OldRacingCars.com

John Player (British) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Silverstone, 12 May 1974

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Alan Jones March 712M Falconer [712M-11 as '9'] - Ford BDA Close
#33 Mike Sullivan Racing (see note 1)
17 24m 45.0s
120.63 mph
2 Matt Spitzley March 74B [733-7] - Ford BDA Hart
#22 Rapid Movements Ltd
17 24m 51.5s
3 Jim Crawford March 73B ['SDC1'] - Ford BDA Hart
#7 S.D.C Racing (see note 2)
17 25m 00.6s
4 Bev Bond March 74B [U1] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#14 Custom Made/Harry Stiller Racing
(see note 3)
17 25m 02.5s
5 Peter Wardle Surtees TS15 [06] - Ford BDA Smith
#8 STP Racing Team (see note 4)
17 25m 08.5s
6 Dave Walker GRD B74 - Ford BDA Swindon
Ken Swanson Racing (see note 5)
17 25m 14.6s
7 Tom Walkinshaw Modus M3 [003-FA] - Ford BDA Racing Services
#15 Tom Walkinshaw (see note 6)

8 Val Musetti Royale RP11A [6] - Ford BDA Wood
#23 Valentino Musetti (see note 7)

9 Jas Patterson March 73B - Ford BDA Hart
#9 Renoir International Racing (see note 8)

10 Andy Rouse March 73B [20] - Ford BDA Broadspeed
#51 Team Castrol (see note 9)

11 Cyd Williams Brabham BT40 [21] - Ford BDA Eden
#11 Graham Eden (see note 10)
15 Misfire
12 John Nicholson Lyncar 005 [005] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#2 Pinch (Plant) Ltd (see note 11)
15 Front suspension
R David Morgan Chevron B25 [25-73-04] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#43 David Morgan (see note 12)
14 Accident
R Richard Scott Lola T360 [HU1] - Ford BDA Cosworth
#47 Richard Scott (see note 13)
10 Wheel bearing
R Tony Brise Modus M1 [004?] - Ford BDA Holbay
#36 Team Modus (see note 14)
1 Wing
UNK Ted Wentz March 74B [1] - Ford BDA Swindon
#21 Wella International Hair Cosmetics
(see note 15)

UNK John Gillmeister March 73B - Ford BDA Richardson
#17 Prototype Tooling [Kent] Ltd
(see note 16)

UNK Stephen Choularton March 73B [1] - Ford BDA Hart
#6 S.D.C Racing (see note 17)

UNK Alan Rollinson March 722/742 [45] - Ford BDA
#46 D.B.Robinson Racing [Derek Robinson]
(see note 18)

DNS Ray Mallock Ensign LNFB/74 - Ford BDA Swindon
#10 The Chequered Flag
Did not start
DNS Kim Mather Brabham BT38C [19] - Ford BDA
#52 D.R. Taylor (see note 19)
Did not start
DNA Richard Scott Scott - Ford BDA Richardson
#19 Geoff Richardson Eng. Co. Ltd.
