1979 Can-Am season
The 1979 Can-Am season was the twelfth running of the Sports Car Club of America's prototype-based series and the third running of the revived series. Formula One legend Jacky Ickx was declared champion,[1] winning five of the ten rounds and finishing second at Road Atlanta.[2] Chevrolet again dominated the season. The top chassis builders were Lola, Prophet, and Spyder, with Vern Schuppan finishing third at Watkins Glen in an Elfin[3] and Al Holbert finishing third at Road America in a Hogan.[3]
1979 would also mark the introduction of a second class for prototypes with engines under 2000cc. That class was won by Tim Evans in his Lola T290.
Results
[edit]The scoring system was 9-6-4-3-2-1 points awarded to the first six classified finishers. All results counted.
| Round | Circuit | Date | Winning driver | Team | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Road Atlanta
|
May 6 |  Keke Rosberg
|
Newman-Freeman Racing
|
Spyder-Chevrolet |
| 2 | Charlotte
|
May 20 |  Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 3 |  Mosport
|
June 3 | Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 4 | Mid-Ohio
|
June 10 |  Alan Jones
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 5 | Watkins Glen
|
July 8 | Keke Rosberg
|
Newman-Freeman Racing
|
Spyder-Chevrolet |
| 6 | Road America
|
July 22 | Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 7 | Brainerd
|
August 19 | Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 8 | Trois-Rivières
|
September 2 | Elliot Forbes-Robinson
|
Newman-Freeman Racing
|
Spyder-Chevrolet |
| 9 | Laguna Seca
|
October 14 | Bobby Rahal
|
U.S. Racing
|
Prophet-Chevrolet |
| 10 | Riverside
|
October 28 | Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
FINAL STANDINGS
| POSITION | DRIVER | COUNTRY | GPs | WINS | POINTS | ENTRANT | CAR-ENGINE |
| 01 | Jacky Ickx | Belgium | 9 | 5 | 51 | Carl A. Haas Racing Team | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 02 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | United States | 10 | 1 | 45 | Newman-Freeman Racing | Spyder NF-11-Chevrolet |
| 03 | Geoff Lees | United Kingdom | 10 | 0 | 32 | Racing Team VDS | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 04 | Keke Rosberg | Finland | 10 | 2 | 29 | Newman-Freeman Racing | Spyder NF 11-Chevrolet |
| 05 | Bobby Rahal | United States | 6 | 1 | 25 | U.S. Racing | Prophet-Chevrolet |
| 06 | Al Holbert | United States | 8 | 0 | 9 | Hogan Racing Ltd. | Hogan HR 001-Chevrolet |
| 06 | Alan Jones | Australia | 2 | 1 | 9 | Carl A. Haas Racing Team | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 08 | Rocky Moran | United States | 9 | 0 | 6 | American Spirit Racing | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 08 | John Morton | United States | 7 | 0 | 6 | U.S. Racing; John Morton Racing | Prophet-Chevrolet; Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 08 | Vern Schuppan | Australia | 5 | 0 | 6 | Theodore Racing Team | Elfin MR8A-Chevrolet |
| 11 | Bill Tempero | United States | 9 | 0 | 5 | Bill Tempero Racing | Lola T332C-Chevrolet |
| 12 | Bobby Brown | United States | 9 | 0 | 4 | Bobby Brown Racing | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 13 | Tim Evans | United States | 10 | 0 | 3 | Diversified Engineering Services | Lola T290-Ford |
| 13 | Horst Kroll | Canada | 8 | 0 | 3 | Horst Kroll Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet; Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 13 | John Gunn | United States | 7 | 0 | 3 | Gunn´s Godies | GG 5-Chevrolet |
| 13 | Randy Lewis | United States | 3 | 0 | 3 | Randy Lewis; Carl A. Haas Racing Team | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| 13 | Geoff Brabham | Australia | 2 | 0 | 3 | Hogan Racing Ltd. | Hogan HR 001-Chevrolet |
| 13 | George Follmer | United States | 2 | 0 | 3 | U.S. Racing | Prophet-Chevrolet |
| 13 | Howdy Holmes | United States | 1 | 0 | 3 | Newman-Freeman Racing | Spyder NF 11-Chevrolet |
| 20 | Michael Allen | United States | 6 | 0 | 1 | Don Weber | Lola T332CS-Chevrolet |
| 20 | Tony Cicale | United States | 4 | 0 | 1 | Cicale Champion Racing | Ralt RT1 1/2-Hart |
| NC | Gary Gove | United States | 10 | 0 | 0 | Pete Lovely Volkswagen | Chevron B26-Ford |
| NC | Randolph Townsend | United States | 6 | 0 | 0 | Newman-Freeman Racing | Spyder NF 11-Chevrolet |
| NC | S. Peter Smith | United States | 6 | 0 | 0 | Red Roof Inns | Bobsy 2L-Ford |
| NC | Duane Eitel | United States | 5 | 0 | 0 | E-K Racing | Chevron B28-Chevrolet |
| NC | Robert J. Nelkin | United States | 5 | 0 | 0 | Robert J. Nelkin | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | Dean Dietrich | United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | Dean Dietrich | DRL Hawke 79 |
| NC | E. B. Lunken | United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | E. B. Lunken | March 73S-BMW |
| NC | Howard Kelly | Canada | 4 | 0 | 0 | Howard Kelly | Lola T332 RNF-Chevrolet |
| NC | Leonard Janke | United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | Janke Auto Company | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Michael Brayton | United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | Michael Brayton | Wolf Brayton 001-Chevrolet |
