Gran Premio del Mediterraneo

Enna-Pergusa, 26 Aug 1973

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 732 [6-2] (Jean-Pierre Jarier): STP March Engineering works car for Jean-Pierre Jarier, winning the two opening rounds at Mallory Park and Hockenheim, but then crashed at the third race at Thruxton in April. Rebuilt on a new tub and raced by Jacques Coulon at Nivelles-Baulers in June. Thereafter Jarier's regular car, winning at Rouen, Mantorp Park, Karlskoga, Enna-Pergusa and Estoril. This may be the March 732 that was later exhibited in the BMW Museum, which is exhibited wearing the #23 that Jarier used at Rouen. A visit by Motor Sport magazine in early 1975 (Motor Sport March 1975 p245) mentioned a 732 being on display, and the car has been spotted on subsequent occasions.
2. March 732 [4-2] (Vittorio Brambilla): Beta Racing Team for Vittorio Brambilla 1973 and used as his main car all season. Crashed at Monza in June and rebuilt on a new monocoque. Crashed again in practice at Vallalunga in October and may have been written off, leaving Vittorio to drive brother Tino's 732/5 at the last race. This car appears to have been repaired on a new monocoque and retained by the team as a spare in 1974. It would be the car raced by Diulio Truffo at Mugello and Alberto Colombo at Vallelunga. It remained with the Brambillas until 1977, when it passed to sponsor Daniele Ciceri of Beta Tools, and was placed on display at the Beta factory. It 1988, it passed to the Autorevival Italia Association, and was displayed in the Museum Autodromo Monza until 2000, when it was acquired by Guido Romani (Milan). It was sold to Hall and Hall (Bourne, Lincolnshire) in 2019 when it was found to be in remarkably original condition. Sold to Graham Adelman in 2019.
3. Surtees TS15 [12] (Jochen Mass): A new car for Jochen Mass as a Team Surtees FINA entry at Mantorp Park in July, replacing chassis TS15/03 which had been badly damaged at Monza. Then raced by Mike Hailwood at Karlskoga, by Mass at Enna, by Pace at Salzburgring, then by Mass again at Albi and Vallelunga. In that final race, Mass was running second in the final stages of Heat 1 when he understeered into one corner, slid across the grass and hit the Armco, wiping the suspension off one side of the car and "putting a huge dent in the monocoque".
4. Motul M1 [203] (Tim Schenken): The car raced by Tim Schenken for Motul Rondel in F2 in 1973, and believed to be the same car all season. Then sold via Fred Opert to Stutz Plaisted Racing, and raced for the team by Peter Symonds (Salem, MA). Symonds car in SCCA Formula B during 1974 was entered as a Cheetah, but when he appeared for the SCCA Formula B race that supported the US GP at Watkins Glen in October 1974, his car was given as a Rondel M1. The car was apparently owned by Plaisted's father, John Floyd Plaisted, and it was still in his possession when he died in February 1979. Many of his cars were sold at auction in December 1979, and the Rondel was bought by Bob Connearney (Andover, MA) and retained by him. It still has the Ford twin cam engine it would have used in Formula B in 1974. Robert Connearney passed away in June 2020, and his collection of cars was offered for sale by Clarke Taylor at Historic Motor Sports (Candia, NH). The unrestored and heavily corroded Rondel was on display at a a VSCCA event at Lime Rock in July 2020, still in its Stutz Plaisted Racing livery, and still wearing its original 203 chassis plate.
5. Motul M1 [207] (Bob Wollek): The car raced by Bob Wolleck for Motul Rondel in F2 in 1973, and believed to be the same car all season. Like most of the team's cars, this went to Fred Opert for 1974 to be converted for use in SCCA Formula B and Canadian Formula Atlantic. Assuming Wolleck used the same car all season, this would then be "ex-Wolleck" car that Seb Barone (Portland, CT/Middletown, CT/Dilliner, PA) remembers buying for 1974. After a season in the Canadian Formula Atlantic series, Barone traded it back to Opert for his 1975 Chevron B29. According to Cy Morland, who owned chassis 207 from 1998 to 2008, the car was owned after Barone by John Stowe in New England for an extended period, so would be the Rondel raced by Stowe in New England Region SCCA Regionals in 1976. Morland had the tub completely rebuilt by Marc Bahner, and then sold the car back to England. Subsequent history unknown.
