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Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship Race

Silverstone, 6 Mar 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Stephen South March 763 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#19 (see note 1)
20 30m 09.81s
116.64 mph
2 Ian Taylor March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4
#30 Unipart Racing Team (see note 2)
20 30m 11.00s
3 Geoff Lees Chevron B38 [38.77.09] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#1 Chevron Racing Team (see note 3)
20 30m 23.10s
4 Tiff Needell March 773 [763-9] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4
#31 Unipart Racing Team (see note 4)
20 30m 23.10s
5 Bertram Schäfer Ralt RT1/77 [49] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#14 Racing Team Cologne
20 30m 23.82s
6 Danny Sullivan Argo JM1 [001-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#48 Anglia Cars Ltd
20 30m 32.80s
7 Geoff Brabham Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#11 Brabham Racing Organisation
(see note 5)
20 30m 36.07s
8 Eje Elgh Chevron B38 [38.77.10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#2 Chevron Racing Team
20 30m 44.03s
9 Pierre Dieudonné Ehrlich ES6 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#56 Dr J Ehrlich
20 30m 44.83s
10 Derek Daly Chevron B38 [38.77.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#3 Derek MacMahon Racing
20 30m 58.41s
11 Conny Ljungfeldt March 773 [2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#34 March Racing Ltd
20 31m 02.68s
12 Beppe Gabbiani Chevron B38 [38.77.04] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#57 Trivellato Racing Team (see note 6)
20 31m 04.32s
13 Derek Warwick Chevron B38 [38.77.05] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#6 Warwick Trailers Ltd
20 31m 08.39s
14 Jan Lammers Hawke DL18 [1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#36 Hawke Racing Cars (see note 7)
20 32m 23.96s
15 Paul Bernasconi Ralt RT1/76 [22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#12
19
16 John Bright Wheatcroft R18 [004] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#51 (see note 8)
19
17 Pascal Witmeur Modus M1 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#46
19
18 Mario Ferraris March 773 [U1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#29 March Racing Ltd (see note 9)
19
NC John Nielsen Ralt RT1/77 [51] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#9 (see note 10)
13 Misfire
R Ivor Jones March 743 [U10] - Ford twin cam Holt
#17 British Islands Racing
11 Not known
R Ian Flux Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#10 Ockley Team Racing Ltd
7 Throttle jammed
R Mario Pati March 773 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#22 AFMP Euroracing with March (see note 11)
16 Accident damage
R Barrie Maskell Dastle Mk12 - Ford twin cam Holt
#41
3 Accident
R James King March 773 [U2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#28 March Racing Ltd (see note 12)
7 Accident
R Patrick Bardinon Ralt RT1/76 [31] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#8 Skin Service
16 Accident
R Don Farthing Ralt RT1/76 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#15
2 Not known
DNS Ian Ashley Lola T570 [HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#54 Lola Cars Ltd
Did not start
DNA Ian Grob Chevron B38 [38.77.19] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#4 KVG Racing Ltd (see note 13)
Did not arrive
DNA Federico van der Hoeven March 773 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#21 AFMP Euroracing with March
Did not arrive
DNA Huub Rothengatter March 773 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#33
Did not arrive
DNA Aryon Cornelsen Filho March 773 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#35 March Racing Ltd (see note 14)
Did not arrive
DNA Paul Morton Hawke DL14B - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#37 Chel International Racing
Did not arrive
DNA Peter Monk Dastle Mk12 - Ford twin cam Holt
#42 Century Oils
Did not arrive
DNA Jac Nellemann Modus M1 [020-F3?] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#45 Texaco Racing Denmark
Did not arrive
DNA Fernando Jorge Chevron B38 [38.77.15] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor
#58 Trivellato Racing Team (see note 15)
Did not arrive

