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Bogotá Formula B race

Bogotá, 27 Feb 1972

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Bert Hawthorne Brabham BT38 - Ford twin cam
#70 (see note 1)
60 1h 26m 55.97s
2 WP Fred Stevenson Lotus 69 [71/69.6.FB] - Ford twin cam
#93
60 1h 27m 11.39s
3 Bobby Brown Chevron B20B [72-3] - Ford twin cam
#72 (see note 2)
60 1h 27m 15.16s
4 Freddy van Beuren Chevron B18 - Ford twin cam Hart
#74 (see note 3)
60 1h 27m 33.18s
5 Brian Robertson Chevron B18 [18.71.1] - Ford twin cam Hart
#75 (Entered as "B28b") (see note 4)
60 1h 27m 58.24s
6 Chuck Sarich March 722 - Ford twin cam
#57 (see note 5)
60 1h 28m 33.27s
7 Jim Grob Chevron B20 [71-1] - Ford twin cam
#77 (see note 6)
60 1h 28m 42.35s
8 Wayne Ricciardi March 722 - Ford twin cam
#24 (see note 7)
59 1h 27m 39.46s
9 Raúl Pérez Gama Brabham BT35 [32] - Ford twin cam
#66 (see note 8)
58 1h 27m 23.18s
10 Thomas E. Kornell Brabham BT29 [48] - Ford twin cam
#46 (see note 9)
58 1h 28m 01.79s
11 Syd Demovsky Lola T240 [HU4] - Ford twin cam
#11 (see note 10)
58 1h 29m 26.75s
12 Gordon Smiley Merlyn Mk 21 [320/FB/71] - Ford twin cam
#7 (see note 11)
57 1h 23m 04.42s
13 Jim Sarich March 722 - Ford twin cam
#67 (see note 12)
55 1h 28m 35.42s
14 Nick Craw Brabham
#71
40 1h 27m 39.84s
15 Bob Hebert Lotus 69 [71/69.4.FB] - Ford twin cam
#19 (see note 13)
35 accident in Heat 2
16 Jim Harrell Lola T240 - Ford twin cam
#69 (see note 14)
34 50m 45.55s
17 Doug Brenner Brabham BT29 [45] - Ford twin cam Hart
#26 (see note 15)
28 did not start Heat 2
18 Ron Dykes Brabham BT29 [1] - Ford twin cam
#16 (see note 16)
17 did not start Heat 2
19 Gus Hutchison March 722 [71BM/10?] - Ford twin cam
#51 (see note 17)
16 did not start Heat 2
20 Rudolfo Junco Brabham BT29 - Ford twin cam
#80 (Shown as "B18" in some results)
(see note 18)
16 did not start Heat 2
21 Joe Grimaldi March 71BM [11?] - Ford twin cam
#21 (see note 19)
14 did not start Heat 2
DNS Ron Dykes Winkelmann - Ford twin cam
Did not start
(engine would not fit in!)
DNS Keith Saunders Winkelmann - Ford twin cam
#3 Rocky Mountain Winkelmann
Did not start
DNS Ron Grable Winkelmann WDB4 - Ford twin cam
#4 Rocky Mountain Winkelmann
Did not start
DNS Bob Lazier March 722 - Ford twin cam
#6 (see note 20)
Did not start
DNS Seb Barone March 722 - Ford twin cam
#28 (see note 21)
Did not start
DNS Fred Opert Brabham
#73 (Entered as Chevron B18b)
Did not start
(gave up car to Craw)
T/C Nick Craw Brabham BT35 [9] - Ford twin cam
#71 (see note 22)
(Crashed in practice)

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Heat 1 Laps Time Speed
1Bert Hawthorne3043m 34.34s
2WP Fred Stevenson3043m 37.67s
3Freddy van Beuren3043m 37.70s
4Gordon Smiley3043m 29.40s
5Bobby Brown3043m 53.72s
6Brian Robertson3043m 54.15s
7Jim Grob3044m 05.80s
8Jim Sarich3044m 06.22s
9Chuck Sarich3044m 06.85s
10Wayne Ricciardi3044m 14.58s
11Bob Hebert3044m 15.18s
12Raúl Pérez Gama2943m 36.66s
13Thomas E. Kornell2943m 43.72s
14Doug Brenner2841m 29.14s
15Nick Craw2844m 11.06s
16Syd Demovsky2845m 07.73s
17Ron Dykes1730m 04.12s
18Gus Hutchison1623m 17.06s
19Rudolfo Junco1625m 14.54s
20Joe Grimaldi1421m 06.12s
21Jim Harrell57m 23.24s
Heat 2 Laps Time Speed
1Bobby Brown3043m 21.34s
2Bert Hawthorne3043m 21.63s
3WP Fred Stevenson3043m 34.12s
4Freddy van Beuren3043m 55.48s
5Brian Robertson3044m 04.09s
6Syd Demovsky3044m 19.02s
7Chuck Sarich3044m 26.42s
8Jim Grob3044m 36.55s
9Jim Harrell2943m 22.21s
10Wayne Ricciardi2943m 24.86s
11Thomas E. Kornell2944m 18.07s
12Raúl Pérez Gama2944m 46.52s
13Gordon Smiley2739m 25.02s
14Jim Sarich2544m 29.20s
15Nick Craw1243m 28.79s
Bob Hebert57m 27.14s
Qualifying
Qualifying information not available

