Radio Luxembourg Trophy

Mallory Park, 11 Mar 1973

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 732 [6] (Jean-Pierre Jarier): STP March Engineering works car for Jean-Pierre Jarier, winning the two opening rounds at Mallory Park and Hockenheim, but then crashed at the third race at Thruxton in April. Rebuilt on a new tub and raced by Jacques Coulon at Nivelles-Baulers in June. Thereafter Jarier's regular car, winning at Rouen, Mantorp Park, Karlskoga, Enna-Pergusa and Estoril. This may be the March 732 that was later exhibited in the BMW Museum, which is exhibited wearing the #23 that Jarier used at Rouen. A visit by Motor Sport magazine in early 1975 (Motor Sport March 1975 p245) mentioned a 732 being on display, and the car has been spotted on subsequent occasions.
2. Surtees TS15 [03] (Mike Hailwood): New for team leader Mike Hailwood for the opening race of the 1973 F2 season. Driven by Derek Bell at Hockenheim as Hailwood was racing a F1 car at the International Trophy. Then inherited by Jochen Mass when Hailwood had a new TS15/009 at Thruxton in April, but Mass only used chassis 03 in the heat, moving into Hailwood's newer car for the final. Mass drove chassis 03 again at Nürburgring, at Kinnekullering in May, where he won, at Nivelles-Baulers, at Hockenheim, where he won again, and at Rouen-les-Essarts. However, the following weekend at Monza he crashed this car heavily into the barrier, wrecking one side. The car was not seen again.
3. Surtees TS15 [01] (David McConnell): New for Carlos Pace to race in the Torneio do Brasil F2 races in October 1972, fitted with a Brian Hart alloy BDA. Sold to Canadian Dave McConnell for the 1973 Tasman series, again using the Hart BDA, and then raced by him in the 1973 Formula 2 season. After the first session of the Nürburgring race in late April, McConnell packed up his car and announced his retirement from racing. The subsequent history of the TS15 is unknown.
4. Chevron B25 [25-73-04] (David Morgan): Displayed at the Racing Car Show in January 1973, then sold to Ed Reeves for Dave Morgan to race in Formula 2. Reeves withdrew his team in July 1973, and gifted the Chevron to Morgan, but without funding Morgan could not continue. Morgan retained the car for 1974 and raced it in the British Formula Atlantic series, run for him by Harry Stiller. Sold to property developer David Peck at the end of the year for his daughter Lorraine Peck, a remarkably talented kart racer who had finished second in the Junior World Championships in 1974, but she was tragically killed in the World Junior Championships at Fulda in July 1975, while still only 16. The Chevron was sold to former clubmans driver Derek Shortall (Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland) and raced in the 1976 Irish Formula Atlantic series, backed by Vista Blinds, his long time sponsors. Reported to have gone to Dermot O'Leary and Eddie Regan for 1977, but next seen when raced by David Lambe (Dublin) in 1978 and 1979. Taken in part-exchange by Belfast team owner Gerry Kinnane for his Lola T460 at the end of 1979, and sold on to Alwyn Bingham (Belfast, Northern Ireland), the reigning Irish Hill Climb Champion. Raced in hillclimbs in 1980 and 1981. Alwyn recalls that he sold it "down south", but does not recall the next owner's name. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Chevron B25 [25-73-08] (John Lepp): New to George Silverwood and entered by his Central Garage (Mirfield) Ltd for John Lepp in British Formula Atlantic in 1973. Also used by Lepp in the first European F2 round at Mallory Park, with the 1.6 BDA still in it. Lepp's sports car racing took priority from July and the B25 was sold to Patsy McGarrity (Belfast, Northern Ireland) for Formula Ireland racing. Loaned by him to Chevron cars for John Watson to use in the F2 race at Albi. Converted back to Formula Atlantic for McGarrity to race in the 1974 Irish season, winning eight races and the All-Ireland championship. Sold on to Pat Woods (Newcastle, County Wicklow, Ireland) for 1975, and retained for two further seasons. Last seen when Woods crashed heavily in practice at Phoenix Park in September 1977, when the car was described as wrecked. Woods' daughter later told James Murray that he sold the wreckage of the B25 to Bobby Howlings. Subsequent history unknown.
6. March 712M [18?] (Vittorio Brambilla): New to Ernesto "Tino" Brambilla, and run for him by Scuderia Ala d'Oro in F2 in 1971. Retained for 1972, when it was first fitted with a Ferrari Dino V6 engine, and later with 1800cc Novamotor BDAs. Retained again for 1973, when it was in Beta livery and fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine. Subsequent history unknown, but Fabio Montani told Philippe Demeyer that he believes it went to a "Diepoltz" in Switzerland.