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Ian Taylor (F3) 2-litre March 773 [3] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4 1m 29.67s
2 Stephen South (F3) 2-litre March 763 [13] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 29.83s
3 Tiff Needell (F3) 2-litre March 773 [763-9] - Triumph Dolomite Holbay 4 1m 30.02s
4 John Nielsen (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [51] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 30.41s
5 Ian Flux (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [16] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 30.64s
6 Paul Bernasconi (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [22] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 30.97s
7 Bertram Schäfer (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/77 [49] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.00s
8 James King (F3) 2-litre March 773 [U2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.03s
9 Danny Sullivan (F3) 2-litre Argo JM1 [001-F3] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.15s
10 Geoff Lees (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.09] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.37s
11 Eje Elgh (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.43s
12 Geoff Brabham (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [29] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.45s
13 Mario Ferraris (F3) 2-litre March 773 [U1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.56s
14 Patrick Bardinon (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [31] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.74s
15 Beppe Gabbiani (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.04] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 31.85s
16 Mario Pati (F3) 2-litre March 773 [10] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 32.12s
17 Derek Warwick (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.05] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 32.93s
18 Conny Ljungfeldt (F3) 2-litre March 773 [2] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.02s
19 Pierre Dieudonné (F3) 2-litre Ehrlich ES6 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.18s
20 Ian Ashley * (F3) 2-litre Lola T570 [HU1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.31s
21 Jan Lammers (F3) 2-litre Hawke DL18 [1] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.57s
22 Derek Daly (F3) 2-litre Chevron B38 [38.77.07] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 33.59s
23 Ivor Jones (F3) 2-litre March 743 [U10] - Ford twin cam Holt 1m 33.84s
24 Don Farthing (F3) 2-litre Ralt RT1/76 [18] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 35.81s
25 Pascal Witmeur (F3) 2-litre Modus M1 - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor 1m 37.97s
26 John Bright (F3) 2-litre Wheatcroft R18 [004] - Toyota 2T-G Novamotor No time
27 Barrie Maskell (F3) 2-litre Dastle Mk12 - Ford twin cam Holt No time
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. March 763 [13] (Stephen South): March build records show sold to John Stokes, 19 May 1976. Run by Stokes for Stephen South from mid 1976, until wrecked in an accident with Derek Daly in the 1977 British GP support race and scrapped. Some parts used in the construction of 773-T1, South's replacement car.
  2. March 773 [3] (Ian Taylor): March build records show sold to Unipart, 23 December 1976. Only one 773 is consigned to Unipart in the build records. Assumed that Taylor as senior driver would take the new car, a fact borne out by occasional references in 1977 to Needell being in a 763, the team's original car.
  3. Chevron B38 [38.77.09] (Geoff Lees): To Chevron Racing Team for Geoff Lees to race in British F3 in 1977. Rebuilt on new monocoque 38-77-31 in time for Thruxton in June, where it was described as a brand new. Unknown after 1977 but may have gone to Japan where Koichi Sakamoto raced a Chevron B38 for most of 1978.
  4. March 773 [763-9] (Tiff Needell): Shown in March records as sold to Tony Dron 12.1.76. This was the solitary Unipart car in 1976. Although Unipart ran two cars in 1977, they only bought one new car, converting the older car for Needell, the junior driver in the team. Some results credit Needell's car as being a 763.
  5. Ralt RT1/76 [29] (Geoff Brabham): Ralt records show as sold to Geoff Brabham in 1976, probably being delivered in early June. Used by him until the end of 1978 then sold to Ken Thorogood's Hub of the Universe Racing for Osamu Hatagawa to use in British races.
  6. Chevron B38 [38.77.04] (Beppe Gabbiani): New to Trivellato Racing Team for 1977 and raced by Beppe Gabbiani in European F3. Gabbiani received a new car for the Monza Lotteria in June, and 77-04 was next seen when raced by Siegfried Stohr for Trivellato at Vallelunga in October. Sold to Vinicio Salmi for Italian F3 in 1978.
