SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B/C Race

Brainerd, 16 Sep 1972

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 722 (Bob Lazier): Bob Lazier (Vail, CO) raced a black #6 March 722 in the Pro Formula B series in 1972, winning at Bryar Motorsports Park in May. The car was sold to Byron Hatten (Altadena, CA) for 1973, and he entered it for John Angus (formerly of Hartland, WI, but living in Marina Del Rey, CA at this time) for 1974. According to a later advert, this was the "76B" driven by Hatten at the IMSA Formula Atlantic race at Ontario in 1976, and it was then sold to George Seydel (Pasadena, CA), who raced a Formula B March in SCCA Regionals at Riverside in 1978. According to this car's SCCA logbook, it was raced by Seydel until 1979. The SCCA Logbook records its "Manufacturers Identification No." as 722-16, but this was the chassis number reported in Europe to be Xavier Perrot's F2 car, so this identity remains unconfirmed.
2. March 722 [71BM/1] (Reg Scullion): Gordie Dewar was appointed March importer into Canada for 1971 and his first purchase, chassis 71BM-1, went to Delta Racing Developments for Ian Coristine (Montréal, Quebec) to race in the Players FB series. Coristine finished the season fifth in the red #50 March but crashed in practice for the final race, at Circuit Ste-Croix in October. The car went to Reg Scullion (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Montréal, Quebec) for 1972 and it was entered for him by Kris Harrison's Ecurie Canada, and prepared by Andy Roe and Tom Greatorex. Ecurie Canada had also bought Wilson Southam's engine manufacturing business, acquiring Greatorex with it, and were preparing the engines in Scullion's car. Scullion started the season racing in Nationals in Texas before returning to Canada for the Players season. He ended the Canadian season in ninth place but then returned to the US to finish second in the SCCA Run-Offs. He retained the car for 1973 as a Scullion-Donolo Racing entry, and it was raced by partner Louis "Lou" Donolo (Montréal, Quebec) once or twice. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Brabham BT35 (Mike Hall): New to Michael Hall (Chicago, Illinois) for CenDiv SCCA Nationals and some local Pro FB events in 1971, acquiring the BT35 relatively late in the season after starting the year in a BT29. He retained the car for 1972, winning the CenDiv FB title. In October 1972, the "ex-Mike Hall" red BT35 was advertised by Fred Opert, noting that it had a "Rondel sports car nose". Subsequent history unknown.
4. March 722 (Tom Outcault): Tom Outcault (Middletown, OH) raced a green-and-yellow #3 March 722 in CenDiv and NEDiv Formula B and some Pro races in 1972, entered by Troco Racing of Cranford, NJ. Outcault upgraded to a March 73B, so the 722 may have been returned to Joe Grimaldi in trade. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Lola T240 [HU4] (Syd Demovsky): New to Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) and his red #11 Demovsky Racing Lola T240 in the 1971 Pro FB series. Retained for 1972 and again did a full season, still red and still using #11. In June 1973 it was sold together with HU5 by Charlie Hayes to Eric Steele of Formula Cars Inc (Mansfield, Ohio). It is believed that the two cars were intended for the Mid-Ohio Racing School. Subsequent history unknown. A car with this chassis number raced by Bob Juggins in 1996/97.
6. March 722 [33] (Dick Doherty): New to Dick Doherty (Hollywood, CA) and raced in Pro FB in 1972, as well as Cal Club SCCA events. Retained for Cal Club events in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Rebuilt by Wilbur Bunce to 75B specification for 1976, and run by him in Californian SCCA races for Dennis Firestone to drive, and later in Pro Formula Atlantic races in California for Ron Dykes, Rocky Moran, and Bob Lazier. It was red, and wore #10, #70 and #87 during the season. Sold to Ted Titmas (Van Nuys, CA) in early 1977, and run by him as a hire car in 1977, but Titmas had two cars in 1977, one red and one orange, and it is unclear which was which. Subsequent history unknown.
