European Hill Climb Championship Round

Freiburg-Schauinsland, 6 Aug 1972

Notes on the cars:

1. March 722 [16] (Xavier Perrot): New to Xavier Perrot (Zürich, Switzerland), and raced in European hillclimbs, F2 events, and both Swiss and German national events in 1972. He won major events in this car at Ampus, Dobratsch, Mont Ventoux, Freiburg-Schauinsland and St Ursanne-Les Rangiers. The car reappeared at the Jim Clark Memorial Trophäe at Hockenheim in April 1973 where it was driven by entered by Formel Rennsport Club Schweiz for Paul Keller (Trasadingen, Schaffhausen, Switzerland) to drive, but was reported to be owned by Freddy Link. Keller crashed it at the Nürburgring three weeks later, but it was back out for Jean-Claude Favre to drive at Payerne in May and in other events later in the season. Subsequent history unknown, but an "ex-Perrot" with "722-16" chassis plate was advertised in 2003. It should be noted that Bob Lazier's Formula B March 722 had the number "722-16" noted in its original SCCA logbook, so the association of Lazier's car with this chassis number is entirely genuine - even if the reason for the duplicated number is not yet understood.
2. GRD 272 [014-F2] (Roland Salomon): New to Roland Salomon (Riedbach, Switzerland) and fitted with a 1800cc Cosworth BDE engine for F2 in 1972. Retained for the early months of 1973, until Salomon bought a March 732 in June 1973. After a year away from racing after the end of the 1974 season, Salomon returned to racing in 1976 using the pseudonym "Ruby". At the first event of the season, at Dijon-Prenois, he won the 1600cc class in GRD, and it seems likely that this was his old car from 1972. He then acquired a Modus M3, and the GRD was sold to André Hängärtner (Bienne, Switzerland). He kept it until 1988, when it was sold to Jacques Joliat (Boncourt, Switzerland), who ran it in the French Savigny-lès-Beaune hillclimb in 1990 or 1992. He has continued to race the immaculately presented car in hillclimbs ever since.
3. Sauber C2 ['71.C02.001'] (Paul Keller): Paul Keller's 1972 Sauber C2 has been indentified by Roman Krejci as chassis 001, used by Sauber himself in 1971, Keller in 1972, Hadorn in 1973 and Cescato in 1974. One other C2 was built, chassis 002, used by Kühnis in 1971, Kox in 1973/74 and Zoia from 1975 to 1978.
4. Brabham BT36 [11?] (Hans Obrist): New in July 1971 to Silvio Moser to replace his BT30. According to Moser's former mechanic, the car was "probably" sold to Hans Obrist at the ends of 1971 or early 1972 so would be the BT36 used by Hans Obrist (Schinznach, Switzerland) in Swiss national events in 1972. Last known when run by Obrist at the Lorentzweiler hillclimb in Luxembourg in April 1973. Then unknown from 1973 to 1977 but likely to be one of the as-yet unidentified Brabhams running in European hillclimbs. This is probably the car run in French hillclimbs by Michel Salvi (Malbuisson, France, very close to the Swiss border) in 1977, when it still had its 1600cc Cosworth FVA engine. Sold by Salvi in 1978 to Jacky Dalloz (Champagnole, France, not far from Malbuisson) and again used in French hillclimbs. Dalloz is believed to have crashed the Brabham some time around 1980, damaging the front of the car. The next owners were J Plante (Carcassonne, France, in the south of the country), then Alain Filhol (France) 1988 who had it restored by Simon Hadfield. Then to Ermanno Ronchi (Italy) 1992. It failed to sell at a Brooks auction in 2000 and next emerged with Andy Newall (UK) in 2003, having been rebuilt with a new Sid Hoole chassis, the original being retained. Sold to James Murray 2003 and rebuilt with the original chassis in 2006, the new chassis then being sold to Cornwall for a rebuild of a BT35. The BT36 was sold to Josef 'Sepp' Mayer (Heitersheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) 2008. To Luciano Arnold (Zurich, Switzerland) 2011.
5. March 723 (Willi Sommer): Willi Sommer (Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany) raced a March 723 in German and European F3 in 1972. It was sometimes described as an Eifelland, but more generally as a March, and was entered by Reifag Racing Team, Darmstadt. Sommer did not race in the early part of 1973, but raced the 723 at Hockenheim in July 1973. He was entered for two British races but did not appear, and then went to a race at Zolder on 26 August where he was not allowed to practice as his Wagenpass was out of date. He drove from Zolder to a hillclimb at Bendorf, but officials there found that his Wagenpass had been altered, and his licence was suspended until March 1975. The subsequent history of the March is unknown.
