Deutschland Trophae

Hockenheim, 7 Apr 1968

All cars are 1.6-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT23C [7] (Piers Courage): New to Frank Williams Racing Cars for Piers Courage to race in F2 in 1968. Also raced by Jonathan Williams to win at Monza in June. To Roly Levis (New Zealand) and raced in the 1969 Tasman series and at Singapore, Batu Tiga and Fuji in the following months. Raced in the opening rounds of the 1969/70 New Zealand season and then sold to Baron Robertson who raced it Pukekohe in early December. Levis then tested the car for Robertson in practice for the Bay Park International at the end of December but crashed heavily at Rothmans corner, effectively writing off the car. Robertson acquired a replacement frame from Racing Frames in England and built a car which used a different chassis number. The original BT23C/7 frame was rebuilt as a Formula Ford and raced by Peter Haskett in the 1973/74 NZ season. This car found its way to Martin Smith in the UK in the late 1980s after which it was restored to BT23C specification. Then unknown until acquired by Bobby Rahal in the US and extensively rebuilt by Phil Simkin some time before 2004. With Justin Segel (West Bloomfield, MI) in 2003. For sale in 2006 when said to have been owned by Tom Claridge (Fremont, CA). To Ted Wentz (Villanova, PA) 2008.
2. Brabham BT23C [4] (Chris Lambert): New to London Racing Team for Chris Lambert to race in F2 in 1968. Crashed during the F2 race at Zandvoort on 28 July 1968 and Lambert was killed. It is believed that the car was broken up.
3. McLaren M4A [200-18F] (Jo Schlesser): Ecurie Intersport for Jo Schlesser in F2 in 1968 until his death in a F1 race in July. Presumably then the "ex-Schlesser" McLaren M4A raced in French hillclimbs by Jean-Claude Fontès (Bayonne, France) in 1969, by Hughes Hazard in 1970 and by Roger Rivoire in 1972. Then unknown until restored by an unnamed German owner in 1990. Appeared in various auctions between 1997 and 2005, in the midst of which Paul Dudley (and Steve Worrad) raced it in historic racing in 1999 and 2000. Sold at Bonhams & Brooks' Silverstone auction in September 2001 to an unknown owner who restored it in 2004 and then sold it via Bonhams Silverstone auction in July 2005. With Lindsay O'Donnell (Christchurch, NZ) in 2005 and raced for him by Ken Smith at Eastern Creek in December 2006. Still with O'Donnell in 2009.
4. McLaren M4A [200-20F] (Robin Widdows): This number is given for a Formula 2 car entered by Chequered Flag for Robin Widdows until he crashed it at Crystal Palace in June 1968 and it was replaced by a new car, or at least a new monocoque. The car somehow survived and is said to have raced in UK club racing in the 1970s. Found by Lincoln Small and others in an Essex barn c1990. Raced by Small 1996-97 and then by a further owner before the 1999 Coys Silverstone auction. With Graham Earl in 2000 and sold by him to a Belgian collector in 2002. Restored and repainted in Chequered Flag colours in 2012.
5. Lola T100 [SL100/6] (Chris Irwin): New for John Surtees to drive for Lola Racing at Mallory Park in May 1967, fitted with a Cosworth FVA engine. Surtees won at Mallory, and the next race at Zolder. This was then the team's main FVA car, as SL100/2 had been rebuilt in narrow-track form, and SL100/4 had been sold to David Bridges. Raced by Chris Irwin from July onwards, then by Andrea de Adamich at Enna. Raced by Irwin in F2 in early 1968, but after Irwin was badly injured in sports car race in May, the T100 was sold to Escuderia Nacional CS to replace SL100/8 that had been wrecked by Alex Soler-Roig. Raced by Soler-Roig for the rest of the 1968 season. To John Watson (Craigavad, County Down, Northern Ireland) and fitted with a Ford twin cam for local libre racing in 1969. To Dave Furlong (Dublin, Ireland) for 1970, then to John Burke (Dublin) for 1971. It was raced by Richie Conroy for Burke in 1972, then by Burke again in libre racing in 1973. Advertised by Burke, still with Ford twin cam engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox, in November 1973. Subsequent history unknown, but said by a later owner to have been owned by Bob Eccles (Oldbury, West Midland) in the late 1970s. If that is correct, it would be the second T100 that Eccles acquired as a source of spares for his main car. It is then believed to be the car raced by Pat Speer in HSCC events in 1985. Ted Walker then had two Lola T100s, probably the two ex-Eccles cars, and one remained in pieces while he had them, logically this one. According to a later Bonhams sale description, this car was owned by Speer in the 1970s, and was acquired by Louis Bernat (Chicago, IL) in 1989. Bernat died in 1997, and the car was advertised by his son Robert Bernat (Chicago, IL) in 2005, bought by Paul Busby, and returned to England. Sold at the Bonhams Brooklands auction in December 2011 to Robs Lamplough, but later sold back to Busby in 2015.
