Yellow Pages Championship Round

Brands Hatch, 12 Sep 1971

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Atl unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Palliser WDB4 [2] (Vern Schuppan): New for Vern Schuppan to drive as the Palliser Racing entry in the British Formula Atlantic series, built in April 1971. This new car was built on a quite different spaceframe chassis fabricated by Bert Ray, using bigger tubes and with a larger rollhoop. It was first driven by Hugh Dibley at Castle Combe in April but did not start. Then raced by Schuppan to win a libre race at Thruxton two weeks later, and then in Formula Atlantic, winning the 1971 Yellow Pages Championship. It was then sold to Dave Handford (Chingola, Zambia) in January 1972. It was later acquired by Fred Goddard in Zimbabwe, then called Rhodesia, and he raced it in the South African Formula Atlantic series in 1976, using a Broadspeed BDA engine. It was then sold to Ronnie Watt, and in 1980 it was fitted with a Mazda engine for Mike Wesson, whom Watt had been sponsoring in FV, to drive in Formula SA events. It was then retained by Watt until 2010, when he sold it to Ian Hebblethwaite. Hebblethwaite has fully restored the car to 1971 specification.
2. Brabham BT29 [19] (Norman Cuthbert): Sold to Steve Matchett but remained unraced in 1970. To Norman Cuthbert for 1971 and raced in British Formula Atlantic, at first with a Ford twin cam and then with a BDA later in the season. To John Sabourin for 1972 and continued in Formula Atlantic, and then briefly in libre racing in 1973. Sabourin recalls part-trading it to Bobby Howlings for a Chevron B19/B23. The BT29 is then believed to be the "nipple pink" BT29/35 raced by Mike Chapman (Preston/Blackburn) and Mike Utley (Preston) in sprints, hillclimbs and libre racing from 1974 to 1977. Then firmly identified as the car raced by a southern English hillclimber between 1978 and 1987. Subsequent history withheld.
3. Chevron B18C [18.A.71.1] (Cyd Williams): New to Graham Eden and delivered just in time for the Oulton Park Formula Atlantic race on 21 March 1971, the second round of the British series. Eden retired from driving shortly after and recruited Cyd Williams to drive the car. Williams won seven championship rounds and finished second in the 1971 championship. Eden ordered Ensigns for 1972 but cancelled the order and bought March 722s instead. Williams continued to drive the Chevron until his 722 arrived and won three of the first six rounds of the 1972 series. The car was later displayed at the London Racing Car show, where it was bought by Canadian Bob Armstrong (Winnipeg, Manitoba) for the Canadian Formula B series in 1973. Armstrong appeared in the early rounds of the series but made little impact and wasn't seen after June. Subsequent history unknown.
4. Lotus 69 [59-XB/F3-38] (Peter Wardle): New to Peter Wardle (Wimbledon, London) for European Formula Ford in 1970. Rebuilt to Formula Atlantic specification for 1971, and raced by Wardle in the British series that season, winning one round at Oulton Park in August. Retained by Wardle for 1972. Sold to Gary Ainscough (Bulawayo, Rhodesia) for 1973, and fitted with a 1800cc Cosworth FVC engine for the F2 class of the South African national championship. Retained for 1974 and 1975, after which it was sold to Richard Baker (Johannesburg, South Africa), and raced by him with the HRCR in South Africa. It was restored in 1999, and sold to England in 2000, where it has been used in historic racing. From 2011 to 2016, it was raced by David Hampton (South Leverton, Nottinghamshire) fitted with a 2-litre Cosworth BDG engine.
5. Lotus 69 [71/69.1] (Chris Oates): Number given in Lotus build record for the car sold to Chris Oates (Kimberley, Notts) for 1971 (an unusual number since it does not include a formula code, and this is not the same car as 71/69.1.FB which was sold in North America). Entered by Alida Else Racing Team for Oates in Formula Atlantic and libre racing in 1971. To Bernard Hunter (Edinburgh, Scotland) for libre and sprints in Scotland in 1972. To John Barr (Edinburgh, Scotland) and used in libre, sprints and hillclimbs in 1973 and 1974. To Bob Rollo (Prestonpans, Scotland) for libre racing in 1975 and 1976.
6. March 702 [6] (John Nicholson): Although given the number 702/6 by March, this was the development F2 car built using the very first Arch Motors frame. It raced just once in 1970 when Howden Ganley appeared in it at Mantorp Park in August. At the start of 1971, it was fitted with a Vegantune twin cam for Formula Atlantic, and was driven by David Morgan at the Mallory Park round in March, taking pole position and winning. He was second in the next race at Castle Combe, but then the car was advertised by March, and bought by John Nicholson, who used it for the rest of that season. Advertised by Nicholson (Ashford, Middlesex) in August 1972. Bought from Nicholson in October 1972 by Martin Steele (Faringdon, Oxfordshire) and used in sprints in 1973 and the first half of 1974. Sold in July 1974 to Peter Fisk (Cambridge) who raced it in speed events from 1974 to 1979. The car was fitted with a BDA engine, and Fisk sometimes shared with Robert Glass, also of Cambridge. Fisk advertised the car in October 1980 and sold it back to Steele in March 1981. Steele restored it and used it in UK historic racing in 1985 and 1986. Retained until sold in November 1998 to Mike Scott (Exeter, Devon) who drove it in FORCE events in 2003, and later appeared with it in Masters events in 2006. Sold in 2009 to Satoshi Onishi (Miharuno, Japan) and used by him in Japanese historic events.
