Road America June Sprints (Chicago Region SCCA National)

Road America, 18 Jun 1972

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT35 (Mike Hall): New to Michael Hall (Chicago, Illinois) for CenDiv SCCA Nationals and some local Pro FB events in 1971, acquiring the BT35 relatively late in the season after starting the year in a BT29. He retained the car for 1972, winning the CenDiv FB title. In October 1972, the "ex-Mike Hall" red BT35 was advertised by Fred Opert, noting that it had a "Rondel sports car nose". Subsequent history unknown.
2. Lola T242 [HU17] (Jim Harrell): New to Jim Harrell (Tecumseh, Michigan), replacing the ex-Sarich T240 he raced in the Bogotá races. Used in CenDiv Formula B in 1972 and qualified for the Runoffs in November, where he retired. Sold to J. Lewis Cooper (Detroit, Michigan). History then unknown until it was advertised by Tom Young (Columbus, OH) in January 1982. Sold by Young to Charles Warner (Memphis, TN) who sent it to Mike Gue's Essex Racing in Atlanta, GA for restoration but this did not go ahead. Later sold it about 1988 to someone in North Carolina who wanted the suspension and bits for an autocross car. Subsequent history unknown.
3. March 71BM [4?] (James King): 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.
4. 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.
5. Brabham BT35 (Turner Woodard): Turner Woodard (Indianapolis, IN) raced a Brabham BT35 in SCCA Regionals and Nationals in 1972. He was entered at #76 by Motor Sport Associates, Cicero, Indiana. He was also entered by Motor Sport Associates for a few events in 1973, but it is not known whether he turned up for any. However, he scored 15 points in CenDiv Formula B in 1973, suggesting he ran the BT35 for most of that season at least. Subsequent history unknown.
6. March 722 (Tom Outcault): Tom Outcault (Middletown, OH) raced a green-and-yellow #3 March 722 in CenDiv and NEDiv Formula B and some Pro races in 1972, entered by Troco Racing of Cranford, NJ. Outcault upgraded to a March 73B, so the 722 may have been returned to Joe Grimaldi in trade. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Lola T240 (Cliff L. Phillips): Cliff Phillips (Palos Park, IL) raced a red #60 Lola T242 at Road America in June 1972. Tom Fraser (Atlanta, GA) also ran his T242 as #60 but a share between drivers in Atlanta and Illinois seems unlikely; also Phillips' car was reported as red, and Fraser's as orange. Phillips then entered his car for the Road America race in August 1972, and raced it at the same venue in the SCCA Pro Formula B race in August 1973.
8. 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.
9. Lola T240 ("Bud" Jackson): Howard E. 'Bud' Jackson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) drove a blue #32 Lola T240 in Central Division SCCA Formula B events in 1971 and also in the Pro race at Brainerd. He raced the car again in 1972, this time using #63. He retained the car again for 1973 and finished second in the Falstaff Classic at MAR in May, but "destroyed" the car at Road America in June when he hit the guard rail just after the start/finish line, leaving Jackson in hospital with cuts, bruises, and a broken ankle.
10. Brabham BT35 (James Gutfreund): New to Jim Gutfruend (Des Moines, Iowa), and raced by him in 1971 and 1972. To Joe Freeman (Boston, MA) for 1973, and raced by him for three seasons, finishing fourth in North East Division in 1974 and qualifying for the Runoffs. He planned to sell the car at the end of 1975, but in a final practice session at Lime Rock in October 1975 he hit a stalled B Production Camaro and had to be cut out of the wreck. The salvageable parts were sold to his fellow racers.
11. March 722 (Dale Lang): Dale W. Lang (Woodstock, VT/Wilton, CT) raced a blue-and-white #21 March 722 in Pro FB and SCCA Nationals in 1972, entered by Joe Grimaldi's Race Shop, of Midland Park, NJ. It seems very likely that this was the car that Grimaldi himself raced in three Pro races in 1972, and it is therefore likely that this is the car Grimaldi hired to John Angus for the 1972 SCCA Runoffs. Lang raced the car again at the Road America and Watkins Glen Pro FB races in 1973. In between these two, Grimaldi drove a 722 at Trois-Rivières, entered as #81, the same number used by Lang at Road America the previous weekend, adding extra weight to the belief that they were sharing this car. Grimaldi also raced it, wearing #87, at Lime Rock in July 1973. Grimaldi had also raced Lang's 71BM in 1971 and would race his March 74B in 1974. Subsequent history unknown.
12. Brabham BT29 (Jim Lloyd): Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) raced a yellow #11 Brabham BT29 in Pro events in 1970. At the end of the year the car was sold via Joe Grimaldi (Race Shop) to Peter Nye (Ann Arbor, MI) who fitted it with a HRE twin cam and raced it in Pro events and in some SCCA events through 1971. At the end of that season he sold it less engine to Jim Lloyd (Indianapolis, IN) who converted it to Formula C and won the CenDiv FC title in 1972 and 1973. Lloyd retained the car and later restored it to Formula B specification for vintage racing. He advertised it in fully-restored condition in February 1991.
