OldRacingCars.com

Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship Race

Silverstone, 1 Oct 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Brett Riley March 773 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#21 David Price Racing (see note 1)
15 22m 57.42s
114.95 mph
2 Derek Warwick Ralt RT1/77 [86] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#6
15 22m 57.55s
3 Stephen South March 773 [T1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#19
15 23m 00.93s
4 Nigel Mansell Lola T570 [HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#54 McKechnie Racing
15 23m 01.68s
5 Mario Pati Ralt RT1/77 [77] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#22 Automovel Clube Paulista
15 23m 13.31s
6 Patrick Gaillard Chevron B38 [37.77.21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#7 (see note 2)
15 23m 19.25s
7 Ian Flux Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#10
15 23m 22.97s
8 Ian Grob Chevron B38 [38.77.19] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#4 Alan Docking Racing (see note 3)
15 23m 29.20s
9 Philippe Colonna Chevron B38 [38.77.24] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#59 Alan Docking Racing (see note 4)
15 23m 30.18s
10 Jan Lammers Ralt RT1/77 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#36
15 23m 30.76s
11 John Stokes Chevron B38 [38.77.25] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#62 (see note 5)

12 Ian Taylor March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4
#30 Unipart Racing Team (see note 6)

R Tiff Needell March 773 [763-9] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4
#31 Unipart Racing Team (see note 7)
Engine
R Rad Dougall Chevron B38 [38.77.09] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#41 Toleman Group (see note 8)
0 Drive shaft
UNK Don Farthing Ralt RT1/76 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#15

UNK Geoff Smailes March 773 [T2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#26

UNK Eddie Jordan Chevron B38 [38.77.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#3 (see note 9)

UNK Chris Farrell Chevron B38 [38.77.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#5 (see note 10)

UNK John Bright Wheatcroft R18 [006?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#51 (see note 11)

DNS Paul Bernasconi Ralt RT1/76 [22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#12
Did not start
(Accident)
UNKG Phil Silverstone Ralt RT1/77 [54] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#16
On grid list
UNKG Les Duncan March 753 [9] - Ford twin cam Neil Brown
#20
On grid list
UNKG Wyatt Stanley March 753 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#32 (see note 12)
On grid list
UNKG Paul Rowsell Anson AS1 - Ford twin cam Rowsell
#45
On grid list
UNKG Giordano Regazzoni March 753 [U22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#60 (see note 13)
On grid list
UNKG Gary Clare March 763 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#88
On grid list
  Geoff Lees Chevron B38 [38.77.09-2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#1 (see note 14)
On entry list
  Eje Elgh Chevron B38 [38.77.10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#2
On entry list
  Geoff Brabham Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#11 (see note 15)
On entry list
  Richard Jones March 753/773 [743-24] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#18
On entry list
  Mario Ferraris March 773 [U1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#29 (see note 16)
On entry list
  Pierre Dieudonné Ehrlich RP3 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#56
On entry list
  Luis Canomanuel Ralt RT1/77 [57] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#64
On entry list
  Juan Villaceros Ralt RT1/77 [58] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#65
On entry list
  Ken Silverstone March 773 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#89
On entry list

