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ShellSPORT International Championship race

Thruxton, 11 Sep 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Guy Edwards (F1) 3-litre March 75A/761 [1-2] - Cosworth DFV V8
#4 Guy Edwards (see note 1)
35
2 Bruce Allison Chevron B37 [37-76-01] - Chevrolet V8
#62 Bruce Allison (see note 2)
35
3 Norman Dickson (F2) 2-litre March 772 [3] - BMW M12/7
#20 Dicksons of Perth (see note 3)
35
4 Hugh "Wink" Bancroft (F2) 2-litre Chevron B40 [40-77-05] - Hart 420R
#45 Fred Opert Racing (see note 4)
35
5 Alo Lawler (F2) 2-litre Lola T462 [HU22] - Ford BDX
#17 L & B Excavations
34
6 Dennis Leech Chevron B28 [28-74-02] - Chevrolet Weslake/Leech V8
#77 Dennis Leech (see note 5)
33
7 Adrian Russell (F2) 2-litre Lola T460 [T450 HU1] - Ford BDX Swindon
#38 Adrian Russell (see note 6)
33
R Keith Holland McRae GM1 [015] - Chevrolet V8
#25 Chris Featherstone (see note 7)
30 Piston
R Divina Galica (F1) 3-litre Surtees TS19 [04] - Cosworth DFV V8
#13 Shellsport Whiting (see note 8)
29 Drive shaft
R John Tait (G8 2.0) 2-litre Brabham BT36 [1] - Cosworth FVC
#65 John Tait (see note 9)
28 Running, not classified
R Tony Trimmer (F1) 3-litre Surtees TS19 [05] - Cosworth DFV V8
#2 Melchester Racing
26 Gearbox
R John Bowtell (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 74B [712M] - Ford BDA
#76 John Bowtell (see note 10)
22 DNF
R Jim Kelly Trojan T101 [102] - Chevrolet V8
#18 Jim Kelly (see note 11)
21 Running, not classified
R Rob Moffat (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B/74B - Ford BDA
#28 Rob Moffat (see note 12)
17 Engine
R Jim Ravenscroft (F2) 2-litre Surtees TS15 - Ford BDA Hart
#43 Jim Ravenscroft (see note 13)
12 DNF
R Damien Magee Lola T332C [HU62] - Chevrolet V8
#5 E. L. Gibbs Racing
9 Suspension
R Howard Rose (G8 2.0) 2-litre March 75/76B - Ford BDG
#42 H. A. Rose
6 Spun
R Alan Baillie (F2) 2-litre March 752 [22] - Ford BDX Swindon
#78 Alan Baillie (see note 14)
2 DNF
DNS Tony Rouff (F2) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [72] - Ford BDG Eden
#15 Graham Eden Racing
Did not start
(Spin damage)
DNS Robin Smith Lola T330 [HU21] - Chevrolet V8
#32 Robin Smith (see note 15)
Did not start
(DNS)
  Mike Wilds (F5000) 3.4-litre Chevron B30 [30-75-01] - Ford GAA V6
#24 Aim Racing with Templar Tillers
(see note 16)
On entry list
  Kevin Bowditch (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lyncar 005 [005] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#66 Conoco Jet Racing
On entry list

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Bruce Allison (F5000) 5-litre Chevron B37 [37-76-01] - Chevrolet V8 1:11.1
2 Norman Dickson (F2) 2-litre March 772 [3] - BMW M12/7 1:11.7
3 Tony Rouff * (F2) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [72] - Ford BDG Eden 1:11.7
4 Guy Edwards (F1) 3-litre March 75A/761 [1-2] - Cosworth DFV V8 1:11.9
5 Divina Galica (F1) 3-litre Surtees TS19 [04] - Cosworth DFV V8 1:12.5
6 Keith Holland (F5000) 5-litre McRae GM1 [015] - Chevrolet V8 1:12.6
7 Tony Trimmer (F1) 3-litre Surtees TS19 [05] - Cosworth DFV V8 1:13.1
8 Alo Lawler (F2) 2-litre Lola T462 [HU22] - Ford BDX 1:13.4
9 Robin Smith * (F5000) 5-litre Lola T330 [HU21] - Chevrolet V8 1:14.1
10 Hugh "Wink" Bancroft (F2) 2-litre Chevron B40 [40-77-05] - Hart 420R 1:14.3
11 Damien Magee (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332C [HU62] - Chevrolet V8 1:14.6
12 Dennis Leech (F5000) 5-litre Chevron B28 [28-74-02] - Chevrolet Weslake/Leech V8 1:16.7
13 Adrian Russell (F2) 2-litre Lola T460 [T450 HU1] - Ford BDX Swindon 1:17.2
14 John Bowtell (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 74B [712M] - Ford BDA 1:18.7
15 Jim Kelly (F5000) 5-litre Trojan T101 [102] - Chevrolet V8 1:18.9
