BRSCC Shell Super Oil F3 Championship Race

Snetterton, 8 Oct 1972

All cars are 1.6-litre F3 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. GRD 372 (Roger Williamson): After struggling with his March 723 in British F3 early in 1973, Roger Williamson swapped to a GRD 372 in mid-April. The car was provided by his sponsor Tom Wheatcroft, and the car he first raced was described as the development model when Williamson tested it briefly at Snetterton. Autosport said he drove the development car on his GRD debut at Silverstone's International Trophy, but Motoring News noticed that GRD had managed to produce his new car ahead of schedule. With mechanics Eric Hassel and Nick Jordan, and using Holbay engines, Williamson won on his debut in the car. He also raced the new car at Monaco, but flew back to race the "original GRD prototype previously raced by Sutcliffe" at Silverstone the next day. At Oulton Park in August he had a huge accident in practice, so the team built up the ex-Sutcliffe prototype for him to race. Presumably he raced the prototype at the next two races, over that same Bank Holiday weekend, before returning to his regular car for the races in September and October. He won ten races in total to take the BRSCC/Shell F3 title. The car was then sold to Norman Moffett (Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) who raced it in British F3 through 1973. It was advertised by Moffets Car Sales (Belfast, Northern Ireland) in December 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
2. GRD 372 [035-F3] (Tony Brise): New to Tony Brise and raced in British F3 from late August 1972, using Holbay engines and sponsored by Montesa Motorcycles. Retained as a spare car by Brise in early 1973 and raced a few times in preference to his new 373, entered by Team Kent Messenger Racing. After the Monaco GP, Brise bought a March 733 and both his GRDs were retired. Tony's 372 would be the GRD 372 raced by his father John Brise in a libre race at Snetterton in September 1973. This must be the "Tony Brise's 372 GRD-Holbay" that was "rebuilt "after recent shunt" advertised from Swanley in Kent in November 1973. It must also be the GRD 372 "as raced by Tony Brise" advertised by Tony Brise (Swanley, Kent) in February 1974. It was next seen when raced by Gavin Hooper in Formula 4 in April 1974, when it was described as "ex-Tony Brise". It won that first race, at Llandow, but was not seen often after that. It was advertised in December 1974 saying that it was built "last winter" as the Low Cost Racing works F4 car. Raced by Ronnie and Dave Griffiths in F4 in 1975 and 1976. To Keith Hatton for F4 in 1977. However, when Dave Anderson had the "ex-Keith Hatton" GRD 372 in 1978, it was said to be ex-Tim, not ex-Tony. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Brabham BT38C [21] (Conny Andersson): New to Conny Andersson and raced in European F3 in 1972 using Novamotor engines. Retained at the start of 1973, until Andersson's new March 733 arrived. To Mats Byström, and raced in Swedish F3 in 1973. To Rolf Johansson, and raced by him in Swedish F3 in 1974 and 1975.
4. GRD 372 [022-F3] (Neil Ginn): Entered by GRS International for Scottish Formula Ford champion Neil Ginn and raced extensively in British F3 in 1972, using Novamotor engines. It was sponsored by Lyle & Scott's 'Y-front' underwear range. Retained for Ginn for 1973. The car had to be rebuilt on a borrowed tub after his accident in practice at Oulton Park on Good Friday. Ginn's last race was at Oulton Park at the end of May. In January 1974, Ginn advertised his "1973 GRD model" which came with "brand new tub and new bodywork" as well as a Novamotor engine and Hewland Mk 8 gearbox.
5. Brabham BT38C [11] (Peter Hull): New to Peter Hull for British F3 and selected European events in 1972, using Vegantune engines and sponsored by The Motor Auctions London and Derby. Its history after 1972 is a puzzle as Hull recalls selling it to Jimmy Fuller but Fuller's car in 1973 was described as being the former Chris O'Brien car. Subsequent history unknown.
