Can-Am Challenge Race

Mosport Park, 12 Sep 1982

All cars are 5-litre Can-Am unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. VDS 001 [(002?)] (Al Holbert): New for the VDS team in 1981 and raced by Geoff Brabham, winning from pole first time out at Edmonton in August 1981. Raced with great success by Geoff Brabham in 1981 and then by Al Holbert in 1982 alongside a new car VDS-002. Sold to Jerry Hansen for 1983 and 1984, winning the ASR class at the Runoffs both years. Bought by John Foulston for 1985 but presented by him at the time as a rebuild of the standard T530 that he had raced in 1984. As part of this, it was fitted with the chassis plate of Foulston's previous Lola T530 HU10. VDS-001 then raced by Foulston and his co-drivers in UK Thundersports from 1985 until his death in 1987. Sold at auction by the Foulston estate in 1997 when the car still wore the HU10 chassis plate and no mention was made of its life as VDS-001. Bought by dealer and racer Nick Whale (Evesham, Worcestershire) 1997 and run by him at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1998. Sold to Don Braaten (Janesville, WI) 2000.
2. Lola T530 [HU4] (Rex Ramsey): Built April 1980. New to VDS Racing for 1980 and used as Geoff Brabham's T-car for the first part of the season, becoming his race car after HU3 was destroyed in a practice accident at Road America in July. Retained for 1981 and raced by Brabham until the team's new T530-based VDS-001 was ready. Sold to Rex Ramsey 1982 but very heavily damaged in an accident at Laguna Seca in October. The damaged and disassembled car sold to Mike McComas (Pampa, TX) 1988 and sold by him to Paul Sauer (Woodside, CA). In 2002, the car was still completely apart with the new tub still under construction.
3. March 822 [812-7] (Jim Trueman): Jim Trueman's 1982 Can-Am car is described in a variety of ways in that season's entry lists, ranging from a 822-Hart at Mid-Ohio to a Special at Caesars Palace. However, March records show that chassis 812-7 was invoiced to Trueman's Red Roof Inns on 28 May 1982 (invoice 5027). A list of March cars built in 1982 shows no sign of a 822 going to Trueman so his car must have been this 812.
4. Lola T332 [T330 HU2] (Horst Kroll): See full history: Lola T330 HU2.
5. Osella PA9 [110] (Jacques Villeneuve Sr): Jacques Villeneuve Sr drove an Osella PA9-BMW sports car during the 1982 Can-Am season. This car had began life as a PA8, chassis 091, for Gimax in 1980 and had been converted to PA9 specification and renumbered 110 for Villeneuve's Can-Am run. The car reappeared briefly for Scott Goodyear to drive in 1983.
6. March 77S/802 [77ST-1] (Charles Monk): Built new for 1974, fitted with a BMW engine and entered by March Engineering for Jean Ragnotti in the European 2-litre Sports Car championship, with Antar sponsorship. Fitted with a Richardson FVC after the first few races, and later with a Cosworth BDG. Retained by March for 1975, fitted with a Hart 420R engine, updated to 75S specification and plated as '75S-U2' for John Lepp to race. The car was retained again for 1976, now to 76S specification and reportedly using the identity '76S-1', now raced by Lepp as part of the Ultramar team. Sold to Bobby Brown (Hicksville, NY) for the 1977 Can-Am season, now using the identity '77ST-1'. Sold to Greg Sorrentino (Troy, Michigan) and raced in 1979. In 1980, it was converted to centre-seat specification with a new body fabricated by Dave Craddock and campaigned in this form by Sorrentino in 1981, described as a March 802. To Charlie Monk (Sarnia, Ontario) for 1982, and then via John Adams Racing & John Kalagian to J. Byron Walker (Detroit, Michigan). Raced by Walker in 1983 and 1984 before being stored. Walker later acquired the 1977 bodywork from EB Lunken, who had used it on his March 73S, and found Lepp's Ultramar livery under the layers of paint. In 2013, Walker was in the process of restoring the car to its 1975 specification.
