SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B/C Race

Laguna Seca, 14 Jun 1970

All cars are 1.6-litre FB unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B17b (Mike Eyerly): Mike Eyerly (Salem, OR) raced a Chevron B17b for Fred Opert Racing in 1970, winning the first six races of the Continental Formula B Championship. Despite competition from Alan Lader, he won a total of eight rounds of the series and easily retained his title. The car was then sold to Phil Cole, who raced it in an Arizona Region SCCA Regional at Phoenix in December 1970, but then nothing was seen of it until Chuck McCain (Tuscon, AZ) raced it in the Formula B class at an Arizona Sports Racing Association race in October 1973, instead of his usual Brabham. McCain advertised the car in March 1974, but evidently never sold it, as it was ultimately bought from his family by Lee Chapman in 2013. It was fully restored and raced by new owner Jim Victor (Davenport, Iowa) at Road America in 2015, originally in white bodywork, but later restored very precisely to Eyerly's livery . A week after racing the Chevron at Road America in July 2018, Victor sadly died following an accident while driving another car at the same track.
2. Brabham BT29 [9] (Allan Lader): 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.
3. Lotus 59/69 [59-F2/XB-42] (Jacques Couture): New to Jacques Couture (Laval, Montréal, Quebec) and raced in the SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B series and the Quebec Region Molson Championship during 1970. The car was entered by Jim Russell RDS (Canada) Ltd, and generally wore #84. Sold to Eligio Siconolfi (Montréal, Quebec) for 1971 and raced in the Players Canadian Formula B series and the Quebec Region Molson series. The car was acquired from Siconolfi by Mauro Lanaro (Montréal, Quebec) who took some time restoring it, and then raced it in regional events in Canada in 1973. Lanaro recalled to Joe Griffin in 2021 that "after a bad accident at Mosport, I sold what was left it to Peter Draggfy". Peter Dragffy is known to have had several Lotus 59/69s in the 1980s.
4. Brabham BT29 (Sandy Shepard): 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. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Winkelmann WDB2 [4] (Skip Adrian): New to Carson Baird (Birmingham, AL/Beltsville, MD/Laurel, MD) for SCCA Formula B in 1969. He took delivery of the car at the start of June 1969, after a promised Chevron FB failed to arrive, and raced the Winkelmann in the SCCA Continental Championship, without notable success. Sold to Tommy Elliott (Visalia, CA) for Skip Adrian (Cortland, Ohio/Fresno, CA), who raced it in almost every round of the SCCA Continental Championship, with a best result of fifth at Laguna Seca in June. It was raced at least once by Adrian again in 1972. The car was later acquired by Jimmy Santos (Sunnyvale, CA) who used it in SCCA Regionals, Nationals and even an IMSA Formula Atlantic race from 1974 to 1976. It then went to Dick Sasser (San Carlos, CA/San Mateo, CA) who rebodied it with a body created by Jack Hagemann to resemble a Ferrari 312T3, and used it in SCCA Regionals from 1977 to 1981. Sasser sold the car to Dave Drouin (Lodi, CA) in September 1982, and Drouin sold it in November 1987 to Don McGreevy (Mill Valley, CA), who retained it for many years.
6. Brabham BT29 [38] (Randy Lewis): 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.
7. Brabham BT29 [41] (Allen Karlberg): 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.
8. Chevron B17b (Fred Opert): Fred Opert ran a team five-car team in 1970 which included a Chevron B17b for himself and a sister car for Mike Eyerly. Opert's personal car was sold to Tom Outcault (Cranford, NJ) for 1971 who used it in NEDiv events and also in the Pro race at Road America in Aug 1971. Outcault sold it via Fred Opert to Carmelo Crisafuli (Great Neck, Long Island, NY), and it was registered by the SCCA at Watkins Glen in September 1972. He raced it in SCCA Regionals including two New York Region rounds of the North Atlantic Road Racing Championship in 1974. RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY) bought the car for 1975, and raced it in SCCA and EMRA events that season. It was sold in 1976 via Fred Opert to Roy Aber (Penn Hills, PA) who recalls racing the car until 1981. He sold it to JC Gongaware (Youngwood, PA), and did not hear of it again. The car was next seen about 1986 when Lee Chapman (New Milford, CT) of Auto Restorations had the car, having bought it from Jim Wisheart in Pennsylvania. It went from Chapman to Fred Gunther (Trumbull, CT), then to Peter McLaughlin (Hanover, NH), and then to Travis Engen (Weston, CT) in 1994 or 1995.
