SCCA National (Indiana NW Region)

Indianapolis Raceway Park, 27 Jun 1976

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Lola T332 [HU38] ("Tuck" Thomas): See full history: Lola T332 HU38.
2. March 76B [6?] (Tom Outcault): Tom Outcault (Middletown, OH or Cranford, NJ) raced a blue #31 March 76B in 1976, entered by Tom Outcault Racing. The colour suggest that this was 76B-6, the only blue car in March records for which an owner is not known. Outcault appears to have retained the car for SCCA racing in 1977, but is thought to have acquired a 77B later that season. Outcault was still racing a 76B or 77B as late as 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Lola T360 [HU3] (John Kowalski): Sold via North American agent Carl Haas to Bill O'Connor (Highland Park, IL) and run for him by Traylor Engineering in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1974. O'Connor won the US GP support race in this car in October 1974. Retained for 1975, when it was used in the Canadian series and at least once in SCCA Nationals, entered by United Racing Ltd. To John Kowalski (Berea, OH), who won Central Division Formula B in 1976 in the car, qualifying for the Runoffs. Kowalski only scored nine points in a Lola in Central Division FB in 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
4. Chevron B27 [27-74-03] (Keith Feldott): New to Doug Shierson Racing via Fred Opert for Chip Mead (Dayton, OH) to race in Formula Atlantic, initially in the opening races of the British series, then in North America. The car was blue and ran in North America as #23. Sold to Keith Feldott (LaGrange, IL) and raced in SCCA Central Division Formula B in 1975, scoring 11 points to finish ninth in the division. Retained for 1976, when Feldott finished second at Mid-America Raceway and at Grattan Raceway in May, and again at Grattan in July to finish the season on 37 points, tied for second in the division, and racing at the Runoffs. Retained again for 1977, but seen more rarely as Feldott moved into Trans-Am. Subsequent history unknown.
5. March 75B (Glenn Guerra): Chip Mead (Dayton, OH) raced a red #17 March 75B as part of the Doug Shierson Racing team in the Players Canadian series 1975 with backing from Zonin wines. He also raced the car in CenDiv Formula B, finishing in a tie for second place for the title. H. T. Mead Jr, who was 25 years old and worked for his father's investment company, had previously raced for Doug Shierson Racing in 1974 in a Chevron B27. Advertised by Chip Mead with a Nicholson/McLaren BDA in December 1975 and January 1976. This car was raced by Ted Johnson (Arlington Heights, IL) in an SCCA National at Mid-America Raceway in May 1976, when a photograph shows that it was still in Mead's distinctive livery. Sold soon after to Glenn Guerra (Barrington, IL) who raced it in Midwest Council and SCCA Central Division Formula B in 1976, winning the MCSCC event at Blackhawk Farms in late May, and scoring scoring three points for his fifth place finish (fourth in the FB class) at Indianapolis Raceway Park in June. Guerra scored three points again in the SCCA division in 1977, and competed in Midwest Council events at Blackhawk Farms, winning two races. He also appeared at least once in MCSCC events in 1978, and scored three points in SCCA CenDiv in 1979. Subsequent history unknown.
6. Brabham BT38 [15?] (Chuck Dietrich): New for Motul Rondel Racing at Hockenheim in mid-April 1972, and raced all season by Bob Wolleck. Raced once by Carlos Reutemann at Enna. Sold to Bill O'Connor (Highland Park, IL) for Formula B for 1973. To Chuck Dietrich (Sandusky, OH) for 1974, then fitted with a Cosworth BDA for 1975, 1976 and 1977. He continued to race it in 1978, but at the age of 53 was appearing less often. This was presumably the Brabham he drove in 1979, but by 1980 he had replaced it with a Lola T460. The subsequent history of the Brabham is unknown.
