Hitachi Formula Atlantic Series Race

Mallory Park, 11 Mar 1979

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B49 [49-79-01] (Andrew Jeffrey): New to Andrew Jeffrey (Currie, Edinburgh, Scotland) and raced in the 1979 British Formula Atlantic series until crashed in July and rebuilt on a new chassis. Sold to Tom O'Leary (Dalkey, County Dublin) for 1980 and raced in Irish Formula Atlantic. Then to Ken Fildes (Clonskeagh, Dublin) and raced by him in Formula Atlantic and in hillclimbs in 1981. Traded for a boat at the end of 1981, and then unknown until next seen when raced by Peter Oxley at Mallory Park in July 1984. From Oxley to John Chatley in late 1985 or early 1986 and used in hillclimbs in 1986 and 1987. Sold in 1988 to someone with a business called "childminders of canada". Next seen in 1990, when it had been acquired by Paul Rendle, and was prepared for him by David Keer, the pair appearing together in it at a Curburough test day in March 1991. Rendle sold it to Roger Kilty, who co-drove the car with John Roberts in 1993. From Kilty, it was sold via Martin Middleton to Alistair Mackilop in Scotland, who raced it from c1995 to c2015. It had been sold to Steve Worrad (Whitchurch, Shropshire) by 2017, and was being prepared for historic racing. Raced by Worrad in HSCC events until it was badly damaged in an accident at Anglesey in July 2019.
2. Chevron B34 [34-76-24 (A)] (Richard Parsons): A car built by John Lewis at the Chevron factory using a monocoque that had been in Geoff Lees' Chevron B34 (76-24) until it received a new monocoque near the end of the season. Lewis fitted a Richardson BDA engine and used the car in libre racing in 1977. Sold for 1978 to Richard Parsons (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and used in the Irish Formula Atlantic series in 1978. Retained for 1979, but Parsons missed a good part of the season due to eye problems. He retained the car again for 1979, when he competed in hillclimbs as well as in the Irish Formula Atlantic series. Parsons was still using the car in Irish hillclimbs in 1983. It was advertised by Parsons in January 1985 and sold to George Ritchie who used it in hillclimbs in Scotland and Ireland in 1989, with a 2-litre BDA engine, and in 1990, with a Swindon Hart 420R. After the 1990 season, Ritchie bought Roy Lane's Pilbeam MP58 and fitted the Swindon Hart 420R tot it. The Chevron went to Lane in trade, and he sold it to Bob Wilson as a complete roller with gearbox less engine. Wilson intended to race the car but a business venture required a change of plans and the car remained with him unraced, thereafter.
3. March 77B [3] (Andy Barton): New to Team Lexington for Ian Scheckter to race in the South African Formula Atlantic championship in 1977, and used to win the first three rounds of the series in January and February 1977. It was crashed heavily at Killarney in February and replaced with 77B-7. The damaged car was returned to March Engineering, repaired, and updated it to 772P specification for Andy Barton (Newcastle upon Tyne). He fitted a 2-litre Ford BDG and used it in libre racing in 1978. For 1979, he converted it to Formula Atlantic specification with a Swindon BDA engine and used it in the revived British championship. Retained for 1980 as a hire drive, usually for Cameron Binnie (Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland). Sold to Colin Richardson (Peebles, Scottish Borders, Scotland) and raced in Scottish libre in 1981, 1982 and 1983, using a 1600cc engine. Possibly borrowed back by Barton for a couple of races after his 782/792 was wrecked in April 1981. To Geoff Todd (Greenlaw, Scottish Borders), and raced at Ingliston again through 1984. Advertised by Todd in June 1984. Subsequent history unknown.
4. Chevron B29 [29-75-04] (Vivien Candy): New to Tom Wheatcroft in February 1975, and tested by Richard Morgan who would be driving it in British Formula Atlantic. Raced by Morgan in the early races of the season, winning one race, until crashed at Brands Hatch in April. Morgan then drove the new Wheatcroft R18, and the Chevron was sold to Brett Riley, who drove it for the rest of 1975. To Ken Bailey (Stretford, Greater Manchester) and raced in Indylantic in 1976. Stored unused during 1977 and advertised by Bailey in November. Sold to Eddie Jordan (Dundrum, County Dublin, Ireland) and used in Irish Formula Atlantic in 1978 in Marlboro livery, winning both the All-Ireland and Duckhams Formula Atlantic Championships. Raced by his teammate Vivian Candy in Ireland in 1979, then sold via Phil Bennett to David Ward (Hesketh Bank, Lancashire) for British libre racing in 1980 and 1981. With Terry Cole for Monoposto racing in 1983, then reportedly broken up for spares by Chevron Cars.
