Eifelrennen

Nürburgring, 23 Apr 1967

All cars are 1.6-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT23 [5] (Jochen Rindt): Roy Winkelmann Racing for Jochen Rindt in F2 in 1967, winning nine races that season. Also for Gijs van Lennep as a Roy Winkelmann Racing Team Holland entry at Zandvoort that July. Then used by Denny Hulme for the 1968 Tasman series but crashed at Pukekohe. Feo Stanton and Alex Mildren bought the wreck which went, less suspension, to Bob Britton in Australia who used it to make a jig for a 'Rorstan' for Stanton, a 'Mildren' for Alex Mildren and his own series of Rennmax BN3 cars. The BT23 frame later passed to Graham Hepburn and then to Denis Lupton (Melbourne) 1981 who also bought the suspension, by then with Les Sargent. Sold to George Goodare (Sydney, NSW) 1983 - Jean-Marie Muller (France) 2008 . Involved in an accident at Reims in 2010 and reported to be damaged by fire. Subsequent history unknown.
2. Lola T100 [SL100/5] (John Surtees): Believed to be the works Lola T100 with BMW engine entered by Lola Racing for John Surtees to drive in Formula 2 that first appeared at the Nürburgring in April 1967. Also raced by Chris Irwin at Reims, David Hobbs in the German GP, Irwin at Brands Hatch, and Andrea de Adamich at Albi. As Lola Racing's other two T100s, SL100/2 and SL100/4, were both sold, this is believed to be the Firestone test and development car maintained by John Surtees' operation over the next two years. For 1970, it was sold to Robs Lamplough, fitted with a Cosworth FVA engine and raced by him in F2 in 1970, and also once by brother Peter in a libre race at Castle Combe. To Brian and Barry White for 1971, and fitted with a Ford twin cam for the new Formula Atlantic. Presumably the car advertised in November 1971 from west London numbers with a new Broadspeed BDA, and still in Surtees' red and silver livery. Last seen at the Brands Hatch Atlantic race in April 1972. Its history after the Whites is not known, but a few years later, the ex-Surtees Firestone test car was bought by Bob Eccles (Oldbury, West Midlands), less engine and gearbox. He fitted a Ford twin cam engine and used the car in libre between 1975 and 1978, and later, suitably re-engined, in Monoposto in 1979 and 1980. Bob cannot remember where it went. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Lola T100 [SL100/3] (Hubert Hahne): Believed to be the new Lola T100 entered by BMW Motorsport and raced by Hubert Hahne at the Nürburgring in April 1967. It is presumably then the car he raced at Hockenheim in June, and that he used at Reims two weeks later, where he failed to qualify. It is then assumed to be the car he raced in the German GP in nominal Formula 1 specification with a 2-litre version of the BMW Apfelbeck engine. His remaining races that season were in the Brands Hatch Guards Trophy in August, at Albi in September, and the Gran Premio di Roma at Vallelunga in October. The two BMW Motorsport Lola T100s were then rebuilt to take Cosworth FVAs and given new chassis numbers SL100/7 and SL100/8.
4. McLaren M4A [M4A/2] (Piers Courage): Entered by John Coombes for Piers Courage in F2 in 1967. Crashed at Brands Hatch in August 1967 and believed to have been rebuilt on a new tub before its next race at Albi four weeks later, but Autosport makes no mention of a rebuild nor of it being a new car. Raced by Piers Courage in the 1968 Tasman series. Sold to Niel Allen and raced in Australian events in 1968 until Allen crashed heavily at Lakeside in July, reportedly requiring another new tub to be fabricated. Raced again by Allen in 1969, then to Pat Burke for drivers Len Goodwin 1970-71 and Warwick Brown 1971. Sold by Burke and Peter Malloy to Erol Richardson but bought back by Pat Burke around 1982. Restored by Molloy for Burke and retained until sold to John Hugenholtz. To David Coplowe (England) by 1994. Raced in the HSCC Historic Formula Racing Car Championship in 1995. Raced by Coplowe until 2010, and sold to Gareth Williams (Oxfordshire) in 2012.
