OldRacingCars.com

Players (Canadian) Formula B Series Race

Gimli, 6 Aug 1972

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Craig Hill Lotus 69 [71/69.5.FB] - Ford twin cam Hart
#4 Fother Hill Ltd

2 Ric Forest March 722 - Ford twin cam
#56 Ric Forest Racing (see note 1)

3 Carl Liebich Chevron B18C - Ford twin cam
#79 (see note 2)

4 Maurice McCaig Brabham BT35 [19] - Ford twin cam
#58 (see note 3)

5 Al Justason Brabham BT35 [10] - Ford twin cam
#32 (see note 4)

6 Barry Fox Brabham BT38B [12] - Ford twin cam
#22 Astro Shield (see note 5)

7 Eligio Siconolfi Brabham BT38B [13] - Ford twin cam
#35 Downtown Datsun [Mtl.] Ltd (see note 6)

8 Bruce Jensen Chevron B17b [17B.70.04?] - Ford twin cam
#41 Jenmac Racing (see note 7)

9 Max Nerrière Lotus 59 [59-F2/XB-41] - Ford twin cam
#42 (see note 8)

10 Roy Folland March 722 [23] - Ford twin cam
#6 (see note 9)

11 Don Mason Hawke DL6B [2] - Ford twin cam

12 Bill Eagles Brabham BT35 [18] - Ford twin cam Hart
#46 Tex-Made Racing Team (see note 10)

R John Powell Chevron B18 [18.71.1] - Ford twin cam Hart
#30 (see note 11)
24 Accident
R Brian Robertson Chevron B20 [20.72.05] - Ford twin cam Hart
#5 Fred Opert Racing (see note 12)
2 Suspension
DNS Reg Scullion March 722 [71BM/1] - Ford twin cam Greatorex
#95 Ecurie Canada Racing (see note 13)
Did not start
(Accident damage)
DNA Syd Demovsky Lola T240 [HU4] - Ford twin cam
(see note 14)
Did not arrive

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Craig Hill (FB) 1.6-litre Lotus 69 [71/69.5.FB] - Ford twin cam Hart 0.50.8
2 John Powell (FB) 1.6-litre Chevron B18 [18.71.1] - Ford twin cam Hart 0.50.8
3 Ric Forest (FB) 1.6-litre March 722 - Ford twin cam
4 Carl Liebich (FB) 1.6-litre Chevron B18C - Ford twin cam
15 Brian Robertson (FB) 1.6-litre Chevron B20 [20.72.05] - Ford twin cam Hart no time

