1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship

The 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship [1] was the tenth running of the Sports Car Club of America's premier open wheel racing series[2] and the third to be co-sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC).[3]

The championship was won by Brian Redman driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet.[4] It was Redman's third consecutive SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship title win.[5] For the first time in three years, a vehicle other than a Lola won a race, with March and Shadow winning one race each.[5] 1976 also marked the first race win by a non-Chevrolet powered car since the 1971 season, with a Dodge-powered Shadow winning at Road America.[5]

1976 was to be the final year of the SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship as the SCCA replaced it with a revived Can Am Series for 1977.[6] The rules for the new series were to allow the Formula 5000 cars to compete with fully enveloping bodywork.[6]

Race results

Brian Redman won the championship driving a Lola T332C similar to that pictured above

The championship was contested over a seven race series.[4]

Race [7] Date [7] Location [7] Distance [7] Winning driver [7] Winning car [7]
1 May 9 Pocono International Raceway 35 laps United Kingdom Brian Redman Lola T332CChevrolet V8
2 June 20 Mosport Park 40 laps Australia Alan Jones Lola T332Chevrolet V8
3 July 11 Watkins Glen International 30 laps Australia Alan Jones March 76AChevrolet V8
4 July 25 Road America 25 laps United Kingdom Jackie Oliver Shadow DN6BDodge V8
5 August 8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 42 laps United Kingdom Brian Redman Lola T332CChevrolet V8
6 August 28 Road America 20 laps United Kingdom Brian Redman Lola T332CChevrolet V8
7 October 17 Riverside International Raceway 40 laps United States Al Unser Lola T332Chevrolet V8

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 36-24-16-12-8-5-4-3-2-1 basis for the first ten positions in each race.[4]

Final points standings

Pos Driver POC
MOS
WGL
ROA1
MDO
ROA2
RIV
Pts
1 United Kingdom Brian Redman 1 8 6 14 1 1 3 132
2 United States Al Unser 2 2 4 3 1 112
3 United Kingdom Jackie Oliver 14 2 13 1 2 25 2 108
4 Australia Alan Jones 7 1 1 5 DNS 4 96
5 United States Danny Ongais 2 4 9 16 3 2 11 78
6 Australia Vern Schuppan 3 6 16 3 20 20 5 45
7 New Zealand Warwick Brown 16 5 3 4 17 6 41
8 United Kingdom Peter Gethin 18 19 7 9 7 4 10 37
9 Belgium Teddy Pilette 12 3 18 6 5 5 12 23
10 United States Randy Lewis 4 7 12 20 8 10 Wth 20
11 United States Brett Lunger 4 10 6 26 15 18
12 Canada Horst Kroll 8 13 5 12 14 13 11
13 United States Skeeter McKitterick 6 11 21 Wth 7 17 9
14 United States Sam Posey 5 20 8
15 Canada John Cannon 15 21 6 8 8
16 United States Bob Lazier 9 7 10 18 7
17 United States Arlon Koops 17 8 11 9 5
18 United States Evan Noyes 13 DNS 22 11 28 7 4
19 United States John David Briggs 10 19 DNS 12 8 16 4
20 United States Tuck Thomas 11 8 DNS 3
21 United States John Benton 9 12 Wth 13 21 DNQ 2
22 United States Richard Shirey 16 Wth 9 24 2
23 France Patrick Tambay 9 2
24 Australia Bruce Allison 10 Wth Wth 1
25 United States Bob Nagel 17 15 10 17 18 12 1
United States Geoff Davie 11 18 17 18 0
United States Jim Sechser 19 11 0
United States Doug Schulz 13 14 0
United States John Korn 13 0
Canada Eppie Wietzes 14 0
United States Hunter Harris 14 0
United States Peter Papke 14 Wth 0
Canada Bert Kuehne 21 17 15 16 23 0
United States Roger Bighouse 15 0
United States Patrick McGonegle 15 0
United States John Gunn DNQ 15 0
United States Vic Todia 16 0
United States Don Breidenbach 18 DNS Wth 0
United States Ed Kasprowicz 19 0
New Zealand Graham McRae Wth 19 0
United Kingdom David Purley 19 0
United States John Morton 20 24 0
United States Rocky Moran 20 0
United States Micky Fowler 21 0
United States Greg Hodges 22 0
United States Dick Kantrud 22 0
Italy Maurizio Flammini 22 0
United States Steve Behr 23 0
United States Bob Earl 23 0
United States Ed Polley 27 25 0
United States Garth Pollard 26 0
United States Dick Ferguson 29 DNQ 0
United Kingdom Derek Bell 30 0
United States Gerre Payvis DNS 0
United States Andy Ratcliffe Wth DNQ 0
United States Dick Messier DNQ 0
United States Michael Brockman DNQ 0
United States Bill Baker Wth 0
United States Robert E. Dugo Wth 0
United States George Follmer Wth 0
United States Gary Matthews Wth 0
United States Chuck Bartlebaugh Wth 0
United States Ron Dykes Wth 0
Pos Driver POC
MOS
WGL
ROA1
MDO
ROA2
RIV
Pts
Color Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green 4th to 10th place
(points finish)
Dark Blue Finished
(Outside Top 10)
Purple Did not finish
(Ret)
Red Did not qualify
(DNQ)
Brown Withdrawn
(Wth)
Black Disqualified
(DSQ)
White Did not start
(DNS)
Blank Did not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold Pole position

References

  1. Jaycee Grand Prix - SCCA/USAC Formula 500 Championship Race, www.myf5000.com Retrieved on 29 May 2014
  2. Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, pages 7 to 102
  3. Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, page 81
  4. Wolfgang Kopfler, 1976 Formula 5000 Championship, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, pages 101 & 102
  5. Gordon Kirby, The Season in the USA, Automobile Year 1976/77, pages 191 to 192
  6. Wolfgang Kopfler, The end of Formula 5000, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, page 110
  7. US Formula 5000 races 1968-1976, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 29 May 2014
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