• F1
• F2
• F3
• F5000
• Indy
• Can-Am
• Tasman
• Atlantic
• Formula B
• Drivers

John Player (British) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Mondello Park, 15 Sep 1974

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B25 [25-73-08] (Patsy McGarrity): The car run by John Lepp and George Silverwood through 1973 in Formula Atlantic. Also used by Lepp in the first European F2 round at Mallory Park, with the 1.6 BDA still in it. (Motoring News 15 Mar 1973 p12 says that Lepp's car was officially Birrell's, but looked like his regular Atlantic car. Autosport comments that Derek Bennett had to do some negotiating to have the car accepted for the race with the Atlantic engine in it.) Sold to Patsy McGarrity at the end of 1973, loaned back by him to works to use in F2 for John Watson at Albi. (MN 20 Sept 1973 comments that he used the car raced by Lepp at Mallory.) Used by McGarrity throughout the 1974 Irish Atlantic season, then sold on to Pat Woods 1975-77 (Autosport 9 Jan 1975 p18); Paddy Farrelly 1978-84. From 1985 through Jeremy Bouckley, Roy Lane, and Mark Colton in 1989. Then to Richard Budge 1990-2002 to Keith Harris who supplied this provenance. Retained by Harris 2006.
2. 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.
3. March 73B [8] (Des Donnelly): 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.
4. Chevron B27 [27-74-16] (Peter Williams): Sold to Peter Williams, June 1974. Motoring News report for John Player Atlantic round at Brands Hatch 14 Sep 1975 describes Mike Franey's Samatco Racing car as 'ex Williams'. John Scannell’s B27 in 1976 Indyatlantic races is described as 'ex Franey'. Interesingly, this car is entered at Brands Hatch 3 Oct 1976 by 'J. Sumner', suggesting that this car is also that used in the Indyatlantic series by Jeremy Sumner, and once by Mike Wilds. The car always appears as #27 and Sumner and Scannell are never entered together. Martin Murphy has an 'ex Williams' B27 at a Thruxton Formula Libre race (MN 31 Mar 1977 p6]. Owned by hill-climber Phil Sharp in 1984.
5. Lotus 69 [71/69.1.F2] (Walter Kinnear): Walter Kinnear has a Lotus 69 in 1973 which is described (MN 3 May and 10 May) as ex-Ikuzawa and can be identified with a high degree of confidence as 69/71.1.F2. At this point, the other ex-Ikuzawa F2 69 [69.F2.2] is being used by Farrelly, with MN and AS both calling the car ex Pollock and MN adding Kinnane. The FB Lotus 69 that Ikuzawa drove once, at the 1971 JAF GP, can almost certainly be discounted as well as it is in the UK during this time. The last time 69/71.1.F2 was seen was therefore likely to be the advert placed by Johnny Blades for an ex-Ikuzawa 69 in Autosport 15 Mar 1973 p59. Kinnear continues to drive the car in 1974 and 1975 with a BDA engine in Irish F/Atlantic.

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.