Sigma Series for Formula Atlantic Cars Race
Kyalami, 24 Apr 1982
Results | Laps | Time/Speed | |||||||
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1 | Trevor van Rooyen | (Formula SA) Ralt RT4/81 [272] - Mazda 12A Sigma #3 Rack Rite Racing (see note 1) |
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2 | Tony Martin | (Formula SA) Maurer MM81 [02?] - Mazda 12A Sigma #2 BP 2000 Racing [South Coast Motors] (see note 2) |
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3 | Ian Scheckter | (Formula SA) March 78B [782-2(B)] - Mazda 12A Sigma #24 Hekro Engineering/Propart (see note 3) |
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4 | André du Plessis | (Formula SA) March 77B [18] - Mazda 12A Sigma #7 Rack Rite Racing (see note 4) |
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5 | Brian Ferris | (Formula SA) March 77B [11] - Mazda 12A Sigma #10 Maserati/Lamborghini Dealer Team (see note 5) |
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6 | Roy Carr | (Formula SA) March 792 [79A-27] - Mazda 12A Sigma #11 Pretoria Brick Racing (see note 6) |
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7 | Wayne Taylor | (Formula SA) March 802 [7] - Mazda 12A Sigma #5 Pretoria Brick Racing (see note 7) |
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  | Bernard Tilanus | (Formula SA) 1.6-litre March 78B [782-2(A)] - Datsun turbo #1 DAW Supplies [Jeff Waberski] (see note 8) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Graham Duxbury | (Formula SA) March 77B ['AT'] - Mazda 12A Sigma #4T Hekro/Propart/BP (see note 9) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Graham Duxbury | (Formula SA) March 822 [82A-2] - Mazda 12A Sigma #4 Hekro/Propart/BP (see note 10) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Peter Haller | (Formula SA) Haller Special 81 ['1'] - Mazda 12A Sigma #8 Hekro Engineering (see note 11) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Dave Charlton | (Formula SA) March 77B [8] - Mazda 12A Sigma #12 DAW Supplies [Jeff Waberski] (see note 12) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Wayne Lahner | (Formula SA) March 722 [11] - Mazda 12A Sigma #16 Rack Rite Racing (see note 13) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Steve Herbst | (Formula SA) Wheatcroft R18 [002] - Mazda 12A Sigma #17 Steve Herbst (see note 14) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Kent Dyson | (Formula SA) March 722 - Mazda 12A Sigma #18 Kent Dyson (see note 15) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Ivano Moavero | (Formula SA) March 76B [19] - Mazda 12A Sigma #22 Oggi (see note 16) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Mike Needell | (Formula SA) Chevron B34 [34-76-08] - Mazda 12A Sigma #25 Roray Racing (see note 17) |
On entry list | ||||||
  | Piet de Klerk | (Formula SA) Donnelly JD201 ['1'] - Mazda 12A Sigma #26 L.A. Baker (see note 18) |
On entry list |
Qualifying | |||||
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Qualifying information not available |
Notes on the cars:
- Ralt RT4/81 [272] (Trevor van Rooyen): New to Rack Rite Racing for Trevor van Rooyen to race in the 1982 Formula South Africa series. When van Rooyen moved to the team's new Lant RR82 in May, the Ralt was retained as a spare car and was raced at least once by Andre du Plessis. It is thought to have been the "Lant" raced by du Plessis at Kyalami on 24 July 1982 and by Roy Klomfass at Kyalami on 4 Sep 1982, but this remains uncertain. Then raced as a Lant during 1983 and early 1984 until damaged in Wayne Lahner's accident with Peter Haller at Goldfields on 3 March 1984. The monocoque was thrown away at this point, and the gearbox and other salvaged parts used in a sports car project.
- Maurer MM81 [02?] (Tony Martin): Ian Martin's BP-backed South Coast Motors team acquired a Maurer MM81 for the start of the 1982 Formula South Africa season, to be raced by Tony Martin. Martin won four races in the car and finished third in the championship. It was then sold to John Moni, who raced it through the 1983 Formula SA season with Duckhams sponsorship. The car is believed to have been sold to Switzerland in trade for the March 832 that Moni acquired for 1984. Subsequent history unknown, but this may be the car owned by Fritz Wagner and converted to sports car specification in 1989.
