OldRacingCars.com

Forward Trust Formula Three Championship

Silverstone, 9 Sep 1973

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Brian Henton Ensign LNF3/73 - Ford twin cam Holbay R73
#23
15 14m 48.0s
97.78 mph
2 Richard Robarts March 733 [24] - Ford twin cam Holbay R73
#11 Myson Racing
15 14m 48.2s
3 Tony Brise March 733 [21] - Ford twin cam Holbay R73
#4 Team Kent Messenger Racing
15 14m 49.0s
4 Masami Kuwashima March 733 [18] - Ford twin cam Holbay R73
#8 Reystan Racing
15 14m 53.6s
5 Tony Rouff GRD 373 [050-F3] - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#22 AB3 Racing Developments
15 14m 55.4s
6 Mo Harness March 733 [25] - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#9 Team Modus Racing with Shellsport
15 14m 56.0s
7 Buzz Buzaglo March 733 [723-1] - Ford twin cam
#12
15 14m 56.8s
8 Andy Sutcliffe March 733 - Ford twin cam Holbay R73
#15 Chris Andrews
15 14m 59.0s
9 Nicholas von Preussen March 733 [12] - Ford twin cam Novamotor
#14 P&M Racing Preparations Ltd
15 15m 08.4s
10 Thomas B Hilliar Ensign LNF3/73 [73.15] - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#32
15 15m 19.4s
11 Jimmy Fuller Brabham BT38C [19] - Ford twin cam Holbay
#40 ADM Business Systems Ltd (see note 1)
15 15m 25.4s
12 Frank Scurria Ensign LNF3/72 - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#33
15 15m 26.0s
13 Marco Tessiore GRD 373 - Ford twin cam Holbay R73
#19 DART Racing with GRD
14 15m 13.2s
14 Angelo Piccione March 733 [27] - Ford twin cam Novamotor
#7 Angeleri March Racing
11 15m 05.4s
R Mike Wilds March 733 [26] - Ford twin cam Holbay R73
#5 Dempster International Racing Team
(see note 2)
14 Collision with Elton
R Spencer Elton Ensign LNF3/72 - Ford twin cam
#34 (see note 3)
13 Spun at Becketts, hit by Wilds
R S.N. (Norman) Moffett GRD 372 - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#26 (see note 4)
8 Accident in pits
R John MacDonald GRD 373 [372 025-F3] - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#25 (see note 5)
7 Pulled off at Becketts
DNS Wilf Churchill Alpine - Renault
#41
Did not start
DNA Matt Spitzley March 733 [7] - Ford twin cam Brown
#1
Did not arrive
DNA José Espírito Santo March 733 [6] - Ford twin cam Mohr
#2
Did not arrive
DNA Russell Wood March 733 [3] - Ford twin cam Novamotor
#3 The Chequered Flag (see note 6)
Did not arrive
DNA "Teleco" March 733 [15] - Ford twin cam
#6 Angeleri March Racing Brazil
Did not arrive
DNA Leonel Friedrich March 733 [13] - Ford twin cam Holbay
#10 (see note 7)
Did not arrive
DNA Jeremy Gambs GRD 373 [070-F3] - Ford twin cam
#27
Did not arrive
DNA Rod Smith GRD 372 [030-F3] - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#28 ADM Business Systems Ltd (see note 8)
Did not arrive
DNA Mike Tyrrell Ensign LNF3 - Ford twin cam
#31
Did not arrive
DNA Val Musetti Royale RP11A [6] - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#35 (see note 9)
Did not arrive
DNA Simon Sherman Royale RP11 [5] - Ford twin cam
#36 (see note 10)
Did not arrive
DNA John Sheldon Royale RP11 [3] - Ford twin cam Vegantune
#37 (see note 11)
Did not arrive
DNA Randy Lewis Brabham BT41 [16] - Ford twin cam
#39 Wrangler Racing Team (see note 12)
Did not arrive
DNA Mike Catlow Elden Mk12 - Ford twin cam
#43 Mitford Group-Team Elden
Did not arrive

