OldRacingCars.com

New Zealand Formula Pacific Race

Wigram, 30 Jan 1977

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Tom Gloy Tui BH2 - Ford BDA Nicholson
#7 Team Tui
44 53m 04.2s
2 Keke Rosberg Chevron B34 [34-76-21] - Ford BDA Hart
#4 Fred Opert Racing (see note 1)
44 53m 45.2s
3 Mikko Kozarowitzky Chevron B34 [34-76-25] - Ford BDA Hart
#5 Fred Opert Racing (see note 2)
44 54m 06.5s
4 John Nicholson Modus M3 [022(B)/054] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#1 Nicholson Racing
44 54m 13.5s
5 Bruce Allison Ralt RT1/76 [39] - Ford BDA Hart
#62 (see note 3)
43
6 Andrew Miedecke Lola T360 ['AU1'] - Ford BDA
#2 (see note 4)
43
7 Richard Melville March 76B [14] - Ford BDA Swindon
#10 Doug Shierson Racing (see note 5)
43
8 David Oxton Chevron B29 [29-75-30] - Ford BDA
#18 Oxton Motors (see note 6)
43
9 Steve Emson Modus M3 [047-F3] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#3
42
NC Alan Crocker March 74B [1] - Ford BDA Swindon
#23 (see note 7)
26
R Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/76 [36] - Ford BDA Hart
#0 Team McMillan (see note 8)
34 Engine
R Ross Stone Cuda JR3 - Ford BDA Nicholson
#22
34 Wing
R Beng Soeswanto Lola T460 [HU15] - Ford BDA Swindon
#25 (see note 9)
26 Compression
R Steve Millen Chevron B35 [35-76-06] - Ford BDA Hart
#17 Schollum Bros. (see note 10)
15 Oil pressure
R Albert Poon Chevron B34 [34-76-37] - Ford BDA Swindon
#24 (see note 11)
8 Throttle
R Howard Wood March 742 ["U1"] - Ford BDA
#15 Anderson Racing
3 Overheating
T Keke Rosberg Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA Hart
(see note 12)
(Only used in practice)

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Pac unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Keke Rosberg (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-21] - Ford BDA Hart 1.11.2
2 Tom Gloy (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Tui BH2 - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.12.2
3 Mikko Kozarowitzky (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-25] - Ford BDA Hart 1.12.3
4 Dave McMillan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/76 [36] - Ford BDA Hart 1.12.3
5 Andrew Miedecke (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Lola T360 ['AU1'] - Ford BDA 1.12.4
6 Richard Melville (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 76B [14] - Ford BDA Swindon 1.12.5
7 Bruce Allison (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/76 [39] - Ford BDA Hart 1.12.7
8 John Nicholson (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Modus M3 [022(B)/054] - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.13.0
9 David Oxton (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B29 [29-75-30] - Ford BDA 1.13.6
10 Howard Wood (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 742 ["U1"] - Ford BDA 1.14.0
11 Steve Emson (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Modus M3 [047-F3] - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.14.2
12 Steve Millen (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B35 [35-76-06] - Ford BDA Hart 1.14.6
13 Ross Stone (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Cuda JR3 - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.14.7
14 Beng Soeswanto (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Lola T460 [HU15] - Ford BDA Swindon 1.14.7
15 Albert Poon (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-37] - Ford BDA Swindon 1.15.3
16 Alan Crocker (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 74B [1] - Ford BDA Swindon 1.19.8

Notes on the cars:

