The 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the tenth running of the SCCA Continental Championship open wheel racing series, and the third to be co-sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC).

The championship was won by Brian Redman driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet. It was Redman's third consecutive SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship title win. For the first time in three years, a vehicle other than a Lola won a race, with March and Shadow winning one race each. 1976 also marked the first race win by a non-Chevrolet powered car since the 1971 season, with a Dodge-powered Shadow winning at Road America.

1976 was to be the final year of the SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship as the SCCA replaced it with a revived Can Am Series for 1977. The rules for the new series were to allow the Formula 5000 cars to compete with fully enveloping bodywork.

Race results

Brian Redman won the championship driving a Lola T332C similar to that pictured above

The championship was contested over a seven race series.

RaceDateLocationDistanceWinning driverWinning car
1May 9Pocono International Raceway35 lapsUnited Kingdom Brian RedmanLola T332C – Chevrolet V8
2June 20Mosport Park40 lapsAustralia Alan JonesLola T332 – Chevrolet V8
3July 11Watkins Glen International30 lapsAustralia Alan JonesMarch 76A – Chevrolet V8
4July 25Road America25 lapsUnited Kingdom Jackie OliverShadow DN6B – Dodge V8
5August 8Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course42 lapsUnited Kingdom Brian RedmanLola T332C – Chevrolet V8
6August 28Road America20 lapsUnited Kingdom Brian RedmanLola T332C – Chevrolet V8
7October 17Riverside International Raceway40 lapsUnited States Al UnserLola T332 – Chevrolet V8

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 36-24-16-12-8-5-4-3-2-1 basis for the first ten positions in each race.

