1961 SCCA National Sports Car Championship

The 1961 SCCA National Sports Car Championship season was the eleventh season of the Sports Car Club of America's National Sports Car Championship. It began February 5, 1961, and ended September 23, 1961, after thirteen races.

Classes

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The class structure was changed to allow certain cars to be moved out of their displacement class, based on past performance. The nominal class structure was as follows:[1]

Class Modified Production
B 5000-8000cc 3500-5000cc
C 3000-5000cc 2700-3500cc
D 2000-3000cc 2000-2700cc
E 1500-2000cc 1600-2000cc
F 1100-1500cc 1300-1600cc
G 750-1100cc 1000-1300cc
H 500-750cc 750-1000cc
I under 500cc under 750cc

Schedule

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Rnd Race LengthA Circuit Location Date
1 SCCA National Races 175 km (109 mi) Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida February 5
2 Governor's Cup 68 mi (109 km) Marlboro Motor Raceway Upper Marlboro, Maryland April 16
3 President's Cup 3 hours Virginia International Raceway Danville, Virginia April 30
4 Cumberland National Championship Sports Car Races 45 minutes Greater Cumberland Regional Airport Wiley Ford, West Virginia May 15
5 Bridgehampton National Event 70 mi (110 km) Bridgehampton Race Circuit Bridgehampton, New York May 28
6 International June Sprints 300 mi (480 km) Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 17
7 National Races Lime Rock 46 mi (74 km) Lime Rock Park Lakeville, Connecticut July 1
8 Meadowdale SCCA National Championship Races 40 mi (64 km) Meadowdale International Raceway Carpentersville, Illinois July 23
9 Bridgehampton National Races 70 mi (110 km) Bridgehampton Race Circuit Bridgehampton, New York August 5
10 National Races Indianapolis Raceway Park GP 62 mi (100 km) Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Indiana August 20
11 SCCA National Races 30 mi (48 km) Thompson International Speedway Thompson, Connecticut September 4
12 Road America 500 500 mi (800 km) Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin September 10
13 Watkins Glen Grand Prix 100 mi (160 km) Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York September 23
^A Feature race

Season results

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Feature race overall winners in bold.