Notes on the cars:

  1. Brabham BT38 (Bert Hawthorne): Bert Hawthorne (New York, NY) raced a Brabham BT38B in the two Bogotá Formula B races in February and March 1972, winning the first race but crashing in the second. Hawthorne then headed to Europe, where he was due to drive to Allan McCall's Tui team in European F2. Unfortunately, he was killed in practice for the second race of the season. The subsequent history of the BT38B is unknown.
  2. Chevron B20B [72-3] (Bobby Brown): Sold via Fred Opert to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) for SCCA Formula B, and finished third and first in the two Bogotá races early in 1972. Brown then used it in the SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B, winning the round at Lime Rock in July from pole position. The car was advertised by Fred Opert in October 1972, noting that it had F2 fuel tanks and ventilated discs, differing from the ex-Brian Robertson car that was also in stock. It is then unknown through the 1973 season, and was next seen when entered by Freeman Racing Enterprises, the Chevron agent, for Price Cobb (Dallas, TX) in the Pro Formula Atlantic races in 1974. It was advertised by Cobb in early 1975, then advertised by Richard Jackson (Dallas, TX) in August 1975 as "ex-Brown" but still wearing the #2 that Cobb had used in 1974 and with updated bodywork, and advert that was repeated in February 1976. It was advertised by Cobb from Dallas again in December 1976, when it was available with new body and and with or without a BDA for $4500 or $3000, and again in April and June 1977. Next seen when sold by a dealer, Paul Lindell (Houston, TX), to James Sawyer in January 1978. Offered for sale on race-cars.com in February 2003, when it still had the same nose seen in the 1975 adverts, and was still in Texas. From Sawyer to Jeff McKay (Tacoma, WA) then on to Walt Pawluczkowycz (Evergreen, CO). Sold by Pawluczkowycz to Steve Marschman (Idaho Falls, Idaho) in May 2004.
  3. Chevron B18 (Freddy van Beuren): Freddy van Beuren (Estad de Mexico, Mexico) raced a orange/yellow Chevron B18 as part of the Fred Opert team in Formula B in 1971. The car was advertised by Opert in October 1971 but was not sold and is likely to be the car that van Beuren raced in Bogotá in February and March 1972. Van Beuren then took over as chief instructor at the Opert Racing School at Bridgehampton, and the next time he and the B18 were seen was at Brainerd in September 1972. The B18 was then taken over by Bill Brack for two late-season races, and was advertised by Opert in February 1973. It is probably the Opert-entered car raced by Bobby Dennett at Caracas in March 1973. Subsequent history unknown, but thought to be the car sold to Dean Lundgreen.
  4. Chevron B18 [18.71.1] (Brian Robertson): 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.
  5. March 722 (Chuck Sarich): Chuck Sarich (McLean, VA) raced a midnight blue/white #57 March 722 in SCCA Nationals and Pro Formula B in 1972, entered by Quicksilver Racing Enterprises, Inc of Rockville, Maryland. Chuck finished second in the Southeast Division FB championship and qualified for the Runoffs, which he won. Sarich and his team moved into Formula 5000 for 1973, and his March 722 was evidently sold to Steve Jizmagian (San Francisco, CA), who raced a March 722 in west coast SCCA Nationals and Regionals in 1973. He retained the car for 1974, using it mainly in SCCA Nationals and qualifying for the Runoffs. He retained the 722 for a third season in 1975, still with its Ford twin cam engine despite the formula's move to BDA engines, and again qualified for the Runoffs. The 722 was entered throughout these three seasons by Jizmagian as #4. Its colour was variously reported as blue and as black in 1973, then as red in 1974 and 1975. He advertised the car in August 1976 as "March 72B, Quicksilver, three times ARRC", indicating it was Chuck Sarich's car in 1972, as Jizmagian had only qualified for the Runoffs in 1974 and 1975, and Chuck was the only one of the Sarich brothers to qualify in 1972. Jim Sarich's car had gone to Ted Roman. Subsequent history unknown.
