John Player Formula 2 Championship Race

Oulton Park, 16 Sep 1972

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 722 [17] (Ronnie Peterson): 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. March 722 [5] (Niki Lauda): New for STP-March number two driver Niki Lauda for F2 in 1972 (won at Oulton Park in March), then for Pedro de Lamare in Torneio do Brasil. To Robert Cooper (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) for Formula Atlantic 1973, and rebuilt mid-season to 73B spec. Retained for early 1974, then sold to Dairmuid McFeeley (Clonee, Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland) for Irish Formula Atlantic in 1974, 1975 and early 1976. To John Ledlie in 1976, then sold to Richard Lester (Yoxall, Staffordshire) for sprints from 1978 to 1984. With Keith Wanklyn (Wimborne) for hillclimbs from 1985 to 1990. Via three other owners to John Gale (Sydney, NSW, Australia) 2006. Sold to Australian-resident Englishman Steve Weller (Sydney, NSW) in 2017, who moved the car to the UK.
3. March 712M [5] (James Hunt): New to Mike Beuttler, and raced in F2 in 1971 entered by Clarke Mordaunt Racing with Alistair Guthrie. This must be the ex-Beuttler 712M acquired by Hesketh Racing, and raced by James Hunt at the Rothmans 50,000, and then in the remainder of the F2 season. Sold by Hesketh to Ray Mallock, and updated by March to 73B specification for Mallock to race in British Formula Atlantic in 1973. The car was later rebuilt on the 73B tub that had been used as a bodywork buck. Via A.W. Brown Racing to Arthur Collier 1974 for Irish Formula Atlantic, then to Patrick Woods mid-season. Borrowed by Patsy McGarrity for the Boxing Day race at Mondello Park at the end of 1974. The car was later said to have returned to the UK via AW "Monkey" Brown, then moved through the trade to Roger Andreason, who sold it to his friend Charles Richards to be used in Monoposto in 1978. From there, it moved towards historic racing, but leading to some confusion as the car by now had a 73B tub and 73B bodywork. Its life in historic racing requires further confirmation.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Brabham BT38 [16 as '15'] (David Morgan): Sold originally to the Elf-Coombs team but not used, and sold to Edward Reeves Racing as a spare for the team's new BT38 being raced by David Morgan. When Morgan wrecked the regular car at the 'Ring, he took over BT38/16. Oddly, this car was sometimes described as BT38/15. After the season, BT38/16 went to MRE in part-exchange for a new BT40, and was sold on to Tom O'Leary (Dalkey, County Dublin) for Formula Ireland racing. O'Leary rarely raced it, and is reported to have crashed it at Mondello Park when the front brake pads fell out. As the car probably needed a new tub, it was sold and replaced with a BT40. The BT38 was eventually sold by MRE in August 1974 to Mike Rocke (Livermore, CA), who used in in SCCA Formula B in 1974 and 1975. Crashed in 1975 and rebuilt on a replacement tub before being sold to someone in California in 1976. Then unknown until bought by Steve Petersen (Sedalia, CO) from Tom Christ around 2001. The car had been rebuilt on a Pat Price tub, fitted with a Jennings 2-liter BDG engine, and was raced by Peterson with RMVR from 2003 onwards.
7. March 722 [41] (Roger Williamson): New to Tom Wheatcroft Racing for Roger Williamson to race in F2 in 1972, but Williamson's main aim was the F3 title, so the 722 was little used. To Patsy McGarrity (Belfast, Northern Ireland) for 1973, and used in Formula Ireland races. To David Lambe (Dublin, Ireland) in August 1973, and converted to Formula Atlantic specification for 1974, when it was also raced once or twice by Tom O'Leary. In 1986, this car turned up in England in the hands of David Tilley, who told speed event historian Steve Wilkinson that it had come from Patsy McGarrity in Ulster and was "the ex-Wheatcroft car for Roger Williamson". Tilley replaced the 1600cc engine with a 3500cc Rover V8 for 1988, then sold the car to Barrie Gilles (Lydney, Gloucestershire), who raced it in 1989. Subsequent history unknown.
