Brabham BT29 car-by-car histories
Sandy Shepard's Brabham BT29 at Riverside in early 1971. Copyright Allen Brown (slide acquired on eBay) 2012. Used with permission.
For 1969, Brabham built a dedicated Formula B car, a sister design to the Formula 2 BT30 and Formula 3 BT28. It dominated the category over the next two years and nearly 50 were sold to the US.
Following healthy sales of the 1.6-litre twin-cam Brabham BT21C into the US in 1968, Brabham built a dedicated Formula B design for 1969, the Brabham BT29. It used the same chassis as the F3 BT28 and F2 BT30 designs, but had smaller tanks than the F2 car and so slimmer sides. It was initially shipped with suspension-mounted front and rear wings, but these were outlawed soon after. A Vegantune-tuned Cosworth FLC engine based on the Ford twin cam, running Lucas fuel injection was standard equipment. Production problems on all three models meant that the first BT29s did not arrive in the US until the beginning of August 1969 but sales were very strong and around 20 were built and shipped before Christmas. Nick Craw won first time out in his BT29, and then Eastern Airlines pilot Bob Welch won the FB class in four successive SCCA Nationals at the end of the season. Both qualified for the SCCA Runoffs, where Welch finished third behind two BT21Cs. Another early BT29 buyer was Ottawa's Brian Robertson, who gave up his job as a bank manager to set up the Canadian operation of Fred Opert Racing.
In 1970, Allan Lader was very successful in the Pro FB series in a Brabham BT29, although he was not quite as successful as his teammate Mike Eyerly in the Chevron B17b. In terms of volume, the BT29 was the top car of 1970, taking over half the top-six finishing spots in Pro races in 1970, and the Divisional FB titles in North East, Central and South West Divisions. It remained a popular car for both FB and FC at the lower levels of SCCA racing through to the mid-1970s. However, these long racing lives combined with the number built make the BT29 one of the most complex models of car to document.
If you can add to our understanding of these cars, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
John Angus bought the first BT29, ordering the car as early as late summer of 1968 but taking delivery in August 1969. He ran it in Regionals in late 1969 before participating in the Pro series in 1970. He swapped from a Vegantune to a Racing Services engine for 1971 and continued in Nationals. Angus continued with the car in 1972, when Ron Dykes also drove it in the Bogotá races and again in 1973, when the car continued to be competitive at National level. To Marc Bahner (Santa Ana, CA) for 1974, and rebodied by him with March bodywork. Raced by Bahner in local SCCA events in 1974 and 1975. Bahner retained the car for many years, advertising it in December 1996 as "absolutely new - needing paint and assembly". It reappeared in 2002 when owned by Andrew Fuld in Texas. He cannot recall who he sold it to, but remembers that it went to San Antonio, and believes it ended up in vintage racing with the HSR. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: John Angus, Ron Dykes and Marc Bahner. First race: Wisconsin State Fair Park, 23 Aug 1969. Total of 44 recorded races.
Ken Valan in his Brabham BT29 at Lime Rock in October 1976. Copyright Arny Spahn 2020. Used with permission.
Fred Ashplant (Franklin Lakes, NJ) ordered a Brabham BT29 for 1969 but the car was not delivered until August and Ashplant had moved on to other projects. The car was not used during 1969 and was still in its crate when sold to Ken Duclos (Boxboro, MA) for use in NEDiv Formula B. Duclos won the title with a massive 48 pts from the similar BT29 of Bob Welch. After a quiet season with the black BT29 in 1971 he reclaimed his title in 1972, beating the newer March of Michael Rand. He bought a new Brabham BT40 for 1973 and won the divisional title again that season. The BT29 went in part exchange to Fred Opert and from him to Peter Gates (Wilmington, DE) who ran it in NEDiv FB for three more seasons. After him it went to Ken Valan (Wilmington, DE) for 1976, winning the FB class of the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series (MARRS) based at Summit Point, then to John Galson (Glen Mills, PA) and was then sold to the Midwest where it was expected to be converted into a sports racer. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Ken Duclos, R Peter Gates and Ken Valan. First race: Lime Rock (R10), 7 Sep 1970. Total of 28 recorded races.
Nick Craw (Washington, DC) bought one of the first Brabham BT29s from local Brabham dealer Fred Opert, a car tentatively identified as chassis BT29-5. Craw raced in SCCA events from August 1969 onwards, finishing second in the SEDiv FB championship by a single point, and in two Pro races. He continued with a BT29 in 1970 in Pro racing as part of Fred Opert Racing and to the best of his and Opert's recollection, used the same car. He bought a Brabham BT35 for 1971 but before this arrived in the US, he raced the BT29 once more, winning a National at Summit Point in April 1971. The car appeared in Fred Opert's stock list on 1 May, and on the reverse of one of this list, as sent by Opert's secretary Jeannie to Brabham historian Denis Lupton in 1971, a handwritten comment gives Craw's car as "BT29-5". A column by Craw in June 1972 said the car was sold to Jiro Yoneyama, a Japanese driver who raced a Brabham BT29 in US Formula B in 1971 as part of Fred Opert's team. His car was white and ran as #76. The Road America entry list noted it was using a Hart engine. Yoneyama was not seen after Road America in August 1971. Gary Gove (Tacoma, WA) recalls buying the ex-Nick Craw BT29 from Fred Opert, and he would have raced this in SCCA Regional and ICSCC events in late 1971 and the first part of 1972. It was reportedly crashed in 1972 and its later history is currently unresolved. An "ex-Gove" car is said to be chassis BT29-28, far too late a number to be Craw's car. Craw is sure that he only had one BT29, not two, so the fate of BT29-5 remains a mystery.
Driven by: Nick Craw and Jiro Yoneyama. First race: Daytona (R6), 2 Aug 1969. Total of 28 recorded races.
Steve Grundahl in his Brabham BT29 at Road America in September 2022. Copyright Austin Boynton 2022. Used with permission.
This car was still unraced when Howie Fairbanks (St Paul, MN) bought it in 1970 "still on its shipping pallet from a shop in Philadelphia". He fitted a 1-litre Ford Cosworth SCA engine and ran the car in Formula C in 1971, taking seven wins and then second place at the SCCA Runoffs. His partner Jim Blomquist (Bloomington, MN) drove it in 1972 and took third at the SCCA Runoffs. Fairbanks then sold it to Art Jaworski (Andover, MN) who continued to run it in FC and, later, in its successor Formula Continental into the mid-1980s. The next time it was seen was when it was acquired from Ken Smith (Auckland, New Zealand) via Air New Zealand pilot Michael Fitzpatrick by Mark Leonard of Grand Prix Classics (La Jolla, CA). How it had got to New Zealand remains a puzzle. Leonard sold it on to Duncan Dayton (Danbury, CT) in June 1991, and was raced by Dayton in historic racing in the 1990s, for example at the Chicago Historic Races at Road America in July 1995. It was bought from Dayton by Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL) in 2010, and had been acquired from Rahal by Richard Balsley (Naples, FL) by 2011. Raced by Balsley at Road America 17 May 2014. In May 2018, Balsley said on Facebook that the car was for sale. Bought from Balsley by Steve Grundahl (Blue Mounds, WI), and raced by him at Road America 17 Jul 2022, Road America 21 May 2023, Road America 18 Sep 2023, Road America 19 May 2024, Road America 14 Jul 2024 and Road America 16 Sep 2024.
Driven by: Howie Fairbanks, James Blomquist and Art Jaworski. First race: Brainerd, 30 May 1971. Total of 13 recorded races.
Bob Welch in his Brabham BT29 at VIR in April 1970. Copyright Robert Graham (virhistory.com) 2019. Used with permission.
R. C. 'Bob' Welch (Alexandria, VA) ordered one of the earliest Brabham BT29s but his car did not arrive late August 1969, giving him time for a short test before the Lime Rock Pro race where he finished seventh. He then set about qualifying for the SCCA Runoffs with just four weeks of the season left and on successive weekends won Nationals at Marlboro, VIR, IRP, and Pocono. Welch retained the car for 1970 when he scored 42 points in NEDiv but was again beaten to the title, this time by Ken Duclos in yet another BT29. The car was sold for 1971 and is believed to be the BT29 in which David Pearl (Atlanta, GA) was killed at Daytona that August. The ex-Welch car is known to have been involved in a major accident and its remains were used by Carl Whitney (Forge Village, MA) in 1972 when he constructed a BT29 out of two wrecked cars. By 2005, this car was with John Stowe. According to the highpowermedia.com website, Stowe (Bloomfield, CT) was still restoring this car in 2015.
Driven by: Bob Welch. First race: Lime Rock (R10), 1 Sep 1969. Total of 13 recorded races.
Brabham BT29 chassis BT29-9 in November 2018 after it was acquired by David Irwin. Copyright David Irwin 2018. Used with permission.
This early chassis number would have raced in 1969 but its first owner is still unknown. Working backwards from its modern ownership, it would have been the black-and-yellow BT29 raced by Allan Lader (Gresham, OR), until Lader got a new 1970-spec BT29 in July. The older car was sold to Ron Householder (Portland, OR) and raced by him in SCCA, CASC and ICSCC events in 1971, 1972 and 1973. Householder sold it to Paul Anderson (Huntington Beach, CA) who entered it for Pete Halsmer in SCCA events in 1974. Then to Bill Hill (Olympia, WA) in March 1975. Hill drove this car, mainly in ICSCC events, until April 1980 at least, and Hill advertised the car "for rent" in mid-1980. Retained by Hill until his death. It was sold by his widow to David Irwin (Evergreen, CO) in December 2017. The car was with Eric Stange in 2024, awaiting restoration.
Driven by: Allan Lader, Ron Householder, Pete Halsmer and Bill Hill. First race: Riverside (R1), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 51 recorded races.
Brabham BT29 chassis BT29-10 in December 2010 after its restoration by David Irwin. Copyright David Irwin 2010. Used with permission.
Bill Bowman (Palm Beach, FL) moved from sedan racing to FB for 1969 and bought one of the first Brabham BT29s to arrive in the US. The 43-year-old veteran first raced it at Daytona on 2 Aug 1969 and competed in 10 races in SEDiv but suffered significant reliability problems with the Vegantune engine and only finished third in the Division. He raced the blue-and-orange #79 car at the SCCA Runoffs and also appeared at the Sebring Pro race in December. Bowman then injured his lower back and was unable to continue racing the car. He sold it in the summer of 1970 to Jack Dartigalongue (Jacksonville, FL) who raced it in SCCA Regional and National events for several seasons. In 1973, he sold it to Lyle Heck (Reading, PA) who raced it until October 1975 when it went to Denny Anderson who discarded the chassis and used the corners to build a CSR racer, the Firand. Anderson later sold the Firand in 2000 to Frank Stark (Mechanicburg, PA) who sold it to Bruce Domeck (Louisville, KY) in 2002. Domeck acquired a repaired original BT29 frame with the intention of restoring it as a BT29 but sold the package to David Irwin (Evergreen, CO) and Eric Stange (Evergreen, CO) instead. Irwin was restoring the car in 2010 when he was able to trace the original frame which Anderson had thrown away. He purchased this frame and then cut it into pieces so it could not be used to build a separate car. The car was restored using frame number 'AM 70 120'. Irwin bought out Stange's share in the car in 2011, and in 2013 sold the complete car to Larry Wilson (Jupiter, FL). Finished in white with a red central stripe, the BT29 was raced by Wilson in a SVRA event at VIR in September 2013. Also raced by Wilson at at the VDCA event in Savannah, GA in December 2015. Displayed as part of the Larry & Pat Wilson Collection in 2018 and 2019. This car then appeared at Mecum's Monterey auction in August 2021. It was then owned by Byron DeFoor (Chattanooga, Tennessee) and was presented in Martini livery, and was fitted with a 2-litre Ford twin cam engine.
Driven by: Bill Bowman, Jack Dartigalongue and Lyle Heck. First race: Daytona (R6), 2 Aug 1969. Total of 13 recorded races.
Jerry Kehoe in his Can-Am-bodied Brabham BT29-Oldsmobile V8 in practice for the Can-Am race at Road America in 1982. Copyright Jerry Winker 2019. Used with permission.
Bill Boyer (Tucson, AZ) raced an orange #88 Brabham BT29 in two early rounds of the 1970 SCCA Formula B championship, both in California, retiring both times. He was not seen again in the car but advertised it in August 1972, over two years later, complete with Vegantune FLC engine and said to be "ready for pro races". In 1973 or 1974, it was bought from dealer Pierre Phillips (Portland, OR) by Jerry Kehoe (Santa Rosa, CA), who recalls having seen it at Max Mizejewski's MRE operation in Santa Ana maybe a year earlier. Mizejewski had raced a MRE-entered BT29 at Sears Point 16 Sep 1973 and this is assumed to be the same car. Presumably the Formula B car Kehoe drove in SCCA races at Sears Point in 1975 and 1976. By 1977, Kehoe had fitted it with a Cosworth FVC engine and was using in in Formula A in SCCA Nationals. Kehoe later rebuilt the car as a sports car and used it in Can-Am in 1980 as a 2-litre car, then with a 3.5-litre Oldsmobille from 1981 to 1983 and finally with Frissbee bodywork in 1984. By 1988, it was owned by James Connell (Pollack Pines, CA), and according to David Irwin, it was later owned by Fred Schrameck (Orangeville, CA). It reappeared in 2007, when it was said to have been '"resting comfortably" in the Sacramento area for at least 15 years, unused and untouched'. It still had Kehoe's 3.5-litre Oldsmobille engine, but the original body and engine were gone. The car was regarded as not being cost-effective to restore, and the frame was only usable a pattern for a new frame, so BT29-11 may have effectively ceased to exist at this point.
