John Player (British) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Mallory Park, 25 Aug 1974

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B25 [25-73-04] (David Morgan): Displayed at the Racing Car Show in January 1973, then sold to Ed Reeves for Dave Morgan to race in Formula 2. Reeves withdrew his team in July 1973, and gifted the Chevron to Morgan, but without funding Morgan could not continue. Morgan retained the car for 1974 and raced it in the British Formula Atlantic series, run for him by Harry Stiller. Sold to property developer David Peck at the end of the year for his daughter Lorraine Peck, a remarkably talented kart racer who had finished second in the Junior World Championships in 1974, but she was tragically killed in the World Junior Championships at Fulda in July 1975, while still only 16. The Chevron was sold to former clubmans driver Derek Shortall (Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland) and raced in the 1976 Irish Formula Atlantic series, backed by Vista Blinds, his long time sponsors. Reported to have gone to Dermot O'Leary and Eddie Regan for 1977, but next seen when raced by David Lambe (Dublin) in 1978 and 1979. Taken in part-exchange by Belfast team owner Gerry Kinnane for his Lola T460 at the end of 1979, and sold on to Alwyn Bingham (Belfast, Northern Ireland), the reigning Irish Hill Climb Champion. Raced in hillclimbs in 1980 and 1981. Alwyn recalls that he sold it "down south", but does not recall the next owner's name. Subsequent history unknown.
2. Brabham BT40 [14] (Ray Mallock): New to John Wingfield and raced in both F2 and Formula Atlantic in 1973, entered by Marshall Wingfield Limited. Raced by Ray Mallock in Formula Atlantic 1974, entered by The Chequered Flag, and retained for one early-season race in 1975, after Mallock wrecked his new March 742 at Thruxton. Then entered by Marshall Wingfield Ltd for South African Len Booysen to drive in a few Formula Atlantic races in June and July 1975, by which time it had acquired what looked like a March 73B nose, before Wingfield himself raced it once more at Silverstone in August. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Lola T360 [HU7?] (Ken Bailey): Believed to be the new car loaned to Ken Bailey in August for British Formula Atlantic, after he had wrecked his original loan car at Silverstone two weeks earlier. Sold to Planer, owners of the Wella brand, for Ted Wentz, starting with the televised Thruxton race in November 1974. Raced by Wentz through 1974 until it was heavily damaged by Roy James in a testing accident in early October 1975. Wentz hired the works development car for the rest of the season, so it is assumed that HU7 was not repairable.
4. March 74B [1] (Ted Wentz): New to Ted Wentz (Philadelphia, PA) and raced in the 1974 British Formula Atlantic season. To New Zealander Alan Crocker, who had moved to England to race in the 1975 British series, but a blown engine curtailed his season. Used occasionally in the 1976 Indylantic series and in libre racing. Croker took the car to New Zealand and raced it in the 1977 Formula Pacific series, then sold it there to Ken Smith, who rented it to Ken Sager to drive in the 1977/78 Gold Star series, and to Robbie Booth for the 1978/79 season. It reappeared with Robbie Hislop in 1981/82, then to Tony Batchelor for 1982/83. Last seen when raced by Keith Laney in 1984/85, and sold by him back to Kenny Smith some time before 1988. Later sold by Smith to Richard Carter in Australia to donate parts to Carter's rebuild of March 73B/8. The remains of the car were sold with the 73B to George Makin (Melbourne, Australia) about 2005.
5. 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. The car was next seen in May 1975 when Choularton dusted it off for Cyd Williams to drive after Williams had wrecked Graham Eden's Brabham BT40. Choularton retained the car, unused, until 1977 when it was sold to Paul Gardner (Preston, Lancashire) and used in libre racing in 1977. It then travelled out to the West Indies, quite possibly via Manchester-based racing car dealer Bobby Howlings, who would have known Gardner well, and was a regular visitor to the West Indies series. Raced by Mark Moodie in 1978 and 1979, winning the 1979 Jamaican National Championship. Subsequent history unknown, but it may have gone to Gordon Gonsalves in Trinidad.
