Marlboro British Formula 3 Championship Race

Thruxton, 4 May 1981

All cars are 2-litre F3 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT3/81 [237] (Thierry Tassin): Sold to Neil Trundle 7 Apr 1981. Most probably therefore the car used by Thierry Tassin in 1981, as Trundle's other 1981 car (chassis 222) appears from the first round with Claus Schinkel driving. Sold to Galvani GRO team for Carlos Abella to use in 1982, run by Mick Cook. (Autosport 4 Mar 1982 p38 'ex-Tassin').
2. Ralt RT3/81 [225] (David Leslie): Sold to Hope Scott Garage and used by David Leslie in the 1981 season. Sold to Mike Reed (Ivens Lumar Racing) Autosport 3 Sep 1981 p3. Ivens Lumar ran Alfonso Toledano in the car in early 1981 (Autosport 21 Jan 1982 p6). Rebuilt on an 82 spec tub after accident at R3 (Motoring News 1 Apr 1982 p20; the car is described as 'new' by Autosport when it reappears at Thruxton on 12 Apr). Then run for Roberto Moreno from Mallory Park 25 Apr.
3. Ralt RT3/80 [198] (Jonathan Palmer): Sold to Project Four for Stefan Johansson 15 Aug 1980. Used to win 1980 championship. Sold to West Surrey Racing for Jonathan Palmer, 1981. Won 1981 championship. Retained by WSR and used by Enrique Mansilla in early 1982, then leased to Osamu Nakako [Motoring News 15 Jul 1982 p15). For sale Autosport 14 Oct 1982 p68 '1981 champ winning car' to Gerry Amato Autosport 18 Nov 1982 p13 'ex Johansson, Palmer'.
4. Ralt RT3/81 [207] (Richard Trott): Sold to Richard Trott 19 Jan 1981. Used throughout 1981 season, leased to Tassin at Cadwell Park. Retained 1982, rented to Martin Longmore for British GP support race.
5. Ralt RT3/81 [236] (Enrique Benamo): Sold to Enrique Benamo 15 Apr 1981 and run by Rushen Green Racing throughout the season. Taken by Benamo to Docking Spitzley for 1982 and subsequently rented to Roy Steele when Benamo ran out of money. Sold to Martin Wood in Sep 1982 (Autosport 23 Sep 1982 p6). Retained by Wood 1983 (Autosport 3 Mar 1983 p37).
6. Ralt RT3/81 [208] (Michael Bleekemolen): Sold to Glenn Bosch for 1981, to be run by Wimhurst. Bosch then injured in RTA and Bleekemolen used the car. Team became Barron Racing for 1982, running the car for Cor Euser and Tim Davies. Sold to Mick Cook Racing for Martin Longmore (Autosport 5 Aug 1982 p31 'ex Barron') then to EJR late 1982 as hire car, being used by Mike Blanchet at Silverstone 3 Oct 1982, and used by Weaver in late season Euro rounds.
7. March 813 [2] (Toshio Suzuki): A works car for Toshio Suzuki, completed 27 Feb 1981. Sold to Tarry Racing for Ian Shaw, described as 'ex Suzuki' AS 6 May 1982 then to Phil Dowsett ('ex Suzuki' Autosport 23 Sep 1982 p6).
8. Ralt RT3/81 [222] (Claus Schinkel): Sold to Neil Trundle 20 Feb 1981 and used by Claus Schinkel in the British series. Retained early 1982 and driven by Luis Schafer (Autosport 4 Mar 1982 'ex Schinkel'), then sold to DB Racing for Mario Hytten when a 1982 spec car arrived.
9. Ralt RT3/80 [183] (James Weaver): A works car finished July 1980 for Tommy Byrne to run at British GP support race. Sold to Tiga for Daniele Albertin to run. Used by James Weaver in 1981 and then sold to Mike O'Brien. To Tony Trevor for 1982 (Autosport 18 Feb 1982 p7; Motoring News 11 Mar 1982 p14 'ex O'Brien, Weaver') badly damaged at Thruxton in April and probably scrapped. Trevor only reappears at Silverstone 27 June in what Autosport (1 Jul 1982 p8) calls 'a replacement built up from a pile of bits, most bought from Dave Scott's team who had built up a new car during the close season'. These bits may, themselves, have come from the remains of RT3/192 which Scott may have destroyed in testing in 1980, plus surplus parts from RT3/250. We should presume that 183 ceases to exist after April 1980 unless observation of the plate can be found on Trevor's late 1982 car.
10. March 773 [3] (Tony Norton): 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.
11. Ralt RT3/81 [217] (David Sears): Sold to Eddie Jordan 22 Feb 1981 and used throughout 1981, mainly by David Sears. Autosport 25 Feb 1982 p4 advises that Jordan's 81 spec Ralt will be driven in 1982 by James Weaver. (A new 82 spec car - chassis 293 - had been purchased for Fernando Macedo to drive.) Used to win Donington Euro round 4 Apr 1982. Retained as spare car early 1983 and driven by Tommy Grunnah at first British round.
12. Ralt RT3/81 [216] (Raul Boesel): Sold to Murray Taylor Racing 21 Jan 1981. Initially Raul Boesel's race car, then later used by Tim Lee-Davey (British GP support race) and Tommy Byrne. For sale Autosport 4 Feb 1982 p61 MTR offer 81 RT3 'as driven by Boesel, Byrne and Lee-Davey'. Sold to Peter Argetsinger (Autosport 25 Feb 1982 p5 says ex Boesel; Motoring News says ex-Lee Davey, so the older 1981 MTR car). Also rented to David Sears.

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.