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Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship Race

Snetterton, 5 Aug 1979

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Mike Thackwell March 793 [1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#17 March Racing
20 21m 16.85s
108.1 mph
2 Chico Serra March 793 [20] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#13 Sadia Racing with Project 4
20 21m 18.26s
3 Kenneth Acheson March 793 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#30 RMC Group
20 21m 23.77s
4 Andrea de Cesaris March 793 [12] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#5 Marlboro Team Tiga
20 21m 24.79s
5 Stefan Johansson March 793 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Marlboro Racing with McMahon
20 21m 31.41s
6 Bernard Devaney Chevron B47B [47.79.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#1 Derek McMahon Racing with Chevron Cars
20 21m 31.93s
7 Roberto Guerrero Argo JM3 [021-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#45 Roldan Autos with Anglia Cars Ltd
20 21m 33.84s
8 Eddie Jordan March 793 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#2 Marlboro Racing with McMahon
20 21m 33.84s
9 Trevor Templeton Ralt RT1/78 [116] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#31 A.W. Brown Racing with Malcolm Templeton
20 21m 46.26s
10 Placido Inglesias Ralt RT1/78 [131] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#38 Team Perdigao
20 22m 09.98s
11 John Lewis Chevron B43/B47 [42.78.19A] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#61
20 22m 17.50s
12 Osamu Hatagawa Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#40 Hub of the Universe Racing (see note 1)
19
13 Fermin Veléz March 783 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#37 Equipo Nacional Español (see note 2)
19
14 Phil Silverstone Ralt RT1/77 [54] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#33 Welwyn Discount Tyres and Exhaust Centres
18
R Fernando Jorge Ralt RT1/77 [82?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor

R Rob Wilson March 783 [5] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#29 Rushen Green Racing (see note 3)
1 Accident
R Bryce Wilson Ehrlich RP4 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
Exhaust
R Gerry Amato March 773 [T1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#9

DNA John Bright March 773 [U1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#16 Gerard Racing (see note 4)
Did not arrive
DNA Paul Dalton Royale RP5 [1] - Ford twin cam
#12
Did not arrive
DNA Wyatt Stanley Ralt RT1/78 [105] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#32
Did not arrive
DNA Mike Blanchet Lola T670 [HU1] - Chevrolet Vega Titan
#51 SDC Builders
Did not arrive
DNA Michael Roe Chevron B47B [47.79.02] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#4 David Clark Team Riva Watches
(see note 5)
Did not arrive
DNA Benoît Morand Chevron B38 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#55 (see note 6)
Did not arrive

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Chico Serra (F3) 2-litre March 793 [20] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.02.87
2 Mike Thackwell (F3) 2-litre March 793 [1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.03.18
3 Kenneth Acheson (F3) 2-litre March 793 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.03.32
4 Andrea de Cesaris (F3) 2-litre March 793 [12] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.03.38
5 Roberto Guerrero (F3) 2-litre Argo JM3 [021-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.03.81
6 Bernard Devaney (F3) 2-litre Chevron B47B [47.79.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.03.88
7 Trevor Templeton (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [116] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.04.01
8 Eddie Jordan (F3) 2-litre March 793 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.04.13
9 Stefan Johansson (F3) 2-litre March 793 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.04.21
10 Fernando Jorge (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [82?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.04.32
11 Rob Wilson (F3) 2-litre March 783 [5] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.04.50
12 Placido Inglesias (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [131] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.04.65
13 Fermin Veléz (F3) 2-litre March 783 [14] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.04.81
14 Bryce Wilson (F3) 2-litre Ehrlich RP4 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.04.93
15 John Lewis (F3) 2-litre Chevron B43/B47 [42.78.19A] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.05.15
16 Osamu Hatagawa (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.06.57
17 Phil Silverstone (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [54] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.09.21
18 Gerry Amato (F3) 2-litre March 773 [T1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1.10.34

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. March 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Chevron B47B [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. 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.

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.