Spring Thaw Nationals (New York Region SCCA National)

Lime Rock, 24 Apr 1976

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B34 [34-76-07] (Bobby Brown): New to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) and used in the Players Canadian championship and in SCCA Nationals, entered by Bob Brown Racing with crew chief Carroll Smith, and sponsored by Audiovox. In June, Brown bought a March 76B instead, and the Chevron passed to Diana Black (Kew Gardens, NY/Briarwood, NY) who raced it for the rest of the season. Retained by Black for 1977 and 1978. Advertised by Black as "ex-Bobby Brown" in September 1978. This car is reported to have been used by Harry Crispen in EMRA racing for some years, and is believed to be the car driven by Bernard Juchli, General Manager of Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage, between 2006 and 2014.
2. Brabham BT29 [46] (Carl Whitney): Allan Lader had raced as part of the Fred Opert team during the latter half of 1970 but in 1971 he returned to running his own car with Pacifico Inc backing. He again raced a Brabham BT29, his third, and continued his run of excellent results by winning the opening two rounds of the Pro series from pole. At the third round, at Mexico City, he crashed heavily and the BT29 was wrecked. Lader quickly bought a new Brabham BT35 and the wrecked BT29 frame went via Opert to Carl Whitney and some components from it were salvaged to be used on the Formula C BT29 that he built up for the 1972 season. The remains of the wreck were sold (with another wreck) to Ken Duclos to help keep his FB BT29 running. Marty Handshy (Ridgefield, CT) then bought both sets of remains from Duclos. It is unclear how this car was identified as BT29-46 but a reproduction plate was created at the time of the restoration when the frame was reconstructed by Lime Rock Motors in 1999. He retained the car until some time between 2004 and 2007 when it was sold to Shelby Mershon (Springfield OH).
3. Royale RP20 [1] (Ronald Swartz): Planned for Manfred Schurti to race in F2 in 1973 but not completed. After 1973, it was built up as a F/Atlantic car and raced once by Tony Timmer in the British championship before being sold to Ron Swartz in the US for use in SCCA Formula B. In 1988, it was raced in the ECAR F/Atlantic event supporting the St Petersburg Grand Prix by Shelly Marrs (Sebring, FL) but by 1997 was being raced by Andy Gilberg in US vintage racing. He still had the car in 2012, now fitted with a 2-litre BDG engine.
4. March 75B [73B-7] (Eric Kerman): New to Ron Cohn (Modena, NY), and run as a two-car team with Bruce MacInnes in 1973, entered by DRC Formula Racing Inc in Players Canadian and SCCA Formula B races, running as #56. Retained for 1974, running in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series and in the US GP support race at Watkins Glen in October. To Eric Kerman (Hempstead, NY/Glen Cove, NY) for 1975 and updated with new orange bodywork, entered as #81 or #87, and running as a 75B. Raced by Kerman in SCCA Nationals from 1975 to 1979. Later to Oran Bushey (Huntingdon, NY) and raced until 1982. Subsequent history unknown, but this is a leading candidate for the car used by Cory Mayo with a Chevrolet V6 engine in the RCCA series in the 1980s. .
5. Brabham BT40 [13] (Mike Rand): New for Brian Robertson (Brockville, Ontario) and raced by him in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Batu Tiga in April 1973, but wrecked the following weekend during practice at the Singapore Grand Prix. The car was rebuilt and raced a few times in Canada as part of Fred Opert's team, including by David Fram at Halifax in October 1974, and by Bob Beyea at Trois-Rivières two weeks later. Then sold to Mike Rand (Greenwich, CT) in time for the 1974 SCCA Runoffs, replacing a crashed Rondel M1, after which Rand raced the BT40 in Northeast Division SCCA Formula B in 1975. For 1976, Rand converted the car to Formula C. He bought a Modus for 1977, and the Brabham was sold to Larry Snover (Langsdale, PA) who raced it in FC and then in FB again. He sold it after the 1979 season to someone who planned to add sportscar bodywork for Can-Am. However, this never happened, and the car was offered for sale by Rick Parent (Asheville, NC) in June 2018, still in Snover's livery, noting that "the car has been sitting since 1980".