- March 78B [782-2(B)] (Ian Scheckter): After Paul Smith wrecked his ex-Toleman March 782-2 at Mallory Park in March 1979, he built up a new car using a tub fabricated by Mo Gomm. As the "782-2" plate remained on the original tub, and this was later repaired, this Gomm-built car is regarded here as a new car 'PS1'. The new 'PS1' was used by Smith in Formula Atlantic and F2 in 1979 and 1980. It was sold together with the remains of 782-2 to Bernard Tilanus "in the autumn of 1981" and shipped to South Africa. Tilanus converted 'PS1' to use Sigma Mazda engines and raced it in early 1982. It was sold in March or April 1982 to Hekro for Ian Scheckter to race, but he did not like the car, and it was taken over by his Hekro teammate Peter Haller. At some point in 1983, probably at Kyalami on 30 April 1983 where Haller retired, 'PS1' was damaged. It is believed that the unrepaired tub ended up with Keith Horwood. It passed via Ivan Glasby to a hotel owned by one of the Toleman brothers in the Eastern Transvaal, where it was hung on the wall of the bar. The tub was thrown away around 2005, when the hotel changed hands.
- March 77B [18] (André du Plessis): New to Alex Blignaut for Nols Nieman to race in the South African Formula Atlantic series in early 1977, with Benson & Hedges sponsorship. Retained by Blignaut's Benson & Hedges team for Nieman again in 1978. Raced for Blignaut by Derek Bell in November 1978, then by Sarel van der Merwe in May 1979, after which it was given by Blignaut to Tony Martin's South Coast Motors team as a spare car. It was entered for Billy Scheepers in January, then rented to Roy Moss for the Goldfields race in February. Bernard Tilanus then borrowed it for the Killarney race in March after his DAW March 78B had been destroyed in a transporter fire. In July 1980, it was sold to Jeff Waberski's DAW Supplies team for Wayne Taylor to drive. Then in October 1980, it was sold on to Mel Lahner's Rackrite Racing. Taylor moved with the car, and raced it at Kyalami on 4 October and then in the first few months of the 1981 season. It was then taken over by Trevor van Rooyen who found the weight penalty on his ground-effect March 802 was too great. He raced the 77B for the rest of the 1981 season. It was retained for 1982, when Rackrite ran the car for Andre du Plessis and Mike Domingo. It was retained again for 1983, when driven by Gavin Lahner and Kevin Heath. It was not used again after that, but was retained by Mel Lahner until sold to Andrew Thompson in 1984. It was later restored for Ian Schofield.
- March 77B [11] (Brian Ferris): New for Rupert Keegan to race in the South African Formula Atlantic series in early 1977, run for him by the Doug Shierson team and entered as Team Uniewinkels. Then run by Martin Flint and Roger Taylor for John Gibb to race for the rest of 1977. Retained by Flint & Taylor's Team Uniewinkels for 1978, when it was driven by Roy Klomfass. Moved to Alex Blignaut's Team Texan for the start of the 1978/79 season, still with Klomfass driving, as a spare car to the team's new March 79B. The 77B was then sold to Dave Hart's Team Valvoline. Hart fitted it with a BMW engine for the new Formula South Africa in 1979, then converted to a Mazda engine for 1980. It was then sold to Brian Ferris, who raced it in 1981 and in early 1982 before his new Ralt RT4/82 arrived. The 77B may have been raced by Ferris's friend Klaus Grogor in the latter half of 1982. In January 1983, it was sold to Fred Goddard who ran it for several drivers as part of his Petromark team over the next two seasons, including Braam Smith, Roy Carr, Derek Irving and Danie Mulder. It was unused in 1985, then driven by Ivano Moavero in 1986. Then retained by Goddard who took it with him to the UK when he emigrated in 1989 to set up Fred Goddard Racing. After Fred's death in July 2007, the 77B passed to his son Earl Goddard, and he sold it to Nick Beer around 2013.
