OldRacingCars.com

Eifelrennen

Nürburgring, 30 Apr 1972

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Jochen Mass 1927cc March 722 [17] - Ford BDA RES
#4 STP March Engineering (see note 1)
10
2 Derek Bell 1927cc Brabham BT38 [14] - Ford BDA Racing Services
#2 Motul Rondel Racing (see note 2)
10
3 Richard Scott 1798cc Brabham BT38 [17] - Ford BDA Richardson
#18 Richard Scott (see note 3)
10
4 Silvio Moser 1798cc Brabham BT38 [21] - Cosworth BDE
#26 Scuderia Jolly Club Switzerland
(see note 4)
10
5 Hiroshi Kazato 1798cc March 722 [8] - Ford BDA Broadspeed
#27 Peter Bloore Racing (see note 5)
10
6 Brett Lunger 1960cc March 722 [11] - Ford BDA RES
#5 Space Racing (see note 6)
10
7 Roland Binder 1798cc Brabham BT36 [4] - Cosworth BDE
#25 Roland Binder (see note 7)
10
8 Fred Stalder 1598cc Pygmée MDB17 [472] - Cosworth FVA
#28 Fred Stalder (see note 8)
10
9 Tom Belsø 1798cc Brabham BT38 [19] - Ford BDA Steele
#22 Team Viking (see note 9)
10
R Vic Elford 1900cc Chevron B20 [72-2] - Ford BDA Smith
#1 Chevron Racing Team (see note 10)
8 handling
R Bob Wollek 1927cc Brabham BT38 [15] - Ford BDA Racing Services
#3 Motul Rondel Racing (see note 11)
4 misfire
R Patrick Dal Bo 1960cc Pygmée MDB17 [372] - Ford BDA Pygmée
#11 Banting & Earle Racing Team
(see note 12)
3 accident
R David Purley 1927cc March 722 [10] - Ford BDA RES
#19 Lec Refrigeration Racing (see note 13)
2 puncture
R John Wingfield 1973cc Brabham BT36 [10] - Ford BDA Felday
#17 Nicoby Racing (see note 14)
1 broken engine mounting
R Lian Duarté 1798cc Pygmée MDB17 [172] - Ford BDA Pygmée
#12 Banting & Earle Racing Team
(see note 15)
0 accident ("serious damage" to monocoque)
R David Morgan 1860cc Brabham BT38 [20] - Ford BDA Wood
#15 Edward Reeves Racing (see note 16)
0 accident ("serious damage" to monocoque)
R Peter Westbury 1973cc Brabham BT38 [23] - Ford BDA Felday
#14 FIRST Racing (see note 17)
0 accident ("serious damage" to monocoque)
DNS Gerry Birrell 1850cc March 722 [1] - Ford BDA Hart
#21 Sports Motors Manchester (see note 18)
Did not start
(engine)

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Derek Bell 1927cc Brabham BT38 [14] - Ford BDA Racing Services 7m 56.4s
2 Jochen Mass 1927cc March 722 [17] - Ford BDA RES 8m 01.5s
3 Richard Scott 1798cc Brabham BT38 [17] - Ford BDA Richardson 8m 07.3s
4 Vic Elford 1900cc Chevron B20 [72-2] - Ford BDA Smith 8m 09.4s
5 Patrick Dal Bo 1960cc Pygmée MDB17 [372] - Ford BDA Pygmée 8m 15.9s
6 Hiroshi Kazato 1798cc March 722 [8] - Ford BDA Broadspeed 8m 16.7s
7 David Morgan 1860cc Brabham BT38 [20] - Ford BDA Wood 8m 17.7s
8 David Purley 1927cc March 722 [10] - Ford BDA RES 8m 18.2s
9 Fred Stalder 1598cc Pygmée MDB17 [472] - Cosworth FVA 8m 23.3s
10 Silvio Moser 1798cc Brabham BT38 [21] - Cosworth BDE 8m 25.5s
11 Tom Belsø 1798cc Brabham BT38 [19] - Ford BDA Steele 8m 34.0s
12 Bob Wollek 1927cc Brabham BT38 [15] - Ford BDA Racing Services 8m 37.0s
13 Brett Lunger 1960cc March 722 [11] - Ford BDA RES 8m 38.9s
14 Lian Duarté 1798cc Pygmée MDB17 [172] - Ford BDA Pygmée 8m 43.9s
15 Roland Binder 1798cc Brabham BT36 [4] - Cosworth BDE 8m 45.8s
16 Peter Westbury 1973cc Brabham BT38 [23] - Ford BDA Felday 8m 49.5s
17 John Wingfield 1973cc Brabham BT36 [10] - Ford BDA Felday 10m 05.0s
18 Gerry Birrell * 1850cc March 722 [1] - Ford BDA Hart 15m 49.3s