6. March 732 [11] (Bill Gubelmann): New to Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) for F2 in 1973 and retained for 1974 when run by Brian Lewis Racing. Clay Regazzoni was due to drive the car at Vallelunga in October, but did not arrive, so a deal was done for Gabrielle Serblin to drive after he damaged his usual 742 in practice. Not seen in 1975, when the intention had been to sell the car to Stuart Chubb Racing, but Gubelmann returned for the 1976 Shellsport G8 series with the car updated to 752 specification, fitted with a Hart BDG, and run by Bob Gerard. Gubelmann also appeared in a handful of F2 races in 1976, but after failing to qualify for the Rouen race, quickly moved to Mallory Park in time to qualify for the Shellsport race. He was involved in a nasty accident in the race when he clipped the rear of Mike Wilds' F1 Shadow, rode up over its back wheel and hit the bank at the Esses very hard. He was taken to hospital with head injuries. The March is believed to have been destroyed.
7. Brabham BT40 [36] (Gabriele Serblin): Run by Motor Racing Developments as a second works car in Formula 2 in 1973, driven at first by Andrea de Adamich, and entered by FINA Racing Team. Raced later in the season by Gabriele Serblin and Rolf Stommelen. Sold to Tom O'Leary (Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland) for Irish Formula Atlantic in 1974. Retained by O'Leary for 1975, 1976 and 1977, then acquired by Gerry Kinnane in part-exchange for a Chevron B29 sold to O'Leary, and entered for John Ledlie, Ivor Greenwood and Derek Shortall in 1978. Next seen with Chris Charlett in Trinidad in 1981 and 1982. Returned to the UK by 2001, when it was restored by Cooper Motorsports and raced by Steve Parrott in the HSCC Derek Bell Trophy. Sold to Tim Kuchel (Australia) in 2006 and raced in Australian historic racing. Kuchel died in December 2019, and the car was sold by his family to Wayne Groeger (Fairhaven, Victoria, Australia) in December 2020.
8. Brabham BT40 [19] (Spartaco Dini): New to Vittorio Venturi in Italy, who raced it in European hillclimbs in 1973, and in one F2 race in Italy that season. It ran in Marlboro livery, and was identified as chassis 19 by Motoring News when it appeared at Misano in July. It then reappeared for two more F2 races driven by Spartaco Dini and entered by Scuderia Nettuno, and Autosport noted at the time that it was the car bought for Venturi to do European hillclimbs. This then appears to be the car driven by "Shangri-Là" (Romano Martini) in the F2 at Mugello in July 1974. It is then unknown until BT40/19 appears in the hands of a Sicilian hillclimber who used the pseudonym "King", who also had a March 75S with BMW engine, and used the engine in the BT40. "King" was entered for the Enna-Pergusa F2 race in 1976, but it is unclear whether he arrived for practice. Some years later, the car was used by "King" as security on a loan, and after he died, it therefore changed hands. It was offered for sale in 2017, missing not just engine and gearbox, but other parts which were loaned out and then disappeared. The "BT40/19" plate was still on the car, and appeared to be genuine.
9. Surtees TS10 [07] (Silvio Moser): 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.
10. GRD 273 [071-F2] (Jo Vonlanthen): Jon Vonlanthen (Frauenfeld, Switzerland) moved up to F2 in 1973 with a new GRD 273. He raced the car in the European series and in the Swiss Championship, using Alan Smith and David Wood BDA engines. For 1974, the car was sold to Jurg Dubler (Oberhasli, Switzerland) but other commitments meant that he did not race it until October. He continued with the car in French hillclimbs in 1975, appearing at Saint-Pierre in April, Turckheim-Trois-Epis in June and Poissons in August. Otto Stuppacher also drove Dubler's GRD at the Bergrennen Bad Mühllacken in 1975 and 1976. Many years later, this car was fully restored with Marc Widmer (Eiken, Switzerland) in 2014.
11. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3672] (Jean-Pierre Jabouille): New in mid-1973, for Elf Coombs Racing team leader Jean-Pierre Jabouille to drive in F2. Raced with Cosworth BDG and Hart alloy-block BDA engines. Retained for 1974, fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine and assigned to Michel Leclère for that season, but probably the car raced by Alain Cudini at Hockenheim. Two effectively new cars were built for 1975 consuming two of A367s, this car becoming chassis 7501.
12. Brabham BT40 [12] (Wilson Fittipaldi): Run by Motor Racing Developments as a works car in Formula 2 in 1973, fitted with a 2-litre David Wood BDA raced at first by John Watson at Mallory Park in March, but after he was injured in a F1 Brabham BT42 at the Race of Champions a week later, the BT40 was taken over by Wilson Fittipaldi. A Schnitzer BMW engine was tried in the car at Rouen in June, but the car had its Wood engine again when Fittipaldi won a non championship race at Misano in July. Sold to Eugenio Baturone for Spanish hillclimbs in 1974, still with its 2-litre Wood BDA engine. Retained by Baturone for three more seasons, then sold to José Canela Ballesteros, who raced it in hillclimbs in 1979. Acquired by an Italian lawyer who owned it for many years. Bought by Giulio Vezzoli (Brescia, Italy) in December 2018.