7. Surtees TS15 [07] (Bob Salisbury): New to Bob Gerard Racing and raced by Bob Salisbury in F2 and in Formula Atlantic. Subsequent history unknown, but according to researcher David McKinney, chassis 06 and chassis 07 were with Tony Collinson in 1990, chassis 07 having a twin cam motor at that point. Chassis 07 passed to Gerry Wainwright (Burton, Staffordshire) who raced it from 1995 to 1997, then to John Elliott in 1999. Raced by Elliott in the HSCC Derek Bell Trophy in 2001, and in historic F2 in 2003. Mark Griffiths raced this car in 2006. It was bought from Legends Automotive in 2010 by Crispian Besley, who raced it in 2011 and 2012. Sold to Jeremy Deeley (Frinton on Sea, Essex) in 2020.
8. Brabham BT40 [14] (John Wingfield): New to John Wingfield and raced in both F2 and Formula Atlantic in 1973, entered by Marshall Wingfield Limited. Raced by Ray Mallock in Formula Atlantic 1974, entered by The Chequered Flag, and retained for one early-season race in 1975, after Mallock wrecked his new March 742 at Thruxton. Then entered by Marshall Wingfield Ltd for South African Len Booysen to drive in a few Formula Atlantic races in June and July 1975, by which time it had acquired what looked like a March 73B nose, before Wingfield himself raced it once more at Silverstone in August. Subsequent history unknown.
9. GRD 273 [052-F2?] (Roger Williamson): New to Tom Wheatcroft for driver Roger Williamson in F2 in 1973, and used as the race car at the opening race. Presumably the car destroyed in Williamson's accident in practice at Nivelles-Baulers in June.
10. Ensign LNF2/72 [F2.1] (Brian Robinson): Originally built for John Burton (Kidderminster, Worcestershire) to race as a works Team Ensign F2 entry in 1972, the LNF2 failed to qualify for its first two races, and the project was abandoned. It is then belived to be the car used as a works Formula Atlantic car for Mike Walker, who won a championship round at Snetterton in July. The car was then fielded as a works Formula 3 car for Tony Trimmer to drive in October 1972. Sold to Brian Robinson (Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham) and raced in Formula Atlantic in 1973, plus a one-off F2 race. Robinson then bought a F5000 McLaren, and the Ensign was raced briefly by Roger Keele, and is then believed to have been sold to Martyn Denley in September. The car's movements from 1974 to 1978 are not yet decyphered, but from 1979 to 1984 it was hillclimbed by Peter Varley (Barnsley, South Yorkshire). Then via three other owners to Barry Pickard and raced in Historic F3 in 1993. Later raced in Classic F3 by Paul Newton 1993-95, and by Martin Woodman in 1994. Subsequent history unknown.
11. GRD 273 [071-F2] (Jo Vonlanthen): Jon Vonlanthen (Frauenfeld, Switzerland) moved up to F2 in 1973 with a new GRD 273. He raced the car in the European series and in the Swiss Championship, using Alan Smith and David Wood BDA engines. For 1974, the car was sold to Jurg Dubler (Oberhasli, Switzerland) but other commitments meant that he did not race it until October. He continued with the car in French hillclimbs in 1975, appearing at Saint-Pierre in April, Turckheim-Trois-Epis in June and Poissons in August. Otto Stuppacher also drove Dubler's GRD at the Bergrennen Bad Mühllacken in 1975 and 1976. Many years later, this car was fully restored with Marc Widmer (Eiken, Switzerland) in 2014.
12. Surtees TS15 [06] (Peter Wardle): New to Peter Wardle (Wimbledon, London) and raced in British Formula Atlantic in 1973, winning from pole position at one race Brands Hatch in August. Retained for 1974, again in British Formula Atlantic, and then retained for a third season in 1975. However, towards the end of 1975, Wardle was entering Steve Carvill (Wimbledon, London) in some races, and it is unclear whether the team had a second TS15 by this point, as the pair never appeared together in the same race. Wardle acquired sponsorship from Radio Luxembourg and Applied Racing Techniques for 1976, and both Wardle and Carvill appeared in Indylantic and in Shellsport G8 during that season, presumably both still in chassis 06. Wardle advertised a TS15 in 1983, with FG400 but no engine and a mountain of spares. According to researcher David McKinney, chassis 06 and chassis 07 were with Tony Collinson in 1990, and chassis 06 appears to stayed with its sister through the ownership of Gerry Wainwright, John Elliott, Mark Griffiths and Crispian Besley, who had both cars in 2010. Beesley sold chassis 06 to Dean Forward in 2019, still in unrestored component form.
