Västkustloppet

Falkenburg, 14 Jul 1974

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT41 [14] (Ulf Svensson): New to Ulf Svensson in 1973.
2. GRD 372 [010-F3] (Jan Ridell): Raced by Canadian David McConnell in the 1972 Tasman series, using 2-litre Hart BDA engines. McConnell had a new B72 on order, and his plan was to sell the prototype to Jacques Couture. When that fell through, 010 was converted to F3 and sold to Mo Harness. Harness had won the 1971 Formula Ford Johnsons Wax Euro Trophy but turned down the test drive that had been offered as a prize with Ken Tyrrell and an F2 March. After a brief relationship with GRD, he then used an old BT28 F3 car in the first half of 1972 before acquiring sponsorship from Revolution Wheels and returning to GRD mid-season. Harness raced the GRD in British Formula 3 using Leabro engines. He then sold it to Jac Nellemann for Swedish F3 in 1973. In 1974, the car went to Jan Ridell, who raced it in Swedish 3, now using 2-litre Vegantune engines. Retained by Ridell for 1975, when he used Billgren BMW engines. Retained again by Ridell for 1976. To Dick Berg for Swedish F3 in 1977 and 1978, again with the Billgren BMW engines. Next seen in 1980, when it was raced by Mats Karlsson, now using Vegantune twin cams. Retained by Karlsson for 1981.
3. Brabham BT28 [43] (Leif Engström): A new car for Gustaf Dieden which first appeared at Karlskoga in August 1970 and raced in Scandinavian F3. Then hired by Torsten Palm, who had previously raced a BT28 for Picko Troberg's Mennen Racing Team, and used as a private entry in the Torneio Brasileiro de Formula 3. Retained by Palm in 1000cc form for the start of the 1971 Swedish F3 series as his new 1600cc BT35 was not yet ready. To Leif Engström 1972-1975 then Mats Peterson Paninder 1976 and 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
4. Merlyn Mk 21 [328/F3/72] (Mats Byström): New to Håkan Dahlqvist for Formula 3 in Sweden and England. Dahlqvist won at Mantorp Park in June and Knutstorp in September. Retained by Dahlqvist's Karlssons Klister Racing Team as a second car in 1973 and driven by Stig Blomqvist and Conny Ljungfeldt. It was then sold to Mats Byström for 1974. To Kjell Andersson for 1975. Retained by Andersson for 1976 and 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Brabham BT38C [21] (Rolf Johansson): 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.
6. Brabham BT35 ["30"] (Curt-Rune Johansson): Conny Andersson (Sweden) raced a Brabham BT35 in Formula 3 around Europe in 1971, sponsored by Private Press AB. It was observed as chassis BT35-30, but as that car was also reported in Italy, its identity remains uncertain. Andersson raced the car again in early 1972 until his Brabham BT38C arrived, but appears to have kept the BT35 as a backup, and raced it a few times later in 1972 and in 1973. However, Andersson is also reported to have acquired BT35-34. In May 1973, he acquired a March 733, and was not seen in a Brabham again. According to a chassis plate observation reported by the F1 Register, this car went to Curt-Rune Johansson later in 1973. According to Chris Townsend's research, it was Bo Winberg's car in Swedish F3 in 1975. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Brabham BT38C [14] (Lars "Lasse" Karlsson): New to Ulf Svensson for European F3 in 1972, using Holbay engines and sponsored by Team Mum for Men. According to Magnus Haggstam, this car went to Lasse Karlsson for 1973 and raced by him in F3 until at least 1975. Then to Kaal Wirgin in 1976, and raced by him Swedish Formula 3 Championship races in 1977 and 1978, before he acquired a newer Argo. The car was next seen in 2000, when it was acquired by Carsten Frimodt (Denmark). It was restored to F2 specification with an 1860cc engine and was raced by Frimodt in Sweden in 2006 and 2007. Frimodt sold it to another Dane who sold it to Dr Sami Hamid (Vienna, Austria) in 2010. It was restored for him by Marcel Biehl of Biehl Racing (Moenchengladbach, Germany) to proper F3 specification. It was sold to John Albiston (Elgin, Scotland) in 2018, who modified it to Formula Atlantic specification and used to win the Scottish Historic Hillclimb and Sprint Championship in 2019 and 2020.
8. 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.

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.