1977 World Sportscar Championship season
Encyclopedia
The 1977 World Sports Car Championship season was part of the 25th FIA World Sportscar Championship
. It was a series open-cockpit sports cars
. It ran from April 17, 1977 to September 18, 1977, and comprised 8 races total.
cars would be part of the new World Championship for Makes. Events in which both types of car ran, such as the 12 Hours of Sebring
or 24 Hours of Le Mans
, were not counted towards either championship.
Following the 1977 season, the World Championship of Makes would become the lone international series, while the World Sports Car Championship would be downgraded by the FIA to become the European Sportscar Championship
. That series would only last the 1978 season before being dissolved.
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
. It was a series open-cockpit sports cars
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
. It ran from April 17, 1977 to September 18, 1977, and comprised 8 races total.
World Championship of Makes
For 1977, the FIA continued to run a divided World Championship, with two series that would run simultaneously. Open-cockpit sportscars would remain in the World Sports Car Championship, while production-based Group 5Group 5
Group 5 may refer to:*Group 5 element, chemical element classification*Group 5 , FIA classification for cars in auto racing...
cars would be part of the new World Championship for Makes. Events in which both types of car ran, such as the 12 Hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
or 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, were not counted towards either championship.
Following the 1977 season, the World Championship of Makes would become the lone international series, while the World Sports Car Championship would be downgraded by the FIA to become the European Sportscar Championship
European Sportscar Championship
The European Sportscar Championship was a name used by several sports car racing championships based in Europe. Initially created in 1970 by the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile as the European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship for Makes, the series increased in popularity and...
. That series would only last the 1978 season before being dissolved.
Schedule
| Rnd | Race | Circuit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  500 km de I'ACFFrench Automobile Club The Automobile Club of France is a men's club founded on November 12, 1895 by Albert de Dion, Paul Meyan, and its first president, the Dutch-born Baron, Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt.... |
Dijon-Prenois Dijon-Prenois Dijon-Prenois is a motor racing circuit located in Prenois, near Dijon, France. The undulating track is noted for its fast, sweeping bends.... |
April 17 |
| 2 |  Trofeo Filippo Caracciola (500km1000km Monza The 1000 Kilometres of Monza is an endurance race mainly for sports cars held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.The "Coppa Inter-Europa" was first held in 1949, on the circuit. The race expanded to 1000 kilometres in 1954, and moved to the 10-kilometre circuit in 1956. The event was... ) |
Autodromo Nazionale Monza Autodromo Nazionale Monza The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception.... |
April 24 |
| 3 | Trofeo Ignazio Giunti Ignazio Giunti Ignazio Giunti was an Italian racing driver who made his name in saloon and Sports Car Racing in the late 1960s.Giunti was born in Rome... (400 km) |
Vallelunga Circuit | June 2 |
| 4 | Coppa Floria (500 km) |
Autodromo di Pergusa Autodromo di Pergusa The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna.... |
June 19 |
| 5 |  Prémio International de Costa do Sol6 Hours of Estoril The 6 Hours of Estoril is a sports car endurance race held at the Autódromo do Estoril in Estoril, Portugal. The race was first held in 1977 as a round of the World Sportscar Championship. It was revived in 2001 for the European Le Mans Series, and continued until 2003 under the FIA Sportscar... (2hr 30min) |
Autódromo do Estoril Autódromo do Estoril The Autódromo do Estoril is a race course in Portugal, owned by state-run holding management company Parpública. Its length is . It was the home of the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996.... |
July 10 |
| 6 | 500 km Le Castellet |
Circuit Paul Ricard Circuit Paul Ricard The Paul Ricard Circuit is a motorsport race track built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard, who created what essentially became Pernod Ricard... |
July 24 |
| 7 | 250 km Imola |
Autodromo Dino Ferrari Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.... |
September 4 |
| 8 |  Elan Trophae (300 km) |
Salzburgring Salzburgring The Salzburgring is a permanent race track in Austria, east of Salzburg.-History:This race track had been opened in 1968. Lying in a narrow, alpine valley, it has a rather simple layout, with two long straights plus the sweeping and fast "Fahrerlagerkurve" at the bottom, and the narrow... |
September 18 |
Season results
Points were awarded to the top 10 finishers in the order of 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers were only given points for their highest finishing car; any other cars from that manufacturer were merely skipped in the points standings.Races
| Rnd | Circuit | Overall Winning Team | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Winning Drivers | |||
| 1 | Dijon Dijon-Prenois Dijon-Prenois is a motor racing circuit located in Prenois, near Dijon, France. The undulating track is noted for its fast, sweeping bends.... |
#1 Autodelta SpA Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on... |