16 Jim Ravenscroft (F2) 2-litre Surtees TS15 - Ford BDA Hart 1:19.3
17 Alan Baillie (F2) 2-litre March 752 [22] - Ford BDX Swindon 1:20.5
18 Rob Moffat (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B/74B - Ford BDA 1:24.7
19 Howard Rose (G8 2.0) 2-litre March 75/76B - Ford BDG 1:24.9
20 John Tait (G8 2.0) 2-litre Brabham BT36 [1] - Cosworth FVC 1:29.1
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 75A/761 [1-2] (Guy Edwards): John MacDonald (RAM Racing) 1975. Raced in UK 1975: driven by Alan Jones (3rd BARC Thruxton 17 Aug 1975) - Hexagon Garage for Damien Magee UK 1976 - Guy Edwards UK 1977; rebuilt on a March 761 monocoque, and then converted to DFV power for last few races of 1977. Edwards UK 1978 (first two races); then for Bruce Allison (five races). Also used by Desire Wilson in a test session prior to the British GP. To Terry Smith (Felton, Somerset), fitted with a 5-litre Repco engine, and used in the British Sprint Championship 1979, 1980 and 1981. Used by Smith and John Meredith British Sprint Championship 1982. To Ray Rowan 1983, and retained by him until about 1987 when the Repco engine was sold to Australia and the rolling chassis was sold via a dealer to Italy. Reemerged four years later when sold by Andrea Frasson (Rosà, Vicenza, Italy) to Daniel Pouteau (Paris, France) in December 1991. Retained by Pouteau, still apart and in still Terry Smith's livery, until sold via Bernard De Dryver to Paul Grant (Brussels, Belgium) in April 2013. Rebuilt for Masters F1 in 2015, and debut at the Spa 6 Hours in September 2015.
  2. Chevron B37 [37-76-01] (Bruce Allison): To VDS Racing and entered for Peter Gethin in the 1976 US F5000 series (also raced once by Teddy Pilette) and in the Rothmans series in Australia in early 1977. To Bruce Allison (Brisbane, Australia) and raced by him in the 1977 UK Group 8 Championship and in the Rothmans series again in Australia in early 1978. Then to Ivan Tighe (Brisbane) and raced in national Australian F5000 and in the International series in 1979. Raced by Tighe up to the end of F5000 in Australia in 1982 and retained by him until 2001. Then sold via Race Car Warehouse (Brighton, England) in early 2002 to Simon Hadfield (Shepshed, Leicestershire) and completely restored. Raced with great success by Hadfield in historic racing both in the UK and in Australia from 2004 to 2008. It has since been raced by guest drivers, including Tony Trimmer at Oulton Park in 2009, Marcus Pye at Oulton Park in 2010 and Ben Anderson at the 2012 Silverstone Classic. Sold in October 2014 to Neil Glover (Ansty, West Sussex).
  3. March 772 [3] (Norman Dickson): New to Norman Dickson, and raced in F2, Shellsport G8 and libre racing in 1977. To Jimmy Jack for 1978, and used in libre, sprints and hillclimbs, when it was also raced by Charlie Munro, and by Eddie Cheever in an Ingliston libre race. Retained for 1979, when driven by Jack and Munro in speed events again, and also by Andy Barton and Bill Lord on occasion, and used by Jack more rarely in 1980. It was then sold to Tony Brown in Gloucestershire for hillclimbs, but by mid-1981, he had sold it to Stuart Lawson (Kirkliston, Scotland), taking Lawson's ex-Bernard Hunter March 80/81A in trade. Lawson used the 772 in libre racing with a Hart 420R engine at Ingliston in 1981, sharing it with Ted Dzierzek, who drove it in Knockhill events in 1981 and 1982. Subsequent history unknown until it was raced by Christian Fischer in Historic F2 in 2003, when it had been reunited with its BMW engine. Fischer drove it until 2005, when it temporarily disappeared into Switzerland before being bought by Ted Walker and Matthew Watts (both Dursley, Gloucestershire) in 2007. It was raced by Watts in HSCC Historic F2 from 2009 to 2019.