13. Brabham BT18/21 (Brownlee Cote): Brownlee Cote (Aspen, CO) drove a yellow #40 Brabham BT18/BT21 in Formula B in 1972. He was entered by Grand View Lodge, Brainerd, Minn., and used an HRE twin cam engine. Peter Nye (Ann Arbor, MI) had also used a HRE engine in 1970 in his BT18, so this may be the same car. Nothing more known.
14. Chevron B20 (Dan Carmichael): Dan Carmichael (Columbus, OH) raced a Chevron B20 at the Road America June Sprints and at the 1972 SCCA Runoffs. He finished the season with 25 points, indicating that he used the car at a minimum of three other SCCA Nationals during 1972. Carmichael acquired a new Brabham BT40 for 1973 and the Chevron was sold to Joe H. Shepherd (Indianapolis, IN), who raced it in Canadian and SCCA Pro Formula B in 1973, entered by Xanadu Racing, and also scored three points in SCCA Central Division FB. Retained by Shepherd for Players Canadian Formula Atlantic and SCCA Formula B in 1974, but he did not score any points in Central Division that season. He appeared again in 1975, but his only certain outing that season was in the Hoosier Grand Prix SCCA National at IRP in September. The car was advertised by Shepherd in January and February 1976, and his recollection is that it went to someone in the southeast US, perhaps on the coast.
15. Brabham BT29 [7] (James Blomquist): This car was still unraced when Howie Fairbanks (St Paul, MN) bought it in 1970 "still on its shipping pallet from a shop in Philadelphia". He fitted a SCA engine and ran the car in Formula C in 1971, taking seven wins and second place at the Run-Offs. His partner Jim Blomquist drove it in 1972 and took third at the Run-Offs. Fairbanks then sold it to Art Jaworski who continued to run it in FC and, later, in its successor Formula Continental into the mid-1980s. The car was then sold for vintage racing and was owned by Richard Balsley in 2011.
16. March 712M [71BM-15] (Mike Rand): New to US dealer Joe Grimaldi and supplied in red bodywork. New to Mike Rand (Greenwich, CT) in time for the SCCA Runoffs, where he crashed in practice. Raced in Pro FB and SCCA Nationals in 1972. Sold to Charlie Gibson (Poughkeepsie, NY) for 1973, and again raced in Pro FB and in SCCA Nationals. Retained again for 1974, when it was run in the Canadian series in 73B specification. Also raced more rarely in 1975, before Gibson advertised it in early 1976. According to current owner Simon Perkins, it was sold for 1976 to "Eric Schneider who only did a few events and then neglected the car when he went off to college". In 1989, Charlie Gibson reacquired the car and resold it to Chris Smith, who had it refurbished by Derek Matthews at Ark Racing in 1989/1990. After racing it occasionally, Smith sold it to Perkins (North Newington, Oxfordshire) who did a few US Vintage races in 2002 and 2003 before bringing the car back to the UK in 2004. He has since raced it in HSCC and European F2 races.
17. Chevron B18 (Aubrey O'Connor): Aubrey O'Connor (Memphis, TN) raced a Chevron B18 as part of the Fred Opert team in Formula B in 1972, entered as either #78 or #88, and at least once in SCCA Nationals where he was entered as #24 and gave his home town as New York, NY. O’Connor also raced a Triumph Spitfire in SCCA F Production in 1971 and 1972, and then moved to USAC stock car racing with a Pontiac in 1973. He was born in Craighead County, Arkansas on 30 December 1938 and died in Memphis, TN in November 2011. Nothing more is known of the Chevron.
18. March 722 (Chuck Dietrich): Chuck Dietrich (Sandusky, OH) raced a blue-and-white #30 or #31 March 722 in CenDiv and NEDiv Formula B and some Pro races in 1972. Photographs suggest this was the car raced by Freddy van Beuren in the Formula B race at Caracas in February 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
19. Lola T240 (Joe Shepherd): Joe Shepherd (Indianapolis, IN) raced a black #51 Lola T240 in CenDiv FB and in the Road Atlanta and Road America Pro FB races in 1972. As his car was black with red wings and wore #51, it may have been the black-and-red #5 Lola T240 that Chris Gleason had used briefly earlier that season. Shepherd also scored two points in SCCA Central Division FB, so must have raced it elsewhere. Just after Christmas 1972, George Herscher (Charleston, WV) bought a black Lola T240 in Indianapolis and raced it as #51, so this must be the same car. Herscher raced it Virginia International Raceway at in 1973 and 1974. He was on the entry list for the 8 April 1973 event, but was not in the results. He then raced at VIR in October 1973 and April 1974, and scored points in CenDiv FB in 1974. George's son John Herscher remembers picking it up in Indianapolis, and as Joe Shepherd lived in Indianapolis and had a Lola T240, and both Shepherd and Herscher entered their cars as #51, it is very likely to be the same car. John recalls that it was traded to Carl Haas for a new Lola T340 Formula Ford. Subsequent history unknown.
