OldRacingCars.com

Hitachi Formula Atlantic Series Race

Silverstone, 27 Aug 1979

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Ray Mallock Ralt RT1/77 [66] - Ford BDA Swindon
#1 Cliff Smith Racing (see note 1)
25 22m 03.37s
109.19 mph
2 Paul Smith March 782 [2(B)] - Ford BDA Hart
#2 Birmingham Motor Tyres (BMTR)
(see note 2)
25 22m 14.35s
3 Phil Dowsett March 782 [6] - Ford BDA Racing Fabrications
#21 Glaister Card Shops/Pinch Plant Ltd
(see note 3)
25 22m 15.29s
4 Ian Briggs Ralt RT1/77 [72] - Ford BDA Swindon
#36 Ian Briggs (see note 4)
25 22m 21.02s
5 Jim Crawford Chevron B45 [45-78-04] - Ford BDA Swindon
#4 Econopallet Racing (see note 5)
25 22m 26.97s
6 Bernard Hunter Ralt RT1/78 [145] - Ford BDA Swindon
#7 Bernard Hunter (see note 6)
25 22m 27.36s
7 Andy Barton March 78/79B [782-13] - Ford BDA Swindon
#12 Andy Barton (see note 7)
25
8 Alo Lawler Lola T760 [HU1] - Ford BDA Smith
#6 L. & B. Excavations Ltd.
25
9 John Stokes Chevron B42 [42-78-02] - Ford BDA
#18 Bogart's Birmingham
25
10 Don Halliday Lyncar FA79 [010] - Ford BDA
#9 Lyncar Engineering Ltd
25
11 Dave Rackham Chevron B42 [42-78-15] - Ford BDA Smith
#17 David Rackham
25
12 Charlie Kirby March 78B [782-14] - Ford BDA Swindon
#30 Kirby Racing (see note 8)
24
13 Dave Muter Barton JTB3 [Sana RD11] - Ford BDA Swindon
#28 David Muter
24
R Andrew Jeffrey Chevron B49 [49-79-01] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#8 The Hope Scott Garage Ltd. (see note 9)
21
R Daniel Lebacq Lebacq FA [BM73-015] - Ford BDA Cosworth
#10 Daniel Lebacq
13
R Roy Baker March 752/77P ["742-3"] - Ford BDA Swindon
#24 Roy Baker (see note 10)
12
R Geoff Byman March 75B [742] - Ford BDA Byman
#26 Geoff Byman (see note 11)
1
DNA Alan Webb Mallock U2 Mk 20B [20B-79-014] - Ford BDA Swindon
#20 Alan Webb
Did not arrive

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

Qualifying
1 Ray Mallock (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/77 [66] - Ford BDA Swindon 52.11s
2 Paul Smith (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 782 [2(B)] - Ford BDA Hart 52.68s
3 Phil Dowsett (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 782 [6] - Ford BDA Racing Fabrications 52.78s
4 Ian Briggs (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/77 [72] - Ford BDA Swindon 53.01s
5 Jim Crawford (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B45 [45-78-04] - Ford BDA Swindon 53.38s
6 Bernard Hunter (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/78 [145] - Ford BDA Swindon 53.40s
7 Andy Barton (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 78/79B [782-13] - Ford BDA Swindon 53.45s
8 Andrew Jeffrey (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B49 [49-79-01] - Ford BDA Nicholson 53.50s
9 Alo Lawler (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lola T760 [HU1] - Ford BDA Smith 53.83s
10 Don Halliday (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lyncar FA79 [010] - Ford BDA 53.96s
11 Dave Rackham (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B42 [42-78-15] - Ford BDA Smith 54.13s
12 Charlie Kirby (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 78B [782-14] - Ford BDA Swindon 54.88s
13 Dave Muter (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Barton JTB3 [Sana RD11] - Ford BDA Swindon 56.36s
14 Roy Baker (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 752/77P ["742-3"] - Ford BDA Swindon 56.56s
15 Geoff Byman (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 75B [742] - Ford BDA Byman 59.32s
16 John Stokes (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B42 [42-78-02] - Ford BDA 62.73s
17 Daniel Lebacq (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lebacq FA [BM73-015] - Ford BDA Cosworth 65.14s

Notes on the cars:

  1. Ralt RT1/77 [66] (Ray Mallock): New to Giancarlo Minardi's Scuderia Everest F2 team and fitted with a Ferrari Dino 206 V6 engine for Lamberto Leoni and later Elio de Angelis to drive in F2 in 1977. Unknown in 1978. To Ray Mallock (Roade, Northamptonshire) for British Formula Atlantic in 1979, run for him by Mario Deliotti Racing and later by Cliff Smith Racing. To Alo Lawler (St Helens, Lancashire) for British Formula Atlantic in 1980. Lawler won the Phoenix Park Irish Formula Atlantic race in August, and sold the car in Ireland to Tom O'Leary (Dalkey, County Dublin). Raced by O'Leary in the Irish Formula Atlantic series from 1980 to 1983. Subsequent history unknown.
  2. March 782 [2(B)] (Paul Smith): After Paul Smith wrecked his ex-Toleman March 782-2 at Mallory Park in March 1979, he built up a new car using a tub fabricated by Mo Gomm. As the "782-2" plate remained on the original tub, and this was later repaired, this Gomm-built car is regarded here as a new car 'PS1'. The new 'PS1' was used by Smith in Formula Atlantic and F2 in 1979 and 1980. It was sold together with the remains of 782-2 to Bernard Tilanus "in the autumn of 1981" and shipped to South Africa. Tilanus converted 'PS1' to use Sigma Mazda engines and raced it in early 1982. It was sold in March or April 1982 to Hekro for Ian Scheckter to race, but he did not like the car, and it was taken over by his Hekro teammate Peter Haller. At some point in 1983, probably at Kyalami on 30 April 1983 where Haller retired, 'PS1' was damaged. It is believed that the unrepaired tub ended up with Keith Horwood. It passed via Ivan Glasby to a hotel owned by one of the Toleman brothers in the Eastern Transvaal, where it was hung on the wall of the bar. The tub was thrown away around 2005, when the hotel changed hands.
  3. March 782 [6] (Phil Dowsett): Alex Ribeiro's Hart-engined car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably all season. Hired by Wolfgang Locher for Hockenheim 26 Sep. To Phil Dowsett (Maldon, Essex) for British Formula Atlantic in 1979, converted to 79B specification and supported by Pinch Plant and Martin the Newsagent. Retained by Dowsett for 1980, then unraced in 1981. Advertised by Dowsett as a 782/79B in September 1981. To Dave Hoban (Horncastle, Lincolnshire) for libre racing and British Formula Atlantic in 1982, then retained for libre racing in 1983 and in 1984.
  4. Ralt RT1/77 [72] (Ian Briggs): New to Graham Eden Racing for Tony Rouff to race in the ShellSPORT Group 8 Championship in 1977, using Ford BDG engines and sponsored by Harrisons of Birmingham. Rouff won in this car at Thruxton in June. Retained by Eden for 1978, and raced by Mike Wilds in what was then the Aurora AFX British F1 Championship. Sold to Ian Briggs (Reading/Farnham) and fitted with a Swindon BDA for the British Formula Atlantic series. Believed to be the car borrowed by Theodore Racing for Desiré Wilson to drive at Macau at the end of that season. Subsequent history unknown.
  5. 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.
  6. Ralt RT1/78 [145] (Bernard Hunter): New to Bernard Hunter (Edinburgh, Scotland) in December 1978, and raced in the 1979 British Formula Atlantic series. Also used extensively in libre racing in the north of England in Scotland. Sold to David Duffield for 1980 British Atlantic races and for libre at Ingliston. Then sold to Australian Charlie O’Brien and raced by him in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in December 1980 and January 1981. Then raced by O'Brien in the National Panasonic Formula Pacific series in Australia later that year. To Ron Barnacle for the Australian Grand Prix in November 1981 and the Australian National F1 Championship in 1982. Subsequent history unknown. In 2011, Grant Martin (Auckland, New Zealand) advertised the ex-O'Brien RT1 No 145.
  7. March 78/79B [782-13] (Andy Barton): Ingo Hoffmann's car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably all season. Raced by Cheever at Rouen. Believed to be the car then bought by Andy Barton and used in libre racing and Formula Atlantic until the end of 1981.
  8. March 78B [782-14] (Charlie Kirby): Eddie Cheever's car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably all season. To Dick Bennetts Racing and converted to Formula Atlantic for Eje Elgh to race in New Zealand in January 1979. Then to Charlie Kirby as a 78B and raced in Atlantic from 1979 to 1981. Offered for sale in On Track in 1981 by Kirby's Transatlantic Racing Services (Norcross, GA). Next seen with Andy Falbo (Detroit, MI) who raced it in US Formula Atlantic in 1983, and again in 1986 and 1988. Retained by Falbo and still owned by him in 2015.
  9. 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.
  10. March 752/77P ["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 history unknown.
  11. 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.

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.

Individual sources for this event

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