  7. Hawke DL18 [1] (Jan Lammers): The Hawke DL18 was designed by Adrian Reynard for David Lazenby's Hawke company, based in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. Hawke had been successful in Formula Ford, but this was the firm's first F3 car. Rupert Keegan was signed to drive the car, with sposorship from British Air Ferries. Reynard's design was advanced, with inboard rising-rate front suspension and delta-shaped rear wing, but testing did not go well and Keegan only raced it once. It remained with Hawke, and was revamped for the 1977 season, when Jan Lammers drove it.
  8. Wheatcroft R18 [004] (John Bright): New to John Bright (Leicester) and built up with a Toyota Novamotor engine for British F3 in 1977. In early July, Bright spent a day testing at Silverstone with Brian Henton and Mike Pilbeam, and the following Friday he won from pole in a non-championship race at Donington Park. Unfortunately, two days later during practice at Cadwell Park he put a wheel into the gravel going into the Gooseneck curves and crashed very heavily. The car was described as being "completely destroyed". He returned at Donington Park three weeks later with the car described as "rebuilt", but it seems very likely that this was the point at which the car was rebuilt on the 006 chassis, so its history is continued under that heading.
  9. March 773 [U1] (Mario Ferraris): March works records show this as Mario Ferraris' works car for 1977 built on tub AM773-14 and rebuilt after Ferraris' Monaco accident on tub AM773-65. Sold in March 1978 to Neasrader Film Production for Richard Morgan according to the works records. Motoring News 30 Mar 1978 p11 says that Morgan's car is ex King, but we know from reports and the works records that King's main car was 773-U2. However, that car was damaged in the 1977 season and it is possible that King used 773-U1 after its rebuild as Ferraris' damaged wrist took longer to recover than the car did. Sold to John Bright in 1979 to replace his wrecked 773-13 and its identity eventually perhaps blurred with that car in a rebuild after a heavy accident.
  10. Ralt RT1/77 [51] (John Nielsen): New to VB Racing (Vojens Boligcenter) for 1977 and raced by Dane John Nielsen in F3 across Europe.
  11. March 773 [10] (Mario Pati): According to March records delivered in March 1977 to AFMP Euroracing, and subsequently given to Brett Riley in lieu of his contractual payments when the Euroracing set-up was dissolved. (This does not mean the car was Riley’s early season car in 1977; he used at least two before the team collapsed, neither of which were necessarily this car.) Run by David Price for Riley in the second half of 1977 and used to win the European round at Donington. Chassis number given in Autosport advert late in 1977 by Price. Sold to Roy Kennedy [Motoring News 2 Mar 1978 p15] although Autosport 9 Mar 1978 p41 says the car is ‘ex James King’. (King used a works car - 773-U2 - for most of 1977 but it is possible he had a race in this car early in the season, however his principal car went in 1978 to Ian Flux.) Run by Kennedy for Saed Ali Hodzic until Hodzic was injured in practice at the International Trophy support race; then became a rental car but did very few races. For sale by Kennedy in early 1979, Autosport 22 Feb 1979 p57, but retained and rented to Serge Saulnier for the 1979 race at Monaco.
  12. March 773 [U2] (James King): March works records show this as James King's works car for 1977 built on a lightweight tub AM773-41 with parts from 763-U2. This would be the "ex-King" car sold to Ian Flux early in 1978, and raced by him in the 1978 British F3 series.
  13. Chevron B38 [38.77.19] (Ian Grob): New to Alan Docking Racing for Ian Grob to race in British F3 in 1977, entered by KVG Racing. Retained by the Docking team for 1978, and probably the car driven by Huub Rothengatter in the last few months of the season. Unknown after 1979 until it reappeared with Jim Yardley in 1984. Later with David Proctor in 1987.
  14. March 773 [13] (Aryon Cornelsen Filho): Shown in March records as a works car finished February 1977, on tub AM773-28 for Ayron Cornelson Filho. Also used by David Kennedy in 1977. Sold to John Bright in March 1978 to cover for his damaged Wheatcroft. Damaged badly by Bright and rebuilt on new tub in August. Retained by Bright in 1979 until wrecked at Snetterton.
  15. Chevron B38 [38.77.15] (Fernando Jorge): New to Trivellato Racing Team for Fernando Jorge to drive in European F3 in 1977. Jorge replaced the car with a Ralt in mid-season.

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.

Individual sources for this event

Autosport 10 Mar 1977 p45; programme provided by Adam Ferrington.