(see note 20)
Did not arrive
  Geoff Friswell March 73B [18] - Ford BDA Hart
#5 Geoff Friswell (see note 21)
On entry list
  Chris Oates March 73B [21] - Ford BDA
#18 Chris Oates (see note 22)
On entry list
  Roy Baker MRE 74F - Ford BDA Hart
#28 Roy Baker
On entry list
  Woody Harris Genie B74 - Ford BDA Emery
#30 Paul Emery
On entry list
  Peter Williams Martin BM12 ['1'] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#32 Pinch (Plant) Ltd. (see note 23)
On entry list
  Howard Rose March 712M [2?] - Ford BDA
#42 Howard Rose (see note 24)
On entry list
  Tony Trimmer Royale RP20 [1] - Ford BDA Rowland
#44 Tony Trimmer (see note 25)
On entry list
  Nigel Clarkson March 722 [723/12] - Ford BDA Richardson
#49 Hurford Jones Ltd
On entry list
  Héctor Rebaque Chevron B27 [27-74-06] - Ford BDA Hart
#50 Fred Opert Racing (see note 26)
On entry list

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

Qualifying
1 Bev Bond (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 74B [U1] - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.41.9
2 Richard Scott (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lola T360 [HU1] - Ford BDA Cosworth 1.42.0
3 Ted Wentz (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 74B [1] - Ford BDA Swindon 1.43.3
4 David Morgan (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B25 [25-73-04] - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.43.4
5 Tony Brise (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Modus M1 [004?] - Ford BDA Holbay 1.43.5
6 Alan Jones (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 712M Falconer [712M-11 as '9'] - Ford BDA Close
7 Peter Wardle (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Surtees TS15 [06] - Ford BDA Smith 1.44.7
8 John Nicholson (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lyncar 005 [005] - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.45.9
9 Tom Walkinshaw (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Modus M3 [003-FA] - Ford BDA Racing Services 1.46.0
10 Jim Crawford (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B ['SDC1'] - Ford BDA Hart 1.46.2
11 Matt Spitzley (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 74B [733-7] - Ford BDA Hart 1.47.0
12 Andy Rouse (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B [20] - Ford BDA Broadspeed 1.47.2
13 Val Musetti (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Royale RP11A [6] - Ford BDA Wood
14 Cyd Williams (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Brabham BT40 [21] - Ford BDA Eden
15 John Gillmeister (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B - Ford BDA Richardson
16 Dave Walker (F/Atl) 1.6-litre GRD B74 - Ford BDA Swindon 1.51.9
17 Stephen Choularton (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B [1] - Ford BDA Hart
18 Ray Mallock * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ensign LNFB/74 - Ford BDA Swindon
19 Kim Mather * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Brabham BT38C [19] - Ford BDA
20 Alan Rollinson (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 722/742 [45] - Ford BDA
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 712M Falconer [712M-11 as '9'] (Alan Jones): New to the Shell Arnold team for Jean-Pierre Jaussaud to race in F2 in 1971. Raced by Ferrari F1 driver Clay Regazzoni in the final race of the season. To Colin Andrews for 1972, now wearing the 712M-9 chassis plate, and raced in Formula Atlantic in 1972 and 1973. Acquired by Mike Sullivan Racing/Multiglide International Racing, for Formula Atlantic again, first driven by Richard Robinson, then by Alan Jones, who astonishingly won the high-profile Martini International support race at Silverstone in May, and finally by Richard Knight. Subsequent history unclear, as three separate former Sullivan/Multiglide cars went to Norman Dickson in Scotland, to Kim Mather in Lancashire, and to the partnership of John Colley and Rhoddy Harvey Bailey in Derbyshire. Which was which may never be known.
  2. March 73B ['SDC1'] (Jim Crawford): Over the 1973/74 winter, Jim Crawford built up Steve Choularton's March 73B spares in to a second car. He raced the car with great success in the two British Formula Atlantic series in 1974, winning two John Player races and narrowly losing the title to John Nicholson after the two collided at the last race. He also won one race in the Southern Organs series, before crashing at Brands Hatch at the end of September, which resulted in the car being rebuilt on a new tub from March. The car was then raced at least once by Choularton, while Crawford moved over to Fred Opert's Chevron B27 for the last two races, winning both, and taking the title. The 73B that appeared for Cyd Williams in May 1975 is thought to be Choularton's 73B/1. The ex-Crawford car was sold to Derek Cook (Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire) in July 1975 but in practice for his first race, the British GP support race, Cook spun off and hit Val Musetti's March, writing off both cars.