6. March 73B [17] (Joe Ostrowski): New to Bruce MacInnes (Sharon, CT) and raced as part of a two-car team with Ron Cohn. Raced in the Players Canadian FB series and in the SCCA Pro FB races at Road America and Watkins Glen. Retained for 1974, and raced in the Players Canadian series again, and in the US GP support race at Watkins Glen in October. Sold to Joe Ostrowski (Trenton, NJ), and raced in NEDiv SCCA Nationals in 1975 and 1976. Presumably the March he raced in NEDiv in 1977 and 1978. Retained by Ostrowski until early 1982 when it was bought by Seann Burgess (Caledon, Ontario). Burgess won the CASC Ontario Formula Atlantic championship and the BARC Drivers Championship in 1982 as well as appearing in 'pro' events. After two more seasons of Atlantic, he converted the car to Can-Am specification at the end of 1985 and then fitted a McLaren M1B body and a Mazda 13B rotary engine for 1986. This "March RX10-B" was raced through the 1986 season. Burgess kept the Can-Am body after the car was retired from racing and sold the March to Richard Smith (Barrie, Ontario) who raced it in 1989 and 1990, still with the Mazda engine, and fitting 1975 bodywork for 1990. He sold it to Chuck Sieber (McLean, VA) who imported it back to the US in January 1991. He raced it in Solo events in 1991, and maybe in one or two more seasons until selling it back to Seann Burgess. Burgess initially restored it to MacInnes' 1973 livery, but at the request of the Villeneuve Museum traded his 73B bodywork to Marchives for a set of 1975 bodywork, and rebuilt the car to resemble Gilles Villeneuve's Skiroule March 75B. By May 2010, it was on display in the Musée Gilles Villeneuve (Berthierville, Quebec).
7. Lola T240 (Bob Welch): Bob Welch (Alexandria, VA) raced a Lola T240 in Formula C in 1975 and 1976. Nothing more known.
8. Brabham BT29 (Dirk Wrightson): Dirk Wrightson (Foxboro, Mass) raced a Brabham BT29 in Formula C from 1974 to 1976, fitted with a 1.1-litre Swidon BDA engine.
9. Rondel M1 [201] (Ron Ignatowski): The prototype Rondel was used for testing in late 1972, before the first production cars were built. It was taken to Hockenheim 8 April 1973 as team spare, and to Pau as a spare for Tim Schenken, but not raced. Its history is then unknown until 1974, and it appears it has been acquired by Fred Opert to use as a set of spares. After Mike Rand crashed his car, wrecking the monocoque, 201 was supplied to Ron Ignatowski (Milford, CT), who rebuilt Rand's car on 201's tub with a BRM 1-litre engine and used it in SCCA Formula C. In 1980 it was sold to Randy Zimmer (Buffalo, NY) as the basis for his Can-Am car. He raced it with a Volkswagen engine in 1982 and then with a Mazda rotary engine from 1983 to 1986. Zimmer then entered it for Jim Del Russo in the 1987 CAT championship, and raced it a few more times himself in 1989, 1990 and 1994. Then retained for many years until Zimmer sold it to Seann Burgess (Markdale, Ontario) in 2019.
10. March 76B [7] (John Mortensen): John Mortensen (New York, NY/Weston, CT) raced a March 76B in SCCA events in 1976 and the livery - Midnight blue with red stripe on each side - exactly matches that given in March records for 76B-7.
11. Chevron B34 [34-76-04] (Bill Anspach): New to Bill Anspach (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) in SCCA Formula C specification with a 1.1-litre Cosworth BDJ engine. Anspach finished second in the SCCA Runoffs in this car in 1976, and won the Runoffs with it in 1977. It was sold to Mort Haaz (Santa Monica, CA) for 1978 and raced in Formula C for four seasons. In 1982 Haaz converted the car to C Sports Racing using Tiga bodywork and with the BDJ engine stretched to 1270cc by Steve Jennings. Haaz raced it in 1983 as the "DRR-2". To Stan Goldstein in 1985, and raced by him in 1987 and in Solo in early 1988 before it was "transformed back to F3" configuration. It is then unknown until around 1999, when it was bought from an advert by Charlie Falcone in the Los Angeles area by Todd Gerstenberger (Gardena, CA). Gerstenberger advertised it In January 2019, when the car still had its sports car bodywork and the 1270cc Jennings BDJ engine, but now had a Bahner monocoque. Sold to Tony Garmey (Seattle, WA) in January 2022.