All cars are 1.6-litre F3 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Mike Wilds (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 [26] - Ford twin cam Holbay R73 0.57.6
2 Richard Robarts (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 [24] - Ford twin cam Holbay R73 0.58.2
3 Tony Brise (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 [21] - Ford twin cam Holbay R73 0.58.4
4 Brian Henton (F3) 1.6-litre Ensign LNF3/73 - Ford twin cam Holbay R73 0.58.4
5 Buzz Buzaglo (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 [723-1] - Ford twin cam 0.58.4
6 Mo Harness (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 [25] - Ford twin cam Vegantune 0.58.6
7 Masami Kuwashima (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 [18] - Ford twin cam Holbay R73 0.58.8
8 Tony Rouff (F3) 1.6-litre GRD 373 [050-F3] - Ford twin cam Vegantune 0.58.8
9 Andy Sutcliffe (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 - Ford twin cam Holbay R73 0.58.8
10 John MacDonald (F3) 1.6-litre GRD 373 [372 025-F3] - Ford twin cam Vegantune 0.59.0
11 Nicholas von Preussen (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 [12] - Ford twin cam Novamotor 0.59.2
12 Frank Scurria (F3) 1.6-litre Ensign LNF3/72 - Ford twin cam Vegantune 0.59.8
13 Thomas B Hilliar (F3) 1.6-litre Ensign LNF3/73 [73.15] - Ford twin cam Vegantune 1.00.2
14 Marco Tessiore (F3) 1.6-litre GRD 373 - Ford twin cam Holbay R73 1.00.6
15 S.N. (Norman) Moffett (F3) 1.6-litre GRD 372 - Ford twin cam Vegantune 1.00.61
16 Jimmy Fuller (F3) 1.6-litre Brabham BT38C [19] - Ford twin cam Holbay 1.01.0
17 Spencer Elton (F3) 1.6-litre Ensign LNF3/72 - Ford twin cam 1.01.8
18 Wilf Churchill * (F3) 1.6-litre Alpine - Renault 1.02.2
19 Angelo Piccione (F3) 1.6-litre March 733 [27] - Ford twin cam Novamotor 1.04.8
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Brabham BT38C [19] (Jimmy Fuller): New to Canadian driver Chris O'Brien and raced in British F3 in 1972 using Holbay engines. To Jimmy Fuller for 1973, again in British F3 and again using Holbay engines. Advertised by Fuller from Sunbury-on-Thames as a "BT38/41" with two rebuilt Novamotor twin-cams, a spare monocoque and bodywork for £2,250 in November 1973. Formula 3 changed to 2000cc for 1974, and the BT38C was sold to David Taylor (Formy, Lancashire, later Merseyside) for Kim Mather to race in British Formula Atlantic in 1974. When the car first appeared, it had a RES BDA engine and still used F3 wheels, Mather recalling that he "just dropped a BDA in it". By the end of May it had a Richardson BDA and wider wheels, but it was still far off the pace of the leading cars, and this turned out to be its last Atlantic race. Taylor also used the car in sprints at Longridge, and Mather won two libre races at Aintree. Taylor advertised the car in September, complete with Richardson BDA, for £2,200 and sold it to Ted Payne (Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham). Payne had raced a BT38 earlier in the season with a Vegantune engine, but it appears he had sold that car and had bought Taylor's very similar one with its Richardson engine. Payne continued to race the car in 1975, and entry lists show that it was black with a Richardson engine, and generally entered as a BT38-40. It was advertised by Payne in November 1975 as a BT38/40 with a recently rebuilt Cosworth BDA engine, and with a spare monocoque. It was bought by Andrew Wareing (Kirkham, Fylde, Lancashire), whose recollection is that it came from Joe Applegarth, but Applegarth says he never owned a BT38. Wareing used it in sprints and libre in 1976. He advertised it in September 1976 as a BT38/40 with BDA engine, 10" and 14" wheels and a spare tub, and recalls that it went to a family of hillclimbers, father and sons. This must be John Hart (East Dulwich, London), who after hillclimbing a Brabham BT18 in 1976, transferred its Cosworth FVA engine into a Brabham BT38 for 1977. Hart recalls