OldRacingCars.com

John Player (British) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Oulton Park, 26 May 1975

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Tony Brise Modus M3 [009-FA] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#3 Team Modus
35 33m 46.0s
102.86 mph
2 Nick May Lola T360 [HU5] - Ford BDA
#15 Strakers of Wimbledon Ltd (see note 1)
35 33m 53.0s
3 Peter Wardle Surtees TS15 [06] - Ford BDA Swindon
#9 (see note 2)
35 33m 56.4s
4 Bob Muir Birrana 273 [273-009] - Ford BDA Hart
#25 Bob & Marj Brown
35 34m 11.6s
5 Derek Cook Chevron B27 [27-74-06] - Ford BDA Cook
(see note 3)
35 34m 34.0s
6 Val Musetti March 74B [73B-21] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#14 Bernigra Ice Cream (London)
(see note 4)
35 34m 37.2s
7 Stephen Choularton Chevron B29 [29-75-19] - Ford BDA Hart
#7 SDC Racing (see note 5)
35 36m 11.6s
8 Matt Spitzley Chevron B29 [29-75-25] - Ford BDA Hart
#11 Rapid Movements Ltd-Ted Moore
(see note 6)
34
9 Cyd Williams March 73B [1?] - Ford BDA Eden
#6 Graham Eden (see note 7)
34
10 Alo Lawler Chevron B29 [29-75-06] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#24 L&B Excavations Ltd (see note 8)
34
11 Ted Wentz Lola T360 [HU7] - Ford BDA Swindon
#10 Wella International Hair Care
(see note 9)
34
R Ray Mallock March 75B [U1] - Ford BDA Swindon
#5 Ardmore Racing (see note 10)
Clutch
R Jim Crawford Chevron B29 [29-75-15] - Ford BDA Hart
#2 SDC Racing (see note 11)
10 Engine
UNKP Brett Riley Chevron B29 [29-75-04] - Ford BDA Hart
#40 (see note 12)
Unknown (practiced)
UNKP Philip Sharp Lyncar 005 [005] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#20
Unknown (practiced)
UNKP Roy Baker March 73B [722-24] - Ford BDA Racing Services
#19 (see note 13)
Unknown (practiced)
UNKP Graham Perry March 74B [742-23] - Ford BDA Whitehurst
#31 Harrisons of Birmingham (see note 14)
Unknown (practiced)
UNKP Norman Dickson March 74B - Ford BDA Holbay
#22 Dickson Motors (see note 15)
Unknown (practiced)
T/C Cyd Williams Brabham BT40 [21] - Ford BDA Swindon
#6 Graham Eden (see note 16)
(Crashed in practice)
TS/C Brian Henton Wheatcroft R18 [001] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#18 Donington Park Collection/Wheatcroft Racing
(see note 17)
(Crashed during test session)
DNA Richard Morgan Wheatcroft R18 [001] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#18 Donington Park Collection/Wheatcroft Racing
(see note 18)
Did not arrive

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

Qualifying
1 Tony Brise (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Modus M3 [009-FA] - Ford BDA Nicholson 0.56.2
2 Ted Wentz (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lola T360 [HU7] - Ford BDA Swindon 0.56.4
3 Peter Wardle (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Surtees TS15 [06] - Ford BDA Swindon 0.56.8
4 Jim Crawford (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B29 [29-75-15] - Ford BDA Hart 0.57.4
5 Ray Mallock (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 75B [U1] - Ford BDA Swindon 0.57.6
6 Nick May (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lola T360 [HU5] - Ford BDA 0.57.6
7 Bob Muir (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Birrana 273 [273-009] - Ford BDA Hart 0.57.8
8 Brett Riley * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B29 [29-75-04] - Ford BDA Hart 0.57.8
9 Stephen Choularton (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B29 [29-75-19] - Ford BDA Hart 0.58.0
10 Philip Sharp * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lyncar 005 [005] - Ford BDA Nicholson 0.58.0
11 Val Musetti (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 74B [73B-21] - Ford BDA Nicholson 0.58.0
