Macau Grand Prix

Macau, 16 Nov 1980

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Pac unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT1/75 [9] (Geoff Lees): New to Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing Team and fitted with a Hart 420R for Vern Schuppan to race at the JAF Grand Prix in November 1975. Then converted to Formula Atlantic specification for the Macau Grand Prix but vital parts did not arrive in time for Schuppan to use it. It was next raced at the Macau GP a year later, when Schuppan won the race. Yip himself drove it at the Malaysia Grand Prix meeting in April 1977, but did not start the race. It was then driven by Alan Jones at Macau in November 1977 but he retired. After that, it sat idle for nearly two years until it was taken to Ireland for the Phoenix Park Formula Atlantic race in September 1979, where it won in the hands of David Kennedy. It then returned to Macau for the 1979 race, when Geoff Lees took over the drive and won. Lees took the Ralt to its third Macau GP victory in 1980, in only its sixth known race start. It was then sold to Richard Hawkins, who drove it in the British Formula Atlantic championship in 1981. He sold it to dealer Roger Cowman who ran it for Vivian Candy at Phoenix Park in August and at Mondello Park in September. It stayed in Ireland and in late 1983 was sold by Jim Flynn to Tony Skinner.
2. Ralt RT1/77 [88] (Steve Millen): New to Brian Robertson's Ralt America as a late-season car for the CASC Formula Atlantic series, probably intended for Eddie Cheever to drive at Trois Rivieres, but he did not appear. To Larry Bergman (Los Gatos, CA) for SCCA Formula B in California. Bergman retained the car for 1979, winning the Northern Pacific Division Formula Atlantic title but also competing in most rounds of the North American Formula Atlantic series. Then to Steve Millen in New Zealand, and raced in the Aurora AFX New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1980, then in the 1980/81 season. To Eric Morgan for the 1981/82, 1982/83 and 1983/84 seasons. [CT]
3. March 722/76B [722-40] (Vern Schuppan): New to Australian Vern Schuppan to drive in the British Formula Atlantic championship. Fitted with a BRM Ford twin cam engine, and first seen in practice at Mallory Park in late March, but Schuppan left before the race to catch a flight to the Singapore GP. Schuppan finished second in Singapore, and third in the Malaysian GP a week later. Then returned to the British series, now with a BDA, and won four rounds. The car was then fitted with Falconer bodywork and an Amon-Woods engine rebuilt by Geoff Richardson, and raced in the Rothmans 50,000 and in two late-season F2 races. After a single F2 race in 1973 fitted with a Richardon BDG, the car went to Southeast Asia, winning the Singapore GP with a Ford twin cam fitted, then competed in the JAF Grand Prix at Fuji with the BDG, and back to the 'twink' for Macau. He raced the car in British Formula Atlantic briefly in early 1974, then sent it back to Asia where he won the Macau GP in November, by which time it had been fitted with 732 bodywork and a Lola T360 rear wing. It then became a fixture at Macau up to 1977, being driven by Alan Jones and Derek Daly. Patrick Tambay also raced for Theodore Racing in the Malaysian and Penang Grands Prix in 1977, where it was still in 732 form but was billed as a 752. It reappeared at Macau for Schuppan in 1979, now in 76B bodywork. After one more race in the hands of Roberto Moreno, the car was retained by Yip and placed in the Macau Grand Prix Museum.
4. Ralt RT1/77 [72?] (Desiré Wilson): New to Graham Eden Racing for Tony Rouff to race in the ShellSPORT Group 8 Championship in 1977, using Ford BDG engines and sponsored by Harrisons of Birmingham. Rouff won in this car at Thruxton in June. Retained by Eden for 1978, and raced by Mike Wilds in what was then the Aurora AFX British F1 Championship. Sold to Ian Briggs (Reading/Farnham) and fitted with a Swindon BDA for the British Formula Atlantic series in 1979 and 1980. Believed to be the car borrowed by Theodore Racing for Desiré Wilson to drive at Macau at the end of that season. This may have been one of the two Ralt RT1s advertised by Theodore Racing via Jack Kallay (Litchfield) in January 1981. One of these was said to be Geoff Lees, Macau GP winner (so RT1-9) so the other could be eitehr Desire Wilson's or Kevin Cogan's from Macau. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Chevron B39/B40 (Albert Poon): LC Kwan (Hong Kong), owner of the Equipe 66 garage, bought a Chevron B39 in late 1977 from Fred Opert for Albert Poon (Hong Kong) to drive in Formula Pacific in Southeast Asia. The car was in the UK, not the US, for reasons still to be determined, and before it was shipped to Asia, it was borrowed by Ardmore Racing for Divina Galica to race in the Donington Park F2 event in October 1977, using a Swindon BDX engine. It was described as a brand new B40, and had been fitted with a set of Ardmore's blue, white and red bodywork to which Olympus signwriting had been applied. It was then shipped to Hong Kong in time for the Macau Grand Prix a month later. Although Poon entered his car as a B40, an article in the Malaysia Grand Prix race programme in May 1978 described the car as a "new car which he has just bought in the US". Also raced by Kevin Bartlett at Macau in 1978 and by Andrew Miedecke at Macau in 1979. Then raced by Poon at Macau in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Retained by Kwan in Hong Kong until 1989 when it was sold to Gordon Norris and returned to the UK. Sold in 2022 to Bruce Balchin (Southampton).