buying the BT38 in the Isle of Man, but it is quite plausible that the car had acquired an Isle of Man event sticker if Wareing had competed in one of the Longton & DCC events on the island. Hart raced this car in hillclimbs and sprints through 1977, being joined by his son Greg later that season. The pair retained the BT38 for 1978 but Greg wrecked it in a major accident at Shelsley Walsh in August, which he was lucky to escape. The car was briskly rebuilt using a BT40 monocoque acquired from MRD and raced again at Gurston Down just two weeks later. The car was renamed 'Hart JG79' for 1979, fitted with a 1600cc Richardson FVA and raced by Greg and John in 1979 and 1980. Doug Hart recalls that the BT40 was sold to Paul Squires, "who sadly died at a young age and before he finished the car". Subsequent history unknown.
  2. March 733 [26] (Mike Wilds): New to Dempster International Racing Team for Mike Wilds to drive in F3 from July 1973 onwards, replacing the 1972/73 Ensign with which he had started the season. It was then sold to Graham Watts (Faringham) for hillclimbs, appearing at Prescott in March 1974, when the car had a 1600cc Holbay engine. During 1975, the car was bought by Terry Smith (Felton, Somerset) to replace his highly successful 1-litre Vixen Imp. Smith raced the March in sprints and hillclimbs through the rest of 1975 and through 1976, using a 1600cc Holbay Ford twin cam engine, but in the summer of 1976, bought the ex-F1 McLaren M14D. The March was sold to Geoff Hunt (Andover, Hampshire), again with the Holbay twin cam, and used in sprints for quite a few years. Eventually traded to Richard Speakman for the ex-F3 Pilbeam MP51. Subsequent history unknown.
  3. Ensign LNF3/72 (Spencer Elton): New to Jeremy Gambs and raced in British F3 in 1972. Loaned to Alan McKechnie for Bob Evans at one race, and also raced by Gambs girlfriend Lorina Boughton, and by Reg James during that season. Sold to hillclimber Spencer Elton (Westbury, Wiltshire) for 1973 and raced in some F3 races. To David Way (Melksham, Wiltshire), fitted with a 1098cc Holbay engine and run in hillclimbs and sprints in 1974 in the 1100cc racing car class. Way bought the Cosworth FVA engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox from Gordon Brooks' wrecked Lotus 69 and fitted it to the Ensign for 1975. He raced it in this form up to 1979. Then sold to somebody in Dursley, thought to be Pete Morys, and then to Josie Tolhurst. For sale by Lenham Racing in 1986. Subsequent history unknown.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. GRD 372 [030-F3] (Rod Smith): Entered by GRS International for Ian Taylor and Barrie Maskell in British F3 in late 1972, using Holbay and Vegantune engines. To Reystan Racing for Masami Kuwashima for a few races in early 1973 until Kuwashima acquired a March 733, but this 1973 car has also been identified as chassis 033. Then entered by Reystan partner John Stanton for Richard Knight to drive (as a 373) for two races in May 1973. Then to Rod Smith and entered for him by ADM Business Systems Ltd from September onwards, but "totalled" in an accident during practice for the race at Brands Hatch in early November 1973.
  9. Royale RP11A [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 and raced by Musetti in the British championship up to May. Sold later in the year to Mike Franey and raced in libre racing. Raced by Franey in a couple of British Formula Atlantic races in 1975. Subsequent history unknown.
  10. Royale RP11 [5] (Simon Sherman): New to Simon Sherman and raced in British F3 in 1972. Retained for 1973, but did not start many races. Sherman entered the car for a few races in 1974 but only started one race. Subsequent history unknown.
  11. 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. Subsequent history unknown.
  12. Brabham BT41 [16] (Randy Lewis): New to Randy Lewis in 1973.

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.