Driven by: Bill Boyer, Max Mizejewski and Jerry Kehoe. First race: Riverside (R1), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 21 recorded races.
Dale Lang (Wilton, CT) drove a crimson Brabham BT29 during the latter half of the 1970 season but the early chassis number suggest that the car have seen service before Lang's first observed race at Road America 18 Jul 1970. Fred Harris also drove Lang's car on at least one occasion. The car passed to east coast wheeler dealer Joe Grimaldi (Glenrock, NJ), presumably in trade for the new March 712M that Lang bought, and then on to Charlie J. Derbes III (Metairie, LA) who raced BT29-12 in two Nationals, at Summit Point 18 Apr 1971 and at Savannah 16-17 May 1971, but crashed heavily at the latter race. Charlie has retained the car but it remains unrebuilt to 2012.
Driven by: Fred Harris, Dale Lang and Charlie Derbes III. First race: Lime Rock, 4 Jul 1970. Total of 9 recorded races.
Because 13 was regarded as an “unlucky” number in some cultures, certain British racing car constructors chose to omit it from their numbering schemes. We know MRD built Brabham BT10 F2-13-64, BT15 F3-13-65, BT18 F2-13-66, BT21-13, BT38-13, BT38B-13, BT40-13, but conversely there was no BT13 design, and no trace has been found of BT23C-13, BT28-13 or BT30-13. With other models, either less than 13 were built so the problem never arose, or we don't know enough information to form a judgement. Mike Lawrence asked Ron Tauranac about why there was no BT13, and Tauranac believed Jack Brabham was against it. Tauranac himself was not suspicious about 13, as it was the date of his own birthday.
It is therefore not possible to be sure whether BT29-13 was built until the actual car turns up - or MRD production records turn up. Given the absence of '13' in the sister BT28 and BT30 production runs, it is assumed for now that it was not built.
But in case it was, see The unidentified early 1970 cars.
First owner unknown but thought to be 'the Mike Hiss car'.
See also The unidentified early 1970 cars.
First owner unknown but thought to be 'the Jay Jamison car'.
See also The unidentified early 1970 cars.
First owner unknown but thought to be 'the Graham Baker car'.
See also The unidentified early 1970 cars.
Bob Burnside in his Brabham BT29 at the VARAC Vintage GP at Mosport Park in June 2017. Copyright Peter Viccary (gladiatorroadracing.ca) 2021. Used with permission.
First owner unknown. See The unidentified early 1970 cars.
A car with this chassis number was acquired from Roy Grange by the Stange family in the early 1980s. It was still with the family in 2015. Dave Irwin tracked down that it had been acquired by Grange from Red LeGrand's shop (Sylmar, Los Angeles, CA) during the early 1980s. At that time it had wide-nose March bodywork.
Irwin was working on the restoration in May 2015. This is presumably the #50 car raced by Eric Stange (Littleton CO) at SVRA COTA in November 2016. A car with this chassis number raced by Bob Burnside (Dexter, MI) at the SVRA Spring Vintage Festival at Road America in May 2017 at the VARAC meeting at Mosport Park a month later (#8 white with red stripe).
Raced by Burnside at SVRA COTA 5 Nov 2016, Watkins Glen 10 Sep 2017, SVRA COTA 4 Nov 2017, Road America 22 Jul 2019, Road Atlanta 25 Apr 2021, Road America 18 Jul 2021, SVRA COTA 7 Nov 2021 and Road America 17 Jul 2022. Still owned by Bob Burnside in February 2025.
Carl Liebich (Two Rivers, WI) raced a yellow-and-blue #78 Liebrau Racing Brabham BT29 in 1970 in CenDiv events, finishing seventh in the final points table. He also appeared in two Pro events at Road America, his local track. He bought a Chevron B18 for 1971 and his BT29 was traded back to Fred Opert. Liebich recalls that he bought the car new from Gus Hutchison (Dallas, TX) but does not know who had it after he sold it to Opert. It appears on Opert's stock list on 1 May 1971 with a comment that it had only raced eight times. On the reverse of one of these newsletters, as sent by Opert's secretary Jeannie to Brabham historian Denis Lupton in 1971, a handwritten comment gives Liebich's car as "BT29-18". Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Carl Liebich. First race: Michigan International Speedway, 17 May 1970. Total of 4 recorded races.
John Frampton in his Brabham BT29/35 exits Sawbench at Wiscombe Park in 1986. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2010. Used with permission.
Sold to Steve Matchett but remained unraced in 1970. It was advertised by MRE for much of 1970. To Norman Cuthbert (Hitchin, Hertfordshire) for 1971 and raced in British Formula Atlantic, at first with a Ford twin cam and then with a BDA later in the season. By this time the car had bag tanks and new undertray supplied by Lenham Hurst. To John Sabourin for 1972 and continued in Formula Atlantic, sponsored by Master Blenders Ltd. He appeared briefly in Formula Libre racing with the car in 1973. Sabourin recalls part-trading it to Bobby Howlings for a Chevron B19/B23. The BT29 was then the "nipple pink" BT29/BT35 raced by Mike Chapman (Preston/Blackburn, Lancashire) and Mike Utley (Preston) in sprints, hillclimbs and libre racing from 1974 to 1977. During that time it exhibited the same Lenham Hurst bag tank/undertray modification. To John Frampton (Christchurch, Dorset) and used in the 1600cc class of British hillclimbs between 1978 and 1988. In 1987 and 1988, he shared the car with Hedley Hutchins (Christchurch, Dorset). The car was then mothballed and has remained in Frampton's garage.
Driven by: Norman Cuthbert, John Sabourin, Mike Chapman, Mike Utley and John Frampton. First race: Castle Combe, 12 Apr 1971. Total of 45 recorded races.
First owner unknown, but believed to be a second BT29 sold to Steve Matchett in the UK. Matchett told Andrew Fellowes that he sold his second BT29 via Fred Opert to someone in the American Midwest.
See also The unidentified early 1970 cars.
First owner unknown but thought to be 'the Chuck McCain car' from 1972 to 1974.
See also The unidentified early 1970 cars.
Jim Gutfreund (Des Moines, Iowa) bought a new Brabham BT29 for 1970 and ran it in Midwest Div Formula B, winning two races and leading the division until his BRM-built Ford twin-cam blew. He sold the car to Archie Snider (Los Gatos, CA) for 1971 and Snider continued with the BRM engine until joining forces with Jon Milledge (Mountain View, CA) who crewed the car for Snider in Regionals while racing it in Nationals and in Pro events. They continued with the car through 1972 and into 1973, before Snider replaced it with a GRD. It then went to Larry Wright (Riverside, CA) to replace his earlier BT29 that he'd wrecked in June 1973. Wright raced the car from late 1973 until 1976 after which he retired and sold the car to Gerhard Klose (Los Angeles, CA). Klose did not race it, and it remained outside in the elements until bought by Doug Turner (Newport Beach, CA). Turner restored the car for historic racing, and used it every season from 1984 to 2003. In that time, the car was also raced once by Jack Brabham at the Palm Spring Historics in November 1986. After Turner's death in March 2004, the car was bought from his estate in 2006 by a private collector. The BT29 was offered for sale by Fantasy Junction in 2025.
Driven by: James Gutfreund, Jon Milledge, Archie Snider and Larry Wright. First race: Mid-America Raceway, 24 May 1970. Total of 38 recorded races.
Entered by Fred Opert Racing for Evan Noyes (Cedarville, MI) in the 1971 Tasman series, where it was fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC. This was not the same BT29 that Noyes had used in Formula B in 1970, as that car was later advertised by Opert in the US. Sold to Graeme Lawrence (New Zealand) after the Tasman series, fitted with a Hart twin cam and used in races in South East Asia in early 1971, then with the FVC again for races in New Zealand and Australia. To Leo Geoghegan for SE Asian races in 1972, then to Ken Smith in New Zealand. Next seen when advertised by Bill David (Taupo, New Zealand) in June 1974, still with its FVC and twin cam engines. Raced by Frank Bray and entered by David in 1975, then to Peter Hughes and fitted with a Fiat engine for 1976, then a BDA for 1977. Observed by David McKinney in 1977 to be chassis BT29-23. David adds that it then went to Warren Steel who used parts for the Rhubarb V sportscar. The original Brabham frame and other parts passed from Steel to Dave Foster and then in 1982 to Tony Herbert. The Brabham was then reconstructed from its scattered parts and raced by Wayne Rodgers 1984, then Stephen Moyle, and then David Sharp. Sharp conducted a complete restoration in the mid-1980s and raced it from 1988 to 1992. It was then unused for about ten years before being bought by Murray Sinclair, who raced it in 2010 and 2011. Sinclair advertised the car in 2013. By June 2019, it had moved to the Rush Collection. Still in the collection in September 2022.
Driven by: Evan Noyes, Graeme Lawrence, Leo Geoghegan, Bill David, Frank Bray and Peter Hughes. First race: Levin (Tasman R1), 2 Jan 1971. Total of 24 recorded races.
First owner unknown. See also The unidentified early 1970 cars.
The history of this car is unknown until April 1987, when John Hafkenschiel of the US Brabham Registry recorded that is was owned by Cy Moreland (Trainer, PA). By 1991, it was owned by Jon Norman (Berkeley, CA). A later advert on motorsportsmarket.com stated that the car was purchased from Moreland with a twin cam engine in 1987, and was then "in storage from 1987 until 2009 when restoration started". It also said "same owner for over 30 years" which suggested Norman was that long-term owner. By June 2019, the restoration was complete and the car was first track tested. It was sold by Norman to Rodney Grabinski (Escondido, CA), who first raced it at Auto Club in February 2020. . Raced by Rodney Grabinski at Sonoma Raceway 1 May 2023.
This is believed to be the blue #74 Brabham BT29 raced by Tim Schenken at Sebring on 28 December 1969. Then to Harry Reynolds (Pottstown, PA) and fitted with 1100cc Cosworth SCC for SCCA Formula C. A regular FC class winner in SCCA Nationals in 1970, but retired from the SCCA Runoffs. Retained for 1971, and again a regular class winner in SCCA Nationals, and this time won the FC class in the combined FB/FC race at the SCCA Runoffs. He continued to dominate FC, winning the FC race at the 1972 SCCA Runoffs, and finishing second in 1973, and third after an engine problem in 1974. After the 1974 SCCA Runoffs, he announced that it was his last race. The subsequent history of the Brabham is unknown, but it is understood to be the BT29 raced by Larry Yeager (Reading, PA) in FC in 1977 and 1978. By 1982, the car had been acquired by Gary Dausch (Indianapolis, IN), who sold it to James King (Belleville, IL) in 1984. King raced the car regularly in US historic racing, initially with a Cosworth BDA engine. After being parked for a number of years, King had it rebuilt to Formula B specification, appearing for the first time in this specification at Road America in May 2008. The car was then rebuilt in 2010 by John Rogers Racing using a new frame fabricated by J&L Fabricating, and King only used it rarely after that. It was sold by King via Mark Leonard of Grand Prix Classics (La Jolla, CA) in March 2013 to Peter McLaughlin (New Hampshire). Sold to Grant Perryman (Australia) in 2017, and then sold again from Perryman to Robert Hancock (Erie, CO) in December 2017. Entered by Bob Hancock for the Walt Schuster Shootout at High Plains Raceway in May 2021.
Driven by: Tim Schenken, Harry Reynolds and Larry Yeager. First race: Sebring International Raceway (R13), 28 Dec 1969. Total of 40 recorded races.
Courtney Rood in his Brabham BT29 in 1975 or 1976. Copyright Vincent Puleo 2016. Used with permission.
This car is likely to have raced in 1970 but its history is not known until it is believed to be the car raced by Dewey Harless (Portland, OR) in NorPac FB in 1971 and 1972. It was bought from Harless by Courtney Rood (Geyserville, CA) and raced mainly in San Francisco Region events at Sears Point over the next three seasons, winning the SFR Regional FB title in 1973 and 1975. He advertised the car at the end of 1976 but it did not sell and he retained it until 1995 or 1996 when it was bought by Dick McGovern (San Jose, CA) for historic racing. Sold by McGovern to Mark Mauz (Evergreen, CO) in 2018. David Irwin (Englewood, CO) restored the car during 2018 and early 2019, finished in red bodywork with a black stripe around the nose. Raced by Mauz at SVRA COTA in November 2021 (#429 orange). Still with Mauz in February 2025.
Driven by: Gordon Strom, Dewey Harless and Courtney R Rood. First race: Portland International Raceways, 11 Jun 1972. Total of 14 recorded races.