20. 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.
21. Chevron B18 (James Dunkel): After racing a Lola T190 in Formula A in 1971, James Dunkel (Rockford, IL) stepped back into Formula B for 1972 with a blue Chevron B18. Dunkel failed to start in both the Road America June Sprints and in Road America's Pro race and only scored five points in Central Division FB that year, indicating that he may have only raced it twice. He advertised the car in July 1972 as a B18B, and in Feb 1973 as "six races from new". If that description is correct, that is too many races for it to have been either Dan Carmichael's or Warren Flickinger's car from 1971. However, as there were no SCCA Log Books in 1971, he may not have known exactly how often it had raced. Nothing more known.
22. Lola T192 [HU19] (Larry McNeil): New to Roger Penske for Mark Donohue to drive in the 1970 US series, starting at Mosport 13 Sep 1970. To Competition Research & Development (Pomona, CA) for Brett Lunger US 1971, then to Larry McNeil US 1972, US 1973 and then in SCCA Nationals from 1974 to 1978. Via Alan Marvin to Gordon Close (Hinsdale, IL) 1979, and used it for 1979 SCCA drivers school and Regionals. To former racer Don O'Sullivan (Perth, Western Australia) in 1983 but not run by him and sold to Bob Harborow (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia) in 1989. Restored and used in historic racing in Australia, including VHRR Historic Sandown and Phillip Island Classic 1999-2013, and the Australian GP support races in 2009 and 2010. Reappeared in October 2015, when run by Kieran Patel (Victoria, Australia) at the Baskerville Historics. More information about Lola T192 HU19
23. McLaren M10A [300-07] (Howie Fairbanks): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-07.
24. March 71BM (Geoffrey Freeman): Geoff Freeman (Yellow Springs, OH) raced a March 71BM in the latter part of the 1971 SCCA season, first appearing in a National at Blackhawk Farms in August, and later winning a couple of Regionals. He also raced at Blackhawk Farms and Nelson Ledges in July 1972. It was sold by Freeman to brothers Tom and Ted Sokoly updated with Falconer bodywork, and was raced by Tom Sokoly (Racine, WI) in various incarnations from 1973 to 1976. Sokoly advertised it at the end of 1975 as a Falconer March 712/732 with Traylor BDD, and replaced it for 1976 with a 75B. Sold to Harry E. Greenwood (Fanwood, NJ, later Warren, NJ), who raced it in SCCA Formula B from 1976 to 1978. He entered it at Lime Rock in July 1976 as a March "732", advertised it as a "73B" in October 1976, and as a "1973 chassis with 1974 coachwork" in September 1978. A photograph of the car in July 1978 shows it still wearing 1973 Falconer bodywork, and with the Sokoly's very distinctive rollhoop. Subsequent history unknown.
25. March 722 (William Kautz): William Kautz (Geneva, IL) had a March 722 during 1972 and 1973 but did not start any of the races that he is known to have entered. This unfortunate sequence started with a Midwestern Council race at Blackhawk Farms on 11 June, and continued through SCCA Nationals and SCCA Pro races that season. The car was entered as #60 at least twice in 1972 and as #6 in 1973. Its colour was given as yellow in 1973 and the entrant throughout was Kautz Farm Racing. Kautz advertised the car in May 1976, still with a "big valve Hart" engine and a Falconer body. He sold it to Ed Midgley who advertised it in August 1978. Subsequent history unknown.
26. McLaren M4B (Dick Drexler): Dick Drexler (Pewaukee, WI) had a red/grey McLaren M4A which he entered in local SCCA Formula B events from 1969 to 1972, usually as #5 or #51. A one-time Regional Executive of the SCCA Milwaukee Region, Richard W Drexler was president of Milwaukee-based oil refiner Lubricant, Inc. Records of him actually starting a race are rare but he was a regular entry at his local Road America and Blackhawk Farms circuits or even as far afield as Brainerd. He returned in 1973 with the car now fitted with a 997cc HRE engine for Formula C, qualifying for the Run-Offs that year. He then bought a 1066cc Cosworth SCA engine (bored out for SCC pistons) from Al Essig, who had used it in a Brabham BT15. Drexler is believed to have used that engine in the McLaren in 1974, 1975 and 1976. The car was acquired in 1987 by Dave Hammers (Sea Cliff, NY), restored, and put on display.