6. Brabham BT38C [18] (Damien Magee): New to Allan McCully and raced as part of the Australian International Racing Organisation (AIRO) in British F3 and some European events in 1972. The car was owned by Larry Sevitt's Tiran Auto Centre, which ran the AIRO F3 operation in the UK. Badly damaged on its debut at Silverstone in April but presumably repaired and the car driven by McCully at Monaco in mid-May. Then raced by Bill McGovern at Brands Hatch two weeks later, and crashed again, after which AIRO split up and McCully flew back to New Zealand. Irishman Damien Magee took over the drive, now entered by Tiran Auto Centre, and finished second at Brands Hatch and third at Thruxton in August. Sevitt was planning to test Ian Taylor and Barrie Maskell in August, but Magee retained the drive until the end of October. The "ex-Magee" car was advertised with Novamotor engine from a Tunbridge Wells number in January 1973. This would presumably be the "ex Magee" BT38C of Leif Spalding in Swedish F3 in 1973. Then with Thorbjörn Carlsson in 1975 and 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Lotus 69 [71/69-11.F3] (Ross Ambrose): New to Rikky von Opel and raced in British F3 in 1971, using Holbay engines. Sold to Ross Ambrose for British F3 in 1972, using Vegantune engines and entered by Travisco Racing. Hired from Ambrose by Ernesto Neves for the Estoril F3 race in June. Advertised in October 1972 stating that the car had a new chassis in June 1972 and a new Vegantune engine in July. Sold to Victor Bohm and Malcolm Bohm for 1973, who used it in both F3 and Formula Atlantic specification using the Vegantune twin cam engine. Then unknown in 1974 and 1975. Reappeared with Mike Bowers for libre racing in 1976, still using its 1600cc Vegantune twin cam engine. Sold by Bowers to Joh Reynolds (Crawley, Surrey) for Monoposto in 1980.
8. Brabham BT38C [14] (Ulf Svensson): 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.
9. GRD 372 [013-F3] (Jo Vonlanthen): New to Jo Vonlanthen (Frauenfeld, Switzerland) and raced in F3 across Europe during 1972, mainly using Novamotor's Ford twin cam engines. Also loaned to his friend Kurt Müller (Weisfelden, Switzerland) who raced it in Swiss and German national events in 1972. He acquired a Formula 2 GRD 273 for 1973 and although he entered the 372 for the Nürburgring F3 race on 1 April 1973, did not appear. Vonlanthen did appear once more in a F3 GRD, at Hockenehim on 15 July, presumably in his 372 again. The car was then sold to Bretscher Racing for 1973 and raced by Walter P. Fluckiger (Zofingen, Switzerland) in Swiss national events, including several German F3 races that season. It is assumed that this was the car raced by Vonlanthen in the German national race at Hockenehim on 15 July 1973. It was raced by Kurt Müller again in Swiss events in the early part of the 1974 season, his class suggesting that he was using a 1600cc engine at first. Raced by him in Germany later in 1974, using a 2-litre Novamotor Toyota engine. Chris Townsend believes this car probably went to Urs Freidli, and then to Daniel Costelli in 1978.
10. Brabham BT28 [17] (Bob Shellard): To Frank Williams Racing Cars and entered for John Kendall in mostly British F3 in 1969. Retained for 1970 until August when Kendall moved the car to Paul Watson Racing Organisation where it was driven by Richard Scott. To Peter Hull for 1971 who advertised it as a BT28 with BT30 chassis. To Bob Shellard for hillclimbs in 1972, then to Phil Kidsley & Paul Squires who ran it in sprint and hillclimbs until at least 1989, using a Cosworth MAE at first but later with a supercharged 1100cc Ford BDA. Said to be with Tommy Reid in 2006.