7. Chevron B27 [27-74-18] (Tom Christ): Chevron build record says sold to Bobby Brown of B&B Racing Enterprises, June 1974. The car was badly damaged in an accident at Trois Rivieres in 1974. Brown says that the remains were returned to Chevron in p/x for two B29s in 1975. However, advertised by Brown in May and June 1975 as 'not raced since complete rebuild at Chevron' which suggests that the car came back to him. Sold later in 1975 to Thomas Christ (Racine, WI), and raced by him in SCCA Nationals in late 1975, then in Pro Formula Atlantic and SCCA Nationals in 1976 and 1977. To John Scola (Kenosha, WI) for 1978 and 1979, and raced by him as late as July 1981. Then unknown until owned by Daniel Sauriol (Appleton, WI) in 1984. Sold to Cliff Ebben (Appleton, WI) at the end of the 1984 season, then sold by him to Comprep (i.e. Dennis Eade of ComPrep (Competition Preparation) in Zenda, WI) for ComPrep customer Alan Lewis (Indianapolis, IN). Run by ComPrep for Eade. Sold to Alan Azar (O'Fallon, IL) in 1999. With dealer Chuck Haines of Can-Am Cars Ltd (St. Louis, MO) in 2018.
8. Brabham BT40 [11] (Gary Wallace): This would have logically been the first car delivered, but how it was used in the early part of the season is unclear. Bob Kime (Hallstead, PA) acquired the car in the summer of 1973 and raced it for the first time at the Bryar National in early September but crashed it. It was rebuilt by Fran Larkin and loaned the Bertil Roos, who used it to win the Columbo Yogurt Formula B race at the US GP meeting, so it is probably the BT40 that Roos had used on the two weekend before Kime's debut, at Mosport Park and Road America. Kime retained the car for 1974, but having found Formula B a bit quick, opted to convert it to Formula C using a 1000cc Cosworth BDA. Kime accumulated 32 points in Northeast Division FC and finishing second at the Runoffs. The car was converted back for the Watkins Glen GP support race in 1974 but Kime failed to qualify, so the car was raced by Peter Moodie. In early 1975, it was bought by Gary Wallace (Hebron, IN), and raced by him in SCCA Formula B until 1979. Wallace then retained it until the spring of 1990, when he sold it to Cameron MacArthur (Loveland, CO) who used it in RMVR events in the Colorado area. It went to Terry Allard in 2000 or 2001, then Bill Swope (Albuquerque, NM) in 2004, and then to Phil Franzone (Perth, Australia) in April 2010.
9. March 75B (Thomas Sokoly): For 1976, Thomas and Theodore Sokoly acquired a March 75B from Doug Shierson Racing. The car was blue when they first acquired it, and they were told that it had been raced by a Canadian hire driver at Trois-Rivières, who had damaged the engine during practice. This would seem to be a reference to Marcel Talbot, as he was the only Canadian to drive for DSR at that race, and he failed to start the race. With Tom Sokoly (Mayville, WI) driving, and brother Ted as chief mechanic, they raced the March 75B in Formula Atlantic in 1976, including one IMSA round, two Players rounds, plus SCCA Nationals. Tom did not score any points in Central Division in 1976, but scored three points in 1977. For 1978, the car was sold to Frank Scott (Racine, WI), a local Assistant District Attorney. He scored only three points in CenDiv FB in 1978, and took part in the Labatts Championship Series race at Road America in July 1978. Advertised by Scott in March 1979 as a 75B/77B with a choice of BDD and BDN engines. Subsequent history unknown.