7. March 722 (Wayne Ricciardi): Wayne Ricciardi (N. Haldon, NJ) raced a #24 March 722 in Pro Formula B in 1972, entered by The Race Shop, the US March importer in which Ricciardi and Joe Grimaldi were partners. Ricciardi retained the car for Pro events in 1973, competing in most Canadian events plus the US GP support race at Watkins Glen. Subsequent history unknown.
8. March 71BM [3] (Bob Newton): New to Chuck Willis's CRW Racing (Anaheim, CA) and leased to Jean de la Bruyere (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for Max Mizejewski (Woodland Hills, CA) to race in SCCA Formula B in 1971 as "The Edmonton Flyer". De la Bruyere then split from CRW and Ron Dykes (Marina del Rey, CA) then took over the 71Bm for Pro Formula B races and SCCA Nationals for the rest of 1971. Sold to Bob Newton (Cupertino, CA) and run in Pro FB and SCCA Nationals in 1972, 1973 and 1974. It was also raced by Craig Fraser (Santa Cruz, CA) in 1973 and 1974 before Newton's last known appearance in it in late 1974. To Jim Van Horn (Orange, CA) and raced in Cal Club Regionals in late 1975. Van Horn bought a newer Chevron B27 for 1976, but returned to the March for 1977, which was rebuilt to 76B specification by Marc Bahner and fitted with a BDA engine. The car was registered with the SCCA in September 1977, but curiously used the chassis number of a March 722, 722-38. Van Horn raced this car up to 1980. To Bill Hill (Olympia, WA) in 1981, fitted with a Mazda engine and a sports car body and raced the car in SCCA ASR and in Can-Am as the "Marzda" or the "Banana Crate". Crashed in an SCCA Regional (NW Region) at Olympia Airport in September 1986. Hill then bought a Lola T360 and the March chassis stayed in the rafters of his garage for many years. After Hill died, the car was sold to Phil Creighton (Georgia) in mid-2017, and then by him to Kevan McLurg (Brighton, UK) in 2018. Sold to Bruce Balchin (Southampton) in July 2019.
9. Chevron B18 [18.71.1] (John Powell): A new car built for Brian Redman after he wrecked the development B18 while testing in South Africa. Fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC engine and raced by Redman in two races in South Africa in January 1971. This car returned to Bolton and became the works entry in F2 for Chris Craft during the 1971 F2 season. It was then sold to Canadian John Powell and rebuilt to Formula B specification. Powell raced it in the Brands Hatch Boxing Day meeting at the end of 1971 and then loaned it to Brian Robertson to race in the two Bogotá FB races in February and March 1972. Raced by Powell (Ottawa, Ontario) in the Canadian FB series in 1972, Sold to Paul Wheatley (Montréal, Quebec) and raced in the Canadian series in 1973. Wheatley appeared on a couple of early-1974 entry lists but the car was not seen again until he advertised it in April 1975.
10. Brabham BT29 (Charles "Chuck" Hansen): Charles 'Chuck' Hansen (Tenafly, NJ) raced a yellow #75 Brabham BT29 in Northeast Division Formula B in 1972. Then to Erv Falk (Westport, CT), and raced by James R Modrall (Westport, CT) in Northeast Division Formula B in 1973, entered by Falk Racing. Falk then acquired Hansen's newer March 722 for Modrall in 1974, and the BT29 was entered for Jeff Gay (Norwalk, CT) in NEDiv Formula B in 1974 and 1975. Subsequent history unknown.
11. March 722 (Hugh "Wink" Bancroft): Hugh "Wink" Bancroft (Newport Beach, CA) raced a blue-and-white #82 March 722 in Formula B in 1972, under his own Bancroft Motorsport banner. He retained the car for 1973, when it ran as #12 and was fitted with Falconer bodywork. Later that season, the car was rented to Rocky Moran for a few races. Bancroft appeared in a few SCCA races at Riverside in the car during 1974, when it was still wearing Falconer bodywork. Subsequent history unresolved, but Richard Paul recalls buying this car for the 1975 season, when BDA engines were allowed in Pro races but not in SCCA races, fitting 732 bodywork and using it as a spare car.
