OldRacingCars.com

Laguna Seca June Sprints (San Francisco Region SCCA National)

Laguna Seca, 27 Jun 1976

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Bob Allen (F5000) 5-litre Eagle 74A [002] - Chevrolet V8
#97
23 25m 54.21s
101.22 mph
2 Bob Earl (F5000) 5-litre Lola T330 [HU3] - Chevrolet V8
#19 (see note 1)
23 26m 01.87s
3 Dennis Firestone (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 722/75B [722-33] - Ford BDA
#70 [Bunce?] (see note 2)
23 1st in FB
4 Ron Dykes (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Brabham BT40 [33] - Ford BDA Hart
#96 (see note 3)
23 2nd in FB
5 Jon Norman (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lotus 69C [71/69.2.FB] - Ford BDA
#58 (see note 4)
23 3rd in FB
6 Dick Hayes (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B27 - Ford BDA Hart
#87 (see note 5)
23 4th in FB
7 Gordon Strom (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B29 - Ford BDA
#9 (see note 6)
23 5th in FB
8 Butch Owsley (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Rondel M1 - Ford BDD Jennings
#10 (see note 7)
22 6th in FB
9 Hunter Harris (F5000) 5-litre Eisert 72 - Chevrolet V8
#76
22
10 Ken Owen (F5000) 5-litre LeGrand Mk 7 [002] - Chevrolet V8
#7 (see note 8)
22
11 Dick Renard (FSV) 1.6-litre Lola VW
#31 Young Life
22 1st in FSV
12 Jerry Demele (FSV) 1.6-litre Lola T250 VW
#73
21
13 D. David France (F5000) 5-litre McRae GM1 [006] - Chevrolet V8
#44 (see note 9)
21
14 Lee Pitman (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lola T240 - Ford twin cam
#57 (see note 10)
21
15 Tom Foster (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Brabham BT38 [19] - Ford BDA
#47 (see note 11)
21
16 Mike Fazzi (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Brabham BT29 - Ford twin cam
#55 (see note 12)
21
17 Don Schoeny (FSV) 1.6-litre Lola VW
#29
21
18 Mike Gilbert (FC) 1-litre Lotus 41 [F3-16] - Ford Cosworth
#30
21
19 Tom Contino (F/Atl) 1.6-litre LeGrand
#21
21
20 Andy Burgraff (FSV) 1.6-litre Royale VW
#75
20
21 Terry Annis (FC) 1-litre Elden "Mk14" [87/12002/72] - Ford
#41
20
22 Dwight Zillig (F5000) 5-litre McLaren M18 - Chevrolet V8
#14 (see note 13)
19
23 Harald Kirberg (FSV) 1.6-litre Lola T322 VW
#94
19
24 Carl Stirtz (FC) 1.1-litre Lotus 61 - Honda
#91
18
25 Edward J MacGrotty (FC) 1.1-litre Lotus 41 - Ford BDA Swindon
#37
18
26 Ken Schley (FSV) 1.6-litre Tui AM29 VW
#88
16
27 Jim Ashton (FSV) 1.6-litre Lola T252 VW
#2
14
R John France (F5000) 5-litre Surtees TS5 [001] - Chevrolet V8
#45
10
R Bob Kolowich (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 75B [R1] - Ford BDA
#48 (see note 14)
10
R Dan Marvin (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lola T360 [HU4] - Ford BDA
#8 (see note 15)
8
R Phil Krueger (FSV) 1.6-litre Lola VW
#3
5
R Dick Zibert (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Brabham BT38 [22] - Ford BDA
#11 (see note 16)
4
R Pete Sharland (FSV) 1.6-litre Lola T252 VW
#61
3
R Donald MacFarlane (FC) BMC Mk 1
#81
2

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Qualifying
Qualifying information not available

Notes on the cars:

