British Sprint Championship Round

Wellesbourne, 7 May 1977

Notes on the cars:

1. March 74P [74B-7] (Martyn Griffiths): A lightweight car sold to Chris Cramer (Stroud, Gloucestershire), and fitted with a Cosworth BDG engine for British hillclimbs. Retained for 1975, when fitted with a 2.2-litre Hart 422R engine. Then to Martyn Griffiths (Arley, Worcestershire) for 1976, still with the same Hart engine. For 1977, Griffiths too the car to Mike Pilbeam, and he revamped it as the Pilbeam R28, although it still looked much like a 74B and was entered as a March "74P". He won five of the first eight rounds of the British series, and finished second overall. It was completely revamped again by Pilbeam for 1978, now dubbed the "Pilbeam G78", with new side panels, nose and rear wing, and Griffiths again won five rounds. To John Barratt (Garstang, Lancashire), who fitted a 1600cc Cosworth FVA and entered it as the Pilbeam R28. To Alan Newton (Clitheroe, Lancashire) in 1982, when it was described as a Pilbeam MP28, then to Martin Brockhouse (Leeds, West Yorkshire) to use in sprints in 1983. It then appears to have returned to Newton, and was raced by him in 1984 and 1985, but in either 1985 or 1986, Newton crashed it into a tree at Doune. The car was rebuilt by Newton using a set of plans provided by Mike Pilbeam, and was sold by him to Peter Varley in 1987. By this time the car was almost unrecognisable as a 74B, and Varley says there was little of the original car left. Varley later fitted a 2000cc Ford YB engine, and ran the car until he retired. It was then bought back by Alan Newton once again, and has been retained by his sons.
2. Surtees TS8 [007] (Alan Richards): New for Peter Revson at the 1971 Questor GP then for Alan Roillinson in UK series. To Alan Brodie 1972 and raced by Brodie and by Steve Thompson. To Servis Appliances Racing Team 1973 and raced by Ray Allan early in the season. Then possibly the Robin Darlington car in Sep 1973 Reappeared with Colin Andrews (Banbury, Oxfordshire) 1974, then to Steve Cuff (Frome, Somerset) 1975 for hillclimbs. To Alan Richards (Cheltenham) and used in sprints and occasional hill climbs in 1976 and 1977. Used in sprints and occasional hill climbs by Bob Clapham in 1978 and 1979. Then unknown until sold by Brian Redman to Dave Swigler (Panama City, FL) in 1986. Dave believes Brian got it from Richard Attwood about two years earlier. Retained until Swigler sold his collection to Harin De Silva (Palos Verdes Estates, CA) in 2009. Restored by Virtuoso Performance and first raced at Laguna Seca in August 2011. Also raced in New Zealand in the 2011/12 Tasman Revival series and at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2013.
3. McRae GM1 [012] (Dave Harris): See full history: McRae GM1/012.
4. McLaren M10A/B [300-08] (Richard White): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-08.
5. Brabham BT38 [17] (Paul Edwards): Brand new for Richard Scott at Oulton Park at the end of March 1972, and used by him through the 1972 F2 season. To Alan Padgett (Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire) for 1973, fitted with an 1850cc Cosworth BDE and used in hillclimbs. To David Baumforth (North Newbald, East Riding of Yorkshire) for hillclimbs and prints in 1974, then to John Hinley (Knowle, Warwickshire) for sprints in 1975. It was acquired by Tony Griffiths (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) for 1976, then to chef Paul Edwards (London), who used it extensively in sprints in 1977 and 1978. To Ron Cumming (Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) for libre racing in 1979, when it still had a 1800cc BDE engine. Cumming crashed the car in a race at Ingliston, probably in May 1979, and rebuilt it using a replacement monocoque supplied by Jim Stevenson. The car was then sold, less engine, to somebody in Essex. About seven years later, it was acquired by Chris Perkins (Ashbourne, Derbyshire), still in the distinctive orange-and-white livery used by Cumming in 1979 and with evidence of where the March 79B-style sidpods had been fitted, but now with a Buick V8 engine in the process of installation. Perkins's recollection is that he bought the car in the Brighton area in the mid-1980s; Autosport mention his purchase in December 1987.

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.

The British Sprint Championship results were originally provided by Paul Parker and Steve Wilkinson and are based on material drawn from Motoring News, Autosport and Speedscene magazines plus results sheets and programmes provided by former competitors and by the organising clubs.

The identification of individual cars is based on the Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 5000 and Formula Atlantic research work presented elsewhere on the site.

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.