Rnd Circuit AP Winning Team BM Winning Team BP Winning Team CM Winning Team CP Winning Team DM Winning Team DP Winning Team EM Winning Team EP Winning Team FM Winning Team FP Winning Team GM Winning Team GP Winning Team HM Winning Team HP Winning Team IM Winning Team Results
AP Winning Driver(s) BM Winning Driver(s) BP Winning Driver(s) CM Winning Driver(s) CP Winning Driver(s) DM Winning Driver(s) DP Winning Driver(s) EM Winning Driver(s) EP Winning Driver(s) FM Winning Driver(s) FP Winning Driver(s) GM Winning Driver(s) GP Winning Driver(s) HM Winning Driver(s) HP Winning Driver(s) IM Winning Driver(s)
1 Daytona unknown unknown Chevrolet Lister-Chevrolet unknown unknown unknown Porsche unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown Results
  Bob Johnson   Art Huttinger   Bob Holbert
2 Marlboro #229 Ferrari no entries #137 Chevrolet A #4 Daimler #621 J. Frank Harrison #42 Siata #14 Porsche #000 Elva B #108 Porsche #2 Lola #55 Lotus #22 Bandini-Saab #51 Fiat-Abarth no finishers Results
  Bob Bucher   Harold Keck   Duncan Black   Fred Gamble   Douglas Diffenderfer   Bob Holbert   Mark Donohue   William Haenelt   M. R. J. Wyllie   Gene Hobbs   Dave Lang   Ben Poster
3 VIR no entries no finishers #13 Chevrolet no finishers #59 A.C.-Bristol #60 Briggs Cunningham #125 Alfa Romeo #14 Porsche #000 Elva C #110 Porsche #2 Lola #290 Alfa Romeo #76 Osca #139 Fiat-Abarth #72 Berkeley Results
  Bob Johnson   Pierre Mion   Walt Hansgen   Chuck Stoddard   Bob Holbert   Mark Donohue   Erskine Ingram   M. R. J. Wyllie   Bill Kane   Oliver Schmidt   Ray Stoutenburg   Phil Jeffreys
4 Cumberland no entries no finishers #1 Don Yenko #151 Arthur Faust #4 Duncan Black #17 J. Frank Harrison #152 William Malion #14 Bob Holbert #000 Mark Donohue #29 Bob Bucher #243 Ben Fowke #2 M. R. J. Wyllie #153 Al Weaver #52 J. F. Lang #44 Rod Harmon D Results
  Don Yenko   Bud Faust   Duncan Black   Fred Gamble   Bill Malion   Bob Holbert   Mark Donohue   Bob Bucher   Ben Fowke   M. R. J. Wyllie   Al Weaver   Dave Lang   Rod Harmon
5 Bridgehampton #13 Ferrari #73 Lister-Costin Buick #149 Chevrolet #25 Lister-Chevrolet #4 Daimler #60 Briggs Cunningham #127 Alfa Romeo #140 Porsche #000 Elva #129 Porsche #174 Sports Car Forum #85 Lotus #26 Alfa Romeo #951 Osca #82 Fiat-Abarth no entries Results
  Bob Grossman   Gerry Georgi   Don Yenko   Pete Harrison   Traver McKenna   Walt Hansgen   Reed Rollo   Bob Holbert   Mark Donohue   Bob Bucher   Don Sesslar   Barry Brown   Bill Kane   John Igleheart   Paul Richards
6 Road America #7 Ferrari #1 Harry J. Heuer #11 Don Yenko E #59 Hank Mergner #6 John M. Wyatt, III #13 Sheldon Brown #99 Frank Zillner #47 Ernie Harris #13 Tom Payne #75 William C. Kravas #2 M. R. J. Wyllie #26 Allan Jacobson #76 Oliver C. Schmidt #14 Rod Harmon no entries Results
  Charlie Hayes
  Carl Haas
  Harry Heuer   Don Yenko
  Ed Lowther
  Pierre Mion   Roger Penske   Sheldon Brown
  Ernie Erickson
  Peter Ryan   Ernie Harris
  Lee Wilson
  Tom Payne   William Kravas   M. R. J. Wyllie   Bill Kane   Oliver Schmidt   Rod Harmon
7 Lime Rock #61 Ferrari #75 Lister-Costin Buick #22 Chevrolet #87 Lister-Costin Chevrolet #4 Daimler #6 Maserati #22 Alfa Romeo F #00 Elva #13 Porsche #68 Turner #57 Lola #1 Alfa Romeo #76 Lola-Osca #43 Austin-Healey no entries Results
  Charlie Hayes   Gerry Georgi   Don Yenko   Pete Harrison   Duncan Black   Roger Penske   Chris Noyes   Mark Donohue   Tom Payne   Skip Barber   Charles Kurtz   Jack Crusoe   Oliver Schmidt   Rod Harmon
8 MeadowdaleG #5 Ferrari #50 Comstock Racing Team #36 Chevrolet #87 Lister-Chevrolet #32 Arnolt-Bristol #6 Maserati #8 Alfa Romeo #77 Concours Motors #000 Elva #13 Porsche #70 Porsche #2 Lola-Climax #15 Alfa Romeo #76 Lola-Osca #24 Fiat-Abarth #124 Berkeley Results
  Denise McCluggage   Peter Ryan   Bob Spooner   Pete Harrison   Ralph Durbin   Roger Penske   Chuck Stoddard   Bill Wuesthoff   Mark Donohue   Tom Payne   Harold Zimdars   M. R. J. Wyllie   Al Weaver   Oliver Schmidt   Larry Isenring   George Bachelder
9 Bridgehampton #9 Ferrari no entries #11 Grady Davis #14 Lister-Corvette #59 A.C.-Bristol #60 Briggs Cunningham #75 Alfa Romeo H #000 Elva #29 Porsche #37 D.B. #74 Lola #5 Alfa Romeo #76 Lola-Osca #41 Austin-Healey no entries Results
