Canon Camera Nationals (New England Region SCCA National)

Lime Rock, 6 Sep 1976

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Chevron B34 [34-76-18] (Rick Bell): To Rick Bell (Lakeville, CT) and used in Northeast Division Formula B, entered by Bell Racing. Also raced in two Pro races in Canada in July and August. Retained for 1977 again for NEDiv FB, but also taking in two Pro races at Trois-Rivières and Québec City. Subsequent history unknown.
4. 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.
5. 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. .
6. 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".
7. 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.
8. Chevron B34 [34-76-07] (Diana Black): 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.
9. 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.
10. 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).
11. Lotus 69 (Victor Gagliano): An "ex-Jacques Couture" Lotus 69 bought from Joe Grimaldi by Victor Gagliano (Floral Park, NY) and Bob Silvestro (Patterson, NY). They raced the car in SCCA Northeast Division Formula B and then Formula Atlantic from 1974 to 1979, appearing at Bridgehampton, Lime Rock and Watkins Glen. The car was often entered by VAS Enterprises, Gagliano's company, which had previously been the entrant of his Formula C March 703, or by Continental Automotive. Silvestro sold the car to Keith Park (San Diego, CA) in about 1993, and later heard that Park had sold it to Dave Bean (San Andreas, CA). The car was still owned by Bean when he died in 2017.
12. Chevron B29 [29-75-21] (Lyle Heck): New to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) who took delivery in England. Raced by David Morgan in two early British Formula Atlantic races, entered by Roger Chalk Racing, before being shipped to the US. Raced by Brown in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975, entered by B&B Racing. Unseen in early 1976, then sold to Lyle Heck (Reading, PA) and raced in NEDiv SCCA Nationals. Retained by Heck for 1977 and 1978, and presumably the Chevron he raced at Summit Point in May 1979. Then to Mike Rand (Amherst, Massachusetts) for NEDiv SCCA events in 1979, then to Nolan 'Lanny' Drevitch (Milton, MA) and Nick Leonard. Devitch was a member of the SCCA's New England Region, and scored one point in SCCA Nationals in 1980 in this car. It was then advertised by Leonard (Pipe Creek, TX) in early 1982, noting that the car was in New York. Then to Chris Perrotti (New Rochelle, NY), and fitted with a Chevrolet V6 engine for the RCCA Formula American class, but Perrotti found he had litle competition. By 1988, the car was with Tony Carpanzano (New Milford, CT), who restored it to Atlantic specification. Sold to Paul Lasko (Las Vegas, NV) in 2006.
13. Brabham BT21B (Larry Snover): Laurence R. Snover (Hingham, Mass) acquired a Brabham BT21B for Formula C in 1972. After a first outing in a Drivers School at Lime Rock in September 1972, he next raced it a couple of SCCA Nationals about a year later, when the car had a Cosworth SCA engine. Snover had previously raced with Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association. He then raced the car regularly in SCCA Nationals in 1974, 1975 and 1976, during which time he moved to Lansdale, PA. He then bought a newer Brabham BT40 for 1977, and the subsequent history of the BT21B is unknown.
14. March 75B [12] (Giovanni Distasio): A yellow March 75B invoiced by March to Shierson. Unknown in 1975, but logbooked to Giovanni Distasio (Edgewater, NJ) in August 1976 and raced by him in SCCA events in 1976 and 1977. The SCCA logbook shows that it went to Chuck Coleman (Jacksonville, Arkansas) for four races in 1978, then to Darryl Foster in 1979 who raced it every season until 1985. It then passed via Robert W. Kennedy to Cliff Wheeler in 1987, neither of whom raced it, and then to Sam Pontier in 1989. Pontier died before he was able to race it, and it was sold by his widow to Bill Fickling (San Clemente, CA) in 2004, restored into Vittorio Brambilla's F2 Beta livery, and raced in US historic racing.
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.
16. Brabham BT38 (Donald Wirth): For 1974, Donald Wirth (Laurel, NY) bought a Brabham BT38 from Fred Opert Racing in 1974 fitted with a new 1100cc Hart BDA engine for Northeast Division Formula C. The car had previously been used in F3 in Europe, so would have been a BT38C. It was sold to Wally Binger (W. Hempstead, NY) for 1975, and raced again in NEDiv FC but after Binger's first daughter was born in September 1977 he sold the car back to Wirth. Wirth crashed the car at Bridgehampton in 1978 or 1979, and the engine bay was badly damaged. The car was sold to someone in the New England area, but was still unrepaired when last seen.
17. 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).
18. Chevron B27 (Paul Corazzo): Paul Corazzo (Wethersfield, CT) raced a Chevron B27 in Formula B in 1976, dominating the New England Region NERRC championship. The car was blue and yellow in 1976, and typically entered by Sherry Cup, Inc. New England Region records show that it was registered to Corazzo with a NER number in May 1976, indicating that it had not raced with the SCCA before that time. Corazzo won the New England Region FB title in 1976 with five wins and maximum points. He retained the car for 1977 and 1978, by which time it was red and yellow, with International Automobile Enterprises Inc signwriting. It was bought from Corazzo by James Deady, who remembers changing the red and yellow livery to "black and white with a red slash". Deady ws originally planning to share the car with Peter Portante of ERA Cars, but Portante crashed at Bridgehampton and after than just ran the car for Deady. Raced by Deady until he upgraded to a newer B29. He recalls that the B27 "went to guy in Penn who painted it brown and tried driving it at Pocono without the rear wing - it did not go well!". Subsequent history unknown.
19. March 705 (Steven Woods): Steven Woods (Farmington, CT) had a March for New England SCCA Formula B events in 1974. He advertised the car from Hartford, CT in Autoweek in August 1975, and the local Pit Talk SCCA newsletter in September 1975. He continued to race the car, but in late 1975 it had a 2-litre Lotus twin-cam engine and was running in Formula A. Steven Woods drove his 2-litre car again in 1976, and advertised it in March 1977 and in May 1978, when it was described as a FB and had a fresh twin cam and Hewland FT200 gearbox.

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-60S. Entry List kindly provided by Gordon Medenica. Results kindly provided by Pete Watson. Official results not held in the SCCA Archive at the IMRRC.