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-Chevrolet4 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 POSITIONDRIVERCOUNTRYGPsWINSPOINTSENTRANTCAR-ENGINE01Jacky IckxBelgium9551Carl A. Haas Racing TeamLola T333CS-Chevrolet02Elliott Forbes-RobinsonUnited States10145Newman-Freeman RacingSpyder NF-11-Chevrolet03Geoff LeesUnited Kingdom10032Racing Team VDSLola T333CS-Chevrolet04Keke RosbergFinland10229Newman-Freeman RacingSpyder NF 11-Chevrolet05Bobby RahalUnited States6125U.S. RacingProphet-Chevrolet06Al HolbertUnited States809Hogan Racing Ltd.Hogan HR 001-Chevrolet06Alan JonesAustralia219Carl A. Haas Racing TeamLola T333CS-Chevrolet08Rocky MoranUnited States906American Spirit RacingLola T333CS-Chevrolet08John MortonUnited States706U.S. Racing; John Morton RacingProphet-Chevrolet; Lola T333CS-Chevrolet08Vern SchuppanAustralia506Theodore Racing TeamElfin MR8A-Chevrolet11Bill TemperoUnited States905Bill Tempero RacingLola T332C-Chevrolet12Bobby BrownUnited States904Bobby Brown RacingLola T333CS-Chevrolet13Tim EvansUnited States1003Diversified Engineering ServicesLola T290-Ford13Horst KrollCanada803Horst Kroll RacingLola T332-Chevrolet; Lola T333CS-Chevrolet13John GunnUnited States703Gunn´s GodiesGG 5-Chevrolet13Randy LewisUnited States303Randy Lewis; Carl A. Haas Racing TeamLola T332-Chevrolet13Geoff BrabhamAustralia203Hogan Racing Ltd.Hogan HR 001-Chevrolet13George FollmerUnited States203U.S. RacingProphet-Chevrolet13Howdy HolmesUnited States103Newman-Freeman RacingSpyder NF 11-Chevrolet20Michael AllenUnited States601Don WeberLola T332CS-Chevrolet20Tony CicaleUnited States401Cicale Champion RacingRalt RT1 1/2-HartNCGary GoveUnited States1000Pete Lovely VolkswagenChevron B26-FordNCRandolph TownsendUnited States600Newman-Freeman RacingSpyder NF 11-ChevroletNCS. Peter SmithUnited States600Red Roof InnsBobsy 2L-FordNCDuane EitelUnited States500E-K RacingChevron B28-ChevroletNCRobert J. NelkinUnited States500Robert J. NelkinLola T333CS-ChevroletNCDean DietrichUnited States400Dean DietrichDRL Hawke 79NCE. B. LunkenUnited States400E. B. LunkenMarch 73S-BMWNCHoward KellyCanada400Howard KellyLola T332 RNF-ChevroletNCLeonard JankeUnited States400Janke Auto CompanyLola T332-ChevroletNCMichael BraytonUnited States400Michael BraytonWolf Brayton 001-ChevroletNCChris StrongUnited States300Chris StrongChevron B36-FordNCGerre PayvisUnited States300Gerre PayvisLola T333CS-ChevroletNCJohn McCormackAustralia300John McCormackMcLaren M23-RepcoNCJohn SorbelloUnited States300John SorbelloSorbello GM5-ChevroletNCBertil RoosSuécia200Bertil RoosChevron B27-FordNCCharlie KempUnited States200Charlie KempLola T332-ChevroletNCChuck SmithUnited States200Chuck SmithChevron B19/21-FordNCGary HirschCanada200Gary HirschPorsche 908/02NCHurley HaywoodUnited States200Vasek Polak RacingChevron B21-BMWNCJeff MillerUnited States200Jeff MillerLola T496-FordNCJohn TimkenUnited States200Essex Racing ServiceLola T296-FordNCMike HallUnited States200United RacingLola T294-FordNCPrice CobbUnited States200Price CobbLola T332-ChevroletNCRick VillateUnited States200RVR Inc.Lola T294-FordNCRoman PechmannCanada200Roman Pechmann RacingLola T290-FordNCBob AllenUnited States100Bob AllenSSE 003-FordNCBob NagelUnited States100Nagel Racing EnterprisesLola T333CS-ChevroletNCBrad FrisselleUnited States100Brad FrisselleFrissbee-ChevroletNCDanny JohnsonUnited States100Danny JohnsonChevron B24-ChevroletNCDave HooverUnited States100Dave HooverLola T300-ChevroletNCGarth PollardUnited States100N.S.F.RacingLola T294/6-FordNCGordon HamiltonUnited States100Ticker Tape RacingChevron B36-FordNCHal WhippleUnited States100Hal WhippleSpartan MK3-B-ChevroletNCJames WoodruffUnited States100Titan-Woodruff BrothersLola T430-ChevroletNCJerry HansenUnited States100Midwest FederalLola T333CS-ChevroletNCJim GustafsonUnited States100Jim Gustafson Racing TeamJackal 79-ChevroletNCJim GutfreundUnited States100Great Plains Motor RacingLola T292-FordNCJoe SalyerUnited States100Joe SalyerChevron B26/31-FordNCMike RocheUnited States100Roche RacingLola T332-ChevroletNCPatrick GaillardFrance100Patrick GaillardSchkee DB2-ChevroletNCRick KnoopUnited States100Rick KnoopLola T332CS-ChevroletNCRobert L. DouglasUnited States100Robert L. DouglasLola T212-FordNCSteven Payne-HerbertUnited States100Steven Payne-HerbertLola T294-FordNCTom SpaldingUnited States100Tom SpaldingSchkee DB2-ChevroletNCBill HenryUnited States000Bill HenryLola T296-FordNCDon KehrUnited States000Don KehrChevron B28-ChevroletNCHugh KleinpeterUnited States000Hugh KleinpeterRalt CCKNCJay JacobsUnited States000Genoa RacingChevron B21/23-FordNCPatrick McGonegleUnited States000Patrick McGonegleLola T332-ChevroletNCRichard GuiderUnited States000Richard GuiderChevron B25-FordNCRobert E. DugoUnited States000Robert E. DugoLola B.A.D. 1-Chevrolet
References