13. Brabham BT40 [12] (John Watson): Run by Motor Racing Developments as a works car in Formula 2 in 1973, fitted with a 2-litre David Wood BDA raced at first by John Watson at Mallory Park in March, but after he was injured in a F1 Brabham BT42 at the Race of Champions a week later, the BT40 was taken over by Wilson Fittipaldi. A Schnitzer BMW engine was tried in the car at Rouen in June, but the car had its Wood engine again when Fittipaldi won a non championship race at Misano in July. Sold to Eugenio Baturone for Spanish hillclimbs in 1974, still with its 2-litre Wood BDA engine. Retained by Baturone for three more seasons, then sold to José Canela Ballesteros, who raced it in hillclimbs in 1979. Acquired by an Italian lawyer who owned it for many years. Bought by Giulio Vezzoli (Brescia, Italy) in December 2018.
14. March 722 Falconer [722-40] (Vern Schuppan): New to Australian Vern Schuppan to drive in the British Formula Atlantic championship. Fitted with a BRM Ford twin cam engine, and first seen in practice at Mallory Park in late March, but Schuppan left before the race to catch a flight to the Singapore GP. Schuppan finished second in Singapore, and third in the Malaysian GP a week later. Then returned to the British series, now with a BDA, and won four rounds. The car was then fitted with Falconer bodywork and an Amon-Woods engine rebuilt by Geoff Richardson, and raced in the Rothmans 50,000 and in two late-season F2 races. After a single F2 race in 1973 fitted with a Richardon BDG, the car went to Southeast Asia, winning the Singapore GP with a Ford twin cam fitted, then competed in the JAF Grand Prix at Fuji with the BDG, and back to the 'twink' for Macau. He raced the car in British Formula Atlantic briefly in early 1974, then sent it back to Asia where he won the Macau GP in November, by which time it had been fitted with 732 bodywork and a Lola T360 rear wing. It then became a fixture at Macau up to 1977, being driven by Alan Jones and Derek Daly. Patrick Tambay also raced for Theodore Racing in the Malaysian and Penang Grands Prix in 1977, where it was still in 732 form but was billed as a 752. It reappeared at Macau for Schuppan in 1979, now in 76B bodywork. After one more race in the hands of Roberto Moreno, the car was retained by Yip and placed in the Macau Grand Prix Museum.
15. Surtees TS15 [05] (James Hunt): To Hesketh Racing for James Hunt to drive in F2 in 1973. After the opening race at Mallory Park, it was crashed in a test at Goodwood and rebuilt on a new monocoque before the Hockenheim race four weeks later. Crashed in practice for the F2 Pau Grand Prix in May and not seen again. In early 1976, Peter Wardle was said to own three TS15s, including the ex-Hunt car, but it now appears that this was incorrect and he only had two. According to Crispian Besley, the Hunt car remained at the Surtees factory unrepaired as Hesketh acquired a F1 March 731 instead, and never came back to F2. The chassis was still with John Surtees in August 2001. It is reported to have since been sold to a US owner who has retained it largely untouched.
16. March 732 [8] (Colin Vandervell): For Colin Vandervell, run by Brian Lewis Racing. Vandervell became disillusioned with F2 and the car was rented out to other drivers, notably Motoharu Kurosawa. Unknown after 1973 but there are no unexplained 732s in Japan to suggest Kurosawa took it home. This could be the unexplained 732 of Jean Lapierre in French hillclimbs in 1974.
17. Surtees TS15 [02] (Jochen Mass): New for Jochen Mass as a works FINA Team Surtees entry for the first two races of the 1973 F2 season. Then driven by Carlos Pace at Thruxton in April. Then used as a third works entry for Torsten Palm at Kinnekullering in May, and then later for Palm again at Mantorp Park and Karlskoga in July and August. Then this was reported to be the car raced by Pace at Enna two weeks later, but as this was also said to be a "development F5000 chassis", that may have been a newer car travelling on the carnet of 02. The Enna car had a streamlined body with side wings, and enclosed rear section and revised bodywork, but the Italian scrutineers declared the body illegal, and it had to be converted to normal specification. When Pace later went off into the barrier, the new suspension also had to be replaced before the race. This car was not seen again, so it could be one of the cars that went to Japan, or the car that was destroyed over the winter in a transporter fire.