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 722 [17] (Jochen Mass): New for the works STP March Engineering team, and driven by Ronnie Peterson (who won at Thruxton in April and at Oulton Park in September) and Jochen Mass (who won at the Nürburgring). Sold to Silvio Montenegro (Brazil) and raced by him in the Torneio do Brasil. Crashed into the Armco barrier early in the second heat of the final race. This car was thought to have gone to South Africa for 1973, but this is now believed to have been incorrect. The car's history after Montenegro's accident is unknown.
  2. Brabham BT38 [14] (Derek Bell): Brand new for Motul Rondel Racing at Oulton Park at the end of March 1972, and raced there by Tim Schenken, who finished second. For Schenken again at Thruxton a few days later, then for Derek Bell at Nürburgring at the end of April, by Jean Max at Pau, and by Jean-Pierre Beltoise at Crystal Palace and Rouen. Schenken used the car for the rest of the season, winning at Hockenheim in October. Sold to John Powell (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) for Formula B in 1973. Sold to Bob Schutt (Kirkwood, MO) at Watkins Glen at the end of 1973, and used by him in Mid West Division FB racing. In the early 1980s, Schutt sold the car to Bob Willis (St Louis, MO), who is believed to still own it in 2019.
  3. Brabham BT38 [17] (Richard Scott): Brand new for Richard Scott at Oulton Park at the end of March 1972, and used by him through the 1972 F2 season. To Alan Padgett (Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire) for 1973, fitted with an 1850cc Cosworth BDE and used in hillclimbs. To David Baumforth (North Newbald, East Riding of Yorkshire) for hillclimbs and prints in 1974, then to John Hinley (Knowle, Warwickshire) for sprints in 1975. It was acquired by Tony Griffiths (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) for 1976, then to chef Paul Edwards (London), who used it extensively in sprints in 1977 and 1978. To Ron Cumming (Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) for libre racing in 1979, when it still had a 1800cc BDE engine. Cumming crashed the car in a race at Ingliston, probably in May 1979, and rebuilt it using a replacement monocoque supplied by Jim Stevenson. The car was then sold, less engine, to somebody in Essex. About seven years later, it was acquired by Chris Perkins (Ashbourne, Derbyshire), still in the distinctive orange-and-white livery used by Cumming in 1979 and with evidence of where the March 79B-style sidpods had been fitted, but now with a Buick V8 engine in the process of installation. Perkins's recollection is that he bought the car in the Brighton area in the mid-1980s; Autosport mention his purchase in December 1987.
  4. Brabham BT38 [21] (Silvio Moser): New for Silvio Moser (Lugano, Switzerland) at the Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring on 30 April 1972, where it was run for him by Scuderia Del Lario, and sponsored by Marlboro. Raced by Moser in most F2 races in 1972. To Freddy Amweg (Ammerswil, Switzerland) for 1973, and used in a few F2 races, but more often in the Swiss national championship. To Jorg Siegrist (Lucerne, Switzerland) for 1974, when it was fitted with a Cosworth BDG, and used in Swiss and German events, as well as a few F2 races. Subsequent history unknown, but in July 2012, this car was advertised by Lutziger Classic Cars (Rudolfstetten, Switzerland). It had been restored by Peter Denty, was fitted with a Cosworth BDG engine, and was in Amweg's livery.