  3. March 74B [U1] (Bev Bond): New to Harry Stiller Racing and entered for Bev Bond in a few late-season 1973 Formula Atlantic races, but only appeared once. Rebuilt by March to 74B specification over the winter and appeared as 74B chassis 'U1' for Bond in 1974, until he announced his retirement in June 1974. Alan Jones took over the drive for the rest of the season and won three races. Advertised by AW Brown (London) in January 1975. Briefly to Frank Blanchard in early 1975 but then to Bill Gowdy (Belfast, Northern Ireland) for Irish Formula Atlantic. To Gerry Kinnane for Des Donnelly to drive in 1976, then to Eddie Jordan (Dundrum, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland) for 1977. Subsequently to Colin Simpson (Dundee, Scotland) for Scottish hillclimbs in 1978 and 1979, when it was fitted with a 1800cc Cosworth BDE. It was then sold to Graham Brown, a Scot who emigrated to Australia and took two Formula Atlantic cars with him. Brown raced it in Scottish hillclimbs in 1980 before it went. Raced by Geoff Nicol in Australian Formula Pacific in 1981, and by John Blennerhasset in 1982. Then to Michael Miller, brothers Peter and Terry Simms, then the Kendall family, then to Bryan Miller in 2002. Sold by Bryan to Richard Carter (Berry, NSW) in September 2018, and shortly afterwards sold to Richard Ellingworth.
  4. Surtees TS15 [06] (Peter Wardle): New to Peter Wardle (Wimbledon, London) and raced in British Formula Atlantic in 1973, winning from pole position at one race Brands Hatch in August. Retained for 1974, again in British Formula Atlantic, and then retained for a third season in 1975. However, towards the end of 1975, Wardle was entering Steve Carvill (Wimbledon, London) in some races, and it is unclear whether the team had a second TS15 by this point, as the pair never appeared together in the same race. Wardle acquired sponsorship from Radio Luxembourg and Applied Racing Techniques for 1976, and both Wardle and Carvill appeared in Indylantic and in Shellsport G8 during that season, presumably both still in chassis 06. Wardle advertised a TS15 in 1983, with FG400 but no engine and a mountain of spares. According to researcher David McKinney, chassis 06 and chassis 07 were with Tony Collinson in 1990, and chassis 06 appears to stayed with its sister through the ownership of Gerry Wainwright, John Elliott, Mark Griffiths and Crispian Besley, who had both cars in 2010. Beesley sold chassis 06 to Dean Forward in 2019, still in unrestored component form.
  5. GRD B74 (Dave Walker): New for 42-year-old Australian Dave Walker to drive in the British Formula Atlantic championship at the start of 1974, entered by Ken Swanson Racing. The car then went to North America, where Walker was expected to drive it in the Canadian series, but he did not appear, and continued with the Obermoser team in Europe in F2 and sportscars. The GRD was raced by Cliff Hansen (Laguna Beach, CA) in SCCA events in late 1974. Hansen retained the car for 1975, but it was entered by Doug Shierson Racing. After failing to qualify for Westwood and Gimli, Hansen transferred to one of the Shierson team March 75Bs. The subsequent history of the GRD is unknown.
  6. Modus M3 [003-FA] (Tom Walkinshaw): New to Tom Walkinshaw (Wembley, London) and raced in the 1974 British Formula Atlantic series, using Racing Services BDA engines and sponsored by Shellsport. Wrecked at Brands Hatch in July 1974 and not seen again. This car is likely to have formed the basis of Walkinshaw's Modus M5 later in the season.
  7. 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.
  8. March 73B (Jas Patterson): Jas Patterson (Roslyn Heights, NY) raced a March 722 in British Formula Atlantic in early 1973 and after a couple of accidents in the car reappeared for the British GP support race in July in a March 73B. He raced this car for the remainder of the 1973 season, and retained it for 1974, again running in the British Formula Atlantic series. He then raced the 73B at the US Grand Prix Formula B support race in October 1974. Photographic evidence shows that this was the March 73B raced by Diana Black (New York, NY) in minor Formula B races at Lime Rock and Bridgehampton in 1975 and 1976. Later in 1976, she moved to the former Bobby Brown Chevron B34, and the March was sold to David Laemmle (Wiscasset, ME) who continued to race it in SCCA Regionals that year. Laemmle recalls that he sold it to someone from New York state. Subsequent history unknown.
