Gran Premio del Mediterraneo

Enna-Pergusa, 25 Aug 1974

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 742L [17] (Hans-Joachim Stuck): New for the March Engineering works team, assigned to Hans-Joachim Stuck and painted in his bright orange Jagermeister livery. March records show that after Loris Kessel crashed his Favre-owned March 742 at the Nurburgring in 1975, it was rebuilt on "Stuck's 742 tub from last year". It is assumed that 742/17 had therefore been broken up and disappeared at this point.
2. Chevron B27 [27-74-10] (David Purley): Sold in May 1974 to Team Harper, and used by David Purley in the European F2 championship. Probably the car driven by David Purley at the Brands Hatch Boxing Day libre race at the end of the season. Team Harper advertised both their Chevron B27s as rolling chassis in January 1975. This car is likely to be the "late 1974 F2 car" used by Doug Thomson (Edinburgh, Scotland) in Scottish libre, sprints and hillclimbs in 1975, and offered for sale in January 1976 with a Swindon BDA and Hewland FGA400 gearbox. Thomson recalls that he sold the car to UK-resident American Bob Brown (not Bobby Brown) who occasionally raced what is described by Autosport as an ex-Harper B27 in Indyatlantic and Formula Libre in 1976, after buying the car late in 1975. Brown was backed by Oceaneering International, a Texas company, and is believed to have been a diver working in the North Sea oil field. He appears to have taken the car back to the US. Then unknown until an "ex-Purley" B27 was raced by Bobby Brown in SVRA and HSR vintage racing. Sold to Skip Jones (Portland, OR) and used in ICSCC and SOVREN vintage racing, fitted with a 2-litre Wenz Cosworth YBM engine. Sold in August 2016 back to Bobby Brown.
3. March 742L [15] (Gabriele Serblin): Sold to Trivellato Racing Team and raced by Gabrielle Serblin in F2 in 1974. Retained by Trivellato as a spare car for 1975 and raced by Alberto Colombo, Francesco Cerulli-Irelli, Serblin and "Gimax" (Carlo Franchi). Raced by Gimax at a few Italian F2 races in 1976 and 1977 then to Richard Jones and Robin Smith for the Aurora AFX series in mid-1978, using the Cosworth BDG (or BDA) engine from the pair's Chevron B31 sports car that had been wrecked at Le Mans. Also raced by fellow sports car racer Tony Charnell at the end of 1978. Later to Jim McGaughey and rebuilt as a Renault 5GT special saloon for 1981. When the special saloon's career ended, it was acquired by the Higgins Brothers of Lincolnshire, and was bought from them by Ian Jones in 1990, by which time it was in a very sorry state. Jones reskinned the monocoque using the original bulkheads, fabricated new suspension parts, and fitted late-1974 (long-nose) F2 bodywork. Jones sold it to Richard Evans in 2010, and by 2012 it was completed with a Gathercole BDG in Stebel livery and was raced in the Derek Bell Trophy races at the HSCC Superprix at Brands Hatch. Shared by Evans and Andrew Smith in Historic F2 from 2013 onwards.
4. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3672] (Michel Leclère): New in mid-1973, for Elf Coombs Racing team leader Jean-Pierre Jabouille to drive in F2. Raced with Cosworth BDG and Hart alloy-block BDA engines. Retained for 1974, fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine and assigned to Michel Leclère for that season, but probably the car raced by Alain Cudini at Hockenheim. Two effectively new cars were built for 1975 consuming two of A367s, this car becoming chassis 7501.
5. March 742L [21] (Diulio Truffo): New to the CSAI's Equipe Nationale, then managed by Eugenio Dragoni, for Diulio Truffo to drive in F2 in 1974. After Dragoni's sudden death in April 1974, the team was managed by Ottorino Maffezzoli, the Monza circuit director. Run by Osella Squadra Corse for Truffo until his new Osella was ready, then to Gianfranco Trombetti for the rest of the 1975 season.