  5. March 722 [8] (Hiroshi Kazato): New to Hiroshi Kazato, and run for him in European F2 by Peter Bloore Racing. The car disappeared at the end of 1972, but March records show that it was sold to a "J. F. Gridley" of Tooting, south London. It is then said to have been owned by an Englishman who planned to use it in French hillclimbs, but only to seize the engine and abandon it. It was acquired by Ted Walker some time around 1987, still with Kazato's name on the wheels, and sold to Nigel Smith, who sold it on to Gerry Wainwright (Burton, Staffordshire), who sent it to Simon Hadfield for restoration. Hadfield raced it briefly in historic racing, before it was sold to Jim Bennett in Colorado, but he only raced it once. It was sold to Scott Meehan (Kamas, UT) in 2005, and restored with a Cosworth BDE engine. Sold to Andrew Gifford (Perth, Australia) in 2012.
  6. March 722 [11] (Brett Lunger): New to Brett Lunger, and entered by Space Racing for him in F2 in 1972. Bob Sparshott's partner John 'Ace' Woodington was in charge of the F1 team, with ex-Surtees mechanic Roger Flynn. Lunger also raced the car in the Torneio do Brasil in October and November 1972. March records show that this car was sold to Guy Tunmer in December 1972, although press reports at the time said Tunmer had bought the ex-Ronnie Peterson car. Tunmer (Sandton, South Africa) had acquired the 722 for the new "F2" class of the South African national championship, and had it fitted with an 1800cc Cosworth FVC and raced it through 1973. The car was not seen in 1974, but is believed to have been kept as a spare to Tunmer's new Chevron. In 1975, it was sold to André Verwey (Johannesburg, South Africa) who planned to rebuild it with a BMW F2 engine and Hewland FG400 gearbox, but when Formula Atlantic was announced, he updated it with 74B bodywork and Nicholson BDA engine. Used in this form by Verwey in two races late 1975, and then into 1976. Sold back to the Tunmers in mid-1976 for Mervyn Tunmer to use. Unused in 1977, but then sold to Andrew Thompson in 1978, converted to a Ford V6 engine for the new formula, and raced in that form by Bobby Scott in 1979. To Mel Lahner and raced by Derek Ziman and John McNicol in Lahner's Rackrite team in 1980. Used again by Rackrite in 1981, when it was entered for McNicol, Ziman and Lahner, then raced by Bernard Tilanus for a few races before he left the team, then by his replacement Trevor van Rooyen, and finally McNicol took it over again. Both Tilanus and van Rooyen won races in it that season. It was retained again for 1982, when Lahner's son Wayne drove it. It was retained by the Lahner family until 2004, when it was sold back to Andrew and Stuart Thompson.
  7. Brabham BT36 [4] (Roland Binder): New to Rolf Stommelen as part of the Eifelland Wohnwagenbau (Caravaning) team for F2 in 1971. To Roland Binder (Esslingen, Germany) in F2 and hillclimbs in 1973. Later to Wittwer Racing, when the car had been modified with strange March bodywork, and sold to Ruedi Jauslin, then to dealer Fridolin Hämmerli. Then sold to Hansmarkus Huber who bought new Brabham bodywork from Peter Denty Racing; then sold to Albert Eggs, and sold by him to 'someone from Zurich'. Subsequent history unknown. A car with this number seen in 2003 with Sid Hoole and then in 2005 with Joseph (Sepp) Meyer.
  8. Pygmée MDB17 [472] (Fred Stalder): New to Fred Stalder, and raced in selected rounds of the 1972 F2 series and some French hillclimbs. He started the season with a Cosworth FVA, but was not allowed to run that at Pau. He replaced this with a Cosworth BDE later in the season. Subsequent history unknown.
  9. Brabham BT38 [19] (Tom Belsø): Brand new for Tom Belsø at Oulton Park at the end of March 1972, entered by Team Viking. Raced by Belsø in F2 all season, then converted to Formula Atlantic for a couple of races late in the year. For sale during much of 1973, then to Tom Foster (Modesto, CA) for SCCA Formula B and ICSCC events from 1974 to 1977. Ron Householder (Portland, OR) then bought it for the engine, and sold the car in July 1978 to Kevin Skinner (Langley, BC, Canada). He won the ICSCC Formula B class in 1979, winning his class in seven races. In 2013, he still owned the car.