7. Palliser WDB4 (Clive Santo): A car built for Clive Santo using a new Atlantic-specification frame fabricated by Bert Ray. Santo had raced a Formula Ford WDF3 in early 1971, and exactly when the car was rebuilt to Formula Atlantic specification with the Ray frame is unclear. Raced by Santo with a Hart twin cam engine in early 1974, then changed to a Hart BDA later that season. Retained for early 1972, and Santo won the opening round of the Yellow Pages championship. He then acquired a Formula 5000 McLaren M10B and the subsequent history of the Palliser is unknown.
8. Brabham BT35 [8] (Ed Reeves): New to Ed Reeves for British Formula Atlantic in 1971, using Wood BDA engines. Also raced by David Morgan at a couple of late season races. Retained by Reeves for Morgan to drive in 1972, and fitted with an 1860cc Wood BDA for the F2 race at Mallory Park in March 1972 which, remarkably, Morgan won. Reeves then bought a new BT38 for Morgan, and the BT35 was sold via Alan Jones to John and Chrystal Millard in Australia, who fitted a Ford twin cam for the ANF2 category, but it was four years before the car ran again. Raced by John Millard until February 1978 when an accident at Sandown Park damaged the chassis. Bought by Denis Lupton in September 1978 still in damaged state and repaired but still not assembled until bought by Bryan Miller (Kiama, NSW) in 1999. Retained by Miller until May 2014 when bought by John Hughes and shipped back to England.
9. Kitchiner K4B ['Alie'] (Patrick Sumner): Appears Brands Hatch, May 2, 1971 for Patrick Sumner, where it was described in press reports as ex René Pierre Alié. This means it is the car originally built in 1970 as a K2B for Alié in the French F3 series. Raced until early 1973 when Sumner broke his wrist in a practice accident at Mallory Park and not rebuilt for some time. Patrick Sumner still owns the car, and reports that it was indeed the Alié car, and never carried a chassis number, so the 'Alie' tag is to distinguish this chassis from the one originally built for Albert Badan for the French F3 series, and subsequently run in hillclimbs and Formula Libre.
10. Palliser WDB4 (John Gillmeister): A car built for John Gillmeister using a new Atlantic-specification frame fabricated by Bert Ray. Raced by Gillmeister with a Ford twin cam engine in early 1974, then changed to a Richardson BDA later that season. Retained by Gillmeister for 1972. Subsequent history unknown.
11. Brabham BT28/35 [BT28-8] (Tom Belsø): New to Jörgen Ellekaer and raced in Scandinavian F3 in 1969 with Holbay engines. Ellekaer has a new car, chassis BT28-27, for 1970 so the usage of BT28-8 that season is currently unclear. To Tom Belsø (Copenhagen, Denmark) for 1971 and fitted with a 1600cc Ford BDA for British Formula Atlantic. Converted to BT35 specification during the year. Advertised during 1972 and sold to Jimmy Fuller (Guyana), who raced it in Guyana in late 1972 with a Vegantune twin cam. By February 1973, it was owned by Mike Gill who used a BDA engine when he raced it at Bushy Park in Barbados. The car was known as a BT35 during its time in the Caribbean. It was later owned by Richard Knox in Trinidad, and he recalls that it took him "to many, many, race wins, a group championship, and a few lap records". He sold the car to Bobby Howlings together with his newer BT40. Subsequent history unknown.
12. Brabham BT35 [2] (Colin Vandervell): New to Colin Vandervell for 1971 and used in both British and European F3 that season, appearing at a remarkable 31 races by the end of October. Vandervell entered and practised the car for the Atlantic race at Brands Hatch on 12 September, but ran in the F3 race the same day instead. Tom Belsø then raced it in a F3 race at Lydden in November, after which Tony Brise raced it three times at Brands, including in the joint Atlantic/F3 race on Boxing Day. It was sold to Jean-Bernard Mermod for 1972, and raced in Swiss events, using a Novamotor engine in the 1600cc class. Retained by Mermod for 1973, when it was seen in a few German and Swiss events.