9. Lotus 41C (Robert Hall): Robert Hall (Oakland, CA) raced a Lotus 41C in SCCA Formula B in 1970 and 1971, then a "41D/F2" in 1972. Nick G. Babich (Redmond, WA) then raced a Lotus "41D" in SCCA and ICSCC Formula B in 1974, 1975 and 1976 and as they both raced as #34 and are the only people to refer to a "41D" specification, we can be confident it was the same car. Babich advertised the car in Northwest Sportscar News (August 1973) as a "41D F2" including wings, fuel cells, Hewland FT200 gearbox, and 10" and 14" wheels, describing it was "ex-Gus Hutchison". The inference here is that Hall had acquired Hutchison's 1967 Lotus 41C for the 1970 season and had updated it with F2 parts for the 1972 season before it went to Babich. Subsequent history unknown.
10. Brabham BT29 (Graham Baker): 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.
11. Brabham BT29 (Matt Spitzley): 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.
12. "Kellison" Genie Mk 13 ['1'] (Woodford 'Woody' Harris): New to James Kellison of Kellison Engineering (Lincoln, CA) and fitted with a Ford twin cam engine for Woodford "Woody" Harris to drive in SCCA and FRA Formula B races in 1968 as the Kellison Mk II. Harris reappeared for 1969 with the car but did not race it often that year. He entered the SCCA Continental Formula B Championship in 1970, during which time Kellison withdrew from the project and Harris continued with the car returning to its original name. Harris then withdrew from racing for two years, but in late 1972 he moved to England, where the car was fitted with a BDA engine for Formula Atlantic in 1974. He converted the car again in 1975, for Monoposto Racing, and won three races that season. Harris sold the car to Peter Gillett, who won twice in 1976, then won the Monoposto championship in 1977, but was excluded for having commercial sponsorship. The car was next seen in 1979, when Robert Eyers took it over and raced in Monoposto until 1985, latterly in Class B for Formula Ford engines. The car's last known appearance in Monoposto was when it was raced by George Whitehead at a single round in 1986. Subsequent history then unknown.
13. Brabham BT29 [1] (John Angus): 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.
14. Brabham BT18 (Peter W Nye): Peter Nye (Ann Arbor, MI) bought a Brabham BT18 rolling chassis from Fred Opert for the 1969 season. Opert fitted a used Vegantune twin cam engine to it for Formula B, but the engine kept bending valves and Nye rarely finished a race. After returning the Vegantune to Opert, he bought an HRE engine from Gus Hutchinson for the 1970 season but did not have much more success. Nye does not recall whether he sold that car privately, but may have traded it to Joe Grimaldi's Race Shop for his next car, a Brabham BT29. Subsequent history unknown.
15. Brabham BT28/29 [14] (Wayne T Mitchell): Bought new by Charles 'Chip' Gompf for Wayne Mitchell (San Diego, CA) to race in Formula 3 in 1969, primarily in Britain but also taking in some Scandinavian events. Shipped to the US for 1970 and raced initially in Formula C before being converted to Formula B specification in May 1970. Raced by Mitchell in 1970 and later to Jack Brabban (San Diego, CA) who raced it in FB in 1972 and 1973, and later in 1975 as a Formula Atlantic. Subsequent history unknown.
16. Brabham BT29 [11] (Bill Boyer): 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 Oldsmobile 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 Oldsmobile 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.
17. Brabham BT29 (Syd Demovsky): 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 apparantly 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.
