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SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B/C Race

Mexico City, 27 Jun 1971

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Bert Hawthorne Tui Mk1 ['AM1'] - Ford twin cam Hart
[Fred Opert Racing]
25 (not given)
(79.5 miles)
2 Freddy van Beuren Chevron B18 - Ford twin cam Hart
[Fred Opert Racing] (see note 1)
25
3 Rudolfo Junco Brabham BT29 - Ford twin cam
[Fred Opert Racing] (see note 2)
25
4 Ron Dykes March 71BM [3] - Ford twin cam
(see note 3)
25
5 Nick Craw Brabham BT35 [9] - Ford twin cam
[Fred Opert Racing] (see note 4)
25
6 Bob Lazier March 71BM [4?] - Ford twin cam
(see note 5)
25
7 Raúl Pérez Gama Brabham BT35 [32] - Ford twin cam
[Fred Opert Racing] (see note 6)
25
8 Carlos Solis Brabham BT29 - Ford twin cam
24
9 Syd Demovsky Lola T240 [HU4] - Ford twin cam
(see note 7)
24
10 Thomas E. Kornell Brabham BT29 [48] - Ford twin cam
(see note 8)
24
11 Jim Grob Chevron B15b [FB-69-4?] - Ford twin cam
(see note 9)
24
12 Mike Eyerly Brabham BT29 [38] - Ford twin cam
(see note 10)
24
13 Jiro Yoneyama Brabham BT29 [5] - Ford twin cam Hart
[Fred Opert Racing] (see note 11)
23
14 Rocky Moran Lola T240 - Ford twin cam
(see note 12)
23
15 Norman Johnson Brabham BT29 - Ford twin cam
(see note 13)
22
16 Gene Forsthofel LeGrand Mk 14 - Ford twin cam
21
17 Steve Louden Brabham BT29 - Ford twin cam
(see note 14)
21
18 George "Skipp" Walther Lola T240 - Ford twin cam
(see note 15)
22
19 Doug Brenner Brabham BT29 [45] - Ford twin cam Hart
(see note 16)
16
20 Bill Gubelmann March 71BM [2] - Ford twin cam
(see note 17)
13
21 James King LeGrand Mk 14 - Ford twin cam
13
22 John Angus Brabham BT29 [1] - Ford twin cam
(see note 18)
8 heat exhaustion
23 Jerardo Martinez Winkelmann - Ford twin cam
2 lost oil cooler
24 Allan Lader Brabham BT29 [46] - Ford twin cam
(see note 19)
0 accident ('wrecked')
DNSC Mike Hiss Lola T240 - Ford twin cam
(see note 20)
Did not start (crashed)

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Qualifying
Qualifying information not available

