OldRacingCars.com

Hitachi Formula Atlantic Series Race

Snetterton, 14 Sep 1980

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Ian Flux Ehrlich RP5 [1] - Ford BDA
#15 Dr. J. Ehrlich
20 20m 54.0s
110.06 mph
2 Phil Dowsett March 79B [782-6] - Ford BDA Racing Fabrications
#5 Pinch Plant/Martins (see note 1)
20 21m 04.4s
3 Alo Lawler Ralt RT4/80 [199] - Ford BDA Smith
#3 L&B Excavations
20 21m 19.0s
4 Roger Orgee March 782/79B - Ford BDA Richardson
#4 Baric Computing Services (see note 2)
19 21m 18.3s
5 Charlie Kirby March 782 [14] - Ford BDA Swindon
#17 (see note 3)
19 21m 18.5s
6 Mike Catlow Ralt RT1/77 [71?] - Ford BDA Hart
#16 (see note 4)
19 21m 19.5s
UNK unknown (F?) unknown

DNA David Leslie Ralt RT4/80 [185] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#8 Hope Scott Garage
Did not arrive
DNA Tony Westwood March 78B - Ford BDA Swindon
#6 Datamatic Ltd (see note 5)
Did not arrive
DNA John Bowtell March 77B [Bowtell] - Ford BDA Swindon
#50 (see note 6)
Did not arrive

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

Qualifying
Qualifying information not available

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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.
  2. March 782/79B (Roger Orgee): Roger Orgee (Bristol) raced a March 782/79B in British Formula Atlantic, sponsored by Baric Computing Services (Modern Engineers) and using Richardson BDA engines. He wrecked the car at Oulton Park on 28 June, and rebuilt it on a replacement monocoque acquired from Andy Barton. Subsequent history unknown.
  3. March 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.
  4. Ralt RT1/77 [71?] (Mike Catlow): Mike Catlow (Dulwich, London/Charing, Kent) drove a Ralt RT1 in British Formula Atlantic from 1980 to 1983. The car was later acquired by Jackie Harris for hillclimbs in Ireland, at first with a 1600cc BDA engine in 1986 and later with a 2-litre BDG from 1987 to 1990. It then went to Andy Kittle, who ran it in hillclimbs around 1993. In 1996 he sold it via Simon Hadfield to Tom Calicchio (Erie, PA). Subsequent history unknown.
  5. March 78B (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
  6. 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.

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.