Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Halifax, 7 Aug 1975

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Atl unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B29 [29-75-16] (Bill Brack): Sold via US agent Fred Opert to multiple Canadian champion Bill Brack (Toronto, Ontario) and raced through 1975 in STP colours. Won at Halifax in August and at Brainerd in September. Retained by Brack and run for Kevin Cogan at two races in early 1976 as his new B34 was not ready. Sold to 19-year-old Brad Abbott (Messapequa, NY) later in the season and raced twice, both times in SCCA Regional events, scoring a win and a third place according to his later advert. Abbott then bought a new March 77B for 1977 and the Chevron was sold to John Galson (Glen Mills, PA) who raced it in SCCA events in 1977 and 1978. It is believed to have been bought from Galson by Pat Phalan (Wilmington, DE), and that he kept it right up to 2003, by which time it had been restored to STP livery. Reportedly sold to an owner in Arizona who never drove, and then on to Brian Stark (Mequon WI) in 2010, who raced it in 2010 and 2011.
2. Lola T360 [HU12] (Tom Klausler): Sold via North American agent Carl Haas to Tom Klausler (Palatine, IL) and run for him by Traylor Engineering in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975, replacing the earlier T360 HU2 he drove in 1974. In August 1976, Tom Price (Mt Prospect, IL) advertised a Lola T360 which he described as being "ex Klausler". As Klausler's 1974 T360 HU2 was still with Mike Hall at this time, this must have been Klausler's 1975 HU12, as must Rick Koehler's "ex-Klausler" car in 1977. Price raced the T360 in Midwest Council events in 1976, tying for the FB title that year. Rick Koehler (Mequon, WI) raced a Lola T360 in Central Division Formula B in 1977, winning the division with 43 points, one ahead of Jerry Hansen's newer Lola. The car was described at some races as an "Excalibur EE1B", including at the Runoffs, but this is believed to be the same car. Koehler converted the car to Formula C specification for 1978, and Pat Buckley set the lap record at PBIR on its only outing of 1978. Koehler advertised the car in August 1979, saying that it was "ex-Klausler", had not raced in 1979, had only been raced once in 1978, and reiterating the lap record holder at PBIR. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Lola T360 [HU10] (Howdy Holmes): New via North American agent Carl Haas to Bill Scott Racing, and run for Howdy Holmes (Ann Arbor, MI) in the 1975 Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series. Also raced by Harry MacDonald at the SCCA Pro race at Brainerd in September 1975. Subsequent history unresolved, but the car was with Mike Brodie by 1988/89, when Doug Phelps remembers painting it for him. It was acquired from Brodie by Daniel Glanz (Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire) of Legends Automotive In 2010, and offered for sale with a history that said it had had only two owners from new, and had last been raced by Bill Brodie in 1996. Raced by Glanz in the Formula Atlantic classes of HSCC F2 and Derek Bell Trophy races from 2011 to 2015.
4. Lola T360 [HU21] (Dave Walker): New to South African Robert Joubert to join his converted Lola T350 in a two-car Formula Atlantic team in the 1975 Canadian Players series. The T360 was driven by his teammate Dave Walker, and was brand new at Edmonton. Joubert did not appear at Trois-Rivières at the end of August, and the entry numbers used suggest Walker drove Joubert's T350. The subsequent history of the T360 HU21 is unknown, but it may have been David Westgate's car at Trois-Rivières in 1975, then that of Victor Larose in 1976. In 1983, Peter Dragffy (Montréal, Quebec) raced HU21 in two WCAR races. It was later bought from the Dragffys by John Arnold in 1989, and was inherited by his son Michael Arnold in 2015.