6. Brabham BT23C [6] (Max Mosley): New to Max Mosley and entered for him by London Racing Team and then by Frank Williams Racing Cars in F2 in 1968. Sold to Peter Parnell (Bulawayo, Rhodesia) and raced in South African events in 1969. Then to Arnold Charlton (Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa) for 1970 but crashed in practice at Roy Hesketh in March. Advertised as "recently rebuilt" and "immaculate" by Charlton in August 1970. Reported as sold back to the UK late in the year after repeated FVA problems. Just one week after Charlton's adverts stopped, D&A Shells (Stratford, East London) advertised a BT23C. Some time in late 1971 or early 1972 John Hardesty bought a BT23C from an east London dealer who told him that it had come back from South Africa. Chris Choat prepared the car for Hardesty and also raced it in libre racing. In October 1972, Choat was entered for a libre race at Silverstone in a green Brabham BT23C and he was mentioned racing it at Silverstone in March and July 1973. It can be assumed he was at other races during that period but too far down to be mentioned in reports. According to Hardesty, Choat destroyed the car when he crashed at Woodcote corner and bent it round a post. The car was broken up and the suspension went to Bobby Howlings.
7. Brabham BT23 [3] (Xavier Perrot): 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.
8. Brabham BT23C [9] (Derek Bell): New to Church Farm Racing Team (Pagham, Sussex) for Derek Bell to race in F2 in 1968. Bell moved to the Ferrari F2 team in June 1968 and the car was raced by Jonathan Williams at Hockenheim, by Peter Westbury and Monza and then by Brian Hart for the rest of the season. Advertised in December 1968 and March 1969. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Chevron B10 [F2.1] (Peter Gethin): Frank Lythgoe ran Chevron's first F2 car, the B10 chassis F2.1, at five early season races but the car was then dropped, re-emerging briefly when Frank Williams entered it for American Samuel Brown at Enna-Pergusa on 25 August (Speed World International 7 Sep 1968 p27). Brown crashed in practice and broke an upright, a spare part that Williams hadn't packed. The car was not seen again but is likely to have headed to the US where it is believed to be the car used by Horst Kwech (Gurnee, IL) in Formula A with a 2.7-litre Alfa V8. Subsequent history unknown. Patrick Jamin was reported to have this car in France in the late 1980s. From 1992 to 1997, this car was advertised by BB One Exports (Los Angeles, CA) but said to be located in France. In 2001, it was for sale by Giannandrea Calderazzo (Paris) and then said to be located in Italy. In 2005, the car was still in Italy and advertised by Autospeak.
10. McLaren M4A [200-22F] (Graeme Lawrence): This number is given for a Formula 2 car entered by Chequered Flag for Graeme Lawrence early in the 1968 season, then Frank Gardner and then Mike Walker. Likely to have been one of the four M4As advertised by Chequered Flag at the end of 1968.
11. McLaren M4A [200-17F] (Guy Ligier): Ecurie Intersport third F2 car in 1968, used by Jo Schlesser as a T-car. If 200-18 went into French hillclimbs, then 200-17 would be one of the two cars bought from Pierre Bardinon (Aubusson, France) by Franco Sbarro (Grandson, Switzerland). These cars were both sold to Georges Schafer (Geneva, Switzerland) and he used one of them in F2 and in Swiss national events in 1971. Then unknown until for sale with Hall & Fowler in 1997. A red M4A with silver stripe has been in the Donington Museum since at least 2005. In November 2009 it was observed to be wearing a curious-looking chassis plate marked '200-17'. Rumoured to be owned by McLaren International.