12. Brabham BT29 [38] (Jon Milledge): John Ranson Lewis III, who raced as Randy Lewis (Sunnyvale, CA), had a blue Brabham BT29 for 1970 which was entered as #7. He raced the car through the full Pro season, finishing fourth at Sears Point in June and at Road America in August, end ending the season in eighth place in the championship. He did not compete in SCCA Nationals. The car was sold to Bunny Ribbs (San Jose, CA) for Mike Eyerly to drive in FB in 1971 (#63) and 1972 (#80). Jon Milledge also drove Ribbs car at Brainerd in Sep 1972. Ribbs, father of future Trans-Am star Willy T. Ribbs, advertised the car at the end of 1972. This is presumably the blue #80 Brabham BT29 raced by Lee Midgley at Road America in August 1973 and driven by Archie Snider at Trois-Rivières a week later. Subsequent history unknown.
13. Brabham BT29 [43] (Roger Seacrist): Cliff Phillips (Palos Park, IL) acquired a red Brabham BT29 for 1970 but his first known appearance wasn't until Road America 18 Jul 1970 where he recorded 41st fastest time. The car appeared on several more entry lists later in the season but Phillips started to advertise the car from early September onwards. Still being advertised in July 1971. The car is then unknown until mid-1972 when it has been identified (with chassis number and AM number) as the car driven by Roger Seacrist (Chicago, IL). Retained by Seacrist for 1973 but then unknown until acquired by Gary Dausch (Indianapolis, IN) some time before Apr 1987. To Dave Vegher and raced once at Palm Springs then to Tony Podell (Rolling Hills, CA), then Randall Smith (Petaluna, CA) and retained 2012.
14. Brabham BT18/21 (Brownlee Cote): Brownlee Cote (Aspen, CO) drove a yellow #40 Brabham BT18/BT21 in Formula B in 1972. He was entered by Grand View Lodge, Brainerd, Minn., and used an HRE twin cam engine. Peter Nye (Ann Arbor, MI) had also used a HRE engine in 1970 in his BT18, so this may be the same car. Nothing more known.
15. Brabham BT38B [16] (Bill Middleton): Sold new to Bill Middleton (Newport Beach, CA) and raced in the 1972 SCCA Formula B series, starting at Watkins Glen in August 1972. Also raced in SCCA Nationals and at the SCCA Run-Offs. Retained by Middleton for 1973 and run in SCCA Nationals, winning at Holtville in March. Retained again for the early 1974 Nationals and then said to have been seized by the sheriff at the Phoenix National for unpaid alimony. Next seen in May 1975 when Pete Halsmer (Huntington Beach, CA) raced "the ex-Middleton Brabham BT-38" in Formula B. Raced by Halsmer for three seasons, during which time it was extensively modified by Halsmer. Halsmer won the Laguna Seca June Sprints in the BT38 in 1977. The car is then unknown for ten years, until it was bought by John Hafkenschiel as a disassembled roller from Grant Koaller (Lakewood, Ohio) in July 1987. Hafkenschiel used this car as a pattern for the restoration of his BT38B, then sold it to a Mr Schaffer in California in November 1988. Since Mr Schaffer's death, the car is believed to have remained with his family, and is still unrestored.
