Trophée International Paul Ricard

Paul Ricard, 8 Apr 1973

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B23 [73-12] (John Lepp): The second Red Rose Racing Chevron was driven by John Lepp in 1973 and he was allocated chassis B23-73-12. The B23 was advertised by Red Rose at the end of the season and bought by Bob Howlings in March 1974 who intended to race it. However, the car is not seen again and is believed to have been sold by Howlings to a Japanese customer.
2. Chevron B23 [73-08] (John Burton): John Burton joined Red Rose Racing for 1973 and drove a new Chevron B23, chassis 73-08. The car was advertised in October 1973 and was sold to young Scottish hillclimber (and future double British Touring Car Champion) John Cleland for British hillclimbs. He used a 1930cc Alan Smith engine and fitted a Chevron B26 rear end to the car. John recalls selling the car to Roger Nathan and delivering it to London but the movement of the car are unknown for the rest of 1975. It was run in French courses de côte by Jean Pierre Lecomte in 1976 and 1977, by Jacques Heuclin from 1978 to 1980 and by Gérard Ferré in 1982. The car was then rebodied as the Sthémo and ran like this from 1985 to 1991.
3. Lola T290 [HU14] (Jacques Henry): Raced by Nello Chelli in 1972 in French hillclimbs, winning the G5-7 class at Neufchatel-en-Bray (11 May) and at Glouneaux (25 Jun) and winning overall at Abreshwiler (14 May) and at Angouleme (21 May). Also used in some circuit racing. Sold to Jacques Henry for 1973, and run alongside Fred Stalder's T290 HU5 in European 2-litre racing, at Le Mans and in French hillclimbs. Unknown in 1974 but identified by Philippe Rafesthain as the 1600cc car of André Chevalley in Swiss events in 1975. Unknown again in 1976, but reappeared in French hillclimbs in 1977, driven by Bernard Verdier, who was noted to be one of Fred Stalder's clients. This would then be the "ex-Verdier" car raced by Serge Vidal in the early weeks of the 1981 season. A car bearing this number was later bought by Matt Slinn from France in 1999. It was restored by Tollbar Racing in Matlock, fitted with a BDG engine and subsequently sold to Richard Hope. Retained by Hope in 2007.
4. Chevron B23 [73-14] (Mauricio Marcotulli): Veteran Mauricio Marcotulli raced a new Chevron B23 at Paul Ricard at the start of 1973, finishing fifth. He then took the car back to his native Venezuela but found few opportunities to use it. It was still in Venezuela in 2005 with Felix Varona. Marcotulli's car has been identified as chassis B23-73-14. Note that a different B23 was advertised from England in 2004 with the AM number "73-14" with a reported Italian-Belgian-French history.
5. Lola T290 [HU5] (Fred Stalder): This car was acquired by Ecurie Bonnier and run for customer Claude Swietlik throughout 1972, also being raced by Mario Cabral, Gilbert Salles and Hervé Bayard on occasion. In 1973 it was sold to Fred Stalder who founded Racing Organisation Course (ROC) and was used throughout the season in both European 2-litre racing and in French hillclimbs. Based on photographic evidence, this car was retained by ROC for 1974 as a backup for for hire purposes. It appears to be the car used by Albert Dufrêne in French hillclimbs in 1974 and is then believed to have passed to Christian Riehl around 1976.
6. Lola T212 [SL210/14] (Rolf Skoghag): Terry Croker bought SL210/14 in August 1970 to replace his Lola T70 for use in the Interserie championship. Croker used it in the 1971 European 2-litre series, sharing with Guy Edwards at the Nürburgring in September. It was sold to Rolf Skoghag for 1972 who continued to race it until June 1973. It is then reported to have passed through the hands of Mike Gue and John Webb before reaching Bill Sainsbury (Vancouver, Canada) for 1976. After racing in DSR in 1976 it is reported to have passed via MacKenzie Racing 1977 and at least one other Canadian owner to Robert Grant (UK) in 1985 who sold it to Bengt Ljungbergh (Sweden) later that year. Ljungbergh retained it to 2007 when it was sold via Chris Fox to Geoff Lister. It was for sale in November 2010.