12. 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.
13. McLaren M4A [200-11E?] (Robs Lamplough): Frank Lythgoe Racing bought a McLaren M4A for Alan Rollinson to drive in Formula 2 in 1967, starting at Brands Hatch in late August. The number associated with this car is '200-11F' but the basis of this attribution remains unclear. Sold to Robs Lamplough (London) for 1968 and raced all season in Formula 2, latterly under the Frank Manning Racing banner. Subsequent history unknown but quite possibly sold to the US.
14. Brabham BT23C [8] (Kurt Ahrens): New to Kurt Ahrens (Braunschweig, Germany) and raced by him in F2 in 1968 under the Caltex Racing banner. Sold to Bernd Terbeck (Hiltrup, Germany) and run as part of the Montan Racing Team in F2 in 1969 and 1970. Then unknown in 1971 and 1972. Former Mini racer Graham Cooper (Sedgley, Worcestershire) raced his "newly acquired Brabham BT23C" in a sprint at Curborough in March 1973. This car was sold by Cooper to Richard Churchley (Hampton-in-Arden, Warwickshire) and run by him in sprints in 1975 with a Ford twin cam and then in 1976 with a 1600cc Hart BDA. From Churchley to Bill Morris who wanted the engine for his Ensign and sold the rest of the car to Robin Darlington (Ruabon, Wales) in early 1977. Then to Les Aylott (Oakham, Rutland) and David Knowles, fitted with Aylott's turbcharged 1600cc BDA engine by by June 1977, and raced in 1977 and 1978. Advertised from Oakham in April 1981. Then unknown until raced by Peter Rogers (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) in the HSCC Bradburn & Wedge Pre-71 series in 1984 with a BDA engine. (Possibly the car raced by Jon Bradburn in late 1983.) Raced by Rogers until 1987. Sold by Rogers' father Sir John Rogers to David Brown (Ashford, Kent) in 1999 and raced by him in the HSCC Classic Racing Cars Championship. Raced regularly by David Brown (Ashford, Kent) in HSCC events until sold to Graham Adelman (Free Union, VA) in 2014.
15. Tecno 68/F2 [T00 270] (Carlo Facetti): The "usual car" of Carlo Facetti in 1968 and in the Argentine Temporada at the end of that season. Entered by Scuderia Picchio Rosso for Facetti at a couple of races in 1969 and for Gianpaolo Benedini on four occasions in 1970. Subsequent history unknown.
16. Lotus 48 [R4] (Jim Clark): A new car built for 1968 with a monocoque one inch longer than the previous cars. Raced by Jim Clark in the opening round at Montjuich Park but he retired. Then raced by Clark at Hockenheim on 7 April 1968, where the car left the road and hit a tree, killing its driver instantly.
17. Brabham BT23C [1] (Picko Troberg): The prototype BT23C was used at the end of the 1967 season by Jack Brabham and Frank Gardner and then sold to Frank Williams for Picko Troberg to drive, but not start, at Hockenheim in April 1968. It was then used briefly in F3 by Harry Stiller but wasn't seen again until October 1968 when Piers Courage took it over for the Albi F2 race, his regular BT23C/07 having been "sold to Tasmania" (Autosport 25 Oct 1968 p14). Then to Laurence Brownlie (Kelso, South Island, New Zealand), possibly leased by Williams, and raced in the 1969 Tasman series before returning to Europe for Graham McRae to drive in the 1969 F2 series, entered by Williams again. Last raced in July 1969, then advertised by Alan Grant (Winkfield Row, Berkshire) in August and reappeared in April 1970 when advertised by Bobby Howlings. Sold to Rodney Seow in Singapore but never raced. Traded together with Seow's Brabham BT9 to Mike Truter by 1980 and sold on to Brian Wilson (Australia) about 1983. Wilson imported the cars to Australia, had the BT23C restored and raced it in historic racing for more than 20 years. Sold to Chad Parrish (Sydney, NSW, Australia) early 2014.

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.