Scottish Hill Climb Championship round

Doune, 19 Jun 1977

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. March 74P [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.
3. 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.
4. Brabham BT35X [23] (Peter Kaye): Unknown from 1971 to 1973. Bob Sunderland (Keighley, West Yorkshire) raced a Brabham BT35 in sprints and hillclimbs in 1974 that was later observed to be BT35-23. The car ran in the 1600cc class, but its engine was not identified that season. At some events, he shared it with Peter Kaye (Wetherby, West Yorkshire/Harrogate, N. Yorkshire), who had previously shared Sunderland's Lola T212 with him, and Kaye caused a shock by winning the 1600cc class in the BARC hillclimb at Cadwell Park in August. They continued to share the car in 1975, when it was entered as a BT35X and was fitted with a 1600cc Cosworth FVA. Kaye continued alone with the BT35X-FVA in 1976, and retained it for a further season in 1977, when it had been fitted with a BDA engine and was significantly more successful, winning its class regularly in the RAC British Hill Climb Championship. Subsequent history unknown but by 1991, the car was owned by John Harper, who offered it for sale in 1992 and 1993. By 1994 it was with Robert Brooks, and he sold it in 1998. To Terry Nightingale and raced in the 1600cc F2 class of HSCC racing in 1999 and 2000. History again unknown after this, but by 2019, the ex-Nightingale car was in Switzerland.
5. Surtees TS10 [01] (Richard Jones): New for Mike Hailwood to race as a works entry in the 1972 F2 series as a works Team Surtees entry. Hailwood won at Mantorp Park and Salzburgring in this car, and also finished second at Crystal Palace, Rouen, the Österreichring and Hockenheim in October to secure a deserved championship. He also won one race at Interlagos in November during the Torneio do Brasil, The car was not seen in 1973, but reappeared in 1974 with Richard Jones (Stroud, Gloucestershire) for hillclimbs. Raced regularly by Jones in 1975 and 1976 with a 2-litre Hart engine, and then in 1977 with a turbocharged Hart, although he soon returned to a regular engine. To Channel Islander Maurice Ogier for 1978, and used in the 1600cc class of French hillclimbs. Then to Dave Allen (Crewe, Cheshire), and raced in British Formula Atlantic in 1979. Next seen hillclimbed by Peter Bromage in the 1980s, then sold to Don Wood, and seen again shortly after when sold by dealer Straight Six to the US in 1991. Raced by Gil Nickel (Oakville, CA) in US historic events between 1994 and 2002. Nickel died in 2003, but the car has been retained by his family in the car collection at Nickel's Far Niente Winery in Oakville.
6. Brabham BT35 [44] (Jim Campbell): Husband-and-wife hillclimbers Gray and Agnes Mickel (Glasgow, Scotland) bought a new Brabham BT35 for hillclimbs in 1972. It was fitted with a Hart twin-cam and first appeared at the Kinkell Braes hill climb in March 1972. Retained by the Mickels for 1973 and used in British and Scottish championship hillclimbs, acquiring a Hart BDA engine some time during that year. The car was advertised by the Mickels in November 1973 and was bought by Jim Campbell (Bothwell, Scotland) 1974 who raced it until 1978. It was then used by Chris Dowson (Pershore, Worcestershire) in hillclimbs in 1979 and 1980. Fred Edwards (Warboys, Cambridgeshire) bought it in 1985 and used it in Monoposto and HSCC events until 1991 but it was then unused until bought by David Irwin (Evergreen, Colorado) in 2001. Irwin still had it in 2004. It was restored by J&L restorations and had moved to Don Roose (Bainbridge Island, Washington) by 2005. Advertised by Roose in 2007. Sold to Allen Nicholas (California) in December 2009 and used in west coast historic events. Sold by Nicholas to Peter McLaughlin (New Hampshire) in December 2014 but not raced. Sold to David Smoker (South Australia) in April 2016.

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 23 Jun 1977 p50, although this report was on the national results.