SCCA National (Cal Club Region)

Willow Springs, 10 Apr 1977

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT1/76 [10?] (Kevin Cogan): New to Brian Robertson's Quick-Trans/Gabriel International Warranty team in the middle of the 1976 season, replacing the team's Lola T460s, and run for Craig Hill at Mosport Park in August 1976, a round of the 1976 Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series. Then used by Kevin Cogan in the IMSA race at Laguna Seca in late 1976 and retained as his main car in 1977 when he also had RT1/75-10 as a spare car. Then retained by Cogan as an unused spare car in 1978, and advertised by him in October 1978. Retained again as a spare car in 1979, and still owned by Cogan in early 1980. [CT]
2. March 76B [13] (Steve "Gas" Saleen): Doug Shierson Racing ran a maroon/red #8 March 76B in 1976 for Price Cobb. In early 1977, it was entered by Doug Shierson Racing in SCCA Nationals for Steve "Gas" Saleen (Whitter, CA), but when the Pro series started in May, his entrant was Clayton Racing Team. The car's log book states that it was chassis 76B-13. Run by Clayton Racing for Frank Beetson (San Diego, CA) in 1978, when it was entered as a 77B. Also seen once in mid-1979 with Beetson, and later advertised by him in February 1980. Its history is then unknown until 1983, when it reappeared in the hands of John Herne (Santa Ana, CA). He retained it for WCAR in 1984, then sold it in early 1985 to John Blizzard (Prescott, AZ), who raced it in WCAR that season. Blizzard remembers selling it to someone in Phoenix, AZ. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Brabham BT38 [16] (Pete Halsmer): Sold new to Bill Middleton (Newport Beach, CA) and raced in the 1972 SCCA Formula B series, starting at Watkins Glen in August 1972. Also raced in SCCA Nationals and at the SCCA Run-Offs. Retained by Middleton for 1973 and run in SCCA Nationals, winning at Holtville in March. Retained again for the early 1974 Nationals and then said to have been seized by the sheriff at the Phoenix National for unpaid alimony. Next seen in May 1975 when Pete Halsmer (Huntington Beach, CA) raced "the ex-Middleton Brabham BT-38" in Formula B. Raced by Halsmer for three seasons, during which time it was extensively modified by Halsmer. Halsmer won the Laguna Seca June Sprints in the BT38 in 1977. The car is then unknown for ten years, until it was bought by John Hafkenschiel as a disassembled roller from Grant Koaller (Lakewood, Ohio) in July 1987. Hafkenschiel sent the monocoque to Marc Bahner to use as a pattern for the restoration of Hafkenschiel's F2 BT38. He then sold the BT38B to a Mr Schaffer in California in November 1988. Since Mr Schaffer's death, the car is believed to have remained with his family, and is still unrestored.
4. 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 was rebuilt by Mark Blaze to 75B specification. It 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, and also lending it to fellow Huffaker employee Terry Visger for the Halifax round of the Labatts series in August. 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.
5. Lola T460 [HU7] (Sam Nicolosi): New to Wilbur Bunce Racing (Anaheim, CA), and raced by Richard Melville and Dennis Firestone in IMSA and Canadian Formula Atlantic in the first half of 1976. Reappeared in early 1977 for Dennis Firestone in an SCCA National, then to Sam Nicolosi (San Diego) for the rest of the year. Retained by Nicolosi for 1978 for SCCA Nationals and Regionals. Advertised by Nicolosi in September 1978. Subsequent history unknown, but Nicolosi recalls that he sold it to "a racer in SCCA North Western region". See 'the Chris Speilberg car', which appeared in 1979 and was based in Eugene, Oregon.
6. March 75B [4] (Alan Holly): Don Breidenbach (Oakland, CA) had a new March 75B which he first raced at Holtville Aerodrome 23 Mar 1975. It was blue and ran as #61 entered by D. L. B. Industries. Last known race was in February 1976, after which Breidenbach's new 76B arrived and the 75B went to Jeffrey Alkana (Azusa, CA), replacing his earlier 74B. Alkana is reported to have won the regional championship in 1977 with this car but it seems more likely that he won the 1976 Cal Club Formula B title. Sold to Alan Holly (North Hollywood, CA) for 1977, repainted red and again used in Cal Club SCCA events. Sold by Holly to studio exec Steve Brimmer (Irvine, CA) who modified the sidepods and cockpit shroud and added a Perspex wind deflector. He raced it from 1978 to 1980, and then kept it, unused, until he sold it to his race mechanic Marc Cohen, around 1983 or 1984. History then unknown until it was owned by Walter Hagstrom (Laguna Niguel, CA) in 1988. It then sat unused for ten years from 1990 until sold by Roger Downer (Petaluma, CA) to Ken Stone (Redding, CA) in 2000. Retained by Stone in 2004. By 2008, the car was with Mark Rincon (Redding, CA), who ran it in Ramada Inns livery. Later bought from Rincon by Steve Cook (Napa, California).
