SCCA National (San Francisco Region)

Sears Point, 25 Apr 1976

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. 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.
2. 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 predominately 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.
3. 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.
4. Lola T460 [HU3] (Steve Jizmagian): New to Steve Jizmagian (San Francisco, CA) and raced in SCCA Nationals and IMSA Formula Atlantic races in 1976. Retained for 1977 for Californian SCCA Nationals and Regionals. Retained again for 1978, again for Californian SCCA Nationals and Regionals. Retained by Jizmagian for 1979, but destroyed in an accident at Westwood in June 1979. What was left was broken for spares.
5. 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.
6. McRae GM1 [006] (D. David France): See full history: McRae GM1/006.
7. 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.
8. Eagle 69 [702] (Ross Hansel): 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).
9. 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.
10. Lola T360 [HU16] (Phil Threshie): Sold via Carl Haas and Pierre Phillips to Tom Gloy (Lafayette, CA), and raced in SCCA Nationals at the start of the 1975, then in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series, sponsored by Hanna Industries. Rented by James Heath for an SCCA National at Willow Springs in October 1975. Sold to Phil Threshie (Alamo, CA), and raced in an SCCA National at Sears Point in April, then in three Californian rounds of the 1976 IMSA series. Advertised by Threshie in November 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
11. Lola T460 [HU2] (John David Briggs): New to John David Briggs (Woodside, CA) for 1976, but only used at the start of the season as Briggs focussed on Formula 5000. Raced by Ken Briggs (Atherton, CA) in Californian SCCA Nationals and Regionals in 1977. Unknown after 1977.
12. March 75B [8] (Cliff Hansen): A yellow March 75B invoiced by March to Shierson and shipped 17 April 1975. It was intended for a French-Canadian woman driver, but when her deal fell through it was raced by Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) in a Doug Shierson Racing hire deal for the first two races of 1975. This was the #9 car hired by DSR to Ian Grob for Mont-Tremblant 6 Jul 1975 but when that deal also fell through,the car was sold to Cliff Hansen (Laguna Beach, Orange County, CA) who drove it at that race instead of his usual GRD, and for the rest of the 1975 season. Hansen bought a new March 76B for 1976 but also retained the 75B, racing it at Sears Point in April and later using it as a show car, before advertising in September 1976. Sold to Mike Downs (El Segundo, Los Angeles County, CA) early October 1976 when the invoice identified it as chassis number 75B-8. It is unclear when Downs raced it, as when he advertised it in September 1978, he said it was unraced since 1976. To R. J. (Joe) Ordoqui (Boeing, CA) for SCCA racing, starting with an SCCA Regional in November 1978. He rebuilt it to 77B specification over the winter, and raced it in 1979. Sold by Ordoqui to Dante Heredia (Downey, CA) in 1980, then sold to Mark Biro (Temple City, CA) some time around 1983. Subsequent history unknown, but at some point this car was used in the C Sports Racing class by Stan Goldstein (Watsonville, CA). In 1998, it was bought from Goldstein by Emil Leung (South Pasadena, CA), and in 2020 it was completely restored by Howard Monise.
13. March 722/73B (Rick Shea): Vern Schuppan raced in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975 in a March 722 prepared by Rick Shea's Shea Racing. The car was yellow-and-white, in 73B (or 74B) bodywork, and ran as #11 with support from Rapid Movements. Later in the season, the car was raced by Shea himself at Brainerd in September. At the start of the 1976 season, Shea ran the car for Dave Walker. It was now described as a March "72-75" and was black, but still entered as #11. After Walker drove it in the first four races, it was later raced by Bob Beyea, Shea himself, and by Damien Magee at Trois-Rivières in September. The car was then sold to Frank Monise (Pasadena, CA), so is presumably the blue-and-white #25 March "75B" that he raced in southern Californian SCCA Nationals in 1977 and 1978. Advertised by Monise in September 1978 as a March "72 updated to 76" with "fresh CRW BDD". It was traded by Monise to Pierre Phillips in part-exchange on one of Rahal's Ralts in 1979.

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-8S. Official results from SCCA records at the IMRRC.