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Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship Race

Silverstone, 25 Aug 1980

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Thierry Tassin Argo JM6 [042-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#5 Anglia Cars
25 22m 55.73s
105.2 mph
2 Kenneth Acheson March 803B [803-9] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#8 RMC Group
25 22m 56.22s
3 Daniele Albertin Ralt RT3/80 [183] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#21 Team Tiga (see note 1)
25 23m 08.88s
4 Eddie Jordan Ralt RT3/80 [197] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#7 Marlboro Team Ireland (see note 2)
25 23m 17.21s
5 David Sears Argo JM6 [043-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#3 Rushen Green Racing
25 23m 20.11s
6 Mike White March 803B [803-2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#11 Autowindscreens with Gerard Racing
25 23m 20.98s
7 Mike Blanchet Lola T770/3 [T770 HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#30 SDC Buiilders
25 23m 33.33s
8 Terry Gray Ralt RT1/78 [139] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#47
25 23m 36.36s
9 John Village Ralt RT1/78 [115] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#15
25 23m 38.22s
10 John Lewis Chevron B47 [42.78.19A] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#36
24
11 Mike O'Brien March 803B [803-10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#9 National Girobank
24
12 Rob Wilson Ralt RT3/80 [191] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#31 S.W. Racing
24
13 David Brotherston Chevron B34 [34-76-29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#34 (see note 3)
24
14 Eddie Heasell Chevron B38 [38.77.24] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#37 (see note 4)
24
15 Gerry Amato March 793 [783-5] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#14 Gerry Amato Racing (see note 5)
24
16 Tony Norton March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite 4
#23 PC Designs Ltd (see note 6)
24
17 Bruce West Chevron B47B - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#26 Gerry Amato Racing
24
R Phil Silverstone Argo JM6 [041-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#41
20 Accident
R Toshio Suzuki March 803B [803-18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#12 March Racing Ltd
19 Spun
R Roberto Guerrero Argo JM6 [039-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#4 Anglia Cars
2 Accident damage
R Stefan Johansson March 803B [20 or 21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#1 Project Four Racing
0 Accident
DNS Paul Hutson March 783 [23] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#19 T.H. Hutson Racing
Did not start
(Split oil tank)
DNA Michael Korten March 803B - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#43 Mike Korten Motorsport
Did not arrive
DNA Wyatt Stanley Ralt RT3/80 [187] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#40 (see note 7)
Did not arrive
DNA Brett Riley March 803B - Alfa Romeo Novamotor
#18 David Price Racing
Did not arrive
DNA Trevor Wigglesworth Chevron B43 [43.78.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#35 (see note 8)
Did not arrive

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Kenneth Acheson (F3) 2-litre March 803B [803-9] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.32s
2 Roberto Guerrero (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [039-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.34s
3 Stefan Johansson (F3) 2-litre March 803B [20 or 21] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.44s
4 Thierry Tassin (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [042-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.53s
5 Rob Wilson (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT3/80 [191] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.62s
6 Mike White (F3) 2-litre March 803B [803-2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.68s
7 Daniele Albertin (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT3/80 [183] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.72s
8 Toshio Suzuki (F3) 2-litre March 803B [803-18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.89s
9 David Sears (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [043-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.90s
10 Eddie Jordan (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT3/80 [197] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 54.92s
11 Mike Blanchet (F3) 2-litre Lola T770/3 [T770 HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.30s
12 Terry Gray (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [139] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.62s
13 Mike O'Brien (F3) 2-litre March 803B [803-10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.71s
14 John Village (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/78 [115] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.74s
15 John Lewis (F3) 2-litre Chevron B47 [42.78.19A] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 55.81s
16 Tony Norton (F3) 2-litre March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite 4 56.67s
17 David Brotherston (F3) 2-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 57.32s
18 Bruce West (F3) 2-litre Chevron B47B - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 57.68s
19 Gerry Amato (F3) 2-litre March 793 [783-5] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 57.73s
20 Eddie Heasell (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.24] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 57.88s
21 Phil Silverstone (F3) 2-litre Argo JM6 [041-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 58.03s
22 Paul Hutson * (F3) 2-litre March 783 [23] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 58.12s
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Ralt RT3/80 [183] (Daniele Albertin): A works car finished July 1980 for Tommy Byrne to run at British GP support race. Sold to Tiga for Daniele Albertin to run. Used by James Weaver in 1981 and then sold to Mike O'Brien. To Tony Trevor for 1982 (Autosport 18 Feb 1982 p7; Motoring News 11 Mar 1982 p14 'ex O'Brien, Weaver') badly damaged at Thruxton in April and probably scrapped. Trevor only reappears at Silverstone 27 June in what Autosport (1 Jul 1982 p8) calls 'a replacement built up from a pile of bits, most bought from Dave Scott's team who had built up a new car during the close season'. These bits may, themselves, have come from the remains of RT3/192 which Scott may have destroyed in testing in 1980, plus surplus parts from RT3/250. We should presume that 183 ceases to exist after April 1980 unless observation of the plate can be found on Trevor's late 1982 car.
  2. Ralt RT3/80 [197] (Eddie Jordan): Sold to Eddie Jordan 7 Aug 1980 and used by him in latter part of 1980 season. Sold to Terry Gray for 1981 season (Autosport 15 Jan 1981) but only lightly used. For sale Autosport 30 Apr 1981 p61. Sold to Dave Price for Fred Krab to run in Euro series, debut Zandvoort round. For sale by DPR 'new tub in Aug' Autosport 14 Jan 1982 p62. Sold to Phil Dowsett to run in 1982 UK series (Autosport 4 Mar 1982 p38; Motorig News 4 Mar 1982 p3 'ex DPR Krab/Tragardh'); sold late season to Leo Andersson (Autosport 28 Oct 1982 p15).
  3. 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.
  4. Chevron B38 [38.77.24] (Eddie Heasell): 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. March 793 [783-5] (Gerry Amato): 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.
  6. March 773 [3] (Tony Norton): 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. Ralt RT3/80 [187] (Wyatt Stanley): Sold to Wyatt Stanley 22 May 1980 and used in 1980 British series. To Roy Kennedy Racing ('ex Stanley' Autosport 2 Jul 1981 p4) for various rental drivers. Retained 1982.
  8. Chevron B43 [43.78.07] (Trevor Wigglesworth): 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.

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 28 Aug 1980 pp28-29