Champion Spark Plug Road Racing Classic (Formula B class)

Road Atlanta, 30 Oct 1977

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT1/76 [33] (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 77B [20?] (Price Cobb): New to Doug Shierson for Price Cobb (Dallas, TX) to race North American Formula Atlantic. As well as racing in the Labatts series, where he won at Mosport Park in May and at Trois-Rivières in September, Cobb also scored 18 points in SCCA Nationals, suggesting he won two Nationals, and finished third in Southwest Division. This qualified him for the Runoffs (the Champion Spark Plug Road Racing Classic) where he finished second. The car was advertised from Dallas, TX, in June 1979, presumably by Cobb, with a comment that the car had "5 races on new tub". That supports the theory that Cobb's car was retubbed after the St-Félicien race so the five races would be Trois-Rivières on 4 September, the Bridgehampton National on 18 September which Cobb is is known to have attended, Québec City, the Runoffs at Road Atlanta and one other, presumably a National. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Chevron B39 [39-77-05] (Ken Duclos): New to Ken Duclos (Boxboro, MA) and raced in Northeast Division SCCA Nationals in 1977. Sold to Gaston Andrey (Framingham, MA) for SCCA Nationals in 1978, and advertised by Andrey in August 1981. Subsequent history unknown, but by 2002, the car was said to be with Cy Moreland (Trainer, PA). Bought from Morland as a pile of parts by Lee Chapman and restored. Sold by him to Chris Locke (San Francisco, CA), who raced the "ex-Ken Duclos" Chevron B39 in US historic racing in 2011 and 2012, and at the Monterey Historics in 2013. Locke still had the car in 2014, when it was driven by Lyn St James.
4. 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, a gentleman racer who never raced the car. Then unknown until 1989, when Nancy James (Fremont, CA) raced it as a C Sports Racer.
5. March 77B (Ken Briggs): Ken Briggs (Atherton, CA) bought a March 77B for SCCA Nationals in 1977, replacing a Lola T460 that he had used in the first half of the season. He won the Sears Point National in August in this car and comfortably won the Northern Pacific Division title, qualifying for the Runoffs where he finished fifth. Briggs acquired a new March 78B for the start of the 1978 SCCA season, so the March 77B is likely to have been traded back to March importer Doug Shierson.
6. Lola T460 [HU7] (Sam Nicolosi): New to Wilbur Bunce Racing, 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".
7. Excalibur EE1B [HU12] (Rick Koehler): Sold via North American agent Carl Haas to Tom Klausler (Palatine, IL) and run for him by Traylor Engineering in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975, replacing the earlier T360 HU2 he drove in 1974. Sold to James Cushing and Tom Price (Mt Prospect, IL), who raced it during 1976, Cushing in an IMSA race and at the Road America June Sprints, and Price in Midwest Council races, tying for the FB title that year. In August 1976, Price advertised the Lola T360 which he described as being "ex Klausler". As Klausler's 1974 T360 HU2 was still with Mike Hall at this time, this must have been Klausler's 1975 HU12, as must Rick Koehler's "ex-Klausler" car in 1977. Rick Koehler (Mequon, WI) raced the Lola in Central Division Formula B in 1977, winning the division with 43 points, one ahead of Jerry Hansen's newer Lola. The car was described at some races as an "Excalibur EE1B", including at the Runoffs, but this is believed to be the same car. Koehler converted the car to Formula C specification for 1978, and Pat Buckley set the lap record at PBIR on its only outing of 1978. Koehler advertised the car in August 1979, saying that it was "ex-Klausler", had not raced in 1979, had only been raced once in 1978, and reiterating the lap record holder at PBIR. Subsequent history unknown.
8. March 77B [13] (Peter Neumahr): New to Peter Neumahr (White Plains, NY/Bronzville, NY), and raced in SCCA Nationals in 1977. The car's Mahoning Valley Region SCCA log book shows it first racing with the SCCA at Lime Rock on 4 July 1977. Sold to John Timken (Lyme, CT), who raced it in 1978 and 1979, until he crashed at Lime Rock in June 1979, and the car was not repaired. Timken eventually sold the damaged car in 1997 to Cy Moreland (Trainer, PA), who had the monocoque repaired by Marc Bahner and then rebuilt the car. Moreland sold it to Joe Griffin, who sold it in 2001 to Martin Handshy, but he did not race it. Then in 2006 it was sold to Elliot Kaplan (Stilwell, KS).
