I hadn't gotten around to getting very done on this season myself except for my notes and the sketches of the races, so I was very interested in what was there. Needless to say, the material is perhaps the first time in ages - - if ever -- that you can actually see the season's result's and related information laid out. Allen, Wolfgang, and Jim had not only the results of the finals, but the heats and the qualifying sessions. They have also provided that rarity of rarities -- chassis numbers ofr the cars competing in the series.
What I tried do over the past few evenings was match what was there with what was in Formula magazine, plus fill in what I had and would add.
Pocono -- In Formula, the Swanson car is said to be the previous season's Haas-Hall car; the Interscope Racing car driven by Ongais the former Wietzes car; and, the Levitt Racing car for Durst the "other" Redman car. The race was postponed about a month due to the track being flooded. During the original qualifying, Redman drove a T400 numbered "66" and a T332 numbered "1" when they returned -- the former Mickey Rupp car raced at Ontario.
Also, I tend to be interested in entrants, car names, and car numbers -- and in the case of F5000 (and other US series) who built the engines such Falconer & Dunn, (Ed) Pink, Traco, McLaren, Chaparral, (Alan) Smith, Molloy or whoever. This information is missing from the data presented, but it is easy to understand why -- it can really complicate a database! I also usually fastest laps, and other data. However, the qualifying data here is terrific and impressive.
Mosport -- Nothing obvious that I found.
Watkins Glen -- Ditto except for having the number of laps completed in the final.
Elkhart Lake -- Formula mentions the presence of Jarier in the second Shadow and credits him with that 2min 04.232sec lap in the last session.
Flowery Branch -- Nothing that was obvious.
Long Beach -- Ditto
Laguna Seca -- That Berta BA3.... Formula has Oreste Berta putting Luis de Palma in the cockpit -- Bill Simpson is never mentioned.
Riverside -- Nothing obvious.
Here is a sample of my format:
1975 SCCA USAC Formula 5000 Championship Round 01, 1 June 1975 Purolator 5000 Pocono International Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania Final of 35 laps of 2.8-mile circuit, 98.0 miles; two heats of 20 laps each of 2.8-mile circuit, 56.0 miles. 1st Brian Redman No. 1, Haas-Hall Racing, Lola T332 (HU45) – Chaparral Chevrolet 35 laps, 50min 19.0sec, 116.889mph Start: Final, 1st; Heat 2, 2nd; qualifying, 4th, 1min 21.098sec $14,250 36 points 2nd Al Unser No. 51, Vel’s Parnelli Jones, Viceroy Lola T332 (HU35) – Falconer & Dunn Chevrolet 35 laps, 50min 42.2sec Start: Final, 7th; Heat 2, 1st; qualifying, 1min 20.658sec Race Fastest Lap: 1min 21.0sec, 124.444mph $4,500 etc.
Since I am not using a database format and generally pretty an inclusive sort when it comes to data, I can just add lines to the entry or put in a description of the entry, practice, race, and related information and not have to be bound by strict formatting rules and making the information fit the template. Typical me.
. The Berta material is thinner than I remembered. Until I looked at the race report in Formula I was unsure of whether di Palma was at Laguna Seca or Riverside or both or neither.