5. McLaren M4A [M4A/1] (Bruce McLaren): Entered by Bruce McLaren Motor Racing for Bruce McLaren in F2 in 1967. Sold to Jim Palmer (NZ) 1968, then to Tony Osborne's Argo Racing in Australia July 1968, driven by Peter Macrow in 1968 and then Alfredo Costanzo from 1968 to 1971. To Ken Hastings mid-1971, who swapped the FVA for a Ford twin-cam for 1972, and the to John Sheppard August 1973. Fitted with a 1300cc Toyota Corolla engine by Geoff Kennett 1974. Later Tony Armstrong (Victoria, Australia) in November 1982 and rebuilt around 1985. At Christie's Melbourne auction 1990 where it was sold to Art Valdez (Torrance, CA). It remained in Valdez' collection for many years, until sold to a UK consortium in 2017.
6. Lola T100 [SL100/4] (Chris Irwin): Believed to be the works Lola T100 entered by Lola Racing for John Surtees to drive in Formula 2 at the start of 1967. Fitted with a Cosworth FVA engine and raced by Surtees at Snetterton and Silverstone in March 1967, then by Chris Irwin at the Nürburgring in April. Sold in May to David Bridges for Brian Redman to drive in F2 for the rest of that season. Retained by Bridges for F2 in 1968, when it was driven by Redman, Chris Williams, Mike Beckwith, David Hobbs and Robin Widdows. Sold to Robin Darlington (Ruaben, Wales) late 1969, and used in libre racing in 1970. He advertised it in January 1971 when it had a twin cam and was prepared for the new 1971 Formula Atlantic category. Robin cannot recall where it went, but it was next seen in Sprints in late 1973, when it was driven by Richard Lester (Yoxall, Staffordshire). The car was run by Lester in the 1600cc class in Sprints and occasional hillclimbs from 1974 to 1977. Lester then acquired a March 73B, and advertised the T100 in January 1978 as "ex-Redman" with an all-steel twin cam and Hewland FT200 gearbox. This is likely to be the red/white 1600cc Lola T100 that Kenneth Brill (Redditch, Worcestershire) raced in libre at Croft in 1978. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Brabham BT23 [7] (Gerhard Mitter): To Gerhard Mitter (Germany) and raced in selected F2 events in 1967. Then entered by Mitter Tuning for Werner Lindermann in 1968. Retained by Lindermann and entered by Montan Racing Team through the 1969 season, returning in 1970 for the team's second driver Helmut Gall. Last seen at Hockenheim on 12 April 1970 but believed to have been destroyed some time later.
8. Brabham BT23 [4] (Alan Rees): Roy Winkelmann Racing for Alan Rees in F2 1967. To Walter Habegger (Oberönz, Switzerland) 1968 for Swiss championship events. To Gérard Pillon (Geneva, Switzerland) 1969 and used in Swiss national events and French hillclimbs. (Although one source gives this as the car of Enzo Corti at Rheims and Albi in 1969, that identification looks highly doubtful.) Crashed at Côte de la Faucille on 7 September and not seen again. In 2009, Walter Habegger recalled that Pillon had an accident in the car and that it was badly damaged.
9. Brabham BT23 [3] (Frank Gardner): Motor Racing Developments entry for Frank Gardner in 1967. To Squadra Tartaruga for Xavier Perrot (Zürich, Switzerland) to race in F2 in 1968. Retained early 1969 but damaged at Nürburgring 27 April by a Porsche landing on top of it. Sold via Jo Siffert in 1969 to Jacques Joliat (Porrentruy, Switzerland) who raced it in French and Swiss hillclimbs in 1970 and 1971, before replacing the FVA with a FVC for 1972. Unknown in 1973 and 1974, then to Michel Salvi (Malbuisson, France) and raced with a 1300cc Renault Gordini engine in 1975 and 1976. To Alain Ribager (Mulhouse, Alsace, France) in 1977, and raced by him until 1979. In 1980, Daniel Coquet raced a 1300cc Brabham a few times, and advertised it in October that year as a BT23 with 1300cc Renault engine. Then in 1981 and 1982, Jean-Pierre Mutel raced a Renault-engined BT23 which is very probably the same car. Found by Gérard Gamand in 1984 near Valence, France with March bodywork but still with a Renault engine. To Michel Champelovier 1989 then 'Hollinger' then Thierry De Mortier by 2006. To Max Pearson (Queensland, Australia) 2010.