16. March 722 (Chuck Sarich): Chuck Sarich (McLean, VA) raced a midnight blue/white #57 March 722 in SCCA Nationals and Pro Formula B in 1972, entered by Quicksilver Racing Enterprises, Inc of Rockville, Maryland. Chuck finished second in the Southeast Division FB championship and qualified for the Runoffs, which he won. Sarich and his team moved into Formula 5000 for 1973, and his March 722 was evidently sold to Steve Jizmagian (San Francisco, CA), who raced a March 722 in west coast SCCA Nationals and Regionals in 1973. He retained the car for 1974, using it mainly in SCCA Nationals and qualifying for the Runoffs. He retained the 722 for a third season in 1975, still with its Ford twin cam engine despite the formula's move to BDA engines, and again qualified for the Runoffs. The 722 was entered throughout these three seasons by Jizmagian as #4. Its colour was variously reported as blue and as black in 1973, then as red in 1974 and 1975. He advertised the car in August 1976 as "March 72B, Quicksilver, three times ARRC", indicating it was Chuck Sarich's car in 1972, as Jizmagian had only qualified for the Runoffs in 1974 and 1975, and Chuck was the only one of the Sarich brothers to qualify in 1972. Jim Sarich's car had gone to Ted Roman. Subsequent history unknown.
17. March 71BM [4?] (James King): Robert Lazier (Vail, CO) raced a black March 71BM in the SCCA Pro Formula B series and in SCCA Nationals in 1971. The car was sold to James King ( East St Louis, IL) for 1972, when it was repainted green and yellow and entered as #22 in Pro FB and in Nationals. King qualified the car for the 1972 Runoffs, but retired. This may be the car he raced at Mid-America Raceway in May 1973, before his March 73B was delivered. Subsequent history unknown.
18. Chevron B18C (Carl Liebich): Carl Liebich (Plymouth, Wisconsin) raced a yellow Chevron B18 in SCCA Nationals in 1971, entered as #78. In 1972 he ran a yellow Chevron B18C, presumed to be the same car, entered as #79, and used in the Pro Formula B series, in the Players Canadian Formula B series, and in SCCA Nationals. Also raced by Liebich at Caracas in March 1973. Advertised by Opert as ex-Liebich, and blue-and-yellow in February 1973, and sold to Frank Sangiorgio (North Babylon, Long Island, NY) who raced it SCCA and EMRA racing around Bridgehampton from 1973 to 1975 at least. Sangiorgio was EMRA Formula B champion for 1973. He advertised the car in in September 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
19. Chevron B18C (Freddy van Beuren): Freddy van Beuren (Estad de Mexico, Mexico) raced a orange/yellow Chevron B18 as part of the Fred Opert team in Formula B in 1971. The car was advertised by Opert in October 1971 but was not sold and is likely to be the car that van Beuren raced in Bogotá in February and March 1972. Van Beuren then took over as chief instructor at the Opert Racing School at Bridgehampton, and the next time he and the B18 were seen was at Brainerd in September 1972. The B18 was then taken over by Bill Brack for two late-season races, and was advertised by Opert in February 1973. It is probably the Opert-entered car raced by Bobby Dennett at Caracas in March 1973. Subsequent history unknown, but thought to be the car sold to Dean Lundgreen.
20. McLaren M4B (Dick Drexler): Dick Drexler (Pewaukee, WI) had a red/grey McLaren M4A which he entered in local SCCA Formula B events from 1969 to 1972, usually as #5 or #51. A one-time Regional Executive of the SCCA Milwaukee Region, Richard W Drexler was president of Milwaukee-based oil refiner Lubricant, Inc. Records of him actually starting a race are rare but he was a regular entry at his local Road America and Blackhawk Farms circuits or even as far afield as Brainerd. He returned in 1973 with the car now fitted with a 997cc HRE engine for Formula C, qualifying for the Run-Offs that year. He then bought a 1066cc Cosworth SCA engine (bored out for SCC pistons) from Al Essig, who had used it in a Brabham BT15. Drexler is believed to have used that engine in the McLaren in 1974, 1975 and 1976. The car was acquired in 1987 by Dave Hammers (Sea Cliff, NY), restored, and put on display.
