The 1961 SCCA National Sports Car Championship season was the eleventh season of the Sports Car Club of America's National Sports Car Championship. It began February 5, 1961, and ended September 23, 1961, after thirteen races.

Classes The class structure was changed to allow certain cars to be moved out of their displacement class, based on past performance. The nominal class structure was as follows:

Class Modified Production B 5000-8000cc 3500-5000cc C 3000-5000cc 2700-3500cc D 2000-3000cc 2000-2700cc E 1500-2000cc 1600-2000cc F 1100-1500cc 1300-1600cc G 750-1100cc 1000-1300cc H 500-750cc 750-1000cc I under 500cc under 750cc

Schedule

Rnd Race Length Circuit Location Date 1 SCCA National Races Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida February 5 2 Governor's Cup Marlboro Motor Raceway Upper Marlboro, Maryland April 16 3 President's Cup 3 hours Virginia International Raceway Danville, Virginia April 30 4 Cumberland National Championship Sports Car Races 45 minutes Greater Cumberland Regional Airport Wiley Ford, West Virginia May 15 5 Bridgehampton National Event Bridgehampton Race Circuit Bridgehampton, New York May 28 6 International June Sprints Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 17 7 National Races Lime Rock Lime Rock Park Lakeville, Connecticut July 1 8 Meadowdale SCCA National Championship Races Meadowdale International Raceway Carpentersville, Illinois July 23 9 Bridgehampton National Races Bridgehampton Race Circuit Bridgehampton, New York August 5 10 National Races Indianapolis Raceway Park GP Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Indiana August 20 11 SCCA National Races Thompson International Speedway Thompson, Connecticut September 4 12 Road America 500 Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin September 10 13 Watkins Glen Grand Prix Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York September 23

Feature race

Season results Feature race overall winners in bold.

