OldRacingCars.com

Macau Grand Prix

Macau, 20 Nov 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Riccardo Patrese (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B42 [42-78-01] - Ford BDA Hart
#1 Remy Martin Team Harper
40 1h 40m 14.48s
90.98 mph
2 Steve Millen (1.6 4v) 1.6-litre Chevron B35 [35-76-06] - Ford BDA Hart
#19 (see note 1)
39
3 Andrew Miedecke (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 763/76B - Ford BDA Dewhurst
#4
39
4 Satoru Nakajima (F/Pac) 1.6-litre "Oscar" - Honda
#7
39
5 Shuroku Sasaki (F/Pac) 1.6-litre "Oscar" - Honda
#6
38
6 Ken Shirvington March 732 [15 as '9'] - Ford twin cam
#25 (see note 2)
37
R Alan Jones (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/75 [9] - Ford BDA
#2 (see note 3)

R Masahiro Hasemi (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B40 [40-77-09] - Nissan LZ14
#5 (see note 4)

R Graeme Lawrence March 76B [17] - Ford BDA
#9 (see note 5)

R Vern Schuppan Ralt RT1/75 [5] - Ford BDA
#11 John MacDonald (see note 6)

R Kevin Bartlett (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March
#66

UNK Grant Swartz Lola T460 [HU8] - Ford BDA
#8 (see note 7)

UNK Jason Ho (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Brabham BT30
#10

UNK Haruhito Yanagida (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 752 - Ford BDA
#12

UNK Richard Rapp (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Lola T460 - Ford BDA Swindon
#18

UNK Diana Poon Brabham BT40 - Ford twin cam
#20 (see note 8)

UNK Beng Soeswanto (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Lola T460 [HU15] - Ford BDA Swindon
#21 (see note 9)

UNK Narcisco de la Merced (1.6 4v) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-25] - Ford BDA
#22 (see note 10)

UNK Albert Poon (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B39/B40 - Ford BDA
#23 (see note 11)

UNK Nick Van Nugteren (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 73B/74B [13]
#41 (see note 12)

UNK Ian Grey (1.6 4v) 1.6-litre Chevron B20 [72-9] - Ford BDM
#71 (see note 13)

UNK Rad Ocampo (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Lola T460 - Ford BDA
#81

UNK José "Pocholo" Ramirez (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-21] - Ford BDA
#88 (see note 14)

DNS Derek Daly (1.6 4v) 1.6-litre March 722/752 [722-40] - Ford BDM
(see note 15)
Did not start
(gearbox)

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Atl unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Riccardo Patrese (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B42 [42-78-01] - Ford BDA Hart
2 Alan Jones (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/75 [9] - Ford BDA
3 Vern Schuppan (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/75 [5] - Ford BDA
4 Steve Millen (1.6 4v) 1.6-litre Chevron B35 [35-76-06] - Ford BDA Hart
5 Masahiro Hasemi (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B40 [40-77-09] - Nissan LZ14
6 Graeme Lawrence (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 76B [17] - Ford BDA
7 Kevin Bartlett (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March
8 Andrew Miedecke (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 763/76B - Ford BDA Dewhurst
9 Albert Poon (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B39/B40 - Ford BDA
10 Satoru Nakajima (F/Pac) 1.6-litre "Oscar" - Honda
11 Shuroku Sasaki (F/Pac) 1.6-litre "Oscar" - Honda
12 Beng Soeswanto (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Lola T460 [HU15] - Ford BDA Swindon
13 José "Pocholo" Ramirez (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-21] - Ford BDA
14 Ken Shirvington (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 732 [15 as '9'] - Ford twin cam
15 Ian Grey (1.6 4v) 1.6-litre Chevron B20 [72-9] - Ford BDM
16 Haruhito Yanagida (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 752 - Ford BDA
17 Rad Ocampo (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Lola T460 - Ford BDA
18 Richard Rapp (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Lola T460 - Ford BDA Swindon
19 Jason Ho (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Brabham BT30
20 Grant Swartz (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lola T460 [HU8] - Ford BDA
21 Narcisco de la Merced (1.6 4v) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-25] - Ford BDA
22 Diana Poon (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Brabham BT40 - Ford twin cam
23 Nick Van Nugteren (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 73B/74B [13]

