Gran Premio de Madrid

Jarama, 28 Apr 1968

All cars are 1.6-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT23C [5] (Jochen Rindt): New to Winkelmann Racing for Jochen Rindt to race in F2 in 1968, winning four of his first seven races. Driven by Vic Elford at at Monza in June and crashed. The car was rebuilt on a new chassis and Rindt won two more races later that year. To Ecurie Ecosse and raced by Graham Birrell in F2 in 1969. Ecurie Ecosse and Birrell had a BT30 for 1970 but the BT23C was raced in a libre at Ingliston in May when it was crashed. Sold in July to Stanley Robinson who fitted the engine, gearbox and suspension to the Unipower GT Group 6 car he raced with John Blanckley. The BT23C chassis was repaired some time around 1972 and sold to Joe Applegarth (Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham) who built it up using parts from BT23C/16 and fitted a pushrod Ford engine for Monoposto racing. Raced by Applegarth from 1973 until the end of 1977, competing in around 130 events, and then retained after Applegarth retired. Sold by him to Joe Willenpart (Scheibbs, Austria) in 2010.
2. Brabham BT23C [8] (Kurt Ahrens): New to Kurt Ahrens (Braunschweig, Germany) and raced by him in F2 in 1968 under the Caltex Racing banner. Sold to Bernd Terbeck (Hiltrup, Germany) and run as part of the Montan Racing Team in F2 in 1969 and 1970. Then unknown in 1971 and 1972. Former Mini racer Graham Cooper (Sedgley, Worcestershire) raced his "newly acquired Brabham BT23C" in a sprint at Curborough in March 1973. This car was sold by Cooper to Richard Churchley (Hampton-in-Arden, Warwickshire) and run by him in sprints in 1975 with a Ford twin cam and then in 1976 with a 1600cc Hart BDA. From Churchley to Bill Morris who wanted the engine for his Ensign and sold the rest of the car to Robin Darlington (Ruabon, Wales) in early 1977. Then to Les Aylott (Oakham, Rutland) and David Knowles, fitted with Aylott's turbcharged 1600cc BDA engine by by June 1977, and raced in 1977 and 1978. Advertised from Oakham in April 1981. Then unknown until raced by Peter Rogers (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) in the HSCC Bradburn & Wedge Pre-71 series in 1984 with a BDA engine. (Possibly the car raced by Jon Bradburn in late 1983.) Raced by Rogers until 1987. Sold by Rogers' father Sir John Rogers to David Brown (Ashford, Kent) in 1999 and raced by him in the HSCC Classic Racing Cars Championship. Raced regularly by David Brown (Ashford, Kent) in HSCC events until sold to Graham Adelman (Free Union, VA) in 2014.
3. Tecno 68/F2 [T00 284?] (Clay Regazzoni): When the Tecno team took three cars to the Argentine Temporada at the end of 1968, Motoring News noted that Clay Regazzoni's car, 'T00 284', was "his regular car". Presumed to have been his car from Pau (April 1968) onwards. To Roland Binder (Esslingen, Germany) in mid-1969, to replace the Tecno he had wrecked at Hockenheim in June. Binder continued to race this car in F2 in 1970 and 1971. Subsequent history unknown.
4. Lola T100 [SL100/7] (Jorge de Bagration): Rebuilt from SL100/1 or SL100/3 for Escuderia Nacional CS for Formula 2 in 1968, and raced by Jorge de Bagration, with sponsorship from Calvo Sotelo. This is likely to be the car advertised by Charlie Hayes in April 1970 "ex-Alex Soler Roig European F2 car", as Soler-Roig was de Bagration's better-known teammate. By the time the advert appeared, Soler-Roig had done a deal to drive for Lotus in F1. It was next seen in May 1975 when Ron Renari (White Plains, NY) raced a Formula B Lola in SCCA Regionals at Lime Rock. He raced the car again in 1976, and advertised it as an "ex-Alex Soler-Roig Lola T100". It is reported to have gone to Stewart Bone, a Pontiac Fiero collector in NY state, and he sold it to Tim Gaffney in 1992. After having the monocoque restored by Simon Hadfield, Gaffney raced it in 2003. Sold in 2009 to Dean Baker (Bowmanville, Ontario), who raced it once at Watkins Glen, but found it needed a thorough restoration and put it aside until he got to that.
