John Player Formula 3 International Championship

Oulton Park, 20 Apr 1973

All cars are 1.6-litre F3 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 733 [3] (Russell Wood): New to Russell Wood and run for him in the British F3 series by Peter Bloore Racing with backing from The Chequered Flag. Wood won three early round of the championship but had a heavy accident at Zandvoort in May and did not win again. Sold to Australian Ian Douglass for 1974 and rebuilt for Australian F2, using various 742 bits. The car was involved in a fire during private testing at Oran Park after the Lakeside race in December 1974 and was completely burnt to the ground.
2. March 733 [13] (Leonel Friedrich): New to Brazilian driver Leonel Friedrich (Porto Alegre, Brazil) and run for him by Peter Bloore Racing in the 1973 British Formula 3 season. Friedrich had not sat in a single-seater racing car before, but was the 1972 1600cc class Brazilian Touring Car Champion. For a novice, he was impressively quick straight away, eighth fastest in practice at his first race, and finishing second four times in his first dozen F3 races. His March was fitted with Holbay engines except for a brief mid-season flirtation with Novamotors. The car was then hired to another young Brazilian Alex Dias Ribeiro, and run for him by Angeleri March Racing Brazil in two races at the very end of the season. Subsequent history unknown.
3. Merlyn Mk 22 [440/F3/73] (Håkan Dahlqvist): New to Håkan Dahlqvist for British and European F3 in 1973, and described as a "Mk 22". Dahlqvist won the Swedish F3 title in this car. Retained by Dahlqvist for Swedish F3 in 1974, when it was also driven at one race by Matts Nygren. To Lars-Åke Olsson for Swedish F3 in 1975. To Thomas Gunnarsson for Swedish F3 in 1976. To Thorbjörn Bäck for Swedish F3 in 1977. Subsequent history unknown, but in about 1987 or 1988, Richard Parkin located the car in Sweden and brought it back to England. He sold it to Anthony Taylor about a year later, and Taylor restored it to Formula B specification, using it briefly in HSCC historic racing. Taylor's understanding was that it was Dahlqvist's Swedish F3 championship winning car. The car was later sold via Chris Alford about 1994 or 1995. Richard Taylor, Anthony's son, recalls that it might have gone to Canada.
4. Royale RP11A [6] (Val Musetti): New factory car for Tom Pryce to drive, replacing the one wrecked at the 1972 Monaco GP F3 race. To Reystan Racing for 1973 for Andy Sutcliffe to drive, but Sutcliffe left the team in April, and his seat was taken over by Val Musetti, who had written off his own RP11 in testing. Raced by Musetti through to the end of the season. Converted to Formula Atlantic specification for 1974 and raced by Musetti in the British championship up to May. Sold later in the year to Mike Franey and raced in libre racing. Raced by Franey in a couple of British Formula Atlantic races in 1975. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Brabham BT41 [16] (Randy Lewis): New to Randy Lewis in 1973.
6. GRD 372 [021-F3] (Pedro Passadore): Entered by GRS International for Pierre-François Rousselot and raced extensively in British F3 in 1972, using Novamotor and later Holbay engines, and sponsored by Gitanes. Raced by Neil Ginn at one early-1973 race, then entered by DART Racing with GRD for Pedro Passadore, who raced it in Britain from April to June 1973, when he moved to a newer GRD 373. The subsequent history of the 372 is unknown.
7. GRD 372 [035-F3] (Tony Brise): New to Tony Brise and raced in British F3 from late August 1972, using Holbay engines and sponsored by Montesa Motorcycles. Retained as a spare car by Brise in early 1973 and raced a few times in preference to his new 373, entered by Team Kent Messenger Racing. After the Monaco GP, Brise bought a March 733 and both his GRDs were retired. Tony's 372 would be the GRD 372 raced by his father John Brise in a libre race at Snetterton in September 1973. This must be the "Tony Brise's 372 GRD-Holbay" that was "rebuilt "after recent shunt" advertised from Swanley in Kent in November 1973. It must also be the GRD 372 "as raced by Tony Brise" advertised by Tony Brise (Swanley, Kent) in February 1974. It was next seen when raced by Gavin Hooper in Formula 4 in April 1974, when it was described as "ex-Tony Brise". It won that first race, at Llandow, but was not seen often after that. It was advertised in December 1974 saying that it was built "last winter" as the Low Cost Racing works F4 car. Raced by Ronnie and Dave Griffiths in F4 in 1975 and 1976. To Keith Hatton for F4 in 1977. However, when Dave Anderson had the "ex-Keith Hatton" GRD 372 in 1978, it was said to be ex-Tim, not ex-Tony. Subsequent history unknown.
8. GRD 372 [032-F3] (Larry Perkins): Entered by GRS International for Keiichi Tahara at two races in June and July 1972. To Team Cowangie for Larry Perkins to drive in British and French F3 in 1973 but although the car was identified as chassis 032, it was once referred to as "ex-Jones" [his own chassis 033-F3 or the ex-Sutcliffe GRS car] and also once as ex-Rousselot [the GRS chassis 021]. Jones had retained 033 for the start of 1973 and the ex-Rousselot 021-F3 was driven in 1973 by Pedro Passadore, so neither are likely. Perkins badly damaged the car in practice at Paul Ricard on 1 July 1973. When he returned to racing, he first borrowed the works Ensign and then acquired a Brabham BT41, indicating that the GRD was not repaired.