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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.
  2. Brabham BT29 (Rudolfo Junco): Noted Mexican driver Freddy van Beuren entered Formula B in 1971 driving a Chevron B18 as part of Fred Opert's team. However, he also had a Brabham BT29 as a backup car and he loaned this car to Rudolfo Junco after Junco's car had been destroyed in an accident at Monterrey the previous week.
  3. March 71BM [3] (Ron Dykes): New to Chuck Willis's CRW Racing (Anaheim, CA) and leased to Jean de la Bruyere (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for Max Mizejewski (Woodland Hills, CA) to race in SCCA Formula B in 1971 as "The Edmonton Flyer". De la Bruyere then split from CRW and Ron Dykes (Marina del Rey, CA) then took over the 71Bm for Pro Formula B races and SCCA Nationals for the rest of 1971. Sold to Bob Newton (Cupertino, CA) and run in Pro FB and SCCA Nationals in 1972, 1973 and 1974. It was also raced by Craig Fraser (Santa Cruz, CA) in 1973 and 1974 before Newton's last known appearance in it in late 1974. To Jim Van Horn (Orange, CA) and raced in Cal Club Regionals in late 1975. Van Horn bought a newer Chevron B27 for 1976, but returned to the March for 1977, which was rebuilt to 76B specification by Marc Bahner and fitted with a BDA engine. The car was registered with the SCCA in September 1977, but curiously used the chassis number of a March 722, 722-38. Van Horn raced this car up to 1980. To Bill Hill (Olympia, WA) in 1981, fitted with a Mazda engine and a sports car body and raced the car in SCCA ASR and in Can-Am as the "Marzda" or the "Banana Crate". Crashed in an SCCA Regional (NW Region) at Olympia Airport in September 1986. Hill then bought a Lola T360 and the March chassis stayed in the rafters of his garage for many years. After Hill died, the car was sold to Phil Creighton (Georgia) in mid-2017, and then by him to Kevan McLurg (Brighton, UK) in 2018. Sold to Bruce Balchin (Southampton) in July 2019.
  4. 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).
  5. March 71BM [4?] (Bob Lazier): Robert Lazier (Vail, CO) raced a black March 71BM in the SCCA Pro Formula B series and in SCCA Nationals in 1971. The car was sold to James King ( East St Louis, IL) for 1972, when it was repainted green and yellow and entered as #22 in Pro FB and in Nationals. King qualified the car for the 1972 Runoffs, but retired. This may be the car he raced at Mid-America Raceway in May 1973, before his March 73B was delivered. Subsequent history unknown.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Chevron B15b [FB-69-4?] (Jim Grob): Jim Grob (Ft Lauderdale, FL but later Pompano Beach, CA) raced a Chevron B15b in Pro racing in 1969 and also scored 24 points in Northeast Division FB, representing Northern New Jersey Region. He retained the car for 1970 and again for 1971, then mainly focusing his efforts on SCCA Divisional racing in Southeast Division. He finished second to Hugh Kleinpeter's sister car in 1970 but then won the Division in 1971. He changed to a new Chevron B20 for 1972.
  10. Brabham BT29 [38] (Mike Eyerly): John Ranson Lewis III, who raced as Randy Lewis (Sunnyvale, CA), had a blue Brabham BT29 for 1970 which was entered as #7. He raced the car through the full Pro season, finishing fourth at Sears Point in June and at Road America in August, end ending the season in eighth place in the championship. He did not compete in SCCA Nationals. The car was sold to Bunny Ribbs (San Jose, CA) for Mike Eyerly to drive in FB in 1971 (#63) and 1972 (#80). Jon Milledge also drove Ribbs car at Brainerd in Sep 1972. Ribbs, father of future Trans-Am star Willy T. Ribbs, advertised the car at the end of 1972. This is presumably the blue #80 Brabham BT29 raced by Lee Midgley at Road America in August 1973 and driven by Archie Snider at Trois-Rivières a week later. Subsequent history unknown.
  11. Brabham BT29 [5] (Jiro Yoneyama): Nick Craw (Washington,DC) bought one of the first Brabham BT29s from local Brabham dealer Fred Opert, a car identified by Ted Walker of the Brabham Register as chassis BT29-5. Craw raced in SCCA events from August 1969 onwards, finishing second in the SEDiv FB championship by a single point, and in two Pro races. He continued with a BT29 in 1970 in Pro racing as part of Fred Opert Racing and to the best of his and Opert's recollection, used the same car. He bought a Brabham BT35 for 1971 but before this arrived in the US, he raced the BT29 once more, winning a National at Summit Point in April 1971. The car appeared in Fred Opert's stock list on 1 May, and on the reverse of one of this list, as sent by Opert's secretary Jeannie to Brabham historian Denis Lupton in 1971, a handwritten comment gives Craw's car as "BT29-5". A column by Craw in June 1972 said the car was sold to Jiro Yoneyama, a Japanese driver who raced a Brabham BT29 in US Formula B as part of Fred Opert's team. His car was white and ran as #76. The Road America entry list noted it was using a Hart engine. He was not seen after Road America in August 1971, and the BT29 was then sold to Gary Gove (Tacoma, WA) who raced it in SCCA Regional and ICSCC events in 1971 and 1972, It was reportedly crashed in 1972 and its later history is presently unresolved.