- March 792 [79A-27] (Roy Carr): New to Team Lexington for Ian Scheckter to drive in South African Formula Atlantic in 1979. The new "wing car" was delivered in time for Scheckter to race it in the Highveld 100 at Kyalami on 27 January, and he won five of his first six races in the car. It was fitted with a Fiat engine for the start of Formula SA but this was quickly replaced with a Mazda rotary engine, and Scheckter won the last four races of the season. The 79A was sold to Bokomo Racing for Tommy Dunne in 1980. It was then sold to Pieter Fouché's Pretoria Brick team, where it was raced by Jan du Plessis in 1981 and by Roy Carr in 1982. In mid-1982, Fouché reorganised the team to focus on a Ralt RT4/82 for Wayne Taylor, and the 79A was sold to Roy Moss. He raced it for the remainder of 1982 and through 1983, during which time he fitted a March 802 rollhoop. It was then sold to Steve Herbst who converted it to flat-bottomed specification by removing the sidepods. He also fitted side-mounted radiators and a March 802 nose. He ran it in this form in 1984 and 1985. The tub and bodywork were later exported by Gavin Hards to John Brannigan, but by the time they arrived the chassis plate was no longer with them. John's stock book from the time shows that he sold it all to Richard Parkin as a kit, but as the car Richard received had no chassis plate but a 1980 nose and 1980 rollhoop, he advertised it as an 80A. He remembers getting no interest in it and believes he may have sold it through the trade, perhaps to Roger Hurst. Subsequent history unknown.
- March 802 [7] (Wayne Taylor): New for Manfred Winkelhock to drive as part of the ICI March Racing Team in F2 in 1980. Sold to Hekro Engineering in South Africa for 1981, fitted with a Mazda engine and raced in Formula SA in early 1981 by Dave Hart. Tommy Dunn then took over the drive, but damaged the car in practice at Kyalami on 9 May. It was repaired but Dunne then also left the team. The 802 was next driven by Ian Scheckter at Kyalami in late June but he declined to start after practice. It was not seen again in 1981 until the final race, when it had been sold to Pretoria Brick Racing and was entered for Wayne Taylor. The car was run by Eddie Pinto in 1982 as a Pretoria Brick Racing entry for Taylor to drive. When the team's new Ralt RT4/82 arrived, the March was sold to Lew Baker in July 1982, and used by him for the rest of 1982 and in 1983. Sold to Ken Critchfield in May or June 1983 and raced by him for the remainder of that season. Believed to have been wrecked early in 1984. Critchfield bought the sister car 802/6 so he could continue racing, and the monocoque from 802/7 was thrown away.
- March 78B [782-2(A)] (Bernard Tilanus): Rad Dougall's race car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably the one he then wrecked in practice at the Nürburgring 30 Apr 1978. Presumably "Toleman's second" 782 driven by Tiff Needell at Hockenheim 26 Sep. To Paul Smith for Formula Atlantic in 1979, but wrecked on Smith's first outing, at Mallory Park in March 1979. The car was rebuilt on a new tub fabricated by Mo Gomm, but the original tub was also repaired and retained by Smith incomplete. As the "782-2" plate remained on this car, the Gomm car is regarded here as a separate car, 'PS1'. The new 'PS1' and the remains of 782/2 were both sold to Bernard Tilanus "in the autumn of 1981" and shipped to South Africa. Tilanus raced 'PS1' for the DAW Supplies team in the Sigma Mazda series in early 1982 but then sold it to Hekro for Ian Scheckter to drive. The team then built up a second car on the original 782/2 tub, distinguished by its black dash roll hoop, and Tilanus raced that car at Killarney, Welkom and Kyalami in May 1982. It was then raced by Braam Smith for DAW in late 1982 and early 1983. In April 1983, it was sold to Billy Maloney, replacing his March 77B, and was raced by him for the rest of 1983. He retained the car for 1984, but damaged it in a practice accident at East London in August. It is believed to have been sold to Arthur Christie in January 1985. It was sold back to Bernard Tilanus for the 'Can-Am' season in 1986. After that, it went to Keith Horwood who planned to use it for a sports car project in 1987, but that did not go ahead and the car remained unused for two years. It was then rebuilt by Andrew Thompson as a show car for the Rembrandt Group's Heidelberg Motor Museum. The museum was acquired by BAT in 1999, who closed it in 2003. The following year, the car collection was acquired by Johann Rupert, son of Dr Anton Rupert and moved to the L'Ormarins Estate in Franschhoek. The Franschhoek Motor Museum, named after Johan Rupert, was opened in May 2007, and the March 782 remains on display in Ian Scheckter's 1978 livery. Scheckter's Lexington March 78B was, of course, a completely different car, and was destroyed in 1980.
