Bahamas Grand Prix (PRRO event)

Waterford Hills, 22 Sep 1974

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Lola T360 [HU2] (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 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.
2. Chevron B27 [B25 73-14] (Vince Muzzin): Sold to Geoffrey Freeman (Yellow Springs, OH) of Freeman Racing Enterprises for SCCA Formula B. Run by Bill Kuntz' Fastrack Operations Inc (Dayton, OH), for Daytonian Chip Mead in FB in 1973, starting with the SCCA National at MIS in June 1973, and later including rounds of the Canadian series. Probably retained by Mead in 1974 and used by the Shierson team - who ran Mead in his own B27 - as a spare car. Mead's team-mate James King recalls that the third Shierson car, run only at Waterford Hills for Vince Muzzin, was a B25, though described by the press as a B27 'mule'. Given that the only other American B25 (chassis 73-15) is then in the hands of Paul Henry, this is the only candidate for the B25/27 with twin cam engine advertised by Dave Barringer (San Mateo, CA) in The Wheel in November 1981. A restored B25 rolling chassis with dark red bodywork was offered for sale by Kent Bain's Vintage Racing Services (Stratford, CT) between mid-2003 and 2007. In March 2007, it was advertised from Stratford on race-cars.com, still with dark red B27 bodywork and "B25/73/14" chassis plate. By mid-2008 it had been sold to the Franschhoek Motor Museum in South Africa to act as a source of parts for the restoration of the museum's B25 chassis 73-03 to running condition.
3. Chevron B27 [27-74-03] (Chip Mead): New to Doug Shierson Racing via Fred Opert for Chip Mead (Dayton, OH) to race in Formula Atlantic, initially in the opening races of the British series, then in North America. The car was blue and ran in North America as #23. Sold to Keith Feldott (LaGrange, IL) and raced in SCCA Central Division Formula B in 1975, scoring 11 points to finish ninth in the division. Retained for 1976, when Feldott finished second at Mid-America Raceway and at Grattan Raceway in May, and again at Grattan in July to finish the season on 37 points, tied for second in the division, and racing at the Runoffs. Retained again for 1977, but seen more rarely as Feldott moved into Trans-Am. Subsequent history unknown.
4. March 74B (Don Breidenbach): Don Breidenbach (Oakland, CA) raced a white March 74B in SCCA National and later in Pro races in 1974 but early that season his car was described as a 732 so this 74B may have been a mid or late-season replacement for the older car. Retained for the early 1975 race at Riverside and then sold to Bob Gledhill (Utah). Somehow the deal with Gledhill unwound because Breidenbach advertised the car again at the end of 1975, alongside his newer 75B. Jeff Alkana (Azusa, CA) recalls buying it from Breidenbach and he raced it in SCCA events in early 1976. Alkana then bought Breidenbach's newer 75B and he recalls selling the 74B to Jim Van Horn (Orange, CA). However, Van Horn drove an older March 71BM updated to 76B from 1977 to 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
5. March 74B [6] (Bruce Jensen): New to Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada), and raced by him in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series. He competed in all seven rounds of the series, with a best result of second place at Edmonton in June, and took pole position at Sanair in July. He then competed in the Trois-Rivières race in September, and in the two Pro Formula B races later in the season, at Waterford Hills in September, and the US GP support race at Watkins Glen in October. The car was sold for 1975 to Jean Beaulieu (Quebec City, Quebec, Canada), who appeared very briefly at the start of the 1975 series, but he failed to start the opening race after a number of problems that culminated with a rod through the side of the engine. He sold the car to Ron Rogers (Trenton, Ontario), who raced it mostly in club events in 1976 and 1977 before selling it to Jim Close. Rogers ran the car for Close until Close took it back to California. Sold back to Rogers in the early 1990s, and retained until November 2020, when it was sold to Tom Smith of TS Historics (Newbury, Berkshire).
