Aberdeen & District MC Hill Climb

Fintray, 30 Jun 1974

Notes on the cars:

1. Lotus 69 [71/69.1] (John Barr): Number given in Lotus build record for the car sold to Chris Oates (Kimberley, Notts) for 1971 (an unusual number since it does not include a formula code, and this is not the same car as 71/69.1.FB which was sold in North America). Entered by Alida Else Racing Team for Oates in Formula Atlantic and libre racing in 1971. To Bernard Hunter (Edinburgh, Scotland) for libre and sprints in Scotland in 1972. To John Barr (Edinburgh, Scotland) and used in libre, sprints and hillclimbs in 1973 and 1974. To Bob Rollo (Prestonpans, Scotland) for libre racing in 1975 and 1976.
2. McLaren "M10H" [400-06 (B)] (Bob Leckie): Keith Holland's replacement car. Used in the 1971 British F5000 series during which time it was modified along the lines of McRae's successful car. Retained for 1972 but crashed at Brands in April, after which the car was even further modified and dubbed "M10H". By July 1972, it had side radiators, a wedge nose and had been lengthened by 3½in. Sold to Clive Baker August 1972 and raced in the British series in 1972 and 1973. Then via Chris Oates to Spencer Elton (Westbury, Wilts) late 1973 and advertised. To Stephen Cuff (also Westbury, Wilts) late 1973 and advertised with a 5.7-litre Chev Jan to Apr 1974. To Bob Leckie (Aberdeen) for libre racing that summer. Advertised by Leckie in July 1974 but not seen again. Spencer Elton recalls that Leckie converted the M10B to a Skoda Super Saloon. Subsequent history unknown.
3. GRD 273 [051-F2] (Doug Thomson): New to Tom Wheatcroft for driver Roger Williamson in F2 in 1973, and used as a T-car at the opening race. The two cars travelled in Wheatcroft's transporter, but at the start of the season were looked after by GRS International chief mechanic Alistair Dimmock. By June, the cars were run by the team's own mechanics, Rick Olivant, formerly with Surtees, and Trevor Foster from Gerard Racing. If it is correct that chassis 052 was destroyed in Williamson's accident in practice at Nivelles-Baulers, then 051 was the team's unused spare after Wheatcroft bought a new March 732. To Doug Thomson for 1974, and fitted with a Ford BDA for Formula Atlantic and hillclimbs. Badly damaged when crashed in practice at Oulton Park in October 1974, and Thomson recalls that the tub was a write off. He acquired a new tub from GRD over the winter and rebuilt the car. It was then sold early in 1975 as a rolling chassis to dealer Mike Gue, who Doug believes sold the car to someone in South Africa. It appears however, that the car went to North America, where it was next seen being raced by Russell Thomson (Vancouver, BC, Canada) in the ICSCC's Formula B class in 1979. It then passed to Graeme Hutton (Vancouver, BC) who raced it in one late-season 1979 event and at least once in 1980, again in ICSCC Formula B. Bought from Hutton in 1990 by Robert Morris (Seattle, WA) and stored at his workshop since then.
4. Chevron B17 [17.70.08] (Alan Thomson): New to Ken Sedgley and raced in British F3 and libre racing in 1970, using Holbay engines. Retained for 1971 and converted to the new 1600cc F3, again with Holbay engines, but rarely seen. Sold to John Finch (Chesterfield) in July 1971 and used in F3 for the rest of the season. Updated to B17c specification and retained by Finch for 1972, now sharing with Graham Lynch, but did not actually race very often. Converted to Formula Atlantic specification for 1973 but used with more success in Formule Libre. Sold to Alan Thomson (Edinburgh, Scotland) in early 1974, still with its Holbay twin cam engine, and used in Scottish and northern English sprints and hillclimbs, winning the Scottish Hillclimb championship in 1975 and 1976. It was then sold to Russell Paterson (Glasgow, Scotland) for hillclimbs and sprints in Scotland in 1977 and then in libre races at Croft and Ingliston in 1978. It is reported to have been wrecked at some point. Later via dealer Bobby Howlings (Alderley Edge, Cheshire) to "M Wakefield-Brand" in 1978, then to David Pullen (Guildford, Surrey) in 1991. Raced by Pullen in HSCC Classic Racing Car Championship events in 2004. The car was made available by Pullen for a test by Alexander Sims in Autosport in February 2011. Later owner Jonathan Sharp reports that Pullen "sold the car to a lady for somebody to drive it at which time it was in a very poor state". Its next owner was John Pearson who "did one race at Brands Hatch before deciding single seaters weren't for him", and he sold it to Jim Blockley (Stroud, Gloucestershire) in 2015. Raced by Blockley in HSCC racing until sold by him to Jonathan Sharp (Alderley Edge, Cheshire) in September 2021 to use in the HSCC Historic F3 series plus selected events in Europe.

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.

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

AS 11 Jul 1974 p58