12 Matt Spitzley (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B29 [29-75-25] - Ford BDA Hart 0.58.0
13 Derek Cook (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B27 [27-74-06] - Ford BDA Cook 0.58.2
14 Alo Lawler (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B29 [29-75-06] - Ford BDA Nicholson 0.59.0
15 Cyd Williams (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B [1?] - Ford BDA Eden
16 Roy Baker * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B [722-24] - Ford BDA Racing Services
17 Graham Perry * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 74B [742-23] - Ford BDA Whitehurst
18 Norman Dickson * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 74B - Ford BDA Holbay
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Lola T360 [HU5] (Nick May): 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Chevron B27 [27-74-06] (Derek Cook): New to Fred Opert Racing and the car raced by Bertil Roos in the British Formula Atlantic race at Brands Hatch in mid-March. Then fitted with a 2-litre Brian Hart Ford BDA for Roos at two F2 races, Montjuich Park and Hockenheim. Apparantly returned to Formula Atlantic specification and run by the Opert team in the UK series, initially for Héctor Rebaque, and later for Johnny Kastner, William Henderson III and then local man Jim Crawford. Sold to Derek Cook (Rotherham, South Yorkshire) for early 1975 Formula Atlantic races before being replaced by a newer B29. Retained for 1976 when Cook ran it in Indylantic, Shellsport G8, and libre racing, with either a Formula Atlantic BDA or a self-built 2-litre BDA. Retained again for early 1977 and used in F2 and in Shellsport, now with a 2-litre Alan Smith BDG, before Cook acquired a F1 Williams. Subsequent history unknown.
  4. March 74B [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.
  5. Chevron B29 [29-75-19] (Stephen Choularton): New to Stephen Choularton (Hale Barns, Cheshire) and raced in British Formula Atlantic in 1975, entered by SDC Racing. To Phil Dowsett (Chelmsford, Essex) for the Indylantic Championship in 1976, entered by Sangria Designs and Capital Radio. Then sold to John Ledlie for the Irish series in 1977 but badly damaged at Phoenix Park in September 1977 when Ledlie hit a tree. As one of relatively few B29s left in Britain and Ireland by this time, it may be the car raced by Trevor Templeton in May 1979 and then by Nelson Todd later in 1979, sponsored by Belfast car dealer Isaac Agnew. Subsequent history unknown.
  6. Chevron B29 [29-75-25] (Matt Spitzley): The Rapid Movements Chevron B29 driven by Matt Spitzley is believed to have suffered a testing accident at some point early in 1975, and it was rebuilt with a new monocoque. At the Oulton Park race on 26 May, it was noted as having chassis plate 75-25, but exactly when the rebuild took place is still unclear. Gunnar Nilsson took over the car from Spitzley in August, and recorded five successive wins in it, four of them from pole. In January 1976 it was sold to John Gibb (Randburg, South Africa), to be raced in the new South African Formula Atlantic series, entered by Team Mum for Men with backing from Pioneer Hi Fi. It was sold to Geoff Frizell (Durban, South Africa) for 1977, and returned with Frizell in 1979, when it was described as a B34. It then went to Manny Pinto, and was raced by him from 1980 to 1984, and then reappeared two years later with Trevor Trautmann who raced it in 1986. Trautmann exhanged it for Alan Dunlop's Lant, and the Chevron then went to Alan McDonald and Mike Budd. Budd restored it for Mark du Toit, who owned it in 2000. It was purchased by Anthony Corin (Malmesbury, South Africa) in 2004 and was still owned by him in June 2008. By 2019 it was owned by Colin Frost.
