SCCA National (Detroit Region)

Nelson Ledges, 22 Sep 1968

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Lotus 22/31 (Thomas Richmond): Thomas G. Richmond finished third in CenDiv FB in 1968 in a Lotus. In May 1970 he advertised his car as a Lotus 22/31, noting that it didn't race during 1969.
2. Brabham BT15 (Dick Leppla): Dick Leppla (Gates Mills, OH) raced a Brabham BT15 with Cosworth MAE engine in Central Division Formula C in 1968. He raced as either #14 or #44 so this would be the same car driven by Dave Dours (Hudson, OH) at Mid-Ohio in September. Leppla (then Cleveland Heights, OH) advertised the car in CP&A 7 Dec 1968 as a Brabham BT15 with rebuilt MAE engine and Hewland Mark 6 six-speed gearbox. This may be the same car as the "BT16" raced by Dours for Leppla in 1969 and may even be the BT18 raced by Leppla in late 1970.
3. McLaren M4B [200-26B?] (Martin Sellers): Sold to Martin Sellers (Columbus, OH) for Formula B in 1968. The sale was arranged by Chuck Dietrich (Sandusky, OH) who had run a M4A in 1967 and was now buying a new car for himself as well. Dietrich and Sellers ran together as a team in 1968. Retained by Sellers for 1969 but he had engine troubles through that season and after that only raced the car rarely. In the 1990s, he brought the car out again for historic racing and ran at Sears Point with the SCCA in 1997. More recently a member of the CSRG. Chassis 200-26 is a very rare 1960s racing car that has only had one owner from new.
4. Cooper T76 [T75 F2-4-65] (John R Babchek): New to Tyrrell Racing Organisation for John Surtees to race in F2 in 1965. Raced later in the season by Bob Bondurant and Chris Amon. To Reg Howell (Dayton, OH) May 1966 to be used in SCCA racing. Sold to Dick Leppla (Cleveland Hgts, OH), fitted with a Cosworth twin cam and Colotti T46 5-speed gearbox and entered in Formula B events for David Dours (Hudson, OH) in 1967, but described by them as a T76. It was one of the quickest FB cars in the east of the US at the start of 1967 and Dours won at Cumberland in May but it was no match for Chuck Dietrich's brand new McLaren M4A in Central Division. Later fitted with a Vegantune engine and won at Mid-Ohio in September. To John R. Babchek (Romulus, MI) for CenDiv Formula B from 1968 to 1970. He advertised the car in June 1970 as an "ex-Surtees team car" with Vegantune engine, and again in April 1974 when it was just described as a T76 rolling chassis . History unknown until bought by Murray Batson (Australia) in 1979. Then via Bruce Sutton 1981 and Murray Richards (Murrumbeena, Victoria) 1992 to Bob Harborow (Camberwell, Victoria) 1994.
5. Brabham BT21A (John Schwengerer): John Schwengerer (Westport, CT) raced a #76 Brabham BT21A in at least one SCCA National in 1968, when he was entered by Robert W. Hansen, and in Pro Formula B events in 1969 when he raced as #46. He did not score points in SCCA Nationals in either season. Schwengerer had previously driven a LeGrant-Alfa in a FB race in 1967, and prior to that he had driven an H Production Sprite. In 1971 a Joe Schwengerer (S. Norwalk, CT, just a few miles from Westport) drove a #46 Formula B Brabham in a National at Bryar, which is presumably the same car. Nothing more known.
6. Elva 300 (Bill Sargeant): Bill Sargeant (Adrian, Michigan) raced an Elva in CenDiv Formula C in 1968. A photograph of the car taken at Steel Cities Raceway in Sep 1968 shows that it was a Elva 300, a 1961 Formula Junior.

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

Entry list [S678]. Results sheet provided by Bryan Miller and by Richard Page of the Formula One Register .