6. March 742L [26] (Cosimo Turizio): New to Trivellato Racing Team and raced by Cosimo Turizio in F2 in 1974, entered by Scuderia Vesuvio. Retained by Turizio for F2 in 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
7. March 742 [24] (Jacques Laffite): New to Jacques Laffite (Paris) using BP France money and prepared by Tico Martini for F2 in 1974. Extensively modified by Martini during the season. To Jorg Siegrist (Lucerne, Switerland) for 1975 and entered for him in F2 events by Schweizer Auto Rennsport. It was then sold to Bernhard Wissler (Ebringen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) in mid-1975 and raced by him at the Preis Der Nationen at Hockenheim at the end of August and at Ulm-Mengen two weeks later. He also raced it in the F2 race at Hockenheim in April 1976, when it still had its Martini nose from 1974. One distinct possibility is that this car was acquired by French Martini enthusiast Jacques Terrien (France) who had raced an ex-F3 MK12 in 1974-75 and would run a pukka F2 MK19 in 1977 but had a March 742-Ford for the latter half of 1976. Terrien's car went to Jean-Pierre Perrin (Beaucourt, northeastern France) for 1977. Subsequent history unknown but the remains of a car believed to be the ex-Laffite car were bought from French dealer Hollinger via Gérard Billaud (Toulouse, France) in the late 1990s by Philippe Demeyer. Demeyer sold these parts to Matt Slinn (UK) and they form the basis of the car later raced in historics by Martin Stretton.
8. Surtees TS15A [01] (Guillermo Ortega): New for the Ortega Ecuador Marlboro Team run by Ron Dennis in 1974, driven in F2 races by team principal Guillermo Ortega. Ortega struggled during 1974, and failed to qualify four times. His TS15A was sold to Gerd Biechteler (Klotten, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany) and used in German and Austrian F2 races in 1975. Then raced by Norbert Przybilla (Klotten, Rhineland-Palatinate) in hillclimbs in 1976, 1977 and 1978. In 1977, the car was entered by Benedikt Müller (Osterspai, Rhineland-Palatinate), and at least once it was entered as a "Surtees Toj", suggesting Jörg Obermoser's Toj sports car firm had been involved with it. Przybilla continued to appear in German events in 1979, but now with a Toj SC03 in the 2-litre sports car class, and also with a "Toj" in the F2 class. The last known appearance in the Surtees was at the ADAC-Eifel-Bergpreis in October 1979. This car was advertised for sale from Freidorf, Switzerland in June 2019, when it was said to be chassis 001, formerly driven by Norbert Przybilla, and with Toj bodywork.
9. March 742S [742-11] (Jo Vonlanthen): Invoiced to Jörg Obermoser, but identified as the second car run by Jo Vonlanthen Racing Team during 1974, hired out to Dieter Basche at Hockenheim, to Jean-Pierre Jaussaud at Nogaro, and kept as an unused spare at Hockenheim in September. Not known after 1974.
10. March 742L [22] (Maurizio Flammini): New to the CSAI's Equipe Nationale, then managed by Eugenio Dragoni, for Maurizio Flammini to drive in F2 in 1974. After Dragoni's sudden death in April 1974, the team was managed by Ottorino Maffezzoli, the Monza circuit director. Flammini reappeared in this car from June 1975 onwards, running as part of the Trivellato Racing Team, and won at Mugello in July and Misano in August. Flammini joined the March works F2 team for 1976, but brought the old 742 out for a few races in 1977. In March 1977, the ex-Flammini March 742 was advertised by Solanda Fowsitt from a Haddenham phone number.
11. March 742L [12-1] (Jacques Coulon): Originally built with a Ford engine and used in back-to-back tests with a BMW-engined car. Then converted to BMW specification and entered by March Engineering for Jacques Coulon in F2 in 1974, sponsored by Antar. In February 1975, the car was converted to 75B specification, and March records show that it was given the identity 75B-U1. However, Motoring News twice reported its chassis number as 742/12 during 1975, suggesting that it still had its 742 chassis plate.