5. Chevron B29 [29-75-14] (Bruce Jensen): New to Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario) and used in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series in 1975, sponsored by Jensen Exotic Plants. Retained by Jensen for 1976, and retained again for 1977. Leighton Irwin, who crewed for Jensen at this time, recalls that it was sold in early 1978, he thinks to Michigan. Subsequent history unknown, but believed to be the car later converted to A Sports Racing by Lou Infante Motoracing and raced by Jerry Molnar (Lathrup Village, MI) in Can-Am in 1982. To Frank Jellinek (N. Hampton, NH), and used by him at two Can-Am races in 1983. Later sold to a "Dave", and Roger Sieling reports that it was stolen from him some time in the mid-1980s near Cleveland Ohio along with his tow truck, trailer, and an Austin-Healey Sprite. The car was never recovered.
6. March 75B (Chip Mead): Tim Cooper (Kansas City, MO) raced a yellow #8 March 75B for Doug Shierson Racing in 1975 with backing from Rutledge Oil. Joe Grimaldi recalls that Cooper hired a new 75B from the team for 1975, and that the car then returned to Shierson. Chip Mead drove Cooper's car at Halifax, with Mead's bodywork transplanted onto it. Cooper moved to Wilbur Bunce Racing in California for 1976, taking the 75B with him, and the car was updated to "75B/76B" specification during the season.
7. Chevron B29 [29-75-09?] (Peter Ferguson): New to Peter Ferguson (Toronto, Ontario), to be used in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series, entered by Ferguson Canada Racing as #76 with Samsonite sponsorship. The Samsonite deal was not renewed, so Ferguson did not race the car in 1976. He returned for the opening race of the 1977 season, at Mosport Park with Gingerbread Displays livery and finished a highly impressive sixth, but did not reappear. The car was sold to Colin Hine, then to Paul Swinwood, for whom Nigel Mortimer sold it to Dr Warren Eads (Rolling Valley Hills, CA). It next passed to collector Art Valdez (Torrance, CA), and remained in Valdez' collection for many years, until sold to a UK consortium in 2017. Sold to Marcus Pye early 2018, and then on to Richard George (Marsh Green, Kent) later in 2018, who took it to Paul Fox of Foxcraft to be rebuilt.
8. Chevron B29 (Bobby Dennett): New to Fred Opert Racing for Bobby Dennett (Venuzuela) to drive in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series with backing from "Visit Venuzuela" and Valvoline. Then for Jean-Pierre Jarier at Trois-Rivières, where it was entered as #2 and had Gitanes sponsorship. Tom Bagley (Centre Hall, PA) then raced the #2 Chevron B29 at Brainerd in September. This car was advertised by Opert later as ex-Jarier/Dennett with "eight races on car" which is consistent with it also being Bagley's car. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Chevron B27 [27-74-02] (Tom Bagley): Chevron build record says sold via Fred Opert to Freeman Racing (Yellow Springs, OH). However, either never delivered or bought back by Opert in 1974 and used by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud at Trois Rivieres and Richard Melville at Watkins Glen. Advertised by Opert in April 1975 as "ex-Jaussaud", "only two races". Retained by the Opert team for 1975, and used twice by Tom Bagley at Halifax and Trois Rivieres, where his car is described as "ex Jaussaud". Believed to be Michael Landrum's B27 at Road Atlanta in April 1976 in the IMSA series and at Gimli in the Players series in June. Advertised by Pierre Phillips in July 1976 as 'ex Bagley', then to Frank Scott (Racine, WI) who raced it at Blackhawk Farms in August and Brainerd in September, and then advertised it in October 1976 as 'ex Jaussaud, 8 races from new'. He advertised the car again in March 1978. Sold to Richard Ellingson and used in Mid West SCCA until 1980. Then to an autocrosser and subsequently to Paul Berg (Chippewa Falls, WI), who won the MCSCC F/Atlantic series in 1982 with the car. Owned by Bob Dupré (Glenview, IL) 1985 and heavily damaged at Road America that year. Around 2020, Art Hebert contacted Dupré, and Dupré informed him that he had sold the damaged car to J. David Kopf (Tujungam, CA). It was bought from Kopf by Johnnie Crean (Kamuela, Hawaii) in 1998. According to a later advert, Kopf had owned it for over ten years, but had not raced it. Kopf died in 2004. The Chevron was rebuilt for Crean by Graham Collins using a new monocoque fabricated by Marc Bahner. This car sold to Philippe Reyns (Chandler, AZ) in October 2008, and raced in historic events up to 2016. It was sold to Todd Willing (Melbourne, Australia) in December 2019 to race in US historic events, and then bought from WIlling as "27-74-15 ex Jean Pierre Jaussaud" by Alex Dodd (San Francisco, CA) in 2022. It was sold again in early 2023 to Tony Smith in Wisconsin.