- March 77B ['AT'] (Graham Duxbury): Built by Andrew Thompson in South Africa in 1978 using an unused monocoque that had been supplied as a spare for Ian Scheckter's March 77B/7. Thompson acquired the tub and all the other 77B spares from Ken Howes before 77B/7 was sold back to the UK. He built all these into a new car using the Hewland FT200 gearbox from the ex-Dave Charlton/Alex Blignaut March 76B/19. The resulting car was raced by Bobby Scott through the 1978/79 season, sponsored by Rembrandt through its Sportsman Lager and then Kronenbräu 1308 Lager brands. It was rented from Thompson by Graham Duxbury for a race in October 1979, still with its BDA engine, and then sold to Hagen Wulf and Ivor Raasch who fitted a Mazda engine for the 1980 season. It was also raced by Allan McDonald that season. It was then sold to Graham Duxbury who raced it very successfully in 1981. Retained for the first few races of 1982 until Duxbury's new March 82A arrived and then sold to Ivan Moavero who used it for the rest of that season. Sold to Steve Herbst for 1983, but in August he swapped it for Roy Moss's March 792. Raced by Moss until the end of 1984. He then sold it to Terry Moss, who was unrelated, for the 1985 season, but Moss crashed the car at Kyalami in April, destroying the front of the monocoque. Moss built up a March 782 using parts salvaged from the 77B, but the tub was scrapped. The 77B effectively ceased to exist at this point.
- March 822 [82A-2] (Graham Duxbury): New for Graham Duxbury to drive in the South African Sigma Mazda series, entered by Hekro/Propart/BP. It was always known as a March 822 in South Africa, but it appears in March records as a March 82A. Retained for Duxbury for 1983, when it was entered by Brut/Boss Paving/BP. In early 1983, parts of the car were used by Ken Howes to build up a new March 832 for Duxbury. The rest of the car remained with Howes until late 1984 when it was acquired by Keith Horwood and rebuilt using parts from the ex-Fred Goddard March 822/802 that had been crashed by Derick Irving. This hybrid 82A/822/802 was raced for Horwood by Mike Needell in early 1985, and by Horwood later in the season. It was then acquired by Gavin Hards and exported from South Africa. It was acquired by Roy Woodhouse in the UK, who regarded it as the ex-Scheckter 822. He fitted it with a turbocharged 3.5-litre Rover engine and used it in Sprints in 1987 and 1988. It is believed that he wrecked the car in late 1988 or early 1989, as he returned to his older March 772/782 in 1989. In 2006, speed event specialist Steve Wilkinson reported that Richard Prosser was restoring Roy Woodhouse's "ex-Ian Scheckter 822".
- Haller Special 81 ['1'] (Peter Haller): Built for the 1981 season by Peter Haller, an engineer of German descent who worked at Herbert Krottenburger’s company Hekro. At the end of 1979, Hekro acquired a pair of Chevrons, Chevron B29 (29-75-15) from Sarel Pienaar and Chevron B34 (34-76-03) from Andrew Thompson, and Haller raced the B34 in 1980 while using components of the B29 to build a new car based on a new spaceframe chassis. The B29 corners were used on the new car. It first raced ay Kyalami in May 1981, and was raced by Haller for the rest of the season and the first part of 1982. Haller then moved back to the B34, then to the team's March 782 in the non-wing class. Haller returned to his self-built car for the 1984 season, running in the wing-car class, but crashed at Welkom in March and died from his injuries. The remaining Chevron B29 components and the original B29 tub were purchased from Haller's widow by Alan Macdonald and Mike Budd. The wrecked Haller spaceframe chassis was thrown away.