12. Surtees TS15A [03] (Tim Schenken): New for the Ortega Ecuador Marlboro Team run by Ron Dennis in 1974, driven in F2 races by Tim Schenken, starting at Pau in May. Also raced by Rolf Stommelen at Hockenheim in June. The Ecuador team was disbanded after 1974, and this car was sold for 1975 to Yves Courage who ran it in French hillclimbs. He made his debut at Poissons in August, where the gearbox broke, and then raced the car almost every weekend to the end of the season, taking two second places and three wins. The car was twice identified as "ex-Schenken" by Echappement during this period. Courage bought a new Lola T450 for 1976, and the Surtees went to "Pat Shadock", in exchange for his ex-Coupe Simca Grac MT20 sports car. He raced the Surtees in March, April and May 1976, and then was not seen again until an outing in August. "Pat Shadock" recalled to Gerard Barathieu in 2021 that he loaned the car back to Courage for at least one event towards the end of 1976, so this would be the car Courage used for four events after he wrecked his brand new Lola T450 at Sancerre in June. "Pat Shadock" advises that he owned the Surtees for a couple of years and it was then sold via an intermediary to a Swiss collector. Subsequent history unknown.
13. March 742L ["U1"] (Patrick Depailler): Built by March as the development car for the new March 742 series, but using a leftover 732 monocoque. Employed as the spare car for the Elf-sponsored works team in 1974, it was raced by Patrick Depailler at Montjuich Park, by Michel Leclère at Hockenheim in June, by Depailler to win at Mugello, by Ronnie Peterson to win at Karlskoga, and by Depailler again at Enna. It was not seen in 1975, but then sold in December 1975 to David Franklin (Portbury, Somerset) and used in British hillclimbs in 1976, with sponsorship from Wendy Wools. Retained for 1977, when it was fitted with 1977 bodywork. For 1978, it was sold to Alan Richards (Prestbury, Gloucestershire), fitted with a 2-litre Cosworth FVC and used in sprints and hillclimbs. To Norrie Galbraith (Lanark, Scotland) for 1979, and used in Scottish speed events. Retained by Galbraith for 1980, but rebuilt over the winter by Robin Smith to 782 configuration, and fitted with a Hart 420R engine. In December 1980, the car was advertised from a Frome, Somerset, phone number, described as being ex-Depailler and ex-Galbraith, modified by Smith. It has been suggested that Stephen Cuff was the advertiser. Subsequent history unknown.
14. March 742L [28] (Carlo Giorgio): New to Carlo Giorgio, fitted with a very unusual Holbay Ford Pinto engine and raced in F2 in 1974, entered by Scuderia Jolly Club. Giorgio retained the car for 1975, when he used a Hart Ford BDA. He returned very briefly in 1976, when the car was used to test the new Armaroli V6 engine, but it did not qualify for its only race. In 1977, he returned for a fourth season, the March now used a Hart 420R engine, but he failed to qualify for three of his five races and did not go the distance in the other two. He raced the car again in 1978. For the 1979 season, thankfully the car's last, he fitted March 782 bodywork. It ended with a record of 30 F2 races but 13 failures to qualify and only ten classified finishes. Many years later, in 2016, the chassis was in the garage of Silvio Pederzini in Padova, Italy.
15. March 732 ["59"] (Max Bonnin): Max Bonnin raced a March in F2 in 1974, which was described by Motoring News as being "one of last year's March monocoques", to which Bonnin had fitted his own suspension, "which featured narrower track and revised roll centres". Bonnin later told Gérard Gamand that he acquired an unused 732 monocoque to build this car. It was powered by a Hart BDA. Bonnin raced this car in F2 through 1974 and 1975 before buying a March 752 for 1976. The 732, by then called a 742, was sold to Jean-Louis Albinet and used in French hillclimbs in 1976, 1977 and 1978, using a 2-litre Hart engine. In July 1978, Albinet acquired a Martini MK22, and the March-Hart was sold to Gérard Lafaurie (Bordeaux, Aquitaine), first appearing in August 1978 in a "March 732", and then regularly from the start of 1979 in a "March 742". Lafaurie raced the car again in 1980, 1981, and 1982. Later in 1982, the car was reported to have been sold to Pascal Malateste, but photographs of Malateste's car show a later generation March 752/762/772. Subsequent history unknown.
16. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3670] (Alain Cudini): Entered as an "ELF 2", but built by Alpine and designated the A367. Chassis 3670 was built for the 1972 F2 season, when it was raced by Patrick Depailler and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. This is apparently the same car that was updated for 1973 and became Depailler's regular car that season. Substantially redesigned by Andre de Cortanze for 1974, and fitted with a Schnitzer BMW as a fourth team car for Alain Serpaggi and others to race. According to reports, this car started to be converted to 1975 specification, but was unfinished. In 1999, this car was reported to be owned by Thierry Gay (Lyons), and Gerard Gamand reported on Autodiva that the car had been reconstructed using a new chassis fabricated by Gilles and Vincent Duqueine. In 2015, Fred Marquet's HTT Motorsport was restoring this car to its 1974 Serpaggi specification. It was first seen at Albi in June 2016.
17. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3671] (Patrick Tambay): New for 1973, for team leader Jean-Pierre Jabouille to drive in F2 for the Elf Coombs Racing team. The car was fitted with a Cosworth BDG for its first two races, but was then changed to a Hart alloy-blocked BDA. Also driven by François Cevert, at Pau as his own new car was not yet ready, and won the race, Alpine's first F2 win. Only seen a couple more times that season. Retained for 1974, fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine and assigned to Patrick Tambay for that season, but driven once by Alain Cudini in Tambay's absence. Tambay won at Nogaro in September in this car. Two effectively new cars were built for 1975 consuming two of A367s, this car becoming chassis 7501.
18. March 742L [9] (Masami Kuwashima): New to Masami Kuwashima, run for him by Roy Kennedy, and raced in European F2 until September, at which point the car was shipped to Japan for the JAF GP in November. Retained by Kuwashima for the Japanese F2 series in 1975, then to Kenji Takahashi for 1976, 1977 and 1978.
19. Chevron B27 [27-74-09] (Tom Pryce): Sold to Team Harper, and used by Dieter Quester in the European F2 championship. Also driven by Tom Pryce and badly damaged at Enna; returned to works and rebuilt for Jim Crawford to use at Nogaro late in 1974. Probably the car taken to Macau by Team Harper for Purley in November 1974. Team Harper advertised both their Chevron B27s as rolling chassis in January 1975. Subsequent history unknown, but since 2006 (and quite possibly earlier), there has been a Chevron B27 in Team Harper livery in the Macau Grand Prix Museum.
20. March 742L [7] (Carlos Alberto Jarque): New to Trivellato Racing Team, and raced in F2 by Paolo Bozzetto with Elba sponsorship, initially in short-nose specification. At Karlskoga and Enna-Pergusa in August it was raced by Carlos Alberto Jarque, who was Argentinean F2 champion and was backed by Juan Manuel Fangio. By this time the car was in long-nose specification. Bozzetto returned to the drive for the last two races of the season. Not known after 1974.
21. March 732/742 [11] (Bill Gubelmann): New to Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) for F2 in 1973 and retained for 1974 when run by Brian Lewis Racing. Clay Regazzoni was due to drive the car at Vallelunga in October, but did not arrive, so a deal was done for Gabrielle Serblin to drive after he damaged his usual 742 in practice. Not seen in 1975, when the intention had been to sell the car to Stuart Chubb Racing, but Gubelmann returned for the 1976 Shellsport G8 series with the car updated to 752 specification, fitted with a Hart BDG, and run by Bob Gerard. Gubelmann also appeared in a handful of F2 races in 1976, but after failing to qualify for the Rouen race, quickly moved to Mallory Park in time to qualify for the Shellsport race. He was involved in a nasty accident in the race when he clipped the rear of Mike Wilds' F1 Shadow, rode up over its back wheel and hit the bank at the Esses very hard. He was taken to hospital with head injuries. The March is believed to have been destroyed.