6. Chevron B27 [27-74-04] (James King): 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.
7. March 73B (Tim Cooper): Roy Folland (Montréal, Quebec) had a purple #6 March 73B for 1973 but crashed at Trois-Rivières in Sept and after being repaired, the 73B was sold to Ecurie Canada for guest driver Eppie Wietzes to race at the Watkins Glen Pro FB race five weeks later. Then sold to Tim Cooper (Kansas City, MO) who raced the "ex-Ecurie Canada" 73B at a Willow Springs Regional in December 1973. Raced extensively in SCCA racing early in 1974 and then in the Pro F/Atlantic series, prepared by Charlie Williams Racing. Cooper hired a new 75B and ran as part of Doug Shierson Racing in 1975, and the subsequent history of the 73B is unknown.
8. March 73B (Joe Grimaldi): In July 1974, David Loring raced a Formula Atlantic March at Mosport Park. Canadian Motorsport Bulletin reported that it was "a nice March 73 owned by Dale Lang and supplied by Joe Grimaldi". At the next race, Seb Barone raced what CMB called "the Grimaldi March that Loring had driven at Mosport". From this, it seems highly likely that this was the same car that Grimaldi had raced at the opening two races of the 1974 Canadian series, at Westwood and Edmonton. Richard Paul recognised the car as the March Grimaldi had raced at Trois-Rivières in September 1973, so we can trace this 73B that far back at least. It may even be the car Lang drove at several other races in 1973, but we cannot yet be clear about that. Presumably the car raced by Grimaldi at Waterford Hills in September 1974, but this is uncertain as Grimaldi had a 74B by this time. In 1975, Grimaldi joined forces with Doug Shierson Racing, and DSR ran an older updated March for Price Cobb. Cobb described this in an interview as a 73B, and Grimaldi, when talking to Kevan McLurg in 2020, said that Cobb got Lang's old car. So this seems to be a 73B starting in September 1973, possibly earlier, and continuing until Cobb's last race in it at Trois-Rivières in August 1975. Subsequent history unknown, but this car was unusual for a "75B" in that it had no left-hand radiator, so may have been the Joe Shepherd 75B in 1976.
9. Rondel M1 [207] (Seb Barone): The car raced by Bob Wolleck for Motul Rondel in F2 in 1973, and believed to be the same car all season. Like most of the team's cars, this went to Fred Opert for 1974 to be converted for use in SCCA Formula B and Canadian Formula Atlantic. Assuming Wolleck used the same car all season, this would then be "ex-Wolleck" car that Seb Barone (Portland, CT/Middletown, CT/Dilliner, PA) remembers buying for 1974. After a season in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series, Barone traded it back to Opert for his 1975 Chevron B29. According to Cy Morland, who owned chassis 207 from 1998 to 2008, the car was owned after Barone by John Stowe in New England for an extended period, so would be the Rondel raced by Stowe in New England Region SCCA Regionals in 1976. Morland had the tub completely rebuilt by Marc Bahner, and then sold the car back to England. Subsequent history unknown.
10. March 74B (side rads) [13] (Gilles Villeneuve): A yellow March 74B sold to US agent Joe Grimaldi in "semi kit" form. This appears to have been the car raced by Ecurie Canada driver Gilles Villeneuve at Edmonton at the start of June, after which the car was converted to the latest F2 specification, which involved moving the main radiator to the left side of the engine, a new extended nose, and a rear wing 18 inches further back. Villeneuve raced it in this form at Gimli , but then wrecked it at Mosport Park in July. A new car was built out of the wreck and was raced by David Loring at Sanair and St Johns later that month. Villeneuve returned to the car to race it at Halifax, Trois-Rivières and Watkins Glen. Subsequent history unknown but Joe Grimaldi told Kevan McLurg in April 2020 that the car came back to Grimaldi and he sold it to a farmer in the Midwest, who also acquired a spare tub at the same time.