Rnd Circuit AP Winning Team BM Winning Team BP Winning Team CM Winning Team CP Winning Team DM Winning Team DP Winning Team EM Winning Team EP Winning Team FM Winning Team FP Winning Team GM Winning Team GP Winning Team HM Winning Team HP Winning Team IM Winning Team Results AP Winning Driver(s) BM Winning Driver(s) BP Winning Driver(s) CM Winning Driver(s) CP Winning Driver(s) DM Winning Driver(s) DP Winning Driver(s) EM Winning Driver(s) EP Winning Driver(s) FM Winning Driver(s) FP Winning Driver(s) GM Winning Driver(s) GP Winning Driver(s) HM Winning Driver(s) HP Winning Driver(s) IM Winning Driver(s) 1 Daytona unknown unknown Chevrolet Lister-Chevrolet unknown unknown unknown Porsche unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown Results Bob Johnson Art Huttinger Bob Holbert 2 Marlboro #229 Ferrari no entries #137 Chevrolet #4 Daimler #621 J. Frank Harrison #42 Siata #14 Porsche #000 Elva #108 Porsche #2 Lola #55 Lotus #22 Bandini-Saab #51 Fiat-Abarth no finishers Results Bob Bucher Harold Keck Duncan Black Fred Gamble Douglas Diffenderfer Bob Holbert Mark Donohue William Haenelt M. R. J. Wyllie Gene Hobbs Dave Lang Ben Poster 3 VIR no entries no finishers #13 Chevrolet no finishers #59 A.C.-Bristol #60 Briggs Cunningham #125 Alfa Romeo #14 Porsche #000 Elva #110 Porsche #2 Lola #290 Alfa Romeo #76 Osca #139 Fiat-Abarth #72 Berkeley Results Bob Johnson Pierre Mion Walt Hansgen Chuck Stoddard Bob Holbert Mark Donohue Erskine Ingram M. R. J. Wyllie Bill Kane Oliver Schmidt Ray Stoutenburg Phil Jeffreys 4 Cumberland no entries no finishers #1 Don Yenko #151 Arthur Faust #4 Duncan Black #17 J. Frank Harrison #152 William Malion #14 Bob Holbert #000 Mark Donohue #29 Bob Bucher #243 Ben Fowke #2 M. R. J. Wyllie #153 Al Weaver #52 J. F. Lang #44 Rod Harmon Results Don Yenko Bud Faust Duncan Black Fred Gamble Bill Malion Bob Holbert Mark Donohue Bob Bucher Ben Fowke M. R. J. Wyllie Al Weaver Dave Lang Rod Harmon 5 Bridgehampton #13 Ferrari #73 Lister-Costin Buick #149 Chevrolet #25 Lister-Chevrolet #4 Daimler #60 Briggs Cunningham #127 Alfa Romeo #140 Porsche #000 Elva #129 Porsche #174 Sports Car Forum #85 Lotus #26 Alfa Romeo #951 Osca #82 Fiat-Abarth no entries Results Bob Grossman Gerry Georgi Don Yenko Pete Harrison Traver McKenna Walt Hansgen Reed Rollo Bob Holbert Mark Donohue Bob Bucher Don Sesslar Barry Brown Bill Kane John Igleheart Paul Richards 6 Road America #7 Ferrari #1 Harry J. Heuer #11 Don Yenko #59 Hank Mergner #6 John M. Wyatt, III #13 Sheldon Brown #99 Frank Zillner #47 Ernie Harris #13 Tom Payne #75 William C. Kravas #2 M. R. J. Wyllie #26 Allan Jacobson #76 Oliver C. Schmidt #14 Rod Harmon no entries Results Charlie Hayes Carl Haas Harry Heuer Don Yenko Ed Lowther Pierre Mion Roger Penske Sheldon Brown Ernie Erickson Peter Ryan Ernie Harris Lee Wilson Tom Payne William Kravas M. R. J. Wyllie Bill Kane Oliver Schmidt Rod Harmon 7 Lime Rock #61 Ferrari #75 Lister-Costin Buick #22 Chevrolet #87 Lister-Costin Chevrolet #4 Daimler #6 Maserati #22 Alfa Romeo #00 Elva #13 Porsche #68 Turner #57 Lola #1 Alfa Romeo #76 Lola-Osca #43 Austin-Healey no entries Results Charlie Hayes Gerry Georgi Don Yenko Pete Harrison Duncan Black Roger Penske Chris Noyes Mark Donohue Tom Payne Skip Barber Charles Kurtz Jack Crusoe Oliver Schmidt Rod Harmon 8 Meadowdale #5 Ferrari #50 Comstock Racing Team #36 Chevrolet #87 Lister-Chevrolet #32 Arnolt-Bristol #6 Maserati #8 Alfa Romeo #77 Concours Motors #000 Elva #13 Porsche #70 Porsche #2 Lola-Climax #15 Alfa Romeo #76 Lola-Osca #24 Fiat-Abarth #124 Berkeley Results Denise McCluggage Peter Ryan Bob Spooner Pete Harrison Ralph Durbin Roger Penske Chuck Stoddard Bill Wuesthoff Mark Donohue Tom Payne Harold Zimdars M. R. J. Wyllie Al Weaver Oliver Schmidt Larry Isenring George Bachelder 9 Bridgehampton #9 Ferrari no entries #11 Grady Davis #14 Lister-Corvette #59 A.C.-Bristol #60 Briggs Cunningham #75 Alfa Romeo #000 Elva #29 Porsche #37 D.B. #74 Lola #5 Alfa Romeo #76 Lola-Osca #41 Austin-Healey no entries Results Bob Grossman Dick Thompson Art Huttinger Pierre Mion Walt Hansgen Ralph Troiano Mark Donohue Bob Bucher Howard Hanna William Wilbourne Al Weaver Oliver Schmidt Rod Harmon 10 IRP no entries #28 Gates Chevrolet #11 Chevrolet #127 Corvette Special #59 A.C.-Bristol #60 Briggs Cunningham #12 Porsche #14 Porsche #47 Elva #61 Porsche #177 Porsche #57 Lola #180 Alfa Romeo #76 Lola-Osca #1 Fiat-Abarth no finishers Results Bud Gates Dick Thompson Robert Ruth Pierre Mion Walt Hansgen Bill Romig Bob Holbert Ernie Harris Ed Haussermann Tom Peacock Charles Kurtz Lynn Blanchard Oliver Schmidt Larry Isenring 11 Thompson Ferrari Meister Brauser Chevrolet A.C.-Bristol John Bunch Porsche #14 Porsche Elva Porsche Porsche Lola Alfa Romeo Osca Fiat-Abarth no entries Results Bob Hathaway Harry Heuer Dick Thompson Pierre Mion George Constantine George Frey Bob Holbert Jay Signore Bob Bucher Brad Howes Charles Kurtz Dick Haselton John Igleheart Paul Richards 12 Road America #1 Charles Hayes #91 Scott Beckett #11 I. Grady Davis #87 Pete Harrison #59 Henry E. Mergner #61 Briggs Cunningham Alfa Romeo #63 Briggs Cunningham Elva #73 Tom Payne Porsche #14 Richard P. Buedingen Alfa Romeo Lola Fiat-Abarth no entries Results Charlie Hayes Scott Beckett Dewey Brohaugh Dick Thompson Pete Harrison Art Huttinger Pierre Mion Walt Hansgen Augie Pabst Chuck Stoddard John Fitch Briggs Cunningham Dick Thompson Ernie Harris Tom Payne Ed Fuchs Dick Brakenridge Dick Buedingen Carl Haas Lynn Blanchard Oliver Schmidt Larry Isenring 13 Watkins Glen #245 Robert Grossman #1 Meister Brauser #213 I. Grady Davis #68 O & M Racing Team #21 Daimler #20 John T. Bunch #303 Alfa Romeo #140 Robert Holbert #82 Elva #29 J. Robert Bucher #350 MG #2 Lola-Climax #258 Alfa Romeo #219 Lola-Osca #187 Fiat-Abarth #251 Berkeley Results Bob Grossman Harry Heuer Dick Thompson Bob Colombosian Gary Morgan George Constantine Reed Rollo Bob Holbert Jay Signore Bob Bucher Sherman Decker M. R. J. Wyllie Robert Bowers Oliver Schmidt Paul Richards Phillips Jeffrey