  1. Lola T330 [HU3] (Bob Earl): See full history: Lola T330 HU3.
  2. March 722/75B [722-33] (Dennis Firestone): New to Dick Doherty (Hollywood, CA) and raced in Pro FB in 1972, as well as Cal Club SCCA events. Retained for Cal Club events in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Rebuilt by Wilbur Bunce to 75B specification for 1976, and run by him in Californian SCCA races for Dennis Firestone to drive, and later in Pro Formula Atlantic races in California for Ron Dykes, Rocky Moran, and Bob Lazier. It was red, and wore #10, #70 and #87 during the season. Sold to Ted Titmas (Van Nuys, CA) in early 1977, and run by him as a hire car in 1977, but Titmas had two cars in 1977, one red and one orange, and it is unclear which was which. Subsequent history unknown.
  3. Brabham BT40 [33] (Ron Dykes): New to Ted Titmas (Van Nuys, CA) for the British Formula Atlantic series in 1973, but not raced until late in the season. This is presumably the "brand new", "never used" BT40 advertised from Reigate and London numbers in June 1973. Titmas ran the car in September and October, and Cyd Williams used it for one race in October. Titmas reappeared with the car briefly at the end of the 1974 season. He then took the car to the US, and entered it for Ron Dykes to drive in Californian Formula Atlantic races in 1976. To John Angus for 1977 (or to Wilbur Bunce and run by him for Angus). Then to Marc Bahner 1978, who restored it with a stock nose and sold it to George Seydel. In early 1980 it was sold to Finish Line editor Bob Schilling. Later owners have been given as Ken Patch, Perry Sands, Kevin Roggenbuck, who raced it in the 2011 Pacific Northwest Historics, and then David Rugh. Rugh sold it to Chris Rose in 2018.
  4. Lotus 69C [71/69.2.FB] (Jon Norman): New to William Monson (Kent, WA) in February 1971 with pale yellow bodywork according to the Lotus built record. Raced by Monson in the SCCA Continental Championship and SCCA Nationals in 1971 but after only a few races he suffered a major accident at Laguna Seca in June 1971 when he clipped the bridge and was in hospital with significant injuries. He returned to racing but crashed again in an SCCA Regional at Portland in August, seriously damaging the car. This time he retired from racing and sold the wrecked Lotus to Gary Gove (Tacoma, WA). Gove's racing partner Pete Lovely was then in the process of fitting a F1 DFV engine to his 1970 F2 Lotus 69 and Gove was able to use the F2 rear end to repair Monson's car. The result was a very quick car and in 1972 Gove raced it in ICSCC and NW Regional events plus at least one National, the Kent (Seattle) National in September. In 1973, Gove won the NorPac title in the Lotus and then sold it to Jon Norman (Oakland, CA) who won the 1975 NorPac FB title and was second in 1976. Norman also took the car to the SCCA Runoffs in 1975, finishing a remarkable fourth, and raced it in several Pro Formula Atlantic races. Norman raced it at least once in SCCA events in 1977 before replacing it with a much newer March 76B. Subsequent history unknown.
  5. Chevron B27 (Dick Hayes): Dick Hayes (Huntingdon Beach, CA) raced a Chevron in SCCA Nationals and one IMSA Pro race in 1975 and 1976. It was described as an "ex-Howdy Holmes B27" by Finish Line in 1975, and a photograph shows that it was dark blue with dark green sidepods when it appeared at Ontario in May 1976. However, the car Holmes drove was also driven by Tom Pryce at Trois-Rivières, and an ex-Pryce car was owned by Dan Neuman in 1975 and 1976. So it is possible that the car Holmes drove at Watkins Glen in October 1974 was a new car, unrecorded in Chevron records, and this is what went to Hayes. Subsequent history unknown.
