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Hitachi Formula Atlantic Series Race

Castle Combe, 26 May 1980

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 David Leslie Ralt RT4/80 [185] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#8 Hope Scott Garage
20 19m 22.7s
113.94 mph
2 Phil Dowsett March 79B [782-6] - Ford BDA Racing Fabrications
#5 Martin the Newsagent (see note 1)
20 19m 24.0s
3 Alo Lawler Ralt RT1/77 [66] - Ford BDA Smith
#3 L&B Excavations
20 19m 29.5s
4 Nick Adams March 80A [18] - Ford BDA Nelson
#11 Maclean Business Publications
20 19m 57.9s
5 Roger Orgee March 782/79B - Ford BDA Richardson
#4 Baric Computing Services
19 19m 27.4s
6 John Bowtell March 77B [Bowtell] - Ford BDA Swindon
#50 (see note 2)
19 19m 27.6s
R Ian Flux Ehrlich RP5 [1] - Ford BDA Ehrlich
#15 Dr. J. Ehrlich
16
R Bernard Hunter March 80A [1] - Ford BDA Swindon
#7 Colin Bennett Racing (see note 3)
7
DNA Tony Westwood March 79B - Ford BDA Swindon
#6 Datamatic (see note 4)
Did not arrive
DNA Richard Piper Wimhurst - Ford BDA Cosworth
#12
Did not arrive
DNA Roger Andreason Druid 79A [377-01] - Ford BDA Andreason
#14 Andreason Racing and Tuning
Did not arrive
DNA Mike Catlow Ralt RT1/77 [71?] - Ford BDA Hart
#16
Did not arrive
DNA Charlie Kirby March 782 [14] - Ford BDA Swindon
#17 (see note 5)
Did not arrive
DNA Roy Baker Chevron B48 [48-79-05] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#24
Did not arrive
DNA Cameron Binnie March 77B [3] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#29 (see note 6)
Did not arrive

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

Qualifying
Qualifying information not available

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 79B [782-6] (Phil Dowsett): Alex Ribeiro's Hart-engined car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably all season. Hired by Wolfgang Locher for Hockenheim 26 Sep. To Phil Dowsett (Maldon, Essex) for British Formula Atlantic in 1979, converted to 79B specification and supported by Pinch Plant and Martin the Newsagent. Retained by Dowsett for 1980, then unraced in 1981. Advertised by Dowsett as a 782/79B in September 1981. To Dave Hoban (Horncastle, Lincolnshire) for libre racing and British Formula Atlantic in 1982, then retained for libre racing in 1983 and in 1984.
  2. March 77B [Bowtell] (John Bowtell): In September 1978, John Bright (Leicester) advertised a March "77P" which he described as being a F2 rolling chassis and "same as Giacomelli's". He also advertised his 773 Formula 3 car which had been rebuilt on a new monocoque in August 1978. It is therefore possible that the "77P" had been built using the 773's repaired original monocoque. The car was sold to John Bowtell (Witney, Oxfordshire), who fitted it with a 2-litre BDX bought from Ray Mallock and ran it in libre in 1979. He then fitted it with a 1600cc Swindon BDA and raced it in the British Formula Atlantic series in 1980. He then retired from racing, and advertised the car in January 1981. Subsequent history unknown.
  3. March 80A [1] (Bernard Hunter): New to Bernard Hunter (Edinburgh, Scotland) and raced in the British Formula Atlantic series and libre racing, entered by Colin Bennett Racing. Retained for the first libre races at the start of 1981, then raced by Stuart Lawson and Ted Dzierzek in Scottish libre in April and May. To Tony Brown, and raced in hillclibs in early 1982, but Brown soon returned to the Martin BM16 that he had run from 1979 to 1981. The 80A was acquired by Stewart Phillips (Enfield, Middlesex) and raced in libre races from July 1982 onwards, entered by Winchmore Hill Garage.
  4. March 79B (Tony Westwood): Tony Westwood (Cardiff/Caerphilly/Eaton Hastings) raced a March "78B" or March "79B" with Swindon engines in British Formula Atlantic in 1980 and early 1981. He was sponsored by Datamatic Limited ("Pacemakers in Continuous Print") and entered as #6 in 1980 and #2 in 1981. He was last seen in April 1981. Subsequent history unknown
  5. March 782 [14] (Charlie Kirby): Eddie Cheever's car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably all season. To Dick Bennetts Racing and converted to Formula Atlantic for Eje Elgh to race in New Zealand in January 1979. Then to Charlie Kirby as a 78B and raced in Atlantic from 1979 to 1981. Offered for sale in On Track in 1981 by Kirby's Transatlantic Racing Services (Norcross, GA). Next seen with Andy Falbo (Detroit, MI) who raced it in US Formula Atlantic in 1983, and again in 1986 and 1988. Retained by Falbo and still owned by him in 2015.
  6. March 77B [3] (Cameron Binnie): New to Team Lexington for Ian Scheckter to race in the South African Formula Atlantic championship in 1977, and used to win the first three rounds of the series in January and February 1977. It was crashed heavily at Killarney in February and replaced with 77B-7. The damaged car was returned to March Engineering, repaired, and updated it to 772P specification for Andy Barton (Newcastle upon Tyne). He fitted a 2-litre Ford BDG and used it in libre racing in 1978. For 1979, he converted it to Formula Atlantic specification with a Swindon BDA engine and used it in the revived British championship. Retained for 1980 as a hire drive, usually for Cameron Binnie (Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland). Sold to Colin Richardson (Peebles, Scottish Borders, Scotland) and raced in Scottish libre in 1981, 1982 and 1983, using a 1600cc engine. Possibly borrowed back by Barton for a couple of races after his 782/792 was wrecked in April 1981. To Geoff Todd (Greenlaw, Scottish Borders), and raced at Ingliston again through 1984. Advertised by Todd in June 1984. Subsequent history unknown.

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.