SCCA Formula Atlantic Race

Brainerd, 7 Sep 1975

All cars are 1.6-litre FB 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 [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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Chevron B29 (Tom Bagley): 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.
6. Lola T360 [HU16] (Tom Gloy): Sold via Carl Haas and Pierre Phillips to Tom Gloy (Lafayette, CA), and raced in SCCA Nationals at the start of the 1975, then in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series, sponsored by Hanna Industries. Rented by James Heath for an SCCA National at Willow Springs in October 1975. Sold to Phil Threshie (Alamo, CA), and raced in an SCCA National at Sears Point in April, then in three Californian rounds of the 1976 IMSA series. Advertised by Threshie in November 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
7. March 74B [743-1] (Tom Outcault): Built up as a 743 for Tom Outcault (Cranford, NJ) to race in NEDiv SCCA Formula B and at the Pro FB race at Road America in August. Rebuilt to 75B specification for 1975 and raced in the Pro series and in CenDiv FB (after Outcault moved to Middletown, OH). Advertised by Joe Grimaldi's The Race Shop (Adrian, MI) as a 74B in February 1976. Sold to Barry Findley (Little Rock, AR) for 1976, and run in MidWest Div FB and then in Southwest Div in 1977 after Findley moved to Texas. Possibly the only FB car to race in four different Divisions in four years. Sold in 1977 to James Allan 'Al' Michelet (New Orleans, Louisiana) and raced in SCCA in 1977 and 1978 - and, possibly, in 1979. Barry Findley's son Brian recalls that Michelet wrote off the car at Texas World Speedway. However, Michelet continued to score points in Southwest Division Formula Atlantic in 1979, 1980 and 1981 in a March, and it is unclear when the 743/74B was wrecked and when he bought his newer March 80A. Michelet died in 2011.
8. March 73B [10] (James King): New to James King (East St Louis, IL) and used in Central Division SCCA Formula B, one round of the Players Canadian series, and the Watkins Glen Pro race in October. Raced briefly in SCCA Nationals in early 1974 before his new Chevron B27 arrived from England, then leased to Ric Forest and Fred Phillips for the 1974 Players Canadian series. King took over the car again for 1975, rebuilt it on a new tub, fitted a March 742 nose and side radiators, and raced it in the Players Canadian series. It then went to Porter Brownlee (Little Rock, AR) who raced it in Midwest Division Formula B in 1976 and 1977. After blowing the engine, he sold it to Mike Winn (Little Rock, AR) who raced it for one season before selling it to Chuck Blair (North Little Rock, AR), who had previously maintained it for Brownlee. Blair ran it a couple of times before selling it, scoring two points in Midwest Division Formula Atlantic in 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Lola T360 [HU2] (Mike Hall): 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 1974. Klausler won two rounds, and the Pro races at Road America, Trois-Rivières and Waterford Hills. Sold to Mike Hall (Twin Lakes, WI) for 1975, and raced in the Players series. There is no sign of Hall racing it again after 1975, but he advertised it in the early months of 1977, after which it appears to go back to Carl Haas Racing. In January 1978, it was advertised by Dassig Engineering (Northbrook, IL) as the "ex Klausler/Hall" T360. To Guy Revesz (Des Plaines, IL) for 1978, and raced in Central Division SCCA events for the next four seasons, scoring two points in 1978, ten points in 1979, seven in 1980 and seven in 1981. He advertised the car in March 1981 as "Klausler's successful Atlantic car". According to Chris Townsend, Revesz retained the car until 1982, when it went to Patrick Garmyn in a trade for a Ralt RT4. It later moved to Mike Carder (Columbus, OH) who raced it until the end of 1983, winning the CenDiv regional championship that year.
10. Lola T360 [HU3] (Bill O'Connor): Sold via North American agent Carl Haas to Bill O'Connor (Highland Park, IL) and run for him by Traylor Engineering in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1974. O'Connor won the US GP support race in this car in October 1974. Retained for 1975, when it was used in the Canadian series and at least once in SCCA Nationals, entered by United Racing Ltd. To John Kowalski (Berea, OH), who won Central Division Formula B in 1976 in the car, qualifying for the Runoffs. Kowalski only scored nine points in a Lola in Central Division FB in 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