12. Chevron B34 [34-76-01] (Ken Duclos): New to Ken Duclos (Boxboro, MA) and used in Northeast Division Formula B, entered by Kay-Dee Automotive and sponsored by Trojan Tools. He won the NEDiv Formula B title with a maximum possible score of 54 points and qualified for the Runoffs, where he qualified second and finished third. Sold to Bill Marlowe (Martinsville, VA) for SCCA Regionals in 1977. Marlow retained the Chevron for 1978, tying for second place in Southeast Division behind Bill Anspach with 31 points and qualifying for the SCCA Runoffs. He had already arranged to buy Anspach's March 77B and recalls that he sold the Chevron as a rolling chassis at the Runoffs. Subsequent history unknown.
13. Chevron B29 [29-75-20] (Joe Sposato): New to Joe Sposato (Ridgefield, CT) and used in SCCA Northeast Division Formula B in 1975, entered by Spoasto Motoracing (Waccabuc, NY). Also used in one Players Canadian Formula Atlantic race at Mosport. Retained for 1976, again in NEDiv SCCA Nationals and for two IMSA Formula Atlantic Championship races. To John Higgins (Elizabeth, NJ) for 1977, and raced in NEDiv SCCA events. Presumably the Chevron he raced in 1978. Chris Townsend advises that the car then went to Mike Cronin, and was retained by him until it was sold to Mike Malley (Greenville, NC) in April 2001. Malley crashed the car at Summit Point in 2003, breaking his back, and the car was then rebuilt using "a new tub by Chevron" and sold to Dick Ward (Australia) in 2007 or 2008. Ward raced it in events at Waneroo Park from 2009 to 2014, before selling it to Gwyn Pollard in the UK in 2015. Pollard had the car extensively rebuilt by Vin Malkie, then fitted a Gathercole BDG and raced the car in HSCC racing from 2016 to 2019, prepared by Gerry Wainwright Motorsport.
14. Chevron B29 (Robert J. Nelkin): James Crawley (Phoenix, AZ/Frenchtown, NJ) raced a Chevron B29 in the British Formula Atlantic series, starting at Mallory Park in June, where he crashed during practice and did not start. At the British GP meeting, his car was described by Autosport as "built on one of the original prototype tubs, suggesting its monocoque was B29-75-01 or B29-75-02, quite possibly whichever of those had been used in Jim Crawford's early-season car. Crawley then took the B29 back to the US, where he had been driving a B27 in SCCA Regionals or Nationals earlier in the season. He crashed the B29 in practice at Bridgehampton in September, the last SCCA National of the season, so raced the B27. His win gave him nine points which pushed him into second place in the poorly-supported Southeast Division, so he qualified for the SCCA Runoffs. He was very impressive at Road Atlanta, taking pole and finishing second. The car was advertised by Crawley and sponsor George Walsh in January 1976 and sold to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY) who used it in Northeast Division SCCA Nationals in early 1976. In June, Nelkin upgraded to a brand new B34, and the B29 was sold to Rick Wellner (New York, NY), who ran it in SCCA Nationals at Summit Point in late June, where he failed to start, and Lime Rock in early July, where he failed to finish. Nelkin's recollection is that Wellner crashed the car heavily at Lime Rock. Subsequent history unknown.
15. March 74B/75B [3] (Peter Dodge): Believed to be the Ecurie Canada entry for Gilles Villeneuve (Berthierville, Quebec, Canada) at the opening race of the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic season with Schweppes sponsorship. Villeneuve appears to have then moved to a newer car, and 74B/3 was used by Chuck Hansen (Tenafly, NJ) at Edmonton and Sanair. It then returned to March importer Joe Grimaldi, and was raced as a Race Shop entry by Dale Lang at Road America in late August, before being updated to the latest F2 specification for George Follmer to drive as an Ecurie Canada entry at Trois-Rivières. Raced by Bertil Roos at Watkins Glen in October, then hired by Grimaldi to Eric Kerman for the SCCA Runoffs. Sold by Grimaldi to Tom Pumpelly and run for him by Cavanaugh Racing (Ambler, PA) in early 1975. Pumpelly then moved to Doug Shierson Racing but exactly and apparently updated to 75B specification. Advertised the car in January 1976 as a "74-75B", "ex-Follmer/Roos", and sold to Peter Dodge (New York, NY/Stamford, CT), for SCCA Nationals and IMSA Formula Atlantic in 1976. Sold to Omer Norton (Vernon, CT), who owned it from 1978 to 1983, and then to Ed Capullo (Norwich, CT), who crashed it in a test session at Lime Rock in 1984 and sold it off for parts. Subsequent history unknown.

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-18S. Formula July 1976 pp43-44. Entry List kindly provided by Gordon Medenica. Official results not held in the SCCA Archive at the IMRRC.