OldRacingCars.com

Players (Canadian) Formula B Series Race

Trois-Rivières, 28 Aug 1971

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Jacques Couture Lotus 69 - Ford twin cam Hart
#84 Jim Russell Racing Team (see note 1)
70 83m 31.4s
2 Brian Robertson Brabham BT35 [10] - Ford twin cam Hart
#5 Fred Opert Racing (see note 2)
70 83m 35.3s
3 Gary Magwood Hawke DL6B [2] - Ford twin cam BRM
#27
70 84m 19.6s
4 Eligio Siconolfi Lotus 59/69 [59-F2/XB-42] - Ford twin cam
#121 (see note 3)
68 83m 47.1s
5 Randy Fraser March 71BM - Ford twin cam Greatorex
#54 Tartan Fraser (see note 4)
68 84m 24.1s
6 Roy Folland Brabham BT35 [18] - Ford twin cam
#20 (see note 5)
67 84m 10.5s
7 Wilson Southam March 71BM [10?] - Ford twin cam Greatorex
#24 (see note 6)
67 84m 22.3s
8 Al Justason Brabham BT23F [1] - Ford twin cam
#32 (see note 7)
66 84m 19.3s
9 John Powell Chevron B17b - Ford twin cam
#30 Penguin Racing Enterprise (see note 8)
65 83m 32.1s
10 Ian Coristine March 71BM [1] - Ford twin cam Hart
#50 Delta Racing Developments (see note 9)
63 83m 38.3s
11 Max Nerrière Lotus 59 [59-F2/XB-41] - Ford twin cam
#42 (see note 10)
62
12 Barry Fox Brabham BT29 [49] - Ford twin cam
#22 Astro-Shield
57 83m 48.0s
13 Craig Hill Lotus 69 [71/69.5.FB] - Ford twin cam Hart
#1 Fother-hill Ltd/Castrol
51
14 Bruce Jensen Chevron B17b [17B.70.04?] - Ford twin cam
#41 Jen-Mac Racing (see note 11)
48 83m 45.5s
15 Howard Cazaly Lotus 41C - Ford twin cam
#25
43
R David McConnell Lotus 69 - Ford twin cam Hart
#86 Jim Russell Racing Team (see note 12)
21 Rear suspension
R Jackie Burnett Lotus 59 [59-FB-23?] - Ford twin cam
#8 (see note 13)
19
R Reg Forth Brabham BT21C - Ford twin cam
#61 (see note 14)
6
R Derek Johnson March 71BM - Ford twin cam Hart
#93 Todco Racing Team (see note 15)
5 accident (wrapped round telephone pole)
R Lee White Titan Mk3 - Ford twin cam
#66
2
R Bill Eagles Chevron B9/B15b - Ford twin cam
#46 (see note 16)
2

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Qualifying
1 David McConnell (FB) 1.6-litre Lotus 69 - Ford twin cam Hart 0.57.8
2 Jacques Couture (FB) 1.6-litre Lotus 69 - Ford twin cam Hart 0.58.0
3 Derek Johnson (FB) 1.6-litre March 71BM - Ford twin cam Hart 0.58.2
4 Brian Robertson (FB) 1.6-litre Brabham BT35 [10] - Ford twin cam Hart
5 Wilson Southam (FB) 1.6-litre March 71BM [10?] - Ford twin cam Greatorex
6 Randy Fraser (FB) 1.6-litre March 71BM - Ford twin cam Greatorex
7 Roy Folland (FB) 1.6-litre Brabham BT35 [18] - Ford twin cam
8 Al Justason (FB) 1.6-litre Brabham BT23F [1] - Ford twin cam

Notes on the cars:

  1. Lotus 69 (Jacques Couture): Raced by Jacques Couture as part of the Jim Russell Racing Team in the Players Formula B Championship and the Molson Formula Championship in Canada in 1971, winning rounds of both, and in the Seattle round of the SCCA Continental Championship. Unknown in 1972, but advertised by Fred Opert in October 1972 and again in February 1973. Thought to be the car driven by Opert customer Julio César Hidalgo in the FB race at Autodromo de San Carlo, Caracas in March 1973. Subsequent history unknown, but may be the Victor Gagliano/Bob Silvestro car from 1974 onwards.
  2. Brabham BT35 [10] (Brian Robertson): New to Brian Robertson (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) and raced by him in the Canadian Formula B series in 1971, entered by Fred Opert Racing. To Al Justason (Toronto, Ontario) for Canadian FB in 1972 and 1973. To Fred Beyer (Ottawa, Ontario) for the Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic series in 1974 and 1975. History then unknown until it was acquired from Bobby Brown in November 2006 by Kent Copeland (Dallas, TX). Brown is believed to have acquired it from Frank Costey in 2004. Copeland commented that it had been owned in Colorado in 1988, and its last races were believed to have been in 1986. It was red when acquired, but restored to a blue colour. Copeland died in July 2014 and, in May 2015, Todd Upp was advertising the car on behalf of his wife Holly. Sold in August 2022 to Stephen Temple (Santa Cruz, CA).
  3. Lotus 59/69 [59-F2/XB-42] (Eligio Siconolfi): New to Jacques Couture (Laval, Montréal, Quebec) and raced in the SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B series and the Quebec Region Molson Championship during 1970. The car was entered by Jim Russell RDS (Canada) Ltd, and generally wore #86. Sold to Eligio Siconolfi (Montréal, Quebec) for 1971 and raced in the Players Canadian Formula B series and the Quebec Region Molson series. The car was acquired from Siconolfi by Mauro Lanaro (Montréal, Quebec) who took some time restoring it, and then raced it in regional events in Canada in 1973. Lanaro recalled to Joe Griffin in 2021 that "after a bad accident at Mosport, I sold what was left it to Peter Draggfy". Peter Dragffy is known to have had several Lotus 59/69s in the 1980s.
  4. March 71BM (Randy Fraser): Wilson Southam acquired two red March 71BMs for Canadian Formula B in 1971, one for Randy Fraser and one for himself. Fraser's was the first to appear, running as the #54 Tartan Fraser entry and is most likely to have been 71BM-8. In early 1972, the car was sold to Gilles Léger (Lachute, Quebec) and updated to 722 specification by Tom Greatorex, who also prepared the car for Léger. Then to Patricia Smith (Montréal, Quebec) in 1973 entered as #51 by P.S. Translations. Subsequent history unknown.
  5. Brabham BT35 [18] (Roy Folland): New to Roy Folland (Montréal, Quebec) and raced in the Canadian Formula B series in 1971, prepared by mechanic Andy Aitken. Some reports suggest Folland raced an older BT29 towards the end of that season, but an article in the Montreal Gazette in late August only mentions a BT35. An annotation to the entry list for the Canadian GP support race in September identified this car as chassis BT35/18. To Bill Eagles (Lasalle, Montréal, Quebec, Canada) for the 1972 Canadian FB series, entered by Tex-Made Racing Team. Then to Scott MacKenzie for 1973, entered and supported by Bryant Cougle of Astro Sports, but crashed heavily at Edmonton in June. The chassis was too badly damaged to be repairable, and MacKenzie suffered neck injuries that brought his season to an end. The car was then used as a source of spares for the team's replacement BT35, before being sold. It was acquired by Doug DeFresne (Portland, OR) in 1979, when it still had Astro Sports bodywork with it. It was acquired by Bob Slusher (Portland, Oregon) in September 2005.
  6. March 71BM [10?] (Wilson Southam): Wilson Southam ran a team in Canadian Formula B in 1971. He bought two March 71BMs and raced this one himself. Southam was expected to run the car again in 1972, and it was fully updated to 722 specification by Tom Greatorex, well known in Canada as Kris Harrison's Can-Am mechanic. In February 1972, he loaned the car to Gus Hutchison for the two Formula B races in Bogotá. Southam sold his operation to Ecurie Canada for 1972, and this car is believed to have gone with it. Subsequent history unknown, but believed to be the car driven by Ian Coristine for Ecurie Canada in 1972 and 1973.
  7. Brabham BT23F [1] (Al Justason): Sold to Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) and fitted with a Vegantune Ford twin cam engine for SCCA 'Pro' and NEDiv Formula B. Raced through 1968 and retained for a few races in 1969 as Gubelmann's BT29 was late arriving. Sold to Al Justason (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) who used it in both the Canadian and US Pro series in 1970 and again in the Canadian FB series in 1971. Sold to Michael Houselander who appeared at two Canadian national events in 1972, Later sold to ‘Dino Delousis’ who fitted a turbocharged 2-litre Ford Pinto engine for libre events but found the car to be undrivable and stored it from about 1974 to 2004 when sold to Dave Darrow (Mississauga, Ontario) and fully restored. Retained until 2007 when sold via race-cars.com to Murray Bryden (Melbourne, Australia). Sold to David Kloster (Kinglake, Victoria) September 2011.
  8. Chevron B17b (John Powell): Peter Broeker (Pointe-Claire, Montréal, Quebec) raced a Chevron B17b in Canadian Formula B in 1970, often descibing it as a Stebro. It replaced Broeker's earlier B14, so the two cars were often confused. The B17b was raced by Craig Fisher and John Powell (both Toronto, Ontario) in 1971, entered by Penguin Racing Enterprise. The later history of the car is not known. Although it has been suggested that this was the car Broeker raced in 1974, when he returned to Formula Atlantic, that car appears to have been his older B14 updated.
