Rothmans F5000 Championship round

Thruxton, 1 Aug 1971

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Surtees TS8 [005] (Mike Hailwood): Built for 1971 season and run by Team Surtees for Mike Hailwood to race in the 1971 British F5000 series. Hailwood won the opening race and also at Mallory Park and Silverstone later in the season to finish second in the championship. Sold to Belgian driver Hervé Bayard for 1972, reportedly together with a works spare car. Bayard raced it in one early season F5000 race at Mallory Park, but his main focus was hillclimbing in Europe. He had the car fitted with a Cosworth DFV engine and competed in the French and European series, winning overall at La Bachellerie, Turckheim-Trois-Epis, Les Andelys and Soissons. He finished second overall in the European championship. Bayard also used the Surtees-DFV at the Rothmans 50,000 on 28 August 1972 but did not qualify. After the 1972 season, the car was rebuilt back to Formula 5000 specification and entered by Ecurie Bonnier (Geneva, Switzerland) for Rolf Tellsten in the F5000 race at Mallory Park on 28 May 1973 but he and the car did not arrive. Ecurie Bonnier had been taken over by Heini Mader since Jo Bonnier's death. In February 1974, Ecurie Bonnier advertised six cars for sale in Autosport, including a Surtees TS8 that was "chassis only". The Surtees was later sold to engine builder Louis Morand (La Tour-de-Trême, Switzerland) and was stored at Mader's workshop at Gland, Switzerland until 1978. It then moved to Morand's workshop and was restored to F5000 specification, with a view to Benoît Morand, Louis' son, driving it. This didn't happen, and the car remained stored until sold to Peter Hoffmann (Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) in 1982. Hoffman also did not race the car, and sold it in 1989 to Rainer Jacobi (Mainz), who restored the car and ran it in historic events in 1990 and 1991.
2. Lola T242 [P] (Frank Gardner): Called a T242 at first race but this confused FB T240 owners so car renamed T300 for second race. Frank Gardner: UK 1971 (debuted R10 Thruxton 1 Aug). Raced four times before wrecked at Snetterton and replaced with first production T300.
3. Leda LT25 [002] (Trevor Taylor): Entered by Malaya Garages for Trevor Taylor in the 1971 European F5000 series. New at Monza in June 1971, where Trevor Taylor finished second. Used at the next four races but then heavily damaged in an accident at Oulton Park in October and written off.
4. McLaren M18 [500-04] (Jean-Pierre Jaussaud): See full history: McLaren M18 500-04.
5. Brabham BT16/21B [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.
6. McLaren M10B [400-05] (Gordon Spice): 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.
7. McLaren M18 [500-01] (Brian Redman): See full history: McLaren M18 500-01.
8. Surtees TS8 [007] (Alan Rollinson): New for Peter Revson at the 1971 Questor GP then for Alan Roillinson in UK series. To Alan Brodie 1972 and raced by Brodie and by Steve Thompson. To Servis Appliances Racing Team 1973 and raced by Ray Allan early in the season. Then possibly the Robin Darlington car in Sep 1973 Reappeared with Colin Andrews (Banbury, Oxfordshire) 1974, then to Steve Cuff (Frome, Somerset) 1975 for hillclimbs. To Alan Richards (Cheltenham) and used in sprints and occasional hill climbs in 1976 and 1977. Used in sprints and occasional hill climbs by Bob Clapham in 1978 and 1979. Then unknown until sold by Brian Redman to Dave Swigler (Panama City, FL) in 1986. Dave believes Brian got it from Richard Attwood about two years earlier. Retained until Swigler sold his collection to Harin De Silva (Palos Verdes Estates, CA) in 2009. Restored by Virtuoso Performance and first raced at Laguna Seca in August 2011. Also raced in New Zealand in the 2011/12 Tasman Revival series and at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2013.
9. McLaren M10A [300-16] (Rob Taylor): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-16.

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.