CASC North American Formula Atlantic Series Race

Westwood, 23 Aug 1981

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT1/78 [129] (Riley Hopkins): A blue and white Ralt RT1/78 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson for Pierre Phillips' Pierre's Motor Racing in mid-May 1978. It is believed to have been used as a spare car for Phillips' drivers Bobby Rahal and Chip Mead, but exactly how it was used in 1978 remains uncertain. At some point during 1979 it was sold to BTG Racing, but BTG had three cars (one being the very similar RT1/78-111 and the third being an older bolted-hoop car), and exactly how they were used in late 1979 and in 1980 remains uncertain. Chassis 129 is believed to have been the car raced by Robert Silvestro once in late-1979 and twice in early 1980. All three of BTG's car went to Tim Fortner during 1980, but chassis 111 quickly moved on, leaving Fortner Lucini Motorsports with 129 and the older bolted-hoop car in 1981. Chassis 129 is believed to have been raced by Bob Earl at Long Beach and by Riley Hopkins later in the season. CT
2. Ralt RT1/78 [146] (Andy Mahood): A white Ralt RT1/78 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson in early December 1978. To Bob Earl (Novato, CA) ad raced at a SCCA National at Riverside in February 1979, where it was described as new. However, when Earl raced it at Long Beach in April, it was called "ex-Cogan". Raced by Earl in the 1979 North American series, sponsored by National Treaty Services and entered by NTS Racing. Raced by Earl at Macau in November 1979. Retained for the 1980 North American series, when it was entered by Earl Motor Racing, and again raced at Macau as part of the Flying Tigers Racing Team. Towards the end of 1980, it was again described as a ex-Cogan. Sold to Andy Mahood (Vancouver, BC) and raced in ICSCC and SCCA events in 1981 and 1982. Sold to Martin Pang (Seattle, WA) and raced in WCAR events in 1984, 1985 and 1986. CT
3. March 76B/77B (Gary Fernandez): Rick Shea Racing Team ran a #11 March 76B in 1977 for Tom Gloy (Lafayette, CA) but the origins of the car are unclear. The current owner of the ex-Gloy car has history indicating it is the ex-Gloy car but Shea's recollection is that this car was Mortensen's which can be identified with confidence as 76B-7. Shea and Gloy retained the car for 1978, when it was run as #38 and had a front-mounted radiator. Gloy last raced it at Hamilton in August, after which it was advertised by Bud Rude in September, noting that it had a new monocoque. It was then sold, still yellow and with its front radiator, to Gary Fernandez for 1979, who painted it red. Fernandez crashed the car in April 1979, and it was repaired by Arnie Loyning, who ended up owning it, and raced it a couple of times. It was subsequently traded (for a Sports 2000) to Bob Lesnett (Berkeley, CA), owner of Pfieffer Ridge Racing, so would be the "77B" he raced in SCCA Nationals in 1982, and during his ownership the tub was rebuilt by Marc Bahner. An "ex-Gloy" March was later advertised by Pfeiffer Ridge Racing in Richmond, CA, in January 1984. Larry Savage has a car in 2019 that is said to be ex-Gloy and has the SCCA Log Book from when Gary Fernandez owned it in 1979. The car is now on a 77B tub, but a different 77B tub to the one recorded by the SCCA in 1979, and wears a replica "76B-9" chassis plate.
4. Argo JM5 [036-FA] (Jim Blackwell): Built late in the 1979 season and invoiced to Nick May, who drove it in the Brands Hatch Formula Atlantic race in October 1979. Then to Dave Rackham and tested by him, but remained unused until Rackham advertised it in August 1980. It was finally raced by Nick Adams, and run for him by Colin Bennett Racing, in two races in September and October 1980. Sold to Jim Blackwell (Seattle, WA) and raced by him in ICSCC events in 1981, then advertised in June 1982. Raced once more by Blackwell in 1985 after his newer Argo JM9 was damaged at Portland. Also raced by Larry Dunn (Lake Stevens, WA) in local WCAR events in 1987.
5. Ralt RT1/77 [81] (Brian McLoughlin): This car would have been new as a Formula Atlantic in 1977, but its first owners in 1977, 1978 and 1979 are unknown. The first definitive reference to this car is when it was sold by Ted Titmas to Brian McLaughlin (Vancouver, BC), and raced by McLaughlin in ICSCC and Pro Formula Atlantic in 1980 and 1981. It was wrecked by McLoughlin at Westwood and later advertised by Sans Thompson in unrepaired state. Thompson's recollection is that he sold it to the northeast US. CT

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.

Individual sources for this event

Chris Townsend's sources include On Track magazine 3 Sep 1981 p13.