- March 77B [8] (Dave Charlton): New to Eddie Pinto and Team Gunston for Roy Klomfass to race in South African Formula Atlantic in 1977, using Swindon BDA engines. Retained by Team Gunston in 1978 for new driver Trevor van Rooyen. Retained again by Team Gunston for the 1978/79 season, when it was a spare car to Van Rooyen's new March 79B and was driven that season by Basil Van Rooyen at Kyalami in October 1978 (when Trevor was unwell), by Dave Charlton at Killarney later that month, and then by Trevor at two races. Later in 1979, it was raced twice by John Love. It was unused in 1980, then sold to Jeff Waberski after his DAW Supplies team's ex-Ian Scheckter March 78B was destroyed in a transporter fire. The 77B was fitted with a Mazda engine and raced by Bernard Tilanus for DAW Supplies from June 1981 onwards. It was raced by Dave Charlton for DAW around March/April 1982, then by Billy Maloney as a DAW entry later in 1982. Maloney crashed the car at some point, and acquired a March 782 to replace it in April 1983. The 77B was sold to Klaus Grogor's House of Sports Cars team for Grogor to drive in the 1983 season, and then retained by Grogor unused through 1984 and 1985. It was then sold to Gary Harrison who intended to convert it into a sports car for the 'Can-Am' series that absorbed Formula SA in 1986, but he only used in single seater form. The car was acquired by Dorino Treccani during the 1990s and sold to Andrew and Stuart Thompson in 2000.
- March 722 [11] (Wayne Lahner): New to Brett Lunger, and entered by Space Racing for him in F2 in 1972. Bob Sparshott's partner John 'Ace' Woodington was in charge of the F1 team, with ex-Surtees mechanic Roger Flynn. Lunger also raced the car in the Torneio do Brasil in October and November 1972. March records show that this car was sold to Guy Tunmer in December 1972, although press reports at the time said Tunmer had bought the ex-Ronnie Peterson car. Tunmer (Sandton, South Africa) had acquired the 722 for the new "F2" class of the South African national championship, and had it fitted with an 1800cc Cosworth FVC and raced it through 1973. The car was not seen in 1974, but is believed to have been kept as a spare to Tunmer's new Chevron. In 1975, it was sold to André Verwey (Johannesburg, South Africa) who planned to rebuild it with a BMW F2 engine and Hewland FG400 gearbox, but when Formula Atlantic was announced, he updated it with bright red 74B bodywork and a Nicholson BDA engine. Used in this form by Verwey in two races late 1975, and then into 1976. Sold back to the Tunmers in mid-1976 for Mervyn Tunmer to use, when it was reclothed in March 76B bodywork. Unused in 1977, but then sold to Andrew Thompson in 1978, converted to a Ford V6 engine for the new formula, and raced in that form by Bobby Scott in 1979. At this time it had mostly 77B bodywork but with a front radiator and 79B sidepods, and was sponsored by Rembrandt through its Kronenbräu 1308 Lager brand. After Rembrandt's withdrawal, it was sold to Mel Lahner's Rackrite team for 1980, and raced by Derek Ziman and John McNicol. It was rebuilt with a Mazda engine mid-season. Retained by Rackrite for 1981, when it was entered for McNicol, Ziman and Lahner, then raced by Bernard Tilanus for a few races before he left the team, then by his replacement Trevor van Rooyen, and finally McNicol took it over again. Both Tilanus and van Rooyen won races in it that season. It was retained again for 1982, when Lahner's son Wayne drove it, and by this time it was in standard March 77B bodywork, but with a 79B rear wing. It was retained by the Lahner family until 2004, when it was sold back to Andrew and Stuart Thompson.