6. March 73B [18] (Geoff Friswell): According to surviving March records, this was a F/Atlantic car built for Geoff Friswell (Coventry) and raced by him in the UK series through 1973 and 1974. It was then sold to Andy Barton (Newcastle upon Tyne) 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 (Prestonpans, Scotland) for 1977, as an Atlantic again, and it then went to Stewart Robb (Alloa, Scotland) 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 raced again by Robb as a "March 75/782" with steel 2-litre Cosworth BDG engine from 1980 to 1982 and was sold to Roger Andreason at the new Chevron Cars Ltd around 1984. A "March 75/782" which had been "completely rebuilt over winter" was advertised from an Epsom number in August 1985.
7. Chevron B25 [25-73-12] (Nick May): New to Brett Lunger and run for him by Space Racing in F2 in 1973, starting at Nivelles-Baulers in June. To Nick May (Sutton, Surrey) in 1974, and converted to Formula Atlantic specification for the British series. Then to Gerry Kinnane (Belfast, Northern Ireland), and entered for John Pollock to race in the 1975 Irish Formula Atlantic series. Sold to Bill Gowdy (Banbridge, County Down, N. Ireland) for 1976, but crashed twice that year. Crashed again during 1977, and at some point in this period, the car is believed to have had a new chassis. Sold by Gowdy to Paddy Farrelly (Lucan, Dublin) for 1978, and again used in Formula Atlantic, but now quite uncompetitive. Sold to Tony Skinner (Terenure, Dublin, Ireland) and raced at Phoenix Park in 1981. He raced it again early in 1982, but then moved over to a friend's B42 later in the season. Tony sold the B25 to Cyril Lynch, who fitted a 4.4-litre Rover V8 engine, and first ran the car in the Galway MC Ballyvaughan in mid-1983. For 1984, Lynch ran the car for Shay Lawless, who dominated the Pioneer Hi-Fi Hill Climb Championship, setting nine records. It was sold to Paul Deveney for 1985, and he continued to run it in hillclimbs. The hillclimb championship was cancelled after 1986, and the Chevron was sold to Ken Moore (Iver Heath, Bucks), rebuilt by Bob Egginton of ASD in 1988/1989, and used in libre racing at Lydden. Then to Lew Wright (Haslemere, Surrey) who got HSCC papers for the car in 1999. By 2001, it was with Nick Overall (Petworth, West Sussex) who entered it in HSCC Derek Bell events, and still had it in 2006. Sold to Markus Kalbermatten (Grellingen, Switzerland) in 2006, and used in historic Bergrennen.
8. March 73B [21] (Val Musetti): New to Stan Mathews (Wicken, Wolverton, Bucks) in June 1973, and raced in British Formula Atlantic. To Chris Oates (Kimberley, Notts) for 1974, but sold mid-season to Val Musetti (London). Retained by Musetti for 1975, when it was updated to 74B specification. It was also rebuilt on another tub about this time, but the details are obscure. Damaged by Derek Cook's March 73B in practice at Silverstone in July, and rebuilt in time for the race on the car's original tub - only to be crashed and damaged again in the race. At the end of 1975, Musetti built up a March "742", which could be said to have inherited the identity of 73B-21, but as the tub had been changed, the chassis plate had long gone, and its appearance and description were radically different, it could be argued that 73B-21 had dissipated by the end of 1975. The successor "742" later went to Bill Wood, then Ray Rowan, before spending much of the 1980s in Monoposto and then being rebuilt as a "712M" for historic racing in the late 1980s.
9. Chevron B27 [27-74-16] (Peter Williams): Sold to Peter Williams (Brentwood, Essex) in June 1974 for British Formula Atlantic; and retained for the 1975 season. To Porsche racer and driving instructor Mike Franey (London) later in 1975 and raced in F/Atlantic with Samatco Ltd backing. Unknown in 1976, but in early 1977, novice racer Martin Murphy (London) won a Formule Libre race at Thruxton in the "ex-Peter Williams Coin Monthly" B27. The car remained in Franey's possession until September 1979, when it was sold to Jeremy Bouckley (Sutton Coldfield, West Midands) as a rolling chassis. Bouckley cannot recall what happened to it, but this car was reportedly owned by Phil Sharp for hillclimbs in 1984. Subsequent history unknown.
