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Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship Race

Silverstone, 1 Jul 1979

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Andrea de Cesaris March 793 [12] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#5 Marlboro Team Tiga
30 27m 42.28s
2 Stefan Johansson March 793 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#2 Marlboro Racing with McMahon
30 27m 45.79s
3 Chico Serra March 793 [20] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#13 Sadia Racing with Project 4
30 27m 48.36s
4 Fernando Jorge Ralt RT1/77 [82?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#42 Fernando Jorge
30 27m 48.79s
5 Mike Thackwell March 793 [1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#17 March Engineering
30 27m 51.81s
6 Roberto Guerrero Argo JM3 [021-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#45 Roldan Autos with Anglia Cars Ltd
30 28m 09.65s
7 Brett Riley March 783/793 - Triumph Dolomite 4
#14 Unipart Racing Team
30 28m 10.30s
8 Nigel Mansell March 783/793 - Triumph Dolomite 4
#15 Unipart Racing Team
30 28m 10.41s
9 Jorge Caton Ralt RT1/77 [57] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#8 Equipo Nacional Español
30 28m 12.64s
10 Mike Blanchet Lola T670 [HU1] - Chevrolet Vega Titan
#51 SDC Builders Bedford
30 28m 15.48s
11 Fermin Veléz March 783 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#37 Equipo Nacional Español (see note 1)
30 28m 24.03s
12 Bernard Devaney Chevron B47B [47.79.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#1 Derek McMahon Racing with Chevron Cars
30 28m 24.28s
13 Barry Green Chevron B43 [43.78.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#6 Barry Green (see note 2)
30 28m 31.60s
14 Benoît Morand Chevron B38 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#55 Benoit Morand (see note 3)
30 28m 31.80s
15 John Lewis Chevron B47B [42.78.19A] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#61 John Lewis
29
16 Osamu Hatagawa Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#40 Hub of the Universe Racing (see note 4)
29
17 Wyatt Stanley Ralt RT1/78 [105] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#32 Wyatt Stanley
29
18 Phil Silverstone Ralt RT1/77 [54] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#33 Welwyn Discount Tyres and Exhaust Centres
29
19 Michael Roe Chevron B47 [47.79.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#4 David Clark Team Riva Watches
(see note 5)
29
20 Trevor Templeton Ralt RT1/78 [116] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#31 A.W. Brown Racing with Malcolm Templeton
28
R Kenneth Acheson March 793 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#30 RMC Group
14 Stripped fifth gear
R Ken Eady March 773/783 [773-3] - Triumph Dolomite 4
#18 R.H.Coachworks Ltd (see note 6)
10
R David Brotherston Chevron B34 [34-76-29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#11 David Brotherston (see note 7)
8
R John Bright March 773 [U1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#16 Gerard Racing (see note 8)
0 Hit by Devaney, spun
R Eliseo Salazar Ralt RT3/79 [160] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#36 Schick Toyota Chilean Team
0 Accident
R Eddie Jordan March 793 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#3 Marlboro Racing with McMahon
0 Hit by Salazar
R Placido Inglesias Ralt RT1/78 [131] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#38 Team Perdigao
0 Hit Bright's spinning car
DNS Rob Wilson March 783/793 [783-5] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#29 Rushen Green Racing (see note 9)
Did not start
(Piston)
  Gerry Amato Chevron B38 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#9 Gerry Amato
On entry list
  Paul Dalton Royale RP5 [1] - Ford twin cam
#12 Paul Dalton
On entry list