5. McLaren M4A [200-18F] (Jo Schlesser): Ecurie Intersport for Jo Schlesser in F2 in 1968 until his death in a F1 race in July. Presumably then the "ex-Schlesser" McLaren M4A raced in French hillclimbs by Jean-Claude Fontès (Bayonne, France) in 1969, by Hughes Hazard in 1970 and by Roger Rivoire in 1972. Then unknown until restored by an unnamed German owner in 1990. Appeared in various auctions between 1997 and 2005, in the midst of which Paul Dudley (and Steve Worrad) raced it in historic racing in 1999 and 2000. Sold at Bonhams & Brooks' Silverstone auction in September 2001 to an unknown owner who restored it in 2004 and then sold it via Bonhams Silverstone auction in July 2005. With Lindsay O'Donnell (Christchurch, NZ) in 2005 and raced for him by Ken Smith at Eastern Creek in December 2006. Still with O'Donnell in 2009.
6. Brabham BT23C [6] (Max Mosley): New to Max Mosley and entered for him by London Racing Team and then by Frank Williams Racing Cars in F2 in 1968. Sold to Peter Parnell (Bulawayo, Rhodesia) and raced in South African events in 1969. Then to Arnold Charlton (Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa) for 1970 but crashed in practice at Roy Hesketh in March. Advertised as "recently rebuilt" and "immaculate" by Charlton in August 1970. Reported as sold back to the UK late in the year after repeated FVA problems. Just one week after Charlton's adverts stopped, D&A Shells (Stratford, East London) advertised a BT23C. Some time in late 1971 or early 1972 John Hardesty bought a BT23C from an east London dealer who told him that it had come back from South Africa. Chris Choat prepared the car for Hardesty and also raced it in libre racing. In October 1972, Choat was entered for a libre race at Silverstone in a green Brabham BT23C and he was mentioned racing it at Silverstone in March and July 1973. It can be assumed he was at other races during that period but too far down to be mentioned in reports. According to Hardesty, Choat destroyed the car when he crashed at Woodcote corner and bent it round a post. The car was broken up and the suspension went to Bobby Howlings.
7. Brabham BT23 [8] (Nanni Galli): Bought by 'Nanni' Galli and fitted with a fuel-injected Alfa Romeo GTA engine given to Galli by Autodelta. It was entered by Scuderia Ala d'Oro for Galli to drive in the Vallelunga F2 race in October 1967. The engine was then said to generate 165 bhp, and it was taller than the Cosworth FVA, but Galli expected further work to be performed on it by Autodelta before the 1968 season. Raced again by Galli at Jarama April 1968 and then by Alfa Romeo test driver Giorgio Pianta at Monza in June 1968. The Brabham was then converted to F3 specification with a normal 1-litre Ford engine and entered by Jolly Club France Racing Team for Etienne Vigoureux to drive in mainly French F3 races through 1969. Subsequent history unknown but some of the Italian references mentioned under BT23-9 may refer to this car.
8. McLaren M4A [200-20F] (Robin Widdows): This number is given for a Formula 2 car entered by Chequered Flag for Robin Widdows until he crashed it at Crystal Palace in June 1968 and it was replaced by a new car, or at least a new monocoque. The car somehow survived and is said to have raced in UK club racing in the 1970s. Found by Lincoln Small and others in an Essex barn c1990. Raced by Small 1996-97 and then by a further owner before the 1999 Coys Silverstone auction. With Graham Earl in 2000 and sold by him to a Belgian collector in 2002. Restored and repainted in Chequered Flag colours in 2012.
9. Lola T100 [SL100/6] (Chris Irwin): New for John Surtees to drive for Lola Racing at Mallory Park in May 1967, fitted with a Cosworth FVA engine. Surtees won at Mallory, and the next race at Zolder. This was then the team's main FVA car, as SL100/2 had been rebuilt in narrow-track form, and SL100/4 had been sold to David Bridges. Raced by Chris Irwin from July onwards, then by Andrea de Adamich at Enna. Raced by Irwin in F2 in early 1968, but after Irwin was badly injured in sports car race in May, the T100 was sold to Escuderia Nacional CS to replace SL100/8 that had been wrecked by Alex Soler-Roig. Raced by Soler-Roig for the rest of the 1968 season. To John Watson (Craigavad, County Down, Northern Ireland) and fitted with a Ford twin cam for local libre racing in 1969. To Dave Furlong (Dublin, Ireland) for 1970, then to John Burke (Dublin) for 1971. It was raced by Richie Conroy for Burke in 1972, then by Burke again in libre racing in 1973. Advertised by Burke, still with Ford twin cam engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox, in November 1973. Subsequent history unknown, but said by a later owner to have been owned by Bob Eccles (Oldbury, West Midland) in the late 1970s. If that is correct, it would be the second T100 that Eccles acquired as a source of spares for his main car. It is then believed to be the car raced by Pat Speer in HSCC events in 1985. Ted Walker then had two Lola T100s, probably the two ex-Eccles cars, and one remained in pieces while he had them, logically this one. According to a later Bonhams sale description, this car was owned by Speer in the 1970s, and was acquired by Louis Bernat (Chicago, IL) in 1989. Bernat died in 1997, and the car was advertised by his son Robert Bernat (Chicago, IL) in 2005, bought by Paul Busby, and returned to England. Sold at the Bonhams Brooklands auction in December 2011 to Robs Lamplough, but later sold back to Busby in 2015.