11. March 75B (Tim Cooper): 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.
12. 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.
13. March 75B (Vince Muzzin): Vince Muzzin (Northville, Michigan) drove a red #99 March 75B for Doug Shierson Racing in Formula Atlantic in 1975. Muzzin's main focus in 1975 was Formula Ford, but he retained the 75B for another season of Atlantic in 1976, but without any success. He advertised the car in November 1976, noting that it had a McCoy engine, and again in April 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
14. Chevron B29 (Freddy van Beuren): 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.
15. March 71BM Falconer (Thomas Sokoly): 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.
16. Lola T360 [HU22?] (Bill Scott): Bill Scott Racing (BSR) started in 1969, operating out of McLean, VA, and as well as running cars in Formula Ford and Formula Super Vee, Scott and his partner Tom Milner also ran a driving school at Summit Point Raceway. Scott and Milner acquired Summit Point in 1979. Scott was injured at the Nurburgring in 1973, and gave up racing in 1977 after a severe accident damaged his hearing. In 1975, BSR ran a pair of Lola T360s in Formula Atlantic for Howdy Holmes and Elliott Forbes-Robinson, and in early August took delivery of a third car, chassis HU22, which Scott himself drove. Scott scored eight points in CenDiv FB in 1975, which would correspond to his second place on his debut at Blackhawk Farms in August and fifth place at IRP in September. There is a strong likelihood that this is then the BSR Lola T360 raced by John Barringer (Adelphi, MD) at Road Atlanta in April 1976. The T360 driven by Milt Minter at Mosport Park in August 1976 wore #76 and BSR livery, so is almost certainly the same car. Minter drove a VW Scirocco in Trans-Am in 1976 in matching livery, sometimes co-driving with Scott. The T360 is then unknown for the rest of 1976 and through 1977. According to the car's SCCA Log Book, it was owned from 1978 onwards by Jim O'Brien (North Haledon, NJ), who was entered in the car by O'Brien Nissan in the neighbouring New Jersey township of Hawthorne. O'Brien sold the car in 1986 to Doug Phelps (Hillsborough, NJ), who raced it in New England Region Regionals until 1991. In May 2006 Dean Baker (Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada) reported in 10 Tenths that he owned this car.
17. Lola T360 [HU20] (Fred Phillips): Sold via North American agent Carl Haas to Fred Phillips (Shreveport, LA) in June 1975, and run for him by Bill Scott Racing in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975. He also raced it in Texas Region's SCCA National on 14 September, scoring four points which gained him an invitaion to the Runoffs, where he finished 12th. The T360 was rented to Harry MacDonald (Southfield, Michigan) for the IMSA race at Road Atlanta 1976. Sold to James Maetzold (Valley Centre, Kansas) and raced at Hutchinson and Lake Afton in SCCA Midwest Division in 1977. After being unused in 1978, the Lola was sold to John Whitaker (Kansas City, MO) who raced it in 1979, then on to Gene Forsthofel (Olathe, Kansas) in August 1979. Raced by Forsthofel in Midwest Div events to the end of 1981, then sold to Chad Ward (Lathrop, Missouri) who raced it from 1982 to 1984, then once more in 1988. Sold to Bill Formwalt in September 1989, then sold to Cy Moreland (Trainer, PA) in May 1991. For sale by Moreland on www.race-cars.com in 2005 with refurbished Bahner tub. Sold to James Frank in October 2005. Used by Frank in SVRA events in 2012 and in 2015.
18. March 75B (Bob Beyea): Doug Shierson Racing had a yellow #9 entry in the early part of the 1975 season for Syd Demovsky and Ian Grob, but this car was sold to Cliff Hansen, and renumbered #33. A couple of races after Hansen's purchase, DSR had another car entered as #9, firstly for Quebecois Marcel Talbot at Trois-Rivières on 31 August, and then for fellow Canadian Bob Beyea in the SCCA Formula Atlantic race at Brainerd a week later. This was not necessarily the same car of course. Given the number of 75Bs present at Trois-Rivières, there are only two real possibilities for Marcel Talbot's car: that it was the blue ex-Jon Batchelor 75B/7 which returned to DSR after Batchelor's deal with Cavanaugh Racing fell through, or that it was the yellow 75B/12, the history of which in 1975 is unknown. A colour photograph of Talbot's car at Trois-Rivières would therefore be immensely helpful. There are more options for Beyea's car, which could also have been the brown 73B/75B that Price Cobb had raced earlier in the season. A picture of Beyea's car at Brainerd would probably be enough to determine which car it was.