  4. Chevron B40 [40-77-05] (Hugh "Wink" Bancroft): New to Fred Opert Racing and raced by Wink Bancroft (Newport Beach, CA/Costa Mesa, CA) with Hart 420R engines in Formula 2. Bancroft had trouble adapting to European racing, and failed to qualify for six of his 12 races. He also raced the car in two Shellsport G8 races in August and September. The car was raced by Austrian Hans Royer in the final F2 round at Donington Park, with sponsorship from Jim Bean. Subsequent history unknown.
  5. Chevron B28 [28-74-02] (Dennis Leech): See full history: Chevron B28 74-02.
  6. Lola T460 [T450 HU1] (Adrian Russell): New to Ardmore Racing, fitted with a Swindon BDX F2 engine and raced by Ray Mallock in the opening Shellsport Group 8 race at Mallory Park in March 1976. As the race started, Mallock was pushed into the pits Armco and the Lola was heavily damaged. It was repaired at Lola and hired by Ian Ashley for the F2 race at Thruxton in April, but the car's handling was so poor in practice, he elected not to race it. It was returned to the factory, and was still there awaiting modifications in early June. Then converted to Formula Atlantic specification and sold to Adrian Russell (Thornton Heath, Surrey) for Indylantic and Group 8 in 1976, and in libre for the first half of 1977. Then fitted with a 2-litre Swindon BDX bought from Val Musetti, and used in Shellsport G8 for the remainder of the season. To David Render for 1978, and used in sprints and hillclimbs with a 1600cc BDA but only rarely used from 1978 to 1983. Sprinted by Jonathan Skinner and Anthony Lane later in 1983, and in 1984. Sprinted by Mike Lane from 1984 to 1986. Sold by Lane to Rod Fisher for sprints with a 2-litre BDA in 1988 and 1989. Sold by Fisher to David Dedrickson in about June 2001, and run in Seattle area historic events.
  7. McRae GM1 [015] (Keith Holland): Longer wheelbase car built for Graham McRae and raced in the 1973 British season. To Ian Ward Racing early 1974 and modified as "Ward KS1" but not raced in this form. It was then sold to Chris Featherstone and raced by him once at the end of 1974, then through the 1975 and 1976 seasons. After a single race at the start of 1977, the car was raced by Keith Holland in four races later in the year, and then by Featherstone in the Australian Rothmans series in February 1978. To Gary Dumbrell (Australia) 1978, then to Bob Tomlinson 1978, and then to Salt Walther 1979 for the 1979 Rothmans series, but it may be that Lee Seaton of Thomson Motor Auctions owned it though this period. Sold to Ray Gibbs (Australia) September 1979 and kept by him until sold to Stuart Lush (Auckland, New Zealand) 2000, and raced at Historic Sandown that year and in 2001. Lush raced it in the Tasman Cup Revival series from 2003 to 2015, during which time it was also raced by Chris Hyde in the 2009/10 season and by Greg Thornton in the 2012/13 season. Lush also raced the car in England during the Kiwis' visits to the UK in 2005 and 2008, and at Road America in 2014. Lush sold it to its former driver Garry Dumbrell in 2016, and after Dumbrell died in October 2021, it was sold to Peter Brennan (Melbourne, Australia) in December 2021. More information about McRae GM1-015
  8. Surtees TS19 [04] (Divina Galica): Alan Jones received a new car, Surtees TS19/04, in time for the 1976 Austrian GP, and raced this for the rest of the season. It was raced by Vittorio Brambilla in the South American races at the start of 1977, before being sold to Olympus Cameras for Divina Galica to race in Shellsport Group 8. It was acquired by Alo Lawler in 1978, but was quickly sold to John Cooper, then to Robin Smith. Smith updated it to "TS20S" specification in 1980, and added sports car bodywork for a couple of Can-Am events in 1981. It was sold to Ken Moore and then Rod Tolhurst, both of whom ran it in HSCC F1 in 1983 for Willie Green and John Narcisi. Its next seven owners did not race it, but it returned to competition in TGP in 1999, then raced regularly until 2012. It returned for Monaco in 2016.