7. Chevron B21/B23 [72-26] (Martin Raymond): Bought relatively late in the 1972 season by Martin Raymond (London) to replace his Daren Mk. 3, B21-72-26 was used for the last three races of the European series and then, in upgraded B23 form, for the whole 1973 season. It was unused in 1974 and was advertised by Raymond in November that year. Bought by John Blanckley (London) for 1975 and raced by him and John Calvert that season, after which it was sold to Rolf Götz (Waldenbuch, Germany) and raced from 1976 to 1978, latterly described as a B26. For 1979, Götz bought Blanckley's newer B31 and the fate of the B21 is unknown. Between 1980 and 1982, a car with this identity was advertised by Bob Speak's Barrowford Garage (Nelson, Lancashire) but how it had got from southwestern Germany to Lancashire is unclear.
8. Lola T292 [HU46] (Hervé Bayard): Invoiced by Lola to Jo Bonnier for customer Archambeaud and then identified by Sport Auto as Hervé Bayard's car at Paul Ricard in April. This was the team's only FVC-engined car and Autosport noted that this was the car used by Gérard Larrousse in the Le Mans test. It was kept as a spare car after Paul Ricard but was not used again. According to 'Parping', a poster on the Autodiva forum, this car was sold to the ROC team for 1974 and was the T292 in which their Max Funda-built Simca engine was first used at Le Mans that season as the team's #43 entry. ROC acquired a newer T292 for 1975, chassis HU64, and the fate of HU46 has not yet been established. It is prime candidate to be the ROC-powered T292 of Klaus Oestreich from late 1974 onwards.
9. Lola T290 [HU10] (Jean-Louis Lafosse): Chassis HU10 was new at at Dijon in June 1972 replacing chassis HU3 crashed at Vallelunga in April. It was used through the rest of 1972 under the Scuderia Filipinetti banner wearing Flint livery and with FVC and later Chevy Vega EA engines. Also used by Lafosse in French hillclimbs in 1972. Lafosse retained the car for the first race of 1973 and it was also raced by Marie-Claude Beaumont at Clermont-Ferrand in June 1973. In 1975, the car was acquired by Hans-Markus Huber in Switzerland and used in Swiss national racing throughout the late 1970s. He retained the car until about 2005/2006 when he sold it to the US. In 2007, Lola Heritage recorded that HU10 was owned by Jeff Lewis.
10. GRD S73 [055] (Jörg Obermoser): Jorg Obermoser ran a pair of GRD S73s during 1973 and his own car was identified by Sport Auto at Clermont-Ferrand in June as chassis 055. It is assumed that he ran the same car all season. In 1974, the two GRDs were extensively modified by Obermoser's TOJ company and entered as Toj SS02s. The individual history of the two SS02s has not yet been determined.
11. GRD S73 [041] (John Miles): A DART-backed works GRD S73 was due to be campaigned by John Miles in 1973 but it only raced at Paul Ricard before a lengthy disappearance. Dave Walker drove it when it returned late May and he won the second heat at Imola on 3 Jun. He comfortably led at Vila Real in July before the engine went off and led at Estoril a week later before the suspension collapsed and he crashed heavily, doing significant damage. A works car was raced at Fuji on 2 Sep by Vern Schuppan and, with extensive modification, by Tim Schenken at Fuji on 10 October but it is not clear whether this was the same car. The car then travelled from Japan to South Africa for the brief Springbok series at the end of 1973.
12. Chevron B21/B23 (Roger Dubos): Roger Dubos acquired a Chevron "B21" for 1973 which he shared with Christine Beckers. Beckers recalls that the car was bought from England and it may be that this was actually a B19. It was raced through 1973 with Dinitrol sponsorship and used by Dubos and Beckers at Le Mans that year where it was described as a B21/23. Beckers continued to drive it in 1974, still in similar white and blue colours but now with Seiko signwriting. It was raced at Spa in May and probably at the Nürburgring but is not the Dupont-owned B23 that Beckers then drove at the 1974 Le Mans. Beckers then shared a car with Michel Dupont twice more in 1974; this is likely to be the Le Mans car again. Christine recalls selling the Chevron to a garage owner in Le Mans but the subsequent history of the car has not yet been established.