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 722 (Ric Forest): Ric Forest (Edmonton, Alberta) raced a #56 March 722 in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1972. In 1973, the car went to Al Lader, and was entered by him for John Holloway (Gresham, OR) for the first two races of 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
  2. Chevron B18C (Carl Liebich): Carl Liebich (Plymouth, Wisconsin) raced a yellow Chevron B18 in SCCA Nationals in 1971, entered as #78. In 1972 he ran a yellow Chevron B18C, presumed to be the same car, entered as #79, and used in the Pro Formula B series, in the Players Canadian Formula B series, and in SCCA Nationals. Also raced by Liebich at Caracas in March 1973. Advertised by Opert as ex-Liebich, and blue-and-yellow in February 1973, and sold to Frank Sangiorgio (North Babylon, Long Island, NY) who raced it SCCA and EMRA racing around Bridgehampton from 1973 to 1975 at least. Sangiorgio was EMRA Formula B champion for 1973. He advertised the car in in September 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
  3. Brabham BT35 [19] (Maurice McCaig): New to Maurice McCaig (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), and raced in the Canadian Formula B series in 1971 and 1972. To Hugh Cree (Georgetown, Ontario) for Canadian FB in 1973, and then for Canadian Formula Atlantic in 1974. Advertised by Cree in November 1974, when it had a 1972 big valve Hart. History then unknown until it was advertised in Victory Lane August 1990 by Bill Schley (Hartland, WI), who described it as a "very original car in excellent condition" with a Hart BDA and FT200. Oddly, in the same edition of Victory Lane, Bob Hildreth and Ken Petrie from a Denver, Colorado number advertised a BT35 with the same "# 35-19" serial number, which was "original unrestored" and "in storage for 12 years".
  4. Brabham BT35 [10] (Al Justason): New to Brian Robertson (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) and raced by him in the Canadian Formula B series in 1971, entered by Fred Opert Racing. To Al Justason (Toronto, Ontario) for Canadian FB in 1972 and 1973. To Fred Beyer (Ottawa, Ontario) for the Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic series in 1974 and 1975. History then unknown until it was acquired from Bobby Brown in November 2006 by Kent Copeland (Dallas, TX). Brown is believed to have acquired it from Frank Costey in 2004. Copeland commented that it had been owned in Colorado in 1988, and its last races were believed to have been in 1986. It was red when acquired, but restored to a blue colour. Copeland died in July 2014 and, in May 2015, Todd Upp was advertising the car on behalf of his wife Holly. Sold in August 2022 to Stephen Temple (Santa Cruz, CA).
  5. Brabham BT38B [12] (Barry Fox): New to Barry Fox (Edmonton, Alberta) and raced in the Canadian Formula B series. To Lorne Progosh (Ottawa, Ontario) for 1973, but crashed during practice at Edmonton when the throttle stuck open. The car was badly damaged and Progosh was unable to continue. He towed it back to Ottawa and sold it to Ron Rogers (Trenton, Ontario), who repaired it with his racing partner Vince Murray and fitted an ex-Craig Hill Ford twin cam. Rogers raced it in mainly club events in 1973 and 1974, and appeared in at least one Players event in 1975, only for the engine to break during practice. In 1975 or 1976, he sold it to Steve Van Vlaenderen (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and maintained it for him for a season or two. Van Vlaenderen advertised the car in February 1977. What must surely be the same car was advertised by Stew McNair (Winnipeg) in April 1980, then with a "tired Hart 416B" engine, and it is likely that this was the car raced by Martin Handforth (Kanata, Ontario) in Quebec events in 1981. The car then somehow found its way to Ron Hunter (Denver, CO) who fitted a Cosworth BDJ (a 1300cc engine used in C Sports Racing) and used the car for a record attempt at Bonneville before breaking the engine. After Hunter died in 1987, the car was bought from his stepson Rick Graham (Denver, CO) by Cameron MacArthur (Loveland, CO). He prepared it for historic racing, at first with a pushrod engine and then with a Cosworth BDD, racing it until around 1997 or 1998 when he recalls selling it "to a dentist from Summit County". Subsequent history unknown.
  6. Brabham BT38B [13] (Eligio Siconolfi): New to Eligio Siconolfi (Montréal, Quebec, Canada), who raced in the Canadian FB series in 1972, sponsored by Downtown Datsun Ltd. To Peter Overing (Montreal, Quebec) for 1973, but only seen at Sanair in June. Entered by Overing for Reg Scullion (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Montréal, Quebec) in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1974, but still with a Ford twin cam engine. Overing then acquired a March 74B for Scullion, and the Brabham was sold to Cliff Dawson (Mount Royal, Quebec), who fitted a BDA engine and raced it in Formula Atlantic in 1975, 1976 and 1977. After racing it in Regionals in the late 1970, Dawson converted the car to Can-Am specification with a body built in Montreal by Francis Cordolle and ran it in this form in Can-Am from 1980 to 1983, still with the 1600cc Cosworth BDA engine. According to Doug Waters, it was "sold in July 1984 to Martin Handforth in Ottawa, who soon sold it to Pennsylvania". (Note that Handforth had owned and raced a different BT38 in Quebec events in 1981.) Subsequent history unknown.
  7. Chevron B17b [17B.70.04?] (Bruce Jensen): Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario) raced a Chevron B17b in Canadian Formula B in 1971, entered by Jen-Mac Racing. His car was white, and was entered as #41. Jensen retained the car for 1972, again running as #41. Leighton Irwin recalls that in 1972, the car was modified with a sports car nose designed by Terry Welch and larger rear wing. This created too much downforce, and not realising that stiffer springs were needed, his team struggled with the car on faster circuits. Subsequent history unknown.
  8. Lotus 59 [59-F2/XB-41] (Max Nerrière): New to Craig Hill (Mississauga, Ontario) and run in the Canadian Road Racing Championship and the SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B, entered by Bill Brack Racing Enterprises. Hill ran in a team with Brack's Formula 5000 Lotus 70, with both cars in marching Castrol GTX livery. Unlike the two JRDS cars, which were entered as Lotus 69Bs, Hill's car first raced in Lotus 59 bodywork and was generally billed through the season as the "Castrol GTX Lotus 59". For 1971, the car was sold to Max Nerrière (Toronto, Ontario), who raced it in the Players Canadian Formula B series. Retained by Nerrière for 1972 and for 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
