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BP British Formula 3 Championship Race

Brands Hatch, 29 May 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Stephen South March 763 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Team BP (see note 1)
20 15m 07.0s
2 Derek Daly Chevron B38 [38.77.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Derek MacMahon Racing
20 15m 09.0s
3 Eje Elgh Chevron B38 [38.77.10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Chevron Racing Team
20 15m 15.8s
4 Geoff Lees Chevron B38 [38.77.09] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Chevron Racing Team (see note 2)
20 15m 16.0s
5 Derek Warwick Chevron B38 [38.77.05] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Warwick Trailers
20 15m 17.6s
6 Thorkild Thyrring Chevron B38 [38.77.18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Marlboro Jockey Todenskjold (see note 3)
20 15m 38.6s
7 Ian Taylor March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4
Unipart Racing Team (see note 4)
20 15m 39.6s
8 Tiff Needell March 773 [763-9] - Triumph Dolomite 4
Unipart Racing Team (see note 5)
20 15m 42.0s
9 Mario Pati March 773 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Automovel Club Paulista
20 15m 42.6s
10 Ian Ashley Lola T570 [HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Lola Cars
20 15m 45.2s
11 Ian Flux Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Ockley Team Racing Ltd

13 Geoff Brabham Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Brabham Racing Organisation (see note 6)

UNK Patrick Gaillard Chevron B38 [37.77.21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 7)

UNK James King March 773 [U2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
March Racing Ltd (see note 8)

UNK Ian Grob Chevron B38 [38.77.19] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Alan Docking Racing (see note 9)

UNK Paul Bernasconi Ralt RT1/76 [22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor

UNK Chris Farrell Chevron B38 [38.77.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 10)

UNK Giordano Regazzoni March 753 [U22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Alan Docking Racing (see note 11)

UNK Aryon Cornelsen Filho March 773 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
March Racing Ltd (see note 12)

UNK George Aposkitis Lola T570 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor

DNSF Richard Jones March 753 [743-24] - Triumph Dolomite 4
Did not start final
DNSP Brett Riley March 773 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
AFMP Euroracing (see note 13)
Did not start (retired on parade lap)

