IMSA Formula Atlantic Championship Race

Road Atlanta, 11 Apr 1976

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 76B [10 or 15?] (Gilles Villeneuve): Ecurie Canada ran a pair of green #69 March 76Bs in 1976 for Gilles Villeneuve (Lasalle, Quebec) with support from Skiroulle. Skiroule's signature green colour suggests they were the two cars listed in March records as being "leaf green", 76B-10 and 76B-15. Villeneuve had several crashes during 1976 and probably raced both cars, but exactly how they were used is not known. Two 76Bs were sold to Jim Morgan who raced them in early 1977 SCCA races alongside Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL) and then entered them for Rahal in the 1977 Pro series with sponsorship from Red Roof Inns. Rahal also had a 77B but this was crashed at the opening race. One 76B then went to Ron Levanduski (Elmira, NY) and the other to Bob Earl.
2. March 76B [3?] (Tom Pumpelly): Tom Pumpelly (McLean, VA) raced a yellow #34 March 76B, entered by National Tire Wholesale. The only yellow 76B shown in March records was chassis 76B-3. Pumpelly raced the car until it was damaged in a collision with Bancroft at Mosport Park in August, after which it was acquired by Ecurie Canada whose regular driver Gilles Villeneuve had damaged both his cars. It is therefore believed to be the car driven by Villeneuve to win at Trois-Rivières and Road Atlanta in September but this is by no means certain. Then bought by John Lane who rented it back to Pumpelly for the SCCA Run-Offs at Road Atlanta, where Pumpelly crashed it again. Sold to John Norman (Oakland, CA) who raced it as part of a two-car team with Dan Marvin in 1977 and 1978. Norman then sold the car but later bought it back and restored it to Villeneuve's livery.
3. Chevron B34 [34-76-07] (Bobby Brown): New to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) and used in the Players Canadian championship and in SCCA Nationals, entered by Bob Brown Racing with crew chief Carroll Smith, and sponsored by Audiovox. In June, Brown bought a March 76B instead, and the Chevron passed to Diana Black (Kew Gardens, NY/Briarwood, NY) who raced it for the rest of the season. Retained by Black for 1977 and 1978. Advertised by Black as "ex-Bobby Brown" in September 1978. This car is reported to have been used by Harry Crispen in EMRA racing for some years, and is believed to be the car driven by Bernard Juchli, General Manager of Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage, between 2006 and 2014.
4. Chevron B34 [34-76-19] (Tom Bagley): Tom Bagley (Centre Hall, PA) raced a yellow-and-blue Chevron B34 run by Fred Opert Racing in three IMSA Formula Atlantic races in early 1976, with Kent Oil sponsorship. This car was then raced by Juan Cochésa (Venezuela) in the Players Formula Atlantic series, starting at Edmonton on 16 May. Chris Waddell's report from Edmonton for Autosport described Cochésa's car as "an Opert B34 driven earlier in the year by Tom Bagley". Cochésa then moved to a new car, and the ex-Bagley car was sold to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY), who first raced it in an SCCA National at Summit Point in late June. He then raced it in Pro and SCCA races for the rest of 1976. Nelkin recalls that the car was then returned to Opert to be used as a spare car for Keke Rosberg and Mikko Kozarowitzky to use in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977. After the 1977 New Zealand series, the car was sold to Norman Lankshear (Feilding, New Zealand) and raced in the Gold Star series in 1977/78 and 1978/79, and the International series in early 1978 and early 1979. It was then sold to Bryan Hartley (Palmerston) and raced by him in the 1981/82 season. The car was then sold to John Wigston (Auckland), fitted with a Ford crossflow engine and used in hillclimbs in New Zealand in the late 1980s. Wigston was reported to still have the car in October 2016.
5. March 76B [9] (Don Breidenbach): New to Don Breidenbach (Oakland, CA) and raced in SCCA Nationals, IMSA Formula Atlantic and the Players series in 1976 with support from Roots Footwear. The history of this car is then unknown until it was sold by Chuck Billington (Modesto, CA) as a CSR sports car to Chuck McCain (Tuscon, AZ). Retained by the McCain family after his death in 2010. Sold in August 2013 to Ian Ashdown (San Clemente, CA).