  9. March 73B [20] (Andy Rouse): New to Charles Lucas (Ellington, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire) in July 1973, and raced in British Formula Atlantic. In September, he took the car to Ireland for the Phoenix Park for the Player's No 6 GP and was running in an aggregate second place near the end of the second heat when he left the road at Phoenix Corner and wrapped the March round a tree. He was still classified third. The March was rebuilt and sold to Ken Bailey (Stretford, Greater Manchester) for 1974, but sold on again in May to touring car driver Andy Rouse (Leamington Spa, Warwickshire). Rouse crashed it at Snetterton at the end of October, and it was not seen again. Ralph Broad, Rouse's touring car boss at Broadspeed, then insisted Rouse choose between single-seaters and touring cars, and Rouse wisely chose the latter. He would be British Saloon Car Champion four times. The fate of the March 73B is not known.
  10. Brabham BT40 [21] (Cyd Williams): New to Graham Eden Racing, and driven by Cyd Williams in the 1973 British Formula Atlantic championship. Retained by Eden and Williams for 1974. After Williams crashed the car at Brands Hatch in September 1974, it was raced by Richard Morgan and Tony Trimmer later that season. Retained by Eden again for 1975, with Cyd Williams again driving. To 23-year-old Formula Ford drivers David Winstanley (Winsford, Cheshire) of Withers of Winsford for 1976, and raced in the Indylantic championship with sponsorship from Roosters night club.
  11. Lyncar 005 [005] (John Nicholson): New for John Nicholson in mid 1973, and raced in the British Formula Atlantic series, using Nicholson BDA engines. He won six races in the car that season, five in the main BP series and one in the Yellow Pages series. He won the BP championship. Nicholson retained the car for 1974 and won four more rounds, on his way to winning the John Player championship. Lyncar 005 was then sold to Phil Sharp (Colnbrook, Berkshire) for 1975 and again raced in British Formula Atlantic. Then sold to Frank Potts, and raced by him in libre events in 1976, still with its Nicholson BDA engine. Then Chris Morris (Dursley, Gloucestershire) drove Lyncar 005 at Prescott in May 1978. After that, it was seen in the hands of Sandy Hutcheon (Cheltenham, Gloucestershire) sprinting at Colerne in 1979. Subsequent history unknown. It was acquired at some point by Lew Wright and restored for historic racing, until it was severely damaged in an accident at Pau in 2005. Acquired in 2006 by Bob Sellix (East Sussex) and rebuilt using a new monocoque supplied by Martin Slater. Sellix ran the car in historic racing from 2007 to 2013, when he retired from racing.
  12. Chevron B25 [25-73-04] (David Morgan): Displayed at the Racing Car Show in January 1973, then sold to Ed Reeves for Dave Morgan to race in Formula 2. Reeves withdrew his team in July 1973, and gifted the Chevron to Morgan, but without funding Morgan could not continue. Morgan retained the car for 1974 and raced it in the British Formula Atlantic series, run for him by Harry Stiller. Sold to property developer David Peck at the end of the year for his daughter Lorraine Peck, a remarkably talented kart racer who had finished second in the Junior World Championships in 1974, but she was tragically killed in the World Junior Championships at Fulda in July 1975, while still only 16. The Chevron was sold to former clubmans driver Derek Shortall (Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland) and raced in the 1976 Irish Formula Atlantic series, backed by Vista Blinds, his long time sponsors. Reported to have gone to Dermot O'Leary and Eddie Regan for 1977, but next seen when raced by David Lambe (Dublin) in 1978 and 1979. Taken in part-exchange by Belfast team owner Gerry Kinnane for his Lola T460 at the end of 1979, and sold on to Alwyn Bingham (Belfast, Northern Ireland), the reigning Irish Hill Climb Champion. Raced in hillclimbs in 1980 and 1981. Alwyn recalls that he sold it "down south", but does not recall the next owner's name. Subsequent history unknown.
  13. Lola T360 [HU1] (Richard Scott): The first Lola T360 made its first race appearance when loaned to Formula Atlantic championship leader Richard Scott for the International Trophy support race at Silverstone in April 1974. It had gone well in testing, but was understeering severely at Silverstone and was taken away. Scott returned to it at Silverstone again in May, and was impressively second in practice, led, and set fastest lap before retiring. Scott returned to his own F2 car and won the next round. The works T360 was next seen in May, when it was loaned to Ken Bailey for the remainder of the season. Wrecked at Silverstone on 28 July when Bailey spun at Copse on the opening lap and took off Spitzley, Musetti, Smiley and Wentz, and replaced with a new car.