| NC | Chris Strong | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | Chris Strong | Chevron B36-Ford |
| NC | Gerre Payvis | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | Gerre Payvis | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | John McCormack | Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 | John McCormack | McLaren M23-Repco |
| NC | John Sorbello | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | John Sorbello | Sorbello GM5-Chevrolet |
| NC | Bertil Roos | Suécia | 2 | 0 | 0 | Bertil Roos | Chevron B27-Ford |
| NC | Charlie Kemp | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Charlie Kemp | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Chuck Smith | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Chuck Smith | Chevron B19/21-Ford |
| NC | Gary Hirsch | Canada | 2 | 0 | 0 | Gary Hirsch | Porsche 908/02 |
| NC | Hurley Haywood | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Vasek Polak Racing | Chevron B21-BMW |
| NC | Jeff Miller | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Jeff Miller | Lola T496-Ford |
| NC | John Timken | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Essex Racing Service | Lola T296-Ford |
| NC | Mike Hall | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | United Racing | Lola T294-Ford |
| NC | Price Cobb | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Price Cobb | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Rick Villate | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | RVR Inc. | Lola T294-Ford |
| NC | Roman Pechmann | Canada | 2 | 0 | 0 | Roman Pechmann Racing | Lola T290-Ford |
| NC | Bob Allen | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Bob Allen | SSE 003-Ford |
| NC | Bob Nagel | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Nagel Racing Enterprises | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | Brad Frisselle | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Brad Frisselle | Frissbee-Chevrolet |
| NC | Danny Johnson | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Danny Johnson | Chevron B24-Chevrolet |
| NC | Dave Hoover | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Dave Hoover | Lola T300-Chevrolet |
| NC | Garth Pollard | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | N.S.F.Racing | Lola T294/6-Ford |
| NC | Gordon Hamilton | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Ticker Tape Racing | Chevron B36-Ford |
| NC | Hal Whipple | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Hal Whipple | Spartan MK3-B-Chevrolet |
| NC | James Woodruff | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Titan-Woodruff Brothers | Lola T430-Chevrolet |
| NC | Jerry Hansen | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Midwest Federal | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | Jim Gustafson | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jim Gustafson Racing Team | Jackal 79-Chevrolet |
| NC | Jim Gutfreund | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Great Plains Motor Racing | Lola T292-Ford |
| NC | Joe Salyer | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Joe Salyer | Chevron B26/31-Ford |
| NC | Mike Roche | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Roche Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Patrick Gaillard | France | 1 | 0 | 0 | Patrick Gaillard | Schkee DB2-Chevrolet |
| NC | Rick Knoop | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Rick Knoop | Lola T332CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | Robert L. Douglas | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Robert L. Douglas | Lola T212-Ford |
| NC | Steven Payne-Herbert | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Steven Payne-Herbert | Lola T294-Ford |
| NC | Tom Spalding | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Tom Spalding | Schkee DB2-Chevrolet |
| NC | Bill Henry | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bill Henry | Lola T296-Ford |
| NC | Don Kehr | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Don Kehr | Chevron B28-Chevrolet |
| NC | Hugh Kleinpeter | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Hugh Kleinpeter | Ralt CCK |
| NC | Jay Jacobs | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Genoa Racing | Chevron B21/23-Ford |
| NC | Patrick McGonegle | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Patrick McGonegle | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Richard Guider | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Richard Guider | Chevron B25-Ford |
| NC | Robert E. Dugo | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Robert E. Dugo | Lola B.A.D. 1-Chevrolet |
|}
References
[edit]- ^ "Can-Am 1979 « OldRacingCars.com". www.oldracingcars.com.
- ^ "Race not found « OldRacingCars.com". www.oldracingcars.com.
- ^ a b "Race not found « OldRacingCars.com". www.oldracingcars.com.
- ^ "WSPR Can-Am 1979". Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2012-04-02.