18. March 722 [39] (Ken Bailey): New to Graham Eden Racing in April 1972 for Cyd Williams (Sandbach, Cheshire) to drive in British Formula Atlantic. It replaced the Chevron B18 which had taken Williams to two wins earlier in the season. Once he had the car to his liking, Williams won six out of the next nine races, but narrowly lost the championship to Bill Gubelmann. Run by Graham Eden Racing for Ken Bailey (Stretford, Greater Manchester) in 1973, and fitted with Falconer bodywork in May. The car was sold to Philip Dowell (Ombersley, Worcestershire) for 1974, but during pre-season testing at Silverstone, he hit the bank heavily at Woodcote corner and died later in hospital. It is assumed that the March was destroyed in the accident.
19. March 732 [1] (Jean-Pierre Beltoise): STP March Engineering works car for Jean-Pierre Beltoise at the first race, then for Hans-Joachim Stuck at two races and then for Jean-Pierre Jarier at two races. A new car, 732-10, was later built for Beltoise so this 732-1 became what March called the "training car" and was used by Stuck later in the year and was then the third spare car remaining in March's transporter at several races. Probably for Mário Cabral at Estoril. Then unknown until June 1975 when acquired by John Calvert for libre racing in 742 spec. To Geoff Friswell mid-1976, rebuilt for him by Brian Lisles and fitted with a Hart 420R engine, but wrecked in practice at Oulton Park in September. Rebuilt on a 742 chassis and raced in two late-season events. Later to Jonathan Buncombe who fitted an FVC engine for libre races. Sold to Roger Orgee and further modified to 772P specification for Formula Atlantic in 1979. Sold after the 1979 season to Harry Vickers' Cowgate Motors in Newcastle and was used in the construction of their Group 5 Lotus Elan HV/80/S2 for Nicky Ellis. This car used a standard Elan backbone chassis with the suspension from the ex-Orgee 732/742/772 and a Swindon BDX. All that would have been left of Orgee's car would have been the monocoque, and as this was a replacement 742 tub, the March 732 had effectively ceased to exist.
20. Brabham BT38 [22] (David Cole): New to Frank Williams for his Italian customer Giancarlo Gagliardi, and run in F2 in 1972 using Cosworth BDE engines maintained by Novamotor. Gagliardi first appeared in the car at Crystal Palace at the end of May, where he was one of the slowest. After three more uninspiring performances, he dropped out, and the BT38 was next seen at the Rothmans 50,000 in August, where it was entered by Robs Lamplough's Fiddlers Three Racing for Tony Trimmer, having been acquired by Lamplough the Friday before the race. Trimmer could not qualify, but finished fifth in a short consolation race. It was acquired by David Cole for 1973, but used mainly in libre racing. The car appeared once in Formula Atlantic in 1974, driven by Donald MacLeod who had borrowed it from Cole. It was then exported to the US, and was next seen in the hands of Dick Zibert (Tiburon, CA) in mid-1975. Carl von Doymi (Greenbrae, CA) reportedly "tried out" Zibert's Brabham when it first appeared in July 1975. Zibert had moved up through Formula Vee and Formula Super Vee, and raced the white #11 Brabham BT38 in North Pacific Division SCCA Nationals and Regionals until 1978. Towards the end of Zibert's time with the car, he cut off the tub's outer skins in an attempt to make a ground-effect car, but this was aborted, and the car was sold to John Hafkenschiel in November 1988, as a pile of parts. Hafkenschiel had the tub repaired by Marc Bahner, who used Hafkenschiel's BT38B tub as a template.
21. Chevron B25 [25-73-07] (Peter Gethin): Chassis number given by Motoring News (MN) 12 Apr 1973 p11 for the works car for Peter Gethin in the 1973 European F2 championship round at Hockenheim. Used by Birrell at Pau in Gethin's absence, after Birrell had damaged chassis 9 at the Eifelrennen, with the rear end of that car grafted on to the Gethin tub. Gethin returns to the car at Nivelles, 10 June (MN 14 June 1973) reporting it was the first time he had used it since Thruxton. Probably the car entered for Gagliardi but DNA at Monza Lotteria. Used by Lepp at Estoril in October 1973, with an FVC engine fitted. Sold to Reg Phillips (Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire) for hill climbs in 1974 and fitted with a 2-litre BDA engine. It was retained by Phillips for 1975, when it was called a B25/B27, and for 1976, when the engine was enlarged to 2150cc. This is likely to be the 2.2-litre B25/B27 used in hill climbs by John Stuart (Bridgnorth, Shropshire) in 1977 and 1978. It was last seen in Stuart's hands at Doune in September 1978 when Stuart used it to uproot a tree stump. Sold, still damaged, to Jeremy Bouckley (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) who advertised it in early 1979 (together with a complete F/Atlantic B25), with the intention of breaking it for use in Super Saloons. Bouckley recalls that the car was broken up, but has no note of who acquired parts of it.