  14. Modus M1 [004?] (Tony Brise): New in May 1974 for Tony Brise to drive as a works Team Modus entry in Formula Atlantic in 1974. Brise won at Mondello Park and Brands Hatch in September, but then crashed in the warm up at Oulton Park on 6 October, again in practice at Mallory Park a week later, and, after repairs had been made, crashed more heavily at the Esses during the race. He did not appear again that season, suggesting the car was beyond repair.
  15. March 74B [1] (Ted Wentz): New to Ted Wentz (Philadelphia, PA) and raced in the 1974 British Formula Atlantic season. To New Zealander Alan Crocker, who had moved to England to race in the 1975 British series, but a blown engine curtailed his season. Used occasionally in the 1976 Indylantic series and in libre racing. Croker took the car to New Zealand and raced it in the 1977 Formula Pacific series, then sold it there to Ken Smith, who rented it to Ken Sager to drive in the 1977/78 Gold Star series, and to Robbie Booth for the 1978/79 season. It reappeared with Robbie Hislop in 1981/82, then to Tony Batchelor for 1982/83. Last seen when raced by Keith Laney in 1984/85, and sold by him back to Kenny Smith some time before 1988. Later sold by Smith to Richard Carter in Australia to donate parts to Carter's rebuild of March 73B/8. The remains of the car were sold with the 73B to George Makin (Melbourne, Australia) about 2005.
  16. March 73B (John Gillmeister): Australian John Gillmeister had a red and white March 73B in British Formula Atlantic 1974. Gillmeister had a workshop making bodywork for March, and acquired a monocoque, suspension and other parts. This was built up for him by Ralph Hume over the winter of 1973/74 using a Richardson BDA engine with the intention of running in the British series. After a sponsor pulled out, Gillmeister sold the car mid-season to Gil Nickel Racing, and it was run by Bob Eggington for Wes Dawn to drive. Dawn was from Hollywood, California, and was a very successful makeup artist in film and TV. He and Gil Nickel (Park Hill, Oklahoma) finished fifth in the 1975 Cannonball Run in a Mercedes-Benz 450SL. He later took the 73B/74B back to the US where he used it in minor Formula Atlantic races. Dawn advertised the car in 1983, but still had it when he died in 1990, aged just 51. His widow sold the car in April 1991. Subsequent history withheld.
  17. March 73B [1] (Stephen Choularton): Stephen Choularton (Hale Barns, Cheshire) acquired the first production March 73B and raced it in libre events and in the British F/Atlantic series with support from Autovita Developments Ltd. His mechanic Jim Crawford also raced this car in a libre race that year. Choularton continued with the car in 1974 when it was driven by Crawford in one round, at Brands Hatch in September, after Crawford had damaged his usual car. The car was next seen in May 1975 when Choularton dusted it off for Cyd Williams to drive after Williams had wrecked Graham Eden's Brabham BT40. Choularton retained the car, unused, until 1977 when it was sold to Paul Gardner (Preston, Lancashire) and used in libre racing in 1977. It then travelled out to the West Indies, quite possibly via Manchester-based racing car dealer Bobby Howlings, who would have known Gardner well, and was a regular visitor to the West Indies series. Raced by Mark Moodie in 1978 and 1979, winning the 1979 Jamaican National Championship. Subsequent history unknown, but it may have gone to Gordon Gonsalves in Trinidad.
  18. March 722/742 [45] (Alan Rollinson): New to ELF Coombs Racing, and raced by Patrick Depailler in F2 in 1972, although he also drove the team's Alpine A367 at some races. Not seen in 1973, but sold by the March factory in May 1974 to Derek Robinson, of Motor Racing Supplies in Frome, Somerset. It had been updated to the latest works 742 bodywork. Robinson entered the car in Formula Atlantic for Alan Rollinson, but Rollinson was still troubled by an ankle injury and decided to retire in July. Donald MacLeod was entered in the car at a race in September, but did not arrive. It was advertised from a Radstock phone number at the start of September, described as a "works Formula Atlantic [March] 74B" that had been "built and prepared at Bicester for Alan Rollinson", and had a Holbay engine. It was in side-radiator form with a works 742 nose. Subsequent history unknown.