18. Brabham BT29 (Evan Noyes): 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.
19. Brabham BT21C [12] (Charlie Adams): New to Charles W. Adams (Springfield, IL, but then living in Manhattan Beach, CA) via Jim Russell, who then had a racing school at Willow Springs. Charlie Adams was a regular in Formula B with this car from mid-1968 to 1971, his car being green, and entered as #64. Adams won the Southern Pacific Division FB title in 1969 but did not score any points in 1970 and his appearances in the Pro series ceased after the Laguna Seca race in June. In 1971, he scored just two points in the SPDiv championship, for fifth place at the Riverside National in July, and only appeared at one Pro race, the Edmonton round in August. Subsequent history unknown, but the BT21C was bought in the US by Australian Gary Simkin who was working there, and returned with him to Australia in March 1983. It was sold to George Goodare (Sydney, NSW), rebuilt and used in historic racing. It was owned by Peter Addison (Sydney, NSW) then sold to Howard Blight (Sydney, NSW) 1989. and then via Rob Bailey (Victoria) 1998 to Nereo Dizane (Sydney, NSW) December 1998. Dizane died in 2004, aged only 53, but his collection of cars has been kept together by his wife Anna Dizane (Wantirna, Victoria).
20. Lola T100 (Max Mizejewski): Max Mizejewski (Woodland Hills, CA) raced a Lola T100 in Formula B in Southern California in 1970, entered at #97 at least part of the time by Dr Walter H. Martin. Mizejewski and his engine preparer Chuck Willis moved to a new Lola T240 for 1971, and the movements of the T100 are unknown in 1971. Raced by Bob Bollegra (Centerport, NY) in SCCA Regionals in NEDiv in 1972, and advertised by him in December 1972 as "ex-Max Mizejewski". Subsequent history unknown.
21. McLaren M4A (Max Callicott): Max Callicott (Anaheim, CA) raced a Formula B McLaren M4A in SCCA Nationals in the 1969 season. His 1969 Drivers Licence application lists the Sears Point National in July as his first outing, but he had revealed plans to race the McLaren as early as March. A letter from Callicott dated 1996 that is with the car says that he bought it direct from The Chequered Flag in 1968, and states that it had been a F2 car raced by Ian Ashley and Piers Courage. Neither Ashley nor Courage raced for Flag in F2 but Ashley raced for them in F3 so this may actually be his F3 car. Callicott drove the car again in 1970, then took two seasons out before returned for the 1973 season, having to go through Drivers School with the McLaren in January 1973. He then competed in three rounds of the Canadian FB series and at one of those was said to be driving a March 73B instead of his faithful old McLaren. The March is likely to have been a hire car or a transcription error. Callicott was not seen again and sold the McLaren to Peter Boyd (Anaheim, CA) in 1981. It then went to Richard Wells in 1983 and to Mike Fazzi from 1988 to 1995. It was rebuilt with a new Marc Bahner tub while Fazzi owned it as the rear of the original tub had been cut off. The new tub was modelled on Jim Brown's 1967 car but used the original bulkheads. The rebuilt car was with Tom Crowther in 2000 when Trojan "allocated" it the identity '200-13' on the basis that 200-13 was one of the F3 cars sold to The Chequered Flag. Owned by Tom Lee (Seattle, WA) by 2009. Advertised by Kim Baker's Vintage Race Car Sales (Pittsfield, MA) and sold to an unknown UK owner in 2013.
22. Brabham BT29 [5] (Nick Craw): 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.
23. Chevron B15b [FB-69-4?] (Jim Grob): Jim Grob (Ft Lauderdale, FL/Pompano Beach, FL) raced a Chevron B15b in Pro racing in 1969 and also scored 24 points in Northeast Division FB, representing Northern New Jersey Region. He retained the car for 1970 and again for 1971, then mainly focusing his efforts on SCCA Divisional racing in Southeast Division. He finished second to Hugh Kleinpeter's sister car in 1970 but then won the Division in 1971. He changed to a new Chevron B20 for 1972.