Notes on the cars:

  1. Chevron B35 [35-76-06] (Steve Millen): New to Fred Opert Racing for Formula 2 in 1976, and used by José Dolhem for the opening seven races of the season. Then raced by Riccardo Patrese, Howdy Holmes, Keke Rosberg and Rupert Keegan later in the season. Taken to Macau for Keegan to race in the Grand Prix on 14 November, then sold to Steve Millen who raced it in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977, and then in Southeast Asian races later that year. Subsequent history unknown but some reports say that it was badly damaged in a testing accident by its next owner and remains in Southeast Asia.
  2. March 732 [15 as '9'] (Ken Shirvington): A new car for Andy Sutcliffe at Karlskoga run by Brian Lewis Racing and replacing 732-9, crashed by Mike Beuttler earlier in the year. To save paperwork, the team put the "732/9" chassis plate onto the car and it still wears it today. Sold to Ken Smith in New Zealand after Sutcliffe's money did not appear and raced by him in the 1974 Tasman series. Then rebuilt as a ANF2 car with a Ford twin cam for the 1974 Australian Formula 2 series and sold to Ken Shirvington mid-season. The car remains in Australia in 2012.
  3. Ralt RT1/75 [9] (Alan Jones): New to Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing Team and fitted with a Hart 420R for Vern Schuppan to race at the JAF Grand Prix in November 1975. Then converted to Formula Atlantic specification for the Macau Grand Prix but vital parts did not arrive in time for Schuppan to use it. It was next raced at the Macau GP a year later, when Schuppan won the race. Yip himself drove it at the Malaysia Grand Prix meeting in April 1977, but did not start the race. It was then driven by Alan Jones at Macau in November 1977 but he retired. After that, it sat idle for nearly two years until it was taken to Ireland for the Phoenix Park Formula Atlantic race in September 1979, where it won in the hands of David Kennedy. It then returned to Macau for the 1979 race, when Geoff Lees took over the drive and won. Lees took the Ralt to its third Macau GP victory in 1980, in only its sixth known race start. It was then sold to Richard Hawkins, who drove it in the British Formula Atlantic championship in 1981. He sold it to dealer Roger Cowman who ran it for Vivian Candy at Phoenix Park in August and at Mondello Park in September. It stayed in Ireland and in late 1983 was sold by Jim Flynn to Tony Skinner.
  4. Chevron B40 [40-77-09] (Masahiro Hasemi): Shown in Chevron records as sold to Le Mans Co in Japan with a Nissan engine. This must be the car run by Kojima Engineering for Masahiro Hasemi in Formula Pacific specification with Nissan LZ14 engines in late 1977. Retained by Hasemi for the Formula Pacific series in 1978 and 1979. Used again for a couple of races at the beginning of 1980, when Hasemi was struggling to develop his new March 802, and then raced by Kazuyoshi Hoshino in one race at the end of the season. Subsequent history unknown.
  5. March 76B [17] (Graeme Lawrence): New to Sonny Rajah with a fuel-injected Hart engine, and run for Graeme Lawrence in South East Asia.
  6. Ralt RT1/75 [5] (Vern Schuppan): New to John Macdonald (Hong Kong) and raced in Southeast Asian 1600cc 2-valve category racing in 1975, when he won the Penang and Selangor Grands Prix, then as a Formula Atlantic to win the Macau GP in November. Retained for 1976 when he ran it in the 1600cc 4-valve category and won the Selangor and Indonesia Grands Prix. He ran it again in 1977, and it was also raced by Vern Schuppan at Macau that year. Macdonald then sold the Ralt to Peter Marshall, who raced it in Formula Pacific in 1978 and 1979. It was still in Marshall's ownership when raced by Sonny Rajah in 1980 and 1981. The car was then stored at Rajah's father's house in Kuala Lumpur until 1990, when Marshall retrieved the car and had it shipped to Sydney, Australia. The following year it was taken to Ralt importer Graham Watson to be rebuilt to original specification. It was sold in early 1999 to Peter Mohr (Sydney, Australia) who took it with him to the US when he moved there, and raced it in US historic racing in 2000 and 2001. It was then sold to Dennis D'Angelo and remained with him until 2006. It was then bought by Don Sandy and Art Hebert and raced on the west coast in 2006. In 2012, it was acquired by Harindra de Silva and raced by Timothy de Silva (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) in west coast historic events. Sold in 2021 to Éric Verdin (Mill Valley, CA), who has continued to race it in historic events.