6. March 76B [2] (Cliff Hansen): Cliff Hansen (Laguna Beach, CA) campaigned a blue/red #6 March 76B in 1976 as part of the Doug Shierson Racing operation. Hansen retained the car for the start of the 1977 season, until his new 77B arrived, and then kept the 76B as a spare, needing it at St-Félicien and at Trois-Rivières after crashing the 77B. Its history in 1978 is unknown, but it is believed to be the car raced by Tom Contino (Ontario, CA) between 1979 and 1981, then sold by him in October 1981 to Damon Meek (Los Gatos, CA), who raced the car in SCCA Nationals in 1982 and has identified it as "76B-02" and ex-Cliff Hansen. Meek sold it to Lee Follansbee (San Jose, CA) and it would be the 76B raced by him in the Sears Point Pro race in 1984. Sold by Follansbee to Michael Olsen (Santa Clara, CA) who raced it at Sears Point in October 1988. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Lola T460 [HU6] (Tom Klausler): New to Tom Klausler (Palatine, IL) and raced in IMSA and Canadian Formula Atlantic in 1976, entered by Traylor Engineering. Then to Jerry Hansen (Long Lake, MN) in 1977, who borrowed it when his new Lola T560 was later being delivered. Chris Townsend's research shows that this car was briefly owned by Ed Midgley (Geneva, IL) in 1978, then sold to Niki Karabetsos (Chicago, IL) for 1979, and then to Sebastian Puleo (Chicago, IL) for SCCA drivers school and Regionals from 1982 to 1984. In 2005, it was acquired in Detroit by Derek Harling (Windsor Ontario), and retained by him as a source of spares for his T460 HU11. Harling sold both his T460s around 2017 to Joe Bunton (Fort Collins, CO).
8. Chevron B34 [34-76-16] (Hugh "Wink" Bancroft): New to Hugh "Wink" Bancroft (Newport Beach, CA/Costa Mesa, CA) and run for him by Fred Opert Racing in North American Formula Atlantic in 1976. His car was entered by Performance Marketing, the tyres, parts and repair services company Bancroft had founded five years earlier. It appears that he moved from Opert to Shierson Racing in time for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in early September. Bancroft crashed the B34 in practice at Trois-Rivières, and it was reported to have been written off. The Chevron was replaced with a March 76B, but it is quite possible that the car returned to Opert and was repaired.
9. 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.
10. March 76B [13] (Price Cobb): Doug Shierson Racing ran an maroon/red #8 March 76B in 1976 for Price Cobb. In early 1977, it was entered by Doug Shierson Racing in SCCA Nationals for Steve "Gas" Saleen (Whitter, CA), but when the Pro series started in May, his entrant was Clayton Racing Team. The car's log book states that it was chassis 76B-13. Run by Clayton Racing for Frank Beetson (San Diego, CA) in 1978, when it was entered as a 77B. Also seen once in mid-1979 with Beetson, and later adbertised by him in February 1980. Its history is then unknown until 1983, when it reappeared in the hands of John Herne (Santa Ana, CA). He retained it for WCAR in 1984, then sold it in early 1985 to John Blizzard (Prescott, AZ), who raced it in WCAR that season. Blizzard remembers selling it to someone in Phoenix, AZ. Subsequent history unknown.
11. March 76B [6?] (Tom Outcault): Tom Outcault (Middletown, OH or Cranford, NJ) raced a blue #31 March 76B in 1976, entered by Tom Outcault Racing. The colour suggest that this was 76B-6, the only blue car in March records for which an owner is not known. Outcault appears to have retained the car for SCCA racing in 1977, but is thought to have acquired a 77B later that season. Outcault was still racing a 76B or 77B as late as 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
12. Chevron B29 (Marcel Talbot): Marcel Talbot (Granby, Quebec), raced a second-hand Chevron B29 in the 1976 CASC and IMSA Formula Atlantic championships. The car was black and raced as #10, with Tamaco Industries sponsorship. After Mont-Tremblant in July, he upgraded to a new Chevron B34. Nothing more known.
13. Chevron B27 [27-74-02] (Michael Landrum): 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.
14. Chevron B29 [29-75-16] (Kevin Cogan): 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.
15. March 76B (Seb Barone): Seb Barone (Portland, CT or Dilliner, PA) drove a white #28 March 76B in 1976, entered by Isola Racing but run by Doug Shierson Racing. This car would probably have been either 76B-11 or 76B-12. Barone crashed the car at Trois-Rivières in September and it was not seen again.
16. Lola T360 [HU22?] (John Barringer): 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 (Joe Colantonio): Joe Colantonio (Glenolden, PA) raced a Lola T360 in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series and the IMSA Formula Atlantic Championship in 1976. His car was white with a black stripe, and carried support Dynacord and Barcus Berry. In May 1977, he advertised the car, noting that it had a new monocoque in April 1977 and had been "completely gone over". Subsequent history unknown.
