Sears Point Nationals (SFR SCCA National)

Sears Point, 8 Sep 1974

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. GRD B73 [074-FB] (Jon Milledge): New to M & S Racing (Santa Clara, CA) as a GRD B73 and raced by Jon Milledge (Mountain View, CA) and Archie Snider (Los Gatos, CA) in Pro Formula B events in 1973. Raced by the pair in SCCA Nationals in 1974, when it was also driven by Archie's brother Don Snider in SCCA Regionals. Fitted with a BDA engine for Formula Atlantic in 1975, again with its original driving partnership. It was later sold to Bunny Ribbs (San Jose, CA), and may have been raced by his son Willy T. Ribbs early in his career, then to Frank Briggs in 1980, and then to John Treder (Santa Clara, CA) later in 1980. He raced the car in 1981 and 1982 but it was badly damaged in an accident at Laguna Seca. The wrecked was acquired by John Hafkenschiel (Sacramento, CA), then sold to Lou Pavesi (Los Altos Hills, CA) in 1981, then Brad Moore (Martinez, CA) in 1996.
2. Brabham BT29 [9] (Pete Halsmer): This early chassis number would have raced in 1969 but its first owner is still unknown. Working backwards from its modern ownership, it would have been the black-and-yellow BT29 raced by Allan Lader (Gresham, OR), until Lader got a new 1970-spec BT29 in July. The older car was sold to Ron Householder (Portland, OR) and raced by him in SCCA, CASC and ICSCC events in 1971, 1972 and 1973. Householder sold it to Paul Anderson (Huntington Beach, CA) who entered it for Pete Halsmer in SCCA events in 1974. Then to Bill Hill (Olympia, WA) in March 1975. Hill drove this car, mainly in ICSCC events, until April 1980 at least, and Hill advertised the car "for rent" in mid-1980. Retained by Hill until his death. It was sold by his widow to David Irwin (Evergreen, CO) in December 2017.
3. Winkelmann WDB2 [3] (Walt Maas): Run by Bob Winkelmann for Nigel Bates (Sausalito, CA/San Jose, CA) to race in the SCCA Continental Championship. The car's history is then unknown until 1973, when Datsun dealer Gerry Bruihl (Sausalito, CA/Mountain View, CA) acquired it and fitted a 1600cc Datsun engine. The Winkelmann was raced for Bruihl by Walt Maas in SCCA Nationals in 1974, before Bruihl himself raced it in SCCA races in early 1975. It was then sold to George Gettel (Denver, CO) for SCCA Nationals later that year. This is presumably the car he entered simply as "Prototype" in 1977 and 1978. The SCCA logbook reportedly gives the next owners of the Winkelmann as Craig Vaughn in December 1978 and Bill Hardy in May 1979. However, Tommy Patson recalls Gettel selling the car to Ron Hunter, of Rocky Mountain Winkelmann, who used it as a rental car in the late 1970s. Patson remembers racing the car several times when it was fitted with a water-cooled VW engine. In December 1993, it was acquired by Chris Ronson (Modesto, CA) and restored. In 2013 it was bought from Ronson by Robs Lamplough, who raced it at Thruxton in 2014.
4. March 722 [27] (Robert Hall): Allan Lader (Gresham, OR) had a black #2 March 722 for 1972. As his main focus in 1972 was Formula 5000, he only raced the car in two Pro FB races and in the Sep 1972 Lime Rock FA race when it was fitted with a BDA and ran in the Formula A class. It was entered by Pacifico Inc. and also, at Laguna Seca in May 1972, by Pierres Motors Racing. In 1973, Robert Hall (Oakland, CA) raced a black March 722 that was said to be ex-Lader. He raced this car in SCCA National and Regional races in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Subsequent history unknown. In 2015, a March 722 "originally owned by Dale Coyne" and described as "#27 of 48 manufactured in 1972" was advertised in the US. This would indicate that Dale Coyne's unidentified Formula B March in 1977 was the ex-Robert Hall 722. Coyne had advertised a 722 with twin cam engine in December 1976, noting that it had updated bodywork and a F2 nose. The car in 2015 had been "completely restored by Marc Bahner including construction of a new monocoque and delivered to the current owner in 2000. Since then it had been prepared by Louie Shefchik's J&L Fabricating. In 2018, Bob Birrell (Driffield, East Yorkshire) bought "the ex-Dale Coyne" March 722-27 from Grand Prix Classics in the US, and brought it back to England for HSCC Historic Formula Atlantic. Bob Juggins drove the car for Birrell at Anglesey and at Brands Hatch in 2019.
5. March 722 (John Angus): Bob Lazier (Vail, CO) raced a black #6 March 722 in the Pro Formula B series in 1972, winning at Bryar Motorsports Park in May. The car was sold to Byron Hatten (Altadena, CA) for 1973, and he entered it for John Angus (formerly of Hartland, WI, but living in Marina Del Rey, CA at this time) for 1974. According to a later advert, this was the "76B" driven by Hatten at the IMSA Formula Atlantic race at Ontario in 1976, and it was then sold to George Seydel (Pasadena, CA), who raced a Formula B March in SCCA Regionals at Riverside in 1978. According to this car's SCCA logbook, it was raced by Seydel until 1979. The SCCA Logbook records its "Manufacturers Identification No." as 722-16, but this was the chassis number reported in Europe to be Xavier Perrot's F2 car, so this identity remains unconfirmed.