First owner unknown. See also The unidentified early 1970 cars.
Dave Irwin advised that Siegfried Bayda (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) had chassis BT29-27 in 1991. In 2012, Tom Johnston’s book 'British Racing Cars in Canada' included a listing for chassis BT29-27, saying "John Thompson of Calgary Alberta is currently campaigning this car in Formula B specification in historic racing in the western US and Canada. The car is thought to have come from Quebec originally." However, when John Thompson posted on 10 Tenths in January 2009, describing a car he had bought about six years previously from "a fellow from Calgary Alberta named Siggy Bayda", he called it BT29-21.
Ted Wenz in his Brabham BT29 at the SCCA National at Lime Rock in July 1976. Copyright Arny Spahn 2020. Used with permission.
After crashing his FC car at Lime Rock in August 1969, Dexter Farley (Waldorf, MD) part-exchanged the wrecked Brabham for a new Brabham BT29 from east coast dealer Joe Grimaldi, who had recently parted from Fred Opert. Farley drove the car in Pro events in 1970 as well as competing in NEDiv FB races. He retained it for 1971 when Tom Reddy raced it a couple of times and advertised it as "ser no 30" in October 1971. He also had it in the early part of 1972 before moving to Washington state and quitting racing. The next period of the car's life is unknown but it has been identified as the BT29 bought around 1974 from Bill Wonder by engine preparer Ted Wenz and raced in 1975. Wonder had been running it for a "woman driver", which must mean Diana Black (Kew Gardens, NY) who raced a Brabham BT29 in NEDiv FB in 1973 and 1974. Wenz later sold it to Texas but it re-emerged in the 1980s. In 1988, a list of "Known of former Brabham owners", almost certainly compiled by John Hafkenschiel of the US Brabham Registry, showed BT29-30 with Thomas Acker (Largo, FL). From there, Andrew Fellowes with the help of Ted Wenz tracked it via Jim Webster (St Petersburg, FL), Randy Johnson (Dallas, TX), who drove it at Mid-Ohio in June 1994 and at the Chicago Historic Races at Road America in August 1994, and Barry Marquart (Leakwood, KS), who raced it at Mid-Ohio in June 1995 and Road America in July 1998, to Peter McLaughlin (Hannover, NH) some time before 2009. It was for sale on race-cars.com in 2005 from Alton, VA, quoting its SVRA number as 1626 and saying the car "has been actively raced in Vintage Racing since the early 1990s". At that time it was red with a white nose and stripe, and wearing #11.
Driven by: Dexter Farley, Tom Reddy, Diana Black and Ted Wenz. First race: Virginia International Raceway, 26 Apr 1970. Total of 18 recorded races.
First owner unknown. See The unidentified early 1970 cars.
In 1988, John Hafkenschiel of the US Brabham Registry recorded that 'BT29-32' was owned by Gary Dausch (Indianapolis, IN). Its frame number was not known.
This Brabham BT29, believed to be chassis BT29-33, was bought new by Michael F. Hall (Chicago, IL) and used in SCCA racing where Hall won the 1970 CenDiv FB title. He also raced it in the Pro series in the latter half of the season. Hall retained the red-and-yellow BT29 for the first half of 1971 but replaced it with a new BT35 in August and sold the BT29 to Phil Geraldi (Valley Stream, NY), who had previously raced a LeGrand in NEDiv FB. Geraldi raced it for the rest of 1971 and in 1972 then sold it to Charles J. Derbes III (Metairie, LA) in the spring of 1973. Derbes won the SWDiv Formula B title in this car in 1974 and attended the SCCA Runoffs, finishing 12th. He was second in the Division in 1975 and tied with Warren Pauge for the 1976 title. Chaz Derbes has retained the BT29 ever since, still owning it in 2012. Raced by Derbes at the SVRA Vintage Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio in June 2018. Entered for the SVRA race at Nola Motorsports Park in April 2022 but did not run. Charles Joseph Derbes III died in August 2024, just after his 82 birthday.
Driven by: Mike Hall, Philip Geraldi and Charlie Derbes III. First race: Michigan International Speedway, 17 May 1970. Total of 29 recorded races.
Ken Huband (Ottawa, Ontario) ran a red/black #15 Brabham BT29 in Canadian and US Formula B in 1970, first appearing at Mont-Tremblant 24 May 1970. He retained the car in 1971 and in 1972. Huband advertised the BT29 in CP&A 21 Oct 1972 as "Brabham BT29/34", implying it was chassis 34. Several BT29 owners had mentioned the chassis numbers of the cars in adverts, presumably to emphasise the newer cars. Peter Nye arranged the sale of the car to Bill Wolfe, a dentist in Austin, Texas, but Wolfe later pulled out of a deal with Nye to assemble the car for him. Nothing more known until a car with this chassis number sold by Reg Howell (Newport Beach, CA) to Steve Thein (San Diego, CA) in December 1994, then by Thein to Francisco "Tito" Gallegos (San Antonio, TX) in March 1999. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Ken Huband. First race: Mont-Tremblant (R1), 24 May 1970. Total of 17 recorded races.
New in mid-1970 for Allan Lader (Gresham, OR) to race, entered by Fred Opert Racing. Later in 1970 the car was entered by Opert/Bonphil Racing. Where this car went after 1970 is unknown, but Denis Lupton and Andrew Fellowes had the names Les Miller, Michael Brawn, Bob Lee, and Bob Esseks connected to this car. Bob Esseks (New York, NY) raced a BT29 in FB in 1972, and Les Miller (Indianapolis, IN) raced a BT29 in Formula C in 1975, having raced an older BT21 the previous season. Some time around 1993, Lader bought the car back and restored it himself, before selling it to Tony Seiniger (Beverley Hills, CA) in March 1995. Seiniger raced it at Mid-Ohio July 1995, the Chicago Historic Races at Road America later in July 1995 and Road America in July 1998. Seiniger sold the car to David Romaine (Glen Ellyn, IL) in August 2005, and it then went to Bobby Rahal (Glen Ellyn, IL) in August 2008. Rahal had two BT29s; this one was red with a black stripe. Exactly what happened to the car after 2008 remains unclerar, but it re-emerged in 2023 when it was owned by Bob Hunt (Arizona) and was sold by Art Hebert of Motorsports Market for him to Mark Mauz (Evergreen, CO).
Driven by: Allan Lader. First race: Road America (R7), 18 Jul 1970. Total of 8 recorded races.
First owner unknown but thought to be 'the Matt Spitzley car'.
See also The unidentified later 1970 cars.
Tony Griffiths in his new Brabham BT29X/BT30 at Prescott in May 1970. Copyright Ted Walker 2024. Used with permission.
Richard Jones in his Brabham BT29X at Shelsley Walsh in August 2015. Copyright Peter Atkins 2025. Used with permission.
New to Tony Griffiths (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) and fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC as the "BT29X" for hillclimbing, maintained by Kidderminster Motors. The car has a BT30-style engine bay with removable cross member, but the front of the car is the same as a BT29 with smaller fuel tanks. It was damaged in a practice accident at Silverstone on its debut and said to have been rebuilt on a BT30 chassis, although later owner Richard Jones spoke to one of the Kidderminster Motors employees who said there was only suspension damage. So the car appears to have had its BT30-style frame from new, despite wearing a chassis plate saying BT29X-37. It was raced by Griffiths in British Hill Climb Championship events in 1970, often entered as the BT30Y. Advertised by Griffiths in Motoring News 19 Nov 1970 as "BT29X: full BT30 Specification: built April '70. It was complete with Cosworth FVC engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox. Sold to Spencer Elton (Westbury, Wiltshire) by February 1971 but not used until mid-1972, when it had a 1.6-litre Vegantune twin cam engine. To David Render (London) as a 1600cc backup to his 2-litre Brabham BT35 and used from 1973 to 1976. Then unknown until acquired by Peter Robinson (Studley, Warwickshire) to replace BT30-26 in late 1979. Sold to Julian Majzub (Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire) when Robinson retired c1983 so Majzub could retrieve some of the parts from BT30-26. Sold to Richard Jones (Pitchcombe, Nr Stroud, Gloucestershire) winter 2007/2008. Run by Jones in the BOC Members Championship and in the Midland Hillclimb Championship. Still with Jones in March 2020.
Driven by: Tony Griffiths, Spencer Elton, David Render, Rob Turnbull, Peter Bodle and Peter Robinson. First race: Prescott (R1), 3 May 1970. Total of 47 recorded races.
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, 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 was the blue #80 Brabham BT29 raced by Lee Midgley at Road America in August 1973 and by Archie Snider at Trois-Rivières a week later. The car was then parked until 1976, when it was damaged by Willy T Ribbs at Riverside. It was then sold to Lou Pavesi (Los Altos, CA), and remained with him until 1989 when he sold it to Stephen Pike (Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia). From Pike to Peter McGlone (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) in 1991. Acquired from McGlone by David Irwin in late 2018 on behalf of customer Paul Haggar (Cypress, TX), and restored for him by Irwin. Raced by Haggar at SVRA COTA in November 2021 (#63 blue/yellow). Still with Haggar in February 2025.
Driven by: Randy Lewis, Mike Eyerly, Jon Milledge, Lee Midgley and Archie Snider. First race: Riverside (R1), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 17 recorded races.
William D "Bill" Roland bought a new Brabham BT29 for SWDiv Formula B racing in 1970. The car was one of the last built and was new in July 1970. He scored two second placed finishes in Nationals in 1970, both times at Texas World Speedway, but narrowly failed to qualify for the SCCA Runoffs. He later crashed the car heavily at Road Atlanta requiring a new frame. In 1973, Roland sold the rebuilt car plus its original frame to Mike Calvert (Deer Park, Pasadena, TX) who raced it in SWDiv Regionals in 1977. Later owned Brad Balles understands it then went to someone called Irving, then to a builder from Argile, TX in lieu of payment, then to Mike Saxon (Argile, TX). By 2008, it had been acquired from Saxon by Brad Balles (Dallas, TX). Sold in July 2008 to Dean Baker (Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada).
Driven by: Bill Roland, Mike A Calvert and Daniel Amato. First race: Dallas International Motor Speedway (R6), 5 Jul 1970. Total of 10 recorded races.
Ron Dykes in Dick Doherty's Brabham BT29 in an SCCA National at Riverside in early 1971. Copyright Allen Brown (slide acquired on eBay) 2012. Used with permission.
Bought new by Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA) and raced in Formula B in the Pacific Northwest in 1970. Sold to Dick Doherty (Hollywood, CA) for Ron Dykes (Marina del Rey, CA) to race in early 1971 SoPac Div SCCA Nationals, where he was unbeatable in the category, and then by Doherty himself later in 1971 and in early 1972. Believed to have gone to Byron Hatten (Altadena, CA) and raced by him some time between mid-1972 and mid-1973 after which it was bought by Frank Monise Jr (Pasadena, CA). Monise raced it in 1973/74 before crashing it heavily at Laguna Seca and wrecking the frame. He bought a second BT29 and eventually sold the remains of BT29-41 to Barry Blackmore (San Marino, CA) who had it rebuilt with a new frame fabricated by Wayne Mitchell and stamped 'W12191'. This rebuilt, rechassised car was sold by Tony Seiniger (Los Angeles, CA) via Mark Leonard at Grand Prix Classics (La Jolla, CA) to Warwick Mortimer (Matakana, New Zealand) in 2005. It was raced for Mortimer by Mitch Evans (Auckland, NZ) for three years. Mortimer sold it to Tony Roberts (Auckland, New Zealand) in June 2013. By June 2015, this car was back in the US when it was sold by Fantasy Junction. Subsequent history unknown. In June 2015, it was sold via Yukihiro Sudo of Key’s International to Masakazu Tezuka of "Old Timer" (Tochigi, Japan).
Driven by: Allen Karlberg, Ron Dykes and Dick Doherty. First race: Seattle (R3), 7 Jun 1970. Total of 15 recorded races.
Asa Candler in his Brabham BT29 at the 2004 Zippo Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in 2004. Licenced by Nathan Bittinger under Creative Commons licence Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). Original image has been cropped.
Chester T 'Chet' Freeman (Columbus, OH) had been one of the first BT29 owners in August 1969 and had won the CenDiv FB title but his car had been sold to Fred Opert by November. In June 1970, he took delivery of a second BT29, blue again like his first car, but too late this time to retain his title. He appeared in only one Pro race, the Road America race on 18 Jul 1970. The Brabham was sold to Chuck Dietrich for 1971 and Dietrich easily won the 1971 CenDiv FB title in this car. Then unknown until the 1990s when it was being raced by an "R Cooke" in the US Northwest. Denis Lupton identified this as Ray Cooke, who would be the Ray Cooke of Vancouver and later of Mercer Island, Washington, who owned a Brabham BT5 at a similar time. Cooke raced a BT29 at SOVREN Seattle in September 1998. The BT29 was with Asa Candler (Naples, FL) by about 1994 and was raced in historics over the next decade, unfortunately developing a habit of crashing. It was bought from Candler by Chris Rose (San Francisco, CA) in 2007, but he also crashed the car at Sonoma in 2008 and it required a new frame made by ex-MRD fabricator Ian Gordon. Rose then sold the car as a project to Nick Colyvas who finished the project with John Anderson and then sold it to Mike Thurlow (Kingsburg, CA). He raced it for two years before having another severe accident in it. It was sold to Martin Lauber (Belvedere Tiburon) and extensively rebuilt again by Anderson. Raced by Lauber at Laguna Seca in June 2018, but later crashed again at Sonoma. Sold via Mark Leonard's Grand Prix Classics to Jack Whalen (Ridgefield, CT) in November 2018.