  6. Chevron B29 (Gordon Strom): Gordon Strom (Santa Cruz, CA/Sunnyvale, CA) ran a Brabham BT35 in west coast SCCA racing from 1972 to 1975 when he moved up to a nearly-new Chevron B29. The car was yellow with red top bodywork and ran as #9. The identity of the Chevron is not known. Strom raced this in 1976 and 1977 until an accident at Laguna Seca in June 1977 in which he suffered massive head injuries. It is likely that the car was destroyed. Strom was hospitalised but his medical insurance "ran out", and a fund was established to help his wife Kay with the overwhelming hospital bills. He died in November 1977 without having regained conciousness.
  7. Rondel M1 (Butch Owsley): A Rondel M1 sold via Fred Opert to airline pilot David Ralston (Elmhurst, IL) for SCCA FB in 1974. Sold to up-and-coming local youngster Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL) late 1974, and raced in the SCCA National in September, and then the Watkins Glen FB race in October. Subsequently to Tim Fortner and Butch Owsley (San Jose, CA) for 1975 and 1976, and Fortner later told Rahal that he thought it then went to Dwight Zillig (Novato, CA). Zillig advertised the car in March 1978 saying he had only raced it once in two years. Then to Jim Vawter (Pasadena, CA) later in 1978, who had his first race after completing Drivers School at Riverside in August. He is thought to have raced the car until 1980 at least. After Vawter, the car was acquired by Jerry Smith, and raced once for him at Riverside by Paul Decker, usually a DSR driver. Smith then had the Rondel converted to CSR by Jim Langan using a widened and stretched LeGrand body. Decker does not know what happened to the Rondel after its CSR career. Subsequent history unknown.
  8. LeGrand Mk 7 [002] (Ken Owen): A new car replacing the original works Mk 7 sold to Don Richardson, and shaken down by Bruce Eglinton at Whitman stadium June 1968 where he crashed and was badly burnt. The car was rebuilt and loaned to Jerry Entin, fitted with his Chevrolet engine and ZF gearbox, and taken to Road America for the Badger "200" on 27 July 1968, but the timing gear broke before the race, and Entin did not start. Entin won a National at Riverside in August and two Regionals later in the year. Dick Guldstrand took over the car for the Laguna Seca 'Pro' race in October and it was then driven by Rex Ramsey at the ARRC, and at the Monaco International Trophy in New Zealand at the end of December. Ramsey continued to drive the car in 1969, winning three SCCA Nationals but was well off the pace in Pro races. It was then shared by Chuck Elliott and Bruce Eglinton in SCCA Regionals and Nationals respectively in 1970 and 1971. Then sold to Mal Patterson (San Jose, CA), who entered it for the Pro race at Laguna Seca 7 May 1972, but does not appear to have raced it very often. It was then sold to Ken Owen (Union City, CA) and used in local SCCA racing in 1975 and 1976. Then sold to Skip Pack (Hollister, CA) and Dennis McLaughlin , who autocrossed the car in the late 1970s and early 1980s before they sold it to Butch Gilbert in October 2009. Sold to John F Boxhorn (Mukwonago, Wisconsin) in October 2010, and restored during 2011 and 2012. Sold to David Zavetsky (Wellesboro, PA) in 2019. See full history: LeGrand Mk 7 002.
  9. McRae GM1 [006] (D. David France): See full history: McRae GM1/006.
  10. Lola T240 (Lee Pitman): Lee Pitman (La Hambra Heights, CA) raced an orange #57 Lola T240 in SCCA races at Riverside and Laguna Seca from 1972 to 1978 at least. He was a member of CSCC but rarely scored points at National level. Nothing more known.
  11. Brabham BT38 [19] (Tom Foster): Brand new for Tom Belsø at Oulton Park at the end of March 1972, entered by Team Viking. Raced by Belsø in F2 all season, then converted to Formula Atlantic for a couple of races late in the year. For sale during much of 1973, then to Tom Foster (Modesto, CA) for SCCA Formula B and ICSCC events from 1974 to 1977. Ron Householder (Portland, OR) then bought it for the engine, and sold the car in July 1978 to Kevin Skinner (Langley, BC, Canada). He won the ICSCC Formula B class in 1979, winning his class in seven races. In 2013, he still owned the car.
