The 1970 SCCA Continental Championship was the fourth annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. [1] The championship was open to Formula A cars, [2] with both 305 cubic inch "stock block" V8 engines and 183 cubic inch "free design" engines being permitted in that category. [3] For the first time in the history of the series, drivers competed for the L&M Championship Trophy and a share of a $40,000 prize fund. [4] The championship was won by John Cannon driving a McLaren M10B Chevrolet. [2]
The SCCA also organized a separate Continental Championship for Formula B cars. [3]
The championship was contested over a thirteen race series. [2]
Race [5] [6] | Date [5] [6] | Name | Circuit [5] [6] | Distance | Winner [5] [6] | Car [5] [6] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | April 19 | Riverside Grand Prix | Riverside International Raceway | 40 laps | John Cannon | McLaren M10B - Chevrolet V8 |
2 | May 24 | Lucerne 100 | Edmonton International Speedway | 40 laps | Ron Grable | Lola T190 - Chevrolet V8 |
3 | June 7 | Seattle Grand Prix | Seattle International Raceway | 45 laps | John Cannon | McLaren M10B - Chevrolet V8 |
4 | June 14 | Monterey Grand Prix | Laguna Seca Raceway | 50 laps | Ron Grable | Lola T190 - Chevrolet V8 |
5 | June 28 | Continental 49'er | Sears Point International Raceway | 40 laps | Gus Hutchison | Brabham BT26A – Ford Cosworth DFV V8 |
6 | July 5 | Dallas Grand Prix | Dallas International Motor Speedway | 41 laps | Gus Hutchison | Brabham BT26A – Ford Cosworth DFV V8 |
7 | July 18 | Road America Grand Prix | Road America | 25 laps | John Cannon | McLaren M10B - Chevrolet V8 |
8 | August 1 | Le Circuit Continental | Circuit Mont-Tremblant | 35 laps | George Follmer | Lotus 70 - Ford V8 |
9 | August 16 | Minnesota Grand Prix | Brainerd International Raceway | 50 laps | David Hobbs | Surtees TS5A - Chevrolet V8 |
10 | September 7 | Lime Rock Grand Prix | Lime Rock Park | 70 laps | David Hobbs | Surtees TS5A - Chevrolet V8 |
11 | September 13 | Mosport Continental | Mosport Park | 39 laps | Mark Donohue | Lola T192 - Chevrolet V8 |
12 | September 27 | Mid-Ohio Grand Prix | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 42 laps | George Follmer | Lotus 70 - Ford V8 |
13 | October 25 | L&M F5000 Championship Race | Sebring International Raceway | 45 laps | Mark Donohue | Lola T192 - Chevrolet V8 |
Championship points were awarded to drivers on a 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 basis for the first ten places in each race. [2]
Robert Brett Lunger is an American racecar driver and Vietnam War veteran.
Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula. The '5000' denomination comes from the maximum 5.0 litre engine capacity allowed in the cars, although many cars ran with smaller engines. Manufacturers included McLaren, Eagle, March, Lola, Lotus, Elfin, Matich and Chevron.
Frank Matich was an Australian racing car driver. A highly successful motor racing competitor in the 1960s and 1970s, Matich built his own range of Matich sports cars and open wheel cars, mainly to support his own career, but some cars found success with other drivers. In these and other makes he won five Tasman Series races, two Australian Grands Prix, the 1972 Australian Drivers' Championship and a number of other Australian motor racing titles.
The 1967 SCCA Grand Prix Championship season was the inaugural season of the Sports Car Club of America's championship series for open-wheel, single-seat formula cars, later to be known as the SCCA Continental Championship. The 1967 championship was open to SCCA Formula A, Formula B and Formula C cars, which were limited to a maximum engine displacement of 3.0 liters, 1.6 liters and 1.1 liters respectively.
The 1968 SCCA Grand Prix Championship was the second annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's open wheel automobile racing series later to become known as the SCCA Continental Championship. The championship was open to SCCA Formula A, Formula B and Formula C cars, with Formula A expanded to include vehicles powered by 5 liter production-based engines, with the Formula A category later being renamed to Formula 5000.
The 1969 SCCA Continental Championship was the third annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. It was the first to carry the SCCA Continental Championship name as the previous two series had both been staged as the Grand Prix Championship.
The 1971 SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship was the fifth annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. Liggett & Myers increased it support of the championship for 1971 through its L&M cigarette brand and now had series naming rights.
The 1972 SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship was the Sports Car Club of America's sixth annual professional open-wheel auto racing series. It was open to Formula 5000 cars, these being Formula SCCA Class A open-wheel, single-seat cars with 5000cc restricted design engines or 3000cc unrestricted design engines. The championship as won by New Zealand driver Graham McRae.
The 1973 SCCA L&M Championship was the seventh annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. The championship, which was open to Formula 5000 cars, was won by South African driver Jody Scheckter.
The 1974 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the eighth running of the Sports Car Club of America's premier open wheel racing series. It was the first to be sanctioned jointly by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC), and the first to be held under the "SCCA /USAC Formula 5000 Championship" name. Sponsorship by the L&M cigarette brand was not carried forward from the 1973 championship.
The 1975 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the ninth running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel automobile racing series and the second to be sanctioned jointly by the Sports Car Club of America and the United States Automobile Club. The championship was open to cars complying with the SCCA's 5 litre American stock block engine specifications and to cars complying with the USAC's 161 cid turbocharged, 255 cid DOHC or 320 cid stock block engine regulations.
The 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the tenth running of the Sports Car Club of America's premier open wheel racing series and the third to be co-sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC).
The SCCA Continental Championship was an annual, professional, open-wheel motor racing series organized by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), under various names, from 1967 to 1976.
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The 1970 Guards European Formula 5000 Championship was a motor racing competition for Formula 5000 cars. The series was organized in the United Kingdom by the British Racing and Sports Car Club but also included European rounds. It was the first and only series to carry the Guards European Formula 5000 Championship name and the second of seven annual European Formula 5000 Championships to be contested between 1969 and 1975. The title was won by Peter Gethin, driving a McLaren M10B.
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The 1974 Rothmans 5000 European Championship was a motor racing series for Formula 5000 cars. The series was organized in the United Kingdom by the British Racing and Sports Car Club, but also incorporated European rounds. It was the sixth in a sequence of annual European Formula 5000 Championships, and the second to be contested as the Rothmans 5000 European Championship. The 1974 championship was won by Bob Evans, driving a Lola T332.
The 1975 ShellSPORT 5000 European Championship was a motor racing series for Formula 5000 cars. The series was organized in the United Kingdom by the British Racing and Sports Car Club, but also incorporated European rounds. It was the seventh and last in a sequence of annual European Formula 5000 Championships, and the first to be contested as the ShellSPORT 5000 European Championship. The 1975 championship was won by Teddy Pilette, driving a Lola T400.
Forsgrini Engineering is a former American racecar constructor based in Issaquah, Washington. The company produced various racing cars for Formula C, Tasman Series and other classes.