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Norisring Trophy

Norisring, 9 Sep 1973

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Tim Schenken Motul M1 [203] - Ford BDA Racing Services alloy
#16 Motul Rondel Racing (see note 1)
120 1h 46m 40.9s
96.46 mph
2 Tom Pryce Motul M1 [208] - Cosworth FVD Smith
#20 Motul Rondel Racing (see note 2)
120
3 Henri Pescarolo Motul M1 [206] - BMW Schnitzer 20-4
#17 Motul Rondel Racing (see note 3)
116
4 Gunnar Nilsson GRD 273 [062-F2] - Cosworth FVD Smith
#21 Team Pierre Robert (see note 4)
112
5 Bob Wollek Motul M1 [207] - Ford BDG
#18 Motul Rondel Racing (see note 5)
112
6 Brendan McInerney GRD 273 [076-F2] - Ford BDG
#25 GRS International (see note 6)
99
7 Motoharu Kurosawa March 732 [8] - BMW M12/6
#4 Brian Lewis Racing (see note 7)
93
8 Hans-Joachim Stuck March 732 [1] - BMW M12/6
#2 STP March Engineering (see note 8)
74
9 Silvio Moser Surtees TS10 [07] - Ford BDG
#12 Silvio Moser Racing Team (see note 9)
73
10 Jean-Pierre Jarier March 732 [6-2] - BMW M12/6
#1 STP March Engineering (see note 10)
70
NC Sten Gunnarson GRD 273 [061-F2] - Ford BDA Sportscar
#22 Team Pierre Robert (see note 11)
69
NC Bill Gubelmann March 732 [11] - BMW M12/6
#6 Bill Gubelmann (see note 12)
58
NC Jacques Coulon March 732 [7] - BMW M12/6
#3 Brian Lewis Racing (see note 13)
46
NC Jo Vonlanthen GRD 273 [071-F2] - Ford BDG
#27 Jo Vonlanthen Racing Team (see note 14)
26
NC Roland Binder March 732 [17] - BMW M12/6
#32 Roland Binder (see note 15)
16

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Jean-Pierre Jarier (F2) 2-litre March 732 [6-2] - BMW M12/6
2 Jacques Coulon (F2) 2-litre March 732 [7] - BMW M12/6
3 Bill Gubelmann (F2) 2-litre March 732 [11] - BMW M12/6
4 Hans-Joachim Stuck (F2) 2-litre March 732 [1] - BMW M12/6
5 Tom Pryce (F2) 2-litre Motul M1 [208] - Cosworth FVD Smith
6 Roland Binder (F2) 2-litre March 732 [17] - BMW M12/6
7 Bob Wollek (F2) 2-litre Motul M1 [207] - Ford BDG
8 Tim Schenken (F2) 2-litre Motul M1 [203] - Ford BDA Racing Services alloy
9 Motoharu Kurosawa (F2) 2-litre March 732 [8] - BMW M12/6
10 Sten Gunnarson (F2) 2-litre GRD 273 [061-F2] - Ford BDA Sportscar
11 Henri Pescarolo (F2) 2-litre Motul M1 [206] - BMW Schnitzer 20-4
12 Silvio Moser (F2) 2-litre Surtees TS10 [07] - Ford BDG
13 Brendan McInerney (F2) 2-litre GRD 273 [076-F2] - Ford BDG
14 Jo Vonlanthen (F2) 2-litre GRD 273 [071-F2] - Ford BDG
15 Gunnar Nilsson (F2) 2-litre GRD 273 [062-F2] - Cosworth FVD Smith

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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.
  2. Motul M1 [208] (Tom Pryce): New for Tom Pryce at Mantorp Park F2 in July 1973, and at three more F2 races that season. Believed to be the car raced by Chris Meek in a formule libre race at Croft in October 1973. Sold via Fred Opert to Roger Seacrist (Chicago, IL) for SCCA Formula B and Canadian Formula Atlantic in 1974. Retained for SCCA Nationals in 1975, when he finished third in a strong field at Blackhawk Farms in August and scored five points in Central Division FB. Advertised in Autoweek in March 1976 from an address in central Chicago, quoting the chassis number. In 2011, this car was reported to be "currently resting in rural Illinois".
  3. 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.
  4. GRD 273 [062-F2] (Gunnar Nilsson): Sold to Picko Troberg's Team Pierre Robert and identified by Autosport at Kinnekulle in May 1973 as the car driven on that occasion by Reine Wisell. Presumed to be his car at all races in 1973 except at Hockenheim in April where he drove the spare and at the Nürburgring where he drove 063. Also presumed to be the BDA-powered car used by Mikka Arpiainen for two races in 1974. The car then sat in a museum in Sweden until it was acquired as part of a package of five or six by Chris Halford in 1999. He sold it to Andrew Butcher, a Brit then living in Germany in 2000, and he sold it on to Jonny Dimsdale in 2006. Dimsdale restored the car for historic racing with a Gathercole BDG and advertised it in late 2014. In early 2019, it was sold to Glenn Eagling who raced it at Silverstone in May 2019.
  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. GRD 273 [076-F2] (Brendan McInerney): 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.
  7. March 732 [8] (Motoharu Kurosawa): For Colin Vandervell, run by Brian Lewis Racing. Vandervell became disillusioned with F2 and the car was rented out to other drivers, notably Motoharu Kurosawa. Unknown after 1973 but there are no unexplained 732s in Japan to suggest Kurosawa took it home. This could be the unexplained 732 of Jean Lapierre in French hillclimbs in 1974.
  8. March 732 [1] (Hans-Joachim Stuck): 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.
  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. 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.
  11. GRD 273 [061-F2] (Sten Gunnarson): Sold to Picko Troberg's Team Pierre Robert and identified by Autosport at Kinnekulle in May 1973 as the regular car of Sten Gunnarson. Presumed to be his car at all races in 1973. In October 1974, Pierre Robert Racing Team advertised chassis 061 as a rolling chassis updated to 1974 specification, together with two BMW F2 engines and a racing transporter. Subsequent history unknown.
  12. 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.
  13. March 732 [7] (Jacques Coulon): Ecurie Filipinetti for Jacques Coulon with Antar sponsorship, completed on the Saturday morning of the opening Mallory race, but did not start. Transferred to Brian Lewis Racing after Georges Filipinetti's death in May. To Gérard Pillon (Geneva, Switzerland) 1974 and used in Swiss national events. In 1977, Pillon loaned it to his fellow Genevois Laurent Ferrier for the European F2 races at Hockenheim and Vallelunga, but Ferrier could not qualify the old car for either race. Pillon then appeared at three F2 events in 1978 in a March-BMW variously described as a 762 or a 782, and it is possible that this was the old 732 again. The 732 was next seen in 1979, driven by Ami Guichard, son of the Automobile Year editor of the same name, in French hillclimbs. After driving Pillon's new 782 in 1978, Guichard returned to the 732 and was still racing the car in Swiss championship events in 1988, when it was described as being largely original. The car remained with Pillon thereafter, and was still in Switzerland in 2015.
  14. 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.
  15. March 732 [17] (Roland Binder): Bought brand new by Roland Binder (Esslingen, Germany) late in the 1973 season and raced by him through the 1974 and 1975 seasons. Replaced for 1976 by a Lola T450.

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.