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Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship Race

Donington Park, 31 Jul 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Eje Elgh Chevron B38 [38.77.10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#1
20 23m 59.8s
97.87 mph
2 Thorkild Thyrring Chevron B38 [38.77.18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#22 (see note 1)
20 24m 01.4s
3 Derek Daly Chevron B38 [38.77.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
20 24m 03.0s
4 Brett Riley March 773 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 2)
20 24m 04.4s
5 Geoff Brabham Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 3)
20 24m 08.8s
6 Derek Warwick Chevron B38 [38.77.05] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
20 24m 11.2s
7 Tiff Needell March 773 [763-9] - Triumph Dolomite 4
(see note 4)
20 24m 13.8s
8 Mario Pati Ralt RT1/77 [77] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Automovel Clube Paulista
20 24m 23.0s
9 Aryon Cornelsen Filho March 773 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 5)
20 24m 23.4s
10 Patrick Gaillard Chevron B38 [37.77.21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 6)
20 24m 30.0s
R Juan Villaceros Ralt RT1/77 [58] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
18 Accident damage
R Ian Flux Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
17 Accident damage
R Philippe Colonna Chevron B38 [38.77.24] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Docking Racing (see note 7)
15 Collision with Villaceros
R Geoff Lees Chevron B38 [38.77.09-2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 8)
2 Suspension damage from collision with Flux
R Ian Taylor March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite 4
(see note 9)
Engine
R James King March 773 [U2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 10)
Hit by Colonna
DNSF John Bright Wheatcroft R18 [006?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 11)
Did not start final
DNQH Luis Canomanuel Ralt RT1/77 [57] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Pierre Dieudonné Ehrlich ES6 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Richard Morgan Anson SA2 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Alejandro 'Janito' Campos Argo JM1 [001?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Fernando Jorge Ralt RT1/77 [82] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Bruce Coate-Bond March 753 [16 or 18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Les Duncan March 753 [9] - Ford twin cam Neil Brown
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Stephen South March 773 [T1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH John Stokes Chevron B38 [38.77.25] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Bogarts Racing Birmingham (see note 12)
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Chris Farrell Chevron B38 [38.77.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 13)
Did not qualify from heats
DNQH Mario Ferraris March 773 [U1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
(see note 14)
Did not qualify from heats
(Is car uncertain (no c/n in CT's file))

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Heat 1 Laps Time Speed
1Geoff Brabham150.18.02.097.68 mph
2Ian Flux150.18.05.2
3Derek Warwick150.18.06.4
4Eje Elgh150.18.07.4
5Ian Taylor
6James King
7Patrick Gaillard
8Philippe Colonna
Aryon Cornelsen Filhounknown
Richard Morganunknown
Luis Canomanuel2Collision
Pierre Dieudonné2Collision
Heat 2 Laps Time Speed
1Thorkild Thyrring150.18.02.297.66 mph
2Derek Daly150.18.02.8
3Brett Riley150.18.04.0
4Geoff Lees150.18.07.8
5Tiff Needell
6John Bright
7Mario Pati
Juan Villacerosunknown
Stephen South4Holed radiator
Qualifying
1 Geoff Brabham (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
2 Thorkild Thyrring (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
3 Derek Daly (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
4 Brett Riley (F3) 2-litre March 773 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
5 Ian Flux (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
6 Derek Warwick (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.05] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
7 Eje Elgh (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
8 Geoff Lees (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.09-2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
9 Tiff Needell (F3) 2-litre March 773 [763-9] - Triumph Dolomite 4
10 Ian Taylor (F3) 2-litre March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite 4

Notes on the cars:

  1. Chevron B38 [38.77.18] (Thorkild Thyrring): New to Chevron Racing Team for Thorkild Thyrring to race in British F3 in 1977, entered by Marlboro Jockey Todenskjold. Borrowed by Jim Crawford for a race at Mallory Park in September, and by Divina Galica for a race at Thruxton. Raced by Crawford again at the start of 1978 but wrecked in an accident at Thruxton at the end of March. Salageable parts were used in a new Chevron B43.
  2. March 773 [10] (Brett Riley): According to March records delivered in March 1977 to AFMP Euroracing, and subsequently given to Brett Riley in lieu of his contractual payments when the Euroracing set-up was dissolved. (This does not mean the car was Riley’s early season car in 1977; he used at least two before the team collapsed, neither of which were necessarily this car.) Run by David Price for Riley in the second half of 1977 and used to win the European round at Donington. Chassis number given in Autosport advert late in 1977 by Price. Sold to Roy Kennedy [Motoring News 2 Mar 1978 p15] although Autosport 9 Mar 1978 p41 says the car is ‘ex James King’. (King used a works car - 773-U2 - for most of 1977 but it is possible he had a race in this car early in the season, however his principal car went in 1978 to Ian Flux.) Run by Kennedy for Saed Ali Hodzic until Hodzic was injured in practice at the International Trophy support race; then became a rental car but did very few races. For sale by Kennedy in early 1979, Autosport 22 Feb 1979 p57, but retained and rented to Serge Saulnier for the 1979 race at Monaco.
  3. Ralt RT1/76 [29] (Geoff Brabham): Ralt records show as sold to Geoff Brabham in 1976, probably being delivered in early June. Used by him until the end of 1978 then sold to Ken Thorogood's Hub of the Universe Racing for Osamu Hatagawa to use in British races.
  4. March 773 [763-9] (Tiff Needell): Shown in March records as sold to Tony Dron 12.1.76. This was the solitary Unipart car in 1976. Although Unipart ran two cars in 1977, they only bought one new car, converting the older car for Needell, the junior driver in the team. Some results credit Needell's car as being a 763.
  5. March 773 [13] (Aryon Cornelsen Filho): Shown in March records as a works car finished February 1977, on tub AM773-28 for Ayron Cornelson Filho. Also used by David Kennedy in 1977. Sold to John Bright in March 1978 to cover for his damaged Wheatcroft. Damaged badly by Bright and rebuilt on new tub in August. Retained by Bright in 1979 until wrecked at Snetterton.
  6. Chevron B38 [37.77.21] (Patrick Gaillard): New to Patrick Gaillard for British F3 in 1977. Sold to Jean-Louis Schlesser for European F3 in 1978, and run by him for KWS Motorsport. Sold to Bernard Birbés for French F3 and French hillclimbs (using a 1600cc Toyota engine) in 1979. To André Argeliès and run in French hillclimbs with a 1300cc Ford engine in 1981 and 1982. By 1987, this car had returned to England as was being raced in TF3 by Ian Jacobs.
  7. Chevron B38 [38.77.24] (Philippe Colonna): New to Alan Docking Racing for Philippe Colonna to race in British F3 in 1977. Retained by the Docking team for 1978, and raced by Philip Bullman and by Colonna in British F3. Unknown in 1979 but purchased by Eddie Heasell in early 1980 for British F3 and libre. Retained for libre in 1981.
  8. Chevron B38 [38.77.09-2] (Geoff Lees): To Chevron Racing Team for Geoff Lees to race in British F3 in 1977. Rebuilt on new monocoque 38-77-31 in time for Thruxton in June, where it was described as a brand new. Unknown after 1977 but may have gone to Japan where Koichi Sakamoto raced a Chevron B38 for most of 1978.
  9. March 773 [3] (Ian Taylor): March build records show sold to Unipart, 23 December 1976. Only one 773 is consigned to Unipart in the build records. Assumed that Taylor as senior driver would take the new car, a fact borne out by occasional references in 1977 to Needell being in a 763, the team's original car.
  10. March 773 [U2] (James King): March works records show this as James King's works car for 1977 built on a lightweight tub AM773-41 with parts from 763-U2. This would be the "ex-King" car sold to Ian Flux early in 1978, and raced by him in the 1978 British F3 series.
  11. Wheatcroft R18 [006?] (John Bright): Chassis 006 is believed to be the identity of the rebuilt car raced by John Bright (Leicester) in British Formula 3 following his massive accident at Cadwell Park in July 1977. Bright first drove the "rebuilt" car at Donington Park on the last day of July, and continued with it to the end of that season. He raced it again in 1978, but again crashed, at Brands Hatch in July, and this time the car did not reappear. Bright sold the R18 to Rhoddy Harvey-Bailey (Hilton, Derbyshire) and John Colley for 1979, and as part of the deal Bright rebuilt it to Formula Atlantic specification. It was raced by Harvey-Bailey, Colley and Ian Shaw, using Alan Smith BDA engines. It was also raced on one occasion by John Bright. It was advertised by Roger Cowman in September 1979 as "hardly used". Colley sold it to hillclimber Richard Barnes (Lichfield, Staffordshire), who fitted an 1100cc Cosworth BDJ and hillclimbed it for a while. He has retained the car in his collection since then.
  12. Chevron B38 [38.77.25] (John Stokes): New to John Stokes (Birmingham) and raced in British F3 in 1977, sponsored by Bogarts of Birmingham. Retained for 1978 and rented by Philippe Colonna for the Zolder F3 in Zolder after Colonna had wrecked his ex-Stephen South March at Zeltweg. Then raced again by Stokes until the end of August.
  13. Chevron B38 [38.77.02] (Chris Farrell): New to Chris Farrell for British F3 in 1977. To Barry Green for 1979, and run for him in British F3 by Fred Opert Racing. Last used by Green in July 1978, and then unknown until seen with Mike Brown in Sprints in 1984 …
  14. March 773 [U1] (Mario Ferraris): March works records show this as Mario Ferraris' works car for 1977 built on tub AM773-14 and rebuilt after Ferraris' Monaco accident on tub AM773-65. Sold in March 1978 to Neasrader Film Production for Richard Morgan according to the works records. Motoring News 30 Mar 1978 p11 says that Morgan's car is ex King, but we know from reports and the works records that King's main car was 773-U2. However, that car was damaged in the 1977 season and it is possible that King used 773-U1 after its rebuild as Ferraris' damaged wrist took longer to recover than the car did. Sold to John Bright in 1979 to replace his wrecked 773-13 and its identity eventually perhaps blurred with that car in a rebuild after a heavy accident.

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.

Individual sources for this event

Auto Hebdo 4 Aug 1977 p5.