8. March 722 [15] (Adrian Wilkins): New for Adrian Wilkins to race in F2 in 1972 as a John Coombs Racing entry. Subsequent history unknown, but may have been the car bought by Holman Blackburn for Formula Atlantic.
9. GRD 272 [016-F2] (Andy Sutcliffe): New for 1972, and entered in F2 by GRS International for a variety of drivers, including Reine Wisell, Tom Walkinshaw and Alan Jones. Rented to Wheatcroft Racing for Roger Williamson to drive in Formula Atlantic at the end of the season. Subsequent history unknown.
10. Brabham BT38 [1] (Graham Hill): Built by KayDon Racing on behalf of MRD and initially designed to be works Formula 2 entry for Graham Hill. Hill was also leading the Brabham F1 team for 1972, so was not planning a full season of F2. When Hill acquired sponsorship from Jägermeister, a German liqueur maker, a deal was done for the car to be run by KayDon Racing, a new operation set up by former MRD employees David Kaylor and John Donnelly in Cobham. After borrowing a BT36 for the team's first two races, the BT38 was ready for the Pau Grand Prix in early May. The chassis number of the new car was reported to be BT38-1, which was odd as all other BT38 chassis numbers were 11 or above. This may have been to simplify carnet arangements as the BT36 which had already been taken to Hockenheim was chassis number BT36-1. In Hill's second race in the BT38, at Crystal Palace, he crashed heavily at the start of Heat 2 and the car had to be rebuilt on a new monocoque prior to the next race. He competed in six more races, including a win at Monza in June. The BT38 remained unused at Graham Hill Racing during 1973, and was sold at the end of the year to Tom Ogilvy for Tony Charnell (Dumfries, Scotland) to drive in libre in 1974, still with a 2-litre BDA. It was sold to Dean Dietrich (Hinsdale, IL) for 1975, and was raced in Formula B. Dietrich advertised it during 1976, and raced it again in Formula A in 1977. Dan Hartill (Indianapolis, IN) and Jack Finucan then acquired it from Dietrich, together with a body from Dietrich's Lola T294 and two 2-litre Cosworth FVC engines. They fitted the body and engines to the BT38, and ran it in Can-Am as the Osprey SR1 and ran it in a few races. Its history after 1978 is not yet understood, but at some point, believed to be around 1986, it was acquired from the US by Alan Miles, and brought back to England. In 2017, Jon Waggitt of SSCC Motorsport (Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire) acquired the car and started a thorough restoration. Sold in 2020 to Oliver Schimpf, son of the Jägermeister Racing Principal Eckhard "Ecki" Schimpf.
11. Chevron B20 ["F2-3"] (John Watson): Appeared as a second Chevron Cars F2 entry for John Watson at Oulton Park in September 1972, but that was its only race in the European season. Photographs show that this was the car sold to Tony Martin for South African racing in 1973. Martin's car was described by Motoring News as ex-Gethin, but this may be because he was due to get the car that Ed Reeves had hired for Dave Morgan to drive in South America, but then received a different car after Morgan wrecked that car. As Martin's car has several featuires that exactly match the Watson car, we can deduce that Morgan had wrecked the ex-Gethin B20 72-2. Raced by Martin in 1973, when it was fitted with a 2-litre BDA and later a FVC engine. Raced by Glenn Martin a few times in 1974. South African historian Ian Hebblethwaite reports that Martin crashed the car heavily later that season. He understands that the tub was unrepairable and the other components were used on the team's B25s. Paul Owens has confirmed this story, and said that all that was left was the rear wing.