6. Brabham BT35 [32] (Gordon Strom): Raúl Pérez Gama was one of several Mexican customers of Fred Opert Racing in the early 1970s. For 1971, he had a brand new orange-and-yellow Brabham BT35 and raced as part of the Fred Opert Racing team in Pro Formula B events with entry number #66. He retained the car for the two Bogotá races in early 1972 after which BT35/32 has been identified as the car driven in SCCA events by Gordon Strom (Santa Cruz, CA or Sunnyvale, CA) in 1972 and for the following three seasons, retaining the car's original orange and yellow colours throughout. For 1976, Strom acquired a Chevron B29 and the Brabham may have been traded back to Fred Opert.
7. March 722 (Steve Jizmagian): Chuck Sarich (McLean, VA) raced a midnight blue/white #57 March 722 in SCCA Nationals and Pro Formula B in 1972, entered by Quicksilver Racing Enterprises, Inc of Rockville, Maryland. Chuck finished second in the Southeast Division FB championship and qualified for the Runoffs, which he won. Sarich and his team moved into Formula 5000 for 1973, and his March 722 was evidently sold to Steve Jizmagian (San Francisco, CA), who raced a March 722 in west coast SCCA Nationals and Regionals in 1973. He retained the car for 1974, using it mainly in SCCA Nationals and qualifying for the Runoffs. He retained the 722 for a third season in 1975, still with its Ford twin cam engine despite the formula's move to BDA engines, and again qualified for the Runoffs. The 722 was entered throughout these three seasons by Jizmagian as #4. Its colour was variously reported as blue and as black in 1973, then as red in 1974 and 1975. He advertised the car in August 1976 as "March 72B, Quicksilver, three times ARRC", indicating it was Chuck Sarich's car in 1972, as Jizmagian had only qualified for the Runoffs in 1974 and 1975, and Chuck was the only one of the Sarich brothers to qualify in 1972. Jim Sarich's car had gone to Ted Roman. Subsequent history unknown.
8. Brabham BT40 [22] (Ron Southern): Bought new by Ron Southern (San Rafael, CA) for Formula B and first seen at the Laguna Seca Sprints in June 1973. Retained for several seasons but rarely raced after Aug 1974. Advertised in Jan 1976 by Southern/Bondurant School of High Performance Driving still with Hart twin cam and comment '9 races from new'. Advertised in Formula in April 1976 by Southern (Glen Ellen, CA) noting a 200+ bhp injected Hart engine. It then went to George Nolte (Fair Oaks, CA), who ran it in Formula B in 1978. In 1980, it was bought by John Wink (Sacremento, CA) from a man in Sacramento who had used it in Solo events. Wink ran it with the original twin cam engine at first, then fitted a BDD in 1982. He sold it to another Solo driver, then it went to Ted Harris (Carmichael, CA), for whom Wink rebuilt it. Used by Harris in an SCCA Drivers School in March 1987. According to John Hafkenschiel of the US Brabham Register, the car was acquired by Kent Painter (Fort Collins, CO) in 1989. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Lola T142 (Don Inferrera): See full history: Lola T142 'the Dave Heinz car'.
10. Brabham BT18/21 [BT14 FL-3-65] (Tom Gouldstone): This BT14 was bought new by John Mitchell and raced in northern English libre racing in 1965 and 1966. It was missing for most of 1967, but was sold late that year to Steve Pfeiffer (San Francisco, CA) and equipped with a BRM Phase 4 twin-cam for 1968 Formula B racing, now described as a BT21 or BT21C. It was sold to Bruce Redding (Monterey, CA) for 1969 but crashed early in the season and extensively rebuilt. Redding thereafter entered it in 1969 and 1970 as a Ford Special, Gravelle Special or even as a Honda Special. It was later sold to Steve Jizmagian (San Francisco, CA) in early 1971 and crashed again, then to Tom Gouldstone (Santa Rosa, CA/Napa, CA) in November 1972 and crashed again - each time at Laguna Seca. By 1975, Gouldstone was describing it as a BT18/21. It was sold to Dick McGovern (San Jose, CA) in 1978, and retained by McGovern until 1994 when he sold to George Goodare (Sydney, NSW, Australia), who restored it. It was sold to Brian Wilson in September 2000, then to John Gale in November 2001. Sold to Richard Longes late 2008 and raced in 2009 Tasman Revival races.