  6. Chevron B20 [71-1] (Jim Grob): The prototype Chevron B20 was completed in Formula B specification delivered to Jim Grob (Ft Lauderdale, FL) in time for the 1971 Run-Offs. Grob then raced the orange car at the Bogotá races in early 1972 and then in Southeast Div and Pro FB in 1972. He retained the car for 1973 and 1974, racing it in a total of four Run-Offs, before selling it to Peter Symonds (Rowley, MA) for the 1975 season. Symonds only raced it four times: two SCCA Regionals in 1975 and another two in 1976. Symonds advertised it in 1977. Its next owner was Jack Van Dell who raced it in Regionals in 1985. It was sold to Pierre Haverland (Belgium) in 1988 and then to Nelson Todd (Belfast, Northern Ireland) in 2000. To Laurent Fort (Arles, Provence, France) in 2006, then to Michael Henderson (Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland) in 2007.
  7. March 722 (Wayne Ricciardi): Wayne Ricciardi (N. Haldon, NJ) raced a #24 March 722 in Pro Formula B in 1972, entered by The Race Shop, the US March importer in which Ricciardi and Joe Grimaldi were partners. Ricciardi retained the car for Pro events in 1973, competing in most Canadian events plus the US GP support race at Watkins Glen. Subsequent history unknown.
  8. Brabham BT35 [32] (Raúl Pérez Gama): Raúl Pérez Gama was one of several Mexican customers of Fred Opert racing in the early 1970s. For 1971, he had a brand new orange-and-yellow Brabham BT35 and raced as part of the Fred Opert Racing team in Pro Formula B events with entry number #66. He retained the car for the two Bogotá races in early 1972 after which BT35-32 has been identified as the car driven in SCCA events by Gordon Strom (Santa Cruz, CA or Sunnyvale, CA) in 1972 and for the following three seasons, retaining the car's original orange and yellow colours throughout. For 1976, Strom acquired a Chevron B29 and the Brabham may have been traded back to Fred Opert.
  9. Brabham BT29 [48] (Thomas E. Kornell): Sold new to Tom Kornell (Seal Beach, CA) and raced in SCCA Divisional and Pro Formula B in 1971 and 1972. Kornell added a sports car nose and a more substantial rollhoop amongst other changes. He ordered a Brabham BT41 for 1973 and the BT29 went to Fred Opert as a trade. Subsequent history unknown.
  10. 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.
  11. Merlyn Mk 21 [320/FB/71] (Gordon Smiley): New to Gordon Smiley (Shawnee Mission, Kansas) for Formula B in 1971, via Bill Ippolito's Race America (Dallas, TX). Smiley led before retiring at his first SCCA National, at Bonneville Raceway Park , and then dominated his next race at Mid-America Raceway two weeks later. He also won the SCCA National at Dallas International Motor Speedway in October. Retained by Smiley for 1972, when he won the Ponca City SCCA National and the Continental Championship at Road Atlanta. He retired at the Runoffs, as he had in 1971. When Smiley moved into F5000 in 1973, the Merlyn was acquired by chief mechanic Charlie Williams and run by him for David Loring (Concord, Mass) in 1974. Loring won the Stuttgart SCCA National in April 1974 and then raced it in the Players Formula Atlantic championship. Then sold to Mike Winn (Little Rock, AR) who raced it in FB in late 1974 and Formula Atlantic in 1975, using a Ford twin cam engine. He maintained its record by winning the Lake Afton SCCA National in 1975. To Barry Findley (North Little Rock, AR) who won a SCCA National at Chennault Field early in 1976 before upgrading to a March 74B. It was next seen in the early 1990s when bought from a racing car dealer called Norm in Colorado by David Clubine (Brantford, Ontario, Canada). The car was then complete but apart, and lacking an engine and gearbox. He did not do anything with it, and in about 2005 sold it to Bill Tebbutt (Mississauga, Ontario). Tebbutt sold it in 2009 but cannot remember the buyer's name.
  12. March 722 (Jim Sarich): Jim Sarich (McLean, VA) raced a midnight blue/white #67 or #56 March 722 in SCCA Nationals and Pro Formula B in 1972, entered by Quicksilver Racing Enterprises, Inc of Rockville, Maryland. Jim finished eighth in the Southeast Division FB championship. Sarich and his team moved into Formula 5000 for 1973, and in the summer of 1973 it was sold to an owner in Atlanta, GA. He had also bought a FSV Zeitler from Ted Roman (Pleasantville, NY), and for 1973 they ran as a team in SCCA Nationals, with Roman driving the March 722 and the car owner driving the Zeitler. The 722 was entered as #63, and Roman, who had moved to Atlanta, scored 12 points in SEDiv as a member of Atlanta Region. Don Becker recalls that the car was