  10. Chevron B20 [72-2] (Vic Elford): Chevron Racing Team entry in Formula 2 in 1972, raced by Peter Gethin and Vic Elford. Gethin won at Pau in early May. Also raced by John Watson with a 1900cc Cosworth FVC in the Rothmans 5000. Believed to be the car leased by Ed Reeves for David Morgan to race in the Torneio do Brasil at the end of the year. Morgan crashed in practice at Interlagos when the car hit the Armco barrier head on and went between the two sections, luckily stopping just before the cockpit. The car was "extremely badly bent" and a fortunately unhurt Morgan had to be cut out of the car. It is likely that the car would not have been repairable after this, but it is possible it survived in some form.
  11. Brabham BT38 [15] (Bob Wollek): New for Motul Rondel Racing at Hockenheim in mid-April 1972, and raced all season by Bob Wolleck. Raced once by Carlos Reutemann at Enna. Sold to Bill O'Connor (Highland Park, IL) for Formula B for 1973. To Chuck Dietrich (Sandusky, OH) for 1974, then fitted with a Cosworth BDA for 1975, 1976 and 1977. He continued to race it in 1978, but at the age of 53 was appearing less often. This was presumably the Brabham he drove in 1979, but by 1980 he had replaced it with a Lola T460. The subsequent history of the Brabham is unknown.
  12. Pygmée MDB17 [372] (Patrick Dal Bo): New to the BERT team for Patrick Dal Bo to race in the 1972 F2 series. Dal Bo was fourth in the first race of the season, but had a series of failures to qualify, often caused by engine failures. The car was sold to Georges Schäfer for 1973, and used in occasional F2 races, rounds of the Swiss championship, and French hillclimbs for the next three seasons, using a Cosworth BDE engine. It appears that it was updated for 1974 with revised bodywork and given the chassis plate "MDB19 - 03 -74". Gérard Gamand's book shows this as the Pygmée owned by Roger Martini (Girond, Aquitaine) from 1979 to 1983, although Martini believed he had owned the ex-Pace car. According to Gamand, the car then passed via two other French owners, 'Legeay' and 'Sutter' to Roland Perrin in 1988, by which time it had acquired odd square sidepods and a Martini nose, and the steelwork had been painted a fetching orange. Bought by Peter Morley in Belgium in 2005, then to Gamand in April 2007, who completely restored the car in 2008-09. On display at Epoqu'auto in Lyon in November 2009. Raced by Gamand in Historic F2 in 2010 and 2012. On display on the Autodiva stand at Epoqu'Auto in November 2013.
  13. March 722 [10] (David Purley): New to David Purley and entered by Lec Refrigeration Racing for him in F2 in 1972. Retained for 1973, but converted to Formula Atlantic, fitted with Falconer bodywork and run in the two British championships, winning the opening race of each championship. At Silverstone in May, Autosport reported that the car was appearing for the first time in 73B bodywork and using narrow track. Photographs of the car at the following race, which Purley won, show that it also had front-facing rollhoop supports, which are usually indicative of the 1973 March monocoque, and a more detailed picture of the car at Silverstone in July shows that the front suspension also indicated it now had a 1973 monocoque. He used the car to the end of the season, winning five races in total. It was then raced by Dieter Quester at Macau at the end of 1973, who was said to have bought the "73B". However, Quester's recollection was that it was rented by Team Harper for him to drive. Subsequent history unknown, but possibly sold in the Far East. The car would probably have been indistinguishable from a 73B by this time.