18. March 76B (James King): James King (East St Louis, IL) had a #47 March 76B in 1976, entered by his own Raggedy Ann Motorsport but run by Doug Shierson Racing. King crashed the car at Trois-Rivières in September while trying to pass Tambay and it was not seen again. King went to England for 1977, to race a works March in Formula 3. The wrecked 76B is likely to have ended up with Shierson, so is likely to have been repaired and sold. Subsequent history unknown.
19. 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.
20. Chevron B29 (William Kneeland): Bill Kneeland (Franklin, NH) bought a pale blue Chevron B29 from Fred Opert for the 1976 season. He raced it in several Pro races as well as a program of SCCA racing in 1976 with support from Real Estatement Marketing. Photographs show that Kneeland's B29 was driven by Max Sebba (Sandy Springs, GA) at the SCCA Runoffs, instead of the much older March 722 he had used in SCCA Nationals. Kneeland did race at the Runoffs, so it seems likely he had hired a new car, so a B34, from Opert. Kneeland acquired the first of the Chevron B39s for 1977, but the Runoffs at the end of October 1976 is too early for it to have been that car. The B29 went back to Fred Opert as a trade on the new car. Subsequent history unknown.
21. March 76B [4?] (Bobby Rahal): Doug Shierson Racing ran an orange #9 March 76B in 1976 for Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL). There were four orange March 76Bs according to March records but only one was built as part of the first batch of cars, 76B-4, strongly suggesting this was Rahal's car. The subsequent history of this car is not known until it was advertised in 1985 as "ex-Villeneuve".
22. Lola T360 [HU20] (Harry MacDonald): 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.
23. 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.
24. March 76B (Herman Gugliotta): Herman Gugliotta (Dilliner, PA) drove a #33 March 76B in 1976, entered by Isola Racing but run by Doug Shierson Racing. This car would probably have been either 76B-11 or 76B-12. Unknown in 1977 and for most of 1978, but Gugliotta returned in late 1978, in a Formula Atlantic March that was later identified as an updated 76B, presumably the car he had owned from new. Gugliotta won the 1979 NE Div title in this car, and scored points again in NEDiv in 1980. The car passed to Lyle Heck (Reading, PA) who scored points in it in NEDiv in 1981, and still owned it in 1982. Advertised by Heck in June and July 1982. Subsequent history unknown.
25. Brabham BT40 (Howard Kelly): Craig Hill (Missassagua, Ontario, Canada) raced a white #2 Brabham BT40 in the Players Canadian Formula B series in 1973, entered by Fother Hill Ltd with sponsorship from Castrol GTX. Retained by Hill for 1974 and fitted with a Cosworth BDA engine for the new Formula Atlantic series, when it ran as #4. Unknown in 1975. It was bought from Opert Racing's Brian Robertson by Howard Kelly (Kingston, Ontario), and raced at the IMSA Formula Atlantic race at Road Atlanta in April 1976, then at a couple of later Players rounds in Canada. Kelly traded it to Jerry Jolly (Denver, CO) for a Lola T322/4 Formula Super Vee. Owners after Jolly are believed to have been George Gettel (Denver, CO) - so it would be the Brabham he raced in 1979 - then Sherry M Fagans in 1981, then Jim Christiansen and then Ron Doyle, who had been Fagans' mechanic at one stage. It was then owned by a man named Forrest Grove (Denver, CO) in 1984, and raced by him with a Mazda engine in ASR in 1985 and 1986. Grove won the MiDiv Regional title in ASR in this car in 1986. After Grove's death, it was acquired from his son by John Streeter (Ford Collins, CO) in 2009.
26. Chevron B34 [34-76-09] (Howdy Holmes): New to Bill Scott Racing, intended to be raced by Howdy Holmes in the IMSA and Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic series in 1976. Holmes raced the car at Road Atlanta in April but it was "burnt to the ground while testing" before the second race at Laguna Seca. A new car, chassis 76-26, was built for Holmes to drive for the rest of the season, but 76-09 was evidently rebuilt at some point and was sold to Patrick Garmyn (Archbold, OH) for Formula B in 1977. Garmyn retained the car for 1978 but only raced it three times in 1978 as he "lost the engine and did not have the funds to replace it". He sold it to Kit Henry, younger brother of Paul Henry, who converted it to Formula C specification and raced it in SCCA Formula Continental in 1979. The Henrys retained the car until 2006, when they advertised their three Chevrons, with this FC car advertised as "Chassis #9". All three cars were acquired by David Gathercole in 2008 and returned to England. The ex-Garmyn car was restored in bright orange bodywork and raced by Clive Wood and Andy Huxtable in 2008, then driven by Paul Allen at Monza in 2009. It was then sold to Phil Gladman who raced it as a B34 in HSCC events in 2011, and then as a "B34D" in 2012 and 2013 when it was fitted with a Gathercole BDG engine. It was bought from Gathercole by Andrew Storer in 2018, and raced by him for the first time in HSCC Aurora Trophy races in 2021, now as a B34 but still in the Formula 2 class.