24. Brabham BT29 (Randy Fraser): 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).
25. Brabham BT21C [8] (Don Delamore): According to later owner Mark Shillingburg, this car was bought new by Courtesy Chevrolet in California, and was raced for them by Don Delamore (San Jose, CA) in 1969 and 1970. He advertised the car in Dec 1970 wth two Vegantune engines, adding that it had never been damaged. Shillingburg reports that Courtesy Chevrolet then sold the car and it did not race again. With Mark Shillingburg (Evergreen, CO) in 2014.
26. Brabham BT21C (Mike Hansen): Jon Milledge (Mountain View, CA) visited England to buy a Brabham for 1968. Having found that factory prices were outside his budget, he was persuaded by Frank Williams to buy a BT21 development car from MRD which Williams then had modified by Arch Motors and built up to full BT21C specification. He focused on the FRA 'Pro' series in 1968, winning at Vaca Valley and Santa Ana, and also won two NorPac Nationals, beating eventual champion Mike Eyerly. He continued his battle with Eyerly in the Pro series in 1969, beating him at Riverside and finishing second at Laguna Seca and Sears Point. The BT21/21C was sold to Mike Hansen (Belmont, CA) for 1970 who used it to win the 1970 Northern Pacific Division Formula B class. The car was then blue-and-white and entered at #40 as a BT21C. He swapped to a new Brabham BT35 for 1971 and retained his title. This is presumably the "ex-Hansen" "BT21/29" advertised by Hayes Racing Equipment (Santa Ana, CA) in March 1971. Subsequent history unknown.
27. Cooper T76 [T71/73 F1-3-64] (Bob Wenz): Although given a F1 chassis number, F1-3-64, this car is now seen more as a cross between the F1 Cooper T73 and the F2 Cooper T71. It was built up by Bob Gerard's team and fitted with a 1.5-litre Ford twin cam engine with the intention of using it in minor F1 races and in Formule Libre, especially at Gerard's local Mallory Park. John Taylor raced for Gerard in libre with great success in 1964, in the early-season English non-championship F1 races and at the British GP. Gerard then acquired an ex-works F1 Cooper T60 V8 for Taylor to drive, and the T71/73 was then raced by Alan Rollinson and Taylor later in the season. It was also converted to F2 specification for Taylor to use in a couple of races in September. The car reappeared in F1 spec again in 1965 for John Rhodes, as a F2 for Taylor, as a 1650cc libre car for Taylor, and then even as a F3 car for Julian Gerard, a relative of Bob's. It was not used again until late 1966 when Chris Lambert raced it as a F2 and then it became Julian Gerard's regular libre car in 1967. It was finally sold at the end of 1967 to Bob Wenz (Los Gatos, CA) who raced it in SCCA Formula B from 1968 to 1972. It then went to Bob Korst (Newark, CA), a regular racer in historic events, and was "laid up" for 20 or so years until Alan Baillie (Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire) acquired it and brought it back to England. He restored it to 1.5-litre F1 specification with a Ford twin cam and raced it from 1997 onwards in historic racing, generally in HGPCA Grand Prix Cars events. It was sold to car dealer Chris Drake (London) for 2018, who also raced it with the HGPCA.
28. Chevron B14 [FB-68-14?] (Joe Alves): Bought late in 1968 by Dick Smothers of Smothers Bros Racing (Fullerton, CA) and first raced in the Donnybrooke Grand Prix at Brainerd 22 September 1968. Chevron records appear to identify this car as chassis FB-68-14. Smothers had a blue #29 Chevron FB for 1969 and this is very probably the same car, even though it was sometimes referred to as a B15b. Loaned to Joe Alves (Sherman Oaks, CA) for 1970 but not raced after blowing the engine in practice at Sears Point in June 1970. Alves eventually sold the car some time between 1975 and 1978 but it is then unknown until owned by a D Hullinger around 1992 who started a restoration. It passed to Gabe Lakatosh (Los Angeles, CA) in 1998 who completed the restoration and raced it infrequently. Then sold to Jeff Giannini (Puyallup, WA) in 2003 who has raced it continuously since then. It had a full restoration in 2008 and is maintained by J&L Fabrication (also in Puyallup, WA).