Final points standings

PosDriverPOCMOSWGLROA1MOHROA2RIVPts
Pos Driver POC MOS WGL ROA1 MOH ROA2 RIV Pts 1 United Kingdom Brian Redman 1 8 6 14 1 1 3 132 2 United States Al Unser 2 2 4 3 1 112 3 United Kingdom Jackie Oliver 14 2 13 1 2 25 2 108 4 Australia Alan Jones 7 1 1 5 DNS 4 96 5 United States Danny Ongais 2 4 9 16 3 2 11 78 6 Australia Vern Schuppan 3 6 16 3 20 20 5 45 7 New Zealand Warwick Brown 16 5 3 4 17 6 41 8 United Kingdom Peter Gethin 18 19 7 9 7 4 10 37 9 Belgium Teddy Pilette 12 3 18 6 5 5 12 23 10 United States Randy Lewis 4 7 12 20 8 10 Wth 20 11 United States Brett Lunger 4 10 6 26 15 18 12 Canada Horst Kroll 8 13 5 12 14 13 11 13 United States Skeeter McKitterick 6 11 21 Wth 7 17 9 14 United States Sam Posey 5 20 8 15 Canada John Cannon 15 21 6 8 8 16 United States Bob Lazier 9 7 10 18 7 17 United States Arlon Koops 17 8 11 9 5 18 United States Evan Noyes 13 DNS 22 11 28 7 4 19 United States John David Briggs 10 19 DNS 12 8 16 4 20 United States Tuck Thomas 11 8 DNS 3 21 United States John Benton 9 12 Wth 13 21 DNQ 2 22 United States Richard Shirey 16 Wth 9 24 2 23 France Patrick Tambay 9 2 24 Australia Bruce Allison 10 Wth Wth 1 25 United States Bob Nagel 17 15 10 17 18 12 1 United States Geoff Davie 11 18 17 18 0 United States Jim Sechser 19 11 0 United States Doug Schulz 13 14 0 United States John Korn 13 0 Canada Eppie Wietzes 14 0 United States Hunter Harris 14 0 United States Peter Papke 14 Wth 0 Canada Bert Kuehne 21 17 15 16 23 0 United States Roger Bighouse 15 0 United States Patrick McGonegle 15 0 United States John Gunn DNQ 15 0 United States Vic Todia 16 0 United States Don Breidenbach 18 DNS Wth 0 United States Ed Kasprowicz 19 0 New Zealand Graham McRae Wth 19 0 United Kingdom David Purley 19 0 United States John Morton 20 24 0 United States Rocky Moran 20 0 United States Micky Fowler 21 0 United States Greg Hodges 22 0 United States Dick Kantrud 22 0 Italy Maurizio Flammini 22 0 United States Steve Behr 23 0 United States Bob Earl 23 0 United States Ed Polley 27 25 0 United States Garth Pollard 26 0 United States Dick Ferguson 29 DNQ 0 United Kingdom Derek Bell 30 0 United States Gerre Payvis DNS 0 United States Andy Ratcliffe Wth DNQ 0 United States Dick Messier DNQ 0 United States Michael Brockman DNQ 0 United States Bill Baker Wth 0 United States Robert E. Dugo Wth 0 United States George Follmer Wth 0 United States Gary Matthews Wth 0 United States Chuck Bartlebaugh Wth 0 United States Ron Dykes Wth 0 Pos Driver POC MOS WGL ROA1 MOH ROA2 RIV PtsColor Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th to 10th place (points finish) Dark Blue Finished (Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Brown Withdrawn (Wth) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Blank Did not participate (DNP) Not competing In-line notation Bold Pole position
1United Kingdom Brian Redman18614113132
2United States Al Unser22431112
3United Kingdom Jackie Oliver1421312252108
4Australia Alan Jones7115DNS496
5United States Danny Ongais24916321178
6Australia Vern Schuppan361632020545
7New Zealand Warwick Brown1653417641
8United Kingdom Peter Gethin181979741037
9Belgium Teddy Pilette123186551223
10United States Randy Lewis471220810Wth20
11United States Brett Lunger4106261518
12Canada Horst Kroll813512141311
13United States Skeeter McKitterick61121Wth7179
14United States Sam Posey5208
15Canada John Cannon1521688
16United States Bob Lazier9710187
17United States Arlon Koops1781195
18United States Evan Noyes13DNS22112874
19United States John David Briggs1019DNS128164
20United States Tuck Thomas118DNS3
21United States John Benton912Wth1321DNQ2
22United States Richard Shirey16Wth9242
23France Patrick Tambay92
24Australia Bruce Allison10WthWth1
25United States Bob Nagel1715101718121
United States Geoff Davie111817180
United States Jim Sechser19110
United States Doug Schulz13140
United States John Korn130
Canada Eppie Wietzes140
United States Hunter Harris140
United States Peter Papke14Wth0
Canada Bert Kuehne21171516230
United States Roger Bighouse150
United States Patrick McGonegle150
United States John GunnDNQ150
United States Vic Todia160
United States Don Breidenbach18DNSWth0
United States Ed Kasprowicz190
New Zealand Graham McRaeWth190
United Kingdom David Purley190
United States John Morton20240
United States Rocky Moran200
United States Micky Fowler210
United States Greg Hodges220
United States Dick Kantrud220
Italy Maurizio Flammini220
United States Steve Behr230
United States Bob Earl230
United States Ed Polley27250
United States Garth Pollard260
United States Dick Ferguson29DNQ0
United Kingdom Derek Bell300
United States Gerre PayvisDNS0
United States Andy RatcliffeWthDNQ0
United States Dick MessierDNQ0
United States Michael BrockmanDNQ0
United States Bill BakerWth0
United States Robert E. DugoWth0
United States George FollmerWth0
United States Gary MatthewsWth0
United States Chuck BartlebaughWth0
United States Ron DykesWth0
PosDriverPOCMOSWGLROA1MOHROA2RIVPts
Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th to 10th place (points finish) Dark Blue Finished (Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Brown Withdrawn (Wth) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Blank Did not participate (DNP) Not competing
ColorResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
Green4th to 10th place (points finish)
Dark BlueFinished (Outside Top 10)
PurpleDid not finish (Ret)
RedDid not qualify (DNQ)
BrownWithdrawn (Wth)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
BlankDid not participate (DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation Bold Pole position
In-line notation
BoldPole position