traded at the end of that season to Lola agent Carl Haas (Highland Park, IL) against two Lola T340s. The March was evidently then sold to Cliff L. Phillips (Palos Park, IL), who entered a blue March 722 in Central Division SCCA Nationals in 1974 but rarely appeared. He entered two races at Road America in 1974, apparantly without appearing at either, and was then a non-starter at Mid-Ohio on 1 September. He was entered again at Road America in June 1975. In January 1976, Phillips advertised his car, saying that it was metallic blue, had a new "banana" wing and 1975 nose, and was a "former Quicksilver championship car". As Steve Jizmagian's red 722 that was described more clearly as the Chuck Sarich car, it fits that Philips' car would have been the Jim Sarich car. Phillips raced a Lola T242 in 1973 so would already have been a customer of Haas. The history of the March after January 1976 is unknown.
  13. Lotus 69 [71/69.4.FB] (Bob Hebert): New to "J Silver" in March 1971 with red bodywork according to the Lotus built record. This would have been John Silver, owner of the Barrington House restauarant in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, who sponsored Bob Hebert (Monterey, MA). Raced by Hebert in Northeast Division SCCA Nationals in 1971 and 1972. Sold to George Liebman Jr (New York, NY), who raced it in New England Region NARRC Formula B at Lime Rock in April 1973, but it appears it was borrowed back by Hebert for the Lime Rock National on 7 July where he raced it with Liebman's entry number #77. Then raced by Liebman at a New York Region SCCA Regional at Bridgehampton in October 1973, having earlier been entered in such a car for the Pro FB race that supported the Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Subsequent history unknown, but Jeff Hailand (Clayton, MO) ran a Formula B Lotus 69 in historic racing between 2014 and 2018 that was registered with the Lotus Formula Ford Register as chassis "71/69/4FB".
  14. Lola T240 (Jim Harrell): Jim Harrell (Tecumseh, Michigan) bought an ex-Sarich Lola T240 from Carl Haas after winning the Formula Ford title at the 1971 Runoffs. After having real problems with it in the Bogotá races in February and March 1972, he returned it to Haas in exchange for a new T242. Nothing more is known of the T240.
  15. Brabham BT29 [45] (Doug Brenner): This is one of a pair of late BT29s acquired by California dealer Charlie Hayes which remained unraced during 1970. It was sold it March 1971 to Doug Brenner (Pasadena, CA) and raced in Pro events and in SCCA Nationals that season. Brenner raced the yellow Brabham in the two Bogotá races in early 1972 and then sold it to Phil Palm and Ron Pohl 1972 who retained Brenner's entry number of #26 and raced the car in 1972. They sold it to Bill Summers (Middleton, WI) who raced it in SCCA Regional and Midwest Council races at Elkhart Lake, Brainerd, and Blackhawk Farms, and advertised it in October 1978 with a CRW engine. The next owner was Bob Mijolevic (Pardeeville, WI) who used it in Midwest Council events in 1980, later fitting a Mazda engine for use in autocross. Mijolevic last raced the car in September 1982 but after that the history is largely unknown until it was bought by Cy Moreland (Trainer, PA) who in turn sold it to Dave Burch (Los Altos, CA). Rebuilt in the mid-1990s using a replacement Marc Bahner chassis. Sold in late 2011 to Wayne Wilson (Sydney, NSW, Australia).
  16. Brabham BT29 [1] (Ron Dykes): John Angus bought the first BT29, ordering the car as early as late summer of 1968 but taking delivery in August 1969. He ran it in Regionals in late 1969 before participating in the Pro series in 1970. He swapped from a Vegantune to a Racing Services engine for 1971 and continued in Nationals. Angus continued with the car in 1972, when Ron Dykes also drove it in the Bogotá races and again in 1973, when the car continued to be competitive at National level. To Marc Bahner (Santa Ana, CA) for 1974, and rebodied by him with March bodywork. Raced by Bahner in local SCCA events in 1974 and 1975. Bahner retained the car for many years, advertising it in December 1996 as "absolutely new - needing paint and assembly".