10. Brabham BT23 [1] (Jack Brabham): Entered by Motor Racing Developments for Jack Brabham in F2 in 1967 until crashed at Rouen in July. Repaired and sold to Mick Mooney's Irish Racing Cars in July, fitted with a 1600cc Ford twin cam and raced by Tommy Reid (Tandragee, County Armagh, Northern Ireland) in Irish 1600cc Formula events for the rest of 1967 and through 1968. Refitted with a Cosworth FVA for 1969 and dominated the Irish season. To Walter Kinnear (Gilford, County Down, Northern Ireland) with twin cam power for 1970 but crashed heavily at Mondello Park in August. Rebuilt on a new BT23C frame and raced in 1971 and 1972 by Nelson Todd (Lisburn, Northern Ireland). To Maurice Stirling (Crumlin, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) for 1973 and converted to Irish Clubmans for 1974. Advertised from a Ballymoney, County Antrim telephone number in 1979 but then unknown until for sale by Northdown Racing (Ripley, Surrey) in 1982. Then to Bob Wilson (Glasgow) and sold via dealer Jon Bradburn to Andrew Fellowes in late 1984. To Joe Fairley (Belfast, N. Ireland) 1986. To John Moulds (Alderley Edge, Cheshire) 1997. Sold to Steve Padgett (Australia) 2013.
11. Cooper T82 [F2-1-66] (Peter Gethin): Run by Bob Gerard as a quasi-works F2 team in 1966 for driver Bob Anderson, but also raced by Mike Beckwith towards the end of the season. Rebuilt with a Ford twin cam for the new 1600cc F2 in 1967 and driven by Beckwith, Peter Gethin, Alan Rollinson and others. Presumably this is the car that was next seen in 1969 when fitted with its original Cosworth SCA engine and being raced in hillclimbs by Donald L. Gray (Rotherham, South Yorkshire). Gray continued to pick up class award with this car into 1972. Subsequent history unknown but a "ex-Rollinson, ex-Gethin" Cooper T82 was raced by Ronnie Haines with a Ford twin cam engine in FORCE races in 2003 and in HSCC racing since then.
12. Lotus 48 [R1?] (Graham Hill): The prototype Lotus 48 was taken out to Australia for Graham Hill to drive in the Australian Grand Prix at Warwick Farm in February 1967, when he retired. It was then the Team Lotus spare car at the start of the F2 season, first racing at the Nürburgring in April. Jim Clark then used the car in nine F2 races from May onwards, including his wins at Jarama and Keimola. Driven by Alex Solor-Roig at the Spanish GP in November, but his deal to race the car fell through. Retained for 1968, when it was Jackie Oliver's regular entry supported by Roger Frogley's Herts & Essex Aero Club and maintained by Derek Wilde. It was sold to Gerry Kinnane at the end of the European F2 season, and raced for him by Oliver in the Argentine Temporada in December. Then raced by John Watson at the opening F2 race of 1969, at Thruxton, but crashed and badly damaged. Repaired in Belfast with a new outer skin created by Fred Smith using the workshop of Belfast Corporation Bus Company on the Falls Road, and raced by John L'Amie for Kinnane later in the year. To Alan Fowler for 1970, and driven by Barrie Smith at the Thruxton F2 race in March 1970, but did not start. Reportedly sold by Fowler's D&A Shells to a collector in Nuneaton, and retained by him until 1997, when it was sold via John Harper to Bob Tabor (Llanrothal, Herefordshire). The car was restored by Tabor by Simon Hadfield, and the monocoque was rebuilt by Competition Fabrications (Attleborough, Norfolk) who carefully replaced the single-curvature Belfast-made outer skin with a correct double-curvature skin. A stronger rollhoop structure was also fitted. The rebuilt car was raced by Hadfield in the Goodwood Glover Trophy in September 1999.
13. Brabham BT14 [FL-7-65] (Ian Raby): Bought new by Jackie Epstein for 1965 and used in both Formule Libre (with a Ford twin cam) and Formula 2 (with a Cosworth SCA). Sold at the end of the season to Ian Raby (Brighton, Sussex) who raced it in November 1965 and then in F2 through 1966. Converted back to its Ford twin cam engine for 1967 and continued in F2 up to Zandvoort in July when Raby suffered the injuries from which he later died. The BT14 was rebuilt and Tony Barchou of Ian Raby Racing in 1968 and then, as a BT14/18, in rounds of the European F5000 series in 1969. Engine and transmission sold to Alan Jones and rolling chassis to Rob 'Tiny' Littler but he did not use it and eventually sold it to a collector in California. Nothing further known until a car with this claimed history owned by Don Orosco (Monterey, CA) c1995. Subsequently via John Zuppan (Portland, OR) and Jim Schnell (Seattle, WA) to Jonathan Burke (San Francisco, CA) early 2005.