7. Invader 001 (Chevron B29) [29-75-14] (Jerry Molnar): New to Bruce Jensen (Kitchener, Ontario) and used in the Canadian Players Formula Atlantic series in 1975, sponsored by Jensen Exotic Plants. Retained by Jensen for 1976, and retained again for 1977. Leighton Irwin, who crewed for Jensen at this time, recalls that it was sold in early 1978, he thinks to Michigan. Subsequent history unknown, but believed to be the car later converted to A Sports Racing by Lou Infante Motoracing and raced by Jerry Molnar (Lathrup Village, MI) in Can-Am in 1982. To Frank Jellinek (N. Hampton, NH), and used by him at two Can-Am races in 1983. Later sold to a "Dave", and Roger Sieling reports that it was stolen from him some time in the mid-1980s near Cleveland Ohio along with his tow truck, trailer, and an Austin-Healey Sprite. The car was never recovered.
8. Brabham BT38B [13] (Cliff Dawson): New to Eligio Siconolfi (Montréal, Quebec, Canada), who raced in the Canadian FB series in 1972, sponsored by Downtown Datsun Ltd. To Peter Overing (Montreal, Quebec) for 1973, but only seen at Sanair in June. Entered by Overing for Reg Scullion (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Montréal, Quebec) in the Players Canadian Formula Atlantic series in 1974, but still with a Ford twin cam engine. Overing then acquired a March 74B for Scullion, and the Brabham was sold to Cliff Dawson (Mount Royal, Quebec), who fitted a BDA engine and raced it in Formula Atlantic in 1975, 1976 and 1977. After racing it in Regionals in the late 1970, Dawson converted the car to Can-Am specification with a body built in Montreal by Francis Cordolle and ran it in this form in Can-Am from 1980 to 1983, still with the 1600cc Cosworth BDA engine. According to Doug Waters, it was "sold in July 1984 to Martin Handforth in Ottawa, who soon sold it to Pennsylvania". (Note that Handforth had owned and raced a different BT38 in Quebec events in 1981.) Subsequent history unknown.
9. Cicale-Ralt RT1 (Scott Goodyear): Hugh Kleinpeter (Key Biscayne, FL/Hiawassee, GA) had a Cicale-bodied Ralt RT1 for Can-Am in 1979, but only appeared once, at Road America in July where he failed to start. He retained the car for 1980, again appearing only once in Can-Am, at Road Atlanta in September, but also appeared at least once in SCCA Nationals, scoring six points in Southeast Division A Sports Racing. For 1981, the car was sold to John Graham (Willowdale, Ontario) and entered by Midland Racing Enterprises for him in three Can-Am races that season. He returned for 1982, but after competing in two early-season races, the car was not seen until driven by Scott Goodyear at Mosport Park in September. The Cicale-Ralt then went to Chuck Storrie, who installed a Chevrolet V6 engine for the 1983 Can-Am season. Mike Freberg drove the car for Storrie Racing but it did not prove competitive with the 5-litre cars in its class. Freberg drove it again in early 1984 as a Mike Freberg Racing entry. Subsequent history unknown, but this may be the ex-Cicale Ralt RT1 that later turned up in Northern Ireland.
10. Lola T530 [HU8] (Michael Brayton): Built May 1980. New to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY) for Can-Am in 1980 and rebuilt on fresh tub after an accident. Sold by Nelkin to Newman Racing August 1980 but they changed their mind and the car quickly passed to Garvin Brown Racing for Danny Sullivan in the last half of 1980. Retained for 1981. Sold to Mike Brayton and raced in Can-Am in 1982. Later sold to Burke Ratcliffe to be used in Thundersports in England in 1986 but wrecked in a testing accident at Brands Hatch in June 1986. Retubbed and rebuilt by Jack Smith of VDS. Believed to be the car raced by Andy Ratcliffe (Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire), Mike Wilds and David Leslie in 1986, winning the last two races of the season. Also then likely to be the car shared by Wilds and Ian Flux through the 1987 season, winning two races, and then by Flux and other in 1988, when it dominated the series. Then to Mike McComas (Pampa, TX) 1989 and then to Bud Bennett of RM Motorsport (Wixom, Michigan) 1996. Completely restored by Bennett to Garvin Brown livery. It then went via either Scot Kennedy or Ron Coburn to Norm Goldrich (Cincinnati,OH) 1998 and was still with him in September 2001. Sold to Gregg Jackson (El Paso, TX) 2002 then to Kim Baker 2009 or 2010 and then to Larry Galbo (Buffalo, NY) 2011.