9. Chevron B39 [39-77-01?] (William Kneeland): William A Kneeland (Springfield, VA) raced a new Chevron B39 in SCCA Formula B in 1977, but exactly when in the season the B39 replaced his previous second-hand B29 remains unresolved. As the first owners of all the other B39s has been established, it seems likely that this car was 39-77-01, the car raced by Gilles Villeneuve in South Africa in January and February and then rebuilt at the factory and sold to the US. If so, this ex-Villeneuve car then went from the US to New Zealand, but the link between Kneeland's car and the car in New Zealand has not yet been determined.
10. Rondel M1 [204?] (Dean Lundgreen): The car used by Jody Scheckter as part of the Motul Rondel team at the first two F2 races of 1973. In June, Titan Properties, the company owned by Chris Meek and Malcolm Wayne, sponsored this car for Tom Pryce to make his F2 debut for Motul Rondel. He drove it until Rouen in June, where he retired with a blown engine, but then had a new car, chassis 208, when he returned to F2 in August. Chassis 204 was sold at the end of the season via Fred Opert to Chris O'Brien (Ottawa, Ontario /Halifax, Nova Scotia) and raced in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1974. O'Brien crashed the car at Mosport in July 1974 and it was rebuilt on a new monocoque in time for Sanair two weeks later. It was advertised in December 1974 as "ex-Scheckter" with spares that included a monocoque, presumably the one damaged at Mosport. O'Brien recalls that he sold the car back to Opert. Unknown in 1975, but to Dean Lundgreen (Milwaukee, WI) for 1976, when he scored eight points in Central Division Formula B, and 1977, when he scored 18 points and qualified for the Runoffs. To Ron Drew (Milwaukee, WI) and fitted with a Cosworth BDJ for Formula C in 1978 and 1979, then to Tim Joyce April 1980, then to Greg Dauterman (Fond du Lac, WI) February 1981 and used in Formula Continental up to June 1985. Dauterman sold it Bill Schley at Schley Motor Cars in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and from him it was sold to Jurg Dubler in Switzerland in January 1990. Then sold to Jody Scheckter in June 1999, and picked up by Kerry Adams who then looked after his cars. It has since been immaculately restored to original condition, and is in the care of Sam Kendle of Kendle Adams Motorsport Limited at Scheckter's Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire.
11. 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.
12. March 75B (John Gloviak): Dan Carmichael (Columbus, OH), a 56-year-old veteran of SCCA racing, raced a #74 March 75B in SCCA Central Division Formula Atlantic in 1976. The car was in very similar livery to the Interscope March 75B: black with an orange stripe. He retained the car for 1977, scoring 14 points in the Division, although his car was described at the end of that season as a "Mascot". John Gloviak used this car at the 1977 Runoffs, but Gloviak returned to his Brabham BT35 in 1978, so may have just hired the March for this one event. For 1979, Carmichael acquired a brand new March 79B, but it is not clear whether he had also bought a newer car for 1978. Carmichael, who was 60 when the 1979 season started, was an architect from Columbus and had focused on his golf in 1978, winning the Ohio Senior Golf Championship, so may not have raced that season. The subsequent history of the 75B is unproven, but if this was the ex-Interscope car, then it went to Steve Bonney in late 1977 or early 1978.
13. March 75B (Max Sebba): Max Sebba (Sandy Springs, GA) raced a Formula B March 75B/76B in SEDiv and MWDiv events in 1977, and at the SCCA Runoffs in 1977. He had raced a March "722/32" in 1976, and it appears that he hired a Chevron B29 for the 1976 Runoffs and then acquired the newer 75B at the start of the 1977 season. However, a March 722 could easily be updated to 75B or 76B bodywork, so this was not necessarily a different car. The highlights of his 1977 season were third in class at MAR in June, second in class at Daytona in August, and second in class in a Regional at Palm Beach in September. He again qualified for the Runoffs, where he finished 13th in a March "75/76B". Sebba, by now living in Decatur, GA, recorded five races in 1978 on his SCCA Drivers Licence application in his "March FB", culminating in a "DNF" at Sebring in August. His licence was renewed again for 1979, but no further results have been found. The subsequent history of the March is unknown.
14. Brabham BT38 [‘33’] (Warren "Bud" Pauge): A "new chassis" replacing the ASCA team's Brabham BT38 wrecked by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud at Rouen. It was raced by teammate Adam Potocki at Imola, where Potocki failed to qualify, and was then Jaussaud's car for the rest of the season. ASCA entered Jaussaud in the Brazilian F2 Torneio, but he was involved in the startline accident at the second Interlagos race, and the Brabham was badly damaged. According to Chris Townsend's research, this car was acquired by Fred Opert Racing and raced by Héctor Rebaque in the Caracas Formula B race in March 1973, then by Brian Robertson in the JAF Grand Prix in May 1973. It is not clear what else Opert used it for in 1973, but in January 1974, he sold it to John Bernadine (Tulsa, OK) for SCCA Formula B. Then to Warren Pauge (Hacienda Heights, CA) in August 1975, replacing his well-used Brabham BT21. Pauge retained the BT38 for many years, even running it as a Can-Am car once in 1982. After he finally stopped racing it in 1988, he sold it to Marc Bahner, then it went to George Steven in 1992, Tom Stapleton about 2008, and Paul Skilowitz (Stuart, FL) in 2016.