  12. Lola T240 (Rocky Moran): Rocky Moran (Arcadia, CA) raced a black #10 Lola T240 in the 1971 US FB Pro series. At the end of the season, Rocky recalls that he sold it to someone in Boulder, Colorado. This must be Bill Bachman (Boulder, CO/Nederland, CO) who raced a Transcendental Racing Lola in MWDiv Formula B in 1972. Bachman raced the Lola in a Wichita Region SCCA National at Hutchinson in June 1972, finishing second overall and winning the two-car FB class. He ended the season on 16 points and qualified for the Runoffs, Although he was a non-starter at Road Atlanta, his car was identified in the programme as a Lola T240. He retained the car for 1973, finishing third in class at MAR in May, but he did not add to his score so it is possible this car went to fellow Boulder resident Carl McIntyre who raced a Lola T240 in MWDiv FB later that season. Subsequent history unknown.
  13. Brabham BT29 (Norman Johnson): Norman Johnson (Simonton, TX) raced a Brabham BT29 in the two Mexican Formula B races in June 1971. Records of Southwest Division racing of very sketchy and little is known of Johnson's exploits in the car in 1971 or 1972. His next known outings in a Brabham were at Texas World Speedway in September 1971 then at Dallas International Motor Speedway in February 1972 where he crashed. He did not score points in Southwest Division in 1972, but won the Division in 1973 and appeared at the Runoffs, where his car was again described as a BT29. He then acquired a Brabham BT40, but it is unclear whether he continued to drive the BT29 through the 1974 SCCA Nationals season. Subsequent history unknown.
  14. Brabham BT29 (Steve Louden): Larry Harley (Dallas, TX) bought a Brabham BT29 for the 1970 season, using it in the Southwest Division FB title race - where he finished just a single point behind winner Roy Maze - and in a couple of Pro events. After finishing ninth in the Run-Offs, the car passed to Steve Louden (also Dallas) who raced it in 1971 and 1972, winning the SWDiv title in 1971 and tying in 1972.
  15. Lola T240 (George "Skipp" Walther): Skipp Walther (Dayton, OH) raced a royal blue or blue/silver #24 Lola T240 in the 1971 US FB Pro series. His last appearance was at Road America in August where he retired for unknown reasons. He did not appear in the CenDiv or NEDiv FB points table, implying he limited his appearances to the Pro series. Nothing more known.
  16. 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).
  17. March 71BM [2] (Bill Gubelmann): New for Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) and used in British Formula Atlantic at the start of the season, winning at Oulton Park 21 March, and then in the SCCA Pro Formula B series. The car was often described as a 712M but it seems more likely that he used the same 712BM all season. Also raced with a BDA in the Formula A race at Lime Rock in Sep and in one round of the Canadian series. Sold via Joe Grimaldi's The Race Shop to Frank Del Vecchio (Trumbull, CT) and used in NEDiv FB and in a couple of rounds of the Pro series. Sold back via Joe Grimaldi at the end of 1972; Frank thinks it went to a Canadian, and it is very likely to have been the car driven by Ken Huband, Norm Joy and David Westgate in 1973 and 1974. Sold to Mauro Lanaro (Montréal, Quebec) to replace the 71BM he lost in a transporter fire in 1974. Significantly modified in 1976 as the Lanaro Special with triangular sidepods, a different nose, and with its Cosworth BDA engine laid on its side. This car went through many evolutions, and was still being raced by Lanaro right up to 1995 when it was used in a vintage event. Lanaro eventually rebuilt to original 71BM specification about 1999. In late 2018, it was part of a package of cars bought from Lanaro by David Clubine (Brantford, ON), and was sold to a collector in Ontario.
  18. Brabham BT29 [1] (John Angus): 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".
  19. Brabham BT29 [46] (Allan Lader): Allan Lader had raced as part of the Fred Opert team during the latter half of 1970 but in 1971 he returned to running his own car with Pacifico Inc backing. He again raced a Brabham BT29, his third, and continued his run of excellent results by winning the opening two rounds of the Pro series from pole. At the third round, at Mexico City, he crashed heavily and the BT29 was wrecked. Lader quickly bought a new Brabham BT35 and the wrecked BT29 frame went via Opert to Carl Whitney and some components from it were salvaged to be used on the Formula C BT29 that he built up for the 1972 season. The remains of the wreck were sold (with another wreck) to Ken Duclos to help keep his FB BT29 running. Marty Handshy (Ridgefield, CT) then bought both sets of remains from Duclos. It is unclear how this car was identified as BT29-46 but a reproduction plate was created at the time of the restoration when the frame was reconstructed by Lime Rock Motors in 1999. He retained the car until some time between 2004 and 2007 when it was sold to Shelby Mershon (Springfield OH).
  20. Lola T240 (Mike Hiss): Charlie Hayes entered a new Lola T240 for Mike Hiss at the start of the 1971 US FB season. Hiss crashed the car at Mexico City at the end of June, flipping end over end. Hayes bought a new car to replace it so it is likely that the T240 was destroyed in this accident.

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.