10. GRD 273 [051-F2] (Doug Thomson): New to Tom Wheatcroft for driver Roger Williamson in F2 in 1973, and used as a T-car at the opening race. The two cars travelled in Wheatcroft's transporter, but at the start of the season were looked after by GRS International chief mechanic Alistair Dimmock. By June, the cars were run by the team's own mechanics, Rick Olivant, formerly with Surtees, and Trevor Foster from Gerard Racing. If it is correct that chassis 052 was destroyed in Williamson's accident in practice at Nivelles-Baulers, then 051 was the team's unused spare after Wheatcroft bought a new March 732. To Doug Thomson for 1974, and fitted with a Ford BDA for Formula Atlantic and hillclimbs. Badly damaged when crashed in practice at Oulton Park in October 1974, and Thomson recalls that the tub was a write off. He acquired a new tub from GRD over the winter and rebuilt the car. It was then sold early in 1975 as a rolling chassis to dealer Mike Gue, who Doug believes sold the car to someone in South Africa. It appears however, that the car went to North America, where it was next seen being raced by Russell Thomson (Vancouver, BC, Canada) in the ICSCC's Formula B class in 1979. It then passed to Graeme Hutton (Vancouver, BC) who raced it in one late-season 1979 event and at least once in 1980, again in ICSCC Formula B. Bought from Hutton in 1990 by Robert Morris (Seattle, WA) and stored at his workshop since then.
11. March 73B [20] (Andy Rouse): New to Charles Lucas (Ellington, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire) in July 1973, and raced in British Formula Atlantic. In September, he took the car to Ireland for the Phoenix Park for the Player's No 6 GP and was running in an aggregate second place near the end of the second heat when he left the road at Phoenix Corner and wrapped the March round a tree. He was still classified third. The March was rebuilt and sold to Ken Bailey (Stretford, Greater Manchester) for 1974, but sold on again in May to touring car driver Andy Rouse (Leamington Spa, Warwickshire). Rouse crashed it at Snetterton at the end of October, and it was not seen again. Ralph Broad, Rouse's touring car boss at Broadspeed, then insisted Rouse choose between single-seaters and touring cars, and Rouse wisely chose the latter. He would be British Saloon Car Champion four times. The fate of the March 73B is not known.
12. Lola T360 [HU5] (Richard Scott): New to Nigel Clarkson (Cirencester, Gloucestershire) and raced by him and by Richard Scott (London) in British Formula Atlantic, backed by Hurford Jones Ltd. To Nick May (Sutton, Surrey) for the 1975 British series, entered as a T360B with Strakers of Wimbledon Ltd sponsorship and run by Dave Price Racing. To Brian Robinson (Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham) and fitted with a 2-litre Cosworth BDG engine for Shellsport Group 8 races in 1976. To John Brown for John Morrison (Warwick) to drive in Shellsport G8 and libre racing in 1977, then to Kevin Bowditch (Maidenhead) for a few race appearances in 1978. It was sold to Martin Mansell (Middlesex), who raced it as a Lola "FA79" with Winchmore Hill Garage sponsorship in Formula Atlantic in 1979. Mansell crashed heavily at Brands Hatch in April 1979, and did not appear again. It was next seen in 1990 when it was bought by Robert McGimpsey (Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland) from a dealer somewhere in the English midlands. It was then fitted with a 3-litre Weslake engine, and McGimpsey used it for one season in hillclimbing before the engine and chassis were sold separately. It was bought by two friends in 1993 or 1994, and in 2012 they still had it.
13. March 74B [U1] (Alan Jones): New to Harry Stiller Racing and entered for Bev Bond in a few late-season 1973 Formula Atlantic races, but only appeared once. Rebuilt by March to 74B specification over the winter and appeared as 74B chassis 'U1' for Bond in 1974, until he announced his retirement in June 1974. Alan Jones took over the drive for the rest of the season and won three races. Advertised by AW Brown (London) in January 1975. Briefly to Frank Blanchard in early 1975 but then to Bill Gowdy (Belfast, Northern Ireland) for Irish Formula Atlantic. To Gerry Kinnane for Des Donnelly to drive in 1976, then to Eddie Jordan (Dundrum, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland) for 1977. Subsequently to Colin Simpson (Dundee, Scotland) for Scottish hillclimbs in 1978 and 1979, when it was fitted with a 1800cc Cosworth BDE. It was then sold to Graham Brown, a Scot who emigrated to Australia and took two Formula Atlantic cars with him. Brown raced it in Scottish hillclimbs in 1980 before it went. Raced by Geoff Nicol in Australian Formula Pacific in 1981, and by John Blennerhasset in 1982. Then to Michael Miller, brothers Peter and Terry Simms, then the Kendall family, then to Bryan Miller in 2002. Sold by Bryan to Richard Carter (Berry, NSW) in September 2018, and shortly afterwards sold to Richard Ellingworth.