  7. March 73B [1?] (Cyd Williams): 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.
  8. Chevron B29 [29-75-06] (Alo Lawler): New to Alo Lawler (St Helens, Merseyside) and raced in the 1975 British Formula Atlantic championship, sponsored by L&B Excavations Ltd. Also used in the Irish championship that year, and in libre racing. Retained by Lawler for 1976, when he raced it in the Shellsport G8 championship, the Irish Formula Atlantic championship, the British Indylantic championship, and in libre racing. Sold to John Eastwood and raced in the Irish Formula Atlantic series. To Joe Greenan (Belfast, Northern Ireland) for 1978, and entered by Irish Racing Cars in Irish Atlantic, then raced by Ken Fildes (Clonskeagh, Dublin) in 1979 and 1980. Sold to English wheeler dealer Bobby Howlings (Congleton, Cheshire) for 1981, and raced by Howlings in rounds of the reintroduced British Formula Atlantic championship. Sold to Stuart Harte (Littleborough, Greater Manchester) and fitted with a 2.2-litre Hart 420R engine for sprints and hillclimbs. After Harte's death, the car was retained by his family until 2011, when it was sold to Jon Waggitt. Waggitt sold it to Chris Porritt in July 2011, and he spent some years returning it to running condition. He first raced it at Laguna Seca in March 2020, then brought it back to the UK later that year.
  9. Lola T360 [HU7] (Ted Wentz): 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.
  10. March 75B [U1] (Ray Mallock): An unnumbered March 75B built for Ray Mallock (Roade, Northamptonshire) and run for him in British Formula Atlantic and some F2 races by Ardmore Racing in 1975. It replaced the second-hand March 742 that Mallock wrecked in the Thruxton Formula 2 race in March, but it is possible that the 75B was still used the chassis plate of the old 742 during this time, as it was listed by Motoring News as "742/12" twice in 1975 and was also described as a 742 by MN at Hockenheim in September 1976. Mallock raced the car in F2 for the last four races of 1975. For 1976, Ardmore Racing bought a Lola T450 for Mallock, but when that proved a flop, fitted the March with a Swindon BDX engine and Mallock raced that car in Formula 2 specification in the European F2 series and in the Shellsport Group 8 series. During the season it was further modified with wider sidepods, it main radiator moved to the front and from Pau onwards used the nose from one of Ray Mallock's father's Mallock U2s. Last raced by Mallock at Brands Hatch on 7 November 1976. This may be the 75B advertised by MRE (Bourne End, Bucks) in Autosport four days later, described as "Updated to full F2 spec" with FG gearbox and "2 litre alloy engine". In the same edition of Autosport, Lucien Lampach (Wiltz, Luxembourg) was seeking a F2 car, and photographs indicate that he acquired the modified Mallock 75B and ran it as a March 742 in European hillclimbs in 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
  11. Chevron B29 [29-75-15] (Jim Crawford): New for Jim Crawford at Oulton Park in late May when his early-season development car was rebuilt on a new monocoque, effectively becoming a new car with chassis number 29-75-15. Crawford raced this car seven times in the British Formula Atlantic series, winning two races, and also raced it in F2 specification at Silverstone in August, using a Geoff Richardson BDA engine. Richard Morgan (Purley, Surrey) then hired the car for a few races at the end of the season. To Len Booysen (Randburg, South Africa) for the 1976 South African Formula Atlantic series, entered by Golden-Flo Racing with Kenitex. Then to Dorino Treccani, and raced by him in a few late 1977 and early 1978 races before it passed to Sarel Pienaar, who raced it for the rest of 1978 and in 1979. Subsequent history still being researched. The car was owned by Colin Frost by July 2014.
  12. Chevron B29 [29-75-04] (Brett Riley): New to Tom Wheatcroft in February 1975, and tested by Richard Morgan who would be driving it in British Formula Atlantic. Raced by Morgan in the early races of the season, winning one race, until crashed at Brands Hatch in April. Morgan then drove the new Wheatcroft R18, and the Chevron was sold to Brett Riley, who drove it for the rest of 1975. To Ken Bailey (Stretford, Greater Manchester) and raced in Indylantic in 1976. Stored unused during 1977 and advertised by Bailey in November. Sold to Eddie Jordan (Dundrum, County Dublin, Ireland) and used in Irish Formula Atlantic in 1978 in Marlboro livery, winning both the All-Ireland and Duckhams Formula Atlantic Championships. Raced by his teammate Vivian Candy in Ireland in 1979, then sold via Phil Bennett to David Ward (Hesketh Bank, Lancashire) for British libre racing in 1980 and 1981. With Terry Cole for Monoposto racing in 1983, then reportedly broken up for spares by Chevron Cars.
