The 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the tenth running of the Sports Car Club of America's premier open wheel racing series and the third to be co-sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC).
The championship was won by Brian Redman driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet. It was Redman's third consecutive SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship title win. For the first time in three years, a vehicle other than a Lola won a race, with March and Shadow winning one race each. 1976 also marked the first race win by a non-Chevrolet powered car since the 1971 season, with a Dodge-powered Shadow winning at Road America.
1976 was to be the final year of the SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship as the SCCA replaced it with a revived Can Am Series for 1977. The rules for the new series were to allow the Formula 5000 cars to compete with fully enveloping bodywork.
Race results
The championship was contested over a seven race series.
| Race | Date | Location | Distance | Winning driver | Winning car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 9 | Pocono International Raceway | 35 laps |  Brian Redman
|
Lola T332C – Chevrolet V8 |
| 2 | June 20 | Mosport Park | 40 laps |  Alan Jones
|
Lola T332 – Chevrolet V8 |
| 3 | July 11 | Watkins Glen International | 30 laps | Alan Jones
|
March 76A – Chevrolet V8 |
| 4 | July 25 | Road America | 25 laps | Jackie Oliver
|
Shadow DN6B – Dodge V8 |
| 5 | August 8 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 42 laps | Brian Redman
|
Lola T332C – Chevrolet V8 |
| 6 | August 28 | Road America | 20 laps | Brian Redman
|
Lola T332C – Chevrolet V8 |
| 7 | October 17 | Riverside International Raceway | 40 laps |  Al Unser
|
Lola T332 – Chevrolet V8 |
Points system
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.
Final points standings
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References
- Jaycee Grand Prix - SCCA/USAC Formula 500 Championship Race, www.myf5000.com Retrieved on 29 May 2014
- Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, pages 7 to 102
- Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, page 81
- ^ Wolfgang Kopfler, 1976 Formula 5000 Championship, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, pages 101 & 102
- ^ Gordon Kirby, The Season in the USA, Automobile Year 1976/77, pages 191 to 192
- ^ Wolfgang Kopfler, The end of Formula 5000, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, page 110
- ^ US Formula 5000 races 1968-1976, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 29 May 2014