Hitachi Formula Atlantic Series Race

Silverstone, 8 Apr 1979

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B45 [45-78-04] (Jim Crawford): New to Fred Opert Racing for North American Formula Atlantic as a second car. Used as a spare by Keke Rosberg and as his race car at Lime Rock. Also raced by Eje Elgh and by Arturo Merzario at Trois-Rivières. Raced by Rosberg at Macau in November 1978. Advertised by Opert from ATS Engineering, where he had moved to become team manager, in March 1979 as a lightweight B45 with 1979 rear suspension and F2 fuel tanks. Then sold to Mike Peers and entered in the revived British series for Jim Crawford in 1979, winning five races and finishing second in the championship. Fitted with a BDX engine for 1980 and run by Plygrange Racing for Crawford in the F2 class of the Aurora series. Stayed with Plygrange for 1981 when raced by Vin Malkie (Northwich, Cheshire) in libre racing. Reappeared in 1983 when raced by Duncan Gray in the British Formula Atlantic series. It was entered by Peers himself in libre in 1984. Then to Steve Raine for Sprints, co-driven by Robin Boucher, and then hired to Bob Fearnley's RK Racing for Tiff Needell to drive in a pair of races in India in early 1985. Then reportedly to Stuart Ridge for 1986. To John Lloyd then to Simon Hadfield (Shepshed, Leicestershire) but damaged in an accident at Mallory Park. Restored with original Excita condoms bodywork and sold in 1998 to Jeff Wright, a Scotsman then living in Canada. Still with Wright (Wilmington, NC) in 2014 and raced regularly in vintage racing. By 2019, the car had moved to Scotland and was owned by George Coghill (Halkirk, Highland) and was prepared by Steve Worrad (Whitchurch, Shropshire) for sprints.
2. 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.
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 South African Formula Atlantic championship in January and February 1977. Crashed heavily at Killarney in February and replaced with 77B-7. The damaged car was returned to March Engineering, repaired. It was updated it to 772P specification and sold to Andy Barton (Newcastle upon Tyne) who fitted with a 2-litre Ford BDG and used it in libre racing in 1978. He converted it to Formula Atlantic specification for 1979 with a Swindon BDA engine and used in the revised 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. 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.
5. Surtees TS10 [01] (Dave Allen): New for Mike Hailwood to race as a works entry in the 1972 F2 series as a works Team Surtees entry. Hailwood won at Mantorp Park and Salzburgring in this car, and also finished second at Crystal Palace, Rouen, the Österreichring and Hockenheim in October to secure a deserved championship. He also won one race at Interlagos in November during the Torneio do Brasil, The car was not seen in 1973, but reappeared in 1974 with Richard Jones (Stroud, Gloucestershire) for hillclimbs. Raced regularly by Jones in 1975 and 1976 with a 2-litre Hart engine, and then in 1977 with a turbocharged Hart, although he soon returned to a regular engine. To Channel Islander Maurice Ogier for 1978, and used in the 1600cc class of French hillclimbs. Then to Dave Allen (Crewe, Cheshire), and raced in British Formula Atlantic in 1979. Next seen hillclimbed by Peter Bromage in the 1980s, then sold to Don Wood, and seen again shortly after when sold by dealer Straight Six to the US in 1991. Raced by Gil Nickel (Oakville, CA) in US historic events between 1994 and 2002. Nickel died in 2003, but the car has been retained by his family in the car collection at Nickel's Far Niente Winery in Oakville.
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. 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. Then then built up 782/2 and that car was raced by Braam Smith for the DAW Suppliers team in late 1982 and in 1983. In April 1983, it was sold to Billy Maloney, replacing his March 77B, and raced by him in 1983 and 1984. The 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.
8. March 762 ["742-3"] (Roy Baker): Roy Baker (Ferndown, Dorset) raced a March 742 in British Formula Atlantic in 1979. It was reported variously as a 762 or a 752/77P, but was observed by Adam Ferrington at Oulton Park in June 1979 to be wearing the 742/3 chassis plate. Subsequent hisory unknown.

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.

Individual sources for this event

Programme, full qualifying times and full race results provided by Marcus Pye from BRDC archives.