29. Brabham BT29 (Jay Jamison): 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.
30. Chevron B15b [FB-69-6?] (Steve Brownstein): Steven Brownstein (Hewlett, NY) had a blue Chevron B15b for Formula B in 1969. He raced in the Pro series but also took 25 pts in Northeast Division FB racing. Brownstein retained the car for 1970, but blew his engine at Brainerd in August and was not seen again. Steve Brownstein cannot remember who he sold his Chevron to, but doubts that it went back to Opert. Subsequent history unknown.
31. Brabham BT29 [34] (Ken Huband): 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.
32. Chevron B15b [FB-69-8?] (Doug Brenner): A new Chevron B15b was prepared for Reine Wisell to race - and win - at Sebring 28 Dec 1969. Doug Brenner bought this car for 1970 and raced in the Pro series and then sold it to Byron Hatten (Altadena, CA) for 1971. Hatten continued to race it into 1972 but crashed heavily at Riverside in Feb 1972, the first event of the season, badly damaging the Chevron. Art Brisbane (Covina, CA) bought the damaged car, and also bought the ex-Syd Demovsky damaged B15b frame from Wayne Mitchell. Frank Monise cut the two frames in half and "beautifully attached the good parts together". Brisbane used the rebuilt car in Cal Club Formula C from 1974 until 1978 at least. Subsequent history unknown.
33. Centaur Brabham (Ray France): Terry Petmecky (Austin, TX) raced a Lotus 22 in SWDiv Formula B in 1967 but met with little success against the dominant Gus Hutchison team of Lotus 41Cs. Right at the end of the year he took delivery of a Brabham BT21A and finished second in the National at Selma in this car. In 1968 he took the Brabham to Bob Winkelmann but was forced to give up racing due to eyesight problems. F1 driver Alan Rees was holidaying in the Las Vegas area in early 1968 when he raced the car for Winkelmann in the SCCA National at Stardust Raceway. Winkelmann also entered it for Tony Settember at the Tuscon National in April 1968 and it is likely to be the car in which Settember scored 6 points in SoPac FB in 1968. Winkelmann advertised the car in CP&A 23 Mar 1968 as a "Winkelmann-Brabham BT21" with Winkspeed engine. To Ray France (Redondo Beach, CA), and raced during 1968 and 1969, entered as #2 by Centaur Racing Associates. This may have become the basis of the blue-and-gold #29 "Centaur Brabham" raced by France in 1970.
34. Brabham BT23G [1] (Bob Gage): The history of this car is presently unknown before 1970 but probably the southern California car of Dave Webster, Lee Midgley and Bob Griffith. Then the #51 Brabham BT23G-Ford entered by B & D Racing Enterprises for Bob Gage (Fullerton, CA) at the April 1970 Riverside Pro race. He retired after just a lap with engine failure. Entered for Gage in the next two races, at the Riverside National in Feb 1971 and in a Regional at Riverside in April 1972 where he finished third and won the FB class. In 1973, Ron Lampley (Rialto, CA) had a red #51 Brabham, identified by Formula magazine at the end of the year as a BT23. Sold to Roy Nelson (Huntingdon Beach, CA) in 1975 or 1976 in exchange for Nelson's Titan Formula Ford and fitted with a Ford BDA and raced in FB until 1978. Returned to racing in 1980 (now classed as Formula A) and Roy recalls that he sold it at the end of that year to 'a young guy in San Diego'. Then unknown until 2010, when it was reported to be owned by Bob Swanson in Washington State, US.
