# 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship

The 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the tenth running of the SCCA Continental Championship 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

| Pos | Driver | POC | MOS | WGL | ROA1 | MDO | ROA2 | RIV | Pts |
| 1 | Brian Redman | 1 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 132 |
| 2 | Al Unser | | | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 112 |
| 3 | Jackie Oliver | 14 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 108 |
| 4 | Alan Jones | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | DNS | | 4 | 96 |
| 5 | Danny Ongais | 2 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 78 |
| 6 | Vern Schuppan | 3 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 20 | 20 | 5 | 45 |
| 7 | Warwick Brown | 16 | 5 | 3 | 4 | | 17 | 6 | 41 |
| 8 | Peter Gethin | 18 | 19 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 37 |
| 9 | Teddy Pilette | 12 | 3 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 23 |
| 10 | Randy Lewis | 4 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 8 | 10 | Wth | 20 |
| 11 | Brett Lunger | | | 4 | 10 | 6 | 26 | 15 | 18 |
| 12 | Horst Kroll | 8 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 13 | | 11 |
| 13 | Skeeter McKitterick | 6 | | 11 | 21 | Wth | 7 | 17 | 9 |
| 14 | Sam Posey | 5 | 20 | | | | | | 8 |
| 15 | John Cannon | 15 | | 21 | | | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| 16 | Bob Lazier | | 9 | | 7 | 10 | | 18 | 7 |
| 17 | Arlon Koops | | 17 | 8 | 11 | | 9 | | 5 |
| 18 | Evan Noyes | 13 | | DNS | 22 | 11 | 28 | 7 | 4 |
| 19 | John David Briggs | | 10 | 19 | DNS | 12 | 8 | 16 | 4 |
| 20 | Tuck Thomas | | 11 | | 8 | DNS | | | 3 |
| 21 | John Benton | 9 | 12 | Wth | | 13 | 21 | DNQ | 2 |
| 22 | Richard Shirey | | 16 | | Wth | 9 | 24 | | 2 |
| 23 | Patrick Tambay | | | | | | | 9 | 2 |
| 24 | Bruce Allison | 10 | | Wth | Wth | | | | 1 |
| 25 | Bob Nagel | 17 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 12 | | 1 |
| | Geoff Davie | 11 | 18 | | | 17 | 18 | | 0 |
| | Jim Sechser | | | | 19 | | 11 | | 0 |
| | Doug Schulz | | | | 13 | | 14 | | 0 |
| | John Korn | | | | | | | 13 | 0 |
| | Eppie Wietzes | | 14 | | | | | | 0 |
| | Hunter Harris | | | | | | | 14 | 0 |
| | Peter Papke | | | 14 | | | | Wth | 0 |
| | Bert Kuehne | | 21 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 23 | | 0 |
| | Roger Bighouse | | | | | 15 | | | 0 |
| | Patrick McGonegle | | | | | | 15 | | 0 |
| | John Gunn | | DNQ | 15 | | | | | 0 |
| | Vic Todia | | | | | | 16 | | 0 |
| | Don Breidenbach | | | | 18 | | DNS | Wth | 0 |
| | Ed Kasprowicz | | | | | | 19 | | 0 |
| | Graham McRae | | Wth | | | | | 19 | 0 |
| | David Purley | | | | | 19 | | | 0 |
| | John Morton | | | 20 | | | | 24 | 0 |
| | Rocky Moran | | | | | | | 20 | 0 |
| | Micky Fowler | | | | | | | 21 | 0 |
| | Greg Hodges | | 22 | | | | | | 0 |
| | Dick Kantrud | | | | | | 22 | | 0 |
| | Maurizio Flammini | | | | | | | 22 | 0 |
| | Steve Behr | | 23 | | | | | | 0 |
| | Bob Earl | | | | | | | 23 | 0 |
| | Ed Polley | | | | | | 27 | 25 | 0 |
| | Garth Pollard | | | | | | | 26 | 0 |
| | Dick Ferguson | | | | | | 29 | DNQ | 0 |
| | Derek Bell | | | | | | 30 | | 0 |
| | Gerre Payvis | DNS | | | | | | | 0 |
| | Andy Ratcliffe | | | Wth | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| | Dick Messier | | | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| | Michael Brockman | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| | Bill Baker | | Wth | | | | | | 0 |
| | Robert E. Dugo | | | Wth | | | | | 0 |
| | George Follmer | | | | | | | Wth | 0 |
| | Gary Matthews | | | | | | | Wth | 0 |
| | Chuck Bartlebaugh | | | | | | | Wth | 0 |
| | Ron Dykes | | | | | | | Wth | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | POC | MOS | WGL | ROA1 | MDO | ROA2 | RIV | Pts |
| Color | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | 4th to 10th place (points finish) |
| Dark Blue | Finished (Outside Top 10) |
| Purple | Did not finish (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Brown | Withdrawn (Wth) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| Blank | Did not participate (DNP) |
| Blank | Not competing |
In-line notation :
| Bold | Pole position |