7. March 77B [10] (Ted Field): New to Ted Field's Interscope Racing for 1977, but invoiced to his regular driver Danny Ongais. Field had been badly injured driving Interscope's Lola T400/T332 in late 1975, and had then driven a Porsche in SCCA A Sports Racing in 1976. He returned to formula racing in 1977 with this March 77B, racing it in the Cal Club Region SCCA National at Willow Springs in April, finishing seventh. No further results have been found for Field or Ongais in the car. Subsequent history unknown.
8. Brabham BT40 [33] (John Angus): 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 (Mill Valley, CA) in 2018.
9. March 75B [722?] (Frank Monise): 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.
10. March 76B (James Morgan): Ecurie Canada ran a pair of green #69 March 76Bs in 1976 for Gilles Villeneuve (Lasalle, Quebec) with support from Skiroulle. Skiroule's signature green colour suggests they were the two cars listed in March records as being "leaf green", 76B-10 and 76B-15. The main car was owned by Ecurie Canada, but the spare car was on loan from March importer Doug Shierson. According to Graham Scott, who worked for Ecurie Canada in 1976 and then for James Morgan in 1977, Villeneuve's spare car was only raced once, at Westwood at the end of May. Villeneuve then crashed it in testing at St Jovite (Mont-Tremblant) in July, and it had to be rebuilt on a new monocoque. It was repainted in red Ramada livery and used by F1 star James Hunt at Trois-Rivières in September, and then by Howdy Holmes at Road Atlanta, where he wrecked it. Scott recalls that it was rebuilt on another new monocoque and sold to James Morgan, who ran a two-car team in 1977, his other car being the ex Seb Barone 76B. Morgan raced them in early 1977 SCCA races alongside Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL) and then entered them for Rahal in the 1977 Pro series with sponsorship from Red Roof Inns. Rahal is also reported to have had a 77B which was crashed at the opening race. The ex-Barone 76B then went to Ron Levanduski (Elmira, NY) in 1980, but it is not known where the ex-Villeneuve car went.
11. Elden "Mk14" [87/12002/72] (Terry Annis): New for Mike Catlow (Dulwich, London/Charing, Kent) to drive at the Silverstone round of the British F3 series in July 1973, entered by Mitford Group-Team Elden. Exactly how it was used for the rest of the season remains unclear. Nothing was seen of this car in 1974 or 1975, but in 1976 it appeared in SCCA Formula C in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, although it was usually entered as a Mk14. It was driven by Terry Annis (Maple Valley, WA) in ICSCC and SCCA races that season. In July, Annis bought a Cosworth BDJ engine to replace its original engine - presumably an ex-F3 1-litre Ford unit. He qualified for the SCCA Runoffs, finishing ninth. Annis retained the car for 1977, again qualifying for the Runoff and this time finishing sixth. He drove it again in 1978 and 1979, mainly in ICSCC events. The car was next seen a few years later in the hands of Steve Doty (Eugene, OR), who raced it in the Formule Libre class of ICSCC racing in 1984. A later advertiser said that Doty had fitted it with a 1600cc VW engine. Doty then turned it into a sports racing car, eligible for the ICSCC's 'D' Sports Racing category, and won the ICSCC DSR title with it in 1985 and 1986. It was sold to Mike Oberholtzer (Woodinville, WA) who continued to race it in ICSCC DSR from 1987 to 1990. Norm Hernandez bought it during 1990, and raced it that season and from 1991 to 1993. The Elden's engine broke in 1993, and he then left it garaged until he sold it to Lee Fjellanger (Lynnwood, WA) in March 2005. He raced it with the ICSCC from 2007 to 2009 in the C Sports Racing category, winning the title all three seasons. Fjellanger advertised it in 2018, still with its sports car body and VW engine, and sold it to Greg Lone (Langley, BC, Canada).