Driven by: Chet Freeman and Chuck Dietrich. First race: Road America (R7), 18 Jul 1970. Total of 18 recorded races.
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 of Veloce Motors West (Petaluma, CA) and raced once at Palm Springs, then to Tony Podell (Rolling Hills, CA). Then to Randall Smith (Petaluna, CA) as a 50th birthday present from his wife in 1996! Raced by Smith at SVRA COTA (#148 blue/white) in November 2015. Still owned by Smith in February 2022.
Driven by: Cliff L. Phillips and Roger Seacrist. First race: Trois-Rivières, 27 Aug 1972. Total of 4 recorded races.
Simon Lambert in his Brabham BT29 at Phillip Island in March 2024. Copyright Cee Jones 2025. Used with permission.
This late BT29 remained unused in 1970 and was sold by Charlie Hayes to Larry Wright (Riverside, CA) in Dec 1970, taking Wright's Chevron B15 in part exchange. Wright raced the orange-and-yellow #83 Brabham in Pro events and in SCCA National and Regional events on the west coast. In June 1973, he wrecked the car in practice for a National at Laguna Seca and replaced it with the ex-Archie Snider BT29. The damaged chassis went to Marc Bahner in 1974 who eventually repaired it and sold it to Lou Pavesi (Los Altos, CA) in 1980. Pavesi sold it as a bare frame in February 1989 to Stephen Pike (Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia), and it passed from him to Jim McConville in Australia in 1993. They restored the car and it was then raced by Jim McConville in Australian historic racing from 1999 to 2009, by Geoff Burton from 2009 to 2014 and then by Jim's son Robert McConville from 2013 to 2018. Jim McConville died in 2021 and his son sold the car to Simon Lambert (South Australia). Raced by Simon Lambert at The Bend Motorsport Park in 2022 and 2023, and at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2024. The car was badly damaged in a demonstration run at the Australian GP meeting later that month. In early February, it was being rebuilt by Wayne Groeger's team.
Driven by: Larry Wright. First race: Seattle (R1), 23 May 1971. Total of 10 recorded races.
The Brabham BT29 of Phil Palm and Ron Pohl being raced at Riverside in 1972. Copyright Ron Pohl. Used with permission.
David Smoker's Brabham BT29 at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2019. Copyright Wayne Groeger 2025. Used with permission.
This is one of a pair of late BT29s acquired by California dealer Charlie Hayes which remained unraced during 1970. It was sold it March 1971 to Doug Brenner (Pasadena, CA) and raced in Pro events and in SCCA Nationals that season. Brenner raced the yellow Brabham in the two Bogotá races in early 1972 and then sold it to Phil Palm and Ron Pohl 1972 who retained Brenner's entry number of #26 and raced the car in 1972. They sold it to Bill Summers (Middleton, WI) who raced it in SCCA Regional and Midwest Council races at Elkhart Lake, Brainerd, and Blackhawk Farms, and advertised it in October 1978 with a CRW engine. The next owner was Bob Mijolevic (Pardeeville, WI) who used it in Midwest Council events in 1980, later fitting a Mazda engine for use in autocross. Mijolevic last raced the car in September 1982 but after that the history is largely unknown until it was bought by Cy Moreland (Trainer, PA) who in turn sold it to Dave Burch (Los Altos, CA) in 1997. It was rebuilt in the mid-1990s using a replacement Marc Bahner chassis. Raced by Burch at Portland in July 1998. Sold via Fantasy Junction in late 2011 to Wayne Wilson (Sydney, NSW, Australia) and raced by him in Australian historic events until 2020. Sold in September 2020 to David Smoker (Adelaide, South Australia). Raced by Smoker in Australian historic events from 2020 to 2024. Still owned by David in March 2025.
Driven by: Doug Brenner, Phil Palm, Ron Pohl, Bill Summers and Bob Mijolevic. First race: Seattle (R1), 23 May 1971. Total of 18 recorded races.
Paul Thomas in his Brabham BT29 at Bryar in May 1977. Copyright Arny Spahn 2020. Used with permission.
Joel Quadracci in his Brabham BT29 at the Weathertech event at Road America in 2016. Copyright Jerry Winker 2019. Used with permission.
Allan Lader had raced as part of the Fred Opert team during the latter half of 1970 but in 1971 he returned to running his own car with Pacifico Inc backing. He again raced a Brabham BT29, his third, and continued his run of excellent results by winning the opening two rounds of the Pro series from pole. At the third round, at Mexico City, he crashed heavily and the BT29 was wrecked. Lader quickly bought a new Brabham BT35 and the wrecked BT29 frame went via Opert to Carl Whitney and some components from it were salvaged to be used on the Formula C BT29 that he built up for the 1972 season. The remains of the wreck were sold (with another wreck) to Ken Duclos to help keep his FB BT29 running. Marty Handshy (Ridgefield, CT) then bought both sets of remains from Duclos. It is unclear how this car was identified as BT29-46 but a reproduction plate was created at the time of the restoration when the frame was reconstructed by Dave Irwin's Lime Rock Motors in 1999. He retained the car until some time between 2004 and 2005 when it was sold by Handshy to Shelby Mershon (Springfield, OH), who raced it at the Vintage GT Challenge at Road America in 2005. Sold by Dan Mershon to Joel Quadracci (Hartland, WI/Sussex, WI), who raced it in historic racing from 2009 onwards. Usually entered as #44 or #144, he raced the car at Road America 19 Jul 2009, Mid-Ohio 27 Jun 2010, Road America 18 Jul 2010, Mid-Ohio 26 Jun 2011, Road America 17 May 2014, SVRA COTA 11 Oct 2014, SVRA COTA 4 Nov 2017, Road America 23 Jul 2018, Road America 22 Jul 2019, Road America 18 Jul 2021, Road America 17 Jul 2022, SVRA COTA 6 Nov 2023 and Road America 14 Jul 2024.
Driven by: Allan Lader, Carl Whitney and Paul Thomas. First race: Phoenix International Raceway, 28 Feb 1971. Total of 33 recorded races.
First owner unknown. See The unidentified later 1970 cars.
This car was acquired by Denis Lupton (Melbourne, Australia) around 1976 or 1977, having been an Opert team car before that. The car lived under his house for many years. After Denis's death in July 2024, the car was acquired by Wayne Groeger. In February 2025 the chassis was being refurbished by David Kent, whom was also fabricating the suspension arms, oil and fuel tanks, and other items needed to complete it.
Thomas Kornell's Brabham BT29 with Rondel-style nose at the Run-Offs in 1971. Copyright Thomas Kornell 2011. Used with permission.
Sold new to Tom Kornell (Seal Beach, CA) and raced in SCCA Divisional and Pro Formula B in 1971 and 1972. Kornell added a sports car nose and a more substantial rollhoop amongst other changes. He ordered a Brabham BT41 for 1973 and the BT29 went to Fred Opert as a trade. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Thomas E. Kornell. First race: Riverside, 14 Feb 1971. Total of 19 recorded races.
New to Barry Fox (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for Formula B in 1971. Barry was the son of Tom Fox, one of the backers of the "Spirit of Edmonton" project in 1970. He first tested the BT29 at Edmonton on 21 April 1971, and first raced it in a CASC Regional at the same circuit in mid-May. He then competed in most rounds of the Players series, sponsored by Astro Shield and Muntz. The BT29 was sold to Dave Ogilvy (Vancouver, BC), who raced it in the Players series in 1972. It was then sold to Gordon Munroe (Victoria, BC) who raced it in Canadian and ICSCC events in 1973 and 1974 as a Formula B, then from 1975 to 1979 as a Formula Atlantic. Munroe then sold the Brabham to Andrew Hagen (Victoria, BC), proprietor of Eurocar in Victoria, who fitted an Alfa Romeo engine for ICSCC Formula B events in 1980 and 1981. It was typically entered by "Jawl Bros Racing/Euro Car". Rex Thompson (West Vancouver) bought it from Euro Car and raced it in ICSCC Novice races in 1982. Still owned by Thompson in 2008.
Driven by: Barry Fox, Dave Ogilvy, Gordon Munroe, Andrew Hagen and Rex Thompson. First race: Seattle (R1), 23 May 1971. Total of 37 recorded races.
The unidentified 1969 cars
In addition to the cars we know ran in 1969 (John Angus’s BT29-1, Nick Craw’s BT29-5, Bob Welch’s BT29-8 and Bill Bowman’s BT29-10), as many as five others raced before the end of the season: Fred Opert’s own car in New Jersey, Chet Freeman’s car in Ohio, Bill Gubelmann’s car in New York, Nick Reynolds' in Oregon, and the car borrowed by Peter Roberts from “an Ontario driver”. As we can be confident that BT29-2 and BT29-7 had arrived but did not race, these four cars are likely to be BT29-3, BT29-4, BT29-6 and BT29-9. Reynolds did not appear again in his car, so there's a good chance his moved to Allan Lader. Lader inherited Reynolds' mechanic, John Hollway, and it is interesting that Lader only raced BT29-9 until July, when he too delivery of a newer 1970-spec BT29.
Fred Opert (Paramus, NJ) raced his own yellow/orange/blue #73 Brabham BT29 as soon as one was available, debuting at Brainerd in August 1969. He presumably drove the same car for the rest of that season, and for the opening race of the 1970 season. Opert then moved to a Chevron B17b, and the subsequent history of the BT29 is unknown. One possibility is it was one of the cars made available as a hire car by Fred Opert Racing in 1970, but there are no obviously candidates, so it is more likely that the car was sold.
Driven by: Fred Opert. First race: Brainerd (R8), 10 Aug 1969. Total of 8 recorded races.
Chet Freeman (Columbus, OH) bought one of the earliest Brabham BT29s to arrive in the US and used it in SCCA Central Division FB, accumulating 25 pts and narrowly winning the Division. Freeman then sold the car back to Fred Opert where it was advertised in November (French Blue, Vegantune engine, Cen Div FB champ, less than 4 months old). Subsequent history unknown but note that Freeman bought a second BT29, chassis BT29-42, in June 1970.
Driven by: Chet Freeman. First race: Blackhawk Farms (R8), 24 Aug 1969. Total of 4 recorded races.
Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) bought one of the first Brabham BT29s to arrive in the US and debuted it in the Pro race at Lime Rock 1 Sep 1969, winning comfortably. He raced it three more times that season but then decided to join Gene Mason's works-assisted Tecno FB team for 1970. The BT29 was advertised and, based on the identical, orange, yellow and white livery, was sold to John G. Girdler (Southampton, NY) who raced it in a handful of Pro events and probably also in SCCA events during 1970. Girdler upgraded to a new March for 1971 so the Brabham may have been traded to Joe Grimaldi. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Bill Gubelmann and John Girdler. First race: Lime Rock (R10), 1 Sep 1969. Total of 7 recorded races.
Nick Reynolds (Port Orford, OR) appears to have raced a Brabham BT29 in an SCCA Regional the day before the Oregon Grand Prix SCCA National in September 1969. Reynolds was well known in the press as a recently-retired member of the Kingston Trio, an early folk-pop group. He had moved to Oregon, and had raced a Brabham BT21C in Formula B in 1968, winning several races. His BT21C had been sold to William Monson, and a press report in June 1969 said that Reynolds was "patiently awaiting completion of a new Formula B car". On 9 September, The Oregon Daily Journal reported that Reynolds would drive in the Oregon GP in "a brand new Brabham BT-19[sic] which arrived by air from London just last week". Reynolds was then reported as a class winner in the SCCA Regional in a Brabham. Reynolds was not mentioned in a racing context again, and the subsequent history of the BT29 is unknown. John Holloway (Portland, OR/Gresham, OR) was Reynolds' mechanic, and it is possible this was the unidentified Brabham that he drove in a Northwest Region SCCA Regional at Seattle in April 1970. Holloway became Allan Lader's mechanic and apart from that FB outing, did not race full-time until 1972, when he was in Formula Ford.
Driven by: Nick Reynolds. First race: Portland International Raceways, 13 Sep 1969. Only one recorded race.
For the Trois-Rivières race in Sep 1969, Peter Roberts borrowed a Brabham BT29 from someone who was described only as "an Ontario driver". No Ontario drivers had raced a BT29 up to that point but Brian Robertson (Brockville) debuted his car at Sebring in December and Ken Huband (Ottawa) was a regular throughout 1970. Robertson, who ran Fred Opert Racing's Canadian division, is by far the most likely.
Driven by: Peter Roberts. First race: Trois-Rivières (R7), 14 Sep 1969. Only one recorded race.