22. March 732 [7] (Jacques Coulon): Ecurie Filipinetti for Jacques Coulon with Antar sponsorship, completed on the Saturday morning of the opening Mallory race, but did not start. Transferred to Brian Lewis Racing after Georges Filipinetti's death in May. To Gérard Pillon (Geneva, Switzerland) 1974 and used in Swiss national events. In 1977, Pillon loaned it to his fellow Genevois Laurent Ferrier for the European F2 races at Hockenheim and Vallelunga, but Ferrier could not qualify the old car for either race. Pillon then appeared at three F2 events in 1978 in a March-BMW variously described as a 762 or a 782, and it is possible that this was the old 732 again. The 732 was next seen in 1979, driven by Ami Guichard, son of the Automobile Year editor of the same name, in French hillclimbs. After driving Pillon's new 782 in 1978, Guichard returned to the 732 and was still racing the car in Swiss championship events in 1988, when it was described as being largely original. The car remained with Pillon thereafter, and was still in Switzerland in 2015.
23. Scott F2 (Richard Scott): New for Richard Scott to race in European F2 in 1973, fitted with an iron block 1970cc Geoff Richardson BDA engine. Scott crashed in practice for the opening race at Mallory Park, but raced the car in the F2 rounds at Hockenheim, Thruxton and Nürburgring in April. He then crashed again in practice at Pau, seriously damaging the car. It was rebuilt as a Formula Atlantic for 1974, and Scott proved highly competitive, finishing third in the opening round at Mallory Park, then winning his second and third Formula Atlantic races, at Brands Hatch in March and at Snetterton in April. He then crashed again at Oulton Park at the start of May when a tyre deflated and he slid off into the sleepers at Knickerbrook, severely damaging the car. The car was sold to dealer Bob Howlings, who repaired it and entered it for Scott at the British GP meeting support race, but he retired with handling problems. It was then sold to Phil Bennett (Pool-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire) and fitted with a Cosworth BDG engine for sprints, hillclimbs and libre in 1975 and 1976. Sold to Warren Booth (Blackburn, Lancashire) for 1977, and used in northern Formula Libre in 1977 and the first half of 1978, winning at least six races at Croft and Longridge. Booth also used it in three Aurora AFX British F1 Championship rounds in 1978. Then sold to Neville Robinson (Leeds, West Yorkshire) for libre in 1979 and 1980. It was not seen in 1981, but returned to competition in 1982 when owned by Geoff Lumb (Brighouse, West Yorkshire) and fitted with a Cosworth FVA for 1600cc class hillclimbs. He ran the car again in 1983, when it had a 1600cc BDA engine. It was not seen in 1984 or 1985, but in 1986 it was acquired by Peter Voigt (Haywards Heath, Sussex), and remained in his collection until sold to Chris Perkins (Ashbourne, Derbyshire) in 2020.
24. Brabham BT40 (Tom Walkinshaw): Ed Reeves (Ulcombe, Kent) bought a Brabham BT40 for Dave Morgan to drive in 1973, but the car was damaged in pre-season testing at Brands Hatch on 25 March and never raced. It was advertised by Edward Reeves Racing (Staplehurst, Kent) in Autosport in mid-July 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
25. GRD 273 (Tom Walkinshaw): The works Formula 2 entry intended for Dave Walker to drive in 1973, entered by "DART racing with GRD", a tie-up between GRD and Scottish industrialist Dennis Dobbie. Walker was injured, and the car was due to be raced at Malory Park, the opening F1 race, by Tom Walkinshaw, but he wrecked it in a test at Snetterton a few days before the race. The car was repaired later in the season and hired by Fred Opert for his driver Bertil Roos to race at Mantorp Park in July, and at three later races at Karlskoga, Albi and Estoril. Subsequent history unknown, but a "little used", "ex-Bertil Roos" GRD 273 rolling chassis was advertised from Northampton in March 1981 and this is the only GRD Roos raced.

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.

Individual sources for this event

Autocourse 1973-74; Autosport 15 Mar 1973 pp32-35.