10. Chevron B29 (Seb Barone): New to Isola Racing and entered for Seb Barone (Portland, CT) to race in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975. Taken over by teammate Herman Gugliotta (Dilliner, PA) for races at Lime Rock and Brainerd in September. At this latter race, Gugliotta had a massive accident just after Turn 8, went over the inside bank and ended up backwards in the spectator fence. Subsequent history unknown.
11. March 75B [10] (Craig Hill): A white March 75B invoiced by March to Ecurie Canada. Based on the colour, the white #4 car of Craig Hill in the Player Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975, sponsored by Gabriel Special. The two Ecurie Canada March 75Bs are presumably the 75Bs advertised by PDW Racing (St Lambert, Quebec) in mid-1976. PDW ran Formula Fords in the Canadian championship. Then Jacques Desjardins advertised two 75Bs together with two older Lola T360s in December 1976 and April 1977. Desjardins raced in Formula Ford in 1975 and then moved into Formula Atlantic in 1976, but used one of the Lola T360s. He raced again in Formula Ford in 1977 and 1978. The subsequent history of the 75B is unknown, but a "March 752" appeared in historic racing in the 2010s that has an SCCA stamping from Northeast Oklahoma Region and a '75B/10' chassis plate. The history of this car has not yet been ascertained.
12. March 75B [11?] (Guy Tunmer): A black March 75B sold to Doug Shierson Racing for Jon Woodner to race in the 1975 Canadian Formula Atlantic series. The car was sponsored by Interscope Racing, a new team formed by Ted Field, the 23-year-old heir to a Chicago department store fortune. Interscope's main focus for Woodner was F5000, so the March was driven by Marty Loft at Westwood when Woodner was at the Pocono F5000 race, and by Richard Melville at Mosport in July. Photographic evidence suggests it was the car raced by South African guest driver Guy Tunmer at Halifax in early August. It was then used by Vittorio Brambilla to win the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières at the end of August and was loaned to Bobby Rahal for the SCCA Runoffs at Road Atlanta in early November, which Rahal also won. Subsequent history unknown, but probably the Dan Carmichael car in 1976, and reported to be the car owned by Steve Bonney (Pueblo, CO) in 1978 and 1979. The later movements of this car are still unclear, but one rumour was that it was in France for a time. It moved to England, and for around 15 years, it was in storage in Birmingham. A number of restorations were started and abandoned, the last being to finish it with a Ford Pinto engine and Hewland Mk 9 gearbox. By 2011 it was with Stuart Black (Poole, Dorset) and was nearing completion.
13. March 75B (Gilles Villeneuve): Gilles Villeneuve (Lasalle, Montréal, Quebec) ran a March 75B in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975, with some support from Ecurie Canada. He was sponsored by Skiroule Snowmobiles, the Quebec company founded by Rejean Houle and sold to the Coleman Company of Wichita, Kansas in 1972. Skiroule used a signature shade of green, and Villeneuve's 75B was repainted in this colour, but a picture of the car taken early in the season shows the car was yellow where the green paint had been chipped away. Villeneuve won the Gimli race in this car. His 75B was advertised by Joe Grimaldi's The Race Shop (Adrian, MI) with two Swindon engines in January 1976, and in March 1976 by Doug Shierson, who had acquired Grimaldi's operation. The car was presumably taken it in part exchange on Villeneuve's new 76B. Subsequent history unknown.