11. Brabham BT29 [26] (Courtney R Rood): This car is likely to have raced in 1970 but its history is not known until it is believed to be the car raced by Dewey Harless (Portland, OR) in NorPac FB in 1971 and 1972. It was bought from Harless by Courtney Rood (Geyserville, CA) and raced mainly in San Francisco Region events at Sears Point over the next three seasons, winning the SFR Regional FB title in 1973 and 1975. He advertised the car at the end of 1976 but it did not sell and he retained it until 1995 or 1996 when it was bought by Dick McGovern (San Jose, CA) for historic racing. Sold by McGovern to Mark Mauz (Evergreen, CO) in 2018. David Irwin (Englewood, CO) restored the car during 2018 and early 2019, finished in red bodywork with a black stripe around the nose.
12. Brabham BT35 [31] (Bill Cooper): New to Mike Hansen (Belmont, CA) and Steve Marx (Fremont, CA) of Hansen-Marx Racing (or Marx-Hansen Racing) and raced by them in SCCA Regionals and Nationals predominantly in southern California in 1971. Retained by the pair for 1972, and raced by Hansen in SCCA Nationals up and down the west coast, and then in Pro events later in the season. To Bill Cooper (San Jose, CA) for 1973, and used in SCCA Regionals. Retained by Cooper for 1974 and raced in SCCA Nationals. Seen less often in 1975, and advertised by Cooper with a BDA engine from September 1975 to July 1976. It is reported to have gone to Tom Smith after Cooper. It was bought from Tommy Smith in July 1978 by John Hafkenschiel and raced in Californian Formula Atlantic before selling it in the winter of 1984. In November 2016, Ron Hornig (Laramie, Wyoming) bought the car and has thoroughly restored it. Note that Hornig also has two F3 BT35s which he uses in historic racing.
13. Brabham BT29 [38] (Philip Ribbs): John Ranson Lewis III, who raced as Randy Lewis (Sunnyvale, CA), had a blue Brabham BT29 for 1970 which was entered as #7. He raced the car through the full Pro season, finishing fourth at Sears Point in June and at Road America in August, ending the season in eighth place in the championship. He did not compete in SCCA Nationals. The car was sold to Bunny Ribbs (San Jose, CA) for Mike Eyerly to drive in FB in 1971 (#63) and 1972 (#80). Jon Milledge also drove Ribbs car at Brainerd in Sep 1972. Ribbs, father of future Trans-Am star Willy T. Ribbs, advertised the car at the end of 1972. This was the blue #80 Brabham BT29 raced by Lee Midgley at Road America in August 1973 and by Archie Snider at Trois-Rivières a week later. The car was then parked until 1976, when it was damaged by Willy T Ribbs at Riverside. It was then sold to Lou Pavesi (Los Altos, CA), and remained with him until 1989 when he sold it to Stephen Pike (Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia). From Pike to Peter McGlone (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) in 1991. Acquired from McGlone by David Irwin in late 2018 on behalf of customer Paul Haggar (Cypress, TX), and restored for him by Irwin.
14. Brabham BT38 [16] (Mike Rocke): Sold originally to the Elf-Coombs team but not used, and sold to Edward Reeves Racing as a spare for the team's new BT38 being raced by David Morgan. When Morgan wrecked the regular car at the 'Ring, he took over BT38/16. Oddly, this car was sometimes described as BT38/15. After the season, BT38/16 went to MRE in part-exchange for a new BT40, and was sold on to Tom O'Leary (Dalkey, County Dublin) for Formula Ireland racing. O'Leary rarely raced it, and is reported to have crashed it at Mondello Park when the front brake pads fell out. As the car probably needed a new tub, it was sold and replaced with a BT40. The BT38 was eventually sold by MRE in August 1974 to Mike Rocke (Livermore, CA), who used in in SCCA Formula B in 1974 and 1975. Crashed in 1975 and rebuilt on a replacement tub before being sold to someone in California in 1976. Then unknown until bought by Steve Petersen (Sedalia, CO) from Tom Christ around 2001. The car had been rebuilt on a Pat Price tub, fitted with a Jennings 2-liter BDG engine, and was raced by Peterson with RMVR from 2003 onwards.
15. Eagle 69 [702] (Bob Allen): Built for 1969 as the #7 backup but only run briefly in practice at the Indy 500 and then not used again. Stayed at AAR until late 1973 or early 1974 when sold to Bob Allen (Ripon, CA) to be used in Formula A. To Ross Hansel (San Jose, CA) for 1975, then to Phil Rendahl (Redding, CA) in mid-1976. Then unknown until sold by Robert Jordan of Investment Motor Auto Inc (Chicago, IL) to Bob Pond (Palm Springs, CA) in August 1990. Rebuilt with a 320ci Ford V8 and raced at the Palm Springs Road Races later in 1990 by Robs Lamplough. Raced again by Lamplough at the same event in 1991 and then retired to Pond's museum at his estate in South Palm Springs. Pond died in 2007 and the car was offered for sale by RM Auctions that year but did not sell. It was offered again in August 2014 and was sold for $104,500. In 2015, the new owner was revealed to be Phil Gumpert (Noblesville, IN).

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.

Individual sources for this event

The Wheel October 1974 pp16-17.