27. Lola T240 [HU12] (Quin Calhoun): Identified as the #8 Lola T240 raced by Quin Calhoun (Chicago, IL) in CenDiv FB events in 1971, scoring 16 points in FB that season. Retained and raced again in CenDiv in 1972 but only scored 1 point. To Carmon Solomone (Woodridge, IL) for 1973 and raced in Pro and CenDiv events over the next two seasons. History then unknown until 1981, when it was bought from somebody in Chicago by Dan Walker (Oyster Bay, NY). He autocrossed it for a couple of years, advertising it in December 1983, then sold it to somebody in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Again its history is then unknown, but it is said to have been bought by an unknown owner c1991 and owned for 20 years before being advertised c2011. Mentioned by Kim Baker of vintageracecarsales.com as traded to him around July 2013. A car with this number advertised by Greg Jacobs of Ignite Performance in January 2014.
28. 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.
29. March 712M (Peter W Nye): Raced by Geoff Freeman (Yellow Springs, OH) in SCCA events in Central Division in 1971 but this 71BM did not appear in Pro events until bought by Peter Nye (Fostoria, OH) for the 1972 season. It may be the "ex-works 712 FB" advertised by 'Forward March' of Yellow Springs in February 1972. Nye crashed the car early in the season but rebuilt it on a new tub supplied by March and raced through 1972 and 1973 in Pro events and in SCCA. After relocating to Texas, Nye scored points in Southwest Division in 1974 and won his class in the Texas Region National in September 1975. Nye also loaned the car to Galen Lyons (Austin, TX) and he raced it in one or two SCCA Nationals before it was sold to the Northwest US where its new owners planned to rebuild it as a sports car.
30. March 722 [31] (Ted Thomas): New to Ted Thomas (Bethel Park, PA) and raced from 1972 to 1974, mainly in little-reported SCCA Steel Cities Region (SCR) events at Nelson Ledges and in red, white and blue livery. Dr Thomas had previously raced a Brabham BT21C with the region, and had been regional Formula B champion in 1971. He was also entered by Tebar Racing in the March at Watkins Glen and at Road America in August 1972, but does not appear to have arrived for either event. He was a regular runner in SCR's SCCA Regionals at Nelson Ledges in 1972 and 1973 and was entered for the Columbo Yogurt Formula B Challenge Cup at Watkins Glen Pro FB races in October 1973 but did not arrive. He was again seen in SCR Regionals in 1974, and again entered the Watkins Glen Pro race but did not appear. Thomas then retained the car until it was sold in July 1987 to Michael Rand (Canaan, CT), who raced it at the Lime Rock Historic in September 1987. Sold to David Beckstead (Westlake Village, CA) in April 1988, then to Jack Breskovich (Prescott, AZ) in July 1988. Bought from Breskovich by Kurt Sager (Napa, CA) in March 2023.
31. Chevron B15b (Bill O'Connor): Bill O'Connor (Chicago, IL/Highland Pk, IL) raced a blue/orange/yellow Chevron B15b in SCCA Formula B in the fall of 1972. He scored 13 points in Central Division FB and also entered several Pro races in the fall, but failed to start any, the closest being when he retired on the pace lap at Road America. O'Connor then acquired a Brabham BT38 for 1973 so the Chevron may have been traded back to Fred Opert. Nothing more known.
32. Brabham BT29 [43] (Roger Seacrist): Cliff Phillips (Palos Park, IL) acquired a red Brabham BT29 for 1970 but his first known appearance wasn't until Road America 18 Jul 1970 where he recorded 41st fastest time. The car appeared on several more entry lists later in the season but Phillips started to advertise the car from early September onwards. Still being advertised in July 1971. The car is then unknown until mid-1972 when it has been identified (with chassis number and AM number) as the car driven by Roger Seacrist (Chicago, IL). Retained by Seacrist for 1973 but then unknown until acquired by Gary Dausch (Indianapolis, IN) some time before Apr 1987. To Dave Vegher and raced once at Palm Springs then to Tony Podell (Rolling Hills, CA), then Randall Smith (Petaluna, CA) and retained 2012.
33. Lola T242 [HU16] (Tom Fraser): Shown in Lola records as a red Lola T242 invoiced in May 1972 so probably the red #60 Lola T242 bought by Tom Fraser (Atlanta, GA), sponsored by his 't.edwards' stores. Fraser only raced it once, in the Road Atlanta Pro race in July 1972, but found it difficult to drive and spun in corner one during the race. Fraser had been entered by Bobby Rinzler Racing when he raced a Lola T212 in 1971 and his T242 was advertised by Bobby Rinzler Racing as "new car with race on it" in January 1973. Subsequent history unknown.

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

SCCA Sanction 72-N-17S. Full entry list from SCCA Archive at IMRRC. Sheboygan Press 19 Jun 1972 pp20-21. But newspaperarchive.com doesn't have page 21! [WG2022]