21. March 722 (Joe Grimaldi): Dale W. Lang (Woodstock, VT/Wilton, CT) raced a blue-and-white #21 March 722 in Pro FB and SCCA Nationals in 1972, entered by Joe Grimaldi's Race Shop, of Midland Park, NJ. It seems very likely that this was the car that Grimaldi himself raced in three Pro races in 1972, and it is therefore likely that this is the car Grimaldi hired to John Angus for the 1972 SCCA Runoffs. Lang raced the car again at the Road America and Watkins Glen Pro FB races in 1973. In between these two, Grimaldi drove a 722 at Trois-Rivières, entered as #81, the same number used by Lang at Road America the previous weekend, adding extra weight to the belief that they were sharing this car. Grimaldi also raced it, wearing #87, at Lime Rock in July 1973. Grimaldi had also raced Lang's 71BM in 1971 and would race his March 74B in 1974. Subsequent history unknown.
22. Brabham BT35 [31] (Mike Hansen): New to Mike Hansen (Belmont, CA) and Steve Marx (Fremont, CA) of Hansen-Marx Racing (or Marx-Hansen Racing) and raced by them in SCCA Regionals and Nationals predominately in southern California in 1971. Retained by the pair for 1972, and raced by Hansen in SCCA Nationals up and down the west coast, and then in Pro events later in the season. To Bill Cooper (San Jose, CA) for 1973, and used in SCCA Regionals. Retained by Cooper for 1974 and raced in SCCA Nationals. Seen less often in 1975, and advertised by Cooper with a BDA engine from September 1975 to July 1976. It is reported to have gone to Tom Smith after Cooper. It was bought from Tommy Smith in July 1978 by John Hafkenschiel and raced in Californian Formula Atlantic before selling it in the winter of 1984. In November 2016, Ron Hornig (Laramie, Wyoming) bought the car and has thoroughly restored it. Note that Hornig also has two F3 BT35s which he uses in historic racing.
23. Chevron B15b (Bill O'Connor): Bill O'Connor (Chicago, IL/Highland Pk, IL) raced a blue/orange/yellow Chevron B15b in SCCA Formula B in the fall of 1972. He scored 13 points in Central Division FB and also entered several Pro races in the fall, but failed to start any, the closest being when he retired on the pace lap at Road America. O'Connor then acquired a Brabham BT38 for 1973 so the Chevron may have been traded back to Fred Opert. Nothing more known.
24. March 722 [71BM-10?] (Ian Coristine): The talented but cash-strapped Ian Coristine (Montréal, Quebec) had run his own March 71BM in 1971, but for 1972 rented an updated car from Ecurie Canada. The 71BM, probably Wilson Southam's old car, was updated to side-radiator 722 specification by team mechanic Tom Greatorex. Coristine stayed with the team for 1973 but the car was put back to 71BM specification. The team almost ran out of money mid-summer, but were rescued by a sponsorship deal with Schweppes. The 71BM was then sold to Mauro Lanaro (Montréal, Quebec) and used in Canadian Formula Atlantic in 1974. Coristine recalls that this car was destroyed in a transporter fire on its way to a race at Debert, but the exact date of this has yet to be determined. Lanaro then bought another 71BM to replace it.
