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BP (British) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Brands Hatch, 30 Sep 1973

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Atl unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 73B [8] (Colin Vandervell): Supplied new to Colin Vandervell for 1973 UK series – much of the provenance comes from Bryan Miller on behalf of the current owner in Australia. The chassis number was noted on Des Donnelly’s car by Adam Ferrington at John Player Atlantic round at Silverstone, July 19, 1975, so the car used by Donnelly throughout 1975 in Ireland. Then unknown to 1978, perhaps kept unraced by Donnelly, when it then appears at the hands of Ken Fildes in Irish races. Unknown again until early 1981, when it appears in Australia in the hands of Graham Brown.
2. March 73B [18] (Geoff Friswell): According to surviving March records, this was a F/Atlantic car built for Geoff Friswell and raced by him in the UK series through 1973 and 1974. It was then sold to Andy Barton as a libre car and upgraded to 74B and then 75B spec over the next two seasons, also acquiring a F2 BDG engine at times in 1976. Barton sold it to Bob Rollo for 1977, as an Atlantic again, and it then went to Stewart Robb during 1978 in F2 spec. The car was rebuilt on a "new" 752 tub after a crash in 1978 and then rebuilt to 782 spec by Robin Smith after the 1979 season. It was sold to Roger Andreason at Chevron around 1984.
3. Chevron B25 [25-73-18] (Jim Crawford): Chevron records show for Jim Crawford late in 1973 as a 'works development' B25 in Formula Atlantic, based on 'a spare F2 chassis' and running gear from Birrell’s car (Autosport and Motoring News). This might be treated as a rebuild of the ill-fated chassis 9 on a new tub. Sold to Richard Shardlow for hill-climbs (Autosport 11 Apr 1974 p46 'ex Crawford B25'), running with B27 bodywork and retained early 1975. For sale in Autosport 22 May and 3 July 1975 by Cheshire Sports Cars as 'ex Crawford, hillclimbs only this year'. French hillclimber René Triquet told James Murray that he remembered buying a B25 from Bob Howlings after the British GP meeting of 1975 which is almost certainly this car. Triquet used the car 1975-76. Subsequently through the hands of Klaus Fiedler and now claimed to be the ex-Birrell chassis 9.
4. March 73B [1] (Stephen Choularton): Stephen Choularton (Hale Barns, Cheshire) acquired the first production March 73B and raced it in libre events and in the British F/Atlantic series with support from Autovita Developments Ltd. His mechanic Jim Crawford also raced this car in a libre race that year. Choularton continued with the car in 1974 when it was driven by Crawford in one round, at Brands Hatch in September, after Crawford had damaged his usual car. Choularto retained the car, unused, until 1977 when it was sold to Paul Gardener and used in libre racing in 1977 and 1978. Subsequent history unknown.

Sources

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' orginal results.

The British race results have been compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Autosport and Motoring News reports in the UK plus the information supplied by a wide range of contributors on the Atlas F1 and 10 Tenths forums.

If you can help with any additions, clarifications or corrections, please respond via the threads shown on the Atlantics page.

Individual sources for this event

Autosport 4 Oct 1973 pp17-18, Motoring News, Programme [BP], Organisers' practice times AF, Organisers' results sheet AF

Race times and laps completed for positions 7 to 10 came from Autosprint 1-8 Oct 1973 p25.