14. Chevron B29 (Juan Cochésa): New to Fred Opert Racing for Juan Cochésa (Venuzuela) to drive in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series with backing from "Visit Venuzuela" and Valvoline. It would then have been either the car raced by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud or that of José Dolhem at Trois-Rivières, where three Opert cars ran with Gitanes sponsorship. It is most likely to have been the #3 Jaussaud which was then raced by Steve Durst at Brainerd a week later. Subsequent history unknown.
15. Chevron B29 [29-75-28] (Hugh Cree): New to Hugh Cree (Georgetown, Ontario) and used in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series in 1975. Retained for 1976 and 1977, but seen only rarely. Then unknown until bought from Peter Gates by Robert Clarke in April 1991, at which time the car had been sitting unused for some time. Clarke restored the car and used it in historic events in 1992 and 1993, mostly at VARA events including Firebird, Phoenix, Willow Springs, Las Vegas and Sears Point, then less regularly from 1994 to 1998, after which it sat unused until it was advertised by him in 2011. The car was later driven by John Hill (Seattle, WA) at the 2014 Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
16. Chevron B29 (Héctor Rebaque): As well as running a Formula 2 Chevron B29 for Héctor Rebaque in Europe, Fred Opert Racing also ran a Formula Atlantic Chevron B29 for the Mexican in North America, sponsored by Cafe Mexicana. As the F2 season started earlier, Rebaque was able to compete in the first five F2 races before moving to North America for the Players Formula Atlantic series and the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. He returned to Europe for the last two races, so the Formula Atlantic car was raced for Opert by Freddy van Beuren at Brainerd in September. Subsequent history unknown.
17. March 73B [12] (Frank Del Vecchio): New to Frank DelVecchio (Trumbull, CT) and raced in SCCA Formula B and in rounds of the Players (Canadian) Formula B series in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. When Formula B changed in 1975 to accept the BDA engine, Frank continued with a fuel-injected Ford twin cam engine. He recalls that he sold the car to Peter Neumahr, who had raced a 71BM/733 in 1976 and would progress to a new 77B in 1977, but is thought to have raced this 73B briefly in late 1976 and early 1977. Neumahr sold the car to Jack Deaso (New York, NY), who DelVecchio recalls crashing it at Lime Rock first time out. Subsequent history unknown.
18. Chevron B29 [29-75-23] (Syd Demovsky): New to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) and run by his B&B Racing for customer Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) in the CASC Players Formula Atlantic series in 1975. Retained by B&B Racing and Demovsky for 1976. Sold to Bob Williams, and raced in SCCA Central Division Nationals and Regionals in 1977. Retained by Williams for 1978. To Richard Shephard by 1980 and run by him in Formula Atlantic in Colorado until 1985. Then unknown until owned by Peter Gates in 1990. Sold by Gates to Robert Clarke in 1992, and still with him as a bare tub in 2006.
19. Lola T360 [HU9] (Bobby Rahal): New via North American agent Carl Haas to Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL) January 1975, and raced in SCCA Nationals in the early months of 1975, winning at PBIR and Stuttgart, then in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series. To George Herscher (Charleston, WV) January 1976, replacing a Lola T240, and raced in SCCA Northeast Division and Southeast Division FB. Returned to Carl Haas in May 1977 and sold on to Paul Kelleher (Little Lake, Michigan) in October 1977. To Art Filip (Chicago, IL) in March 1979 and raced in SCCA Central Division, then to Dennis Tobin May 1989, Carl Haas again February 1990, almost immediately to Carl Thompson, and retained until sold to Bobby Rahal February 2000. Retained by Rahal until sold late 2012 via Grand Prix Classics (La Jolla, CA) to Steve Miller (Cape Town, South Africa). It was then sold to Brad Oldenbrook around 2015, and from him to Andrew Wait (Greenbrae, CA) in May 2019.