25. March 722 (Jim Sarich): Jim Sarich (McLean, VA) raced a midnight blue/white #67 or #56 March 722 in SCCA Nationals and Pro Formula B in 1972, entered by Quicksilver Racing Enterprises, Inc of Rockville, Maryland. Jim finished eighth in the Southeast Division FB championship. Sarich and his team moved into Formula 5000 for 1973, and in the summer of 1973 it was sold to an owner in Atlanta, GA. He had also bought a FSV Zeitler from Ted Roman (Pleasantville, NY), and for 1973 they ran as a team in SCCA Nationals, with Roman driving the March 722 and the car owner driving the Zeitler. The 722 was entered as #63, and Roman, who had moved to Atlanta, scored 12 points in SEDiv as a member of Atlanta Region. Don Becker recalls that the car was traded at the end of that season to Lola agent Carl Haas (Highland Park, IL) against two Lola T340s. The March was evidently then sold to Cliff L. Phillips (Palos Park, IL), who entered a blue March 722 in Central Division SCCA Nationals in 1974 but rarely appeared. He entered two races at Road America in 1974, apparantly without appearing at either, and was then a non-starter at Mid-Ohio on 1 September. He was entered again at Road America in June 1975. In January 1976, Phillips advertised his car, saying that it was metallic blue, had a new "banana" wing and 1975 nose, and was a "former Quicksilver championship car". As Steve Jizmagian's red 722 that was described more clearly as the Chuck Sarich car, it fits that Philips' car would have been the Jim Sarich car. Phillips raced a Lola T242 in 1973 so would already have been a customer of Haas. The history of the March after January 1976 is unknown.
26. March 722 (William Kautz): William Kautz (Geneva, IL) had a March 722 during 1972 and 1973 but did not start any of the races that he is known to have entered. This unfortunate sequence started with a Midwestern Council race at Blackhawk Farms on 11 June, and continued through SCCA Nationals and SCCA Pro races that season. The car was entered as #60 at least twice in 1972 and as #6 in 1973. Its colour was given as yellow in 1973 and the entrant throughout was Kautz Farm Racing. Kautz advertised the car in May 1976, still with a "big valve Hart" engine and a Falconer body. He sold it to Ed Midgley who advertised it in August 1978. Subsequent history unknown.
27. Brabham BT29 (Bob Criss): Stephen M. Cole (Orange, CA) raced a Brabham in SCCA Regionals in Cal Club Region in 1971, winning the Cal Club Regional FB title. Although the type of the Brabham was not identified, it was presumably the same car he then entered for Bob Criss (originally from Terre Haute, IN, but by 1972 of Newport Beach, CA) in Pro Formula B races in 1972. Criss also raced a Brabham the Fort Sumner National in October 1971, and it seems likely that would have been this same car. The car was blue and wore #64 when raced by Criss in 1972. Cole himself also raced in Nationals and is thought to have been racing the same car at Riverside in May 1972. Criss signed with Mary & Tom Page's Page Racing for Indy racing in 1973 but was killed in a testing session in April 1973. Criss was Robert Dale Criss, born 1938, and should not be confused with the Bob Criss from Bethel Park, PA, who drove an Austin-Healey Sprite in SCCA racing as a member of Steel Cities Region at about this time. According to Richard Paul, Cole sold the Brabham via Chuck Willis to Jeff Alkana (Azusa, CA), who registered it with CSCC in July 1974, and went on to race it in the Formula B class in southern California from July 1974 to March 1975. The car was given as chassis BT29-16, but had been rebuilt on a new frame "WM74" fabricated by Wayne Mitchell. The car passed to William Nair in 1975, then at some later date from Nair to Terry Peterson, this sale being brokered by Wayne Mitchell. The car was acquired from Peterson by Peter McGlone in 1991, and remained with him until sold to Mark Shillingburg in 2018.
28. Lotus 69B (Ted Coconis): Ted Coconis (Weston, CT) bought a 1971 Formula B Lotus 69, chassis 71/69.7.FB and raced it in SCCA Pro and SCCA Nationals in 1971 and 1972, but at some point he acquired this second Lotus 69. In 1973, he and son Tim raced a pair of Lotus 69s, sponsored by Ted's company Graphics International Racing, but exactly how the second care was used during this time is unclear. The main car was typically entered as #88, with white numbers on a black background, so it only required a few pieces of black tape to change this into #83, #68 or #89, as required. Both cars are thought to have looked the same, but until a picture is found of them alongside each other, this cannot be confirmed. The Coconises were not seen in 1974, and when Tim returned in 1975, he used his father's original car. The subsequent history of the second car used in 1973 remains a mystery.

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.