35. Titan Mk3 (Butch Owsley): Ed Leslie (Monterey, CA) raced a yellow Team CIRT Titan in the first four races of the 1969 SCCA Pro Formula B championship. He was entered as #81 on three occasions and #84 on the other. Finished third at Laguna Seca in May and second at Continental Divide in June. After retiring from the Sears Point race in June with a blown head gasket, he was not seen again. Leslie also appeared in Northern Pacific Division's first two SCCA Nationals, finishing second in both. Earl Jones then appeared at #81 on the entry list at the next two races and it is possible that he took over Leslie's car. However, both had appeared together at the opening race of the season so there must have been two distinct FB cars. For 1970, Butch Owsley (Aptos, CA) bought the ex-Ed Leslie FB Titan to use in the SCCA Pro series and in the FRA series. Subsequent history unknown.
36. Titan Mk3 (Ernie Haze): Ernie Haze Jr. (Palo Alto, CA) raced a red #89 Titan in Formula B in 1969, appearing in only two Pro events, at Laguna Seca in May and Sears Point in June. Entered by Motor Sport Illustrated in the June 1970 Laguna race but may not have arrived. Nothing more known.
37. Brabham BT18/21 (Jim Ellingson): Jim Ellingson (Laramie, WY/Greeley, CO) entered a blue/white/red Brabham BT18/BT21 in several Formula B races in 1970, usually entered as #95 or #25, but does not appear to have arrived for any of them. He did make an appearance in an SCCA National at Fort Sumner in October 1971, scoring four points in MidWest Division Formula B. In 1976, five years later, Ellingson advertised a "BT18-21" with BRM phase IV engine and Hewland Mk 5 gearbox that he said was "seldom raced". Nothing more known.
38. Chevron B15 (Peter Darr): Peter Darr (Government Camp, OR) raced a green or blue/green Chevron in Formula B from June 1970 to September 1971. The only clue to its identity is from Darr's advertisement for the car in November 1970, where he called it a "B15-17 Chevron F2 chassis", adding that it was a "works convt. F2". It was fitted with a Hewland FT200 gearbox and 10" and 14" wheels. The only F2 car that this could possibly be is the first B10, thought to have been used as a Formula A car in 1969 in Illinois. Darr continued to race a Chevron in 1971, but was involved in a collision in an SCCA Regional at Portland in August 1971. His last known race was at the Oregon Grand Prix SCCA National in mid-September, where he finished third in class. Subsequent history unknown.
39. Brabham BT14 [FL-3-65] (Bruce Redding): This BT14 was bought new by John Mitchell and raced in northern English libre racing in 1965 and 1966. It was missing for most of 1967, but was sold late that year to Steve Pfeiffer (San Francisco, CA) and equipped with a BRM Phase 4 twin-cam for 1968 Formula B racing, now described as a BT21 or BT21C. It was sold to Bruce Redding (Monterey, CA) for 1969 but crashed early in the season and extensively rebuilt. Redding thereafter entered it in 1969 and 1970 as a Ford Special, Gravelle Special or even as a Honda Special. It was later sold to Steve Jizmagian (San Francisco, CA) in early 1971 and crashed again, then to Tom Gouldstone (Santa Rosa, CA/Napa, CA) in November 1972 and crashed again - each time at Laguna Seca. By 1975, Gouldstone was describing it as a BT18/21. It was sold to Dick McGovern (San Jose, CA) in 1978, and retained by McGovern until 1994 when he sold to George Goodare (Sydney, NSW, Australia), who restored it. It was sold to Brian Wilson in September 2000, then to John Gale in November 2001. Sold to Richard Longes late 2008 and raced in 2009 Tasman Revival races.

Sources

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' original results.

1970 US FB results were compiled from Autoweek reports by Jim Thurman; 1971 results were transcribed from Autoweek by Allen Brown and 1972 results were compiled by Chris Townsend from an SCCA results publication.

The US Formula B series did not continue in 1973 but a race was organised in Caracas in March 1973 that fits here probably better than anywhere else, as do the occasional SCCA F/Atlantic and FB races in 1974 and 1975.

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