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Derek Warwick (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [86] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 30.74s
2 Stephen South (F3) 2-litre March 773 [T1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 30.75s
3 Brett Riley (F3) 2-litre March 773 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 30.79s
4 Nigel Mansell (F3) 2-litre Lola T570 [HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.31s
5 Tiff Needell (F3) 2-litre March 773 [763-9] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4 1m 31.36s
6 Mario Pati (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [77] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.46s
7 Ian Flux (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.48s
8 Ian Taylor (F3) 2-litre March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4 1m 31.80s
9 Patrick Gaillard (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [37.77.21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.89s
10 Ian Grob (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.19] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 32.07s
11 Philippe Colonna (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.24] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 32.32s
12 John Stokes (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.25] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 32.54s
13 Jan Lammers (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 32.97s
14 Rad Dougall (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.09] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.13s
15 Don Farthing (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.37s
16 Geoff Smailes (F3) 2-litre March 773 [T2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.40s
17 Paul Bernasconi * (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.42s
18 Eddie Jordan (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.48s
19 Chris Farrell (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.77s
20 John Bright (F3) 2-litre Wheatcroft R18 [006?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 34.35s
21 Giordano Regazzoni * (F3) 2-litre March 753 [U22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
22 Gary Clare * (F3) 2-litre March 763 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
23 Les Duncan * (F3) 2-litre March 753 [9] - Ford twin cam Neil Brown
24 Wyatt Stanley * (F3) 2-litre March 753 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
25 Phil Silverstone * (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [54] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
26 Paul Rowsell * (F3) 2-litre Anson AS1 - Ford twin cam Rowsell
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 773 [10] (Brett Riley): According to March records delivered in March 1977 to AFMP Euroracing, and subsequently given to Brett Riley in lieu of his contractual payments when the Euroracing set-up was dissolved. (This does not mean the car was Riley’s early season car in 1977; he used at least two before the team collapsed, neither of which were necessarily this car.) Run by David Price for Riley in the second half of 1977 and used to win the European round at Donington. Chassis number given in Autosport advert late in 1977 by Price. Sold to Roy Kennedy [Motoring News 2 Mar 1978 p15] although Autosport 9 Mar 1978 p41 says the car is ‘ex James King’. (King used a works car - 773-U2 - for most of 1977 but it is possible he had a race in this car early in the season, however his principal car went in 1978 to Ian Flux.) Run by Kennedy for Saed Ali Hodzic until Hodzic was injured in practice at the International Trophy support race; then became a rental car but did very few races. For sale by Kennedy in early 1979 (Autosport 22 Feb 1979 p57), but retained and rented to Serge Saulnier for the 1979 race at Monaco.
  2. Chevron B38 [37.77.21] (Patrick Gaillard): New to Patrick Gaillard for British F3 in 1977. Sold to Jean-Louis Schlesser for European F3 in 1978, and run by him for KWS Motorsport. Sold to Bernard Birbés for French F3 and French hillclimbs (using a 1600cc Toyota engine) in 1979. To André Argeliès and run in French hillclimbs with a 1300cc Ford engine in 1981 and 1982. By 1987, this car had returned to England as was being raced in TF3 by Ian Jacobs.
  3. Chevron B38 [38.77.19] (Ian Grob): New to Alan Docking Racing for Ian Grob to race in British F3 in 1977, entered by KVG Racing. Retained by the Docking team for 1978, and probably the car driven by Huub Rothengatter in the last few months of the season. Unknown after 1979 until it reappeared with Jim Yardley in 1984. Later with David Proctor in 1987.
  4. Chevron B38 [38.77.24] (Philippe Colonna): New to Alan Docking Racing for Philippe Colonna to race in British F3 in 1977. Retained by the Docking team for 1978, and raced by Philip Bullman and by Colonna in British F3. Unknown in 1979 but purchased by Eddie Heasell in early 1980 for British F3 and libre. Retained for libre in 1981.
  5. Chevron B38 [38.77.25] (John Stokes): New to John Stokes (Birmingham) and raced in British F3 in 1977, sponsored by Bogarts of Birmingham. Retained for 1978 and rented by Philippe Colonna for the Zolder F3 in Zolder after Colonna had wrecked his ex-Stephen South March at Zeltweg. Then raced again by Stokes until the end of August.