12. Brabham BT38 [14] (Tim Schenken): 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.
13. McLaren M21 [M21-72-01] (Jody Scheckter): New for Jody Scheckter to race in the 1972 F2 series as a works Bruce McLaren Motor Racing entry (won at Crystal Palace in May). Sold to Yves Martin (Rennes, France) and used in French hillclimbs during 1973 and 1974. Crashed heavily at Montgueux in September 1974. Rebuilt during 1975 with new bodywork and entered for Gilles Péquegnot as the Guépard in the last few months of the 1975 season. Sold to Didier Bonnet (Besançon, France) for 1976, and fitted with a 1600cc engine. The later history of this car is unknown. Note that the three cars restored in the 1990s are all believed to be Trojan-built cars, and none are the ex-Scheckter car.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. GRD 272 (Claude Bourgoignie): Claude Bourgoignie bought a new GRD 272 for 1972, first appearing at Crystal Palace at the end of May, where he did not qualify. He used 1.8-litre Don Moore Ford engines. The car was identified by the F1 Register as chassis 010 in one place and as 018 in another, but neither is thought to be correct. It may have been chassis 028-F2. He continued with the car in 1973 with a new full 2-litre Broadspeed BDA and won all seven rounds of the Belgian Hill Climb Championship as well as appearing in a handful of F2 races. It was advertised by Bourgoignie (Brussels, Belgium) in November 1973 as a 273, with its Broadspeed and Moore engines. Bourgoignie returned to F2 in 1974 with a new GRD 274. The subsequent history of his 272 is unknown.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. March 722 Falconer [722-40] (Vern Schuppan): 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.
20. Surtees TS10 [07] (John Surtees): A new car built up for the Matchbox Team Surtees F2 team in mid-1972, and first raced by Dieter Quester at the Österreichring in early July. Raced later in the season by Carlos Pace, John Surtees and Mike Hailwood. It is almost certainly the car raced by Lian Duarté in the F2 Torneio do Brasil. Sold to Silvio Moser for 1973, repainted in Marlboro livery, and used regularly through the 1973 F2 season. Raced by Alberto Colombo at Vallelunga at the end of the season. According to Beat Schenker, Moser's mechanic, the Surtees was sold to a Mr Herber, from Ticino, who planned to use it in the Swiss national championship. Beat recalls that he crashed on his second or third outing, and believes the car may have been a total loss.
21. Chevron B20 [72-2] (Peter Gethin): 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.
22. Brabham BT38 [28] (Chris Meek): New to Tate of Leeds (Racing) and driven by Chris Meek in British Formula Atlantic in 1972. To Bobby Howlings and raced briefly in libre in 1973, then on to Richard Shardlow (Baslow, Derbyshire) and raced in British hillclimbs from June onwards, fitted with a Rondel Cosworth BDE. To Alister Douglas-Osborn (West Hagley, Worcestershire) for 1974 and hillclimbed again, now with a 2.0 Hart Cosworth BDG. Retained by "ADO" for 1975 but modified by Pilbeam (as the 'R15') and raced with a 2.2-litre BDG, winning one British championship hillclimb and also two RAC sprint events at the end of the season. Modified further by Pilbeam for 1976 as the R22, and fitted with a F1 Cosworth DFV V8 engine. In this form it won six RAC British championship rounds in 1976, as well as winning the Guyson BARC series. Used again in this form in 1977, winning seven RAC rounds and both the RAC and BARC titles, but the car was written off in a crash at Doune in September. What was salvageable was used in the construction of a new Pilbeam MP22 for Malcolm Dungworth for 1978.
23. March 722 [29] (John Calvert): New to John Calvert (Seaham, County Durham), and raced in Formula Atlantic and libre racing in 1972. The car regularly wore #77, and was described as white or blue. Sold to Mike Mather (St Helens, Merseyside) and used by him, and once by brother Kim Mather, in Formula Atlantic and libre in early 1973. Sold to John Kitchen in mid-season, and used by him in sprints and hillclimbs in late 1973, 1974, 1975 and early 1976, using a BDA engine. Then to Peter Riley (Crosby, Liverpool), again for sprints and hillclimbs. At first it was said to have a Cosworth FVA engine, but it had a Richardson BDA in 1977. Riley was still using the 722 in speed events as late as 1984. According to speed event historian Steve Wilkinson, Riley retained the car, complete but dismantled, and stored in his garage. Riley died in 2011, and the car passed to Paul Gardner and Alan Newton, and Gardner started the restoration. When Newton died, the car was sold to Chris Simpson in 2014, but he did not use it. It went to Ashley Hodge in 2016, and then to Daniel Clayfield in 2017.

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 21 Sep 1972 pp30-32, Motoring News 21 Sep 1972 pp12,14..