1971 Trans-American Sedan Championship
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Motorsport season
|series = Trans-Am
|title = Trans-Am Series
|link = Trans-American Sedan Championship
|year = 1971
}}
The 1971 Trans-American Championship was the sixth running of the Sports Car Club of America's Trans-Am Series. The format was altered to an over 2500cc class and an under 2500cc class, up 500cc from past years. All races used split classes except where noted. The year marked the rise of Datsun as a competitive brand, with the Japanese company winning several races throughout the season. American Motors, led by Mark Donohue's 7 wins, and Datsun, led by John Morton's 6 wins, won the manufacturers' championships.
Schedule
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%"
!rowspan=2| Rnd !rowspan=2| Date !rowspan=2| Circuit !rowspan=2| Distance ! Over 2.5 Winning Car ! Under 2.5 Winning Car |
| Over 2.5 Winning Driver
! Under 2.5 Winning Driver |
|---|
| rowspan=2| 1
|rowspan=2| May 8 |rowspan=2| Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Connecticut |rowspan=2| {{convert|130|mi|km|abbr=on}} (U2L) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Donohue
| {{flagicon|AUS}} Horst Kwech |
| rowspan=2| 2
|rowspan=2| May 31 |rowspan=2| Bryar Motorsports Park, Loudon, New Hampshire |rowspan=2| {{convert|112|mi|km|abbr=on}} (U2L) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} George Follmer
| {{flagicon|SUI}} Gaston Andrey |
| rowspan=2| 3
|rowspan=2| June 6 |rowspan=2| Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio |rowspan=2| {{convert|106|mi|km|abbr=on}} (U2L) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} George Follmer
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Morton |
| rowspan=2| 4
|rowspan=2| June 20 |rowspan=2| Edmonton International Speedway, Edmonton, Alberta |rowspan=2| {{convert|106|mi|km|abbr=on}} (U2L) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Donohue
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Morton |
| rowspan=2| 5
|rowspan=2| July 4 |rowspan=2| Donnybrooke International Speedway, Brainerd, Minnesota |rowspan=2| {{convert|150|mi|km|abbr=on}} (U2L) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Donohue
| {{flagicon|USA}} Bert Everett |
| rowspan=2| 6
|rowspan=2| July 17 |rowspan=2| Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin |rowspan=2| {{convert|108|mi|km|abbr=on}} (U2L) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Donohue
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Morton |
| rowspan=2| 7
|rowspan=2| July 25 |rowspan=2| Naval Air Station Olathe, Olathe, Kansas |rowspan=2| {{convert|120|mi|km|abbr=on}} |rowspan=2| not contested |
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Morton |
| rowspan=2| 8
|rowspan=2| August 1 |rowspan=2| Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Saint-Jovite, Quebec |rowspan=2| {{convert|185.5|mi|km|abbr=on}} |rowspan=2| not contested |
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Donohue |
| rowspan=2| 9
|rowspan=2| August 15 |rowspan=2| Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York |rowspan=2| {{convert|123.828|mi|km|abbr=on}} (U2L) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Donohue
| {{flagicon|AUS}} Horst Kwech |
| rowspan=2| 10
|rowspan=2| September 6 |rowspan=2| Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan |rowspan=2| {{convert|209.79|mi|km|abbr=on}} |rowspan=2| not contested |
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Donohue |
| rowspan=2| 11
|rowspan=2| October 3 |rowspan=2| Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California |rowspan=2| {{convert|114.75|mi|km|abbr=on}} (U2L) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} George Follmer
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Morton |
| rowspan=2| 12
|rowspan=2| October 16 |rowspan=2| Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California |rowspan=2| {{convert|110.2|mi|km|abbr=on}} |rowspan=2| not contested |
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Morton{{ref|A|A}} |
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=6| {{cite web |title=1971 Trans-Am Box Scores |url=http://cms.scca.com/documents/Pro%20Racing/Archives/Trans-Am/1971.pdf |publisher=Sports Car Club of America |accessdate=29 April 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719235445/http://cms.scca.com/documents/Pro%20Racing/Archives/Trans-Am/1971.pdf |archivedate=2011-07-19 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|last=de Jong|first=Frank|title=1971 Trans-Am Championship table|url=http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1971%20Transam%20Class.html|work=Touring Car Racing History|accessdate=12 March 2017}} |
{{note|A|A}} Horst Kwech won the race on track, but was disqualified for an oversize fuel tank.{{cite web|title=The SCCA Trans-Am 2.5 Challenge|url=http://www.datsunhistory.com/transam1.html|work=DatsunHistory.com|accessdate=2 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928214235/http://www.datsunhistory.com/transam1.html|archive-date=28 September 2011|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=History of the Trans-Am 2.5 Challenge|url=http://www.bsedan.com/hist25.html|work=B Sedan.com|accessdate=2 May 2011|archive-date=24 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224132453/http://www.bsedan.com/hist25.html|url-status=dead}}
Championships
Points were awarded according to finishing position. Only the highest-placed car scored points for the manufacturer. Only the best 8 finishes counted toward the championship. Drivers' championships were not awarded in Trans-Am until 1972.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%; text-align: center;"
! 1st !! 2nd !! 3rd !! 4th !! 5th !! 6th |
| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 9
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 4 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 3 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 1 |
=Over 2.5L manufacturers=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%; text-align: center;" |
| valign="top"
!valign="middle"| Pos !valign="middle"| Manufacturer ! LRP ! BRY ! MDO ! EDM ! DON ! ELK ! MTB ! WGL ! MIC ! RIV ! valign="middle"| Pts |
| 1
|align=left| American Motors |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 ! 82 |
|---|
| 2
|align=left| Ford |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4 ! 61 |
| 3
|align=left| Chevrolet |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 7 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 7 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 7 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 ! 17 |
| 4
|align=left| Pontiac |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 19 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 28 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 25 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 15 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| ! 7 |
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=13| |
=Under 2.5L manufacturers=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%; text-align: center;" |
| valign="top"
!valign="middle"| Pos !valign="middle"| Manufacturer ! LRP ! BRY ! MDO ! EDM ! DON ! ELK ! OLA ! WGL ! RIV ! LAG ! valign="middle"| Pts |
| 1
|align=left| Datsun |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 7 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 ! 60 (62){{ref|B|B}} |
|---|
| 2
|align=left| Alfa Romeo |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 ! 60 (72) |
| 3
|align=left| BMW |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 10 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 7 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 ! 25 |
| 4
|align=left| Ford of Britain |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 13 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 20 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 7 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 12 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 13 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 7 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| ! 3 |
| 5
|align=left| British Leyland |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 21 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 12 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 10 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 11 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 14 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 23 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 23 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| 17 ! 2 |
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=13| |
{{note|B|B}} Tie broken based on Datsun's higher number of wins.