13. March 713S [1] (David Morgan): New for James Hunt to race in F3 in 1971 as part of the Rose Bearings-sponsored March Racing team. Won its first two races but then crashed by Hunt at Silverstone on 8 May, when the car went airborn and hit the sleepers. The March was rebuilt at the factory and raced by Hunt at Zandvoort a week later, only for Hunt to crash again, the car this time overturning and ripping off the rollhoop. Rebuilt as any effectively new car for Dave Morgan, initially appearing as a Formula Atlantic car at Snetterton in late June, and then as F3 car for the GP meeting in July. Raced by Morgan and by Reg James in F/Atlantic later in 1971. Sold in May 1972 to Jack Cavill (Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire), the owner of Mike Wilds' car, and converted back to F3 spec for Wilds until his new Ensign was ready. Retained by Wilds in 1973. Likely to be the "ex-Hunt" car raced by Chris Pilborough in Formula 4 in 1974, and then the "ex-Hunt/Morgan" F4 car of Mark Pritchard in 1976. Maybe Richard Penny's F4 car in 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
14. Brabham BT35 [6] (Nick Cook): New to Nick Cook and used in the British Formula Atlantic series in 1971. Retained for early 1972, but Cook does not appear in the UK after the end of April and this is probably the car taken to the USA to use in the SCCA series in 1972. Used by Rob Turnbull in British hillclimbs in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. Sold to Andrew Fraser (Newton Abbot, Devon), and shared by him and Tim Painter in Sprints in 1977. Retained by Fraser for 1978 and 1979, and appeared at Wiscombe Park events in 1980 and 1982. Then via David McLaughlin to Keith Norman about 1984 and used by him in HSCC events in the 1980s and 1990s. To Rob Haze (Netherlands) between 1992 and 1995, and then back to Norman again. To John Dunham April 2001, then to Ben Tyler 2003, then Peter Shaw 2004, then Dr John Monson 2007.
15. Brabham BT30 [10] (Bill Creasey): Sold new to Rodney Bloor's Sports Motors (Manchester) Ltd and run for Tim Schenken in F2 in 1970. Raced also by Gerry Birrell once at Hockenheim. Sold to Ian Bannen and entered by him for Cyd Williams to drive in a few F2 races at the start of 1971 but sold mid 1971 to Bill Creasy (Dunstable, Bedfordshire), fitted with a Broadspeed twin cam and used in Libre and Formula Atlantic races, mainly at Silverstone. Raced again briefly by Creasy at the start of 1973 then sold to David Howes in part-exchange for a Mustang. Next seen with Simon Riley (Edmonton, North London) and hill-climbed in 1973, when it was reported as having a FVA engine again, and in early 1974. Subsequent history unknown but a car claiming this identity was bought from Manchester dealer Bob Fernley by William Southern (Blackpool) some time in the 1970s. Southern kept the car until selling it to dealer John Brannigan in the mid/late 1980s. To Jim Gathercole (Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire) 1989, and raced in Historic F2. Restored and sold to Nicolas Moreau de Melen (Belgium) 2007. To Bernd and Michael Quitzow (Germany) 2009.
16. Brabham BT21A [8] (Philip Guerola): Sold to Robert Lamplough (London) 1967, with Lotus Ford t/c and used by him and Mike Walker in Formula 2. First appeared at the Brands Hatch F2 in August 1967 but Walker did not quaify. Raced by Lamplough at Vallellunga, and then ballasted to F1 weight for the non-championship Spanish GP in NOvember. After efforts to sell it to the US as a Formula B car were unsuccessful, it went to Bill Dryden and was entered for him by Ecurie Ecosse in libre and hillclimbs in 1968. Unknown in 1969 but throught to be the BT21A with Lucas twin cam advertised by Paul Hawkins Racing (Slough) and then by Jackie Epstein (Dorking) during 1969. It reappeared in 1970 with Phil Guerola (Bickley, Kent) for libre racing and then used by him in the new Formula Atlantic in 1971. The car was wrecked in a libre and GT race at Castle Combe in August 1971 when Guerola crashed into a Healey 3000 "which had spun to a halt in the middle of the track on the exit of Camp". Guerola was helped from the car just before a Formula Ford Dulon spun into the Brabham. Guerola acquired a Brabham BT21B for 1972, so it would appear that the BT21A was not repairable.
17. Lola T100 [SL100/5] (Barry White): Believed to be the works Lola T100 with BMW engine entered by Lola Racing for John Surtees to drive in Formula 2 that first appeared at the Nürburgring in April 1967. Also raced by Chris Irwin at Reims, David Hobbs in the German GP, Irwin at Brands Hatch, and Andrea de Adamich at Albi. As Lola Racing's other two T100s, SL100/2 and SL100/4, were both sold, this is believed to be the Firestone test and development car maintained by John Surtees' operation over the next two years. For 1970, it was sold to Robs Lamplough, fitted with a Cosworth FVA engine and raced by him in F2 in 1970, and also once by brother Peter in a libre race at Castle Combe. To Brian and Barry White for 1971, and fitted with a Ford twin cam for the new Formula Atlantic. Presumably the car advertised in November 1971 from west London numbers with a new Broadspeed BDA, and still in Surtees' red and silver livery. Last seen at the Brands Hatch Atlantic race in April 1972. Its history after the Whites is not known, but a few years later, the ex-Surtees Firestone test car was bought by Bob Eccles (Oldbury, West Midlands), less engine and gearbox. He fitted a Ford twin cam engine and used the car in libre between 1975 and 1978, and later, suitably re-engined, in Monoposto in 1979 and 1980. Bob cannot remember where it went. 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.

The British race results have been compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Autosport and Motoring News reports in the UK plus the information supplied by a wide range of contributors.

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.