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John Player (British) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Oulton Park, 5 May 1974

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

Notes on the cars:

1. March 74B [1] (Ted Wentz): Shown on what is probably an incomplete copy of the March 74B build records made by Gordon Spice Racing as “Planer, White, 2-Nov-73”. Planer was the holding company for the Wella brand, the hair products manufacturer, and the car was presented as a special prize, with Wella sponsorship, to Ted Wentz for winning the 1973 Wella Formula Ford championship. Wentz’s car is later described by MN as ‘the first customer 74B’. Used by Wentz throughout 1974. Sold to Alan Crocker for the British Formula Atlantic series in 1975 and 76. Chassis number observed on Alan Crocker’s car by Dave McKinney at Baypark, 2 Jan 1977, described in NZMA as ex Wentz, and similarly in MN, 10 Feb 77. Sold to Ken Smith and rented by him to Ken Sager. To Robbie Booth for 1979. Entered by Robbie Hislop in some races for the 1981-82 Gold Star series but did not appear. Sold to Tony Batchelor who used the car in the 1982 – 83 international series.
2. Chevron B25 [25-73-04] (David Morgan): Sold to Ed Reeves in spring 1973 for Dave Morgan to use in the 1973 European F2 championship. Retained 1974 and used in the British Atlantic championship, run by Harry Stiller. Sold to David Peck (Autosport 2 Jan 75 p3) but seemingly not used. James Murray, whose research on B25s has been invaluable, was advised by David Lambe that his car in 1978 was ex Morgan. Therefore seemingly sold by Peck to Derek Shortall. Former clubmans driver Shortall appears at round one of the 1976 Irish series on 17 Mar 1976 with a B25 backed by Vista Blinds, his long time sponsors. The car is often described as a B25/27 or even as a B27 from early in Shortall’s use. This suggests that the car was bought updated, and perhaps is a pointer towards it having been the ex Morgan car, unused by Peck in 1975, which had undergone significant modification in the 1974 season. Motoring News (MN) 24 Feb 1977 p15 reports this car sold to Dermot O’Leary and Eddie Regan for 1977 Irish season. David Lambe is said to have the ex Shortall car MN 23 Mar 1978 p15 and keeps it in 1979. For sale by Lambe Autosport 1 Nov 1979 p65 with Swindon BDA.
3. 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.
4. March 73B (John Gillmeister): John Gillmeister had a red and white March 73B for the 1974 season but appears only rarely and sells the car mid-season to Gil Nickel Racing for Wes Dawn to drive. Its origins are unknown and it's possible it was not a 73B but was one of the 722s upgraded to 73B spec for 1973 such as Ken Bailey's 722-39. It can be traced to the US and now carries the chassis plate 742-14 but it's not at all clear how it would have come by that identity.
5. Chevron B27 [27-74-08] (Héctor Rebaque): Chassis 08 was intended as an Opert team car for Bertil Roos and Hector Rebaque in British Formula Atlantic races then used as a hire car. With Dick Hayes (Newport Beach, CA) in 1975.
6. 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.
7. Royale RP20 [1] (Tony Trimmer): Planned for Manfred Schurti to race in F2 in 1973 but not completed. After 1973, it was built up as a F/Atlantic car and raced once by Tony Timmer in the British championship before being sold to Ron Swartz in the US for use in SCCA Formula B. In 1988, it was raced in the ECAR F/Atlantic event supporting the St Petersburg Grand Prix by Shelly Marrs (Sebring, FL) but by 1997 was being raced by Andy Gilberg in US vintage racing. He still had the car in 2012, now fitted with a 2-litre BDG engine.

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.