Fall Festival (St Louis Region SCCA National)

Mid-America Raceway, 24 Sep 1972

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. 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.
2. McKee Mk 18 ['1'] (Dick DeJarld): New for Dick DeJarld (Joliet, IL) in 1972, and raced in SCCA Formula A events. Appeared at the Michigan Pro F5000 event in 1973 but did not qualify from the heat. Raced by DeJarld until sold to Ed Midgley (Geneva, IL) for 1976, when it was also raced by Jerry Hansen at Blackhawk Farms. To Robert Goulet (Wauwatsoa, WI) for 1977, and raced in SCCA Formula A. Goulet converted the McKee to sports car bodywork for 1979, appearing at Brainerd in July that year in the ASR class. Raced in Can-Am in 1980 and 1981, then renamed the "Sabre 001" for Can-Am again in 1983, and again in 1985. To Bob McKee and raced by Bill Scott in CAT races in 1986 and 1987. Then restored to its original specification for new owner Tom Simpson (Peoria, IL), and used in vintage racing, appearing at the Chicago Historic Races at Road America in 1988. It ran alongside several other McKee cars in historic races at Road America in the early 1990s, and also ran at HSR Mid-Ohio in August 1993. After a 20-year gap, Simpson ran the Mk 18 again in historic events in 2006.
3. 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.
4. Brabham BT35 [9] (Bob Schutt): 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. Lola T240 (Bill Bachman): 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.
6. Merlyn Mk 21 [394/FB/72] (Porter Brownlee): New to Porter Brownlee (Little Rock, AR) in late 1972 for SCCA Formula B. Raced in Midwest Division FB in 1973, 1974 and 1975, qualifying for the Runoffs each season. To David Pence (Little Rock, AR) for FB in 1976 and 1977. Subsequent history unknown. A later advert for the car says that "by the early 1990s, chassis 394/FB/4 belonged to Chicago privateer John Mayes. He loaned it to British restorer James Denty, who fitted a 1600cc Cosworth BDA engine and raced the yellow Merlyn in Historic F2 in 2000. It was sold to an unknown owner in 2001, and raced by Peter Shaw in 2001 and 2002, and by John Dunham (Basingstoke, Hampshire) in 2003. It was offered for sale by H and H in 2004, and after this spent some time in Denmark before being acquired by Kurt Buess (Switzerland). When Buess retired from racing, he sold the car to Hans-Rudolf Howald (Heimenhausen, Switzerland) in 2010. Howald used the car in hillclimbs in Switzerland and France.
7. Chevron B15 (Steve Hughes): In 1972, Steve Hughes (Wichita, KS) finished fourth in Midwest Division Formula C, in a Chevron. He was a regular runner in FC in 1973, but regularly retired or failed to start, finally scoring points at Fort Sumner in September 1973, where he won the FC class, giving him enough points to qualify for the Runoffs. He attended the Runoffs, where Formula magazine's reporter described the car as a Chevron B15, suggesting a F3 car still with its original 1-litre engine. Chuck Grauel, who raced against Hughes, described the car as a B15B, so it could have been an ex-Formula B car converted to smaller engine, but he also said it was "ex-Gethin". Hughes appeared in Midwest Division's FC table again in 1974, with four points. Grauel (Kansas City, KS) later acquired the car, and won the Division FC title with it in 1976. Once during that season, the car was described as a B9, which would make more sense of the "ex-Gethin" history, as Gethin drove several B9s not no B15s. Grauel advertised it in December 1976, when it had Lucas downdraft engines and a Hewland Mk8 gearbox. Subsequent history unknown.
8. LeGrand Mk 7A (Jim Barron): Gene Forsthofel (Overland Park, KA) bought a LeGrand Mk 7 from Red LeGrand for the 1970 season. It was shipped to Kansas City in a large crate, and Forsthofel and stepson helper Roger Riekenberg built up an engine for it. Forsthofel raced it in the SCCA National at Mid-America Raceway in July 1970, winning outright, and at Olathe Airfield two weeks later, where he retired. He moved into the Pro Formula B series for 1971, and advertised the Mk 7 in April 1971 as a "F/A LeGrand Wedge". The Mk 7 was bought by Jim Barron (Bragg City, MO), who raced it in SCCA Nationals in 1971, winning his class at Mid-America Raceway in May 1971 and finishing second of ten cars in Midwest Division Formula A that year, qualifying for the SCCA Runoffs. He raced it again in 1972, but only scored two points for fifth in class at Mid-America Raceway in September. He advertised the car in October 1972, and