6. Chevron B17 [17.70.05?] (Maximillian Plass): New to Jürg Dubler (Oberhasli, Switzerland) and raced in European F3 in 1970 using Novamotor engines, and winning at Montjuich Park, Brno and Zandvoort. Bought from Dubler by Austrian sportscar driver Klaus Reisch in 1971 for the new 1600cc F3, using a Wainer-built Alfa Romeo engine, and run by Auto Ascher. Then likely to be the Chevron B17-Alfa raced by Maximillian Plass (Munich, Germany) in F3 in 1972. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Surtees TS8 [005] (Hervé Bayard): Built for 1971 season. Team Surtees (UK) 1971: raced by Mike Hailwood (won on debut; F1 Register also identify this as Hailwood's 1972 Tasman car - Herve Bayard (Belgium) 1972 with works spare car: raced in early UK F5000 races only; used in European Hill Climb Championship and converted one car to Cosworth DFV engine after opening round (finished second overall in championship). Bayard practiced 05 with a DFV at the Rothmans 50,000 on 28 August 1972 but was far too slow to qualify. Subsequent history unknown but possibly the Robin Darlington car in 1973. May have been owned by Alex Seldon at some point. Next seen when acquired by John Foulston in 1989. After Foulston's death, the TS8 passed to Noel Butler 1998. Appeared at Silverstone July 1998. Bought at auction by Robin Darlington 1999. To Mike Wrigley (Ashbourne, Derbyshire) 2002 and then sold to Dr John Monson (Hull) in 2004. Raced by Monson in the HSCC's Derek Bell Trophy (DBT) events in 2005 and 2006. To Stephen Gibson Mar 2007 and raced in DBT in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The car returned to the DBT in 2014 when owned by Chris Atkinson.
8. Abarth 2000 S (SE010) (Heinz Wengert): Heinz Wengert of Kostanz in Germany drove a 2-litre Group 5 Abarth in German national events from 1970 or earlier to at least 1973. A photograph of Friedrich at Trento-Bondone in 1971 posted on motorforum.it shows that he had a standard-bodied SE010 and in the absence of further evidence, it is assumed for now that he drove the same car in all four seasons.
9. Chevron B19 (Arthur Blank): Arthur Blank (Zurich, CH) had a Chevron B16 in 1970 which he is said to have crashed at some point during 1970. A new frame was built locally and clothed as a B19, using surviving components from the B16. This car was raced during 1971 with an Opel engine and Steinmetz-Automobiltechnik support. According to euromontagna.com, Blank drove a B19 at Swiss championship events throughout 1972 and then a B21 at two Swiss events in 1973 which may well be the same car.
10. Tecno 68/F2 ["T00 400"] (Alfred "Freddy" Amweg): Swiss driver Max Büsch (Zürich) had a Tecno for 1968 which was described by Automobil Revue in May 1968 as being brand new. The engine was described as a 215 bhp Cosworth and judging by his impressive speed in the car, that must mean a F2 Cosworth FVA. The car was driven by Günther Huber (Vienna), also under the banner of BB Racing Team, twice in F2 events in 1969. At the second of these races, Motoring News gave its chassis number as 'T00 400' but that number appears much too late for a 1968 car. Sold by Büsch to Hans Obrist for 1970 but he only appeared rarely. Then to Freddy Amweg (Ammerswil) for 1971 and used in Swiss and German national events. Continued running in 1600cc Group 9 in Swiss and German events in 1972, after which Amweg acquired a Brabham BT38. Subsequent history unknown. .
11. Chevron B19 [71-16] (Hans Affentranger): Jo Siffert for Gerard Larrousse 1971 - Hans Affentranger 1972-1977 - to Dieter Pflüger 1978 - Peter-Paul Dürig 1983 - Richard and Suzy George 2000. For a more detailed history see Chevron B19 71-16.
12. GRD 372 [013-F3] (Jo Vonlanthen): New to Jo Vonlanthen (Frauenfeld, Switzerland) and raced in F3 across Europe during 1972, mainly using Novamotor's Ford twin cam engines. Also loaned to his friend Kurt Müller (Weisfelden, Switzerland) who raced it in Swiss and German national events in 1972. He acquired a Formula 2 GRD 273 for 1973 and although he entered the 372 for the Nürburgring F3 race on 1 April 1973, did not appear. Vonlanthen did appear once more in a F3 GRD, at Hockenehim on 15 July, presumably in his 372 again. The car was then sold to Bretscher Racing for 1973 and raced by Walter P. Fluckiger (Zofingen, Switzerland) in Swiss national events, including several German F3 races that season. It is assumed that this was the car raced by Vonlanthen in the German national race at Hockenehim on 15 July 1973. It was raced by Kurt Müller again in Swiss events in the early part of the 1974 season, his class suggesting that he was using a 1600cc engine at first. Raced by him in Germany later in 1974, using a 2-litre Novamotor Toyota engine. Chris Townsend believes this car probably went to Urs Freidli, and then to Daniel Costelli in 1978.
13. Brabham BT36 [4] (Roland Binder): New to Rolf Stommelen as part of the Eifelland Wohnwagenbau (Caravaning) team for F2 in 1971. To Roland Binder (Esslingen, Germany) in F2 and hillclimbs in 1973. Later to Wittwer Racing, when the car had been modified with strange March bodywork, and sold to Ruedi Jauslin, then to dealer Fridolin Hämmerli. Then sold to Hansmarkus Huber who bought new Brabham bodywork from Peter Denty Racing; then sold to Albert Eggs, and sold by him to 'someone from Zurich'. Subsequent history unknown. A car with this number seen in 2003 with Sid Hoole and then in 2005 with Joseph (Sepp) Meyer.
14. Brabham BT35 (Philipp Gantner): Jörg Obermoser (Bruchsal, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) drove a Brabham BT35 in German F3 events in late 1971, using BMW engines. Obermoser Getriebe-Motoren (Bruchsal) then entered a BT35 for Obermoser and for Philipp Gantner (Bad Schönborn, Baden-Württemberg) in 1972. Subsequent history unknown.

Sources

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' original 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

Autocourse 1972/73 p194, Autosprint 7-21 Aug 1972 p31, ONS Mitteilungen Dec 1972 pp59-60. Autosprint and Autocourse both give the top 10 but have different results. These results are from Autocourse but the Autosprint results differ by having 7th instead of 8th on 10m 57.37s and Kerni 9th in an Alpine on 11m 9.86s instead of Obrist.