11. Brabham BT38C [17] (Randy Lewis): New to American Randy Lewis for British and European F3 in 1972 with Novamotor engines and sponsored by Wrangler, but only picked up a few days before the Estoril race in mid-June. Believed to have wrecked at some point in Lewis's European travels and rebuilt on a new monocoque as its AM number indicates a very late chassis. In August 1974 and again in April 1976, Lewis advertised a BT38 with BT40 suspension and Cosworth BDA engine which had not been raced since 1972. This suggests that Lewis had taken his car back to the US and converted it to Formula B but it is also possible that this was a different car. Sold to Tom Smith (Redwood City, CA) in 1977 with a Hart twin cam, then to Greg Loscher (Kensington, CA) who fitted a Cosworth BDA and ran it for some years in FB and then SCCA Formula Atlantic, at least until the end of 1983. He eventually sold the car and it was next seen when advertised online in 2001 as BT38C-17. By 2006 it was owned by Mike Truitt in Colorado but it has not been seen since.
12. GRD 372 [030-F3] (Ian Taylor): Entered by GRS International for Ian Taylor and Barrie Maskell in British F3 in late 1972, using Holbay and Vegantune engines. To Reystan Racing for Masami Kuwashima for a few races in early 1973 until Kuwashima acquired a March 733, but this 1973 car has also been identified as chassis 033. Then entered by Reystan partner John Stanton for Richard Knight to drive (as a 373) for two races in May 1973. Then to Rod Smith and entered for him by ADM Business Systems Ltd from September onwards, but "totalled" in an accident during practice for the race at Brands Hatch in early November 1973.
13. Royale RP11 [2] (Val Musetti): New for Val Musetti (Twickenham) and raced in British F3 in 1972. Retained for 1973 until "written off" in an accident the week before the race at Oulton Park 20 April 1973. Musetti then took over the Reystan Racing Royale RP11A from Andy Sutcliffe, and future references to an ex-Musetti Royale would be to that car.
14. GRD 372 [033-F3] (Alan Jones): New to Alan Jones and raced in British F3 from mid-July 1972, using Vegantune engines. Used for one race at the start of 1973 after Jones' new GRD 373 was written off in testing at Snetterton. The subsequent history of the 372 is unknown.
15. GRD 372 [021-F3] (Pierre-François Rousselot): Entered by GRS International for Pierre-François Rousselot and raced extensively in British F3 in 1972, using Novamotor and later Holbay engines, and sponsored by Gitanes. Raced by Neil Ginn at one early-1973 race, then entered by DART Racing with GRD for Pedro Passadore, who raced it in Britain from April to June 1973, when he moved to a newer GRD 373. The subsequent history of the 372 is unknown.
16. GRD 372 [010-F3] (Mo Harness): 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.
17. Ensign LNF3/72 (Jeremy Gambs): New to Jeremy Gambs and raced in British F3 in 1972. Loaned to Alan McKechnie for Bob Evans at one race, and also raced by Gambs girlfriend Lorina Boughton, and by Reg James during that season. Sold to hillclimber Spencer Elton (Westbury, Wiltshire) for 1973 and raced in some F3 races. To David Way (Melksham, Wiltshire), fitted with a 1098cc Holbay engine and run in hillclimbs and sprints in 1974 in the 1100cc racing car class. Way bought the Cosworth FVA engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox from Gordon Brooks' wrecked Lotus 69 and fitted it to the Ensign for 1975. He raced it in this form up to 1979. Then sold to somebody in Dursley, thought to be Pete Morys, and then to Josie Tolhurst. For sale by Lenham Racing in 1986. Subsequent history unknown.
18. Brabham BT38C [19] (Chris O'Brien): New to Canadian driver Chris O'Brien and raced in British F3 in 1972 using Holbay engines. To Jimmy Fuller for 1973, again in British F3 and again using Holbay engines. Advertised by Fuller from Sunbury-on-Thames as a "BT38/41" with two rebuilt Novamotor twin-cams, a spare monocoque and bodywork for £2,250 in November 1973. Formula 3 changed to 2000cc for 1974, and the BT38C was sold to David Taylor (Formy, Lancashire, later Merseyside) for Kim Mather to race in British Formula Atlantic in 1974. When the car first appeared, it had a RES BDA engine and still used F3 wheels, Mather recalling that he "just dropped a BDA in it". By the end of May it had a Richardson BDA and wider wheels, but it was still far off the pace of the leading cars, and this turned out to be its last Atlantic race. Taylor also used the car in sprints at Longridge, and Mather won two libre races at Aintree. Taylor advertised the car in September, complete with Richardson BDA, for £2,200 and sold it to Ted Payne (Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham). Payne had raced a BT38 earlier in the season with a Vegantune engine, but it appears he had sold that car and had bought Taylor's very similar one with its Richardson engine. Payne continued to race the car in 1975, and entry lists show that it was black with a Richardson engine, and generally entered as a BT38-40. It was advertised by Payne in November 1975 as a BT38/40 with a recently rebuilt Cosworth BDA engine, and with a spare monocoque.