- Wheatcroft R18 [002] (Steve Herbst): New for Wheatcroft Racing in June 1975, replacing chassis 001 which had been destroyed by Brian Henton while testing at Oulton Park in late May. Raced by Richard Morgan in British Formula Atlantic in Donington Park Collection livery. In August the car was converted to F2 spec and driven by Henton at the Silverstone F2 race, finishing third. Henton then drove it in Formula Atlantic for the rest of the season. Sold to Alex Blignaut for Nols Nieman to drive in the 1976 South African Formula Atlantic series as a spare car to his new chassis 003. Retained for 1977 and 1978, but apparently not raced over these two seasons. Sold to Steve Herbst in 1979, and converted to a Mazda engine for Formula SA. In early 1980, Herbst was involved in a collision with Peter Morrison in the sister R18. Herbst's car's tub was repaired by Mike Domingo, and Herbst continued to race it until mid-1982. In August 1982, it was sold to Trevor Trautmann, again for Formula SA, and in 1983 he had a new monocoque fabricated in South Africa for the car, the original tub apparently being discarded. He did not complete the rebuild and later sold the car's gearbox, suspension and uprights to Dorino Trocchani for a Tiga sports racing car project. The new tub and bodywork were sold off, but quickly located by Roger Pearce and sold to John Hatfield (Pinetown, Kwazulu-Natal), who owned the sister R18-003. Hatfield built up a car on the new tub using parts from both 002 and 003, but using the 002 chassis plate. The resulting car was exported to the UK some time between 1987 and 1993, and in 1996 it was purchased from a dealer in Cheshire by Paul Gardener of Bolton. He noted that it still had the 002 chassis plate. In 2004, Simon Hadfield collected the Wheatcroft from Gardener and delivered it to Mondello for Martin Birrane. It remained in Birrane's collection until about 2016.
- March 722 (Kent Dyson): Built up in March 74B specification by André Verwey (Johannesburg, South Africa) for Garry Ainscough (Bulawayo, Rhodesia) to race in the South African Formula Atlantic series in 1976. It has been suggested that it was built from a March 722, chassis 722/17, but evidence for this proving elusive, and it is possible that a tub number, such as AM72-17, has been misinterpreted. Ainscough raced the car again at the start of 1977, but it then disappeared again until 1980, when Alan Macdonald bought a March 722 from Tony Martin and updated it with a Mazda engine and wing-car sidepods for the Sigma Series. It was reported to be the "ex-Ainscough" March. Macdonald sold it to Dave Hart's Team Valvoline for 1981 after Hart lost his drive in the Hekro March 802. Kent Dyson bought it from Hart for the last race of the 1981 season and retained it for 1982, intending to update it to 77B specification. Ian Hebblethwaite then reports that it went to Keith Horwood for Michael Bryan in 1985, and then to Lew Baker who was the last to race it. In about 1988, it was sold via Brian Raubenheimer in South Africa to David McLaughlin in England. Its history after 1988 is still to be resolved.
- March 76B [19] (Ivano Moavero): Sold to Dave Charlton in July 1976 for to drive for the Scribante team in South African Formula Atlantic, sponsored by United Tobacco through its Lucky Strike brand. The March replaced Charlton's existing Modus M3, debuting at the Rand Winter Trophy in August 1976 Charlton raced the March again in 1977, and at the start of 1978, at which point Lucky Strike withdrew Charlton's sponsorship, moving it to Tony Martin. The March 76B reverted to Alex Blignaut, who retained United Tobacco sponsorship through the Benson & Hedges brand. The 76B was kept as a spare car to the March 77B he ran for Nols Neiman until the end of the short 1978 season, when the engine and gearbox were sold to Andrew Thompson. The 76B was retained by Blignaut's team in 1979 but not used that season. It was then sold to the Domingo brothers (who also owned a bitza 76B built using a spare 76B monocoque) and fitted with a Mazda engine for Roy Klomfass to race in Formula South Africa in 1980. After Klomfass turned down the drive, Domingo drove it instead. The car was driven Dave Charlton at Kyalami in August 1980 as Domingo was observing Ramadan, but failed to start after being injured in practice for the saloon car race. Domingo continued to drive the car until early 1981, when it was sold to Ivano Moavero and raced by him in 1981 and part of 1982. Then in mid-1982, Moavero bought the highly-developed ex-Duxbury 77B, and sold the 76B to Michele ('Mike') Peters who raced it through to July 1985. Peters sold the car to Terry Moss, to replace the 77B that Moss had wrecked. However, instead of racing the 76B, Moss stripped the car and used its components to build up a March 782. The 76B tub was put aside until 2010, when it was acquired from a friend of Moss by Bernard Tilanus. The tub number showed that it was the original monocoque from 76B/19, so it was reunited with its original chassis plate (which had been kept by Brian Raubenheimer) and fully rebuilt. It was later sold by Tilanus to the Scribante family. In early 2022, the Scribante family sold the 76B and their March 782 to Mark Charteris in the UK. He kept the 782 but sold the 76B to Paul Nightingale in Derbyshire.