15. March 712M [20?] (Gary Robinson): Bruce Cambern (Dearborn, Michigan) bought an "ex-Pace" March 712M from Fred Opert, but the deal was brokered by Doug Shierson (Adrian, Michigan). Pace had raced several 712Ms as part of Williams' F2 team but this was the only one to move to the US, and a later advert for 712M-20 suggests it was that one. The F2 FVA engine was kept by Opert, and Cambern acquired a tired Vegantune twin cam. He raced the car in Central Division Formula B in 1973, when he scored eight points in SCCA Nationals, and may have had it earlier that that. Cambern recalls that the car was sold to a 'Gary' from Oklahoma, which is very likely to be Gary Robinson (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) who raced a "March 712" in Southwest Division Formula Atlantic in 1976, 1977 and 1978. Robinson later acqured a March 75B, but exactly when he moved over to the newer car is unclear. Then unknown for ten years. In September 1989, Michael Duncan (Los Altos, CA) advertised a March 712, giving its chassis number as #20 and saying it had three owners from new, suggesting he had acquired it directly from Robinson. It then had a "fresh" Bahner tub and 77B bodywork, but the 1971 bodywork was with it. In 1990 or 1991, so possibly in response to these adverts, Simon Hadfield and Tony Thompson bought a March 712M from the US that still had its original HSCC logbooks. They sold it unrestored to Alain Filhol in France. Subsequent history unknown.
16. March 75B (Dorsey Schroeder): Dorsey Schroeder (Manchester, MO) bought a March 75B from Ecurie Canada after the Trois-Rivières race in September 1976. At the time, the car was described as being the car James Hunt had raced at Trois-Rivières, but Schroeder has also stated that he bought an Ecurie Canada show car. Schroeder first raced it at the SCCA Runoffs at Road Atlanta at the end of October, and then raced it in SCCA Nationals in 1977, winning twice at Mid-America Raceway and one race at Hutchinson. He then transferred to B Sedan racing and sold the March to an unknown owner. It is believed to be the March raced in an SCCA Regionals by John Arvanis (Moline, IL) in 1978. Next seen when advertised by Arvanis (Port Byron, IL) in 1982. It was bought by Ben Treadway (Roswell, GA), who sold it to Kenneth Cotterell (Decatur, GA), who sold it to dealer Chuck Haines (Manchester, MO) in January 1989. The car is then missing until bought some time before 1996 by Mike Sauce (Arlington, TX), who was told it was the Gilles Villeneuve car in 1975, and then the James Hunt car in 1976. It came with both 75B and 76B bodywork sets. Sauce sold it to Cy Moreland (Trainer, PA) in 1996 or 1997, and it was sold via Fred Ashplant to Joe Hish (Hinsdale, IL) in 1997. Hish later sold it to Jim Oppenheimer (Chicago, IL) who sold it to Murray Smith (Washington, CT) in late 2005/early 2006. Smith sold it to Gordon Medenica (Pelham, NY) in 2014 or 2015. The car had been in Villeneuve's Skiroule livery for much of this time. The log book with the car establishes that it is the ex-Schroeder car, but whether it is also the Villeneuve car remains uncertain.
17. March 77B [5] (Joe Sposato): New to Joe Sposato and used in SCCA Nationals in 1977. Retained for Pro Formula Atlantic for first half of 1978, then sold to Charles Crotts (High Point, NC) for remainder of 1978. Believed to be the car retained by Crotts and run in SCCA events up to 1985.
18. March 76B (Bobby Rahal): 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.
19. Lola T560 [HU1] (Jerry Hansen): New to Jerry Hansen (Long Lake, MN), and logbooked with the SCCA on 17 August 1977. Then to Bruce Clark (Wayzata, MN) 1 May 1978, and raced in SCCA Nationals and occasional nearby Pro races over the next few seasons. He stopped racing after an accident in practice at the Road America Pro race in July 1981. He retained the T560 until 1989, then he sold it to Richard George. It then went to Denis Tobin in 1990, to Michael Henderson in Australia in 1995, then to Colin Haste (Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia) in 2000. Used in historic racing until an accident at Sandown in Australia 2002 left the car very badly damaged. The car was repaired and racing again by 2010, and raced regularly in Australian historic racing thereafter.

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.