OldRacingCars.com

ShellSPORT International Championship race

Donington Park, 31 Jul 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Tony Trimmer (F1) 3-litre Surtees TS19 [05] - Cosworth DFV V8
#2 Melchester Racing
40
2 Divina Galica (F1) 3-litre Surtees TS19 [04] - Cosworth DFV V8
#13 Shellsport Whiting (see note 1)
40
3 Val Musetti (F5000) 3.4-litre March 752 [15] - Ford GAA V6
#7 David Price Racing (see note 2)
40
4 Derek Bell (F1) 3-litre Penske PC3 [02] - Cosworth DFV V8
#5 Hexagon Racing
40
5 Tom Belsø Lola T330 [HU6] - Chevrolet V8
#19 John Jordan (see note 3)
40
6 Danny Sullivan (F2) 2-litre Boxer PR276 [001] - Hart 420R
#8 Boxer Cars
40
7 Dennis Leech Chevron B28 [28-74-02] - Chevrolet Weslake/Leech V8
#77 Dennis Leech (see note 4)
38
8 Robin Smith Lola T330 [HU21] - Chevrolet V8
#32 Robin Smith (see note 5)
37
9 Tony Rouff (F2) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [72] - Ford BDG Eden
#15 Graham Eden Racing
36
R Alo Lawler (F2) 2-litre Lola T462 [HU22] - Ford BDX
#17 L & B Excavations
35 Fuel union
R Guy Edwards (F1) 3-litre March 75A/761 [1-2] - Cosworth DFV V8
#4 Guy Edwards (see note 6)
21 Rear hub
R Adrian Russell (F2) 2-litre Lola T460 [T450 HU1] - Ford BDX Swindon
#38 Adrian Russell (see note 7)
10 Accident
R Brian McGuire (F1) 3-litre McGuire BM1 [Williams FW04-2] - Cosworth DFV V8
#6 Brian McGuire Racing
3 'Mechanical'
DNS Damien Magee Lola T332C [HU62] - Chevrolet V8
#25 E. L. Gibbs Racing
Did not start
(Rocker)
DNS Kevin Bowditch (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lyncar 005 [005] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#66 Conoco Jet Racing
Did not start
(DNS)
DNQ Howard Rose (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 75/76B - Ford BDA
#42 H. A. Rose
Did not qualify
  Brian Henton (F1) 3-litre March 761 [5] - Cosworth DFV V8
#26 British Formula 1 Racing Team
On entry list
  Rob Moffat (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 73B/74B - Ford BDA
#28 Rob Moffat (see note 8)
On entry list
  Bruce Allison Chevron B37 [37-76-01] - Chevrolet V8
#62 Bruce Allison (see note 9)
On entry list