19. March 722/73B (Rick Shea): Vern Schuppan raced in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1975 in a March 722 prepared by Rick Shea's Shea Racing. The car was yellow-and-white, in 73B (or 74B) bodywork, and ran as #11 with support from Rapid Movements. Later in the season, the car was raced by Shea himself at Brainerd in September. At the start of the 1976 season, Shea ran the car for Dave Walker. It was now described as a March "72-75" and was black, but still entered as #11. After Walker drove it in the first four races, it was later raced by Bob Beyea, Shea himself, and by Damien Magee at Trois-Rivières in September. The car was then sold to Frank Monise (Pasadena, CA), so is presumably the blue-and-white #25 March "75B" that he raced in southern Californian SCCA Nationals in 1977 and 1978. Advertised by Monise in September 1978 as a March "72 updated to 76" with "fresh CRW BDD". It was traded by Monise to Pierre Phillips in part-exchange on one of Rahal's Ralts in 1979.
20. Chevron B29 (Herman Gugliotta): 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.
21. Chevron B27 [27-74-04] (Lloyd Callaway): Chevron build record says sold via Fred Opert to Doug Shierson Racing. According to Chevron the car used by James King at Mallory Park before being shipped to the USA. (King and Mead owned their own cars in the Shierson team.) Badly damaged by King at Mosport in July 1974 and rebuilt around a new tub. Formula Mar 75 p29 reports, 'King is trying to sell the B27 he drove in 1974 under Shierson's management'. (King still has the plate for this car.) Sold to Lloyd Callaway (Chicago, IL) and used in SCCA racing in 1975 and early 1976, and in some pro races. Callaway advises that the car was sold to Fred Opert in early 1976 in p/x for a new Chevron B34. It was bought from Opert by John Connolly (Brooklyn, NY) who raced it in local SCCA and EMRA events in 1976 and 1977. After Connolly bought a new Ralt RT1 in early 1978, he advertised the Chevron B27 in September 1978 and sold it to Bertil Roos (Blakeslee, PA), who won the Formula Atlantic race at the SCCA 'Bonus' National at Charlotte in April 1979. He then attached fenders to the car and used it in Can-Am, still with its 1600cc Cosworth BDD engine. Roos bought a different Chevron B27 for 1980, and, according to Doug Waters, his 1979 car was sold to someone in California who planned to use it as a sports car with an Alfa Romeo V8 engine. Many years later, in 1999, Sandy Dells Racing (San Diego, CA) sold two B27 tubs to Jim Sparks (San Diego, CA). Dells restored one of these to running condition for Sparks, then sold the other tub and parts on Sparks' behalf to Mike Winebrenner (Louisville, KY) in 2004. Winebrenner was able to identify his monocoque by its SCCA Chicago Region stamping as Lloyd Calloway's 1975 car, but the 74-04 chassis plate is on Sparks' car. Winebrenner's parts were sold in early 2009 to Bud Morrison (Tempe, AZ), who already owned 74-05 and 74-07. It would appear that Sparks' car is built on the original tub, and Morrison's is the replacement tub.
22. March 75B [11] (Chip Mead): 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.
23. 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.
24. Lola T360 [HU10] (Harry MacDonald): 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.

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.

1970 US FB results were compiled from Autoweek reports by Jim Thurman; 1971 results were transcribed from Autoweek by Allen Brown and 1972 results were compiled by Chris Townsend from an SCCA results publication.

The US Formula B series did not continue in 1973 but a race was organised in Caracas in March 1973 that fits here probably better than anywhere else, as do the occasional SCCA F/Atlantic and FB races in 1974 and 1975.

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.