Hitachi Formula Atlantic Series Race
Mondello Park, 2 Jun 1980
Results | Laps | Time/Speed | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ian Flux | Ehrlich RP5 [1] - Ford BDA Ehrlich #15 Dr. J. Ehrlich |
25 | 23m 59.8s 77.51 mph |
2 | Mike Nugent | Argo "JM8" [044-FA] - Ford BDA Swindon (see note 1) |
25 | 24m 04.8s |
3 | Trevor Templeton | Chevron B42 [42-78-12] - Ford BDA |
25 | 24m 15.0s |
4 | David Duffield | Ralt RT1/78 [145] - Ford BDA Swindon #20 Caledon Coal Co. (see note 2) |
25 | 24m 20.0s |
5 | Phil Dowsett | March 79B [782-6] - Ford BDA Racing Fabrications #5 Martin the Newsagent (see note 3) |
25 | 24m 21.4s |
6 | Alo Lawler | Ralt RT1/77 [66] - Ford BDA Smith #3 L&B Excavations (see note 4) |
25 | 24m 22.8s |
7 | Ken Fildes | Chevron B29 [29-75-06-2] - Ford BDA (see note 5) |
||
8 | John Bowtell | March 77B [Bowtell] - Ford BDA Swindon #50 (see note 6) |
||
R | Tom O'Leary | Chevron B48 [49 79-01?] - Ford BDA (see note 7) |
||
R | Tyrrell Arnold | Modus M3 [027-FA] - Ford BDA (see note 8) |
||
UNK | David Leslie | Ralt RT4/80 [185] - Ford BDA Nicholson #8 Hope Scott Garage |
||
UNK | Gary Gibson | Chevron B42 [42-78-08] - Ford BDA Smith #31 |
||
UNK | Tony Westwood | March 79B - Ford BDA Swindon Datamatic (see note 9) |
All cars are 1.6-litre F/Atl unless noted.
Qualifying | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mike Nugent | (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Argo "JM8" [044-FA] - Ford BDA Swindon | |||
2 | Tom O'Leary | (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Chevron B48 [49 79-01?] - Ford BDA |
Notes on the cars:
- Argo "JM8" [044-FA] (Mike Nugent): Believed to be a new car supplied to Mike Nugent for 1980, built on a new monocoque but incorporating parts of Nugent's previous JM5. The monocoque of the new car was wider and longer than on the older car, extending either side of the engine. This car appears in Argo records as "JM8-044-FA" and was described by Nugent as a JM8, but it is not related to the 1981 F3 car that also used that designation. Raced by Nugent in the Irish Formula Atlantic series in 1980 and at one raced at the start of 1981, but Nugent went off on warm up lap. Then sold to Jim Burnett (Bellevue, WA) and raced by him in WCAR events in 1983 and 1984. The car remained with Burnett until his death in May 2012, at which point both Burnett's Argos were acquired by Allen Karlberg (Seattle, WA), who raced the "JM8" in 2013. Sold to Douglas Schumacher (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) in early 2015, and he ran it at Road America later that year, only for it to be damaged when a freak gust of wind blew a golf cart onto it. Raced at Mid-Ohio in 2016 and at again Road America in 2017, then taken to Kirkistown in 2019 where it was tested by original owner Mike Nugent. Bought by Nugent, and in the process or restoration in Northern Ireland during 2020.
- Ralt RT1/78 [145] (David Duffield): 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.
- March 79B [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.
- Ralt RT1/77 [66] (Alo Lawler): 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.
- Chevron B29 [29-75-06-2] (Ken Fildes): New to Alo Lawler (St Helens, Merseyside) and raced in the 1975 British Formula Atlantic championship, sponsored by L&B Excavations Ltd. Also used in the Irish championship that year, and in libre racing. Retained by Lawler for 1976, when he raced it in the Shellsport G8 championship, the Irish Formula Atlantic championship, the British Indylantic championship, and in libre racing. Sold to John Eastwood and raced in the Irish Formula Atlantic series. To Joe Greenan (Belfast, Northern Ireland) for 1978, and entered by Irish Racing Cars in Irish Atlantic, then raced by Ken Fildes (Clonskeagh, Dublin) in 1979 and 1980. Sold to English wheeler dealer Bobby Howlings (Alderley Edge, Cheshire) for 1981, and raced by Howlings in rounds of the reintroduced British Formula Atlantic championship. Sold to Stuart Harte (Littleborough, Greater Manchester) and fitted with a 2.2-litre Hart 420R engine for sprints and hillclimbs. After Harte's death, the car was retained by his family until 2011, when it was sold to Jon Waggitt. Waggitt sold it to Chris Porritt in July 2011, and he spent some years returning it to running condition. He first raced it at Laguna Seca in March 2020, then brought it back to the UK later that year.
- March 77B [Bowtell] (John Bowtell): In September 1978, John Bright (Leicester) advertised a March "77P" which he described as being a F2 rolling chassis and "same as Giacomelli's". He also advertised his 773 Formula 3 car which had been rebuilt on a new monocoque in August 1978. It is therefore possible that the "77P" had been built using the 773's repaired original monocoque. The car was sold to John Bowtell (Witney, Oxfordshire), who fitted it with a 2-litre BDX bought from Ray Mallock and ran it in libre in 1979. He then fitted it with a 1600cc Swindon BDA and raced it in the British Formula Atlantic series in 1980. He then retired from racing, and advertised the car in January 1981. Subsequent history unknown.
- Chevron B48 [49 79-01?] (Tom O'Leary): 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.
- Modus M3 [027-FA] (Tyrrell Arnold): New to Dicksons of Perth, and entered for Richard Scott to drive with sponsorship from Fife & Kinross Motor Auctions in the Indylantic Championship, the ShellSPORT Group 8 series and in libre racing. The Nicholson BDA engine was swapped for 1970cc Swindon BDX engine for the Group 8 series, and Dickson also used this engine for the Ingliston Formule Libre series. Sold to Gerry Kinnane for 1977, and fitted with a Swindon BDA for Mike Nugent to drive in the Irish Formula Atlantic. Whether Kinnane continued to own this car is unclear. For Nugent again in 1978. To Tyrrell Arnold late 1979, and retained for 1980. It was then sold to Patrick Plunkett (Dublin, Ireland). Marcus Pye reports that Plunkett crashed it very heavily on The Corkscrew hillclimb, at Ballyalban, County Clare, in the 1980s. He still the wreck in 2003, and still intended to start rebuilding it.
- March 79B (Tony Westwood): Tony Westwood (Cardiff/Caerphilly/Eaton Hastings) raced a March "78B" or March "79B" with Swindon engines in British Formula Atlantic in 1980 and early 1981. He was sponsored by Datamatic Limited ("Pacemakers in Continuous Print") and entered as #6 in 1980 and #2 in 1981. He was last seen in April 1981. 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.