Scottish Hill Climb Championship round

Doune, 20 Jun 1976

Notes on the cars:

1. Pilbeam-Brabham R22 [BT38/28] (Alister Douglas-Osborn): 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.
2. McRae GM1 [012] (Roy Lane): See full history: McRae GM1/012.
3. Chevron B32 [32-75-01] (John Cussins): New to John Cussins (Leeds, West Yorkshire) with a 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8 for the British Hill Climb Championship in 1975 and 1976. Then to Noel le Tissier and Tom Coughlan in Guernsey for 1977 and 1978, and raced by Brian Redman in a bike versus car challenge on the Isle of Man in 1979. Then to Andy Sauvarin for Sprints in 1980, then unknown until owned by Roy Lane in 1984, and run in Sprints by Ken Ayers. To Chevron enthusiast Richard Budge (Retford, Notts) by 1990 and driven by Mike Wilds in historic events. To Richard Maurice Jones (Rhyl, North Wales) and was rebuilt in 2002 with a 5-litre Chevrolet V8. Then to Mike Wrigley (Ashbourne, Derbyshire), then to Hamish Paterson (Auckland, New Zealand) in 2008. Raced by Paterson in the Tasman Revival series in 2009, 2010 and 2011, after which it was stored for five years before being sold to Karl Zohs (Rotorua, New Zealand), who raced it in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The car was then for sale until Zohs' death in October 2021. In November 2021 it was sold to Alastair Chalmers (Hastings, New Zealand). More information about the Chevron B32
4. March 76A [1] (Chris Cramer): For Chris Cramer and fitted with 3.4-litre Cosworth-Ford GA V6 engine for British hill climbs. Cramer British Hill Climb Championship 1976, 1977, 1978 - Paul Edwards: British Sprint Championship 1979 (6 Run-Offs); updated to 78A specification: British Sprint Championship 1980 (5 Run-Offs) - Nigel Bigwood: British Sprint Championship 1981 (6 Run-Offs), 1982 (7 Run-Offs and one win at Lydden Hill in May 1982) - Tim and Tony Barry 1983: raced by Alan Kayes at Mallory Park libre 19 Jun 1983 (retired); Brands Hatch libre 14 Aug 1983 (2nd); run by Tony Barry at Brighton Speed Trials 10 Sep 1983 (3rd). Later run by Tony Barry at Mallory Park Sprint round 28 Jun 1986 (8th). Retained by the Barry brothers 2005 and raced by Tim in the HSCC Derek Bell Trophy. In December 2012, the car was nearing the end of what Tim called "a protracted rebuild including an extensively refreshed tub" and returned to racing in 2014.
5. Chevron B17 [17.70.08] (Alan Thomson): New to Ken Sedgley and raced in British F3 and libre racing in 1970, using Holbay engines. Retained for 1971 and converted to the new 1600cc F3, again with Holbay engines, but rarely seen. Sold to John Finch (Chesterfield) in July 1971 and used in F3 for the rest of the season. Updated to B17c specification and retained by Finch for 1972, now sharing with Graham Lynch, but did not actually race very often. Converted to Formula Atlantic specification for 1973 but used with more success in Formule Libre. Sold to Alan Thomson (Edinburgh, Scotland) in early 1974, still with its Holbay twin cam engine, and used in Scottish and northern English sprints and hillclimbs, winning the Scottish Hillclimb championship in 1975 and 1976. It was then sold to Russell Paterson (Glasgow, Scotland) for hillclimbs and sprints in Scotland in 1977 and then in libre races at Croft and Ingliston in 1978. It is reported to have been wrecked at some point. Later via dealer Bobby Howlings (Alderley Edge, Cheshire) to "M Wakefield-Brand" in 1978, then to David Pullen (Guildford, Surrey) in 1991. Raced by Pullen in HSCC Classic Racing Car Championship events in 2004. The car was made available by Pullen for a test by Alexander Sims in Autosport in February 2011. Later owner Jonathan Sharp reports that Pullen "sold the car to a lady for somebody to drive it at which time it was in a very poor state". Its next owner was John Pearson who "did one race at Brands Hatch before deciding single seaters weren't for him", and he sold it to Jim Blockley (Stroud, Gloucestershire) in 2015. Raced by Blockley in HSCC racing until sold by him to Jonathan Sharp (Alderley Edge, Cheshire) in September 2021 to use in the HSCC Historic F3 series plus selected events in Europe.
6. March 74B [7] (Martyn Griffiths): A lightweight car sold to Chris Cramer (Stroud, Gloucestershire), and fitted with a Cosworth BDG engine for British hillclimbs. Retained for 1975, when fitted with a 2.2-litre Hart 422R engine. Then to Martyn Griffiths (Arley, Worcestershire) for 1976, still with the same Hart engine. For 1977, Griffiths too the car to Mike Pilbeam, and he revamped it as the Pilbeam R28, although it still looked much like a 74B and was entered as a March "74P". He won five of the first eight rounds of the British series, and finished second overall. It was completely revamped again by Pilbeam for 1978, now dubbed the "Pilbeam G78", with new side panels, nose and rear wing, and Griffiths again won five rounds. To John Barratt (Garstang, Lancashire), who fitted a 1600cc Cosworth FVA and entered it as the Pilbeam R28. To Alan Newton (Clitheroe, Lancashire) in 1982, when it was described as a Pilbeam MP28, then to Martin Brockhouse (Leeds, West Yorkshire) to use in sprints in 1983. It then appears to have returned to Newton, and was raced by him in 1984 and 1985, but in either 1985 or 1986, Newton crashed it into a tree at Doune. The car was rebuilt by Newton using a set of plans provided by Mike Pilbeam, and was sold by him to Peter Varley in 1987. By this time the car was almost unrecognisable as a 74B, and Varley says there was little of the original car left. Varley later fitted a 2000cc Ford YB engine, and ran the car until he retired. It was then bought back by Alan Newton once again, and has been retained by his sons.
7. Brabham BT35 [6] (Rob Turnbull): New to Nick Cook and used in the British Formula Atlantic series in 1971. Retained for early 1972, but Cook does not appear in the UK after the end of April and this is probably the car taken to the USA to use in the SCCA series in 1972. Used by Rob Turnbull in British hillclimbs in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. Sold to Andrew Fraser (Newton Abbot, Devon), and shared by him and Tim Painter in Sprints in 1977. Retained by Fraser for 1978 and 1979, and appeared at Wiscombe Park events in 1980 and 1982. Then via David McLaughlin to Keith Norman about 1984 and used by him in HSCC events in the 1980s and 1990s. To Rob Haze (Netherlands) between 1992 and 1995, and then back to Norman again for Historic F2 in 1999. To John Dunham (Basingstoke, Hampshire) April 2001, then to Ben Tyler 2003, then Peter Shaw 2004, then Dr John Monson 2007.

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.