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BP British Formula 3 Championship Race

Donington Park, 23 Jul 1978

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Derek Warwick Ralt RT1/77 [86] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#1 Warwick Trailers
20 27m 10.0s
86.46 mph
2 Nelson Piquet Ralt RT1/78 [131] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#25
20 27m 13.5s
3 Andrea de Cesaris Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#4 Marlboro Team Tiga
20 27m 30.9s
4 Trevor van Rooyen March 783 [21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#15 SDC (see note 1)
20 27m 48.0s
5 Tiff Needell March 783 [12] - Triumph Dolomite Swindon 4
#40 Unipart Racing Team
20 27m 50.0s
6 Stefan Johansson Argo JM1 [001?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#53 Anglia Cars Ltd
20 27m 59.3s
7 Geoff Brabham Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#11 (see note 2)
20 27m 59.6s
8 Fermin Veléz Ralt RT1/77 [58] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#7 Equipo Nacional Español
20 28m 15.0s
9 Ian Flux March 773 [U2] - Toyota 2T-G Holbay
#14 Cloud Engineering (see note 3)
20 28m 58.1s
10 Steve Malins Chevron B43 [43.78.20] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#22 (see note 4)
19
R Chico Serra March 783 [9 or 14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#13
Puncture
R John Stokes Chevron B38 [38.77.25] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#35 (see note 5)

R Gary Scott Ralt RT1/78 [116] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#20
Handling
UNK Barry Green Chevron B38 [38.77.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#24 Valvoline Fred Opert Racing
(see note 6)

UNK Brett Riley Ehrlich RP4 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#56 Dr. J. Ehrlich

UNK John Lewis Chevron B38 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#21

UNK Ken Silverstone Chevron B38 [38.77.05] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#18

UNK Wyatt Stanley March 753 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#46 (see note 7)

UNK Phil Silverstone Ralt RT1/77 [54] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#16 Cloud Engineering

DNS Jorge Caton Ralt RT1/77 [57] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#8 Equipo Nacional Español
Did not start
(Accident)
DNA Rob Wilson Ralt RT1/78 [98] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#31 ICL/Royal Grafton China
Did not arrive
DNA John Bright March 773 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#51 (see note 8)
Did not arrive
DNA Peré (Pedro) Noguès March 783 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#50 Rushen Green Racing (see note 9)
Did not arrive
DNA Satoru Nakajima Nova 513 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#12
Did not arrive
DNA Derek Lawrence Chevron B38 [38.77.10] - Chevrolet Vega
#28
Did not arrive
DNA TBA March 773 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#43 Roy Kennedy Racing (see note 10)
Did not arrive
DNA Paul Morton Hawke DL14 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#55
Did not arrive
DNA Stanley Dickens Ralt RT1/77 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#24
Did not arrive
DNA David Brotherston Chevron B34 [34-76-29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#48 (see note 11)
Did not arrive

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Nelson Piquet (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [131] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.16.1
2 Tiff Needell (F3) 2-litre March 783 [12] - Triumph Dolomite Swindon 4 1.16.5
3 Derek Warwick (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [86] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.17.6
4 Chico Serra (F3) 2-litre March 783 [9 or 14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.17.8
5 Andrea de Cesaris (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.18.1
6 John Stokes (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.25] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.18.3
7 Ian Flux (F3) 2-litre March 773 [U2] - Toyota 2T-G Holbay 1.18.3
8 Trevor van Rooyen (F3) 2-litre March 783 [21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.18.3
9 Barry Green (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.18.5
10 Gary Scott (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [116] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.19.0
11 Jorge Caton * (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [57] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.19.0
12 Geoff Brabham (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.19.0
13 Brett Riley (F3) 2-litre Ehrlich RP4 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.19.2
14 Fermin Veléz (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [58] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.19.2
15 Stefan Johansson (F3) 2-litre Argo JM1 [001?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.19.9
16 Steve Malins (F3) 2-litre Chevron B43 [43.78.20] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.21.4
17 John Lewis (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.22.2
18 Ken Silverstone (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.05] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.22.7
19 Wyatt Stanley (F3) 2-litre March 753 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.28.1
20 Phil Silverstone (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [54] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.30.5
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 783 [21] (Trevor van Rooyen): Shown in March records for 1978 as completed as a team car, 17 March 1978, with tub 78M43. This was the only works car built in 1978 and is the car debuted by Nigel Mansell at Silverstone, 19 March 1978, when race reports describe it as brand new. Used by Mansell in the early part of the season then by Snobeck, van Rooyen, Bullman and Hatagawa.
  2. 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.
  3. March 773 [U2] (Ian Flux): 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.
  4. Chevron B43 [43.78.20] (Steve Malins): New to Steve Malins to race in the British F3 series, replacing a Chevron B38 that was wreitten off in a testying accident at Donington in early May. He was sponsored by Malins (Mamod) Ltd. The car was rented from Malins by Bernard Devaney for two races. Malins retained the car for 1979, but was very rarely seen.
  5. 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.
  6. Chevron B38 [38.77.02] (Barry Green): 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 …
  7. March 753 [14] (Wyatt Stanley): Originally a car belonging to the B&O team in 1975, when used by Pierre Dieudonné. Chassis number for this car and its sister, driven by Hervé Regout, observed by AF at Oulton Park 4 October 1975. Sold to Ken Silverstone for the 1976 season [Autosport 2 Sep 1976 p33 says his car is ‘ex Dieudonné.) To Wyatt Stanley in mid 1977 and retained by him for the 1978 season.
  8. March 773 [13] (John Bright): 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.
  9. March 783 [10] (Peré (Pedro) Noguès): Shown in March records for 1978 as delivered to Rushen Green Racing 29 March 1978, colour blue, with tub 78M42. Pedro Nogues joined Serra at Rushen Green from the end of April, with a blue 783. Retained into 1979. This chassis number observed on the hillclimb car of Tom Hart (Beckenham, Greater London) in the 1600cc class in 1981. To Barrie Dutnall (Gillingham, Kent) in 1983 and 1984, then to Billy MacMillan (Darvel, East Ayrshire, Scotland) and fitted with a Cosworth BDG, then to Bill Wood (Edinburgh) at the end of 1986. Wood did not enjoy it, and it was sold via David Keogh or Paul Rendle at the end of 1987 to Chris Drewett (Harbury, Warwickshire). Raced by Drewett from 1988 to 2002. Sold by Drewett via Paul Matty to Andrew Peach, and presumably the March 782 raced by him in the HSCC Derek Bell Trophy in 2004.
  10. March 773 [10] (TBA): 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.
  11. Chevron B34 [34-76-29] (David Brotherston): New to Rupert Keegan in July 1976 and raced in the British F3 series with British Air Ferries sponsorship, winning three races and clinching the BP BARC title for Keegan. To David Brotherston (Edinburgh, Scotland) for 1978, and raced in the British F3 series. Brotherston continued to use the car in 1979 and 1980, again in British F3, after which he sold the car to Bob Howlings. Then to Bob Baxter (Saffron Walden, Essex) for Formule Libre towards the end of the 1981 season. Later to Alastair Ferguson, and used by him in TF3 in 1987. It was unused from the late 1990s until 2007, when Ferguson sold it to Hugh Price. Price had it completely rebuilt to Keegan's BAF livery with a view to racing it in the Classic F3 series in 2008. It was sold to Bruce Bartell in 2009, and raced by him in HSCC events, then by his son Maxim Bartell in Classic F3 from 2014 to 2017.

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

MN 27.7.78 p. 6, Prog: BARC