The unidentified early 1970 cars
A large number of BT29s arrived late in 1969 and early in 1970, so did not make their race debuts until 1970. Apart from the first ten cars that we speculate arrived earlier enough to race in 1969, it would appear that another 23 arrived in time for the start of the US season in April/May 1970. These would be the chassis numbers from BT29-11 up to BT29-34, excluding BT29-19 which is known to have stayed in the UK. First owners for some of these are known: Bill Boyer had BT29-11, Dale Lang had BT29-12, Carl Liebich had BT29-18, Jim Gutfreund had BT29-22, Harry Reynolds had BT29-25 that Tim Schenken raced at Sebring in December, Dexter Farley had BT29-30, Mike Hall had BT29-33 and Ken Huband had BT29-34. That leaves another 15 for which first owners are not yet known.
In addition to those 15 are the (estimated) ten that had already arrived in 1969. The early 1970 ownership of seven of these is known: John Angus still had BT29-1, Ken Duclos had BT29-2, Nick Craw still had BT29-5, Howie Fairbanks had BT29-7, Bob Welch had BT29-8, Alan Lader had BT29-9 and Bill Bowman had BT29-10. Of the five that are not yet identified, Bill Gubelmann’s had gone to John Girdler, but Chet Freeman’s, Fred Opert’s, Nick Reynolds' and that of the “Ontario driver” are unknown. One of these must be Lader’s BT29-9, most likely Nick Reynolds', leaving three that have unknown owners in 1970. So a total of 17 or 18 cars have unknown owners in early 1970. Corresponding to these 17 or 18 cars, we can presently identify the 13 drivers below that raced their BT29s for the first time before early June 1970. This suggests that five cars did not race until later in the year.
Brian Robertson (Brockville, Ontario) bought a Brabham BT29 late in 1969, debuting it at Sebring in December. He raced it extensively in 1970, taking in the Quebec and national Canadian series as well as rounds of the SCCA Pro series. He was entered by Fred Opert Racing Canada, a business in which he was a partner with Opert. Robertson upgraded to a BT35 for 1971 and his BT29 is likely to have been sold via the Opert operation. It does not appear in Opert's early 1971 advert so one possibility is that it was BT29-23, the car Evan Noyes took to the Tasman series.
Driven by: Brian Robertson. First race: Sebring International Raceway (R13), 28 Dec 1969. Total of 16 recorded races.
At the end of 1969, Jay Jamison (San Diego, CA) bought a new red Brabham BT29 from Chip Gompf and Wayne Mitchell, who had three new BT29s in stock. Jamison raced the car in San Diego Region's early-season event at Holtville Aerodrome on 1 Feb 1970 and raced in the Pro series until an accident at Edmonton curtailed his season. The car was repaired but the Pro season was complete before he could return to competition. After two more Holtville Regionals in November 1970 and January 1971, Jamison sold the car to local dealer Charlie Hayes. Jamison is sure that this was the car Hayes then entered for Mike Hiss later in 1971. This would include the Pro Formula 5000 race at Laguna Seca 2 May 1971 where Hiss ran in Formula A with a BDA engine fitted to the Brabham.
Driven by: Jay Jamison and Mike Hiss. First race: Holtville Aerodrome, 1 Feb 1970. Total of 9 recorded races.
Evan L. Noyes Jr . (Cedarville, MI) entered a yellow Brabham BT29 for Sebring 28 Dec 1969 but did not arrive, implying his car was not quite ready on time. His first known race is at Green Valley Raceway on 22 Feb 1970, a SWDiv National and he ran the canary yellow BT29 in both the 1970 Pro season, where he was a member of the Fred Opert Racing team, and in Nationals where he finished second in CenDiv to Michael Hall. He finished second to Skip Barber's Tecno at the SCCA Runoffs. This is not the same car that Noyes then took to the Tasman series in January 1971 as his well-used US car was on Fred Opert's stock list on 1 May 1971 with a comment that it had not raced since the SCCA Runoffs.
Driven by: Evan Noyes. First race: Green Valley Raceway, 22 Feb 1970. Total of 20 recorded races.
Randy Fraser (Piedmont, Quebec/Rhode Island) raced a blue-and-silver #54 Brabham BT29 in 1970 as part of Team IRI and with sponsorship from Multimetals. He appeared in both the Canadian and US Pro series but focused on the US series after the first few races. He moved to a new March 71BM for 1971 but the Brabham remained unsold. It appeared in his advert in CP&A in November 1971 when it was described as a rolling chassis in parts. Subsequent history unknown, but the description of this car matches that of the BT29 bought from Brian Robertson by Bill Bovenizer (Toronto, Canada), and later sold to Werner Gudzus (Toronto, Canada).
Driven by: Randy Fraser. First race: Riverside (R1), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 12 recorded races.
Larry Harley (Dallas, TX) bought a Brabham BT29 for the 1970 season, using it in the Southwest Division FB title race - where he finished just a single point behind winner Roy Maze - and in a couple of Pro events. After finishing ninth in the SCCA Runoffs, the car passed to Steve Louden (also Dallas) who raced it in 1971 and 1972, winning the SWDiv title in 1971 and tying in 1972.
Driven by: Larry Harley and Steve Louden. First race: Riverside (R1), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 19 recorded races.
Sandy Shepard in his Brabham BT29. Sandy's caption of this picture was Monterrey 1971. Copyright Sandy Shepard 2005. Used with permission.
Sandy Shepard (Denton, TX) raced a new black #59 Brabham BT29 from the start of the 1970 season. With support from his father's KDNT Radio Station, Shepard competed in every round, finishing second in his 'home' race at Dallas. He also raced the car in the Polar Prix SCCA National in February 1971 before it to Fred Opert who had it lined up for a Mexican customer.
Driven by: Sandy Shepard. First race: Riverside (R1), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 10 recorded races.
Matt Spitzley (then from Aspen, CO), had a Brabham BT29 for 1970 entered by his Spitzford Racing team (Detroit, Michigan). For 1971 the car was sold to Mike Rand (Riverside, CT/Greenwich, CT) who raced it in NEDiv FB, finishing third overall. It then went to Peter Regna in New Jersey for 1972, after which Regna recalls selling it to Ken Duclos. Duclos, however, does not remember buying it.
Driven by: Matt Spitzley, Mike Rand and Pete Regna. First race: Riverside (R1), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 29 recorded races.
Peter Roberts (Granby, Quebec) raced a Brabham BT29 in 1970, appearing as #71 in the main Canadian series and as #1 in the Molson (Quebec Region) Championship. His best results came in the Molson series with two third places at Mont-Tremblant. Roberts had earlier raced a BT29 that he had borrowed from "an Ontario racer" but whether this 1970 car was the same one is unknown. Roberts did not continue in Formula B after 1970 and after sitting around unused for 18 months, the BT29 was sold to Derek Johnson (Montreal, Quebec) who was making a comeback after injury. The Montreal Gazette quoted Johnson's chief crew Bob Beale saying that nobody had driven it for a year, and Roberts' mechanic John Lo Bosco confirmed that Roberts' BT29 went to Johnson. Johnson bought the car the Friday before the opening race at Sanair and it was rented by Ian Coristine for that race after his new March 722 could not be readied in time. Raced by Johnson for the rest of the 1972 season. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Peter Roberts, Ian Coristine and Derek Johnson. First race: Harewood Acres (R1), 10 May 1970. Total of 14 recorded races.
Dave Ober's Brabham BT29, still wearing its original wings. Copyright Chris Ober 2024. Used with permission.
William L. Marsh (Muncie, IN) was heir to the Marsh Supermarket fortune and raced formula cars and sports racing cars in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He bought a Brabham BT29 for the 1970 Formula B season but only raced it four times, the first three being an early-season Blackhawk Regional, the opening National at Grattan in May and a later Regional at IRP, finishing second at each race. He also raced it at Mid-Ohio in late July. Marsh advertised the car from July to early October, noting that it was red with yellow wings and had a Vegantune engine. It was sold to Dave Ober (Suncook, NH) who replaced the Vegantune engine with an HRE twin cam and raced it in Northeast Division SCCA Nationals in 1971, ending the season with four points. He retained the car for 1972, keeping Marsh's red bodywork with yellow wings. Joe Grimaldi's Race Shop in New Jersey prepared the car for Ober to use in the Pro FB series in 1972. He raced it in the Pro FB race at Bryar in May, but crashed heavily in practice for the next round at Lime Rock in July, overturning the car and bending the chassis. He then sold it to Carl Whitney, who built a car out of three BT29s that he acquired. He parted out the engine, transmission and bent chassis. The fate of the chassis is unknown.
Driven by: William Marsh and Dave Ober. First race: Michigan International Speedway, 17 May 1970. Total of 8 recorded races.
Graham Baker moved from New Zealand to the US for a season of Formula B in 1970. He bought a new green Brabham BT29 from Chip Gompf and Wayne Mitchell, one of three new BT29s they had in stock. He was entered by Charlie Hayes Racing Equipment as #82 for his first race, at Edmonton in May, but was then self-entered as #82 for the next eight races as #67 before ending the season as part of the Bonphil Racing Industries team. Hayes sold the car for Baker at the end of the season to a non-racer in Laguna Hills who appears to have retained it, unused, for three years. In late 1973/early 1974, CSCC racer Jeff Alkana learnt from engine specialist Steve Jennings about the car and he bought it with Frank Monise (Pasadena, CA), who needed a new BT29 having wrecked his earlier BT29-41. Monise raced the car for several more seasons with Ford twin cam and BDA engines before selling it around 1976 to Tito D'Oporto and Gary Green and replacing it with a March.
Driven by: Graham Baker and Frank Monise. First race: Edmonton (R2), 24 May 1970. Total of 30 recorded races.
Syd Demovsky (Chicago, IL) raced a yellow #11 Brabham BT29 in Pro events in 1970. At the end of the year the car was sold via Joe Grimaldi (Race Shop) to Peter Nye (Ann Arbor, MI) who fitted it with a HRE twin cam and raced it in Pro events and in some SCCA events through 1971. At the end of that season he sold it less engine to Jim Lloyd (Indianapolis, IN), who Nye recalled converted it to Formula C with a Cosworth SCA engine. Newspaper reports of Lloyd's exploits described his engine as a 998cc Ford Cosworth downdraft engine, which implies a Cosworth MAE. Lloyd won the CenDiv FC title in 1972 and 1973. Lloyd's chief crew was Chuck Matthews and they ran as Lloyd Matthews Racing. Other crew members were Doug Campbell and Les Miller. Lloyd apparanely sold the car and borrowed an older BT21B for 1974, but the following year his crew member Les Miller raced a Formula C BT29, again entered by Matthews-Lloyd Racing. Lloyd appears to have either retained or reacquired the car and later restored it to Formula B specification for vintage racing. In 1988, a list of "Known of former Brabham owners", almost certainly compiled by John Hafkenschiel of the US Brabham Registry, showed Lloyd owning chassis BT29-15. Lloyd advertised such a car in fully-restored condition in February 1991, stating that it had won 25 Nationals between 1969 and 1976, and was "National Champ 1974 FC". Lloyd wasn't national FC champion in 1974 - it was Bill Anspach in a Chevron - and by that time Lloyd had sold his BT29 and was racing an older BT21B, so it is quite possible that the BT29 Lloyd restored was not the one he had raced in 1972 and 1973. Lloyd raced a #4 Brabham BT29 at VSCDA Grattan in August 1994 and August 1995.
Driven by: Syd Demovsky, Peter W Nye, Jim Lloyd and Les Miller. First race: Edmonton (R2), 24 May 1970. Total of 26 recorded races.
Jack J. Quinlin (Portland, OR) had raced a Cooper in SCCA Northern Pacific Division Formula B in 1969 as well as a Triumph TR3 in E Production. He upgraded to a new Brabham BT29 for 1970, but only appeared in two Pro races at Edmonton in late May and Seattle in early June, and did not record points at Divisional level with the SCCA. It is possible that he had only hired the car for those two races. Or he may have sold the car relatively early in the season. He moved to B Sedan in 1971. Jack died in August 2009 and his family are not in touch with anyone from his racing days. If you knew Jack and can help with our research, please email Allen.
Driven by: Jack J. Quinlin. First race: Edmonton (R2), 24 May 1970. Total of 2 recorded races.
Stephen T. Harris (Fort Wayne, Indiana) raced a #45 Brabham BT29 (of unknown colour) in Central Division in 1970, scoring 18 pts for eighth place in the highly competitive division. He also raced in the Pro race at Road America in July, qualifying up in 15th out of 43 runners. Like many other Road America entrants, he also appears on the Mont Tremblant entry list but it seems the Canadian organisers had copied much of the Road America entry list. He bought a BT35 for 1971 so the BT29 is likely to have been traded back to Fred Opert. Nothing more is known of his BT29.
Driven by: Steve Harris. First race: Indianapolis Raceway Park, 7 Jun 1970. Total of 5 recorded races.
