Forward Trust Formula Three Championship

Thruxton, 17 Jun 1973

All cars are 1.6-litre F3 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 733 [13] (Leonel Friedrich): New to Brazilian driver Leonel Friedrich (Porto Alegre, Brazil) and run for him by Peter Bloore Racing in the 1973 British Formula 3 season. Friedrich had not sat in a single-seater racing car before, but was the 1972 1600cc class Brazilian Touring Car Champion. For a novice, he was impressively quick straight away, eighth fastest in practice at his first race, and finishing second four times in his first dozen F3 races. His March was fitted with Holbay engines except for a brief mid-season flirtation with Novamotors. The car was then hired to another young Brazilian Alex Dias Ribeiro, and run for him by Angeleri March Racing Brazil in two races at the very end of the season. Subsequent history unknown.
2. March 733 [3] (Russell Wood): New to Russell Wood and run for him in the British F3 series by Peter Bloore Racing with backing from The Chequered Flag. Wood won three early round of the championship but had a heavy accident at Zandvoort in May and did not win again. Sold to Australian Ian Douglass for 1974 and rebuilt for Australian F2, using various 742 bits. The car was involved in a fire during private testing at Oran Park after the Lakeside race in December 1974 and was completely burnt to the ground.
3. March 733 [723-1] (Buzz Buzaglo): New to the STP March Racing Team for Roger Williamson to drive in two late-1971 rounds of the British F3 series. The drive was taken over by James Hunt for the 1972 season, then by Russell Wood at Monaco and the next few races, and then by Jochen Mass. To Buzz Buzaglo for 1973, updated to 733 specification and raced in British F3. To Chris Oates for 1974 but not raced by him. In September 1974, the car was quicky prepared for Brian Henton to drive at Brands Hatch, as his usual works March 743 had been hired out to a Brazilian driver. Henton won the race, but then returned to his usual car for the rest of the season. The Oates car was then rebuilt by March as a 743 for Ken Silverstone to race in 1975. It was given a new 743 chassis plate by March at this piunt, so it's connection to 723-1 effectively ceases, and it should be regarded as a new car from that point.
4. Brabham BT41 [11] (Johnny Gerber): Initially a Motor Racing Developments entry for Tony Trimmer for the opening race of 1973, then becoming an Ippokampos Racing entry for Johnny Gerber until August 1973. Last seen when Gerber retired with clutch trouble at Brands Hatch on 19 August 1973. Not seen again.
5. Royale RP11 [5] (Simon Sherman): New to Simon Sherman (London) and raced in British F3 in 1972. Retained for 1973, but did not start many races. At Mallory Park in April 1974, Sherman entered the car again in the now 2000cc F3 in 1974 but still with its 1600cc engine. He was slowest of all in practice and his race ended with engine failure. Four months later, Sherman and his friend and mechanic John Chubb, a London garage owner, were both entered in the car at Silverstone, Sherman in the F3 race and Chubb in a libre race. Neither appears to have taken part. The engine in the car for Chubb's race was given as 1600cc, suggesting they were still using the original Vegantune engines. Chubb was entered for two more races later in 1974, both at Thruxton, but it is unclear whether he took part. Sherman advertised the car in Autosport in November 1974 from an 01-629 number as a RP11A with Vegantune engine and ready to race. Subsequent history unknown.
6. GRD 373 [372 025-F3] (John MacDonald): New to Reystan Racing Ltd for Masami Kuwashima to drive in British F3 in 1972, using Holbay engines. To John MacDonald for British F3 in 1973, when it was described as being the remains of Kuwashima's 1972 car built up around a new tub. Raced until October 1973, when it was said to have been sold to Ireland. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Royale RP11 [3] (John Sheldon): New to The Chequered Flag for Ian Ashley in British F3 in 1972. The team were a frequent non-arrival from July onwards, even when Brian McGuire replaced Ian Ashley as the nominated driver. Sold to John Sheldon (Surbiton, Surrey) for 1973 and raced in the British F3 series. Last seen at Mallory Park in August 1973. Bought from Sheldon by Ken Davies (Kittle, Swansea, South Wales) with two Vegantune twin cam engines, and used by him in the 1600cc class of hillclimbs and sprints in 1974. Then sold to Kaj Madsen (Denmark) for Jan K Pedersen to race in F3 in 1975 and 1976. At some point the car returned to England and was offered by Roger Orgee (Bristol) to Ken Davies, in case he wanted to buy it back. Subsequent history unknown.
8. Royale RP11A [RP11-6] (Val Musetti): New factory car for Tom Pryce to drive, replacing the one wrecked at the 1972 Monaco GP F3 race. To Reystan Racing for 1973 for Andy Sutcliffe to drive, but Sutcliffe left the team in April, and his seat was taken over by Val Musetti, who had written off his own RP11 in testing. Raced by Musetti through to the end of the season. Converted to Formula Atlantic specification for 1974 with Wood and Nicholson BDA engines and raced by Musetti in the British championship up to May. Sold later in the year to Mike Franey (London) and raced in libre racing with a Nicholson BDA. Raced by Franey in a couple of British Formula Atlantic races in early 1975 with a Gray BDA. He then acquired a much newer Chevron B27 and the subsequent history of the Royale is unknown.
9. Alexis Mk20 ['1'] (Alan Edgar): New to Team Alexis and entered for Allan Taylor and Allan McCully to drive in Formula 3 races in August, September and October 1971, using Vegatune twin cam engines. The car was then sold to Alan Edgar (Birmingham) and converted to Formula Atlantic specification, still using Vegatune twin cam engines. Edgar made a lot of entries during 1971 but rarely appeared, and when he did practice, it is unclear whether he started. His only definite race in the Alexis was at Silverstone on 28 August 1972, where he was penalised 10 seconds for not recording a practice time and then retired from the race. He advertised it in September that year, describing it as a "unique F/Atlantic rolling chassis" with a Hewland Mk 8 gearbox. It did not sell, and Edgar continued to enter it again in 1973, this time for a series of Formula 3 races, without making any known appearance. Subsequent history unknown.
10. GRD 372 (S.N. (Norman) Moffett): After struggling with his March 723 in British F3 early in 1973, Roger Williamson swapped to a GRD 372 in mid-April. The car was provided by his sponsor Tom Wheatcroft, and the car he first raced was described as the development model when Williamson tested it briefly at Snetterton. Autosport said he drove the development car on his GRD debut at Silverstone's International Trophy, but Motoring News noticed that GRD had managed to produce his new car ahead of schedule. With mechanics Eric Hassel and Nick Jordan, and using Holbay engines, Williamson won on his debut in the car. He also raced the new car at Monaco, but flew back to race the "original GRD prototype previously raced by Sutcliffe" at Silverstone the next day. At Oulton Park in August he had a huge accident in practice, so the team built up the ex-Sutcliffe prototype for him to race. Presumably he raced the prototype at the next two races, over that same Bank Holiday weekend, before returning to his regular car for the races in September and October. He won ten races in total to take the BRSCC/Shell F3 title. The car was then sold to Norman Moffett (Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) who raced it in British F3 through 1973. It was advertised by Moffets Car Sales (Belfast, Northern Ireland) in December 1973. 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.

These British Formula 3 results have been compiled by Chris Townsend using the main British magazines Autosport and Motoring News but also the US magazine On Track which carried surprisingly good coverage of the British series.

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.