22. Surtees TS15 EXP (John Watson): An experimental Surtees TS15 various described as the EXP or TS15X or "Exp 2" and driven by John Watson in F2 in 1974. It was also driven by Derek Bell at Hockenheim in June. It appears to have been one of a pair loaned to Space Racing in 1975 for Hans Meier, but he wrecked the "ex-Watson" car in practice at Zolder and was unable to take over the second car as it had not been through scrutineering. He then failed to qualify for the next two races in the "ex-Watson" car. John Woodington of Space Racing recalls that both cars were returned to John Surtees after the season. Subsequent history unresolved.
23. Surtees TS15 (José Dolhem): José Dolhem raced a Surtees TS15 at Mugello in July 1974 that was described by Autosport as "ex-Mass", implying it was chassis TS15/12. It is not clear whether this is the same car Dolhem used at earlier races, as that car had been described as "TS158", implying it was chassis TS15/08. This car was next seen at Enna in August, the team's final outing, where it was used by Watson in practice, damaged, and repaired in time for Dolhem to race. Nothing more known.
24. March 742L [18] (Patrick Depailler): New for the March Engineering works team, assigned to Patrick Depailler. March records say that it was not raced in 1975, and sold to Pierre Maublanc in November 1975. To Bernard Chevanne for 1976, and raced at Thruxton in April, but he was unable to qualify for any of his others races that season. Subsequent history unknown. Note that the March raced by Joe Henry in WCAR Formula Atlantic in 1984 has been reported to be "742/18" but is more likely to have been a 74B.
25. Surtees TS15A (José Dolhem): In June 1974, a Surtees TS15A was taken to the Rouen F2 race to be used by Pierre Dieudonné or Bernard de Dryver. It was described as being "ex-De Adamich", so was presumably the car built for De Adamich in 1973, but left unused after a disagreement between his sponsor and John Surtees led to De Adamich moving to Brabham. At Rouen, a further diagreement between John Surtees and a sponsor, in this case Bang & Olufsen, meant that Dieudonné and De Dryver were not allowed to even sit in their cars, and the "ex-De Adamich" car became John Watson's T-car at that race. Watson found he preferred it, and raced it instead of the TS15 EXP-BMW at Rouen and at the next race, at Mugello. It is then likely to be the BMW-engined Surtees TS15A first seen at Enna in August 1974, where it was driven in practice by José Dolhem after his regular Hart-engined TS15 was involved in an accident. The new car had the rear suspension of the Surtees "Exp 2", but a front radiator and BMW engine. Dolhem soon had another accident in the new car, so went back to his regular TS15 for the race. After the Enna meeting, Surtees then withdrew his team from F2, leaving the Ortega Ecuador Marlboro Team to continue separately. In mid-1975, Space Racing hired "both" of the works 1974 cars, so presumably the "Exp 2" raced by John Watson, and this second TS15A used so briefly at Enna by Dolhem. Ewald Boisitz was due to drive the "ex-Dolhem" car at Silverstone at the end of August, but did not go out, after which it was an unused spare at Zolder two weeks later and at the team's two remaining races. John Woodington of Space Racing recalls that both cars were returned to John Surtees after the season. Subsequent history unresolved.
26. Surtees TS15 (John Watson): José Dolhem raced a Surtees TS15 at Mugello in July 1974 that was described by Autosport as "ex-Mass", implying it was chassis TS15/12. It is not clear whether this is the same car Dolhem used at earlier races, as that car had been described as "TS158", implying it was chassis TS15/08. This car was next seen at Enna in August, the team's final outing, where it was used by Watson in practice, damaged, and repaired in time for Dolhem to race. Nothing more known.

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

Autosport's report (29 Aug 1974 pp12-14), Autocourse 1974/75 results section pp181-182, and Autosport's F2 Review (12 Dec 1974 pp18-27). Entry numbers kindly provided by 'Wookey'.