Benny Scott - Inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix

Inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix

Brown & Williamson Tobacco was more than pleased with Scott’s development. The company advanced BAR into Formula 5000 racing, competing at the same circuits with legends such as Al Unser, Mario Andretti, David Hobbs, Brian Redman, Jackie Oliver, and Jody Scheckter.

Scott’s most notable race in Formula 5000 was the inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix on September 28, 1975, where he qualified the BAR Lola T332 24th on the grid of the 30 drivers that qualified for the race out of 60 entrants from five countries. Viceroy sponsored Unser and Andretti under Vel’s Parnelli Jones as well. Benny finished 11th in the grand prix, his third race in the 210-mph Lola T332. The Viceroy Parnelli cars expired, due to mechanical failures.

At the end of the 1975 season, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company withdrew their entire auto racing sponsorships around the globe as a result of internal union pressures to curtail promotional dollars. (BAR was unable to replicate the sponsorship.)

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