  Bob Grossman   Dick Thompson   Art Huttinger   Pierre Mion   Walt Hansgen   Ralph Troiano   Mark Donohue   Bob Bucher   Howard Hanna   William Wilbourne   Al Weaver   Oliver Schmidt   Rod Harmon
10 IRP no entries #28 Gates Chevrolet #11 Chevrolet #127 Corvette Special #59 A.C.-Bristol #60 Briggs Cunningham #12 Porsche #14 Porsche #47 Elva #61 Porsche #177 Porsche #57 Lola #180 Alfa Romeo #76 Lola-Osca #1 Fiat-Abarth no finishers Results
  Bud Gates   Dick Thompson   Robert Ruth   Pierre Mion   Walt Hansgen   Bill Romig   Bob Holbert   Ernie Harris   Ed Haussermann   Tom Peacock   Charles Kurtz   Lynn Blanchard   Oliver Schmidt   Larry Isenring
11 Thompson Ferrari Meister Brauser Chevrolet I A.C.-Bristol John Bunch Porsche #14 Porsche Elva Porsche Porsche Lola Alfa Romeo Osca Fiat-Abarth no entries Results
  Bob Hathaway   Harry Heuer   Dick Thompson   Pierre Mion   George Constantine   George Frey   Bob Holbert   Jay Signore   Bob Bucher   Brad Howes   Charles Kurtz   Dick Haselton   John Igleheart   Paul Richards
12 Road America #1 Charles Hayes #91 Scott Beckett #11 I. Grady Davis #87 Pete Harrison #59 Henry E. Mergner #61 Briggs Cunningham Alfa Romeo #63 Briggs Cunningham Elva #73 Tom Payne Porsche #14 Richard P. Buedingen Alfa Romeo Lola Fiat-Abarth no entries Results
  Charlie Hayes   Scott Beckett
  Dewey Brohaugh
  Dick Thompson   Pete Harrison
  Art Huttinger
  Pierre Mion   Walt Hansgen
  Augie Pabst
  Chuck Stoddard   John Fitch
  Briggs Cunningham
  Dick Thompson
  Ernie Harris   Tom Payne
  Ed Fuchs
  Dick Brakenridge   Dick Buedingen
  Carl Haas
  Lynn Blanchard   Oliver Schmidt   Larry Isenring
13 Watkins Glen #245 Robert Grossman #1 Meister Brauser #213 I. Grady Davis #68 O & M Racing Team #21 Daimler #20 John T. Bunch #303 Alfa Romeo #140 Robert Holbert #82 Elva #29 J. Robert Bucher #350 MG #2 Lola-Climax #258 Alfa Romeo #219 Lola-Osca #187 Fiat-Abarth #251 Berkeley Results
  Bob Grossman   Harry Heuer   Dick Thompson   Bob Colombosian   Gary Morgan   George Constantine   Reed Rollo   Bob Holbert   Jay Signore   Bob Bucher   Sherman Decker   M. R. J. Wyllie   Robert Bowers   Oliver Schmidt   Paul Richards   Phillips Jeffrey
^A C and D Modified were classified together at Marlboro; the combined class was won by Fred Gamble's DM Maserati Tipo 61. The highest-finishing CM car was Bud Faust's Ferrari-Chevrolet in 2nd.
^B F Modified were classified with E Modified at Marlboro.
^C F Modified were classified with E Modified at VIR.
^D I Modified were classified with H Modified at Cumberland.
^E C Modified were classified with B Modified at the Road America June Sprints.
^F E Modified were classified with D Modified at Lime Rock Park.
^G A 'Guest' class also ran at Meadowdale, and was won by Augie Pabst in a Ferrari 625 TR.
^H E and F Modified were classified together at Bridgehampton (August); the combined class was won by Bob Bucher's FM Porsche. The highest-finishing EM car was Henry Schwartz's Porsche in 3rd.
^I C and D Modified were classified together at Thompson; the combined class was won by George Constantine's DM Ferrari.

Champions

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Class Driver Car
A Production   Bob Hathaway Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
B Modified   Harry Heuer Scarab Mk II-Chevrolet
B Production   Dick Thompson Chevrolet Corvette
C Modified   Pete Harrison Lister-Jaguar, Lister-Costin Chevrolet
C Production   Pierre Mion AC Ace-Bristol
D Modified   Roger Penske Maserati Tipo 61, Cooper Monaco T61-Climax
D Production   Chuck Stoddard Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce
E Modified   Bob Holbert Porsche 718 RS 60, RS 61
E Production   Mark Donohue Elva Courier
F Modified   Bob Bucher Porsche 718 RSK
F Production   Howard Hanna D.B. Coupe
G Modified   Charles Kurtz Lola Mk.1
G Production   Al Weaver Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
H Modified   Oliver Schmidt Osca, Lola Mk.1-Osca
H Production   Rod Harmon Austin-Healey Sprite
I Modified   Phillips Jeffrey Berkeley

References

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  1. ^ "Grand Prix for Sports Cars, Riverside International Raceway program". Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
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