  19. Brabham BT38C [19] (Kim Mather): 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.
  20. Scott (Richard Scott): New for Richard Scott to race in European F2 in 1973, fitted with an iron block 1970cc Geoff Richardson BDA engine. Scott crashed in practice for the opening race at Mallory Park, but raced the car in the F2 rounds at Hockenheim, Thruxton and Nürburgring in April. He then crashed again in practice at Pau, seriously damaging the car. It was rebuilt as a Formula Atlantic for 1974, and Scott proved highly competitive, finishing third in the opening round at Mallory Park, then winning his second and third Formula Atlantic races, at Brands Hatch in March and at Snetterton in April. He then crashed again at Oulton Park at the start of May when a tyre deflated and he slid off into the sleepers at Knickerbrook, severely damaging the car. The car was sold to dealer Bob Howlings, who repaired it and entered it for Scott at the British GP meeting support race, but he retired with handling problems. It was then sold to Phil Bennett (Pool-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire) and fitted with a Cosworth BDG engine for sprints, hillclimbs and libre in 1975 and 1976. Sold to Warren Booth (Blackburn, Lancashire) for 1977, and used in northern Formula Libre in 1977 and the first half of 1978, winning at least six races at Croft and Longridge. Booth also used it in three Aurora AFX British F1 Championship rounds in 1978. Then sold to Neville Robinson (Leeds, West Yorkshire) for libre in 1979 and 1980. It was not seen in 1981, but returned to competition in 1982 when owned by Geoff Lumb (Brighouse, West Yorkshire) and fitted with a Cosworth FVA for 1600cc class hillclimbs. He ran the car again in 1983, when it had a 1600cc BDA engine. It was not seen in 1984 or 1985, but in 1986 it was acquired by Peter Voigt (Haywards Heath, Sussex), and remained in his collection until sold to Chris Perkins (Ashbourne, Derbyshire) in 2020.
  21. March 73B [18] (Geoff Friswell): According to surviving March records, this was a F/Atlantic car built for Geoff Friswell (Coventry) and raced by him in the UK series through 1973 and 1974. It was then sold to Andy Barton (Newcastle upon Tyne) as a libre car and upgraded to 74B and then 75B spec over the next two seasons, also acquiring a F2 BDG engine at times in 1976. Barton sold it to Bob Rollo (Prestonpans, Scotland) for 1977, as an Atlantic again, and it then went to Stewart Robb (Alloa, Scotland) during 1978 in F2 spec. The car was rebuilt on a "new" 752 tub after a crash in 1978 and then rebuilt to 782 spec by Robin Smith after the 1979 season. It was raced again by Robb as a "March 75/782" with steel 2-litre Cosworth BDG engine from 1980 to 1982 and was sold to Roger Andreason at the new Chevron Cars Ltd around 1984. A "March 75/782" which had been "completely rebuilt over winter" was advertised from an Epsom number in August 1985.
  22. March 73B [21] (Chris Oates): New to Stan Mathews (Wicken, Wolverton, Bucks) in June 1973, and raced in British Formula Atlantic. To Chris Oates (Kimberley, Notts) for 1974, but sold mid-season to Val Musetti (London). Retained by Musetti for 1975, when it was updated to 74B specification. It was also rebuilt on another tub about this time, but the details are obscure. Damaged by Derek Cook's March 73B in practice at Silverstone in July, and rebuilt in time for the race on the car's original tub - only to be crashed and damaged again in the race. At the end of 1975, Musetti built up a March "742", which could be said to have inherited the identity of 73B-21, but as the tub had been changed, the chassis plate had long gone, and its appearance and description were radically different, it could be argued that 73B-21 had dissipated by the end of 1975. The successor "742" later went to Bill Wood, then Ray Rowan, before spending much of the 1980s in Monoposto and then being rebuilt as a "712M" for historic racing in the late 1980s.
