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.[1] The championship was open to cars complying with the SCCA's 5 liter (305 cid) 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.[2]
The 1975 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was won by Brian Redman driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet.[3]
In light of the Can Am Series' folding the previous year, the Formula 5000 Championship became the SCCA's flagship series in 1975. However, only two years later, the Formula 5000 category would form the basis for a revived Can Am Series. After 1975, Lola's dominance would end as March and Shadow cars would win events the following year. It would also be the end of Chevrolet's several year sweep of the championship as an engine manufacturer, as a Dodge powered car would garner a victory in 1976.
The 1975 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was contested over a nine race series.[2]
Race | Date | Race name | Location | Distance | Winning driver | Winning vehicle | Report | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | June 1 | Purolator 5000 | Pocono International Raceway | 35 laps | Brian Redman | Lola T332 – Chevrolet V8 | ||
2 | June 15 | Labatt's Blue 5000 | Mosport Park | 40 laps | Mario Andretti | Lola T332 – Chevrolet V8 | ||
3 | July 13 | Watkins Glen International | 30 laps | Brian Redman | ||||
4 | July 27 | Road America | 25 laps | Mario Andretti | Lola T332 – Chevrolet V8 | |||
5 | August 10 | Buckeye Cup[4] | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 42 laps | Brian Redman | |||
6 | August 31 | Atlanta Grand Prix | Road Atlanta | 40 laps | Al Unser | |||
7 | September 28 | Long Beach Grand Prix | Long Beach, California | 50 laps | Brian Redman | Lola T332 – Chevrolet V8 | 1975 | |
8 | October 12 | Monterey Grand Prix | Laguna Seca Raceway | 50 laps | Mario Andretti | |||
9 | October 26 | California Grand Prix | Riverside International Raceway | 40 laps | Mario Andretti |
Championship points were awarded on a 36-24-16-12-8-5-4-3-2-1 basis for the first ten positions in each race.[2]
Position [5] | Driver | Car | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brian Redman | Lola T332 Chevrolet Lola T400 Chevrolet | 227 | |
2 | Mario Andretti | 165 | ||
3 | Al Unser | 161 | ||
4 | Jackie Oliver | Shadow DN6 Chevrolet Shadow DN6 Dodge | 77 | |
5 | Eppie Wietzes | Lola T400 Chevrolet | 60 | |
6 | David Hobbs | 50 | ||
7 | Warwick Brown | Talon MR1A Chevrolet | 42 | |
8 | Vern Schuppan | Eagle Chevrolet | 39 | |
9 | B.J. Swanson | 32 | ||
10 | Tony Brise | 17 | ||
11 | John Morton | Lola T332 Chevrolet Lola T400 Chevrolet | 15 | |
12 | John Cannon | March 731/751 Chevrolet | 13 | |
13 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | 12 | ||
= | Chris Amon | Talon MR1 Chevrolet | 12 | |
= | John Woodner | Lola T400 Chevrolet Talon MR1 Chevrolet | 12 | |
16 | Evan Noyes | 10 | ||
17 | Jerry Karl | 7 | ||
= | John Gunn | 7 | ||
= | Tony Dean | Chevron B28 Chevrolet | 7 | |
= | Graham McRae | 7 | ||
21 | Danny Ongais | Lola T400 Chevrolet Lola T332 Chevrolet | 5 | |
= | Bobby Unser | Eagle Chevrolet | 5 | |
= | Gordon Johncock | 5 | ||
24 | Tuck Thomas | 4 | ||
25 | Bob Earle | 3 | ||
26 | James Dunkel | Chevron B24 Chevrolet | 2 | |
= | Roger Bighouse | Chevron B24 Chevrolet | 2 | |
28 | Dan Furey | Lola T330 AMC | 1 | |
= | Skeeter McKitterick | Chevron B24/B28 Chevrolet | 1 | |
= | Randy Lewis | 1 |