The later 1970 cars
After that first 1970 group of around 23 cars, the remaining cars to appear arrived in dribs and drabs through the remainder of 1970. These would be the 14 chassis numbers from BT29-35 to BT29-49, less BT29-37 which is known to have stayed in the UK. Although the frame number of BT29-35 is a 1969 number, we know that the cars from BT29-40 onwards were built on 1970 frames. The first owners of eleven of these 14 cars are now known: Allan Lader had BT29-35, Randy Lewis had BT29-38, Bill Roland had BT29-40, Allen Karlberg had BT29-41, Chet Freeman had BT29-42, Cliff Phillips had BT29-43, Larry Wright had BT29-44, Doug Brenner had BT29-45, Allan Lader had BT29-46, Tom Kornell had BT29-48 and Barry Fox had BT29-49. That leaves three cars from that batch with unknown first owners (BT29-36, BT29-39 and BT29-47), plus the five cars left over from earlier in the year giving a total of eight. Eight drivers first appeared after mid-June 1970: Butch Harris, Mike Hiss, Larry Maatz, Bob Lamson, Roy Maze, Dave Dours, John Dellagnese and Bob Nunemacher. However, the maths may not be that simple and we may well have a case of two drivers using the same car, such as Dave Dours and Bob Nunemacher drove the same car. Also Jack Quinlin may have hired his car or sold it as early as June 1970. Note that we know of a further car that was not raced until after the completion of the 1970 season: the new car bought by Rudolfo Junco for a pair of Mexican races in November 1970.
Cecil N. Harris Jr (Houston, TX), known in racing circles as Butch Harris, raced a Brabham BT29 in Formula B in 1970. He appeared in the Pro events at Edmonton in June 1970, but thereafter ran in Nationals in Southwest Division. Harris had begun his career as a 16-year-old in La Feria, TX in 1958, drag racing a 1934 Ford Model T, and had raced in Formula Vee in 1968 before moving up to Formula B in 1969 with a Winkelmann. Harris started the 1970 season with the Winkelmann but as he entered the BT29 for the Sears Point Pro race in May 1970, the Brabham is likely to have been new for 1970, but probably not part of the initial batch of 1970 deliveries. Harris retained the BT29 for 1971 but only appeared in Nationals, taking 24 pts in SWDiv that season. He did not appear at the SCCA Runoffs and the subsequent history of the BT29 unknown. It may have been the car raced by Norman Johnson, also a resident of Houston, in the two Mexican Pro races in 1971.
Driven by: "Butch" Harris. First race: Sears Point (R5), 28 Jun 1970. Total of 6 recorded races.
Paul Faulkner's Brabham BT29 at the Australian GP in 2024. Copyright Wayne Groeger 2025. Used with permission.
Mike Hiss (Delran, NJ/Laurel, MD) raced a Brabham BT29 at Sears Point in June 1970, and then sold it to Ernie Haze (Palo Alto, CA) for 1971. Haze drove the car in Northern Pacific Division SCCA Formula B in 1971, but his appearances were relatively rare. He won at Riverside in February 1973, then appeared on the entry list for the Laguna Seca June Sprints in 1973 in a red-and-gold #89 Brabham entered by Stigall Motors. The BT29 then went to Lou Pavesi (Los Altos Hills, CA) around 1976, then Frank Bramante (El Cerrito, CA/San Pablo, CA) by 1978, and via Tom Fugate (San Jose, CA) and John Treder (Santa Clara, CA) to John Hafkenschiel (Sacramento, CA) by the mid-1980s. Pavesi inspected the car in Hafkenschiel's garage and identified it as the ex-Hiss/ex-Haze car that he had owned previously. It has frame number 'AM 69 31' and is believed to be chassis BT29-14. It entered Australia via Stephen Pike (Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia) in 1991 where it was owned by Jim McConville and run in historic racing. It was sold to Steve Lunn in 2006 and then to Max Pearson (Queensland, Australia) in 2010. Raced by Pearson in Australian historic events between 2013 and 2016. Also raced by Damon Hancock in November 2016, and then by Pearson at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2018. Sold to Paul Faulkner (Melbourne) and raced by him at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2022, and at other historic events from 2022 to 2024.
Driven by: Mike Hiss, Ernie Haze, Lou Pavesi and Tom Fugate. First race: Sears Point (R5), 28 Jun 1970. Total of 6 recorded races.
Larry Maatz (San Francisco, CA) bought a new Brabham BT29 in mid-1970 and drove the car in amateur events but asked Dan Davis to drive it for him in Pro events. The Maatz-Davis team also had a Lola T163 for ASR racing. Due to business pressures, Davis only raced the Brabham in one Pro event, at Seattle in May 1971. Maatz contracted blood poisoning from a scratch incurred when working on the Brabham at the Laguna Seca June Sprints and must have lost interest in the project. He advertised the car in June 1972 saying that it was "little raced and as new".
Driven by: Dan Davis and Larry Maatz. First race: Seattle (R1), 23 May 1971. Total of 3 recorded races.
Robert Lamson racing his Brabham BT29 in 1970. Copyright Robert Lamson 2012. Used with permission.
Robert S. Lamson (Fort Collins, CO) raced a #85 Brabham BT29 twice in Pro FB in 1970, at Dallas on 5 July 1970 and at Road America two weeks later and although he was entered at Mont Tremblant it looks like the Canadian organisers had copied the whole Road America entry list into their program. He does not appear in any Divisional FB points table. In March 1971, Bob Lamson advertised a late 1970 Brabham BT29 from Scot's Ltd in Fort Collins. The car was fitted with a Vegantune engine and had just two races on it, Lamson saying that he did not have the time to enjoy it. When contacted on his yacht in Hawaii in 2012, Bob was unable to remember who he had sold it to, but kindly offered to keep digging.
Driven by: Robert S. Lamson. First race: Dallas International Motor Speedway (R6), 5 Jul 1970. Total of 2 recorded races.
Roy Maze (Alvin, TX), owner of local car dealer Royal Dodge Inc, won the 1970 Southwest Division SCCA Formula B title in a Brabham BT29, amassing 33 pts over the season. He scored a second place early in the season but won at Texas International Speedway in July, just a week after crashing out of his only Pro appearance at Dallas International Motor Speedway, and went on to win two of the remaining three Nationals. He was entered for the SCCA Runoffs but did not appear.
Driven by: Roy Maze. First race: Dallas International Motor Speedway (R6), 5 Jul 1970. Total of 4 recorded races.
In June 1970, Dick Leppla (Cleveland, Ohio) advertised a Brabham BT29 with new Hart engine. Nothing is known of Leppla's racing career in the car but in the Pro race at Road America in July, NEOhio Region's Dave Dours (Hudson, Ohio), a veteran of Formula B, appeared with a #99 Brabham BT29 supported by Leppa's company Manitowoc Crane and Shovel Sales Corp of Cleveland. Leppla advertised it with a Hart engine in June 1970 for £7990, and then with an HRE engine on 5 September 1970 for $6995. It may not be a coincidence that also using #99 that season was John Dellagnese, also a Ohio resident, who raced a red and gold BT29 at Nelson Ledges at the end of August and at Mid-Ohio four weeks later. Given the time lag on adverts in Competition Press, it could have been sold in August. John cannot recall who he bought his car from.
Driven by: Dave Dours. First race: Road America (R7), 18 Jul 1970. Only one recorded race.
Robert B. Nunemacher (Grosse Ile, Michigan) was one of the leading runners in Central Division Formula B in 1970, scoring 22 points in a Brabham BT29. He had raced an Alexis in FB in 1969 and it is possible he used the Alexis at the start of the 1970 season so it is not yet possible to say when he first raced the BT29. He did not attend the SCCA Runoffs in November 1970 but was out again in 1971, racing in the Mid-Ohio National in July, but did not scoire any points that season. He was not seen in 1972, but "Bob Nunmacher" (Rochester, MI) advertised a BT29 in "excellent shape" in December 1972. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Robert Nunemacher. First race: Mid-Ohio, 26 Jul 1970. Total of 4 recorded races.
John Dellagnese III (Akron, OH) appeared with a Formula B Brabham late in the 1970 season. He won a Mahoning Valley Region SCCA Regional at Nelson Ledges on 30 Aug 1970 and then appeared in the Mid-Ohio Pro race four weeks later where the entry list revealed his car to be a red/gold Brabham BT29 entered as #99. The car was not sighted again until July 1971 when Dellagnese advertised it. When contacted in 2012, Dellagnese remembered winning several club races at Nelson Ledges and a race at Watkins Glen but could not recall who he sold the car to.
Driven by: John Dellagnese. First race: Nelson Ledges, 30 Aug 1970. Total of 3 recorded races.
Brabham BT29s in 1971
Almost all the cars that raced in 1971 would have been second hand and with so many BT29s going missing after the end of 1970 season (e.g. Bob Welch’s, Brian Robertson’s, John Girdler’s, Bill Boyer’s, Randy Lewis’s, Jack Quinlan’s, Steve Harris’s, Dick Leppla’s and Roy Maze’s), there is little point in doing a roll call. However, it is worth mentioning that seven BT29s were still unraced at the end of 1970: Larry Wright’s BT29-44, Doug Brenner’s BT29-45, Allan Lader’s BT29-46, Thomas Kornell’s BT29-48 and Barry Fox’s BT29-49, plus the unidentified cars of Rudolpho Junco and Larry Maatz.
Rudolfo Junco, a young Mexican driver, bought a new Brabham BT29 late in 1970 to compete in a pair of races being organised in Mexico around November 1970. He raced it again when the Pro series came to the Monterrey track in Mexico in June 1971 but was involved in a huge accident in the warm up session before the race and the Brabham was burnt out, the only salvageable part being the engine.
Driven by: Rudolfo Junco. First race: Seattle (R1), 23 May 1971. Only one recorded race.
Wayne Ricciardi (N. Haldon, NJ) raced a Brabham in NEDiv Formula B in 1971, his car being identified as a BT29 in the CP&A report on the June National at Thompson. He appeared on the entry list for the Watkins Glen National in August as #17 entered by Raceshop (Midland Park, NJ) in a yellow Brabham.
Driven by: Wayne Ricciardi. First race: Thompson Speedway, 13 Jun 1971. Total of 5 recorded races.
Norman Johnson (Simonton, TX) raced a Brabham BT29 in the two Mexican Formula B races in June 1971. Records of Southwest Division racing of very sketchy and little is known of Johnson's exploits in the car in 1971 or 1972. His next known outings in a Brabham were at Texas World Speedway in September 1971 then at Dallas International Motor Speedway in February 1972 where he crashed. He did not score points in Southwest Division in 1972, but won the Division in 1973 and appeared at the SCCA Runoffs, where his car was again described as a BT29. He then acquired a Brabham BT40, but it is unclear whether he continued to drive the BT29 through the 1974 SCCA Nationals season. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Norman Johnson. First race: Monterrey (R2), 20 Jun 1971. Total of 7 recorded races.
Noted Mexican driver Freddy van Beuren entered Formula B in 1971 driving a Chevron B18 as part of Fred Opert's team. However, he also had a Brabham BT29 as a backup car and he loaned this car to Rudolfo Junco after Junco's car had been destroyed in an accident at Monterrey the previous week.
Driven by: Rudolfo Junco. First race: Mexico City (R3), 27 Jun 1971. Only one recorded race.
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 in 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. Still owned by Mark in October 2021.
Driven by: Steve Cole, Bob Criss and Jeffrey Alkana. First race: Ontario Motor Speedway, 27 Jun 1971. Total of 17 recorded races.
Bob Evans (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) drove a #44 Brabham BT29 in two Players series races at Mont-Tremblant in July and August 1971. He was also an entrant for the Players race at Mosport Park in October and the entry list recorded his car as a BT29. Evans and fellow Edmonton resident Barry Fox were sponsored in 1971 in a pair of BT29s by Muntz Canada, a maker of 8-Track Stereo systems. The only other reference found to Evans and a BT29 was two years later, when Jack Ondrack (Edmonton) was expected to be racing "Bob Evans' old BF 29 Brabham Formula B car" in a regional race at Edmonton in May 1973. When the Northern Alberta Sports Car Club held a drivers school at Edmonton in April, Ondrack had been said to be driving the ex-Barry Fox BT29, but the ex-Fox BT29 had been sold to Dave Ogilvy in British Columbia in 1972, so this is more likely to have been his teammate Evans' car. This BT29 may have been the car advertised by Anglo Canadian Motorsport Centre in Edmonton in early 1973 as complete but needing work. Anglo Canadian was run by Mike Atkin, who, like Ondrack, was an experienced ice racer. Ondrack retired from the first regional race at Edmonton, and then handed the car to the more experienced Howard Cazaley for the second. Cazaley won the race. Ondrack also won a novice race at the same track later in the season, finishing second in both formula races later in the day. Ondrack then returned to ice racing in his Corvair-engined Karman Ghia, and nothing more was heard of the Brabham.
Driven by: Bob Evans, Howard Cazaly and Jack Ondrack. First race: Mont-Tremblant (R2), 11 Jul 1971. Total of 4 recorded races.
