1978 Mosport - Can Am

For a number of reasons, the original Canadian American Challenge Cup (Can Am) series ended in 1974. To fill this vacancy, the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) premier series became the Formula 5000 Championship. The replacement series was short-lived and only lasted two seasons. By the end of 1976, race promoters were no longer interested in the Formula 5000 cars as they felt they were not attracting race fans. Also, a sponsor could not be found for the series. Finally, USAC which co-sanctioned the events with the SCCA was not going to return in 1977. As a result of these factors, SCCA decided to revive the Can Am but with rules that were not as liberal as the original series.

The new regulations allowed Formula 5000 cars to compete with sports racer bodies. Lola produced a conversion kit which transformed the Lola T-332 C to a full-bodied T-333 CS. Motors were limited to 5-liter stock block V8s or 3-liter racing engines. To fill the grids under 2-liter sports racers were eligible to participate.

The new Can Am series debuted in 1977 at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant, Quebec with seventeen cars starting the race. In all, nine events were contested during the season. Patrick Tambay won the championship in a Lola T-333 CS entered by Carl Haas.

The 1978 season started in April at Road Atlanta, Georgia and ended at Riverside, California in October. There were ten races in the championship. Most of the events were contested at tracks that were on the previous year’s calendar. The exceptions – no Sears Point and the addition of Road Atlanta and Charlotte.

Round seven of the 1978 Can Am series was held at Mosport. To add excitement to the event was run as two 30-lap/75-mile sprint races. And, the addition of a pit-stop for fuel would prevent any one driver – Allan Jones – from running away with the win. As an incentive, teams could earn $10,000 in prize money for a victory in a heat race. The overall winner would be determined by the driver collecting the least amount of points after two heats. The winner would earn a point for finishing first and two for second and so on. For the spectators, it was an opportunity to see two races for the price of one.

It was ‘all or nothing’ for Allan Jones in the first six races of the 1978 Can Am season. The driver of the No. 1 Carl Haas Lola T-333 CS won at Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio and Road America and finished second at Charlotte. But problems at Mont-Tremblant and Watkins Glen caused him to finish well down the order. At Mosport, Jones added to his championship points lead by winning both heat races.

Fastest of the under 2-liter cars was the No. 47 Cicale Ralt RT-1 of Anthony Cicale. Cicale successfully converted a Formula Atlantic Ralt into a competitive Can Am car. He was the highest placed two-liter car at Mosport. Cicale was in demand by CART teams as the result of his technical expertise. In 1994, he helped Mario Andretti win the CART title and the following year he worked with Jacques Villeneuve when he won the Indy 500 and Drivers Championship.

Al Holbert won the 1976 and 1977 IMSA Championship in a Dekon designed Chevrolet Monza. In 1978, Holbert turned his attention to the Can Am series driving a Lola T-333 CS. He had a promising first season which included five podium finishes, a win at Laguna Seca and a third in the Championship. At Mosport, Holbert was classified third after a fourth in the first heat and a third in the second.

The Shadow was unlike many of the other five-liter Can Am cars. Rather than a converted Formula 5000 Lola the DN10 used a Formula 1 chassis. Also, it was powered by a Dodge engine as opposed to the more popular Chevrolet. The car was raced by Jean-Pierre Jarier who had driven for the Shadow team in Formula 1. The car did not meet expectations although Jarier’s teammate, Randolph Townsend, had a season-high fourth at Mont-Tremblant.

Another car not based on a Lola T-332 C chassis was the Elfin MR8A-C of Vern Schuppan. Elfin has been a manufacturer of race cars since 1957. The Australian company built three Formula 5000 MR8s and Schuppan converted one of these to Can Am specifications. Based on his results in the two heat races he was classified with a sixth.

Elliot Forbes-Robinson was one of the drivers entered in the first ‘Second Generation’ Can Am race – 1977 at St. Jovite. In 1978, he drove the No. 3 Spyder NF-10. The Spyder was based on the Lola T-333 CS and powered by a 5-liter Chevrolet. Forbes-Robinson drove the car to victory in only its second outing at Charlotte and scored another victory at Trois-Rivieres. At Mosport, he qualified and finished fourth.

John Morton was entered in the No. 46 Lola T-333 CS. Morton qualified tenth but developed engine problems in both heats. A seventh place finish in heat one and a sixteen in the second resulted in a tenth place overall. Morton made his Can Am debut at the final two races of the 1977 season – earning a third at Sears Point and Riverside. Despite these promising results, the best he could do in 1978 was a fifth at Riverside.

One of the biggest threats to Jones’ dominance was George Follmer. Follmer won the 1972 Can Am title driving a turbocharged Porsche 917. In 1978, he was racing the Prophet for Herb Caplan. Follmer missed the first two races but appeared at Mid-Ohio and finished second. This event was followed by Mont-Tremblant which he won. At Mosport, Follmer was classified fifth after a third in the first heat and a tenth in the second.

POS.	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	ENTRANT	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	-	Alan Jones	Lola T-333 CS	Carl A. Haas Racing	60	-
2	-	Warwick Brown	Lola T-333 CS	Racing Team V.D.S.	60	-
3	-	Al Holbert	Lola T-333 CS	Hogan Racing	60	-
4	-	Elliot Forbes-Robinson	Spyder NF-10	Newman Freeman Racing	60	-
5	-	George Follmer	Prophet	U.S. Racing	58	-
6	-	Vern Schuppan	Elfin MR8A	Vern Schuppan/Robert Boxx	58	-
7	-	Rocky Moran	Lola T-333 CS	Rocky Moran	58	-
8	-	Howard Kelly	Lola T-332 RNF	Nagel Racing	54	Magneto
9	-	Michael Allen	Lola T-333 CS	Don Weber	56	-
10	-	John Morton	Lola T-333 CS	John Morton	48	Engine
11	-	Horst Kroll	Lola T-332	Kroll's Auto Service	38	Oil Pressure
12	U2L	Tony Cicale	Cicale Ralt RT1	Cicale Champion Racing	56	-
13	-	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Shadow DN10	Shadow Racing	36	Transmission
14	-	Michael Brayton	Wolf Brayton 001	Michael Brayton	56	-
15	-	John Gunn	Lola T-332	Gunn's Goodies	52	Transmission
16	-	Dean Dietrich	March 76A	Dietrich Racing	52	-
17	-	Alain De Cadenet	De Cadenet Lola LM	British Post Office	52	-
18	U2L	S. Peter Smith	Chevron B19/21	Red Roof Inns	33	Clutch
19	U2L	Dave Johnson	Lola T-290	PSB Speakers	41	Engine
20	U2L	Warren Purdy	Lola T-290	Warren Purdy	19	Ignition
21	U2L	Ray Petry	Chevron B21	-	26	-
22	U2L	E. B. Lunken	March 73S	E. B. Lunken Racing	20	Engine
23	-	Bill Tempero	Chevron B78C	Cloverleaf Texaco	18	Engine
24	-	Leonard Janke	Lola T-332	Janke Auto Co.	4	Transmission
25	-	David Giorgi	Lola T-160	The Winner's Circle	2	Handling

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