14. Lola T100 [SL100/1?] (Jo Siffert): Believed to be the Lola T100 entered by BMW Motorsport for Hubert Hahne at the opening race of the 1967 F2 season. This car was taken over by Jo Siffert at the second race, at Silverstone a few days later, and kept by him for the race at Nürburgring in April. It is then assumed to be the car used by Kurt Ahrens in the team's next race at Hockenheim in June. If Hahne stayed with the newer chassis SL100/3, then this original car would be the one raced by Siffert at Reims in June, at Albi in September, and at Vallelunga in October. It is assumed here to be the car used by Siffert to win the St Ursanne-Les Rangiers hillclimb in August using the 2-litre BMW Apfelbeck engine, but that could just as easily be the same car Hahne had used in the German GP two weeks earlier, as that used the same larger engine. Detailed photographs or access to BMW records may resolve that. The two BMW Motorsport Lola T100s were then rebuilt to take Cosworth FVAs and given new chassis numbers SL100/7 and SL100/8.
15. Brabham BT16 [F2-23-65] (Brian Redman): The F1 Register show this car as being entered by Bob Anderson's DW Racing Enterprises for Anderson at Brands Hatch in August 1965 and at Oulton Park three weeks later but it may have been part of the Lythgoe operation. Lythgoe then enters this car for John Taylor and then Mike Beckwith in F2 in 1966. According to a profile of Rob Leeson in CT&T Feb 1969, this car was bought late in 1965 by Lythgoe, was used in libre with a 1.4-litre version of a SCA in 1966, went to David Bridges for 1967 and then to Leeson for 1968. The chassis number is derived from comparing that history with F1R F2 records. Its exact racing history in 1966 libre is hard to determine due to fluctuating descriptions but it seems to have been Rollinson's libre car from August until the end of the year with a F3 car travelling as backup. A profile of Rollinson in Autosport 6 Jun 1969 p19 gives more detail on the car and on other Lythgoe entries. MN reports that David Bridges borrowed the BT16-SCB for Brian Redman to race in early 1967 F2 rounds. Leeson took the BT16 back to his native Canada where he won the 1968 championship. Despite reports that it had gone to Bob Constabaris (West Vancouver, BC), Leeson sold it to Pierce Isaacs for 1970 and 1971. Later sold to Kevin Skinner (Langley, WA), by which time it has BT21 rear suspension, and raced by him with a Ford twin cam engine in FB. Sold by Skinner to Simon Gardner (Burnaby, BC, Canada) in July 1978, and raced in ICSCC events. Then sold in November 1979 to Jerry Ives, who used it for racing school in Canada. Sold by Ives to Bob Micheletti in February 1985 and rebuilt for history racing. To Christopher Leggett at the start of 1988, then later to David Long. Then unknown until 2017, when it was owned by Steve Davis.
16. Lotus 48 [R3?] (Jim Clark): Entered by Lotus Components Ltd for Jackie Oliver at the opening race of the 1967 season, and then taken over by Jim Clark for Pau, Montjuich Park and Nürburgring, qualifying on pole position each time and winning at Montjuich. Clark generally preferred chassis R1 thereafter, and R3 was raced by Pedro Rodriguez at Reims, Moises Solana at Jarama, and then by Oliver again at the Nürburgring in August, at Brands Hatch and at Vallelunga in October. The car was damaged at Vallelunga but not badly, and why it was not seen again is unclear. It has been suggested that the car was rebuilt on a longer monocoque over the winter to become chassis R4.
17. Brabham BT23 [6] (Robin Widdows): 1967 Whitley Racing Services for Robin Widdows. Sold at the end of the 1967 season to Mitsubishi Motors and shipped to Japan. May have been used by Kouichi Satou in 1973 and Masaru Tanaka in 1975
18. Lotus 48 [R2?] (Graham Hill): Graham Hill's regular Team Lotus entry in Formula 2 in 1967, raced by him in 16 of that season's races. Retained for 1968, when it was entered by Gold Leaf Team Lotus for Hill in a further eight F2 races. Sold to Gerry Kinnane's Team Ireland for 1969, and raced by John Pollock in the Thruxton F2 race in April and then in Irish 1600cc racing. Sold to Kevin Murphy in 1970 for Frank Keane to drive in Irish libre racing, primarily at Mondello Park, and in hillclimbs. Traded to Bobby Howlings for a Brabham BT30 in September 1970, and advertised by him the following month. Then evidently to Beric Ewin (Finchley, London) and fitted with a Ford twin cam engine for the new Formula Atlantic category in 1971 and 1972. Then unknown until acquired by a private collector in the late 1970s.

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.

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.