  12. Brabham BT29 (Mike Fazzi): Mike Fazzi (Costa Mesa, CA) raced a red Brabham BT29 with Ford twin cam engine in SCCA Regionals and Nationals in California in 1975 and 1976. He advertised the car in November 1976, noting that it had updated bodywork.
  13. McLaren M18 (Dwight Zillig): Dwight Zillig (Novato, CA) raced a McLaren M18 in SCCA events in northern California between 1975 and 1977. He entered a white #14 Shasta Beverages McLaren at Sears Point in September 1975, and this is presumably the same car he races through these three seasons. He raced a few times a year in the car, in San Francisco Region Nationals and Regionals at Sears Point and Laguna Seca. His last known appearance was in the "Sears Point Summer Nationals" on 14 Aug 1977, where he crashed during the Saturday morning activities.
  14. March 75B [R1] (Bob Kolowich): A March 75B built up specifically for Patrick Depailler to drive at Trois-Rivières in 1975 as part of the Ecurie Canada team. Depailler took pole, but the engine broke during practice and he borrowed a different car for the race. The 75B was sold after the race to Bob Kolowich (Mountain View, CA), who raced it in SCCA events in 1976. At the end of that season, Kolowich had to give up racing, and the car was stored. He still owned it in 2008, when he took it out of storage and started to restore it.
  15. Lola T360 [HU4] (Dan Marvin): Sold to North American agent Carl Haas, where it is almost certainly the car acquired by preparer Dan Fodge. Said to have been run by Fodge for Kenny Briggs, but Briggs did not appear in Pro Formula Atlantic and there is no mention of him in the SCCA's Finish Line or The Wheel magazines covering SCCA racing in California. Then said to have gone to Jon Norman (Oakland, CA) for 1975, but Norman raced an older Lotus in 1975, winning Northern Pacific Division, and no Lola was mentioned at the time. Its first known usage is 1976, when Norman ran it for Dan Marvin (El Sobrante, CA) in Pro Formula Atlantic and in SCCA FB. Sold at the end of 1976 to Cal Huartson (Bellingham, WA), who used in in Regional Formula B in 1977. This is presumably the T360 used by Bruce Yeo (Burnaby, BC, Canada) in ICSCC in 1978, then by Bruce Shaughnessy (Maple Ridge, BC/Coquitlam, BC) in 1979 and 1981 and, in the Formula Libre class, in 1982 and 1983. Shaughnessy advertised the car in 1993, and this is then reported to be the T360 raced by Udo Pietsch between 1996 and 2003. Subsequent history unknown.
  16. Brabham BT38 [22] (Dick Zibert): New to Frank Williams for his Italian customer Giancarlo Gagliardi, and run in F2 in 1972 using Cosworth BDE engines maintained by Novamotor. Gagliardi first appeared in the car at Crystal Palace at the end of May, where he was one of the slowest. After three more uninspiring performances, he dropped out, and the BT38 was next seen at the Rothmans 50,000 in August, where it was entered by Robs Lamplough's Fiddlers Three Racing for Tony Trimmer, having been acquired by Lamplough the Friday before the race. Trimmer could not qualify, but finished fifth in a short consolation race. It was acquired by David Cole for 1973, but used mainly in libre racing. The car appeared once in Formula Atlantic in 1974, driven by Donald MacLeod who had borrowed it from Cole. It was then exported to the US, and was next seen in the hands of Dick Zibert (Tiburon, CA) in mid-1975. Carl von Doymi (Greenbrae, CA) reportedly "tried out" Zibert's Brabham when it first appeared in July 1975. Zibert had moved up through Formula Vee and Formula Super Vee, and raced the white #11 Brabham BT38 in North Pacific Division SCCA Nationals and Regionals until 1978. Towards the end of Zibert's time with the car, he cut off the tub's outer skins in an attempt to make a ground-effect car, but this was aborted, and the car was sold to John Hafkenschiel in November 1988, as a pile of parts. Hafkenschiel had the tub repaired by Marc Bahner, who used Hafkenschiel's BT38B tub as a template.

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-9S. Official results from SCCA records at the IMRRC.