14. Brabham BT40 [21] (Cyd Williams): New to Graham Eden Racing, and driven by Cyd Williams in the 1973 British Formula Atlantic championship. Retained by Eden and Williams for 1974. After Williams crashed the car at Brands Hatch in September 1974, it was raced by Richard Morgan and Tony Trimmer later that season. Retained by Eden again for 1975, with Cyd Williams again driving. To David Winstanley (Winsford, Cheshire) of Withers of Winsford for 1976, and raced in the Indylantic championship.
15. March 73B ['SDC1'] (Jim Crawford): Over the 1973/74 winter, Jim Crawford built up Steve Choularton's March 73B spares in to a second car. He raced the car with great success in the two British Formula Atlantic series in 1974, winning two John Player races and narrowly losing the title to John Nicholson after the two collided at the last race. He also won one race in the Southern Organs series, before crashing at Brands Hatch at the end of September, which resulted in the car being rebuilt on a new tub from March. The car was then raced at least once by Choularton, while Crawford moved over to Fred Opert's Chevron B27 for the last two races, winning both, and taking the title. The 73B that appeared for Cyd Williams in May 1975 is thought to be Choularton's 73B/1. The ex-Crawford car was sold to Derek Cook (Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire) in July 1975 but in practice for his first race, the British GP support race, Cook spun off and hit Val Musetti's March, writing off both cars.
16. Surtees TS15 [06] (Peter Wardle): New to Peter Wardle (Wimbledon, London) and raced in British Formula Atlantic in 1973, winning from pole position at one race Brands Hatch in August. Retained for 1974, again in British Formula Atlantic, and then retained for a third season in 1975. However, towards the end of 1975, Wardle was entering Steve Carvill (Wimbledon, London) in some races, and it is unclear whether the team had a second TS15 by this point, as the pair never appeared together in the same race. Wardle acquired sponsorship from Radio Luxembourg and Applied Racing Techniques for 1976, and both Wardle and Carvill appeared in Indylantic and in Shellsport G8 during that season, presumably both still in chassis 06. Wardle advertised a TS15 in 1983, with FG400 but no engine and a mountain of spares. According to researcher David McKinney, chassis 06 and chassis 07 were with Tony Collinson in 1990, and chassis 06 appears to stayed with its sister through the ownership of Gerry Wainwright, John Elliott, Mark Griffiths and Crispian Besley, who had both cars in 2010. Beesley sold chassis 06 to Dean Forward in 2019, still in unrestored component form.
17. March 73B (Wes Dawn): Australian John Gillmeister had a red and white March 73B in British Formula Atlantic 1974. Gillmeister had a workshop making bodywork for March, and acquired a monocoque, suspension and other parts. This was built up for him by Ralph Hume over the winter of 1973/74 using a Richardson BDA engine with the intention of running in the British series. After a sponsor pulled out, Gillmeister sold the car mid-season to Gil Nickel Racing, and it was run by Bob Eggington for Wes Dawn to drive. Dawn was from Hollywood, California, and was a very successful makeup artist in film and TV. He and Gil Nickel (Park Hill, Oklahoma) finished fifth in the 1975 Cannonball Run in a Mercedes-Benz 450SL. He later took the 73B/74B back to the US where he used it in minor Formula Atlantic races. Dawn advertised the car in 1983, but still had it when he died in 1990, aged just 51. His widow sold the car in April 1991. Subsequent history withheld.
18. March 74B (Richard Knight): Multiglide Racing Team entered a March "74B" for a couple of races at the end of 1974. It was probably a 722, and may have simply been a "bitza" built up from parts.

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.

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.

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.