20. Lola T360 [HU11] (Elliot Forbes-Robinson): New via North American agent Carl Haas to Bill Scott Racing, and run for Elliot Forbes-Robinson (La Crescenta, CA) in the 1975 Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series with Penthouse sponsorship. Forbes-Robinson won two rounds of the Canadian series in this car. Sold to John Weakley (Nashville, IN) for 1976, who ran as part of the Bill Scott Racing team, but he ran out of finance and the car was sold to Ivan Roland (Asheville, NC) in 1979. Roland's son Russ Roland (Arden, NC) raced the car in SCCA Formula Atlantic, scoring three points in 1980 and 14 in 1981. He also ran it at the Chimney Rock Hillclimb in 1981 and 1982. It was advertised in 1982. It was later sold to someone in update New York, so may be the Walter Nelson car.
21. March 75B [5] (Bertil Roos): A yellow March 75B invoiced by March to Ecurie Canada. Based on the colour, this would be the yellow #22 car raced by Bertil Roos in the opening round of the British Formula Atlantic in mid-April, and then the #40 car raced by him in the Player Canadian Formula Atlantic series from late-May onwards, sponsored by Schweppes and Castrol. The two Ecurie Canada March 75Bs are presumably the 75Bs advertised by PDW Racing (St Lambert, Quebec) in mid-1976. PDW ran Formula Fords in the Canadian championship. Then Jacques Desjardins advertised two 75Bs in December 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
22. Motul M1 (Bob Beyea): Al Justason (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) raced a Rondel M1 in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1974. According to Chris Townsend, when this car arrived, it was still in the Rondel colour scheme with Pescarolo's name on it, implying it was chassis 206, although Justason had no record of the chassis number himself. When Justason "retired" at the end of the 1974 season, he rented the car to Bob Beyea for a couple of Canadian Formula Atlantic races in 1975. He recalls that he later sold the car to Bill Bovenizer in Toronto, and Bill's recollection is that he sold it about 1982 to Jeremy Hill who wanted the engine for his Formula Atlantic March. Subsequent history unknown. Subsequent history unknown.
23. March 74B (Peter W. Broeker): Peter Broeker (Pointe-Claire, Montréal, Quebec, Canada) raced a black-and-white #21 March 74B at several rounds of the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975. Photographs show that the car had a 742 nose, so side radiators. He also made a couple of entries in 1976 in a car described only as a Stebro, which could well have been the same March. Subsequent history unknown.
24. March 75B [8] (Cliff Hansen): A yellow March 75B invoiced by March to Shierson and shipped 17 April 1975. It was intended for a French-Canadian woman driver, but when her deal fell through it was raced by Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) in a Doug Shierson Racing hire deal for the first two races of 1975. This was the #9 car hired by DSR to Ian Grob for Mont-Tremblant 6 Jul 1975 but when that deal also fell through,the car was sold to Cliff Hansen (Laguna Beach, Orange County, CA) who drove it at that race instead of his usual GRD, and for the rest of the 1975 season. Hansen bought a new March 76B for 1976 but also retained the 75B, racing it at Sears Point in April and later using it as a show car, before advertising in September 1976. Sold to Mike Downs (El Segundo, Los Angeles County, CA) early October 1976 when the invoice identified it as chassis number 75B-8. It is unclear when Downs raced it, as when he advertised it in September 1978, he said it was unraced since 1976. To R. J. (Joe) Ordoqui (Boeing, CA) for SCCA racing, starting with an SCCA Regional in November 1978. He rebuilt it to 77B specification over the winter, and raced it in 1979. Sold by Ordoqui to Dante Heredia (Downey, CA) in 1980, then sold to Mark Biro (Temple City, CA) some time around 1983. Subsequent history unknown, but at some point this car was used in the C Sports Racing class by Stan Goldstein (Watsonville, CA). In 1998, it was bought from Goldstein by Emil Leung (South Pasadena, CA), and in 2020 it was completely restored by Howard Monise.

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.

North American Formula Atlantic race results have been compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Formula and On Track, information drawn from Canadian newspapers and results sheets where available.

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.