SCCA Formula Super Vee

Last updated
SCCA Formula Super Vee
Category Formula Super Vee
Country Flag of the United States.svg United States of America
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico
Inaugural season1971
Folded1990
ConstructorsVarious
Engine suppliers Volkswagen
Last Drivers' champion Flag of the United States.svg Stuart Crow
Last Makes' champion Ralt

The SCCA Formula Super Vee was one of the longest running Formula Super Vee championships in the world. Twenty racing season were contested. Most of the races were sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America in some occasions the races were sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association.

Contents

History

In 1969 Josef Hoppen, head of the motorsport department of Volkswagen of America, approached the Sports Car Club of America. The Formula Super Vee was announced as an SCCA national class in November 1969. [1] [2] The class was created as a substitute for the overpopulated Formula Vee class. [3] Beach Racing Cars manufactured the first Super Vee car, a single seater using threaded tires and no aerodynamic aides. Settled Formula Vee constructors Zink Cars, Autodynamics and Zeitler Racing Design soon followed. [4] Beach's first Formula Super Vee chassis was bought by Formula Super Vee Europe to promote the racing class in Europe.

Thirteen drivers competed in the first edition of the Formula Super Vee SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road Atlanta. Driver/constructor John Zeitler qualified on pole but dropped to fifth position. Tom Davey won the prestigious race also racing a Zeitler chassis. [5] In the combined Formula Super Vee/Formula Ford race, Super Vee's finished in the first three places. Skip Barber was the first Formula Ford driver placing fourth overall. [6] The first national series was held in 1971. Bill Scott won the inaugural race at Daytona International Raceway. Scott went on to win races at Road America, Lime Rock Park and Laguna Seca Raceway. [7] The 1972 season entries improved and slick tires were introduced to the series. Scott became the first double champion of the series despite only winning two races. [8] For 1973 international drivers stepped in with Swede Bertil Roos winning three out of the first four races. A late charge from Elliott Forbes-Robinson could not prevent Roos winning the championship. [9]

In 1974 a new Formula Super Vee era began. The series featured fourteen races, two of them outside the United States. Races abroad were run at Mosport Park, Canada and Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico. Series organizer, Josef Hopen, was not loyal to any specific sanctioning body. Half of the races, including the races abroad, were sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association. . The co-sanctioning continued for 1975 but ended before the 1976 season. Political disagreement resulted in Hoppen pulling the Formula Super Vee Robert Bosch championship out of IMSA. As a response IMSA created the Formula Atlantic class and USAC created the Mini-Indy Series Formula Super Vee. [10]

The next era for Formula Super Vee started in 1978. The class introduced a new, water cooled, Volkswagen Rabbit engine replacing the old air cooled one. The SCCA club racing scene remained using the old engine. The SCCA dropped the class from its regional and national series, merging it into Formula Continental, but the professional series remained. Bill Alsup won the first season of the new era Formula Super Vee championship. [11] Ralt dominated almost every season fielding the most cars out of any constructor. Only the 1983 and 1986 championships were won by other manufacturers.

Champions

SCCA Formula Super VeeSCCA National Championship Runoffs
SeasonChampion DriverChassisSeasonChampion DriverChassis
1970Not contested1970 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Davey Zeitler
1971 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Scott Royale RP91971 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Davey Lola
1972 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Scott Royale RP141972 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Wheelock Lola
1973 Flag of Sweden.svg Bertil Roos Tui BH31973 Flag of the United States.svg Harry Ingle Zink
1974 Flag of the United States.svg Elliott Forbes-Robinson Lola T3201974 Flag of the United States.svg Fred Phillips Elden Mk14
1975 Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Miller Lola T3241975 Flag of the United States.svg Fred Phillips Elden Mk14B
1976 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Bagley Zink Z111976 Flag of the United States.svg Herm Johnson Lola T324
1977 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Lazier Lola T3241977 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Ovel Lola T324
1978 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Alsup Argo JM21978 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Yoder Lola
1979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Brabham Ralt RT11979Not contested
1980 Flag of the United States.svg Peter Kuhn Ralt RT1/RT51980Not contested
1981 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser Jr. Ralt RT51981Not contested
1982 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Ralt RT51982Not contested
1983 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Pimm Anson SA41983Not contested
1984 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Arie Luyendyk Ralt RT51984Not contested
1985 Flag of the United States.svg Ken Johnson Ralt RT51985Not contested
1986 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Didier Theys Martini MK-47/MK-501986Not contested
1987 Flag of the United States.svg Scott Atchison Ralt RT51987Not contested
1988 Flag of the United States.svg Ken Murillo Ralt RT51988Not contested
1989 Flag of the United States.svg Mark Smith Ralt RT51989Not contested
1990 Flag of the United States.svg Stuart Crow Ralt RT51990Not contested

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References

  1. "Super Vee" (PDF). Vee Line (62): 1, 4. November 1969. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  2. "Formula Super Vee History". Historic Formula Super Vee Register. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  3. "1600 for 1970" (PDF). Vee Lines (61): 1, 4. October 1969. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  4. "Super Vee" (PDF). Vee Lines (64): 4. February 1970. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  5. "SCCA Runoffs Driver Histories" (PDF). SCCA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  6. "Super Vee at Atlanta" (PDF). Vee Lines (75): 4. December 1970. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  7. "SCCA Formula Super Vee 1971". Old Racing Cars. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  8. "SCCA Formula Super Vee 1972". Old Racing Cars. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  9. "SCCA Formula Super Vee 1973". Old Racing Cars. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  10. "SERIES 2 - 1974 - 1976". Formula Super Vee. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  11. "SCCA Formula Super Vee 1978". Old Racing Cars. Retrieved 28 July 2015.