27. Chevron B34 [34-76-14] (Bill Brack): New to Bill Brack (Clarkson/Toronto, Ontario) and used in North American Formula Atlantic, entered by Bill Brack Racing and sponsored by STP. Brack crashed heavily in the second practice session at Laguna Seca and "wrote off" the car, but was back up and running at Ontario Motor Speedway just a week later. He drove the B34 for the rest of the 1976 season. Brack moved to Doug Shierson Racing for 1977 to drive a March 77B, and the subsequent history of the Chevron B34 is unknown.
28. Chevron B29 (Robert J. Nelkin): James Crawley (Phoenix, AZ/Frenchtown, NJ) raced a Chevron B29 in the British Formula Atlantic series, starting at Mallory Park in June, where he crashed during practice and did not start. At the British GP meeting, his car was described by Autosport as "built on one of the original prototype tubs, suggesting its monocoque was B29-75-01 or B29-75-02, quite possibly whichever of those had been used in Jim Crawford's early-season car. Crawley then took the B29 back to the US, where he had been driving a B27 in SCCA Regionals or Nationals earlier in the season. He crashed the B29 in practice at Bridgehampton in September, the last SCCA National of the season, so raced the B27. His win gave him nine points which pushed him into second place in the poorly-supported Southeast Division, so he qualified for the SCCA Runoffs. He was very impressive at Road Atlanta, taking pole and finishing second. The car was advertised by Crawley and sponsor George Walsh in January 1976 and sold to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY) who used it in Northeast Division SCCA Nationals in early 1976. In June, Nelkin upgraded to a brand new B34, and the B29 was sold to Rick Wellner (New York, NY), who ran it in SCCA Nationals at Summit Point in late June, where he failed to start, and Lime Rock in early July, where he failed to finish. Nelkin's recollection is that Wellner crashed the car heavily at Lime Rock. Subsequent history unknown.
29. 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.
30. Chevron B34 [34-76-21] (James Crawley): New to Fred Opert Racing for Jim Crawley in the IMSA Formula Atlantic series, appearing at Road Atlanta in April and Laguna Seca in May. He then missed the Ontario Motor Speedway as the car was reported to have been "destroyed" in a testing crash at Willow Springs. It was evidently rebuilt in time to be rented by Ric Forest at Edmonton in May. Crawley raced it again at Westwood, when it was pale blue and entered by Opert as #52. This is presumably the car then entered for Lloyd Callaway (Chicago, IL) to drive at Mont-Tremblant, Halifax and Mosport Park in July and August 1976, as his car was also pale blue and entered by Opert as #52. Like RJ Nelkin's similarly semi-private car, it evidently returned to Fred Opert Racing after these three races. It may then have been one of the cars hired from Opert for the SCCA Runoffs by Bill Anspach and Bill Kneeland. It is then thought to be the car used by Eddie Marcello at the Philippines GP in December. In January 1977, Opert took a team out to the New Zealand Formula Pacific series, and chassis 76-21 was identified as the car raced there by Keke Rosberg, winning three of the five races and taking four pole positions. It was then sold to Pocolo Ramirez (Philippines) and raced by him in southeast Asian races from 1977 to 1982. It is believed to have been imported into New Zealand from Asia by Graham Simms. It was then sold to Ken Smith and then Andy Higgins in New Zealand, then acquired by David Gathercole in 2009. He fully rebuilt it to Formula Atlantic specification by June 2011 for Rod Stead, who raced it at HSCC Donington Park in May 2012. Bought from Stead in November 2012 by Andy Huxtable. Raced by Huxtable in HSCC Derek Bell Trophy races in 2013.
31. Lola T360 (Jacques Desjardins): Jacques Desjardins (Ste-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada) raced a Lola T360 at Trois-Rivières in August 1975, and at Road Atlanta in April 1976. In December 1976, Desjardins advertised two March 75Bs and two Lola T360s. He advertised all four cars again in April 1977. Nothing more known.