  6. March 773 [3] (Ian Taylor): March build records show sold to Unipart, 23 December 1976. Only one 773 is consigned to Unipart in the build records. Assumed that Taylor as senior driver would take the new car, a fact borne out by occasional references in 1977 to Needell being in a 763, the team's original car.
  7. March 773 [763-9] (Tiff Needell): Shown in March records as sold to Tony Dron 12.1.76. This was the solitary Unipart car in 1976. Although Unipart ran two cars in 1977, they only bought one new car, converting the older car for Needell, the junior driver in the team. Some results credit Needell's car as being a 763.
  8. Chevron B38 [38.77.09] (Rad Dougall): To Chevron Racing Team for Geoff Lees to race in British F3 in 1977. Rebuilt on new monocoque 38-77-31 in time for Thruxton in June, where it was described as a brand new. Unknown after 1977 but may have gone to Japan where Koichi Sakamoto raced a Chevron B38 for most of 1978.
  9. Chevron B38 [38.77.07] (Eddie Jordan): New to Derek McMahon for Derek Daly to drive in British F3 in 1977. It was rebuilt a number of times that season, including at least one new tub. Also raced once by Eddie Jordan when Daly was away at a F2 race. According to Motoring News, it was the car driven by Steve Malins for British F3 in 1978, but Autosport said his car was "ex Warwick/Dougall". Malins crashed his B38 in testing, and replaced it with a new B43. The B38 was later rebuilt and raced in libre and F3 by Rob Moores (Bolton) at the end of the 1978 season. Retained in F3 form and later Formula 4 spec by Moores and also used in Formule Libre in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982. In 1985, Moores drove the car in the Bangalore and Madras Grands Prix. It was put back to F3 spec for the Toyota F3 championship, where Moores won five titles with it. He then moved to historic racing with it in 2009.
  10. Chevron B38 [38.77.02] (Chris Farrell): New to Chris Farrell for British F3 in 1977. To Barry Green for 1979, and run for him in British F3 by Fred Opert Racing. Last used by Green in July 1978, and then unknown until seen with Mike Brown in Sprints in 1984 …
  11. Wheatcroft R18 [006?] (John Bright): Chassis 006 is believed to be the identity of the rebuilt car raced by John Bright (Leicester) in British Formula 3 following his massive accident at Cadwell Park in July 1977. Bright first drove the "rebuilt" car at Donington Park on the last day of July, and continued with it to the end of that season. He raced it again in 1978, but again crashed, at Brands Hatch in July, and this time the car did not reappear. Bright sold the R18 to Rhoddy Harvey-Bailey (Hilton, Derbyshire) and John Colley for 1979, and as part of the deal Bright rebuilt it to Formula Atlantic specification. It was raced by Harvey-Bailey, Colley and Ian Shaw, using Alan Smith BDA engines. It was also raced on one occasion by John Bright. It was advertised by Roger Cowman in September 1979 as "hardly used". Colley sold it to hillclimber Richard Barnes (Lichfield, Staffordshire), who fitted an 1100cc Cosworth BDJ and hillclimbed it for a while. He has retained the car in his collection since then.
  12. March 753 [14] (Wyatt Stanley): Originally a car belonging to the B&O team in 1975, when used by Pierre Dieudonné. Chassis number for this car and its sister, driven by Hervé Regout, observed by AF at Oulton Park 4 October 1975. Sold to Ken Silverstone for the 1976 season [Autosport 2 Sep 1976 p33 says his car is ‘ex Dieudonné.) To Wyatt Stanley in mid 1977 and retained by him for the 1978 season.
  13. March 753 [U22] (Giordano Regazzoni): According to the March build records constructed in 1975 from discarded parts of works cars 753-U1 and 763-U1 for Giordano ‘Dodo’ Regazzoni. Probably used by the works drivers Nilsson and Ribeiro at Cadwell Park and the British GP support race in July 1975, with this car built as temporary replacement for Nilsson’s 753-U1 rolled at the Monza Lotteria in late June. Retained by Regazzoni into 1978. Motoring News 16 Mar 1978 p7 comments that Regazzoni is still using last year’s car.
  14. Chevron B38 [38.77.09-2] (Geoff Lees): To Chevron Racing Team for Geoff Lees to race in British F3 in 1977. Rebuilt on new monocoque 38-77-31 in time for Thruxton in June, where it was described as a brand new. Unknown after 1977 but may have gone to Japan where Koichi Sakamoto raced a Chevron B38 for most of 1978.
  15. Ralt RT1/76 [29] (Geoff Brabham): Ralt records show as sold to Geoff Brabham in 1976, probably being delivered in early June. Used by him until the end of 1978 then sold to Ken Thorogood's Hub of the Universe Racing for Osamu Hatagawa to use in British races.
  16. March 773 [U1] (Mario Ferraris): March works records show this as Mario Ferraris' works car for 1977 built on tub AM773-14 and rebuilt after Ferraris' Monaco accident on tub AM773-65. Sold in March 1978 to Neasrader Film Production for Richard Morgan according to the works records. Motoring News 30 Mar 1978 p11 says that Morgan's car is ex King, but we know from reports and the works records that King's main car was 773-U2. However, that car was damaged in the 1977 season and it is possible that King used 773-U1 after its rebuild as Ferraris' damaged wrist took longer to recover than the car did. Sold to John Bright in 1979 to replace his wrecked 773-13 and its identity eventually perhaps blurred with that car in a rebuild after a heavy accident.

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.

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.

Individual sources for this event

Autosport 6 Oct 1977 pp36-37.