10. Lola T192 [HU19] (Larry McNeil): New to Roger Penske for Mark Donohue to drive in the 1970 US series, starting at Mosport 13 Sep 1970. To Competition Research & Development (Pomona, CA) for Brett Lunger US 1971, then to Larry McNeil US 1972, US 1973 and then in SCCA Nationals from 1974 to 1978. Via Alan Marvin to Gordon Close (Hinsdale, IL) 1979, and used it for 1979 SCCA drivers school and Regionals. To former racer Don O'Sullivan (Perth, Western Australia) in 1983 but not run by him and sold to Bob Harborow (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia) in 1989. Restored and used in historic racing in Australia, including VHRR Historic Sandown and Phillip Island Classic 1999-2013, and the Australian GP support races in 2009 and 2010. Reappeared in October 2015, when run by Kieran Patel (Victoria, Australia) at the Baskerville Historics. More information about Lola T192 HU19
11. Chevron B25 [25-73-15] (Paul Henry): Sold to Geoffrey Freeman (Yellow Springs, OH) of Freeman Racing Enterprises for SCCA Formula B. Ostensibly for Bobby Brown to use in late season Atlantic races. Brown was entered in a blue B25 at Watkins Glen but did not appear. He may have used the car at Trois Rivieres but was not on the entry list at Elkhart Lake. Brown does not remember driving a B25. Then sold by Freeman to Paul Henry (Clyde, OH) at some point during 1974 and converted to FC spec with a BDJ engine. Run for many years in SCCA class FC in Central Division and Henry qualified for the SCCA Runoffs in 1974 and 1975 in this car, before changing to a newer Chevron B34. Retained by the Henry family until sold to David Gathercole in 2008 and restored for UK historic racing. Raced by Gathercole and Steve Allen in HSCC racing in 2012 and 2014. Sold to Jamie Brashaw in 2014, and raced in HSCC events in 2015.
12. Rondel M1 [204?] (Dean Lundgreen): The car used by Jody Scheckter as part of the Motul Rondel team at the first two F2 races of 1973. In June, Titan Properties, the company owned by Chris Meek and Malcolm Wayne, sponsored this car for Tom Pryce to make his F2 debut for Motul Rondel. He drove it until Rouen in June, where he retired with a blown engine, but then had a new car, chassis 208, when he returned to F2 in August. Chassis 204 was sold at the end of the season via Fred Opert to Chris O'Brien (Ottawa, Ontario /Halifax, Nova Scotia) and raced in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1974. O'Brien crashed the car at Mosport in July 1974 and it was rebuilt on a new monocoque in time for Sanair two weeks later. It was advertised in December 1974 as "ex-Scheckter" with spares that included a monocoque, presumably the one damaged at Mosport. O'Brien recalls that he sold the car back to Opert. Unknown in 1975, but to Dean Lundgreen (Milwaukee, WI) for 1976, when he scored eight points in Central Division Formula B, and 1977, when he scored 18 points and qualified for the Runoffs. To Ron Drew (Milwaukee, WI) and fitted with a Cosworth BDJ for Formula C in 1978 and 1979, then to Tim Joyce April 1980, then to Greg Dauterman (Fond du Lac, WI) February 1981 and used in Formula Continental up to June 1985. Dauterman sold it Bill Schley at Schley Motor Cars in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and from him it was sold to Jurg Dubler in Switzerland in January 1990. Then sold to Jody Scheckter in June 1999, and picked up by Kerry Adams who then looked after his cars. It has since been immaculately restored to original condition, and is in the care of Sam Kendle of Kendle Adams Motorsport Limited at Scheckter's Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire.
13. March 712M [20?] (Gary Robinson): Bruce Cambern (Dearborn, Michigan) bought an "ex-Pace" March 712M from Fred Opert, but the deal was brokered by Doug Shierson (Adrian, Michigan). Pace had raced several 712Ms as part of Williams' F2 team but this was the only one to move to the US, and a later advert for 712M-20 suggests it was that one. The F2 FVA engine was kept by Opert, and Cambern acquired a tired Vegantune twin cam. He raced the car in Central Division Formula B in 1973, when he scored eight points in SCCA Nationals, and may have had it earlier that that. Cambern recalls that the car was sold to a 'Gary' from Oklahoma, which is very likely to be Gary Robinson (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) who raced a "March 712" in Southwest Division Formula Atlantic in 1976, 1977 and 1978. Robinson later acqured a March 75B, but exactly when he moved over to the newer car is unclear. Then unknown for ten years. In September 1989, Michael Duncan (Los Altos, CA) advertised a March 712, giving its chassis number as #20 and saying it had three owners from new, suggesting he had acquired it directly from Robinson. It then had a "fresh" Bahner tub and 77B bodywork, but the 1971 bodywork was with it. In 1990 or 1991, so possibly in response to these adverts, Simon Hadfield and Tony Thompson bought a March 712M from the US that still had its original HSCC logbooks. They sold it unrestored to Alain Filhol in France. Subsequent history unknown.
