In 1976 Lunger moved to the Team Surtees. The corporation obtained sponsorship from Chesterfield, Rand Time Corporation, the Delaware Trust Company, and Champion Spark Plugs Company. On the 1st day of qualifying for the 1976 United States Grand Prix West in Long Beach, California, Lunger averaged only . Driving a Surtees-Ford, he was in 21st position. He described the dilemma of negotiating the Long Beach race track, which incorporated 85 circuits from Ocean Boulevard downtown to a parking lot and to Shoreline Drive, not far from the RMS "Queen Mary", and then back to Ocean Boulevard. "This course is so narrow, it's like trying to drive a Sherman tank through a parking lot." Lunger failed to make the field on the 2nd day of qualifying. Only 20 cars started due to the narrowness of the Long Beach circuit. Lunger's Surtees dropped a clutch in practice and was never correctly fixed.