12. March 76B [11] (Bobby Rahal): New to Isola Racing for Seb Barone (Portland, CT or Dilliner, PA) to drive as the team's #28 entry in 1976, but run by Doug Shierson Racing. Barone crashed the car at Trois-Rivières in September and was not seen in it again. According to former Ecurie Canada/James Morgan mechanic Graham Scott, this car was rebuilt, updated to Ecurie Canada specification and sold to James Morgan for the 1977 season, together with the ex-Gilles Villeneuve spare car. Exactly how these two cars were used is unknown, but it is assumed here that Morgan himself raced the ex-Villeneuve car in early 1977 SCCA Nationals, entered as #56, and the ex-Barone car was fielded as the #65 for Bill Prout to use at first, then taken over by Bobby Rahal. Rahal then took over the #56 car for the Pro series, leaving the ex-Barone car as a spare car, presumably the one raced by Morgan at Lime Rock in September (#65). This car is unknown in 1978 and 1979, but was acquired in 1980 by Ron Levanduski (Elmira, NY), who drove a March "773" in SCCA Regional and National Formula Atlantic races at his local Watkins Glen in 1980. He retained the car for 1981, when he also used the "76B/77B" in the CASC Formula Atlantic series race at Montréal in September. He appeared in it again a few times in 1982. An advert described the car as being both ex-Villeneuve and ex-Rahal, indicating it was one of the James Morgan team cars in 1977, but it was also described in a press report as the car used by James Hunt at Trois-Rivières. In June 1988, Levanduski mentioned in his 'Trackside' column in the Elmire Star-Gazette that the ex-Villeneuve 76B, which he still owned, had been restored to its 1976 Direct Film livery and was due to go on display at the Gilles Villeneuve Museum which was opening on 24 June. In May 2012, Levanduski mentioned the car again in his column, saying he had owned it since 1980, that it was chassis 11, and that Villeneuve had driven it just once in a race, at Westwood in 1976. In 2014, a feature on Levanduski mentioned that he had once a race at Watkins Glen in a 76B that was "later driven by James Hunt of the move 'Rush' fame to a third place finish at Trois-Rivières"! The chassis plate on the car in the museum confirms that it is chassis 76B-11, so the ex-Barone car.
13. Brabham BT21 (Dick Moody): Ron Southern (San Rafael, CA/San Jose, CA) raced a green-and-gold #24 Brabham in Formula C from 1970 to 1972. It was identified as a BT18 in 1970 but as a BT21B by the end of 1971. Southern bought a BT40 for 1973 and the BT18 was sold to Gayle Cox for 1973, who entered it as a BT18/21. Then to Dick Moody by 1976, who called it a BT21. Nothing more known.
14. Lola T460 [HU2] (Ken Briggs): New to John David Briggs (Woodside, CA) for 1976, but only used at the start of the season as Briggs focused on Formula 5000. Raced by Ken Briggs (Atherton, CA) in Californian SCCA Nationals and Regionals in 1977. Chris Townsend's research places the car with Tom Smith (Redwood City, CA) in June and July 1978, after which it went to Wyatt Gerrells (Campbell, CA) until 1987. When Michael Duncan (Los Altos, CA) bought it from Gerrells some time before 1989 it was still in Kenny Briggs' plain blue colours. Duncan advertised it in The Wheel in May 1993. Subsequent history unknown.
15. March 77B [1] (Jeff Wood): New to Jeff Wood (Studio City, CA) for the 1977 South Pacific Division Formula B season and then the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship. Entered at different times that season by Great Plains Motor Racing, Steve Jennings Team, Robert Wood and R&R Racing. Sold for 1978 to Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA). Karlberg recalls selling it to Don Courtion of Seattle, WA, a gentleman racer who never raced the car. Then unknown until 1989, when Nancy James (Fremont, CA) raced it as a C Sports Racer.
16. Lola T360 [HU14] (Larry Bergman): Sold via Carl Haas and Pierre Phillips to Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA). Karlberg raced it in the opening round of the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series, finishing an impressive fifth, but did not race at the second round as the car was not running well. Sold to Larry Bergman (Los Gatos, CA), who was seen very infrequently with it during 1976 and 1977. The Lola was advertised by Bergman in March 1977, then by Don Breidenbach in April 1977. Then unknown for three seasons until owned by Patrick Murphie (Seattle, WA) from 1980 to 1984, fitted with a 2-litre Lotus 907 engine and raced in SCCA North West region and - somehow! - in the WCAR race at Seattle in 1984. To Michael Bledsoe (Seattle, WA) 1988 and raced in SCCA North West region. To David D. Weldon (Manhattan Beach, CA) November 1990, and stored at first, then restored and raced with VARA from 2001 to 2003, still with the Lotus 907 engine.

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

Formula July 1977 p30. Entry List.