32. Lola T360 (James Cushing): James Cushing raced a Lola T360 at the Road Atlanta IMSA race in April 1976 and at an SCCA National at Road America in June 1967. At Road America, he was entered as #67, so it is likely that he was driving the T360 HU10 that Tom Price raced in Midwest Council events that season.
33. Lola T460 [HU7] (Richard Melville): New to Wilbur Bunce Racing, and raced by Richard Melville and Dennis Firestone in IMSA and Canadian Formula Atlantic in the first half of 1976. Reappeared in early 1977 for Dennis Firestone in an SCCA National, then to Sam Nicolosi (San Diego) for the rest of the year. Retained by Nicolosi for 1978 for SCCA Nationals and Regionals. Advertised by Nicolosi in September 1978. Subsequent history unknown, but Nicolosi recalls that he sold it to "a racer in SCCA North Western region".
34. Ralt RT1/75 [6] (Pat Walter): New to Pat Walter (San Rafael, CA/Novato, CA) and raced in Formula Atlantic in North American in 1975 and 1976, entered by Ameropean Racing. The car was then unraced for several seasons until bought from Ameropean Racing by Ted Titmus and entered by him for Ben Schillachi in SCCA events in 1979. This would be the car raced by Juan Carlos Bolaños at Mexico City in April 1981. CT
35. March 73B [17] (Joe Ostrowski): New to Bruce MacInnes (Sharon, CT) and raced as part of a two-car team with Ron Cohn. Raced in the Players Canadian FB series and in the SCCA Pro FB races at Road America and Watkins Glen. Retained for 1974, and raced in the Players Canadian series again, and in the US GP support race at Watkins Glen in October. Sold to Joe Ostrowski (Trenton, NJ), and raced in NEDiv SCCA Nationals in 1975 and 1976. Presumably the March he raced in NEDiv in 1977 and 1978. Retained by Ostrowski until early 1982 when it was bought by Seann Burgess (Caledon, Ontario). Burgess won the CASC Ontario Formula Atlantic championship and the BARC Drivers Championship in 1982 as well as appearing in 'pro' events. After two more seasons of Atlantic, he converted the car to Can-Am specification at the end of 1985 and then fitted a McLaren M1B body and a Mazda 13B rotary engine for 1986. This "March RX10-B" was raced through the 1986 season. Burgess kept the Can-Am body after the car was retired from racing and sold the March to Richard Smith (Barrie, Ontario) who raced it in 1989 and 1990, still with the Mazda engine, and fitting 1975 bodywork for 1990. He sold it to Chuck Sieber (McLean, VA) who imported it back to the US in January 1991. He raced it in Solo events in 1991, and maybe in one or two more seasons until selling it back to Seann Burgess. Burgess initially restored it to MacInnes' 1973 livery, but at the request of the Villeneuve Museum traded his 73B bodywork to Marchives for a set of 1975 bodywork, and rebuilt the car to resemble Gilles Villeneuve's Skiroule March 75B. By May 2010, it was on display in the Musée Gilles Villeneuve (Berthierville, Quebec).
36. 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.
37. Chevron B34 [34-76-10] (Johnny Gerber): New to Bill Scott Racing and raced by Johnny Gerber in the IMSA and Players (Canadian) Formula Atlantic series. Gerber's car was white with red/green trim, representing Mexico, and was sponsored by Batab. After six races, he crashed his car at Gimli in June and was then said to be out of budget. Bill Scott himself drove it at Mont-Tremblant in July, and it was raced by John Barringer and Elliot Forbes-Robinson later in the season. Subsequent history unknown.
38. March 75B (Thomas Sokoly): For 1976, Thomas and Theodore Sokoly acquired a March 75B from Doug Shierson Racing. The car was blue when they first acquired it, and they were told that it had been raced by a Canadian hire driver at Trois-Rivières, who had damaged the engine during practice. This would seem to be a reference to Marcel Talbot, as he was the only Canadian to drive for DSR at that race, and he failed to start the race. With Tom Sokoly (Mayville, WI) driving, and brother Ted as chief mechanic, they raced the March 75B in Formula Atlantic in 1976, including one IMSA round, two Players rounds, plus SCCA Nationals. Tom did not score any points in Central Division in 1976, but scored three points in 1977. For 1978, the car was sold to Frank Scott (Racine, WI), a local Assistant District Attorney. He scored only three points in CenDiv FB in 1978, and took part in the Labatts Championship Series race at Road America in July 1978. Advertised by Scott in March 1979 as a 75B/77B with a choice of BDD and BDN engines. Subsequent history unknown.

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.