SCCA Formula Super Vee

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.

SCCA Formula Super Vee
CategoryFormula Super Vee
CountryUnited States United States of America
Canada Canada
Mexico Mexico
Inaugural season1971
Folded1990
ConstructorsVarious
Engine suppliersVolkswagen
Last Drivers' championUnited States Stuart Crow
Last Makes' championRalt

History

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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

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SCCA Formula Super Vee SCCA National Championship Runoffs
Season Champion Driver Chassis Season Champion Driver Chassis
1970 Not contested 1970   Tom Davey Zeitler
1971   Bill Scott Royale RP9 1971   Tom Davey Lola
1972   Bill Scott Royale RP14 1972   Bob Wheelock Lola
1973   Bertil Roos Tui BH3 1973   Harry Ingle Zink
1974   Elliott Forbes-Robinson Lola T320 1974   Fred Phillips Elden Mk14
1975   Eddie Miller Lola T324 1975   Fred Phillips Elden Mk14B
1976   Tom Bagley Zink Z11 1976   Herm Johnson Lola T324
1977   Bob Lazier Lola T324 1977   Steve Ovel Lola T324
1978   Bill Alsup Argo JM2 1978   Mike Yoder Lola
1979   Geoff Brabham Ralt RT1 1979 Not contested
1980   Peter Kuhn Ralt RT1/RT5 1980 Not contested
1981   Al Unser Jr. Ralt RT5 1981 Not contested
1982   Michael Andretti Ralt RT5 1982 Not contested
1983   Ed Pimm Anson SA4 1983 Not contested
1984   Arie Luyendyk Ralt RT5 1984 Not contested
1985   Ken Johnson Ralt RT5 1985 Not contested
1986   Didier Theys Martini MK-47/MK-50 1986 Not contested
1987   Scott Atchison Ralt RT5 1987 Not contested
1988   Ken Murillo Ralt RT5 1988 Not contested
1989   Mark Smith Ralt RT5 1989 Not contested
1990   Stuart Crow Ralt RT5 1990 Not contested

References

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  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.