13. Surtees TS15 [02] (Carlos Pace): New for Jochen Mass as a works FINA Team Surtees entry for the first two races of the 1973 F2 season. Then driven by Carlos Pace at Thruxton in April. Then used as a third works entry for Torsten Palm at Kinnekullering in May, and then later for Palm again at Mantorp Park and Karlskoga in July and August. Then this was reported to be the car raced by Pace at Enna two weeks later, but as this was also said to be a "development F5000 chassis", that may have been a newer car travelling on the carnet of 02. The Enna car had a streamlined body with side wings, and enclosed rear section and revised bodywork, but the Italian scrutineers declared the body illegal, and it had to be converted to normal specification. When Pace later went off into the barrier, the new suspension also had to be replaced before the race. This car was not seen again, so it could be one of the cars that went to Japan, or the car that was destroyed over the winter in a transporter fire.
14. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3670] (Patrick Depailler): Entered as an "ELF 2", but built by Alpine and designated the A367. Chassis 3670 was built for the 1972 F2 season, when it was raced by Patrick Depailler and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. This is apparently the same car that was updated for 1973 and became Depailler's regular car that season. Substantially redesigned by Andre de Cortanze for 1974, and fitted with a Schnitzer BMW as a fourth team car for Alain Serpaggi and others to race. According to reports, this car started to be converted to 1975 specification, but was unfinished. In 1999, this car was reported to be owned by Thierry Gay (Lyons), and Gerard Gamand reported on Autodiva that the car had been reconstructed using a new chassis fabricated by Gilles and Vincent Duqueine. In 2015, Fred Marquet's HTT Motorsport was restoring this car to its 1974 Serpaggi specification. It was first seen at Albi in June 2016.
15. Surtees TS15 [09] (Mike Hailwood): A brand new car prepared for Mike Hailwood to drive at Thruxton in April 1973, the third round of the 1973 F2 series, but after Hailwood was disqualified from the heart, the new car was driven by teammate Jochen Mass in the final. Then driven by Derek Bell at the Nürburgring as Hailwood was at the Spanish Grand Prix. Driven by Willy Braillard as a works entry at Nivelles-Baulers, then for Bell at Hockenheim, then for José Dolhem at Rouen where he crashed in practice and did not start, and then for Bell again at Monza a week later. Hailwood then drove this car at Enna in August, then Dolhem at Albi, and it was presumably the unused spare at Vallelunga. This car was not seen again, so it could be one of the cars that went to Japan, or the car that was destroyed over the winter in a transporter fire.
16. Motul M1 [206] (Henri Pescarolo): The car raced by Henri Pescarolo for Motul Rondel in F2 in 1973, and believed to be the same car all season. Also raced by Tim Schenken at Pau, Kinnekulle Ring and Rouen. This car was fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine for the last two races of the season. Then believed to have been sold via Fred Opert to the US so this may be the car wearing Pescarolo bodywork that was sold to Alistair Justason (Toronto, Ontario) in 1974, then Bob Beyea in 1975. Chassis 206 was later bought from Opert by Randy Zimmer as a source of spares for his Can Am car. Still with Zimmer in 2010, but by July 2011, it had been sold to Richard Parkin and Martin Walker in the UK. From them, it later went to Martin Donn, still unrestored, and then to Steve Worrad (Whitchurch, Shropshire) in January 2019.
17. GRD 273 (Hiroshi Kazato): A "brand new" GRD 273 built in time for the Mantorp Park race in August 1973 and fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine for Hiroshi Kazato, entered by GRS International. The car was then an unused spare at Karlskoga as no engine was available, after which Kazato drove the car at Enna and Albi. Subsequent history unknown but two "ex-Kazato" GRD 273s are known later, one run by Alan Clennell in hillclimbs and one on display in Japan. One of these will be chassis 054, but the other is likely to be this ex-BMW car.