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Andrea de Cesaris (F3) 2-litre March 793 [12] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.54.71
2 Chico Serra (F3) 2-litre March 793 [20] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.54.77
3 Kenneth Acheson (F3) 2-litre March 793 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.54.83
4 Stefan Johansson (F3) 2-litre March 793 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.54.87
5 Fernando Jorge (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [82?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.54.95
6 Mike Thackwell (F3) 2-litre March 793 [1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.54.96
7 Trevor Templeton (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [116] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.54.98
8 Roberto Guerrero (F3) 2-litre Argo JM3 [021-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.55.09
9 Brett Riley (F3) 2-litre March 783/793 - Triumph Dolomite 4 0.55.16
10 Bernard Devaney (F3) 2-litre Chevron B47B [47.79.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.55.27
11 John Bright (F3) 2-litre March 773 [U1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.55.28
12 Eliseo Salazar (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT3/79 [160] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.55.47
13 Michael Roe (F3) 2-litre Chevron B47 [47.79.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.55.49
14 Nigel Mansell (F3) 2-litre March 783/793 - Triumph Dolomite 4 0.55.49
15 Eddie Jordan (F3) 2-litre March 793 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.55.51
16 Placido Inglesias (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [131] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.55.53
17 Mike Blanchet (F3) 2-litre Lola T670 [HU1] - Chevrolet Vega Titan 0.55.55
18 Jorge Caton (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [57] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.55.58
19 Fermin Veléz (F3) 2-litre March 783 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.56.06
20 Rob Wilson * (F3) 2-litre March 783/793 [783-5] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.56.28
21 Benoît Morand (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.56.31
22 Barry Green (F3) 2-litre Chevron B43 [43.78.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.56.42
23 Osamu Hatagawa (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.56.78
24 John Lewis (F3) 2-litre Chevron B47B [42.78.19A] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.56.87
25 David Brotherston (F3) 2-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.57.03
26 Wyatt Stanley (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [105] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.57.08
27 Phil Silverstone (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [54] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 0.57.50
28 Ken Eady (F3) 2-litre March 773/783 [773-3] - Triumph Dolomite 4 0.57.75
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 783 [14] (Fermin Veléz): Shown in March records for 1978 as delivered to Rushen Green Racing 14 April 1978, colour red, with tub 78M71. This is presumably the car used by Serra at Donington 30 April 1978, where Motoring News describes it as a new and unsorted chassis being readied for Monaco, and at Silverstone the following day where the Autosport report also describes it as new and used the day before at Donington. Sold to Fermin Velez for 1979, run by Brian Lewis Racing, with the chassis number observed by F1R at Snetterton in August 1979.
  2. Chevron B43 [43.78.07] (Barry Green): New to Chevron Racing Team for Patrick Gaillard to race in the European F3 championship in 1978. Sold to Barry Green for British F3 in 1979, and rented by Fred Opert Racing for Manuel Tolama to drive at the Monaco GP F3 event that year. To Rick Whyman for British F3 in 1980, then driven by Trevor Wigglesworth from August onwards after Whyman bought a March 793. Raced again by Wigglesworth for Rick Whyman Racing in 1981.
  3. Chevron B38 (Benoît Morand): Benoît Morand raced a Chevron B38 in Swiss F3 events in 1978, and then in British F3 in 1979. His car was nearly always described as a B38, and the few ocassions it was described as a B43 probably referred to it having been updated.
  4. Ralt RT1/76 [29] (Osamu Hatagawa): 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.
  5. Chevron B47 [47.79.02] (Michael Roe): New to Michael Roe and entered by David Clark Team Riva Watches for Roe to race in British F3 in 1979. Unknown in 1980. To Patrick Lecompte and raced in French F3 in 1981 and 1982. Later to Bernard Pourchet, and raced by him in the 1600cc class of French hillclimbs in 1984. Subsequent history unknown.
  6. March 773/783 [773-3] (Ken Eady): 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. Chevron B34 [34-76-29] (David Brotherston): New to Rupert Keegan in July 1976 and raced in the British F3 series with British Air Ferries sponsorship, winning three races and clinching the BP BARC title for Keegan. To David Brotherston (Edinburgh, Scotland) for 1978, and raced in the British F3 series. Brotherston continued to use the car in 1979 and 1980, again in British F3, after which he sold the car to Bob Howlings. Then to Bob Baxter (Saffron Walden, Essex) for Formule Libre towards the end of the 1981 season. Later to Alastair Ferguson, and used by him in TF3 in 1987. It was unused from the late 1990s until 2007, when Ferguson sold it to Hugh Price. Price had it completely rebuilt to Keegan's BAF livery with a view to racing it in the Classic F3 series in 2008. It was sold to Bruce Bartell in 2009, and raced by him in HSCC events, then by his son Maxim Bartell in Classic F3 from 2014 to 2017.
  8. March 773 [U1] (John Bright): 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.
  9. March 783/793 [783-5] (Rob Wilson): Shown in March records for 1978 as delivered to Daniel Herregods, 19 January 1978, colour yellow with tub 78M25. To Rob Wilson in 1979 to replace his tiring Ralt RT1 and updated to 1979 specification. Autosport notes ‘ex Herregods’ and chassis number noted by F1R at Snetterton in August 1979. Sold to Gerry Amato for 1980 season, Autosport notes his car as ‘ex Wilson 1979’. Retained by Amato until 1982 then sold to Greg and Tim Atkinson.

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

Entry list annotated with practice times kindly provided by Nigel Bland.