14. Brabham BT38B [18] (Steve Fossett): Thomas M. Shelton (Plantation, FL/Fort Launderdale, FL) raced a red-and-white Brabham BT38B in South-East Division FB in 1972. The car arrived relatively late in the season and was still being described as immaculate and new at the Palm Beach National in September. Tom recalls that the engine broke at the Road America Pro race in August 1973, and he diverted to Chicago on his way home and traded the car to Carl Haas. Haas sold it to Mikeal Bystrom Jr (Minneapolis, MN), who had previously raced a Brabham BT18 in FC, and still recalls the chassis number of the BT38B as being BT38B/18. He broke the Hart twin cam at his first race and fitted a BDA instead, racing it in US Pro races in 1974 and then in the Canadian series in 1975. He sold it to Steve Fossett (Chicago, IL), then a commodities trader in Chicago, but later more famous for his ballooning exploits. Fossett raced it in SCCA Formula Atlantic in 1977.
15. March 75B (Dan Carmichael): Dan Carmichael (Columbus, OH), a 56-year-old veteran of SCCA racing, raced a #74 March 75B in SCCA Central Division Formula Atlantic in 1976. The car was in very similar livery to the Interscope March 75B: black with an orange stripe. He retained the car for 1977, scoring 14 points in the Division, although his car was described at the end of that season as a "Mascot". John Gloviak used this car at the 1977 Runoffs, but Gloviak returned to his Brabham BT35 in 1978, so may have just hired the March for this one event. For 1979, Carmichael acquired a brand new March 79B, but it is not clear whether he had also bought a newer car for 1978. Carmichael, who was 60 when the 1979 season started, was an architect from Columbus and had focused on his golf in 1978, winning the Ohio Senior Golf Championship, so may not have raced that season. The subsequent history of the 75B is unproven, but if this was the ex-Interscope car, then it went to Steve Bonney in late 1977 or early 1978.
16. March 722 (Tom Cooney): Thomas A. Cooney (Indianapolis, IN) raced a March 722 in Central Division SCCA Nationals in 1974. He had a delayed start to the season after the car was damaged in a fire in his garage in May, but debuted at Road America in June, the car having "arisen from the ashes of his garage" according to the Indianapolis Region newsletter. He scored a single point that season for his result in the Detroit National at Grattan Raceway. Cooney retained the car for 1975, rising to 11th place in the Divisional standings with 11 points, and kept it again for 1976, but the now ageing car only scored a single point. He acquired a newer Chevron B27 for 1977, and the subsequent history of the March is unknown.
17. March 75B (Joe Shepherd): Joe Shepherd (Indianapolis, IN) raced a #7 or #97 March 75B in SCCA National, Players Canadian and IMSA series races in 1976. He advertised the car in October 1976, noting that it had only raced three times in 1976. This car was unusual for a March 75B as a Tom Schultz photograph taken at the Road America June Sprints shows that it did not have a standard 75B left-hand radiator. Also at the back of the car, it can be seen to have its oil tank behind the gearbox, as on a 73B, this having been moved to the side of the gearbox on the 74B. That would suggest it was a 73B updated to side-radiator 75B form, and the obvious contender for this would be Price Cobb's March 73B/74B/75B, last seen at the end of 1975. Nothing more known.

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

SCCA Sanction 76-N-34S. Official results from SCCA records at the IMRRC.