- Chevron B34 [34-76-08] (Mike Needell): New to Basil van Rooyen for the South African Formula Atlantic series, sponsored by Wrangler Jeans. Van Rooyen significantly modified the car during the season, with a March nose and side radiators. Retained for 1977, again with Wrangler Jeans sponsorship. Van Rooyen recalls that he sold the car to Tony Martin, and it was at some point during this time that the car was raced by Desiré Wilson in the first few races of the 1978 series. It was raced by Tony Martin at some races in 1979 as an alternative to his unsatisfactory B45, but Bernard Tilanus recalls that "the tub was damaged when Tony fell asleep and went off the road writing the trailer and car off". Tilanus explained that Martin bought a replacement tub from Chevron and built a standard B34. It was entered for some late-1980 races as a spare car for Martin, and retained in early 1981 as a spare to Martin's new Maurer MM80. The B34 was then sold to Roley Nöffke, who raced it in 1981. At the end of the season, Mike Needell took over the drive, still entered by Nöffke's Roray Racing, and he drove it through the 1982 season. Tilanus reports that it later went to Keith Horwood. Tilanus then bought the car and sold it to Mike Fergusson, but the restoration was still incomplete when Fergusson died. It was then bought by Colin Frost, who took it to Andrew Thompson to complete the restoration.
- Donnelly JD201 ['1'] (Piet de Klerk): The Donnelly JD201 was built for Formula Atlantic in South Africa by ex-Brabham engineer John Donnelly during 1977 when he was based in Durban, in conjunction with building the JD1 for Formula Ford. The Formula Atlantic car had a stainless steel monocoque with Modus suspension and wedge bodywork inspired by Formula Ford practice. It was first raced by Clive Cooke at Kyalami in February 1978 and proved competitive, with Cooke achieving three good finishes that season. The Donnelly was entered by Team Donnelly Racing for local driver Len Booysen to drive in early 1979, but any firm details of it actually racing are elusive. It was acquired by Piet Fouche's Pretoria Brick team, fitted with a Mazda engine for the new Formula South Africa, and entered for Formula Ford star André du Plessis towards the end of the 1980 season. Du Plessis then drove the car in 1981 alongside brother Jan du Plessis in the team's March 792. By May 1982 the Donnelly had been sold to Lew Baker, who entered it for Piet de Klerk to drive, then for himself, and then for Mike Bucknall. The Donnelly was then stripped so its Modus running gear could be used on a Tiga sports cars that had previously used Maurer MM83 running gear. The Tiga passed to Dorino Trocchani, and the Donnelly monocoque was thrown away by Baker in 1985.
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.
The Formula South Africa race results from 1979 to 1986 have been compiled by Allen Brown and Ian Hebblethwaite using many official results sheets from Ian's archive, as well as race reports in Autosport and Motoring News until their reports stopped in 1979, and then in the Rand Daily Mail and other South African publications. Adri Bezuidenhout's 'Wheels' yearbook, which listed the surnames of the top six finishers at each race but gave no other details, has been useful for races at Aldo Scribante and Goldfields Raceway where it has proved more difficult to find information. Articles in Formula South Africa race programmes have also proved very useful. Please help us complete that collection of scans.
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
Entry list contributed by Ian Hebblethwaite. Rand Daily Mail 20 Apr 1982 p10 preview and Rand Daily Mail 26 Apr 1982 p2 report.