  9. March 722 [23] (Roy Folland): Roy Folland (Montréal, Quebec) raced a blue March 722 in the early rounds of the British Formula Atlantic series in 1972, before taking the car to Canada and running in the Players Canadian Formula B series. Sold for 1973 to Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario) and raced in the Players Canadian series. Sold to Edmond Villa (Clark, NJ), and raced in a New England Region SCCA Regional at Lime Rock in April 1974. In January 1976, he advertised a 722 in Competition Press & Autoweek from Port St Lucie, FL. Ed sold it to Folis Jones (Chesapeake, VA), who raced a March in SEDiv events in 1976 and 1977, and in SCCA Regionals at Summit Point in 1978 and 1979. This would be the March 722 with '77 bodywork advertised by Jones in December 1978 and February 1979. Subsequent history unknown.
  10. Brabham BT35 [18] (Bill Eagles): New to Roy Folland (Montréal, Quebec) and raced in the Canadian Formula B series in 1971, prepared by mechanic Andy Aitken. Some reports suggest Folland raced an older BT29 towards the end of that season, but an article in the Montreal Gazette in late August only mentions a BT35. An annotation to the entry list for the Canadian GP support race in September identified this car as chassis BT35/18. To Bill Eagles (Lasalle, Montréal, Quebec, Canada) for the 1972 Canadian FB series, entered by Tex-Made Racing Team. Then to Scott MacKenzie for 1973, entered and supported by Bryant Cougle of Astro Sports, but crashed heavily at Edmonton in June. The chassis was too badly damaged to be repairable, and MacKenzie suffered neck injuries that brought his season to an end. The car was then used as a source of spares for the team's replacement BT35, before being sold. It was acquired by Doug DeFresne (Portland, OR) in 1979, when it still had Astro Sports bodywork with it. It was acquired by Bob Slusher (Portland, Oregon) in September 2005.
  11. Chevron B18 [18.71.1] (John Powell): A new car built for Brian Redman after he wrecked the development B18 while testing in South Africa. Fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC engine and raced by Redman in two races in South Africa in January 1971. This car returned to Bolton and became the works entry in F2 for Chris Craft during the 1971 F2 season. It was then sold to Canadian John Powell and rebuilt to Formula B specification. Powell raced it in the Brands Hatch Boxing Day meeting at the end of 1971 and then loaned it to Brian Robertson to race in the two Bogotá FB races in February and March 1972. Raced by Powell (Ottawa, Ontario) in the Canadian FB series in 1972, Sold to Paul Wheatley (Montréal, Quebec) and raced in the Canadian series in 1973. Wheatley appeared on a couple of early-1974 entry lists but the car was not seen again until he advertised it in April 1975.
  12. Chevron B20 [20.72.05] (Brian Robertson): Sold via Fred Opert and entered for Brian Robertson (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) in Formula B in 1972. To Ferguson/Wilson Racing Team for 1973 and raced by former Miss Canada pageant finalist Linda Wilson in Canadian Formula B. Due to be driven by Ric Forest at Trois-Rivières in September but teammate Peter Ferguson "wiped out" the sister car on the Saturday so took over Wilson's car for the race. Only one of the B20s was seen in 1974, driven by Ferguson, and it seems likely it was the ex-Wilson car. Advertised by Fred Opert in June 1975, suggesting it had returned to Opert in part exchange for Ferguson's new Chevron B29. Advertised again by Opert in early November 1975. Subsequent history unknown until bought as a rolling chassis by Ed Swart from somebody on the east coast who had been trying to restore it. It was black at that stage, and Ed repainted it to orange, the Dutch racing colours, and fitted a BDA engine as he completed the restoration. Raced by Swart from 1989 to February 1993, winning VARA's historic Formula Atlantic West coast title in 1992. Swart then acquired a Chevron B45, and the B20 was sold to Richard Morrison in Tennessee in February 1996.
  13. March 722 [71BM/1] (Reg Scullion): Gordie Dewar was appointed March importer into Canada for 1971 and his first purchase, chassis 71BM-1, went to Delta Racing Developments for Ian Coristine (Montréal, Quebec) to race in the Players FB series. Coristine finished the season fifth in the red #50 March but crashed in practice for the final race, at Circuit Ste-Croix in October. The car went to Reg Scullion (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Montréal, Quebec) for 1972 and it was entered for him by Kris Harrison's Ecurie Canada, and prepared by Andy Roe and Tom Greatorex. Ecurie Canada had also bought Wilson Southam's engine manufacturing business, acquiring Greatorex with it, and were preparing the engines in Scullion's car. Scullion started the season racing in Nationals in Texas before returning to Canada for the Players season. He ended the Canadian season in ninth place but then returned to the US to finish second in the SCCA Run-Offs. He retained the car for 1973 as a Scullion-Donolo Racing entry, and it was raced by partner Louis "Lou" Donolo (Montréal, Quebec) once or twice. Subsequent history unknown.
  14. Lola T240 [HU4] (Syd Demovsky): New to Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) and his red #11 Demovsky Racing Lola T240 in the 1971 Pro FB series. Retained for 1972 and again did a full season, still red and still using #11. In June 1973 it was sold together with HU5 by Charlie Hayes to Eric Steele of Formula Cars Inc (Mansfield, Ohio). It is believed that the two cars were intended for the Mid-Ohio Racing School. Subsequent history unknown. A car with this chassis number raced by Bob Juggins in 1996/97.

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.

The 1971-1973 Canadian Formula B race results have been compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Canadian Motorsport Bulletin, results sheets where available and from information drawn from Canadian newspapers.

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.