SCCA National (San Francisco Region)

Sears Point, 8 Aug 1976

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. March 75B [722] (Tom Crowther): Tom Crowther (Kentfield, CA, later Novato, CA) raced a March in Formula B/Atlantic from 1974 to 1976 and this is believed to have been the same March 722 throughout. At first the car was entered by "Pollard Racing, a division of Donald Pollard Associates". By the start of 1975, it had Falconer bodywork, but later that season it had acquired 75B bodywork, and was entered as a 75B at the 1975 Run-Offs and at a single Pro appearance in late 1976. Crowther ran the "75B" regularly through 1977, winning the Portland National in September. It was then sold via Pierre Phillips to Nick Lingren and was driven by Sans Thompson at Trois-Rivières in 1978. In February 1979, Pierre Phillips Racing was advertising the "ex-Crowther March" as a rolling chassis. Subsequent history unknown.
4. 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.
5. McRae GM1 [006] (D. David France): See full history: McRae GM1/006.
6. Eagle 69 [702] (Phillip Rendahl): 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).
7. Brabham BT38 [16] (Mike Rocke): Sold originally to the Elf-Coombs team but not used, and sold to Edward Reeves Racing as a spare for the team's new BT38 being raced by David Morgan. When Morgan wrecked the regular car at the 'Ring, he took over BT38/16. Oddly, this car was sometimes described as BT38/15. After the season, BT38/16 went to MRE in part-exchange for a new BT40, and was sold on to Tom O'Leary (Dalkey, County Dublin) for Formula Ireland racing. O'Leary rarely raced it, and is reported to have crashed it at Mondello Park when the front brake pads fell out. As the car probably needed a new tub, it was sold and replaced with a BT40. The BT38 was eventually sold by MRE in August 1974 to Mike Rocke (Livermore, CA), who used in in SCCA Formula B in 1974 and 1975. Crashed in 1975 and rebuilt on a replacement tub before being sold to someone in California in 1976. Then unknown until bought by Steve Petersen (Sedalia, CO) from Tom Christ around 2001. The car had been rebuilt on a Pat Price tub, fitted with a Jennings 2-liter BDG engine, and was raced by Peterson with RMVR from 2003 onwards.
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. GRD 373 (Jules Williams): In late 1975, Jules Williams of Automotive Development (Orange, CA) announced that he would be running the ex-Tony Brise GRD 373 in Formula C car in Southern Pacific Division Nationals in 1976. The car was to be powered by an 1100cc Fiat engine developed by PBS Engineering (Garden Grove, CA) with a four-valve head based on the company's 1300cc C Sports Racing engine. Williams qualified for the SCCA Runoffs at Road Atlanta but retired after a single lap. He returned in the car in 1977, when he finished second in the Division. He scored points again in SPDiv in 1979 with the "PBS".
10. Lola T460 [HU9?] (Jim Mullins): New to Pierre Phillips of Pierre's Motor Racing, and raced by a succession of hire drivers in IMSA and Canadian Formula Atlantic in early 1976. Last seen in the Pro at Mont-Tremblant in July 1976, but in early August Jim Mullins appeared in a T460 at a Sears Point National entered at #36, the same number Michael Landrum had used in HU9's last Pro appearance four weeks earlier. In May 1977, Monte Shelton (Portland, OR) won an ICSCC race at Portland in a Lola T460 entered as #136, and the entry number and location suggest very strongly that this was Pierre Phillips' car, retained as a rental car in SCCA Nationals. Unknown after May 1977.
11. Lotus 69 [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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. March 722 [27] (Robert Hall): Allan Lader (Gresham, OR) had a black #2 March 722 for 1972. As his main focus in 1972 was Formula 5000, he only raced the car in two Pro FB races and in the Sep 1972 Lime Rock FA race when it was fitted with a BDA and ran in the Formula A class. It was entered by Pacifico Inc. and also, at Laguna Seca in May 1972, by Pierres Motors Racing. In 1973, Robert Hall (Oakland, CA) raced a black March 722 that was said to be ex-Lader. He raced this car in SCCA National and Regional races in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Subsequent history unknown. In 2015, a March 722 "originally owned by Dale Coyne" and described as "#27 of 48 manufactured in 1972" was advertised in the US. This would indicate that Dale Coyne's unidentified Formula B March in 1977 was the ex-Robert Hall 722. Coyne had advertised a 722 with twin cam engine in December 1976, noting that it had updated bodywork and a F2 nose. The car in 2015 had been "completely restored by Marc Bahner including construction of a new monocoque and delivered to the current owner in 2000. Since then it had been prepared by Louie Shefchik's J&L Fabricating. In 2018, Bob Birrell (Driffield, East Yorkshire) bought "the ex-Dale Coyne" March 722-27 from Grand Prix Classics in the US, and brought it back to England for HSCC Historic Formula Atlantic. Bob Juggins drove the car for Birrell at Anglesey and at Brands Hatch in 2019.
16. 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.

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-10S. Official results from SCCA records at the IMRRC.