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Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship Race

Silverstone, 2 Mar 1980

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Stefan Johansson March 803 [20 or 21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#1 Project Four Racing
20 18m 32.36s
104.08 mph
2 Kenneth Acheson March 803 [9] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#8 RMC Group [Murray Taylor Racing]
20 18m 37.43s
3 Mike Blanchet Lola T770/2 [T770 HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#30 SDC Buiilders
20 18m 40.72s
4 Nigel Mansell March 803 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#12 March Racing Ltd
20 18m 41.84s
5 Roberto Guerrero Argo JM6 [039-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#4 Anglia Cars
20 18m 42.53s
6 Bernard Devaney March 793 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#16 Derek McMahon Racing
20 18m 45.71s
7 David Sears Argo JM6 [043-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#3 Rushen Green Racing
20 18m 47.14s
8 Mike O'Brien March 803 [10] - Chevrolet Vega Titan
#9 National Girobank
20 18m 48.36s
9 Peré (Pedro) Noguès Argo JM6 [038-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#2 Real Automovil Club Catalunya
20 18m 50.08s
10 Mike White March 803 [2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#11 Autowindscreens with Gerard Racing
20 18m 51.12s
11 John Village Ralt RT1/78 [115] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#15
20 18m 51.44s
12 Thierry Tassin Argo JM6 [042-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#5 Anglia Cars
20 18m 53.92s
13 Eddie Jordan March 803 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#7 Marlboro Team Ireland (see note 1)
20 18m 58.71s
14 Gerry Amato March 783/793 [783-5] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#14 Gerry Amato Racing (see note 2)
20 19m 22.84s
15 Phil Silverstone Argo JM6 [041-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#41
20 19m 23.51s
R Rick Whyman Chevron B43 [43.78.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#24 (see note 3)
Puncture/Radiator
R Terry Gray Ralt RT1/78 [139] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#47
Stripped gear
DNP Tony Norton March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite 4
(see note 4)
Did not take part in official practice

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Stefan Johansson (F3) 2-litre March 803 [20 or 21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.96s
2 Kenneth Acheson (F3) 2-litre March 803 [9] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.11s
3 Roberto Guerrero (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [039-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.12s
4 Mike Blanchet (F3) 2-litre Lola T770/2 [T770 HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.15s
5 Nigel Mansell (F3) 2-litre March 803 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.21s
6 Thierry Tassin (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [042-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.35s
7 David Sears (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [043-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.36s
8 Bernard Devaney (F3) 2-litre March 793 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.55s
9 Eddie Jordan (F3) 2-litre March 803 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.63s
10 Mike O'Brien (F3) 2-litre March 803 [10] - Chevrolet Vega Titan 55.67s
11 Peré (Pedro) Noguès (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [038-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.68s
12 John Village (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [115] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.92s
13 Mike White (F3) 2-litre March 803 [2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 56.09s
14 Terry Gray (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [139] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 56.69s
15 Rick Whyman (F3) 2-litre Chevron B43 [43.78.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 56.87s
16 Phil Silverstone (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [041-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 57.54s
17 Gerry Amato (F3) 2-litre March 783/793 [783-5] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 57.65s

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 803 [16] (Eddie Jordan): Sold to Eddie Jordan 18 Jan 1980. Used in first part of 1980 season, then rented out, and for sale with chassis number (Autosport 5 Feb 1981 p47). To Roger Cowman (Belper, Derbyshire) for Ian Shaw then subsequently to Tony Norton. Retained 1982.
  2. March 783/793 [783-5] (Gerry Amato): Shown in March records for 1978 as delivered to Daniel Herregods, 19 January 1978, colour yellow with tub 78M25. To Rob Wilson in 1979 to replace his tiring Ralt RT1 and updated to 1979 specification. Autosport notes ‘ex Herregods’ and chassis number noted by F1R at Snetterton in August 1979. Sold to Gerry Amato for 1980 season, Autosport notes his car as ‘ex Wilson 1979’. Retained by Amato until 1982 then sold to Greg and Tim Atkinson.
  3. Chevron B43 [43.78.07] (Rick Whyman): New to Chevron Racing Team for Patrick Gaillard to race in the European F3 championship in 1978. Sold to Barry Green for British F3 in 1979, and rented by Fred Opert Racing for Manuel Tolama to drive at the Monaco GP F3 event that year. To Rick Whyman for British F3 in 1980, then driven by Trevor Wigglesworth from August onwards after Whyman bought a March 793. Raced again by Wigglesworth for Rick Whyman Racing in 1981.
  4. March 773 [3] (Tony Norton): 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.

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

Autosport 6 Mar 1980 pp40-41, Motoring News 6 Mar 1980 p5