10. Brabham BT23C [4] (Chris Lambert): New to London Racing Team for Chris Lambert to race in F2 in 1968. Crashed during the F2 race at Zandvoort on 28 July 1968 and Lambert was killed. It is believed that the car was broken up.
11. Merlyn Mk 12 [109] (John Cardwell): New for Bob Gerard's quasi-works F2 team in 1968, and raced early in the season by John Cardwell. This car was updated to MK 12A specification for 1969 and run alongside Gerard's Brabham BT23C for Robin Widdows and others. Advertised by Gerard Racing in January 1970 but not seen again until Pete Tester ran it in a libre race at Lydden in early 1973. Used by Peter Bull (London) in sprints that summer, by which time it had a BRM engine of some sort, and then advertised by Bull in September with a 1600cc Ford twin cam engine and FT200 gearbox. Bull bought a Brabham BT30 for 1974 and the later history of the Merlyn is unknown.
12. Lotus 48 [R2] (Graham Hill): Graham Hill's regular Team Lotus entry in Formula 2 in 1967, raced by him in 16 of that season's races. Retained for 1968, when it was entered by Gold Leaf Team Lotus for Hill in a further eight F2 races. Sold to Gerry Kinnane's Team Ireland for 1969, and raced by John Pollock in the Thruxton F2 race in April and then in Irish 1600cc racing. Sold to Kevin Murphy in 1970 for Frank Keane to drive in Irish libre racing, primarily at Mondello Park, and in hillclimbs. Traded to Bobby Howlings for a Brabham BT30 in September 1970, and advertised by him the following month. Then evidently to Beric Ewin (Finchley, London) and fitted with a Ford twin cam engine for the new Formula Atlantic category in 1971 and 1972. Then unknown until acquired by a private collector in the late 1970s.
13. McLaren M4A [200-17F] (Guy Ligier): Ecurie Intersport third F2 car in 1968, used by Jo Schlesser as a T-car. If 200-18 went into French hillclimbs, then 200-17 would be one of the two cars bought from Pierre Bardinon (Aubusson, France) by Franco Sbarro (Grandson, Switzerland). These cars were both sold to Georges Schafer (Geneva, Switzerland) and he used one of them in F2 and in Swiss national events in 1971. Then unknown until for sale with Hall & Fowler in 1997. A red M4A with silver stripe has been in the Donington Museum since at least 2005. In November 2009 it was observed to be wearing a curious-looking chassis plate marked '200-17'. Rumoured to be owned by McLaren International.
14. Lola T100 [SL100/8] (Alex Soler-Roig): Rebuilt from SL100/1 or SL100/3 for Escuderia Nacional CS for Formula 2 in 1968, and raced by Alex Soler-Roig. The team was sponsored from Calvo Sotelo (ENCASO), a state-owned Spanish oil company. Soler-Roig crashed the Lola heavily at Crystal Palace in early June, an accident that "wrapped the monocoque in a knot". Escuderia Nacional CS acquired SL100/6 from Lola Racing to replace it.
15. Brabham BT23C [9] (Derek Bell): New to Church Farm Racing Team (Pagham, Sussex) for Derek Bell to race in F2 in 1968. Bell moved to the Ferrari F2 team in June 1968 and the car was raced by Jonathan Williams at Hockenheim, by Peter Westbury and Monza and then by Brian Hart for the rest of the season. Advertised in December 1968 and March 1969. Subsequent history unknown.