  9. March 71BM [1] (Ian Coristine): Gordie Dewar was appointed March importer into Canada for 1971 and his first purchase, chassis 71BM-1, went to Delta Racing Developments for Ian Coristine (Montréal, Quebec) to race in the Players FB series. Coristine finished the season fifth in the red #50 March but crashed in practice for the final race, at Circuit Ste-Croix in October. The car went to Reg Scullion (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Montréal, Quebec) for 1972 and it was entered for him by Kris Harrison's Ecurie Canada, and prepared by Andy Roe and Tom Greatorex. Ecurie Canada had also bought Wilson Southam's engine manufacturing business, acquiring Greatorex with it, and were preparing the engines in Scullion's car. Scullion started the season racing in Nationals in Texas before returning to Canada for the Players season. He ended the Canadian season in ninth place but then returned to the US to finish second in the SCCA Run-Offs. He retained the car for 1973 as a Scullion-Donolo Racing entry, and it was raced by partner Louis "Lou" Donolo (Montréal, Quebec) once or twice. Subsequent history unknown.
  10. Lotus 59 [59-F2/XB-41] (Max Nerrière): New to Craig Hill (Mississauga, Ontario) and run in the Canadian Road Racing Championship and the SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B, entered by Bill Brack Racing Enterprises. Hill ran in a team with Brack's Formula 5000 Lotus 70, with both cars in marching Castrol GTX livery. Unlike the two JRDS cars, which were entered as Lotus 69Bs, Hill's car first raced in Lotus 59 bodywork and was generally billed through the season as the "Castrol GTX Lotus 59". For 1971, the car was sold to Max Nerrière (Toronto, Ontario), who raced it in the Players Canadian Formula B series. Retained by Nerrière for 1972 and for 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
  11. Chevron B17b [17B.70.04?] (Bruce Jensen): Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario) raced a Chevron B17b in Canadian Formula B in 1971, entered by Jen-Mac Racing. His car was white, and was entered as #41. Jensen retained the car for 1972, again running as #41. Leighton Irwin recalls that in 1972, the car was modified with a sports car nose designed by Terry Welch and larger rear wing. This created too much downforce, and not realising that stiffer springs were needed, his team struggled with the car on faster circuits. Subsequent history unknown.
  12. Lotus 69 (David McConnell): Raced by David McConnell (Montréal, Quebec) as part of the Jim Russell Racing Team in the Players Formula B Championship and the Molson Formula Championship in Canada in 1971. McConnell won one round of the Players series and four rounds of the regional Molson Championship, which he easily won. McConnell bought a new GRD for the 1972 Tasman championship, and the subsequent history of the Lotus 69 is unknown.
  13. Lotus 59 [59-FB-23?] (Jackie Burnett): Donald G. Merriman (Willowdale, Ontario, Canada) raced a Lotus 59 (or 59C) in Formula B in 1969, appearing in both SCCA and Canadian races. He was second at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in September, and picked up several other good placings. He returned with the car in 1970, but his last known appearance was at Westwood at the end of May. Merriman told later owner Joe Griffin that he sold the car to Jack (Jackie) Burnett, so this would be the car Burnett drove at Trois-Rivières in August 1971. It was then in Brian Stewart's shop for a while, showing signs of race damage, perhaps from Trois-Rivières, and was then bought by Tommy Meecham (Oshawa, Ontario), who converted the car some time around 1973 to Formula Ford specification, and fitted Lotus 69 bodywork. He raced the car in the Bulova Formula Ford Series in Canada in 1974 and 1975. Meecham later crashed the car at Shannonville, and it was still in rough condition when bought from him by Ron Fellows in 1977. He had the car rebuilt by Wayne Pinney, of ASH Engineering, who designed his own bodywork for the car and named it ASH 001. Fellows and Pinney's customer Randy Packham raced the car from 1978 to 1980, until Packham crashed the car heavily at Shannonville, and Pinney rebuilt it again as the ASH 002. Fellows started to rebuilt it again, but this was not completed and the car hung in the rafters of Derek Harkema's workshoip in Toronto from 1981 to 1986. It is then unknown until John Lindsey acquired it in the 1990s, and he retained it until his death in 2015. Lindsey's widow sold the part-restored car to Joe Griffin in 2018.
  14. Brabham BT21C (Reg Forth): Bought from Fred Opert by Bill Bovenizer (Toronto, Ontario) and raced in Canadian Formula B events in 1970. Bill believes Horst Kwech may have raced it before he did. He sold it to Reg Forth for 1971 who continued to race it in Canadian events. Subsequent history unknown.
  15. March 71BM (Derek Johnson): George Brocklehurst (Montréal, Quebec, Canada) bought a March 71BM but preferred to race it only in minor events, leaving it to Derek Johnson (Montréal, Quebec) in the bigger events. Brocklehurst's car ran as a #93 Todco Racing Team entry. Although it was silver, it seems likely to have been the blue 71BM-5 shown in March records as having gone to a customer of Canadian March importer Gordie Dewar. The car was written off in Johnson's accident in the rain at Trois-Rivières in August when he wrapped it round a telephone pole. [CT]
  16. Chevron B9/B15b (Bill Eagles): Bill Eagles (Lasalle, Quebec) raced a Chevron "B9/B15B" in Molson events in 1970 and in the Players FB series in 1971. This may have been the ex-Wayne Kelly B9 but could also have been Peter Broeker's "B9/B14/B15" that he raced in 1969 and then retured to briefly in 1974. Nothing more known.

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.

The 1971-1973 Canadian Formula B race results have been compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Canadian Motorsport Bulletin, results sheets where available and from information drawn from Canadian newspapers.

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.