5. March 782 [2] (Paul Smith): Rad Dougall's race car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably the one he then wrecked in practice at the Nürburgring 30 Apr 1978. Presumably "Toleman's second" 782 driven by Tiff Needell at Hockenheim 26 Sep. To Paul Smith for Formula Atlantic in 1979, but wrecked on Smith's first outing, at Mallory Park in March 1979. The car was rebuilt on a new tub fabricated by Mo Gomm, but the original tub was also repaired and retained by Smith incomplete. As the "782-2" plate remained on this car, the Gomm car is regarded here as a separate car, 'PS1'. The new 'PS1' and the remains of 782/2 were both sold to Bernard Tilanus "in the autumn of 1981" and shipped to South Africa. Tilanus raced 'PS1' in the Sigma Mazda series in early 1982 but then sold it to Hekro for Ian Scheckter to drive. The team then built up on the original 782/2 tub and that car was raced by Braam Smith for the DAW Suppliers team in late 1982 and early 1983. In April 1983, it was sold to Billy Maloney, replacing his March 77B, and was raced by him for the rest of 1983. He retained the car for 1984, but damaged it in a practice accident at East London in August. It was then sold to Arthur Christie in January 1985. It was sold back to Bernard Tilanus for the 'Can-Am' season in 1986. After that, it went to Keith Horwood who planned to use it for a sports car project in 1987, but that did not go ahead and the car remained unused for two years. It was then rebuilt by Andrew Thompson as a show car for the Rembrandt Group's Heidelberg Motor Museum. The museum was acquired by BAT in 1999, who closed it in 2003. The following year, the car collection was acquired by Johann Rupert, son of Dr Anton Rupert and moved to the L'Ormarins Estate in Franschhoek. The Franschhoek Motor Museum, named after Johan Rupert, was opened in May 2007, and the March 782 remains on display in Ian Scheckter's 1978 livery.
6. March 75B [742] (Geoff Byman): Paul Brooks (Selby, North Yorkshire) drove a March 742 in libre races at Croft in 1977 and 1978. Its engine was described as a 1600cc Swindon BDA in its first race, but later as a 2-litre Swindon BDX. It was sold to Geoff Byman (Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire), who raced it in the revised British Formula Atlantic series in 1979, describing it as a March 75B. There are no confirmed appearances of Byman with the car after Mallory Park in July 1979, but entries continued until April 1980. Byman reappeared later in 1980 with the Lola T760 previously raced by Alo Lawler. The subsequent history of the March 742/75B is unknown.
7. Wheatcroft R18 [006] (Rhoddy Harvey Bailey): 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.
8. Lola 'FA79' [T360-HU5] (Martin Mansell): New to Nigel Clarkson (Cirencester, Gloucestershire) and raced by him and by Richard Scott (London) in British Formula Atlantic, backed by Hurford Jones Ltd. To Nick May (Sutton, Surrey) for the 1975 British series, entered as a T360B with Strakers of Wimbledon Ltd sponsorship and run by Dave Price Racing. To Brian Robinson (Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham) and fitted with a 2-litre Cosworth BDG engine for Shellsport Group 8 races in 1976. To John Brown for John Morrison (Warwick) to drive in Shellsport G8 and libre racing in 1977, then to Kevin Bowditch (Maidenhead) for a few race appearances in 1978. It was sold to Martin Mansell (Middlesex), who raced it as a Lola "FA79" with Winchmore Hill Garage sponsorship in Formula Atlantic in 1979. Mansell crashed heavily at Brands Hatch in April 1979, and did not appear again. It was next seen in 1990 when it was bought by Robert McGimpsey (Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland) from a dealer somewhere in the English midlands. It was then fitted with a 3-litre Weslake engine, and McGimpsey used it for one season in hillclimbing before the engine and chassis were sold separately. It was bought by two friends in 1993 or 1994, and in 2012 they still had it.

Sources

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' original 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.