16. Lotus 48 [R1] (Jackie Oliver): The prototype Lotus 48 was taken out to Australia for Graham Hill to drive in the Australian Grand Prix at Warwick Farm in February 1967, when he retired. It was then the Team Lotus spare car at the start of the F2 season, first racing at the Nürburgring in April. Jim Clark then used the car in nine F2 races from May onwards, including his wins at Jarama and Keimola. Driven by Alex Solor-Roig at the Spanish GP in November, but his deal to race the car fell through. Retained for 1968, when it was Jackie Oliver's regular entry supported by Roger Frogley's Herts & Essex Aero Club and maintained by Derek Wilde. It was sold to Gerry Kinnane at the end of the European F2 season, and raced for him by Oliver in the Argentine Temporada in December. Then raced by John Watson at the opening F2 race of 1969, at Thruxton, but crashed and badly damaged. Repaired in Belfast with a new outer skin created by Fred Smith using the workshop of Belfast Corporation Bus Company on the Falls Road, and raced by John L'Amie for Kinnane later in the year. To Alan Fowler for 1970, and driven by Barrie Smith at the Thruxton F2 race in March 1970, but did not start. Reportedly sold by Fowler's D&A Shells to a collector in Nuneaton, and retained by him until 1997, when it was sold via John Harper to Bob Tabor (Llanrothal, Herefordshire). The car was restored by Tabor by Simon Hadfield, and the monocoque was rebuilt by Competition Fabrications (Attleborough, Norfolk) who carefully replaced the single-curvature Belfast-made outer skin with a correct double-curvature skin. A stronger rollhoop structure was also fitted. The rebuilt car was raced by Hadfield in the Goodwood Glover Trophy in September 1999.
17. Lola T100 [SL100/2] (Alistair Walker): Believed to be the works Lola T100 entered by Lola Racing for Chris Irwin to drive in Formula 2 at the start of 1967. Fitted with a BMW Apfelbeck radial valve engine and raced by Irwin at Snetterton in March 1967. Irwin crashed during the race, and the Lola turned over and caught fire. It was rebuilt - or a new car was built using the same chassis number - with slightly different suspension and narrower track, now with a Cosworth FVA engine, and was raced by Irwin at Enna in August 1967. Sold to Alistair Walker for 1968, and raced by him in F2 that season. Alistair sold it at the end of that season, and cannot recall where it went. Subsequent history unknown, but thought to be one of the two Lola T100s sold to the US for Formula B, most likely the Max Mizejewski car.
18. Brabham BT23C [7] (Piers Courage): New to Frank Williams Racing Cars for Piers Courage to race in F2 in 1968. Also raced by Jonathan Williams to win at Monza in June. To Roly Levis (New Zealand) and raced in the 1969 Tasman series and at Singapore, Batu Tiga and Fuji in the following months. Raced in the opening rounds of the 1969/70 New Zealand season and then sold to Baron Robertson who raced it Pukekohe in early December. Levis then tested the car for Robertson in practice for the Bay Park International at the end of December but crashed heavily at Rothmans corner, effectively writing off the car. Robertson acquired a replacement frame from Racing Frames in England and built a car which used a different chassis number. The original BT23C/7 frame was rebuilt as a Formula Ford and raced by Peter Haskett in the 1973/74 NZ season. This car found its way to Martin Smith in the UK in the late 1980s after which it was restored to BT23C specification. Then unknown until acquired by Bobby Rahal in the US and extensively rebuilt by Phil Simkin some time before 2004. With Justin Segel (West Bloomfield, MI) in 2003. For sale in 2006 when said to have been owned by Tom Claridge (Fremont, CA). To Ted Wentz (Villanova, PA) 2008.
19. Brabham BT23 [4] (Walter Habegger): Roy Winkelmann Racing for Alan Rees in F2 1967. To Walter Habegger (Oberönz, Switzerland) 1968 for Swiss championship events. To Gérard Pillon (Geneva, Switzerland) 1969 and used in Swiss national events and French hillclimbs. (Although one source gives this as the car of Enzo Corti at Rheims and Albi in 1969, that identification looks highly doubtful.) Crashed at Côte de la Faucille on 7 September and not seen again. In 2009, Walter Habegger recalled that Pillon had an accident in the car and that it was badly damaged.
20. McLaren M4A [200-22F] (Graeme Lawrence): This number is given for a Formula 2 car entered by Chequered Flag for Graeme Lawrence early in the 1968 season, then Frank Gardner and then Mike Walker. Likely to have been one of the four M4As advertised by Chequered Flag at the end of 1968.

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.