After Rudolfo Junco's wrecked his usual Brabham BT29 in an accident in the warm up session at the FB race at Monterrey, Mexico, in June 1971, he was allocated another BT29 as part of the Fred Opert Racing operation. This #80 car was advertised by Opert later with mention that it was the car driven by Bill Brack at Mosport Park 19 Sep 1971. In October, Opert's advert called it a 1970 BT29 with 1971 wings and rollbar. This is presumably the car raced by Junco at the two Bogotá Formula B races in February and March 1972. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Rudolfo Junco and Bill Brack. First race: Edmonton (R4), 1 Aug 1971. Total of 5 recorded races.
Brabham BT29s in 1972
Bill Bovenizer (Toronto, Canada), who had raced a Brabham BT21C in 1970, bought a Brabham BT29 from Brian Robertson for either 1971 or 1972 season. Bill recalls that it was blue, and arrived in bits. He advertised it in November 1972, noting that "car has never been crashed" and was "eight races from new" which rules out Robertson's own car as he had raced it at least 14 times in 1970. The blue colour and the fact that it was apart matches Randy Fraser's car in Quebec. Bovenizer did not race the car, as his sponsorship fell through, and recalls that he sold it to Werner Gudzus (Toronto, Canada), the German-born BMW sedan racer. There is no record of Gudzus driving the Brabham. Gudzus died in 2005, and the subsequent history of the Brabham is unknown.
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.
Driven by: Charles "Chuck" Hansen, James R Modrall and Jeff Gay. First race: Lime Rock, 26 May 1972. Total of 17 recorded races.
Charles R "Chuck" McCain (Tucson, AZ) raced a Brabham BT29 in the IMSA Pro Formula B race at Las Vegas International Speedrome in July 1972, and in Arizona Sports Racing Association (ASRA) events at Phoenix International Raceway and Mel Larson's Phoenix Dragway in 1973 and early 1974. He advertised the car, together with his Chevron B17b, in March 1974. This car may have been chassis BT29-21, later owned by Jaime Chamberlain in Arizona. Chassis "BT29-21" was advertised by Jaime Chamberlain on the www.nvo.com/brabhams website in December 2000.
Driven by: Charles R "Chuck" McCain. First race: Las Vegas International Speedrome, 29 Jul 1972. Total of 6 recorded races.
Brabham BT29s in 1973
Bill Brown (Memphis, TN) raced a Brabham BT29 in Midwest Division Formula B in 1973. After failing to start for his first three Nationals, he won the Lake Afton SCCA National in mid-August 1973, then scored two more for fifth place at Mid-America Raceway in September, qualifying for the 1973 SCCA Formula B Runoffs. Memphis is on the border of three Divisions, Southeast, Southwest and Midwest, and Brown faced a long haul to any National. He attended the SCCA Runoffs where he finished 10th. Previously, Brown had raced a Temple in Formula Super Vee and qualified for the SCCA Runoffs in 1972. Brown scored points in FB in a Brabham again in 1974 and 1975, and raced at Mid-America Raceway in May 1976. He moved to a Lola FSV for 1977. This is probably the Dr. William Russell Brown, a former SCCA racer, who died in 2004. Brown's location suggest that this may have been the BT29 raced by Guy McHand (Memphis, TN) in late 1972, and by Don Belote (Memphis, TN) in 1978. Nothing more is known about the Brabham BT29.
Driven by: William Brown. First race: Blackhawk Farms, 5 Aug 1973. Total of 16 recorded races.
John Bernadine (Tulsa, OK) raced a #80 Brabham in Midwest Division Formula B in 1973. In the results of St Louis Region's Falstaff National Races in September 1973, the car was listed as a Brabham BT29. Bernadine upgraded to an ex-F2 Brabham BT38 for 1974, so the BT29 may have been traded back to Fred Opert. Nothing more known.
Driven by: John Bernadine. First race: Lake Afton, 19 Aug 1973. Total of 3 recorded races.
Richard W. Powell (West Groton, Mass) raced a Brabham BT29 in NEDiv Formula C from 1973 to 1975. At the end of 1975, he advertised it as having a 1100cc Kawasaki engine. Unknown in 1976, but Joe Fitzhugh (Parsippany, PA) raced it in the New England Road Racing Championship event at Lime Rock in April 1977. He advertised it in the Formula C Newsletter in May 1977, complete with 140 bhp Kawasaki engine and that noting that it had won the New England regional FC title, presumably with Powell. Based on the engine and the continuing use of entry number 14, this car then went to Terry McKenna (Manchester, MO) and was raced in Midwest Division FB for the remainder of 1977. Retained by McKenna for 1978, by then using #56. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Richard Powell, Joe Fitzhugh and Terry McKenna. First race: Thompson Speedway, 24 Jun 1973. Total of 20 recorded races.
Skip Jones in his Brabham BT29 in an ICSCC race in 1973. Copyright Skip Jones 2012. Used with permission.
This car is first known when acquired in 1973 by Skip Jones (Seattle, WA), who remembers buying it in San Francisco and that Ribbs had previously been involved. Jones raced the car in Regional events in 1973, winning the 1973 ICSCC Formula B championship, and then sold it to Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA) who fitted a BDA for the 1974 season and raced it in SCCA Formula A and in Canadian Formula Atlantic. Jones believes that the car was sold and campaigned in eastern Canada with Kimberly Clark livery by Monique Proulx. Proulx drove Karlberg's March 712M in a Pro Atlantic race supporting the US GP at Watkins later that year so may have driven the older BT29 in local events.
Driven by: Skip Jones and Allen Karlberg. First race: Westwood, 22 Jul 1973. Total of 6 recorded races.
Larry Walters (Tacoma, WA) raced a Brabham in NorPac FB in 1973, finishing third in the Division with 21 pts He returned in 1974, winning the FB class at Portland in June in a BT29 but those were the only points he scored that season. The pre-1973 history of this BT29 is currently unknown but it is believed that the car came into the country through Portland dealer Pierre Phillips - so possibly the car raced in 1970 by Jack J. Quinlin. In 1975, Walters sold the car to John Storr (Victoria, BC) and it was fitted with a BDA engine for the Canadian Formula Atlantic series and the ICSCC series. Storr advertised the car, less engine, in September 1978. It was sold to Bill Mol (Vashon, WA) and fitted with a Mazda engine and Culver sports car body for B Sports Racing in 1980. Subsequent history unknown but possibly the BSR Brabham BT29 raced by Gary Heath (Port Orchard, WA; later Bremerton, WA) from 1981 to 1983.
Driven by: Larry Walters, John Storr and Bill Mol. First race: Seattle, 8 Jul 1973. Total of 15 recorded races.
Brabham BT29s in 1974
Dirk Wrightson in his Brabham BT29 at Bryar in May 1976. Copyright Arny Spahn 2020. Used with permission.
Dirk Wrightson (Foxboro, Mass) raced a Brabham BT29 in Formula C from 1974 to 1976. His son Mark Wrightson recalls that "we bought a BT29 from a man from the Indy area in I believe was late 73 or early 74 that was blue, white and gold with a SCA 1100 FC engine". This would suggest Jim Lloyd's car, although Lloyd appears to have either kept that car or bought it back later. Also, "It had full front wing with what seemed like a homemade rear wing mounted to a FT200 trans". Wrightson used the Cosworth SCA engine in 1974 but just before the SCCA Runoffs, he fitted one of the first Cosworth BDJ engines in the US, described at the time as a 1.1-litre Swindon BDA engine. Unfortunately, fuel pump problems prevented a win in 1974, but he returned to the Runoffs in 1975, and won. Raced again by Wrightson in FC in 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Dirk Wrightson. First race: Lime Rock, 27 Apr 1974. Total of 18 recorded races.
Brabham BT29s from 1975 onwards
In 1975, the SCCA allowed Cosworth BDA engines to be used in its "Formula B" category in SCCA Nationals and Regionals. Some BT29s were fitted with BDAs, but the car was by now an ideal beginner's car with its original twin cam engine. The ICSCC adapted its categories in response, with "FA" for BDA-engined cars, alongside a continuing "FB" for older twin-cam engines.
Brabham BT29s continued to be very popular in lower catagories. From 1977 to 1979, Bob Garnett (Delta, BC) shared a 2-litre Pinto powered BT29 in Solo events with Alan Rae, the current and former National Solo Directors. They dominated the category in Canada, Garnett setting FTD at the national championships in all three seasons.
Lloyd Wood (Covina, CA), a Captain in the El Monte Police Department, raced a Brabham BT29 in SCCA Regionals at Riverside and Willow Springs in 1975. He had previously driven a Lotus 41 in FB in 1974. He advertised the Brabham in March 1976, when it was fitted with a Hart 416B twin cam engine. Wood upgraded to a Chevron B27 for 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Lloyd Wood. First race: Riverside, 24 May 1975. Total of 4 recorded races.
Mike Fazzi (Costa Mesa, CA) raced a red Brabham BT29 with Ford twin cam engine in SCCA Regionals and Nationals in California in 1975 and 1976. He advertised the car in November 1976, noting that it had updated bodywork.
Driven by: Mike Fazzi. First race: Riverside, 9 Nov 1975. Total of 6 recorded races.
Unidentified and unconfirmed Brabham BT29s in historic racing
The following group of cars are either unidentified or have some conflicting information which means that they remain unconfirmed. More information is actively being sought so that they can be resolved.
A Brabham BT29 bought by Gary Dausch (Indianapolis, IN) from Francesco Paese (Chicago, IL) in 1987 as a "basket case" and restored by Dausch. Sold to Dan Dubrovich (New York, NY) in 1988 or 1989. Dubrovich understood the car to be chassis BT29-2, but in a post in 2012 Dausch referred to it as BT29-3 after checking his records. The US Brabham Register also listed it as "BT29-3" when Paese owned it in 1987. Dubrovich had a major crash in ther car at Road Atlanta in 1990 when the car was badly damaged by fire, but he later raced successfully with the Monoposto group. He sold it to Antonio Sabato (Canada). It has been reported that it later went from Sabato to Mike McLaughlin in Colorado, but in May 2013 the car was still reported to be in Sabato's ownership and for sale.
Dave Zurlinden's Brabham BT29 outside his garage in Carmel Valley in 2012. Copyright Dave Zurlinden 2025. Used with permission.
In 1972, Gary Gove (Tacoma, WA) is reported to have crashed a Brabham BT29 at Laguna Seca. The car he owned is believed to have been BT29-5. He retained the bent frame for some years, and in 1987 or 1988 it was inspected by John Hafkenschiel of the US Brabham Registry, who noted the frame number as 'AM 69 62', which is inconsistent with it being chassis BT29-5. Hafkenschiel identified the car as BT29-28. The remains were sold to Michael Rigby (Vancouver, BC) who soon after acquired a second BT29 frame, reportedly 'AM 69 71'. This latter frame number was noted on a car with Steve Justiss (Belfair, WA) in 1988. These were combined somehow to produce a complete project, with the identity of the Gove car but using the other frame. This project was sold to Joe Maria (New York, NY) and restored. By August 1994, the car was sold to Paul Flowers (Dothan, Alabama) and was registered by the SVRA as "BT29-28". Flowers raced the car in SVRA vintage racing from 1994 to 1999. It was sold by Flowers to David P Zurlinden (Monterey, CA) in March 2007. Zurlinden repainted the car from Flowers' green-and-yellow to a dark, metallic blue with gold nose and stripe, and raced it at CSRG and HMSA events from March 2007 to April 2010. He sold it in October 2015 to Chris Rose (Mill Valley, CA), who raced it in in CSRG events until 2023. Still owned by Rose in February 2025.
In 1993, this was one of at least four Brabham BT29s acquired in California by Stephen Pike (Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia). It was one of two BT29s that he acquired from Gary Green (Costa Mesa, CA) and Green was believed to have acquired it in 1978. Green had raced his two BT29s into the early 1980s and there is some uncertainty which is which. Pike bought both of them, and sold this one via Jim McConville to Tony Onley in 1995. It was then sold to David Kent in 2007. Kent raced it in Australian historic events entered at #27 from 2010 to 2012.
Joe Blacker in his Brabham BT29 at Watkins Glen in 2008. Copyright Peter Viccary (gladiatorroadracing.ca) 2021. Used with permission.
The remains of a Brabham BT29 acquired by David Irwin. He understood that it was chassis BT29-2, and had first been owned by Bob May before being sold to Tom Scott, who was killed in the car at Daytona. The remains went via Carl Whitney who built up a car from three that he owned. The remains of this "ex-Bob May" car went to Ken Duclos, then to Marty Handshy, and from him to Irwin. Irwin repaired the frame and fully restored the car with a Ford twin cam engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox. He sold this car in 2000 to John Coughlin. It was then sold to Joe Blacker (Ellicott City, MD) in 2003. This was Blacker's second BT29. It was finished in red bodywork with a gold stripe and nose, and was raced by Blacker as #19 at Watkins Glen in 2004, and in the Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman in 2006. Raced by Blacker (#29) at NJMP in 2 Oct 2009, VIR 6 Jun 2010, Mid-Ohio 26 Jun 2011, Watkins Glen 10 Sep 2011, Watkins Glen 8 Sep 2012, Watkins Glen 12 Sep 2022, and Road America 21 May 2023.
Robin Hunter's Brabham BT29 when offered for sale in February 2025. Copyright Rick Larner 2025. Used with permission.
