1968 Indianapolis design, and was the dominant car that first season, with Sell and George Wintersteen proving almost unbeatable. Lola had taken a very different approach with their spaceframe Lola T140, based on components left over from a project to build a GT version of the Lola T70, and this proved to be the most effective customer car. Top amateur driver Jerry Hansen took a deserved victory at Road America in his T140.

Other cars that performed well in 1968 were four US-built spaceframe designs, the McKee Mk 8, LeGrand Mk 7A, Vulcan and Spectre HR1. Also seen were Autodynamics Corp's monocoque Caldwell D8, a couple of monocoque Eiserts, the WRE, and Lyle Forsgren's Forsgrini. Some cars were converted from other categories, such as Chuck Trowbridge's ex-F1 Lotus 24 with Shelby Ford engine, and a pair of McLaren M1B Can-Am cars converted to single-seater form.

A total of 29 5-litre cars took part during this first season, plus seven assorted 3-litre cars, and these cars took up 41% of the grids during the season, a very healthy average of 15 cars per race. Formula B cars, the most popular being the Brabham BT21C and Lotus 59B, took up 49% of the grid, and the remaining 10% were 1100cc Formula C cars, led by the Brabham BT21B of Fred Opert with its potent 1.1-litre Cosworth SCC engine.

The races

26 May 1968 > Colorado Grand Prix at Continental Divide

16 Jun 1968 > Grand Prix of Oklahoma at War Bonnet

27 Jul 1968 > Badger 200 at Road America

18 Aug 1968 > Thompson Grand Prix at Thompson Speedway

25 Aug 1968 > Mosport Continental at Mosport Park

02 Sep 1968 > Lime Rock Grand Prix

22 Sep 1968 > Donnybrooke Grand Prix at Brainerd

12 Oct 1968 > Ken Miles Memorial Race at Laguna Seca

1968 SCCA Continental Championship table

1Lou SellEagle Mk 5 - Chev V850 pts5 wins
2George WintersteenEagle Mk 5 - Chev V839 pts2 wins
3Bobby BrownLola T140 - Chev V823 pts 
4Jerry HansenLola T140 - Chev V819 pts1 win
5Brian O'NeilLola T140 - Chev V814 pts 
6Henry CandlerLola T140 - Chev V811 pts 
7Kurt ReinoldMcKee Mk 8 - Chev V88 pts 
8=John GunnLola T140 - Chev V85 pts 
8=Bud MorleyMcLaren M1B/FA - Chev V85 pts 
10Mak KronnMcKee Mk 8 - Chev V84 pts 
11=Mike Eyerly(Formula B) McLaren M4B - Ford twin cam3 pts 
11=Mike Hiss(Formula B) Brabham - Ford twin cam3 pts 
11=WP Fred Stevenson(Formula B) Lotus - Ford twin cam3 pts 
14=Dave Ogilvy(Formula B) Lotus 35 - Ford twin cam2 pts 
14=Jack EiteljorgEisert 68 - Chev V82 pts 
14=Steve DurstVulcan - Chev V82 pts 
14=Stew McMillenEisert 65 - Chev V82 pts 
18=Joe Alves(Formula B) Brabham BT21 - Ford twin cam1 pt 
18=Richard Negley(Formula B) Lotus 41C - Ford twin cam1 pt 
18=David PabstLola T140 - Chev V81 pt 

The points table is derived from Wolfgang Klopfer's excellent Formula A and Formula 5000 in America p10.