ECAR Formula Atlantic Championship Round

Montréal, 14 Jun 1986

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B39 [39-77-08] (Joe Ostrowski): New to Fred Opert Racing and used in the Labatts Formula Atlantic Championship. One of two cars run by the team for Keke Rosberg, this one having narrower track, but Rosberg used a B34 at four races that season and exactly how he used this B39 remains uncertain. Retained by Fred Opert Racing for the 1978 New Zealand series, where it was Rosberg's main race car as he easily won the championship. Then believed to be the car raced by Divina Galica at Long Beach in early 1978. It was sold to Dean Lundgreen (Franklin, MN) later in 1978 and raced in SCCA Nationals, scoring 13 points that season. He scored 15 points in 1979, and continued to race the car in 1980 and 1981. Advertised by Lundgreen in April 1982 and February 1983 as "Rosberg's Tasman winner". Sold to Mike Rand (Amherst, Massachusetts) later in 1983, then sold on to Joe Ostrowski (Trenton, NJ) who raced it from 1984 to 1986 at least. The car remained in Ostrowski's garage until 2004, when he sold it to Mark Wehrman. It was then sold to Lee Brahin (Philadelphia, PA) in 2006 and raced by him in red bodywork with non-standard sidepods in 2008 and 2009. Then to Martin Lauber (Tiburon, CA) in August 2011 and raced by him in pink Excita livery (but still with the same distinctive sidepods) from 2012 to 2019. It was sold to Laurent Parmentier (Los Angeles, CA) in January 2020, and raced by him in 2020 and 2021.
2. March 79B [1?] (Ron Levanduski): Roy Klomfass raced a March 79B for Alex Blignaut's Team Texan from October 1978 onwards in South African Formula Atlantic. It was said to be the first production 79B, so presumably chassis 79B-1. When the Formula SA rules were introduced in June 1979, it was fitted at first with a 2-litre BMW engine but this was not a success and it was quickly fitted with a Ford V6. At the end of the season, it is believed to have been sold with other South African Formula Atlantic cars to Ted Titmas (Van Nuys, CA). Chris Townsend reports that the car was sold to brothers Tom and Steve Shelton (Fort Lauderdale, FL) and is likely to be the car driven by Tom, as Steve had already owned chassis 79B-10 since the start of 1979. The two 79Bs were advertised together at the end of 1981, and the ex-Titmas car went to Ron Levanduski (Elmira, NY) who raced it for the next five seasons. Levanduski sold it to Joe Ostrowski (Trenton, NJ) in July 1987. Ostrowski sold the car at the end of 1989 when he bought a newer March 81A. Subsequent history unknown.
3. LM Special [March 71BM-2] (Mauro Lanaro): New for Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) and used in British Formula Atlantic at the start of the season, winning at Oulton Park 21 March, and then in the SCCA Pro Formula B series. The car was often described as a 712M but it seems more likely that he used the same 712BM all season. Also raced with a BDA in the Formula A race at Lime Rock in Sep and in one round of the Canadian series. Sold via Joe Grimaldi's The Race Shop to Frank Del Vecchio (Trumbull, CT) and used in NEDiv FB and in a couple of rounds of the Pro series. Sold back via Joe Grimaldi at the end of 1972; Frank thinks it went to a Canadian, and it is very likely to have been the car driven by Ken Huband, Norm Joy and David Westgate in 1973 and 1974. Sold to Mauro Lanaro (Montréal, Quebec) to replace the 71BM he lost in a transporter fire in 1974. Significantly modified in 1976 as the Lanaro Special with triangular sidepods, a different nose, and with its Cosworth BDA engine laid on its side. This car went through many evolutions, and was still being raced by Lanaro right up to 1995 when it was used in a vintage event. Lanaro eventually rebuilt to original 71BM specification about 1999. In late 2018, it was part of a package of cars bought from Lanaro by David Clubine (Brantford, ON), and was sold to a collector in Ontario.
4. Chevron B27 [27-74-05] (Frank Shober): An Fred Opert team car, used by Hugh "Wink" Bancroft (Costa Mesa, CA) in the US series in 1974. The car was owned by Bancroft, who according to Formula and Sports Car retained it unraced in 1975, and then wheeled it out again for a few SCCA South Pacific Division races in early 1976. Advertised in May 1976, and then by Fred Opert in November 1976. The car now owned in 2009 by Bud Morrison had an SCCA log book showing it was owned by Ken Valan (Wilmington, DE) in August 1978, so it is assumed that this was the "B29" that Valan raced from the start of the 1977 season. The logbook then shows that it went to Frank Shober (Chatham, NJ) and was raced by him from early 1979 to 1985. In October 1988, it was bought from Bruce McQuiston at the Bertil Roos Racing School (Blakeslee PA) by Monte C. Shalett (New Orleans, LA), who sold it via Grand Prix Classics (La Jolla, CA) to Paul Wesselink (Dana Point, CA/Huntington Beach, CA) in June 1997. From Wesselink to Emmet "Bud" Morrison (Tempe, AZ) in May 2005.

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 On Track and Sports Car, plus 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.