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Heat 1 Laps Time Speed
1Eje Elgh100.07.44.093.38 mph
2Geoff Brabham0.07.44.4
3Derek Warwick0.07.44.8
4Patrick Gaillard0.07.52.4
5Ian Taylor0.07.54.8
6James King0.07.55.4
7Giordano Regazzoni
8Ian Flux
9Ian Ashley
10Mario Pati
Richard JonesCollision with Regazzoni
Heat 2 Laps Time Speed
1Stephen South100.07.40.694.07 mph
2Derek Daly0.07.42.0
3Geoff Lees0.07.44.6
4Thorkild Thyrring0.07.48.0
5Ian Grob0.07.55.4
6Tiff Needell0.07.56.4
7Paul Bernasconi
8Chris Farrell
9Aryon Cornelsen Filho
10George Aposkitis
Brett RileyDid not start (Fuel pump)
Qualifying
1 Stephen South (F3) 2-litre March 763 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.40.6
2 Derek Daly (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.42.0
3 Eje Elgh (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.44.0
4 Geoff Brabham (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.44.4
5 Geoff Lees (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.09] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.44.6
6 Derek Warwick (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.05] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.44.8
7 Thorkild Thyrring (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.48.0
8 Patrick Gaillard (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [37.77.21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.52.4
9 Ian Taylor (F3) 2-litre March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4 0.07.54.8
10 James King (F3) 2-litre March 773 [U2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.55.4
11 Ian Grob (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.19] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.07.55.4
12 Tiff Needell (F3) 2-litre March 773 [763-9] - Triumph Dolomite 4 0.07.56.4
13 Paul Bernasconi (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
14 Chris Farrell (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
15 Giordano Regazzoni (F3) 2-litre March 753 [U22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
16 Ian Flux (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
17 Ian Ashley (F3) 2-litre Lola T570 [HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
18 Mario Pati (F3) 2-litre March 773 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
19 Aryon Cornelsen Filho (F3) 2-litre March 773 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
20 George Aposkitis (F3) 2-litre Lola T570 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 763 [13] (Stephen South): March build records show sold to John Stokes, 19 May 1976. Run by Stokes for Stephen South from mid 1976, until wrecked in an accident with Derek Daly in the 1977 British GP support race and scrapped. Some parts used in the construction of 773-T1, South's replacement car.
  2. Chevron B38 [38.77.09] (Geoff Lees): To Chevron Racing Team for Geoff Lees to race in British F3 in 1977. Rebuilt on new monocoque 38-77-31 in time for Thruxton in June, where it was described as a brand new. Unknown after 1977 but may have gone to Japan where Koichi Sakamoto raced a Chevron B38 for most of 1978.
  3. Chevron B38 [38.77.18] (Thorkild Thyrring): New to Chevron Racing Team for Thorkild Thyrring to race in British F3 in 1977, entered by Marlboro Jockey Todenskjold. Borrowed by Jim Crawford for a race at Mallory Park in September, and by Divina Galica for a race at Thruxton. Raced by Crawford again at the start of 1978 but wrecked in an accident at Thruxton at the end of March. Salageable parts were used in a new Chevron B43.
  4. March 773 [3] (Ian Taylor): March build records show sold to Unipart, 23 December 1976. Only one 773 is consigned to Unipart in the build records. Assumed that Taylor as senior driver would take the new car, a fact borne out by occasional references in 1977 to Needell being in a 763, the team's original car.
  5. March 773 [763-9] (Tiff Needell): Shown in March records as sold to Tony Dron 12.1.76. This was the solitary Unipart car in 1976. Although Unipart ran two cars in 1977, they only bought one new car, converting the older car for Needell, the junior driver in the team. Some results credit Needell's car as being a 763.
  6. Ralt RT1/76 [29] (Geoff Brabham): Ralt records show as sold to Geoff Brabham in 1976, probably being delivered in early June. Used by him until the end of 1978 then sold to Ken Thorogood's Hub of the Universe Racing for Osamu Hatagawa to use in British races.
  7. Chevron B38 [37.77.21] (Patrick Gaillard): New to Patrick Gaillard for British F3 in 1977. Sold to Jean-Louis Schlesser for European F3 in 1978, and run by him for KWS Motorsport. Sold to Bernard Birbés for French F3 and French hillclimbs (using a 1600cc Toyota engine) in 1979. To André Argeliès and run in French hillclimbs with a 1300cc Ford engine in 1981 and 1982. By 1987, this car had returned to England as was being raced in TF3 by Ian Jacobs.
  8. March 773 [U2] (James King): March works records show this as James King's works car for 1977 built on a lightweight tub AM773-41 with parts from 763-U2. This would be the "ex-King" car sold to Ian Flux early in 1978, and raced by him in the 1978 British F3 series.
  9. Chevron B38 [38.77.19] (Ian Grob): New to Alan Docking Racing for Ian Grob to race in British F3 in 1977, entered by KVG Racing. Retained by the Docking team for 1978, and probably the car driven by Huub Rothengatter in the last few months of the season. Unknown after 1979 until it reappeared with Jim Yardley in 1984. Later with David Proctor in 1987.
  10. Chevron B38 [38.77.02] (Chris Farrell): New to Chris Farrell for British F3 in 1977. To Barry Green for 1979, and run for him in British F3 by Fred Opert Racing. Last used by Green in July 1978, and then unknown until seen with Mike Brown in Sprints in 1984 …
  11. March 753 [U22] (Giordano Regazzoni): According to the March build records constructed in 1975 from discarded parts of works cars 753-U1 and 763-U1 for Giordano ‘Dodo’ Regazzoni. Probably used by the works drivers Nilsson and Ribeiro at Cadwell Park and the British GP support race in July 1975, with this car built as temporary replacement for Nilsson’s 753-U1 rolled at the Monza Lotteria in late June. Retained by Regazzoni into 1978. Motoring News 16 Mar 1978 p7 comments that Regazzoni is still using last year’s car.
  12. March 773 [13] (Aryon Cornelsen Filho): Shown in March records as a works car finished February 1977, on tub AM773-28 for Ayron Cornelson Filho. Also used by David Kennedy in 1977. Sold to John Bright in March 1978 to cover for his damaged Wheatcroft. Damaged badly by Bright and rebuilt on new tub in August. Retained by Bright in 1979 until wrecked at Snetterton.
  13. March 773 [10] (Brett Riley): According to March records delivered in March 1977 to AFMP Euroracing, and subsequently given to Brett Riley in lieu of his contractual payments when the Euroracing set-up was dissolved. (This does not mean the car was Riley’s early season car in 1977; he used at least two before the team collapsed, neither of which were necessarily this car.) Run by David Price for Riley in the second half of 1977 and used to win the European round at Donington. Chassis number given in Autosport advert late in 1977 by Price. Sold to Roy Kennedy [Motoring News 2 Mar 1978 p15] although Autosport 9 Mar 1978 p41 says the car is ‘ex James King’. (King used a works car - 773-U2 - for most of 1977 but it is possible he had a race in this car early in the season, however his principal car went in 1978 to Ian Flux.) Run by Kennedy for Saed Ali Hodzic until Hodzic was injured in practice at the International Trophy support race; then became a rental car but did very few races. For sale by Kennedy in early 1979, Autosport 22 Feb 1979 p57, but retained and rented to Serge Saulnier for the 1979 race at Monaco.

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.

These British Formula 3 results have been compiled by Chris Townsend using the main British magazines Autosport and Motoring News but also the US magazine On Track which carried surprisingly good coverage of the British series.

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.