13. Chevron B19 [71-32] (John Hine): The last new B19 to appear in Europe, B19-71-32 was new for Red Rose Racing boss John Bridges to drive at Jarama 7 Nov 1971. It had the wider B21-spec chassis required to meet 1972 regulations so was retained by Red Rose Racing as a fourth entry in 1972. It was driven mainly by Bridges in 1972 but also by Niki Bosch, Paco Josa and John Watson in European 2-litre events. At the end of the 1972 season it was sold to Bobby Howlings and was almost certainly the car driven by Howlings and John Hine at Vallelunga 25 Mar 1973 and then by Hine at Paul Ricard 8 Apr 1973. The car then disappears from Howlings' Ember Racing team, possibly to Japan or possibly to fellow wheeler-dealer Tony Dean.
14. Lola T292 [HU42] (Gérard Larrousse): Invoiced via Bonnier to Team Archambeaud, this was Gérard Larrousse's regular Schnitzer BMW car for 1973. Sold to José Uriarte for 1974 and converted back to FVC power. Uriarte returned for 1975 with the car upgraded to T294 specification as part of Roger Hire's team and with sponsorship from Miles Roystone. This car was raced at the Spa 1000 km in May and the Nürburgring 1000 km in June. It was raced by Richard Scott at Brands Hatch on 22 Jun at which point it was said to be owned by Miles Roystone. Scott crashed into the guardrail in heat 1 and the car was not seen again. It is possible that this monocoque was repaired and was part of the package sold with HU67 to Martial Legou in 1976 and 1977, and possibly then to Michel Elkoubi and contributed its components to the T294/6s built up by Elkoubi for Le Mans in 1978 and 1979.
15. Lola T292 [HU40] (Guy Edwards): Described consistently as the "prototype" T292, HU40 first appeared at Jarama 5 Nov 1972 where it was raced by Richard Scott. It was then Guy Edwards' works car throughout 1973 after which it was updated to T294 specification and sold by Lola to Martin Raymond for 1974. It went to Stewart Chubb for 1975 and continued to race in the European series. In 1976, Chubb sold the car to Steven Payne-Herbert and it was used in Can-Am and SCCA BSR racing until 1980. Payne-Herbert kept the car until 1989 when it was sold for vintage racing and, three owners later, it was being offered for sale by Grand Prix Classics in February 2011.
16. Lola T292 [HU55] (Chris Craft): Originally sold to Martin Birrane's Crowne Racing for Chris Craft to run in the 1973 European 2-litre Sports Car championship. The car was fitted with the new Cosworth BDG engine and the team was managed by Keith Greene. Craft won at Misano and Imola and took two further second places to win the championship. In 1974, the car was due to be fitted with the new Tecno P82 flat-8 engine but the project ran late and Birrane eventually sold the car in frustration to the Pederzani brothers. When the Lola-Tecno did finally appear, at Misano in July, it was driven by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud but retired with overheating problems. According to later sale descriptions, HU55 was then sold to well-known Sicilian hillclimb specialist Angelo Giliberti, continuing to Giuseppe Tornatore (Sardinia) in 1980, to Gianpaolo Casazza (Florence) in 2000 and then to Pietro Silva (San Marino) soon after. It returned to England in 2009 and was offered for sale by Maxted-Page in 2011.
17. Chevron B21 [72-8] (Javier Juncadella): One of two Chevron B21s acquired by Red Rose Racing for the 1972 sports racing season, 72-8 was driven by John Hine in the early 2-litre races, and shared by him and team principal John Bridges in long-distance events. Hine got a new Chevrolet Vega-engined car at Dijon in June, and 72-8 was taken over by José Juncadella for the rest of the year. This is almost certainly the car shared by Hine and Dave Charlton in the Springbok series in November and December. In 1973, the car appeared at the first race for José's brother Javier Juncadella but Roger Hire then became involved with the team and he provided a new B23 and his relatively recent B21 instead of the ex-Red Rose B21. The fate of the B21 is not known.
18. Lola T290 [HU17] (Fredy Grainal): The history of HU17 prior to September 1972 is unknown but the car was apparently new for Belgian Freddy Grainal. Used at Nürburgring 3 Sep 1972, Montjuich 8 October 1972 and Jarama 5 Nov 1972 as a Marcel van Hool entry. Raced again in 1973, winning two minor Belgian races. Last seen at Barcelona Oct 1973. 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.

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 12 Apr 1973 pp8-9, Motoring News 12 Apr 1973 pp8-9, Autosprint 9-16 Aprile 1973 pp24-25 and 16-23 Aprile 1973 pp16-17. Javier Juncadella's B21 was described by Autosport as "brother José's ex-Red Rose/Tergal" B21 and even still had a 1900cc Smith FVC.