  14. Brabham BT36 [10] (John Wingfield): New to John Wingfield (London NW11) in September 1971 and raced in libre with a 1.7-litre Felday BDA. Raced in F2 in 1972 with Felday's 1973cc BDA and then converted to F/Atlantic specification for one race at the end of the season. Sold to Iain McLaren (Broxburn, Scotland) for 1973, fitted with a 1.8-litre Alan Smith Cosworth FVC and used for hillclimbs and libre. Advertised by MRE (Bourne End, Buckingham) in October/November 1973, who had a 1930cc Racing Services BDA in stock at the same time. Sold to Chris Choat and John Hardesty for 1974 and used in libre with a 2-litre Racing Services BDA. Retained for 1975 until sold in the summer to Nick Overall, still with the same RS BDA. To Mike Gue for 1976. Then to Ian Henderson who has retained the car.
  15. Pygmée MDB17 [172] (Lian Duarté): New to the BERT team for Lian Duarté to race in the 1972 F2 series. Duarté was taken out by teammate Carlos Pace at the start of the final at Thruxton, and his race at Hockenheim ended after just a lap with a broken piston. His bad luck continued at the Nürburgring at the end of the month, then he was involved in a lap 1 pile up, and the Pygmée was badly damaged. He returned to this car at Rouen in June, but was too slow to qualify, and failed to qualify again at the Österreichring after brake problems. His luck finally turned at Imola where he qualified with a rather dubious time, and completed two whole laps before retiring with an oil leak. He was not seen again. The subsequent history of the MDB17 is unknown, but Didier Martin has been quoted that both the Duarte and Pace MDB17s went to Marc Regal. Gérard Gamand lists the car as being with Edouard Géraud (who also owned MDB16 271 and MDB17 272) in 1995, and then in a private collection in southwest France in 2010.
  16. Brabham BT38 [20] (David Morgan): Brand new for Edward Reeves Racing at Oulton Park at the end of March 1972, and raced by David Morgan. It was seriously damaged at its third race, a non-championship event at Nürburgring in late April, and was replaced with another BT38 acquired from the Coombs team.
  17. Brabham BT38 [23] (Peter Westbury): Brand new for Peter Westbury, and run by Felday International Racing & Sportscar Team, using engines from Westbury's Felday Engineering. The Brabham first appeared in the Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring on 30 April 1972, but crashed heavily during the race, causing "serious damage" to the monocoque. The car was rebuilt around a new monocoque in time for the Pau Grand Prix a week later. Westbury did not appear at all F2 races, but did run in the Rothmans 50,000 in August, where he used a 1997cc Felday alloy-block engine. Unused in 1973, and for sale from Dorking in November 1973. Subsequent history unknown, but may be the car raced by David Jackson many years later in Classic F3.
  18. March 722 [1] (Gerry Birrell): The prototype March 722 was sold to Sports Motors Manchester for Gerry Birrell to race in Formula 2 in 1972. At the end of the season, the car was sold to New Zealander Kenny Smith, and fitted with a 1930cc Cosworth FVC engine for the 1973 Tasman series. He also used it at the April 1973 Singapore Grand Prix using a 1600cc Hart Ford twin-cam. Frank Radisich bought it and bolted on the Repco Holden engine and rear end from his McLaren M10B, but this was wholely unsuccessful, and Radisich later tried a Mazda engine instead, also updating it to 1976 nose and sidepods, but again with no success. In late 1977, it reappeared with Dave Saunders who had fitted a Cosworth BDA engine for Formula Pacific, but the reliability problems persisted. According to Graham Vercoe, Dennis Dunbar later raced it, again with the Mazda engine. In the late 1980s, it was bought less engine from Dunbar by Murray Biddick, who restored the car, fitted a BDA engine and did a couple of club events. It was then sold on his behalf by Charlie Conway to Adrian Whapman. David McKinney reported that Whapman was advertising it in 1994. David also noted that it later went to Australia, where it was owned in 2003 by Kevin Miller, and then returned to NZ and was owned by David Heron. By 2008, Heron had restored it in STP livery, and it was being associated with Niki Lauda.

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

Autosport 4 May 1972 pp18-19, Motoring News 4 May 1972 p10. The chassis number of the Chevron was given by Autosport as "B20/72/2". Mass was said to have "the Peterson car (722-7)". MN had Rondel's BT38s as "his customary" BT38-15 for Wollek and "Schenken's usual" BT38-14 for Bell.