The 1979 Can-Am season was the twelfth running of the Sports Car Club of America's prototype-based series and the third running of the revived series. Formula One legend Jacky Ickx was declared champion, winning five of the ten rounds and finishing second at Road Atlanta. Chevrolet again dominated the season. The top chassis builders were Lola, Prophet, and Spyder, with Vern Schuppan finishing third at Watkins Glen in an Elfin and Al Holbert finishing third at Road America in a Hogan.
1979 would also mark the introduction of a second class for prototypes with engines under 2000cc. That class was won by Tim Evans in his Lola T290.
Results
The scoring system was 9-6-4-3-2-1 points awarded to the first six classified finishers. All results counted.
| Round | Circuit | Date | Winning driver | Team | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Road Atlanta
|
May 6 |  Keke Rosberg
|
Newman-Freeman Racing
|
Spyder-Chevrolet |
| 2 | Charlotte
|
May 20 |  Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 3 |  Mosport
|
June 3 | Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 4 | Mid-Ohio
|
June 10 |  Alan Jones
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 5 | Watkins Glen
|
July 8 | Keke Rosberg
|
Newman-Freeman Racing
|
Spyder-Chevrolet |
| 6 | Road America
|
July 22 | Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 7 | Brainerd
|
August 19 | Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
| 8 | Trois-Rivières
|
September 2 | Elliot Forbes-Robinson
|
Newman-Freeman Racing
|
Spyder-Chevrolet |
| 9 | Laguna Seca
|
October 14 | Bobby Rahal
|
U.S. Racing
|
Prophet-Chevrolet |
| 10 | Riverside
|
October 28 | Jacky Ickx
|
Carl A. Haas Racing Team
|
Lola-Chevrolet |
FINAL STANDINGS
| POSITION | DRIVER | COUNTRY | GPs | WINS | POINTS | ENTRANT | CAR-ENGINE |
| 01 | Jacky Ickx | Belgium | 9 | 5 | 51 | Carl A. Haas Racing Team | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 02 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | United States | 10 | 1 | 45 | Newman-Freeman Racing | Spyder NF-11-Chevrolet |
| 03 | Geoff Lees | United Kingdom | 10 | 0 | 32 | Racing Team VDS | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 04 | Keke Rosberg | Finland | 10 | 2 | 29 | Newman-Freeman Racing | Spyder NF 11-Chevrolet |
| 05 | Bobby Rahal | United States | 6 | 1 | 25 | U.S. Racing | Prophet-Chevrolet |
| 06 | Al Holbert | United States | 8 | 0 | 9 | Hogan Racing Ltd. | Hogan HR 001-Chevrolet |
| 06 | Alan Jones | Australia | 2 | 1 | 9 | Carl A. Haas Racing Team | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 08 | Rocky Moran | United States | 9 | 0 | 6 | American Spirit Racing | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 08 | John Morton | United States | 7 | 0 | 6 | U.S. Racing; John Morton Racing | Prophet-Chevrolet; Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 08 | Vern Schuppan | Australia | 5 | 0 | 6 | Theodore Racing Team | Elfin MR8A-Chevrolet |
| 11 | Bill Tempero | United States | 9 | 0 | 5 | Bill Tempero Racing | Lola T332C-Chevrolet |
| 12 | Bobby Brown | United States | 9 | 0 | 4 | Bobby Brown Racing | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 13 | Tim Evans | United States | 10 | 0 | 3 | Diversified Engineering Services | Lola T290-Ford |
| 13 | Horst Kroll | Canada | 8 | 0 | 3 | Horst Kroll Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet; Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| 13 | John Gunn | United States | 7 | 0 | 3 | Gunn´s Godies | GG 5-Chevrolet |
| 13 | Randy Lewis | United States | 3 | 0 | 3 | Randy Lewis; Carl A. Haas Racing Team | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| 13 | Geoff Brabham | Australia | 2 | 0 | 3 | Hogan Racing Ltd. | Hogan HR 001-Chevrolet |
| 13 | George Follmer | United States | 2 | 0 | 3 | U.S. Racing | Prophet-Chevrolet |
| 13 | Howdy Holmes | United States | 1 | 0 | 3 | Newman-Freeman Racing | Spyder NF 11-Chevrolet |
| 20 | Michael Allen | United States | 6 | 0 | 1 | Don Weber | Lola T332CS-Chevrolet |
| 20 | Tony Cicale | United States | 4 | 0 | 1 | Cicale Champion Racing | Ralt RT1 1/2-Hart |
| NC | Gary Gove | United States | 10 | 0 | 0 | Pete Lovely Volkswagen | Chevron B26-Ford |
| NC | Randolph Townsend | United States | 6 | 0 | 0 | Newman-Freeman Racing | Spyder NF 11-Chevrolet |
| NC | S. Peter Smith | United States | 6 | 0 | 0 | Red Roof Inns | Bobsy 2L-Ford |
| NC | Duane Eitel | United States | 5 | 0 | 0 | E-K Racing | Chevron B28-Chevrolet |
| NC | Robert J. Nelkin | United States | 5 | 0 | 0 | Robert J. Nelkin | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | Dean Dietrich | United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | Dean Dietrich | DRL Hawke 79 |
| NC | E. B. Lunken | United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | E. B. Lunken | March 73S-BMW |
| NC | Howard Kelly | Canada | 4 | 0 | 0 | Howard Kelly | Lola T332 RNF-Chevrolet |
| NC | Leonard Janke | United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | Janke Auto Company | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Michael Brayton | United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | Michael Brayton | Wolf Brayton 001-Chevrolet |