11. Chevron B26 [74-08] (Luc Behar): After the closure of Red Rose Racing, Roger Hire struck a deal to run works-assisted Chevron B26s in 1974 under the name Forge Mill Racing. John Lepp ran the main car and Rafael Barrios joined the team to run a second B26, now positively identified as chassis 74-08. This car only raced once in 1975 but was then bought by Robin Smith to be used in endurance and Interserie in 1976. Gary Gove (Tacoma, WA) acquired it for Can-Am in early 1977 and raced it for three seasons, winning the Pacific Coast title in 1978 and the last BSR title at the Run-Offs. It went to John Graham in Canada for the 1981 season and then to Luc Behar-Bannelier for 1982. The B26 was sold to Gil Baird for Thundersports in England in 1983 then to Richard Piper for another three seasons during which time it was converted to DFV power before moving to Ireland in the late 1980s where it stayed for nearly 15 years. It was sold back to the US again around 2003 and has raced in US vintage racing.
12. Lola T300 [HU15] (Duff Hubbard): Invoice date 30 Mar 1972 (sold to 'Haas', colour 'Yellow'). Horst Kroll (Canada) US 1972-1974; driven by Bert Kuehne US 1975 (5 races); Kroll US 1976; damaged in crash at Watkins Glen but rebuilt and converted to Can-Am. Kroll Can-Am 1977; rental car thereafter: e.g. Marcel Talbot Can-Am 1978 (1 race: Trois-Rivieres - 04 Sep 1978), Can-Am 1979 (1 entry in "T300": Road Atlanta - 06 May 1979, entry list only); Mike Freberg 1981; Duff Hubbard 1982; John Macaluso 1983; Walter Lechner 1984; Joe DeMarco 1985 and 1986; John Graham 1986. Rebuilt as "Frissbee KR5" for 1986. Mike Engstrand recalls driving Kroll's T300-based Can-Am car at St Louis and Hallet in 1986; used until 1987 - Chuck Haines (St Louis, MO) 1989 - Don Jensen (US) about 1998: used extensively in vintage racing still in Can-Am specification until 2007 - Andrew Kluver (Sydney, Australia) August 2007.
13. Rondel M1 [201] (Randy Zimmer): The prototype Rondel was used for testing in late 1972, before the first production cars were built. It was taken to Hockenheim 8 April 1973 as team spare, and to Pau as a spare for Tim Schenken, but not raced. Its history is then unknown until 1974, and it appears it has been acquired by Fred Opert to use as a set of spares. After Mike Rand crashed his car, wrecking the monocoque, 201 was supplied to Ron Ignatowski (Milford, CT), who rebuilt Rand's car on 201's tub with a BRM 1-litre engine and used it in SCCA Formula C. In 1980 it was sold to Randy Zimmer (Buffalo, NY) as the basis for his Can-Am car. He raced it with a Volkswagen engine in 1982 and then with a Mazda rotary engine from 1983 to 1986. Zimmer then entered it for Jim Del Russo in the 1987 CAT championship, and raced it a few more times himself in 1989, 1990 and 1994. Then retained for many years until Zimmer sold it to Seann Burgess (Markdale, Ontario) in 2019.
14. Lola T530 [HU9] (Mike Freberg): Built July 1980. New to Garvin Brown Racing for driver Danny Sullivan, replacing the Intrepid GB1. Raced for the rest of 1980 but Garvin Brown then acquired the ex-Rosberg car from Newman Racing and Sullivan raced that car instead at the start of 1981. Assumed for now that HU9 remained as Sullivan's backup car through the 1981 season. Sold to Mike Freberg (Toronto, Ontario) and raced by him through the 1982 Can-Am season but heavily damaged at Laguna Seca in October 1982. Mike Brayton is reported to have bought this car, repaired it and sold it to Burke Ratcliffe but the exact details are not known. Subsequent history unknown.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.