19. Royale RP11 [8] (Martyn Howse): New to Martyn Howse and raced in British F3 from August 1972 onwards. Retained for 1973 but crashed at Brands Hatch at the start of the season and not seen again until Castle Combe in August where he did not start. Next seen at a couple of races in August 1974 but did not finish either. Subsequent history unknown.
20. Chevron B20 [72-1] (Chris Skeaping): New to Chris Skeaping as a works Formula 3 entry for 1972. Skeaping had numerous accidents in the car and his only significant result was third place at Silverstone in mid-May. Not seen again after Skeaping's race at Thruxton in late-October 1972. Advertised by Chevron Cars as "immaculate and ready to race" in August 1973. It was acquired by Alex Lowe (Liverpool) as a rolling chassis, part of a package that included a spare monocoque and the rear end of another car. He raced the ex-Skeaping Chevron B20 in Formula 4 from 1975 to 1978, and then in Monosposto in 1979 and 1980. In September 1980, he had a major accident at Oulton Park, damaging the monocoque beyond immediate repair, so Lowe rebuilt the car on the spare monocoque. He retired from racing at the end of that season. In 1982, he moved to Wales, and sold off the B20. He cannot remember the buyer. According to Chevron Cars (then owned by Roger Andreason and Tim Colman), they bought two B20s from Lowe in 1986 and stored them. In 1994, the ex-F3 car was sold to Nick Crossley, restored to F3 spec and raced in HSCC events, winning the Classic F3 Championship in 1995. Then unknown until acquired from Jeremy Bouckley (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) by Martin Cowell (Hereford) in early 2007. He then sold it to Tom Powell (Potterton, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) in June 2007. Restored again, this time to original livery, and raced in Classic F3.
21. Brabham BT38C [12] (John MacDonald): New to Alan Jones and raced as part of the Australian International Racing Organisation in British F3 and some European events in 1972. Although entered by AIRO, Jones' Brabham was owned by Larry Sevitt and all three AIRO cars were run by Sevitt's Tiran Auto Centre. The AIRO deal collapsed in June and Jones bought a GRD instead. In October, Jones' BT38C reappeared entered by Sevitt and raced a couple of times by London wheeler-dealer John MacDonald. Subsequent history unknown.
22. Royale RP11 [5] (Simon Sherman): New to Simon Sherman and raced in British F3 in 1972. Retained for 1973, but did not start many races. Sherman entered the car for a few races in 1974 but only started one race. Subsequent history unknown.
23. GRD 372 [025-F3] (Masami Kuwashima): New to Reystan Racing Ltd for Masami Kuwashima to drive in British F3 in 1972, using Holbay engines. To John MacDonald for British F3 in 1973, when it was described as being the remains of Kuwashima's 1972 car built up around a new tub. Raced until October 1973, when it was said to have been sold to Ireland. Subsequent history unknown.
24. Royale RP11 [7] (Lee Kaye): Invoiced to Basilwood Ltd but identified as the car raced by Lee Kaye in British F3 in 1972. Raced by Chris Pryer at Thruxton at the end of October but hit the bank at Village on the first lap in the rain. Not seen again.

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.

These British Formula 3 results have been compiled by Chris Townsend using the main British magazines Autosport and Motoring News but also the US magazine On Track which carried surprisingly good coverage of the British series.

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.