9. GRD 372 [022-F3] (Neil Ginn): Entered by GRS International for Scottish Formula Ford champion Neil Ginn and raced extensively in British F3 in 1972, using Novamotor engines. It was sponsored by Lyle & Scott's 'Y-front' underwear range. Retained for Ginn for 1973. The car had to be rebuilt on a borrowed tub after his accident in practice at Oulton Park on Good Friday. Ginn's last race was at Oulton Park at the end of May. In January 1974, Ginn advertised his "1973 GRD model" which came with "brand new tub and new bodywork" as well as a Novamotor engine and Hewland Mk 8 gearbox.
10. Brabham BT41 [11] (Johnny Gerber): Initially a Motor Racing Developments entry for Tony Trimmer in 1973, then becoming an Ippokampos Racing entry for Johnny Gerber until August 1973. Not seen again.
11. Royale RP11 [3] (John Sheldon): New to The Chequered Flag for Ian Ashley in British F3 in 1972. The team were a frequent non-arrival from July onwards, even when Brian McGuire replaced Ian Ashley as the nominated driver. Sold to John Sheldon (Surbiton, Surrey) for 1973 and raced in the British F3 series. Last seen at Mallory Park in August 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
12. Brabham BT41 [14] (Ulf Svensson): New to Ulf Svensson in 1973.
13. Brabham BT35 [4] (Andy MacGregor): New to Canadian Chris O'Brien and used in British F3 in 1971, sponsored by Diner's Club. Retained by O'Brien for a couple of races early in 1972, while waiting for his Brabham BT38C to arrive, but he did not race it. Then sold to Andy McGregor but he failed to arrive for his first few races, then couldn't qualify for a few more, so did not start a race in 1972. Retained by McGregor for 1973, and used most of the season.
14. Brabham BT38C [21] (Conny Andersson): New to Conny Andersson and raced in European F3 in 1972 using Novamotor engines. Retained at the start of 1973, until Andersson's new March 733 arrived. To Mats Byström, and raced in Swedish F3 in 1973. To Rolf Johansson, and raced by him in Swedish F3 in 1974 and 1975.
15. Merlyn Mk 21 [445/F3/73] (Bernard Vermillio): New to Bernard Vermillio for British F3 in 1973, but he failed to arrive for most of his races and had a poor season. The car was acquired from from Vermilio by Gordon Smiley (Mirriam, Kansas) who had come to England to race a works Merlyn Mk 25 in Formula Ford, and the Mk 21 was converted for him to also race in the Formula Atlantic series. His only race in the Mk 21 was in the Brands Hatch race in mid-March supporting the Race of Champions. He crashed during the very wet race and according to Clive Hayward, he "stuffed it pretty thoroughly". Smiley moved to the Elden F3 team.
16. GRD 373 [372 025-F3] (John MacDonald): New to Reystan Racing Ltd for Masami Kuwashima to drive in British F3 in 1972, using Holbay engines. To John MacDonald for British F3 in 1973, when it was described as being the remains of Kuwashima's 1972 car built up around a new tub. Raced until October 1973, when it was said to have been sold to Ireland. Subsequent history unknown.
17. March 713S [9] (Steve Coen): New to Peter Bloore for driver Lee Kaye, and run by MRE in British F3. Also driven by Bob Muir at a couple of races, and by Ole Vejlund at one race at the end of the season. Unknown in 1972, but very likely to be the car advertised by Peter Slade from Folkestone and Hythe phone numbers in June 1972, especially as it was advertised with a Rowland engine, and the only 713S noted as having a Rowland engine in 1971 was the Bloore/Kaye car. Advertised again from the same phone numbers in October 1972, but without engine or gearbox. Raced by Steve Coen in Formula 3 in 1973. Subsequent history unknown but geography would suggest it was the March "713/73" used by Peter Orlando (Shepperton) in Formula Ford 2000 in 1975. Again, geography would suggest this became the Lydden libre car later in the 1970s.
18. March RHM1 [713M-6] (Roger Hurst): New to John Bisignano (Denver, CO) and raced in British F3 in 1971 with support from Liggett & Myers L&M tobacco brand. Sold in October 1971 to Roger Hurst (Folkestone, Kent) of Lenham Hurst and raced in F3 in 1972 and 1973. By 1973 the car was being described on occasion as a 723, a 733, a March Falconer, and even as a Lenham LM1. Last raced by Hurst in November 1973. In March 1974, the car was advertised by Low Cost Racing who mentioned that it had Falconer bodywork and was fitted with a Holbay R70 engine for Formula 4. Its history over the next five years is unknown, but in 1979 and 1980, Tony Harris and Colin Brook raced 713M-6 in F4. Subsequent history unknown. A car with this identity was advertised in Italy in 2012.
19. Royale RP11 [5] (Simon Sherman): New to Simon Sherman and raced in British F3 in 1972. Retained for 1973, but did not start many races. Sherman entered the car for a few races in 1974 but only started one race. Subsequent history unknown.

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.

These British Formula 3 results have been compiled by Chris Townsend using the main British magazines Autosport and Motoring News but also the US magazine On Track which carried surprisingly good coverage of the British series.

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.