18. March 712M [4] (Ettore Ricci): New to Frank Williams Racing, and raced in F2 in 1971 by Henri Pescarolo, Andrea de Adamich, and "Jean Max", who crashed heavily at Rouen in June. Suggestions that the car was replaced by a new car, 712M/25, after that accident appear to be unfounded. Used by Pescarolo for the remainder of the 1971 European season. At the Torneio Brasiliero, it was raced by Pescarolo in the first two races, then by Carlos Pace at Porte Allegre, and by local driver Nestor Garcia Veiga at Cordoba. This is almost certainly the "ex-Pescarolo" March sold to Tino Brambilla for 1972, and raced by brother Vittorio at several F2 events, using an 1800cc Novamotor BDA. According to later owner Fabio Montani, this is the car that went to Ettore Ricci and Scuderia Nettuno for 1973. A few modifications were made to the car, including fitting a 2-litre Armoroli BDA engine and a Hewland FG400 gearbox to replace the original FT200, and it was entered as a Somalita, but all the race reports, including Autosprint's, simply called it a March 712M. The last time the car was seen in F2 was at Vallelunga in October, when Fernando Spreafico drove it, but the Armoroli BDA engine broke on the warm-up lap. The car was then bought by Adriano Parlamento (Turin), so this would be the March "732" that Parlamento used in hillclimbs from 1974 onwards. Parlamento last raced it in 1979, and after a season racing small saloons, he acquired a March 75S sports car for the 1981 season. The March 712M/732 was acquired by Fabio Montani (Milan) and restored. It is hoped that photographs were taken of the car in Parlamento's distinctive bodywork to prove the identity of this car. It was advertised by Montani in December 1994, when it was said to have new skins and suspension, and a Richardson BDA engine, but with the old parts available.
19. March 732 [10] (Jean-Pierre Jarier): STP March Engineering works car for Jean-Pierre Beltoise at Hockenheim and later by Jean-Pierre Jarier at two races. Probably the car used by Jacques Coulon at Hockenheim, by Beltoise at Albi and by Stuck at Estoril. To Brian Lewis Racing for 1974 and updated to 742 spec for Andy Sutcliffe as '742-10b', then run for hire drivers later in the year. To Roger Heavens for Antônio Castro Prado for F2 in the latter part of 1975, then sold via Hervé Le Guellec to Jimmy Mieusset as a backup car for French hillclimbing at the start of the 1976 season. Also used by Roger Rivoire in May 1976, and then sold to Jean-Pierre Simon in June 1976. Retained by Simon for 1977, still with its BMW engine. Unknown in 1978, when it could have been the 742-BMW of, for example, Robert Despratx in southwest France. Then to Maurice Crozier and raced in 1979 and 1980 with a 1600cc Ford engine. Advertised by Crozier with or without its 1600cc Cosworth FVA engine in November 1980. It was next seen with Michel Goutarel, who raced it in courses de côte in the Lyon area in 1981 and 1982. Goutarel appears to have kept this car for some time, as he is noted as the winner of the Course de côte régionale de Vals-prés-Le-Puy in September 1986.
20. GRD 273 [076-F2] (Hiroshi Kazato): Raced by Tetsu Ikuzawa in F2 in 1973, entered by GRD's racing offshoot GRS International. When Ikuzawa had returned to Japan in August, the car was used briefly in practice by Hiroshi Kazato in practice at Enna and was then taken over by GRS teammate Brendan McInerney whose own car had been wrecked at Karlskoga. Revamped in DART colours for Noritake Takahara to race at Estoril at the end of the season. Subsequent history unknown.
21. March 732 [5] (Vittorio Brambilla): Beta Racing Team for Tino Brambilla 1973 but crashed at Nivelles-Baulers in June. Repaired and then used as a spare car by brother Vittorio. Subsequent history unknown.
22. March 732 [1?] (TBA): STP March Engineering works car for Jean-Pierre Beltoise at the first race, then for Hans-Joachim Stuck at two races and then for Jean-Pierre Jarier at two races. A new car, 732-10, was later built for Beltoise so this 732-1 became what March called the "training car" and was used by Stuck later in the year and was then the third spare car remaining in March's transporter at several races. Probably for Mário Cabral at Estoril. Then unknown until June 1975 when acquired by John Calvert for libre racing in 742 spec. To Geoff Friswell mid-1976, rebuilt for him by Brian Lisles and fitted with a Hart 420R engine, but wrecked in practice at Oulton Park in September. Rebuilt on a 742 chassis and raced in two late-season events. Later to Jonathan Buncombe who fitted an FVC engine for libre races. Sold to Roger Orgee and further modified to 772P specification for Formula Atlantic in 1979. Sold after the 1979 season to Harry Vickers' Cowgate Motors in Newcastle and was used in the construction of their Group 5 Lotus Elan HV/80/S2 for Nicky Ellis. This car used a standard Elan backbone chassis with the suspension from the ex-Orgee 732/742/772 and a Swindon BDX. All that would have been left of Orgee's car would have been the monocoque, and as this was a replacement 742 tub, the March 732 had effectively ceased to exist.

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

Autocourse 1973-74; Autosport 30 Aug 1973 pp8-9,11. Tino Brambilla had stopped racing, so brother Vittorio had two cars at his disposal, his usual 732/4 with works BMW engine and his brother's 732/5 with Schnitzer engine. Vittorio set a slightly quicker time in the Schnitzer car but elected to race his usual car, so his grid position was one place lower.