Guards F5000 Championship round

Castle Combe, 9 May 1970

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. McLaren M10B [400-05] (Howden Ganley): Barry Newman for Howden Ganley: UK 1970 (18 races, five second places) - Gordon Spice: Argentinean GP 1971; UK 1971 (11 races + 1 DNS). Rebuilt as 'Kitchmac' by Tony Kitchiner for 1972 season: driven by Gordon Spice (UK: 7 races + 1 DNS), John Kendall (UK: 2 races; US : 1 race only R3 Watkins Glen), Fred Saunders (UK: 1 DNS only), Alan Rollinson (UK: 1 race only), Roger Williamson (UK: 3 races); UK 1973: driven by Kaye Griffiths ( 1 race only), Richard Knight (5 races + 1 DNS). Not seen again after the end of 1973. It has been reported that this car was wrecked in an accident but it appears to have survived its final race in 1973 intact. Subsequent history unknown.
2. McLaren M10B [400-03] (Mike Walker): Alan McKenchnie for Mike Walker UK 1970. The monocoque was replaced (by 400-18S) so that Walker could get the lower engine mount specification used by Gethin and Ganley. The 400-03 chassis to Roy Lane (Warwick, Warwickshire) and built up with 5.5-litre Chev for the British Hill Climb Championship 1971. To Richard Shardlow (Baslow, Derbyshire) for hillclimbs in 1972 but rolled at Harewood. To John Bailey and rebuilt for Sprints during 1974 and 1975. To Harry Phillips (Coventry) 1976 for libre. Bought from Phillips by Andrew Baber (Lydney, Gloucestershire), who only used the car in demos, and then sold it in early 1984 to Ian Webb (Dorking). Webb sold it almost immediately to Roger Ealand, who raced it in 1985 and 1986. To Paul Palmer and restored by Michael Cane Ltd, then to Ed Hubbard, and then to Ean Pugh (Wales & Monaco) in 1988. However, Ean believed the car he bought was the "ex-Prophet" 400-04, not 400-03. Sold to Keith Norris in June 2020.
3. Lola T142 [SL142/36] (Keith Holland): New to Alan Fraser for Keith Holland to drive in British F5000 in 1969 and 1970, and by Ray Calcutt when Holland left the team. Then via Harry Linney and Bob Miller to John Bowtell (Witney, Oxfordshire) who raced it in late 1971 and early 1972, entered by Andrew Cavell. Raced at Silverstone in April by Martin Ridehalgh, and by Bowtell again later in the year. To Richard Brown (Chieveley, Berkshire) for hillclimbs in 1973, then to Bob de la Haye for 1974 and 1975. Then unknown until acquired by John Peskett (Leicester) in 1978. Unused and stored until the car was featured on TV program 'Salvage Squad' broadcast in March 2002. Again unknown until advertised by Marcel Roks (Belgium) 2005 (blue with white stripe, #39). To Will Tomkins (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire) 2005 - Roger Deans (Baldock, Herts) 2006 and debuted at Shelsley Walsh in September 2006. See full history: Lola T142 SL142/36.
4. Lola T190 [190/F1/2-2] (Ulf Norinder): New for Ulf Norinder and raced in the 1970 Tasman series. Then raced in the UK 1970 but crashed in practice for R4 Zandvoort 19 April 1970 and rebuilt on the 11th T190 tub as 190/F1/2-2. Raced again by Norinder for five more races then raced by Tony Lanfranchi at two races but crashed on the warm-up lap at the Oulton Park Gold Cup on 22 August. The car broke its back on landing and was not seen again. Presumed destroyed.
5. Lola T142 [SL142/42] (Derrick Williams): See full history: Lola T142 SL142/42.
6. McLaren M3A [1] (Pierre Soukry): Harry Zweifel (Glarus, Switzerland) bought the first McLaren M3A, already equipped with a 4.5-litre Traco Oldsmobile V8 engine, to use in hillclimbs across Europe. His first outing is believed to have been the new course at Lorentzweiler in Luxembourg in April 1966 but such were Zweifel's travels that it may well have appeared earlier. Later in the season, he replaced the original engine with a 4960cc version and retained the car in this form for 1967. Sold to Peter Boner (Pontresina, Switzerland) and used in Swiss national events in 1968 and 1969, but now it seems with the original 4450cc engine. Then to Pierre Soukry (Strasbourg, France) and used in French hillclimbs but also in several F5000 races in 1970. Retained for 1971 but crashed by Soukry at Col de l'Aubisque in May 1971 and not seen again. Soukry replaced it with a pukka F5000 McLaren M10B for 1972, and sold the McLaren to Max Peleman (Pindères, south-western France). Max's brother François Peleman planned to use the car in hillclimbs, but this did not happen, and the car remained in storage until 2020, when it was advertised.
7. Lola T190 [190/F1/7] (Davey Powell): New to Doug Hardwick's Henley Forklift team for the 1970 British Formula 5000 series. Raced by Mo Nunn (2 races), Davey Powell (7 races + 2 DNS) and Trevor Taylor (6 races) in 1970. To Kaye Griffiths (2 races + 1 DNQ), Terry Sanger (1 race only), Ian Ashley (3 races) and Tony Trimmer (1 race only) in 1971, during which time it was acquired by Rocky Plumridge. Retained by Plumridge for 1972 and raced by Ian Ashley (9 F5000 races, and DNQ for the Rothmans 50,000). Subsequent history unknown.
8. Lola T142 [SL142/40] (Lingard Goulding): See full history: Lola T142 SL142/40.
9. Lotus 70 [06] (Jock Russell): Jock Russell (Ford V8) UK 1970 (debut Mallory Park May 1970), UK 1971, UK 1972 (first rounds only); retained by Russell for many years - Peter Denty (date unknown): restored and raced in UK by Peter's son, James Denty. Raced by James at the Silverstone Classic in 2005 and at Watkins Glen in 2008. Offered for sale by Peter Denty (Thetford, Norfolk) in 2010. Raced again by James Denty at Watkins Glen in 2012 but on behalf of new owner Nick Grewal (Gilford, NH).
10. Lola T142 [SL142/31] (Willie Forbes): See full history: Lola T142 SL142/31.
11. Lola T142 [SL142/22] (TBA): See full history: Lola T142 SL142/22.
12. Brabham BT21B [F2-19-65] (Dave Berry): Jack Brabham's works SCA-engined BT16, used during the 1965 mid-season and also raced by Chris Irwin when the Honda project was revived. To Robs Lamplough (London) for 1966 and retained for 1967. To John Watson (Craigavad, County Down, Northern Ireland) for Irish racing in 1967 and fitted with a Lotus-Ford twin-cam. Retained for 1968. Sold to Dave Berry (Colwyn Bay, Wales) for 1969 and used in UK libre; then fitted with an Oldsmobile V8 for 1970, 1971 and 1972. Last seen in October 1972.

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.

1969-1976 UK results have been researched and collated by Chris Townsend based primarily on material in Autosport and Motoring News. Information has been added from the growing collection of entry lists from programs.

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.