The 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship [1] was the tenth running of the Sports Car Club of America's premier open wheel racing series[2] and the third to be co-sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC).[3]
The championship was won by Brian Redman driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet.[4] It was Redman's third consecutive SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship title win.[5] For the first time in three years, a vehicle other than a Lola won a race, with March and Shadow winning one race each.[5] 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.[5]
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.[6] The rules for the new series were to allow the Formula 5000 cars to compete with fully enveloping bodywork.[6]