Results |
| Arturo Merzario Arturo Merzario Arturo Francesco "Little Art" Merzario is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 15, 1972... Jean-Pierre JarierJean-Pierre Jarier Jean-Pierre Jacques Jarier is a French Grand Prix racing driver, now retired. He was born at Charenton-le-Pont, near Paris, and is regarded as one of the finest drivers never to win a Grand Prix.... |
|||
| 2 | Monza Autodromo Nazionale Monza The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception.... |
#2 Autodelta SpA Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on... |
Results |
| Vittorio Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla was a Formula One driver from Italy who raced for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams. Particularly adept at driving in wet conditions, his nickname was "The Monza Gorilla", due to his often overly aggressive driving style and sense of machismo.-Career:Born in the town of... |
|||
| 3 | Vallelunga | #2 Autodelta SpA Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on... |
Results |
| Vittorio Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla was a Formula One driver from Italy who raced for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams. Particularly adept at driving in wet conditions, his nickname was "The Monza Gorilla", due to his often overly aggressive driving style and sense of machismo.-Career:Born in the town of... |
|||
| 4 | Pergusa Autodromo di Pergusa The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna.... |
#1 Autodelta SpA Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on... |
Results |
| Arturo Merzario Arturo Merzario Arturo Francesco "Little Art" Merzario is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 15, 1972... |
|||
| 5 | Estoril Autódromo do Estoril The Autódromo do Estoril is a race course in Portugal, owned by state-run holding management company Parpública. Its length is . It was the home of the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996.... |
#1 Autodelta SpA Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on... |
Results |
| Arturo Merzario Arturo Merzario Arturo Francesco "Little Art" Merzario is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 15, 1972... |
|||
| 6 | Paul Ricard Circuit Paul Ricard The Paul Ricard Circuit is a motorsport race track built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard, who created what essentially became Pernod Ricard... |
#1 Autodelta SpA Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on... |
Results |
| Arturo Merzario Arturo Merzario Arturo Francesco "Little Art" Merzario is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 15, 1972... Jean-Pierre JarierJean-Pierre Jarier Jean-Pierre Jacques Jarier is a French Grand Prix racing driver, now retired. He was born at Charenton-le-Pont, near Paris, and is regarded as one of the finest drivers never to win a Grand Prix.... |
|||
| 7 | Imola Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.... |
#2 Autodelta SpA Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on... |
Results |
| Vittorio Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla was a Formula One driver from Italy who raced for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams. Particularly adept at driving in wet conditions, his nickname was "The Monza Gorilla", due to his often overly aggressive driving style and sense of machismo.-Career:Born in the town of... |
|||
| 8 | Salzburgring Salzburgring The Salzburgring is a permanent race track in Austria, east of Salzburg.-History:This race track had been opened in 1968. Lying in a narrow, alpine valley, it has a rather simple layout, with two long straights plus the sweeping and fast "Fahrerlagerkurve" at the bottom, and the narrow... |
#2 Autodelta SpA Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on... |
Results |
| Vittorio Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla was a Formula One driver from Italy who raced for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams. Particularly adept at driving in wet conditions, his nickname was "The Monza Gorilla", due to his often overly aggressive driving style and sense of machismo.-Career:Born in the town of... |
Manufacturers Championship
Only the best 6 points finishes counted towards the championship, with any other points earned not included in the total. Skipped points are marked in italics.| Pos | Manufacturer | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Rd 4 | Rd 5 | Rd 6 | Rd 7 | Rd 8 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars... |
20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 120 |
| 2 | Osella Osella Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team based in Volpiano near Turin, Italy. They participated in 132 Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990... |
15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 15 | 73 | ||
| 3 |  Lola |
12 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 48 | ||
| 4 | Chevron Chevron Cars Ltd Chevron Cars Ltd. is a manufacturer of racing cars, founded by Derek Bennett in 1965. Following Bennett's death in 1978, the firm has remained active in various guises. The original company's designs and name continue to be utilized by Roger Andreason to build replacement parts and continuation... |
8 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 41 | |||
| 5 |  SauberSauber Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993.... |
15 | 8 | 8 | 31 | |||||
| 6 | TOJ |
15 | 15 | |||||||
| 7 | AMS |
4 | 10 | 14 | ||||||
| 8 | McLaren |
10 | 3 | 13 | ||||||
| 9 | March March Engineering March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,... |
8 | 8 |