6. Ralt RT1/75 [5] (Sonny Rajah): New to John Macdonald (Hong Kong) and delivered with a Cosworth BDM engine. Macdonald and his mechanic Angus Lamont built their own Ford twin cam engines and Macdonald raced it in Southeast Asian 1600cc 2-valve category racing in 1975, when he won the Penang, Selangor and Macau Grands Prix. Retained for 1976 when 4-valve engines were allowed, so Macdonald bought two new Cosworth FVA engines, built by Cosworth on FVC blocks. With these engines, he won the Selangor and Indonesia Grands Prix in 1976. He ran it again in 1977, and it was also raced by Vern Schuppan at Macau that year. Macdonald then refitted with BDM engine and sold the Ralt to Peter Marshall, who raced it in Formula Pacific in 1978 and 1979, latterly with a Cosworth BDD. It was still in Marshall's ownership when raced by Sonny Rajah in 1980 and 1981. The car was then stored at Rajah's father's house in Kuala Lumpur until 1990, when Marshall retrieved the car and had it shipped to Sydney, Australia. The following year it was taken to Ralt importer Graham Watson to be rebuilt to original specification. It was sold in early 1999 to Peter Mohr (Sydney, Australia) who took it with him to the US when he moved there, and raced it in US historic racing in 2000 and 2001. It was then sold to Dennis D'Angelo and remained with him until 2006. It was then bought by Don Sandy and Art Hebert and raced on the west coast in 2006. In 2012, it was acquired by Harindra de Silva and raced by Timothy de Silva (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) in west coast historic events. Sold in 2021 to Éric Verdin (Mill Valley, CA), who has continued to race it in historic events.
7. Ralt RT1/78 [146] (Bob Earl): A white Ralt RT1/78 invoiced to Ralt importer Brian Robertson in early December 1978. To Bob Earl (Novato, CA) and raced at a SCCA National at Riverside in February 1979, where it was described as new. However, when Earl raced it at Long Beach in April, it was called "ex-Cogan". Raced by Earl in the 1979 North American series, sponsored by National Treaty Services and entered by NTS Racing. Raced by Earl at Macau in November 1979. Retained for the 1980 North American series, when it was entered by Earl Motor Racing, and again raced at Macau as part of the Flying Tigers Racing Team. Towards the end of 1980, it was again described as a ex-Cogan. Sold to Andy Mahood (Vancouver, BC) and raced in ICSCC and SCCA events in 1981 and 1982. Sold to Martin Pang (Seattle, WA) and raced in WCAR events in 1984, 1985 and 1986. [CT]
8. Chevron B40 (Kiyoshi Misaki): Masao Segawa raced a Chevron B40 at the JAF Suzuka Grand Prix at the beginning of November 1978, using a BMW engine. Raced by Segawa through the 1979 Japanese F2 season. Then to Kiyoshi Misaki and rebuilt for Formula Pacific with a Toyota engine. Misaki only appeared three times in the Japanese series, but then raced the car in the Macau and Selangor Grands Prix in November. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Ralt RT1/75 [5] (Peter Marshall): New to John Macdonald (Hong Kong) and delivered with a Cosworth BDM engine. Macdonald and his mechanic Angus Lamont built their own Ford twin cam engines and Macdonald raced it in Southeast Asian 1600cc 2-valve category racing in 1975, when he won the Penang, Selangor and Macau Grands Prix. Retained for 1976 when 4-valve engines were allowed, so Macdonald bought two new Cosworth FVA engines, built by Cosworth on FVC blocks. With these engines, he won the Selangor and Indonesia Grands Prix in 1976. He ran it again in 1977, and it was also raced by Vern Schuppan at Macau that year. Macdonald then refitted with BDM engine and sold the Ralt to Peter Marshall, who raced it in Formula Pacific in 1978 and 1979, latterly with a Cosworth BDD. It was still in Marshall's ownership when raced by Sonny Rajah in 1980 and 1981. The car was then stored at Rajah's father's house in Kuala Lumpur until 1990, when Marshall retrieved the car and had it shipped to Sydney, Australia. The following year it was taken to Ralt importer Graham Watson to be rebuilt to original specification. It was sold in early 1999 to Peter Mohr (Sydney, Australia) who took it with him to the US when he moved there, and raced it in US historic racing in 2000 and 2001. It was then sold to Dennis D'Angelo and remained with him until 2006. It was then bought by Don Sandy and Art Hebert and raced on the west coast in 2006. In 2012, it was acquired by Harindra de Silva and raced by Timothy de Silva (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) in west coast historic events. Sold in 2021 to Éric Verdin (Mill Valley, CA), who has continued to race it in historic events.

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 results of the Formula Pacific races in South East Asian at Macau, Penang, Selangor and Shah Alam were originally provided by Chris Townsend based on the short reports in Autosport and Motoring News plus the information supplied by a wide range of contributors. These have been developed further by Andrew Horrox using material in New Zealand Motoraction. For the Macau Grand Prix, further data comes from Philip Newsome's book 'Color and Noise: 40 Years of the Macau Grand Prix' (Studio Publications Ltd, 1993).

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

'Colour and Noise: 40 Years of the Macau Grand Prix' (Philip Newsome, Studio Publications Limited, 1993).