  17. March 722 [71BM/10?] (Gus Hutchison): Wilson Southam ran a team in Canadian Formula B in 1971. He bought two March 71BMs and raced this one himself. Southam was expected to run the car again in 1972, and it was fully updated to 722 specification by Tom Greatorex, well known in Canada as Kris Harrison's Can-Am mechanic. In February 1972, he loaned the car to Gus Hutchison for the two Formula B races in Bogotá. Southam sold his operation to Ecurie Canada for 1972, and this car is believed to have gone with it. Subsequent history unknown, but believed to be the car driven by Ian Coristine for Ecurie Canada in 1972 and 1973.
  18. Brabham BT29 (Rudolfo Junco): After Rudolfo Junco's wrecked his usual Brabham BT29 in an accident in the warm up session at the FB race at Monterrey, Mexico, in June 1971, he was allocated another BT29 as part of the Fred Opert Racing operation. This #80 car was advertised by Opert later with mention that it was the car driven by Bill Brack at Mosport Park 19 Sep 1971. In October, Opert's advert called it a 1970 BT29 with 1971 wings and rollbar. This is presumably the car raced by Junco at the two Bogotá Formula B races in February and March 1972. Subsequent history unknown.
  19. March 71BM [11?] (Joe Grimaldi): March dealer Joe Grimaldi ran a white #21 March 71BM in Pro Formula B events in 1971 and early 1972 for himelf and also for Dale Lang (Wilton, CT). Nothing more known.
  20. March 722 (Bob Lazier): Bob Lazier (Vail, CO) raced a black #6 March 722 in the Pro Formula B series in 1972, winning at Bryar Motorsports Park in May. The car was sold to Byron Hatten (Altadena, CA) for 1973, and he entered it for John Angus (formerly of Hartland, WI, but living in Marina Del Rey, CA at this time) for 1974. According to a later advert, this was the "76B" driven by Hatten at the IMSA Formula Atlantic race at Ontario in 1976, and it was then sold to George Seydel (Pasadena, CA), who raced a Formula B March in SCCA Regionals at Riverside in 1978. According to this car's SCCA logbook, it was raced by Seydel until 1979. The SCCA Logbook records its "Manufacturers Identification No." as 722-16, but this was the chassis number reported in Europe to be Xavier Perrot's F2 car, so this identity remains unconfirmed.
  21. March 722 (Seb Barone): Sebastiano 'Seb' Barone (Portland, CT) raced a red-and-white #28 March 722 in Formula B in 1972, entered by J.C. Competition Eng.of Southington, CT. He first appeared at the Bogotá races, but was a non-starter. The car was also used by Bobby Brown, fitted with a Cosworth BDA and running as a Formula A in the Lime Rock Grand Prix in September. Barone finished second in NEDiv FB in 1972. He retained the car for SCCA Nationals in 1973, qualifying for the Runoffs. Then sold to Rich Bradley (Sunnyvale, CA), who raced it in Formula B in 1974 and 1975. Bradley advertised the car in Formula in October 1975 as a March 722 with Falconer body. The advert was repeated in April 1976, noting a new Falconer body, F1 brakes and a Lamar wing. Subsequent history unknown.
  22. Brabham BT35 [9] (Nick Craw): New to Nick Craw, and raced initially in the British Formula Atlantic series at the start of 1971 before moving to the North American SCCA series in May. Borrowed by Alan Lader for the 1971 SCCA Runoffs. Raced by Craw at Bogotá in early 1972, then sold to Bob Schutt (Kirkwood, MO) for Midwest Division SCCA FB in 1972 and 1973. Sold to Dorsey Schroeder (Manchester, MO) and raced by him 1974, 1975 and 1976. Then to Mike Mahan in 1976 or 1977 for autocross, and next to Greg Scharnburg in 1980, also for autocross. In October 2001, it was bought from Scharnburg by Mike Winebrenner (Sellersburg, Indiana).

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.

1970 US FB results were compiled from Autoweek reports by Jim Thurman; 1971 results were transcribed from Autoweek by Allen Brown and 1972 results were compiled by Chris Townsend from an SCCA results publication.

The US Formula B series did not continue in 1973 but a race was organised in Caracas in March 1973 that fits here probably better than anywhere else, as do the occasional SCCA F/Atlantic and FB races in 1974 and 1975.

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

An entry list on Fred Stevenson's website (http://www.fredstevensonlotus.com) lists Bob Brown in a Chevron B20B; Fred Opert, Fred Van Buren and Brian Robertson all in B18Bs, Jim Grob in a B20B and Rodolfo Junco in a Brabham BT29. The results sheet on his site does not give model numbers but matches the marques from the entry list.