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Tony Brise in the Modus in 1975. Copyright Alan Cox 2009.  Used with permission.

British Formula Atlantic 1971-1983

Formula Atlantic flourished in the UK in the early 1970s with huge fields during its peak period of 1972-1974 and proved a stepping stone for a number of drivers on the way to F1, notably Alan Jones, Tony Brise, Gunnar Nilsson and Tom Pryce. In total, ten UK Atlantic race winners competed in Grands Prix.

It was dropped by MCD after 1975 but continued for one more season as Indylantic. After a two-year break, it returned in 1979 but was thereafter just a form of club racing.

The seasons

The 1971 season: Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, (Castle Combe), Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Castle Combe, Snetterton, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Castle Combe, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Castle Combe, Snetterton, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, (Brands Hatch)

The 1972 season: Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Mallory Park, Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, (Silverstone), (Mallory Park), Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Croft, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, (Brands Hatch), (Brands Hatch)

The 1973 season: Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, (Oulton Park), Silverstone, Brands Hatch, (Thruxton), Mallory Park, Croft, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Snetterton

The 1974 season: Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Silverstone, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Mallory Park, Mallory Park, Phoenix Park, Mondello Park, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, (Brands Hatch), Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Brands Hatch, (Thruxton)

The 1975 season: Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Silverstone, Snetterton, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Thruxton, Brands Hatch

The 1976 season: Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Croft, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Knockhill, Thruxton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park

The 1979 season: Mallory Park, Thruxton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Castle Combe, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Snetterton, (Donington Park), Ingliston, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch

The 1980 season: Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Castle Combe, Mondello Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, Mallory Park, Ingliston, Cadwell Park, Snetterton, Thruxton, Brands Hatch

The 1981 season: Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, (Donington Park), Mallory Park, Ingliston, Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Oulton Park

The 1982 season: Castle Combe, Silverstone, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Aintree, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park

The 1983 season: Silverstone, Silverstone, Donington Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Silverstone

Non-championship races in brackets.

Wins by Constructor 1971-1976

  1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Total
March 2 (1) 14 (3) 13 (1) 10 (1)     39 (6)
Chevron 7 4 (1) 5 (1) 8 1 25 (2)
Lyncar   1 7 4     12
Modus       2 9 1 12
Lola         2 7 9
Royale 4 (1) 3       7 (1)
Palliser 5 1         6
Brabham 3 (1)     1     4 (1)
Scott       2     2
Wheatcroft         2   2
Boxer           2 2
Lotus 1           1
Ensign   1         1
Surtees     1       1

Non-championship race wins are shown in brackets.

Race starts by Constructor 1971-1976

  1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Total
March27 (2)88 (12)177 (10)185 (12)564537 (36)
Chevron34 (4)23 (4)20 (3)60 (10)10944290 (21)
Brabham93 (9)75 (9)36 (1)47 (3)175273 (22)
Lotus29 (4)66 (6)1141 111 (10)
Lola42 13 (3)372985 (3)
Lyncar 26 (2)2420 (2)14185 (4)
Surtees  28 (1)15 (1)191072 (2)
Palliser46 (2)8    54 (2)
Modus   15201045
GRD 10 (2)1512 (4) 744 (6)
Royale115 (1)11111 39 (1)
Ensign 2 (2)17 (1)5  24 (3)
Tui17 (1)13 (1) 3 24 (2)
Huron3 (2)7 (1)9 (1)1  20 (4)
Kitchiner117 (2)1   19 (2)
Boxer     1414
Birrana    13 13
Sana     1313
McLaren    8412
Wimhurst 2 (1)10 (1)   12 (2)
Merlyn2 (1)7 (1) 11 11 (2)
Martin  91  10
Wheatcroft    9 9
MRE   7  7
Swift     77
Alexis3 (1)3    6 (1)
Motul  6   6
CrosslĂ©   41 5
Puma 5    5
Scott   5  5
HRS   4  4
Tecno 4    4
Elden   3  3
Genie   3  3
Hawke11    2
Martini2     2
unknown2     2
DBR   1 (1)  1 (1)
Sovereign   1  1
Taydec 1 (1)    1 (1)
Titan1     1

Starts in non-championship races are shown in brackets. A remarkable total of 22 different constructors' cars started championship races in 1974.

Note that not all results are complete so the race starts table will include cases where it is not certain whether a particular car and driver started a race. These numbers will change slightly as more data becomes available.

Wins by Constructor 1979-1983

  1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Total
Ralt 8 11 13 9 7 48
Chevron 5 (1)         5 (1)
March   2 2     4
Ehrlich   2 1 1   4
Lola 1         1

Non-championship wins are shown in brackets. No more that three constructors won races in any season of the 1979-1983 period; no less than four had won races in any season in the 1971-1976 period.

Race starts by Constructor 1979-1983

  1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Total
March 50 (3) 68 50 21 13 202 (3)
Ralt 32 (1) 50 60 23 27 192 (1)
Chevron 45 (5) 7 9 5 2 68 (5)
Ehrlich   13 18 9   40
Lola 13 (1) 2 14 7 3 39 (1)
Tiga     13 19 6 38
Argo 12 (1) 3 12     27 (1)
Druid 5 4   1 2 12
Barton 6 (1) 1 3 1   11 (1)
Lebacq 7   3     10
Wimhurst 1 5 2     8
Surtees 6         6
Lyncar 3     1   4
McLaren       3   3
Mallock 2 (1)         2 (1)
Wheatcroft 2 (1)         2 (1)
Janus 1         1
Modus   1       1

Starts in non-championship races are shown in brackets. F2 or libre cars running in the same race are not counted.