11. Chevron B20 [72-3] (Price Cobb): Sold via Fred Opert to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) for SCCA Formula B, and finished third and first in the two Bogotá races early in 1972. Brown then used it in the SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B, winning the round at Lime Rock in July from pole position. The car was advertised by Fred Opert in October 1972, noting that it had F2 fuel tanks and ventilated discs, differing from the ex-Brian Robertson car that was also in stock. It is then unknown through the 1973 season, and was next seen when entered by Freeman Racing Enterprises, the Chevron agent, for Price Cobb (Dallas, TX) in the Pro Formula Atlantic races in 1974. It was advertised by Cobb in early 1975, then advertised by Richard Jackson (Dallas, TX) in August 1975 as "ex-Brown" but still wearing the #2 that Cobb had used in 1974 and with updated bodywork, and advert that was repeated in February 1976. It was advertised by Cobb from Dallas again in December 1976, when it was available with new body and and with or without a BDA for $4500 or $3000, and again in April and June 1977. Next seen when sold by a dealer, Paul Lindell (Houston, TX), to James Sawyer in January 1978. Offered for sale on race-cars.com in February 2003, when it still had the same nose seen in the 1975 adverts, and was still in Texas. From Sawyer to Jeff McKay (Tacoma, WA) then on to Walt Pawluczkowycz (Evergreen, CO). Sold by Pawluczkowycz to Steve Marschman (Idaho Falls, Idaho) in May 2004.
12. Chevron B18C (Dean Lundgreen): Dean Lundgreen (Franklin, MN) raced a Chevron B18 or B18C in SCCA and MCSCC Formula B in 1973. What is probably his first race in the car came in the MCSCC season opener at Blackhawk Farms on 13 May when a "D Lundquist" retired his #74 Chevron FB. The number 74 was previously used by Freddy van Beuren on his Chevron B18, and as his car had been adverised by Fred Opert just a few months earlier, it seems likely that Lundgreen had bought that car. He changed to using #91 later in the season. Lundgreen retained the car for 1974, when it was described as a B18C and entered at #11. He again retained it for 1975, racing in SCCA Nationals, and scored three points in CenDiv FB for his fourth place at Blackhawk Farms in June. Lundgreen advertised his car in December 1975 as a Chevron B18 rolling chassis with Hewland FT200 gearbox, but had a fresh Hart BDA available. Subsequent history unknown.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. Brabham BT35 [41] (John Gloviak): Unknown in 1971 and 1972. This car was logbooked by Chicago Region in March 1973, but the logbook number shows that this was not the car's first logbook, and it was originally logbooked before August 1972. Its first known race was at the St Louis Regional at Mid-America Raceway later in March 1973, but its first known results were when it was raced by David Ralston (Elmhurst, IL) in the latter part of 1973. To John Gloviak (Chicago, IL) for 1974 (raced at least three times by his brother Thomas Gloviak), and used in SCCA Nationals and some Pro events from 1974 to 1978. The Gloviaks continued to race the car up to 1982. They planned some suspension changes, but these were never made, and the car was sold to Gene Frings (Mayville, WI) who stored it for some years. Sold in 2002 to restorer David Irwin Evergreen, CO), at which time it had a BDD and FT200 gearbox. Sold to Lee Brahin (Philadelphia, PA) in 2004 or 2005, and raced in SVRA events.
17. March 71BM (David Westgate): Ken Huband (Ottawa, Ontario) raced a #9/#8 red-and-white March 71BM in Canadian Formula B in 1973, with support from Tangent Travel Ltd. When Huband advertised the March, together with his older Brabham BT29, in CMB in September 1973, he said it had five races from new. Sold to Norm Joy (Montréal, Quebec) for 1974, with support from T.G.Yachts of Canada Ltd, but he failed to qualify at the opening race, and then skipped the second round. Then to David Westgate (Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec) for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. 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.

Individual sources for this event

Autoweek 5 Oct 1974 [JBM], Chevron build records and March 74B build records