again much later in August 1974, when it was disassembled, and noted that he also had a ZF 5-speed gearbox and a Hewland DG300. Barron, who remembers the car as being '003', sold the Mk 7 to collector and future dealer Chuck Haines, who then lived in Pittsburg, PA. Chuck retained the car for many years. When he advertised it in December 2007 as a LeGrand Mk7A, it was black and wore #88, Gene Forsthofel's racing number in 1970, with 'Plaza Master Tune Up' signwriting from Forsthofel's 1970 sponsorship from that Kansas City company, and also "Team Mgr Don Hawthorne". The car had a chassis plate stating that it was a MK/7A built 12/68 and serial number 008. Some time before March 2013, the car was marked as sold.
9. Brabham [BT9 F3-6-64] (Frank Dickerson): Identified by the Formula 1 Register as the car raced by Patrick Dal Bo in 1964 and by Jean Sage briefly at the end of 1965. Then sold back to England via Stephen Conlan and owned by David Wragg (Leeds) in early 1966 then to Malcolm Smith (Clitheroe, Lancashire) later that year. Sold by Smith via Fred Opert to the US, where dealer Pierre Phillips imported it into Portland, OR. He sold it to Win Casey, also of Portland, who raced it in ICSCC and SCCA FC in 1967 with a MAE engine. Then to another Portland driver, Neil Hansen, for NorPac FC in 1968 when it was described as a BT14. It was later owned by Chuck Grauel (Kansas City, KS) and raced in MWDiv Formula C in 1970 and 1971, then via midget racer Frank Dickerson (Wichita, KS), John Stokes and others to Jerry Strickfaden (Los Alamos, NM) 1987, during which time it was regarded as a BT15. Researched by Jerry Strickfaden and identified as a BT9. To Wayne Mitchell 1988. To Robs Lamplough (Hungerford, Berkshire) 2011.
10. 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.
11. Eisert 65/68 (Bill Tempero): New for Skip Hudson to drive at the 1965 Indy 500 as J Frank Harrison's #96 Harrison Special. The new car got on track on 13 May, at which point the older 1964 car was renumbered from 96 to 93. Hudson was a successful sports car racer, but was unable to pass his rookie test when an engine blew, so Al Unser took over the drive but he made no attempt to qualify the car. Unser then drove the car through the 1965 USAC season, but only once finished inside the top 10. The 1965 car was retained for the opening races of the 1966 season, driven by Unser at Phoenix and by Billy Foster at Trenton. It then became the team's #93 entry, and was only seen again at Fuji, where Jerry Grant finished tenth. Greg Weld failed to qualify the car for the 1967 Indy 500, after which it was sold to Don Wilcox, who raced it at Pikes Peak and made an unsuccessfiul attempt to qualify at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July. The old car was ideal for the SCCA's new Formula A, so was sold to Stew McMillen (Libertyville, IL) who raced it in SCCA Nationals, winning twice, and in Pro races. At the end of 1968 he took it out to New Zealand, racing it at Baypark Raceway in December, before it was leased to Dennis Marwood for the 1969/70 season. It returned to the US later in 1970 and was acquired by Bill Tempero (Fort Collins, CO), who fitted it with wedge-style bodywork and raced it in Pro races and SCCA Nationals in 1971, then in Midwest Division Formula A in 1972. It was later converted for street use by brothers Wayne and Steve Huntley in Nebraska and was also used as a show car by Fred Bosselman in the late 1970s or early 1980s, probably at his Bosselman Truck Plaza in Grand Island, Nebraska. In the early 1990s it was acquired by Bill Wiswedel (Holland, MI) who has restored it to 1965 colours but still with the later, squarer bodywork.
12. Lola T142 [SL142/30] (Brad Blankenship): Unknown in 1969 but maybe the car of Richard Negley (San Antonio, TX). Raced by John Saucier (MidWest City, OK) in 1970, 1971 and 1972. To Brad Blankenship (Indianapolis, IN) 1972, then to Duane Smith (Milwaukee, WI) 1973 and raced to 1975. Then to Dick St John's car owner, converted into a supermodified and raced in 1975 by Dick St John (Milwaukee, WI). Still in his livery when sold by Mike McComas (Pampa, TX) to Earl Zwickey (Amarillo, TX) 1995. Sold to Kerry Anderson (Auckland, New Zealand) late 2004 or early 2005, and raced by in the F5000 Revival Series from 2006 onwards. More information about Lola T142 SL142/30

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-36S. Official results kindly provided by Rocky Entriken. Also Competition Press & Autoweek 4 Nov 1972 p34, Salina Journal 27 Sep 1972 p18.