C and D Modified were classified together at Marlboro; the combined class was won by Fred Gamble's DM Maserati Tipo 61. The highest-finishing CM car was Bud Faust's Ferrari-Chevrolet in 2nd. F Modified were classified with E Modified at Marlboro. F Modified were classified with E Modified at VIR. I Modified were classified with H Modified at Cumberland. C Modified were classified with B Modified at the Road America June Sprints. E Modified were classified with D Modified at Lime Rock Park. A 'Guest' class also ran at Meadowdale, and was won by Augie Pabst in a Ferrari 625 TR. E and F Modified were classified together at Bridgehampton (August); the combined class was won by Bob Bucher's FM Porsche. The highest-finishing EM car was Henry Schwartz's Porsche in 3rd. C and D Modified were classified together at Thompson; the combined class was won by George Constantine's DM Ferrari.

Champions Class Driver Car A Production Bob Hathaway Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta B Modified Harry Heuer Scarab Mk II-Chevrolet B Production Dick Thompson Chevrolet Corvette C Modified Pete Harrison Lister-Costin Jaguar, Lister-Costin Chevrolet C Production Pierre Mion AC Ace-Bristol D Modified Roger Penske Maserati Tipo 61, Cooper Monaco T61-Climax D Production Chuck Stoddard Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce E Modified Bob Holbert Porsche 718 RS 60, RS 61 E Production Mark Donohue Elva Courier F Modified Bob Bucher Porsche 718 RSK F Production Howard Hanna D.B. Coupe G Modified Charles Kurtz Lola Mk1 G Production Al Weaver Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider H Modified Oliver Schmidt Osca, Lola Mk1-Osca H Production Rod Harmon Austin-Healey Sprite I Modified Phillips Jeffrey Berkeley

References

External links World Sports Racing Prototypes: SCCA 1960 Racing Sports Cars: SCCA archive Etceterini: 1961 program covers