  7. Lola T460 [HU8] (Grant Swartz): New to American Grant Swartz for racing in Southeast Asia. Retained for 1977. Unknown after the 1977 Macau GP.
  8. Brabham BT40 (Diana Poon): New to Albert Poon (Hong Kong) and fitted with a Hart twin cam engine for the Southeast Asian 2-valve 1600cc formula. Raced by Poon in 1973 and 1974 and then, after Poon acquired a newer Chevron B29, the Brabham was raced by Graeme Lawrence in the Malaysian GP in March 1975 and by Kevin Bartlett in the Macau Grand Prix in November 1975. Then raced by Poon's wife, Diana Poon, from 1976 to 1979. At some point, the Brabham was badly damaged, and its tub has been rebuilt by new owner Neville McKay. Reported to be still owned by McKay but in pieces in 2004.
  9. Lola T460 [HU15] (Beng Soeswanto): New to American Ted Wentz and raced in the 1976 Indylantic series, entered by Swan Lager Racing. The car remained in Lola's ownership, and was sold at the end of the season via Albert Poon to Indonesian racer Beng Soeswanto, who raced it in the New Zealand Formula Pacific Internationals in January 1977, then in Southeast Asian races later that year. He crashed the car at Penang in May 1977, but was back out for the Macau GP in November. Believed to have been retained for 1978.
  10. Chevron B34 [34-76-25] (Narcisco de la Merced): Invoiced to Fred Opert Racing and believed to be the "brand new" pale blue #75 Chevron B34 raced by Opert's customer Gordon Smiley at Mosport Park in late August 1976. Then raced by Patrick Tambay at Trois-Rivières two weeks later, and by Elliot Forbes-Robinson in the IMSA race at Laguna Seca in early October. It was one of three B34s taken to New Zealand for the Formula Pacific series in January 1977, and was Mikko Kozarowitzky's regular car. After the series, it was sold to Narcisco de la Merced and raced by him in Southeast Asian races from 1977 to 1982. Then to Luis Camus for 1983. Subsequent history unknown.
  11. Chevron B39/B40 (Albert Poon): LC Kwan (Hong Kong), owner of the Equipe 66 garage, bought a Chevron B39 in late 1977 from Fred Opert for Albert Poon (Hong Kong) to drive in Formula Pacific in Southeast Asia. The car was in the UK, not the US, for reasons still to be determined, and before it was shipped to Asia, it was borrowed by Ardmore Racing for Divina Galica to race in the Donington Park F2 event in October 1977, using a Swindon BDX engine. It was described as a brand new B40, and had been fitted with a set of Ardmore's blue, white and red bodywork to which Olympus signwriting had been applied. It was then shipped to Hong Kong in time for the Macau Grand Prix a month later. Although Poon entered his car as a B40, an article in the Malaysia Grand Prix race programme in May 1978 described the car as a "new car which he has just bought in the US". Also raced by Kevin Bartlett at Macau in 1978 and by Andrew Miedecke at Macau in 1979. Then raced by Poon at Macau in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Retained by Kwan in Hong Kong until 1989 when it was sold to Gordon Norris and returned to the UK. Sold in 2022 to Bruce Balchin (Southampton).
  12. March 73B/74B [13] (Nick Van Nugteren): In the mid-1970s, Grant Swartz (Berkeley, CA) was an aircraft maintenance specialist working for the Flying Tiger Line air freight company in Hong Kong and Vietnam. In 1973, he acquired a March 73B, presumably the chassis 73B/13 that is shown in March records as going to Hong Kong, and he raced at the Macau Grand Prix in November that year. Unfortunately, he hit a wall and broke his ankle. Undeterred, he returned to the Macau race in the car in 1974 and 1975. It was then sold to Nick Van Nugteren (Singapore), who raced it at Macau in 1977 and 1978. By 1978 it had been updated to March 742 bodywork, and was sponsored by Black & Decker. It was later owned by Chris Farrell in Australia, and raced by him in HSRCA from 1999 to 2001. To Robert Foster by 2002, and raced by Foster in HSRCA events from 2004 to 2017.
