Swedish Formula 3 Championship Race

Knutstorp, 24 Apr 1977

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. GRD 372 [010-F3] (Dick Berg): Raced by Canadian David McConnell in the 1972 Tasman series, using 2-litre Hart BDA engines. McConnell had a new B72 on order, and his plan was to sell the prototype to Jacques Couture. When that fell through, 010 was converted to F3 and sold to Mo Harness. Harness had won the 1971 Formula Ford Johnsons Wax Euro Trophy but turned down the test drive that had been offered as a prize with Ken Tyrrell and an F2 March. After a brief relationship with GRD, he then used an old BT28 F3 car in the first half of 1972 before acquiring sponsorship from Revolution Wheels and returning to GRD mid-season. Harness raced the GRD in British Formula 3 using Leabro engines. He then sold it to Jac Nellemann for Swedish F3 in 1973. In 1974, the car went to Jan Ridell, who raced it in Swedish 3, now using 2-litre Vegantune engines. Retained by Ridell for 1975, when he used Billgren BMW engines. Retained again by Ridell for 1976. To Dick Berg for Swedish F3 in 1977 and 1978, again with the Billgren BMW engines. Next seen in 1980, when it was raced by Mats Karlsson, now using Vegantune twin cams. Retained by Karlsson for 1981.
2. Brabham BT28 [43] (Mats Peterson Paninder): A new car for Gustaf Dieden which first appeared at Karlskoga in August 1970 and raced in Scandinavian F3. Then hired by Torsten Palm, who had previously raced a BT28 for Picko Troberg's Mennen Racing Team, and used as a private entry in the Torneio Brasileiro de Formula 3. Retained by Palm in 1000cc form for the start of the 1971 Swedish F3 series as his new 1600cc BT35 was not yet ready. To Leif Engström 1972-1975 then Mats Peterson Paninder 1976 and 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Brabham BT38C [21?] (Bonde Hallenmark): Bonde Hallenmark raced a Brabham BT38C in Swedish Formula 3 in 1976, 1977 and 1978. As Ulf Svensson's BT38C/14 and Thorbjörn Carlsson's "ex Magee" BT38C/18 can be traced into 1976 or 1977, this is likely to have been the ex-Conny Andersson BT38C/21. Subsequent history unknown.
4. Brabham BT38C [14] (Kaal Wirgin): New to Ulf Svensson for European F3 in 1972, using Holbay engines and sponsored by Team Mum for Men. According to Magnus Haggstam, this car went to Lasse Karlsson for 1973 and raced by him in F3 until at least 1975. Then to Kaal Wirgin in 1976, and raced by him Swedish Formula 3 Championship races in 1977 and 1978, before he acquired a newer Argo. The car was next seen in 2000, when it was acquired by Carsten Frimodt (Denmark). It was restored to F2 specification with an 1860cc engine and was raced by Frimodt in Sweden in 2006 and 2007. Frimodt sold it to another Dane who sold it to Dr Sami Hamid (Vienna, Austria) in 2010. It was restored for him by Marcel Biehl of Biehl Racing (Moenchengladbach, Germany) to proper F3 specification. It was sold to John Albiston (Elgin, Scotland) in 2018, who modified it to Formula Atlantic specification and used to win the Scottish Historic Hillclimb and Sprint Championship in 2019 and 2020.

Sources

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' original 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.