SCCA National (San Francisco Region)

Laguna Seca, 27 Aug 1972

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. McLaren M10B [M10A 300-09 (B)] (Merle Brennan): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-09(B).
2. Eagle Mk 5 [502] (Bob Allen): See full history: Eagle 'Mk 5' 502.
3. Brabham BT29 [44] (Larry Wright): This late BT29 remained unused in 1970 and was sold by Charlie Hayes to Larry Wright (Riverside, CA) in Dec 1970, taking Wright's Chevron B15 in part exchange. Wright raced the orange-and-yellow #83 Brabham in Pro events and in SCCA National and Regional events on the west coast. In June 1973, he wrecked the car in practice for a National at Laguna Seca and replaced it with the ex-Archie Snider BT29. The damaged chassis went to Marc Bahner in 1974 who eventually repaired it and sold it to Lou Pavesi in 1980. It later passed to Steve Pike in Australia in 1993 and then to Jim McConville in 1998.
4. Brabham BT29 (Archie Snider): Jim Gutfreund (Des Moines, Iowa) bought a new Brabham BT29 for 1970 and ran it in Midwest Div Formula B, winning two races and leading the division until his BRM-built Ford twin-cam blew. He sold the car to Archie Snider (Los Gatos, CA) for 1971 and Snider continued with the BRM engine until joining forces with Jon Milledge (Mountain View, CA) who crewed the car for Snider in Regionals while racing it in Nationals and in Pro events. They continued with the car through 1972 and into 1973, before Snider replaced it with a GRD. It then went to Larry Wright (Riverside, CA) to replace his earlier BT29 that he'd wrecked in June 1973. Wright kept the car until 1976 after which he retired and sold the car to "an unknown guy who lived in the Sierra Madre area of So Cal, near Pasadena".
5. Lola T142 (Don Inferrera): See full history: Lola T142 'the Dave Heinz car'.
6. Brabham BT29 [45] (Phil Palm): 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).
7. Cooper T76 [T71/73 F1-3-64] (Bob Wenz): Although given a F1 chassis number, F1-3-64, this car is now seen more as a cross between the F1 Cooper T73 and the F2 Cooper T71. It was built up by Bob Gerard's team and fitted with a 1.5-litre Ford twin cam engine with the intention of using it in minor F1 races and in Formule Libre, especially at Gerard's local Mallory Park. John Taylor raced for Gerard in libre with great success in 1964, in the early-season English non-championship F1 races and at the British GP. Gerard then acquired an ex-works F1 Cooper T60 V8 for Taylor to drive, and the T71/73 was then raced by Alan Rollinson and Taylor later in the season. It was also converted to F2 specification for Taylor to use in a couple of races in September. The car reappeared in F1 spec again in 1965 for John Rhodes, as a F2 for Taylor, as a 1650cc libre car for Taylor, and then even as a F3 car for Bob's son Julian Gerard. It was not used again until late 1966 when Chris Lambert raced it as a F2 and then it became Julian Gerard's regular libre car in 1967. It was finally sold at the end of 1967 to Bob Wenz (Los Gatos, CA) who raced it in SCCA Formula B from 1968 to 1972. It then went to Bob Korst and was "laid up" for 20 or so years until Alan Baillie (Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire) acquired it and brought it back to England. He restored it to 1.5-litre F1 specification with a Ford twin cam and raced it from 1997 onwards in historic racing, generally in HGPCA Grand Prix Cars events. It was sold to car dealer Chris Drake (London) for 2018, who also raced it with the HGPCA.
8. Brabham BT21 (Ron Southern): Ron Southern (San Rafael, CA/San Jose, CA) raced a green-and-gold #24 Brabham in Formula C from 1970 to 1972. It was identified as a BT18 in 1970 but as a BT21B by the end of 1971. Southern bought a BT40 for 1973 and the BT18 was sold to Gayle Cox for 1973, who entered it as a BT18/21. Then to Dick Moody by 1976, who called it a BT21. Nothing more known.
9. Chevron B15 [F3-69-9?] (Doug Turner): New to Howden Ganley and raced in European F3 in 1969 using Lucas engines. Hired to Reine Wisell at one race in August after Ganley's entry was turned down. To Steve Matchett for 1970 and used in British F3. Matchett took the car back to the US and it was advertised by Jack Grimm (Orange, CA) in October 1971. Presumably the B15 raced by Doug Turner (Newport Beach, CA) in Formula C from 1972 to 1974, latterly as a B17. Advertised by Turner as a B17 in October 1974. Towards the end of 1975, the car reappeared in Southern Californian FC, raced by Chris Price (Garden Grove, CA). He continued to race it at Riverside in 1976 and 1977. Subsequent history unknown.

Sources

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' original 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

Finish Line Oct-Nov 1972 p48, Competition Press & Autoweek 23 Sep 1972 p29.