  13. Chevron B20 [72-9] (Ian Grey): New to John S Green in Formula B specification but there is no evidence of this car being delivered before the end of 1972. Green ran it in the Gap Hill Climb in January 1973, but only circuit raced it once, in the Singapore Grand Prix in April 1973. Green died in early 1974, and the Chevron was sold to David Schollum for Steve Millen in South-East Asian races that year. Then shipped to New Zealand and fitted with a 1980cc Cosworth FVC engine for the 1975 Tasman series. Used by Millen in 1600cc form at Batu Tiga and Macau later in 1975. Sold to Ian Grey in 1976 and raced with a Cosworth BDM at Macau in 1976 and 1977. Later sold to Dick Ward (Perth, Australia) and George Stacey about the end of 1979, and then to Harry Hickling (ACT, Australia). Sold to David Innes late 2014.
  14. Chevron B34 [34-76-21] (José "Pocholo" Ramirez): New to Fred Opert Racing for Jim Crawley in the IMSA Formula Atlantic series, appearing at Road Atlanta in April and Laguna Seca in May. He then missed the Ontario Motor Speedway as the car was reported to have been "destroyed" in a testing crash at Willow Springs. It was evidently rebuilt in time to be rented by Ric Forest at Edmonton in May. Crawley raced it again at Westwood, when it was pale blue and entered by Opert as #52. This is presumably the car then entered for Lloyd Callaway (Chicago, IL) to drive at Mont-Tremblant, Halifax and Mosport Park in July and August 1976, as his car was also pale blue and entered by Opert as #52. Like RJ Nelkin's similarly semi-private car, it evidently returned to Fred Opert Racing after these three races. It may then have been one of the cars hired from Opert for the SCCA Runoffs by Bill Anspach and Bill Kneeland. It is then thought to be the car used by Eddie Marcello at the Philippines GP in December. In January 1977, Opert took a team out to the New Zealand Formula Pacific series, and chassis 76-21 was identified as the car raced there by Keke Rosberg, winning three of the five races and taking four pole positions. It was then sold to Pocolo Ramirez (Philippines) and raced by him in southeast Asian races from 1977 to 1982. It is believed to have been imported into New Zealand from Asia by Graham Simms. It was then sold to Ken Smith and then Andy Higgins in New Zealand, then acquired by David Gathercole in 2009. He fully rebuilt it to Formula Atlantic specification by June 2011 for Rod Stead, who raced it at HSCC Donington Park in May 2012. Bought from Stead in November 2012 by Andy Huxtable. Raced by Huxtable in HSCC Derek Bell Trophy races in 2013.
  15. March 722/752 [722-40] (Derek Daly): New to Australian Vern Schuppan to drive in the British Formula Atlantic championship. Fitted with a BRM Ford twin cam engine, and first seen in practice at Mallory Park in late March, but Schuppan left before the race to catch a flight to the Singapore GP. Schuppan finished second in Singapore, and third in the Malaysian GP a week later. Then returned to the British series, now with a BDA, and won four rounds. The car was then fitted with Falconer bodywork and an Amon-Woods engine rebuilt by Geoff Richardson, and raced in the Rothmans 50,000 and in two late-season F2 races. After a single F2 race in 1973 fitted with a Richardon BDG, the car went to Southeast Asia, winning the Singapore GP with a Ford twin cam fitted, then competed in the JAF Grand Prix at Fuji with the BDG, and back to the 'twink' for Macau. He raced the car in British Formula Atlantic briefly in early 1974, then sent it back to Asia where he won the Macau GP in November, by which time it had been fitted with 732 bodywork and a Lola T360 rear wing. It then became a fixture at Macau up to 1977, being driven by Alan Jones and Derek Daly. Patrick Tambay also raced for Theodore Racing in the Malaysian and Penang Grands Prix in 1977, where it was still in 732 form but was billed as a 752. It reappeared at Macau for Schuppan in 1979, now in 76B bodywork. After one more race in the hands of Roberto Moreno, the car was retained by Yip and placed in the Macau Grand Prix Museum.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.

Individual sources for this event

'Colour and Noise: 40 Years of the Macau Grand Prix' (Philip Newsome, Studio Publications Limited, 1993).