Robin Hunter (Simi Valley, CA) has raced a Brabham BT29 in US historic racing for many years. The car has been looked after by Graham and John Collins since around 2000. Graham recalls that it was bought by Hunter from Reg Howell (Corona Del Mar, CA), via Mark Leonard of Grand Prix Classics (La Jolla, CA). Howell had drive a BT29 at Palm Springs in November 1995 and at VARA Tustin in July 1996. Hunter raced the blue-and-white #7 BT29 at Laguna Seca 19-21 May 2017, Laguna Seca 20 May 2018 and Auto Club Speedway 29 Apr 2019. After Robin Hunter died in 2022, the car was offered for sale by Rick Larner in February 2025.
Dave Handy in his Brabham BT29 at the VARAC Vintage Festival at Mosport Park in June 2009. Copyright Peter Viccary (gladiatorroadracing.ca) 2021. Used with permission.
A Brabham BT29 bought by Joe Blacker from Gary Dausch (Indianapolis, IN). It did not have a chassis number and the frame number was unknown. Blacker sold the car to Peter McLaughlin (Hannover, NH) who still had it in 2007. Sold to Dave Handy (Semora, NC) by 2008, and at that time was reported to be chassis number "BT29-15" and frame number 'AM 69 72'. However, in 1988 John Hafkenschiel of the US Brabham Registry recorded "BT29-15" with Jim Lloyd with a completely different frame number. Raced by Handy at Road America 19 Jul 2009, VIR 6 Jun 2010, Mid-Ohio 27 Jun 2010, Road America 18 Jul 2010, Road Atlanta 17 Oct 2010, SVRA COTA 11 Oct 2014, Watkins Glen 11 Sep 2016, Watkins Glen 10 Sep 2017, SVRA COTA 4 Nov 2017, Indy 19 Jun 2022 and Road America 18 Sep 2023.
Marc Giroux in his Brabham BT29 at the VARAC Vintage GP at Mosport Park in June 2017. Copyright Peter Viccary (gladiatorroadracing.ca) 2021. Used with permission.
A Brabham BT29 bought by Tim Gaffney from Gary Dausch (Indianapolis, IN). It did not have a chassis number but had frame number 'AM 70 93'. Gaffney restored the car and sold it to Bruce Lobona (Atlanta, GA) who ran it a few times and then sold it to Marc Giroux (Corning, NY, later Cushing, ME) in late 2000. Raced by Giroux entered as #59 or #159 in dark blue and yellow livery at Watkins Glen 7 Sep 2008, VIR 6 Jun 2010, Road Atlanta 17 Oct 2010, Mid-Ohio 26 Jun 2011, Watkins Glen 10 Sep 2011, Watkins Glen 8 Sep 2012, Watkins Glen 7 Sep 2013, SVRA COTA 26 Oct 2013, Mosport Park 18 Jun 2017, Watkins Glen 10 Sep 2017, Mosport Park 17 Jun 2018, Watkins Glen 9 Sep 2018, Mosport Park 16 Jun 2019, Road Atlanta 25 Apr 2021, Road America 18 Jul 2021, SVRA COTA 7 Nov 2021, Watkins Glen 10 Sep 2022, Road America 18 Sep 2023, SVRA COTA 6 Nov 2023, Road America 20 May 2024 and Road America 16 Sep 2024.
Andrew McInnes's Brabham BT29 at the Winton Festival of Speed in August 2022. Copyright Andrew McInnes 2025. Used with permission.
A Brabham BT29 that is said to be chassis "BT29-36" with frame number 'AM 69 67'. The first reference to this car is with Michael Rigby (Vancouver, BC), The next two owners are given as Ross Robins and Brian Nightingale, both of whom are thought to be Vancouver area residents. It was then bought by Lowell Blossom (Charlevoix, MI) in 2006. He sold it to Ray Stubber (Sorrento, Western Australia) in 2007. Raced by Ray Stubber at the Phillip Island Classic in 2010 and 2011 (entered as #54), by brother Paul Stubber at Winton in August 2011, and then by both brothers at various races up to 2018. Then sold to Andrew McInnes (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), who raced it in Australian historic events from 2021 onwards. Raced by McInnes at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2024.
Bob Goeldner (Longmeadow, MA) raced a Brabham BT29 in historic events about 2007. It had previously been owned by Steve Rees (Kansas City, MO). This is presumably the car that Rees drove at Lime Rock and Watkins Glen in September 1997. Rees had also owned a BT28, chassis 'BT28-18', in the late 1990s. Goeldner sold it to Chris Cunningham (Cold Spring, NY) in 2007. At this time the car was red and white, and its frame number was reported to be 'AM 69 52'. This is the same frame number as a car recorded to be owned by Mike Fitzgerald (Exton, PA) in 1988. Fitzgerald's car was said to be chassis 'BT29-41' but the AM number is inconsistent with that. Raced by Cunningham at the Lime Rock Historic Festival in September 2011.
A car bought as a project from Eric Stange by David Irwin in 2007. It was fully restored by Irwin with BT30 sidepods and a Hewland Mk8 gearbox, in blue bodywork with an orange circle around the nose. Raced by Irwin at High Plains Raceway 2010, and raced as either #29 or #129 at Watkins Glen 7 Sep 2013, SVRA 5 Nov 2016 and SVRA COTA 7 Nov 2021. In June 2023, Irwin rebuilt the car for a new owner in black bodywork with a blue stripe.
Bob Bodin in his Brabham BT29 at the Weathertech event at Road America in 2016. Copyright Jerry Winker 2019. Used with permission.
Robert Bodin (Stuart, FL) raced a #40 Brabham BT29 at Road America 9 Jul 2012, SVRA COTA 11 Oct 2014, Road America 20 Jul 2014, Lime Rock 31 Aug 2019, Road America 24 Jul 2020, Road Atlanta 21 Nov 2020, Sebring 21 Feb 2021, Sebring 2 Apr 2021, and Laguna Seca 2 May 2021. Advertised from Stuart, FL, in February 2025.
Tonis Kasemets (Munelein, IL) raced a black Brabham BT29 wearing #6 or #666 at SVRA 8 Nov 2015, SVRA COTA 3 Nov 2018, SVRA COTA 7 Nov 2021 and Indy 19 Jun 2022. A Motorsports Market advert for the car in March 2023, November 2023, July 2024 and 3 January 2025 said that "the BT29’s early history is currently unknown" and that "it carries a chassis tag of BT29-23". Raced by Kasemets at Road America 21 May 2023, SVRA COTA 6 Nov 2023, Road America 20 May 2024 and Road America 16 Sep 2024.
In addition to the above, unknown Brabham BT29s were driven by W Young, Carlos Solis, David Pearl, Richard "Bud" Rude, Hiroshi Shimizu, Bob Esseks, Harry Rose, Koichi Sato, James Woodruff, Doug Turner, George Trask, Peter Robinson, Bert Kuehne, Carmelo Crisafulli, Reginald Reis, Edd Ozard and Don Belote.
Brabham BT29s in North American historic racing
The identified BT29s that have raced in US vintage racing since 1990 include BT29-7 (Rick Balsley and then Steve Grundahl), BT29-10 (Larry Wilson), "BT29-17" (Bob Burnside), BT29-24 (Rodney Grabinski), BT29-22 (Doug Turner), BT29-25 (James King), BT29-26 (Mark Mauz), BT29-33 (Charlie Derbes), BT29-38 (Paul Haggar), BT29-42 (many people!), BT29-43 (Randall Smith) and BT29-46 (Joel Quadracci).
To those can be added the unconfirmed or unidentified cars shown above of Chris Rose ("BT29-28"), Joe Blacker ("BT29-2"), Dave Handy ("BT29-15"), Robin Hunter, Marc Giroux, Robert Bodin and Tonis Kasemets.
Other Brabham BT29s from US vintage racing still needing to be identified include:
- Peter McLaughlin (Lyme, NH), #51 [BT29-30?], Road Atlanta 25 Apr 2021
- Justin Frick (Lewisbury, PA), #64, Road America 22 Jul 2019 (poss Peter McLaughlin's car?)
- Jeffrey Anderson (San Antonio TX), #16/#16A black, SVRA COTA 26 Oct 2013, SVRA COTA 11 Oct 2014, SVRA COTA 5 Nov 2016, SVRA COTA 4 Nov 2017, SVRA COTA 3 Nov 2018, SVRA COTA 7 Nov 2021 and SVRA COTA 6 Nov 2023.
- Jim Peruto (Wycombe PA, then Doylestown, PA), #35, Watkins Glen 10 Sep 2011, Mid-Ohio 28 Jun 2013, Watkins Glen 7 Sep 2013.
- William Goldkind (Holbrook, NY), #266 orange/yellow, Mid-Ohio 26 Jun 2011, SVRA Indy 19 Jun 2016 (driven by Arnie Loyning (Portland OR)), Road America 20 May 2017, and entered for the Lime Rock Festival 2 Sep 2019
- Tim Monahan (Pacific Palisades, CA), #19 blue/orange, CSRG Charity Challenge 2010, CSRG Infineon Raceway 2 Oct 2011, Sonoma Raceway 1 Apr 2012, Sonoma Raceway 4 Oct 2015, Sonoma Raceway 6 Oct 2019, Sonoma Raceway 4 Oct 2020, Sonoma Raceway 3 Apr 2022
- Mike Popp (Nashotah, WI), #13, Road America 19 Jul 2009 and Road America 18 Jul 2010.
Brabham BT29s in Australian historic racing
There is also much to learn about Brabham BT29s racing in historic events in Australia. The cars known to have gone to Australia are BT29-44, BT29-45, 'the Mike Hiss car' ("BT29-14"), 'the Tony Onley/David Kent car' and 'the Lowell Blossom car' ("BT29-36"). Regular visitor include BT29-23 and BT29-41 from New Zealand.
In recent years Geoff Burton (2009-2014 in the McConvilles' BT29-44), Paul Faulkner ('the Mike Hiss car' 2022-2024), Wayne Groeger (2019-2022), Damon Hancock ('the Mike Hiss car' in Nov 2016), Peter Jackson (#4 at Winton 2015 and 2016), David Kent ('the Tony Onley/David Kent car' 2010-2012, 2019), Simon Lambert (BT29-44 in 2022), Matthew Lyford (only at Barbagallo July 2013), Jim McConville (BT29-44 1999-2009), Robert McConville (BT29-44 2014-2018), Andrew McInnes ('the Lowell Blossom car' 2021-2024), Max Pearson ('the Mike Hiss car' 2013-2018), Murray Sinclair (BT29-23 in Nov 2012), David Smoker (BT29-45 2020-2024), and Ray and Paul Stubber ('the Lowell Blossom car' 2010-2018) have all raced BT29s in Australia. By the way, the results at The Bend in May 2023 say that Grant Perryman was second in a race in a BT29, but Grant says it was not him.
Where does the research go from here?
There are two main strands of research. Firstly, it will be very helpful to contact as many current owners as possible to learn what they have discovered about their cars. Any surviving SCCA log books will provide valuable information, since many of these cars were still in use when log books were introduced in 1972. Secondly, former owners can help put the pieces of this jigsaw together if they remember who they bought a car from or sold it to, and they may still have useful documents such as invoices. There is much to do, so please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
Acknowledgements
Andrew Fellowes did a lot of the early work on this subject, together with Denis Lupton and David Irwin, and must take a lot of credit for what we know, as must John Hafkenschiel who tracked many of these cars in the US in the 1980s and 1990s when few others were paying attention. My thanks also to Ted Walker, Bryan Miller, David McKinney, Chris Townsend, Tom Johnston, Vince Howlett, Philippe Demeyer, Stephen Bay, Mike Summers, Steve Wilkinson, Alan Brown, Michael Oliver, Mark Leonard, Tom Schultz and Rick Larner who contributed further information, and to Eric Wunrow for his eye for detail.
Thanks to all the current and former owners who have helped, including Fred Ashplant, John Angus, Marc Bahner, Bill Bovenizer, Nick Craw, Ian Coristine, Gary Dausch, Dan Davis, John Dellagnese, Charlie Derbes, Ken Duclos, Spencer Elton, Howie Fairbanks, Dexter Farley, Andrew Fuld, R Peter Gates, Jeff Gay, Gary Gove, Wayne Groeger, Marty Handshy, Bill Hill, Jay Jamison, Skip Jones, Allen Karlberg, Jerry Kehoe, Bob Lamson, Martin Lauber, Carl Liebich, John Lo Bosco, Steve Louden, Dick McGovern, Andrew McInnes, Dan Mershon, Jon Milledge, Wayne Mitchell, Frank Monise Jr, Warwick Mortimer, Peter Nye, Chris Ober, Grant Perryman, Ron Pohl, Peter Regna, Willy T. Ribbs, Michael Rigby, Tony Roberts, Bill Roland, Chris Rose, John Sabourin, Sandy Shepard, Mark Shillingburg, Bob Slusher, Dave Vegher, Ted Wenz, Wayne Wilson, Larry Wright and Dave Zurlinden.
If you can add to our understanding of these cars, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
These histories last updated on .