| NC | Chris Strong | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | Chris Strong | Chevron B36-Ford |
| NC | Gerre Payvis | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | Gerre Payvis | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | John McCormack | Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 | John McCormack | McLaren M23-Repco |
| NC | John Sorbello | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | John Sorbello | Sorbello GM5-Chevrolet |
| NC | Bertil Roos | Suécia | 2 | 0 | 0 | Bertil Roos | Chevron B27-Ford |
| NC | Charlie Kemp | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Charlie Kemp | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Chuck Smith | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Chuck Smith | Chevron B19/21-Ford |
| NC | Gary Hirsch | Canada | 2 | 0 | 0 | Gary Hirsch | Porsche 908/02 |
| NC | Hurley Haywood | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Vasek Polak Racing | Chevron B21-BMW |
| NC | Jeff Miller | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Jeff Miller | Lola T496-Ford |
| NC | John Timken | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Essex Racing Service | Lola T296-Ford |
| NC | Mike Hall | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | United Racing | Lola T294-Ford |
| NC | Price Cobb | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | Price Cobb | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Rick Villate | United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | RVR Inc. | Lola T294-Ford |
| NC | Roman Pechmann | Canada | 2 | 0 | 0 | Roman Pechmann Racing | Lola T290-Ford |
| NC | Bob Allen | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Bob Allen | SSE 003-Ford |
| NC | Bob Nagel | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Nagel Racing Enterprises | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | Brad Frisselle | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Brad Frisselle | Frissbee-Chevrolet |
| NC | Danny Johnson | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Danny Johnson | Chevron B24-Chevrolet |
| NC | Dave Hoover | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Dave Hoover | Lola T300-Chevrolet |
| NC | Garth Pollard | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | N.S.F.Racing | Lola T294/6-Ford |
| NC | Gordon Hamilton | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Ticker Tape Racing | Chevron B36-Ford |
| NC | Hal Whipple | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Hal Whipple | Spartan MK3-B-Chevrolet |
| NC | James Woodruff | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Titan-Woodruff Brothers | Lola T430-Chevrolet |
| NC | Jerry Hansen | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Midwest Federal | Lola T333CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | Jim Gustafson | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jim Gustafson Racing Team | Jackal 79-Chevrolet |
| NC | Jim Gutfreund | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Great Plains Motor Racing | Lola T292-Ford |
| NC | Joe Salyer | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Joe Salyer | Chevron B26/31-Ford |
| NC | Mike Roche | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Roche Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Patrick Gaillard | France | 1 | 0 | 0 | Patrick Gaillard | Schkee DB2-Chevrolet |
| NC | Rick Knoop | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Rick Knoop | Lola T332CS-Chevrolet |
| NC | Robert L. Douglas | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Robert L. Douglas | Lola T212-Ford |
| NC | Steven Payne-Herbert | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Steven Payne-Herbert | Lola T294-Ford |
| NC | Tom Spalding | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | Tom Spalding | Schkee DB2-Chevrolet |
| NC | Bill Henry | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bill Henry | Lola T296-Ford |
| NC | Don Kehr | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Don Kehr | Chevron B28-Chevrolet |
| NC | Hugh Kleinpeter | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Hugh Kleinpeter | Ralt CCK |
| NC | Jay Jacobs | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Genoa Racing | Chevron B21/23-Ford |
| NC | Patrick McGonegle | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Patrick McGonegle | Lola T332-Chevrolet |
| NC | Richard Guider | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Richard Guider | Chevron B25-Ford |
| NC | Robert E. Dugo | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | Robert E. Dugo | Lola B.A.D. 1-Chevrolet |
|}
References
- "Can-Am 1979 « OldRacingCars.com". www.oldracingcars.com.
- "Race not found « OldRacingCars.com". www.oldracingcars.com.
- ^ "Race not found « OldRacingCars.com". www.oldracingcars.com.
- "WSPR Can-Am 1979". Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2012-04-02.