  9. Brabham BT36 [1] (John Tait): New to a new team, Rondel Racing, run by ex-MRD F1 chief mechanic Ron Dennis and ex-MRD F1 and Indy mechanic Neil Trundle, for Tim Schenken to race in F2 in 1971. Sold to dealer Bobby Howlings, and used by him in libre racing in March 1972. Then sold to Tate of Leeds (Racing) for Malcolm Wayne to race in Formula Atlantic, but leased to Graham Hill to use in the early F2 races at Thruxton and Hockenheim before his BT38 was delivered. Sold back to Howlings in May 1972, then to Arthur Moore for libre, but crashed on his debut. For Moore in libre again in 1973 with a Cosworth FVA engine, and in 1974 with a 1800cc Cosworth FVC. Then unknown for nearly two years before Howlings (yet again) raced it in Shellsport G8 in early 1976, again fitted with a 1800cc Cosworth FVC. To John Tait and used in Shellsport G8 in 1976 and 1977. To Eddy D'Hoe in Belgium in 1978, and hillclimbed with an FVA engine. To Regis Jumez 1980, and used in French hillclimbs. Later back via Howlings, who may have taken it back when he sold Jumez a Chevron B48, in 1984 to collector Anthony Mayman, then via John Harper and Ted Walker to Peter Williams in 1989. To Andrew Fellowes (Benowa, Queensland, Australia) 2002, then to Ian Rimmer in 2009. Sold by Rimmer to a customer of Damon Milnes in 2020, then sold again by Milnes to Leif Bosson (Helsingborg, Sweden) in 2022.
  10. March 74B [712M] (John Bowtell): John Bowtell (Witney, Oxfordshire) raced a March "73B" in British libre racing in 1975. He recalls that it was a 1971 car with 1973 modifications, and came from a garage in Salisbury, which would suggest a connection to Mike Sullivan of Riverside Garage in Salisbury, who ran a 712M in 1974 but who sold three Marches after that season. Bowtell modified the car over the next few seasons. He retained the car for 1976, initially for Indylantic, and then in Shellsport Group 8 races and libre, usually entering it as a 74B. He continued with it in libre in 1977, winning at least five races, and reappeared again with it in 1978, before replacing it with a "77P" for 1979. Subsequent history unknown.
  11. Trojan T101 [102] (Jim Kelly): See full history: Trojan T101/102.
  12. March 73B/74B (Rob Moffat): London-based Australian Rob Moffat raced a March 73B or 73B/74B in a few Indylantic races at the end of 1976, and then in the Shellsport Group 8 series in 1977. Nothing more known.
  13. Surtees TS15 (Jim Ravenscroft): John Burke (Eastleigh, Hampshire), the brother of John Surtees' wife Pat, acquired a Surtees TS15 in 1976, and it was raced in 1976 and 1977 by Jim Ravenscroft (Basingstoke, Hampshire) in libre events and in the ShellSPORT Group 8 series. Peter Hulme, who was involved in Ravenscroft's campaign, thinks it came directly from Surtees. It was run in the yellow colours of Burke's plant hire company. Nothing more known.
  14. March 752 [22] (Alan Baillie): New to Ron Dennis's Project Three Racing but using an early-season monocoque that had already been used by the work team. Raced by Patrick Depailler at Pau, then Vittorio Brambilla at Salzburgring, and by Bruno Pescia, Sandro Cinotti, Tim Schenken and Maurizio Flammini later in the season. Sold to John Nicholson for 1976, fitted with a Chevrolet Vega engine and used in F2 and in the Shellsport G8 series. To Alan Baillie for 1977, who fitted a Swindon BDX engine for libre, Shellsport and Aurora over the next three seasons. Subsequent history unknown.
  15. Lola T330 [HU21] (Robin Smith): See full history: Lola T330 HU21.
  16. Chevron B30 [30-75-01] (Mike Wilds): See full history: Chevron B30.

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.

1969-1976 UK results have been researched and collated by Chris Townsend based primarily on material in Autosport and Motoring News. Information has been added from the growing collection of entry lists from programs.

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.