  13. March 73B [722-24] (Roy Baker): New to Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) to use in the 1972 Yellow Pages Formula Atlantic championship. The car was blue and yellow, and wore #16 all season. Gubelmann won six races and narrowly pipped Cyd Williams to the championship title. The car was sold to fellow American Jas Patterson (Rosslyn Heights, NY) for 1973, repainted red and white, and entered for him by Texaco Team Racing/RIR in the 1973 British season. Patterson crashed heavily at Oulton Park in May 1973, and although the car was rebuilt, he appeared a few races later in what appears to be a new 73B. Patterson raced the 73B for the remainder of 1973 and through 1974, but the 722 reappeared in early November 1974 when an ex-Patterson "722/73B" was acquired by Roy Baker (Ferndown, Dorset) and raced regularly by him through the 1975 season. Subsequent history unknown.
  14. March 74B [742-23] (Graham Perry): New to Bob Harper, an American Ford and BMW importer based in Hong Kong, and entered in 1974 F2 under the banner of Team Harper. The team was run for him by Mike Earle from the Lec workshops in Bognor Regis, with mechanics Greg Field and Tony Harvey. Chassis 742/23 is believed to be the car raced by David Purley at two races early in the season, before Harper replaced the Marches with Chevron B27s. It was acquired for Chris Meek to race at two events in Ceylon, but he did not have the right licence and the 742 was next seen raced by Graham Perry (Birmingham) in Formula Atlantic in 1975, sponsored by Harrisons of Birmingham. For 1976, it was sold to John Walker (Lancaster) but only seen rarely. Retained by Walker for libre racing in 1977, and by the end of that season it was being described as a 772. To Paul Gardner (Preston, Lancashire) for 1978, again for libre racing.
  15. March 74B (Norman Dickson): Mike Sullivan Racing started the 1974 Formula Atlantic season with a well-used ex-Jean-Pierre Jaussaud/ex-Colin Andrews March 712M fitted with Falconer bodywork and entered for Richard Robinson. Multiglide then provided funding, and successful Australian F3 driver Alan Jones was persuaded to drive it. Astonishingly, he won his first race in it, but then walked out, describing the car as "hopelessly unprepared". Jones had been promised a March 74B, and after an upgraded March 722 was used at a couple of races by replacement driver Richard Knight, something resembling a 74B arrived for John Sheldon to drive at two late-season races. What this car was remains unclear, but this "74B" was then sold to Norman Dickson (Perth, Scotland), who was successful with it in libre racing in 1975, but off the pace in his few Atlantic races. Subsequent history unknown.
  16. 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.
  17. Wheatcroft R18 [001] (Brian Henton): New to Wheatcroft Racing for Richard Morgan to race in British Formula Atlantic in 1975. When the car first appeared, at Brands Hatch on 18 May, Morgan was second fastest in practice behind the dominant Modus M3 of Tony Brise, and led the opening lap. Brise took the lead on lap 2, after which the Wheatcroft's engine started to misfire, dropping Morgan further back. He eventually retired with a broken splitter. Brian Henton, then a F2 driver tipped to rise to F1, was brought in to test the car but crashed in testing at Oulton Park the following Wednesday, writing off the car.
  18. Wheatcroft R18 [001] (Richard Morgan): New to Wheatcroft Racing for Richard Morgan to race in British Formula Atlantic in 1975. When the car first appeared, at Brands Hatch on 18 May, Morgan was second fastest in practice behind the dominant Modus M3 of Tony Brise, and led the opening lap. Brise took the lead on lap 2, after which the Wheatcroft's engine started to misfire, dropping Morgan further back. He eventually retired with a broken splitter. Brian Henton, then a F2 driver tipped to rise to F1, was brought in to test the car but crashed in testing at Oulton Park the following Wednesday, writing off the car.

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.