  23. Martin BM12 ['1'] (Peter Williams): New for Brian Martin to race in the 1973 British Formula Atlantic season, sponsored by Pinch (Plant) Ltd. Results were uninspiring, but Martin did finish second in two libre races that year, at Aintree and at Snetterton. Raced by Peter Williams (Brentwood, Essex) in libre and in at least one Formula Atlantic race in 1974, still sponsored by Pinch Plant. It was not seen again, but was advertised by Mike Burr (Forncett St Peter, Norwich) in May 1978 and then anonymously from a Wickford, Essex, phone number in June 1979. In both adverts it was offered as a rolling chassis, with the second advert saying it was unused since 1976. In May 1981, it was being used in hillclimbs, when Steve Wilkinson saw John Bailey (Northampton) driving it at Shelsley Walsh. It was then advertised from a Northampton phone number in January 1982 and from a nearby Wellingborough number in July that year. It was then said to have been a "class winner in 1981", presumably in hillclimbs. It was then used by Kevin Nolan in 1983 with a 1600cc twin cam engine. The car's FIA papers says that it was owned by Kevin Noyland (Roborough, Plymouth, Devon) but was not used from 1985 to 1994, when it was acquired by Martin Cowell (Hereford). Cowell used it for hillclimbing and then sold it to Bob Yarwood, who took it to the US and raced it there a few times. He brought it back to the UK in 2010, and in 2018 sold it to Antony Denham.
  24. March 712M [2?] (Howard Rose): Ian Barrowman (Hungerford, Berkshire) bought a March 712M from Frank Williams for Mike Campbell-Cole to race in Formula Atlantic in 1972. The chassis number of the car is unknown but it was said to be ex-Carlos Pace. At their first race, at Snetterton, the engine ingested a piece of metal during practice and, following a sponsor pulling out, they did not have the budget to have it rebuilt. After a season of unfilled entries, it was sold to Richard Longman (Christchurch, Hampshire) for 1973. The car was fitted with a BDA engine but Longman made only a single entry, at Thruxton in May 1973, and did not appear. He advertised the car in December 1973, and it was bought by Howard Rose (Wokingham, Berkshire). Rose raced the car for the next three seasons, but his actual appearances were quite limited, and his race finishes exceedingly rare. Rose retained the car after he retired from racing, and it was in storage for several decades, still in its mid-1970s livery. He described the car as being "712M-20". In November 2016, it was sold to Jeremy Caine (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) and taken to Neil Fowler Motorsport for restoration.
  25. Royale RP20 [1] (Tony Trimmer): Planned for Manfred Schurti to race in F2 in 1973 but not completed. After 1973, it was built up as a F/Atlantic car and raced once by Tony Timmer in the British championship before being sold to Ron Swartz in the US for use in SCCA Formula B. In 1988, it was raced in the ECAR F/Atlantic event supporting the St Petersburg Grand Prix by Shelly Marrs (Sebring, FL) but by 1997 was being raced by Andy Gilberg in US vintage racing. He still had the car in 2012, now fitted with a 2-litre BDG engine.
  26. Chevron B27 [27-74-06] (Héctor Rebaque): New to Fred Opert Racing and the car raced by Bertil Roos in the British Formula Atlantic race at Brands Hatch in mid-March. Then fitted with a 2-litre Brian Hart Ford BDA for Roos at two F2 races, Montjuich Park and Hockenheim. Apparantly returned to Formula Atlantic specification and run by the Opert team in the UK series, initially for Héctor Rebaque, and later for Johnny Kastner, William Henderson III and then local man Jim Crawford. Sold to Derek Cook (Rotherham, South Yorkshire) for early 1975 Formula Atlantic races before being replaced by a newer B29. Retained for 1976 when Cook ran it in Indylantic, Shellsport G8, and libre racing, with either a Formula Atlantic BDA or a self-built 2-litre BDA. Retained again for early 1977 and used in F2 and in Shellsport, now with a 2-litre Alan Smith BDG, before Cook acquired a F1 Williams. 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.