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Tony Trimmer (F1) 3-litre Surtees TS19 [05] - Cosworth DFV V8 1:04.2
2 Guy Edwards (F1) 3-litre March 75A/761 [1-2] - Cosworth DFV V8 1:04.2
3 Divina Galica (F1) 3-litre Surtees TS19 [04] - Cosworth DFV V8 1:05.0
4 Val Musetti (F5000) 3.4-litre March 752 [15] - Ford GAA V6 1:05.4
5 Derek Bell (F1) 3-litre Penske PC3 [02] - Cosworth DFV V8 1:05.6
6 Tom Belsø (F5000) 5-litre Lola T330 [HU6] - Chevrolet V8 1:05.8
7 Danny Sullivan (F2) 2-litre Boxer PR276 [001] - Hart 420R 1:06.4
8 Alo Lawler (F2) 2-litre Lola T462 [HU22] - Ford BDX 1:07.8
9 Brian McGuire (F1) 3-litre McGuire BM1 [Williams FW04-2] - Cosworth DFV V8 1:08.0
10 Tony Rouff (F2) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [72] - Ford BDG Eden 1:08.2
11 Robin Smith (F5000) 5-litre Lola T330 [HU21] - Chevrolet V8 1:08.6
12 Adrian Russell (F2) 2-litre Lola T460 [T450 HU1] - Ford BDX Swindon 1:09.8
13 Damien Magee * (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332C [HU62] - Chevrolet V8 1:10.8
14 Dennis Leech (F5000) 5-litre Chevron B28 [28-74-02] - Chevrolet Weslake/Leech V8 1:11.6
16 Kevin Bowditch * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre Lyncar 005 [005] - Ford BDA Nicholson 1:13.2
17 Howard Rose * (F/Atl) 1.6-litre March 75/76B - Ford BDA 1:19.0
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Surtees TS19 [04] (Divina Galica): Alan Jones received a new car, Surtees TS19/04, in time for the 1976 Austrian GP, and raced this for the rest of the season. It was raced by Vittorio Brambilla in the South American races at the start of 1977, before being sold to Olympus Cameras for Divina Galica to race in Shellsport Group 8. It was acquired by Alo Lawler in 1978, but was quickly sold to John Cooper, then to Robin Smith. Smith updated it to "TS20S" specification in 1980, and added sports car bodywork for a couple of Can-Am events in 1981. It was sold to Ken Moore and then Rod Tolhurst, both of whom ran it in HSCC F1 in 1983 for Willie Green and John Narcisi. Its next seven owners did not race it, but it returned to competition in TGP in 1999, then raced regularly until 2012. It returned for Monaco in 2016.
  2. March 752 [15] (Val Musetti): New to Masami Kuwashima for Formula 2 in 1975, prepared by Roy Kennedy's team in London, and entered by Masami Kuwashima Racing. After just two races, Kuwashima returned to Japan, and the 752 was sold to Tom Walkinshaw.who had it converted by Kennedy to F5000 specification, with the installation of a 3.4-litre Ford V6 engine. Raced by Walkinshaw in the 1975 Shellsport F5000 Championship. To Val Musetti, and raced in Shellsport G8 in 1976 and 1977. Converted to F1 specification for 1978, with a Cosworth DFV engine, and referred to as a 761 that season. Wrecked at Mallory Park in August but rebuilt again for 1979, when it was described as a 771, but wrecked at Zolder at the start of the Aurora season and finally written off.
  3. Lola T330 [HU6] (Tom Belsø): New to Australian Colin Hyams who raced it in the UK series in early 1973. To Trevor Twaites June 1973, and raced by him in the UK series in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Later to John Jordan (UK), who entered it for Tom Belso in 1977, and raced it himself in libre in 1978. Entered by Jordan for Dave Williams in libre racing 1983, and then for Tony Trimmer in the BRSCC Libre Championship from 1984 to 1989, winning the championship in 1986 and finishing second in 1987 and in 1988. At some point between 1985 and 1988, the T330 was dismantled and parts used by Dave Finnigan (Biggleswade, UK) to construct T332 "HU42" for Jordan's team. The original HU6 chassis remained with Finnigan until early 2000 when sold to Richard Lines (UK), then to Kevan McLurg (UK) 2005 and built into a complete car by McLurg and then by John Crawford's Motorsport Solutions NZ Ltd by July 2009. Owned by this time by Lindsay Willis of Wilco Racing (Rotorua, NZ), and raced by his son Brett Willis (Rotorua, NZ) in the F5000 Tasman Revival series every season from 2010/11 to 2017/18. More information about Lola T330 HU6
  4. Chevron B28 [28-74-02] (Dennis Leech): See full history: Chevron B28 74-02.
  5. Lola T330 [HU21] (Robin Smith): See full history: Lola T330 HU21.
  6. March 75A/761 [1-2] (Guy Edwards): John MacDonald (RAM Racing) 1975. Raced in UK 1975: driven by Alan Jones (3rd BARC Thruxton 17 Aug 1975) - Hexagon Garage for Damien Magee UK 1976 - Guy Edwards UK 1977; rebuilt on a March 761 monocoque, and then converted to DFV power for last few races of 1977. Edwards UK 1978 (first two races); then for Bruce Allison (five races). Also used by Desire Wilson in a test session prior to the British GP. To Terry Smith (Felton, Somerset), fitted with a 5-litre Repco engine, and used in the British Sprint Championship 1979, 1980 and 1981. Used by Smith and John Meredith British Sprint Championship 1982. To Ray Rowan 1983, and retained by him until about 1987 when the Repco engine was sold to Australia and the rolling chassis was sold via a dealer to Italy. Reemerged four years later when sold by Andrea Frasson (Rosà, Vicenza, Italy) to Daniel Pouteau (Paris, France) in December 1991. Retained by Pouteau, still apart and in still Terry Smith's livery, until sold via Bernard De Dryver to Paul Grant (Brussels, Belgium) in April 2013. Rebuilt for Masters F1 in 2015, and debut at the Spa 6 Hours in September 2015.
  7. Lola T460 [T450 HU1] (Adrian Russell): New to Ardmore Racing, fitted with a Swindon BDX F2 engine and raced by Ray Mallock in the opening Shellsport Group 8 race at Mallory Park in March 1976. As the race started, Mallock was pushed into the pits Armco and the Lola was heavily damaged. It was repaired at Lola and hired by Ian Ashley for the F2 race at Thruxton in April, but the car's handling was so poor in practice, he elected not to race it. It was returned to the factory, and was still there awaiting modifications in early June. Then converted to Formula Atlantic specification and sold to Adrian Russell (Thornton Heath, Surrey) for Indylantic and Group 8 in 1976, and in libre for the first half of 1977. Then fitted with a 2-litre Swindon BDX bought from Val Musetti, and used in Shellsport G8 for the remainder of the season. To David Render for 1978, and used in sprints and hillclimbs with a 1600cc BDA but only rarely used from 1978 to 1983. Sprinted by Jonathan Skinner and Anthony Lane later in 1983, and in 1984. Sprinted by Mike Lane from 1984 to 1986. Sold by Lane to Rod Fisher for sprints with a 2-litre BDA in 1988 and 1989. Sold by Fisher to David Dedrickson in about June 2001, and run in Seattle area historic events.
  8. March 73B/74B (Rob Moffat): London-based Australian Rob Moffat raced a March 73B or 73B/74B in a few Indylantic races at the end of 1976, and then in the Shellsport Group 8 series in 1977. Nothing more known.
  9. Chevron B37 [37-76-01] (Bruce Allison): To VDS Racing and entered for Peter Gethin in the 1976 US F5000 series (also raced once by Teddy Pilette) and in the Rothmans series in Australia in early 1977. To Bruce Allison (Brisbane, Australia) and raced by him in the 1977 UK Group 8 Championship and in the Rothmans series again in Australia in early 1978. Then to Ivan Tighe (Brisbane) and raced in national Australian F5000 and in the International series in 1979. Raced by Tighe up to the end of F5000 in Australia in 1982 and retained by him until 2001. Then sold via Race Car Warehouse (Brighton, England) in early 2002 to Simon Hadfield (Shepshed, Leicestershire) and completely restored. Raced with great success by Hadfield in historic racing both in the UK and in Australia from 2004 to 2008. It has since been raced by guest drivers, including Tony Trimmer at Oulton Park in 2009, Marcus Pye at Oulton Park in 2010 and Ben Anderson at the 2012 Silverstone Classic. Sold in October 2014 to Neil Glover (Ansty, West Sussex).

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.