Brighton Speed Trials

Brighton, 8 Sep 1979

Notes on the cars:

1. March 75A/761 [1-2] (Terry Smith): John MacDonald (RAM Racing) 1975. Raced in UK 1975: driven by Alan Jones (3rd BARC Thruxton 17 Aug 1975) - Hexagon Garage for Damien Magee UK 1976 - Guy Edwards UK 1977; rebuilt on a March 761 monocoque, and then converted to DFV power for last few races of 1977. Edwards UK 1978 (first two races); then for Bruce Allison (five races). Also used by Desire Wilson in a test session prior to the British GP. To Terry Smith (Felton, Somerset), fitted with a 5-litre Repco engine, and used in the British Sprint Championship 1979, 1980 and 1981. Used by Smith and John Meredith British Sprint Championship 1982. To Ray Rowan 1983, and retained by him until about 1987 when the Repco engine was sold to Australia and the rolling chassis was sold via a dealer to Italy. Reemerged four years later when sold by Andrea Frasson (Rosà, Vicenza, Italy) to Daniel Pouteau (Paris, France) in December 1991. Retained by Pouteau, still apart and in still Terry Smith's livery, until sold via Bernard De Dryver to Paul Grant (Brussels, Belgium) in April 2013. Rebuilt for Masters F1 in 2015, and debut at the Spa 6 Hours in September 2015.
2. Chevron B28 [28-74-02] (Johnty Williamson): See full history: Chevron B28 74-02.
3. Chevron B30 [30-75-01] (Noel le Tissier): See full history: Chevron B30.
4. March 76A [1] (Paul Edwards): For Chris Cramer and fitted with 3.4-litre Cosworth-Ford GA V6 engine for British hill climbs. Cramer British Hill Climb Championship 1976, 1977, 1978 - Paul Edwards: British Sprint Championship 1979 (6 Run-Offs); updated to 78A specification: British Sprint Championship 1980 (5 Run-Offs) - Nigel Bigwood: British Sprint Championship 1981 (6 Run-Offs), 1982 (7 Run-Offs and one win at Lydden Hill in May 1982) - Tim and Tony Barry 1983: raced by Alan Kayes at Mallory Park libre 19 Jun 1983 (retired); Brands Hatch libre 14 Aug 1983 (2nd); run by Tony Barry at Brighton Speed Trials 10 Sep 1983 (3rd). Later run by Tony Barry at Mallory Park Sprint round 28 Jun 1986 (8th). Retained by the Barry brothers 2005 and raced by Tim in the HSCC Derek Bell Trophy. In December 2012, the car was nearing the end of what Tim called "a protracted rebuild including an extensively refreshed tub" and returned to racing in 2014.
5. Lola T560 [HU2] (Allan Humphries): First seen as a Lola T550 with Holbay Abarth engine for Roberto Marazzi at the Silverstone F2 race in March 1977, but did not start. Not raced in 1977, but tested by Bruce Allison and Bob Evans in December. Alo Lawler was due to run the car in 1978, but abandoned the project after persistent engine problems. Sold to David Render for sprints in 1979, still with the Abarth engine borrowed from Holbay, and used until 1982 when the Abarth was returned, the Lola fitted with a 2.8-litre Hart engine, and used in this form until 1985. Sold to Jonathan Toulmin for 1988, who continued to run it with the Hart engine, then to Alan Newton, who bought the Abarth motor from Holbay and refitted it. Sold to Colin Pool in 1996, who sold it on to Francesco Molino. Sold by Molino to Thomas Steinke (Hamburg, Germany) in 2012, but later sold back to Molino.
6. March 702 [6] (Peter Fisk): Although given the number 702/6 by March, this was the development F2 car built using the very first Arch Motors frame. It raced just once in 1970 when Howden Ganley appeared in it at Mantorp Park in August. At the start of 1971, it was fitted with a Vegantune twin cam for Formula Atlantic, and was driven by David Morgan at the Mallory Park round in March, taking pole position and winning. He was second in the next race at Castle Combe, but then the car was advertised by March, and bought by John Nicholson, who used it for the rest of that season. Advertised by Nicholson (Ashford, Middlesex) in August 1972. Bought from Nicholson in October 1972 by Martin Steele (Faringdon, Oxfordshire) and used in sprints in 1973 and the first half of 1974. Sold in July 1974 to Peter Fisk (Cambridge) who raced it in speed events from 1974 to 1979. The car was fitted with a BDA engine, and Fisk sometimes shared with Robert Glass, also of Cambridge. Fisk advertised the car in October 1980 and sold it back to Steele in March 1981. Steele restored it and used it in UK historic racing in 1985 and 1986. Retained until sold in November 1998 to Mike Scott (Exeter, Devon) who drove it in FORCE events in 2003, and later appeared with it in Masters events in 2006. Sold in 2009 to Satoshi Onishi (Miharuno, Japan) and used by him in Japanese historic events.
7. March 75/76B (Ken Ayers): Ken Ayers (Twyford, Berkshire) rebuilt his 1978 March "742X" with a 1975 March monocoque and 76B bodywork for the 1979 season, effectively ending its links with the original 713M identity. The new car then damaged again and rebuilt on a third tub using 1976 bodywork. Ayers advertised the car in November 1980 as a "75/76B rolling chassis, completely rebuilt by Lyncar 1980". It is possible that Ayers had acquired the ex-Howard Rose March 75/76B, as Rose was from Wokingham, just three miles from Ayers' team's base at Hurst, near Reading. 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.

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.