# 1970 SCCA Continental Championship

The 1970 SCCA Continental Championship was the fourth annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. The championship was open to Formula A cars, with both 305 cubic inch "stock block" V8 engines and 183 cubic inch "free design" engines being permitted in that category. For the first time in the history of the series, drivers competed for the L&M Championship Trophy and a share of a $40,000 prize fund. The championship was won by John Cannon driving a McLaren M10B Chevrolet.
The SCCA also organized a separate Continental Championship for Formula B cars.

## Race schedule

The championship was contested over a thirteen race series.
| Race | Date | Name | Circuit | Distance | Winner | Car |
| 1 | April 19 | Riverside Grand Prix | Riverside International Raceway | 40 laps | John Cannon | McLaren M10B - Chevrolet V8 |
| 2 | May 24 | Lucerne 100 | Edmonton International Speedway | 40 laps | Ron Grable | Lola T190 - Chevrolet V8 |
| 3 | June 7 | Seattle Grand Prix | Seattle International Raceway | 45 laps | John Cannon | McLaren M10B - Chevrolet V8 |
| 4 | June 14 | Monterey Grand Prix | Laguna Seca Raceway | 50 laps | Ron Grable | Lola T190 - Chevrolet V8 |
| 5 | June 28 | Continental 49'er | Sears Point International Raceway | 40 laps | Gus Hutchison | Brabham BT26A – Ford Cosworth DFV V8 |
| 6 | July 5 | Dallas Grand Prix | Dallas International Motor Speedway | 41 laps | Gus Hutchison | Brabham BT26A – Ford Cosworth DFV V8 |
| 7 | July 18 | Road America Grand Prix | Road America | 25 laps | John Cannon | McLaren M10B - Chevrolet V8 |
| 8 | August 1 | Le Circuit Continental | Circuit Mont-Tremblant | 35 laps | George Follmer | Lotus 70 - Ford V8 |
| 9 | August 16 | Minnesota Grand Prix | Brainerd International Raceway | 50 laps | David Hobbs | Surtees TS5A - Chevrolet V8 |
| 10 | September 7 | Lime Rock Grand Prix | Lime Rock Park | 70 laps | David Hobbs | Surtees TS5A - Chevrolet V8 |
| 11 | September 13 | Mosport Continental | Mosport Park | 39 laps | Mark Donohue | Lola T192 - Chevrolet V8 |
| 12 | September 27 | Mid-Ohio Grand Prix | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 42 laps | George Follmer | Lotus 70 - Ford V8 |
| 13 | October 25 | L&M F5000 Championship Race | Sebring International Raceway | 45 laps | Mark Donohue | Lola T192 - Chevrolet V8 |

## Points system

Championship points were awarded to drivers on a 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 basis for the first ten places in each race.

## Championship standings

| Position | Driver | Car | Points |
| 1 | John Cannon | McLaren M10B Chevrolet | 129 |
| 2 | Gus Hutchison | Brabham BT26 Ford Cosworth DFV | 91 |
| 3 | David Hobbs | Surtees TS5A Chevrolet | 86 |
| 4 | Eppie Wietzes | McLaren M10B Chevrolet | 81 |
| 5 | Ron Grable | Lola T190 Chevrolet Surtees TS5 Chevrolet | 72 |
| 6 | George Follmer | Lotus 70 Ford | 71 |
| 7 | John Gunn | Surtees TS5A Chevrolet | 66 |
| 8 | Mark Donohue | Lola T192 Chevrolet | 52 |
| 9 | Dick Smothers | Lotus 70 Chevrolet Eagle Chevrolet | 40 |
| 10 | Bill Brack | Lotus 70 Chevrolet | 36 |
| 11 | John Martin | Lotus 38 Chevrolet Surtees TS5A Chevrolet | 34 |
| 12 | Dave Jordan | Eagle Chevrolet | 29 |
| 13 | George Wintersteen | Lotus 70 Chevrolet | 28 |
| 14 | Rex Ramsey | Eagle Chevrolet Surtees TS5A Chevrolet | 27 |
| 15 | Fred Baker | McLaren M10A Chevrolet | 26 |
| = | Spence Stoddard | Lola T190 Chevrolet | 26 |
| 17 | Eric Haga | Lola T190 Chevrolet | 22 |
| 18 | Hiroshi Fushida | Eagle Plymouth | 20 |
| 19 | Dow Byers | Lola T190 Chevrolet | 18 |
| 20 | Mike Brockman | Lola T190 Chevrolet | 16 |
| 21 | Mike Goth | Lola T190 Chevrolet | 15 |
| 22 | Gregg Young | McLaren M10A Chevrolet | 13 |
| 23 | Chuck Parsons | Lola T190 Chevrolet | 12 |
| 24 | David Oxton | Lotus 70 Ford | 10 |
| 25 | Horst Kroll | Lola T142 Chevrolet | 8 |
| 26 | Rich Galloway | Lola T190 Chevrolet | 6 |
| 27 | Kurt Reinhold | McKee Mk12 Chevrolet | 4 |
| = | Lyle Forsgren | Forsgrini Mk14B Chevrolet | 4 |
| 29 | Jim Paul | LeGrand Mk11 Chevrolet | 3 |
| 30 | Glenn Brown | McLaren Mk2 Chevrolet | 2 |
| = | John Saucier | Lola T142 Chevrolet | 2 |
| 32 | Gerard Raney | Eagle Chevrolet | 1 |
| = | Crockey Peterson | Coyote Chevrolet Lola T142 Chevrolet | 1 |
| = | Peter Sherman | Lola T142 Chevrolet | 1 |
| = | Bob Stanford | McKee Mk7S Chevrolet | 1 |