  1. Chevron B34 [34-76-21] (Keke Rosberg): New to Fred Opert Racing for Jim Crawley in the IMSA Formula Atlantic series, appearing at Road Atlanta in April and Laguna Seca in May. He then missed the Ontario Motor Speedway as the car was reported to have been "destroyed" in a testing crash at Willow Springs. It was evidently rebuilt in time to be rented by Ric Forest at Edmonton in May. Crawley raced it again at Westwood, when it was pale blue and entered by Opert as #52. This is presumably the car then entered for Lloyd Callaway (Chicago, IL) to drive at Mont-Tremblant, Halifax and Mosport Park in July and August 1976, as his car was also pale blue and entered by Opert as #52. Like RJ Nelkin's similarly semi-private car, it evidently returned to Fred Opert Racing after these three races. It may then have been one of the cars hired from Opert for the SCCA Runoffs by Bill Anspach and Bill Kneeland. It is then thought to be the car used by Eddie Marcello at the Philippines GP in December. In January 1977, Opert took a team out to the New Zealand Formula Pacific series, and chassis 76-21 was identified as the car raced there by Keke Rosberg, winning three of the five races and taking four pole positions. It was then sold to Pocolo Ramirez (Philippines) and raced by him in southeast Asian races from 1977 to 1982. It is believed to have been imported into New Zealand from Asia by Graham Simms. It was then sold to Ken Smith and then Andy Higgins in New Zealand, then acquired by David Gathercole in 2009. He fully rebuilt it to Formula Atlantic specification by June 2011 for Rod Stead, who raced it at HSCC Donington Park in May 2012. Bought from Stead in November 2012 by Andy Huxtable. Raced by Huxtable in HSCC Derek Bell Trophy races in 2013.
  2. Chevron B34 [34-76-25] (Mikko Kozarowitzky): Invoiced to Fred Opert Racing and believed to be the "brand new" pale blue #75 Chevron B34 raced by Opert's customer Gordon Smiley at Mosport Park in late August 1976. Then raced by Patrick Tambay at Trois-Rivières two weeks later, and by Elliot Forbes-Robinson in the IMSA race at Laguna Seca in early October. It was one of three B34s taken to New Zealand for the Formula Pacific series in January 1977, and was Mikko Kozarowitzky's regular car. After the series, it was sold to Narcisco de la Merced and raced by him in Southeast Asian races from 1977 to 1982. Then to Luis Camus for 1983. Subsequent history unknown.
  3. Ralt RT1/76 [39] (Bruce Allison): New to Bruce Allison (Brisbane, Australia), and raced in the New Zealand International Formula Pacific series in January 1977. Not seen for the rest of 1977 and through 1978, but sold to Bob Johns in Australia in 1979. Then unseen again until borrowed by Graeme Lawrence for two races at Lakeside in July 1981. Johns raced the car up to 1992, then retained it a further ten years until he sold it to Peter Landan (Sydney, Australia) in 2002. It was restored between 2002 and 2003, and then raced up to 2009.
  4. Lola T360 ['AU1'] (Andrew Miedecke): Believed to be the prototype T360, which was tested at Silverstone and then used to facilitate construction of production jigs. It was a complete car when acquired by Don Baker of Dolphin Racing and Lola agent Glen Abbey, but dismantled and shipped to Australia in parts, where it was given the identity 'AU1'. Fitted with a Ford twin cam engine for ANF2, and raced by Chris Farrell, Graeme Lawrence, and Kevin Bartlett. Acquired by Fred Gibson from the Bartlett-Abbey organisation in mid-1974. To Doug McArthur for 1975 and 1976, then to Andrew Miedecke and rebuilt as a Formula Pacific for the 1977 New Zealand series. Returned to Australia for John Davis to race as an ANF2 in 1977, then converted to the new single-cam ANF2 and raced by Davis in 1978. Then to Jim Hunter but remained unused until it reappeared in historic racing in 1989. Bought by Colin Haste (Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia) in 2002, and still with him in 2013.
  5. March 76B [14] (Richard Melville): An orange March 76B invoiced to Shierson in March 1976. Believed to be the orange #4 March 76B entered by Doug Shierson Racing for Marty Loft (Olympia, WA) until Mosport Park in August when Loft crashed, but this is still uncertain. Then the black #91 car for guest driver Vittorio Brambilla at Trois-Rivières two weeks later. Sold to Richard Melville and used by him in New Zealand racing in 1977 and 1978, where David McKinney noted that is was "ex-Brambilla" and that it carried chassis plate 76B-14. Sold to Unipart for Tiff Needell to use in the 1979 Macau GP, then sold to Sonny Rajah in time for the 1980 Malaysian GP.
  6. Chevron B29 [29-75-30] (David Oxton): Built as a works development car, and tested by Brian Redman. Then entered by Jörg Obermoser's Team Warsteiner Eurorace for Hans Binder to drive in Formula 2 with a Rosche BMW engine, when it was reported to be chassis 32. Brian Redman drove it in the 1976 New Zealand Internationals, still with its 2-litre BMW engine, this time as part of the Fred Opert team. Sold in New Zealand to David Oxton, fitted with a Formula Pacific BDA engine and raced in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977. Then to Eric Morgan for Gold Star and International races from 1977 to 1981. Sold to Chris Read for 1982. Later history with the car indicates that it was sold by Read to Kenny Smith in 1991, then to Brian Sampson in 1992, then Peter Whelan in 2000, and Miles Jackson in 2008.
  7. March 74B [1] (Alan Crocker): New to Ted Wentz (Philadelphia, PA) and raced in the 1974 British Formula Atlantic season. To New Zealander Alan Crocker, who had moved to England to race in the 1975 British series, but a blown engine curtailed his season. Used occasionally in the 1976 Indylantic series and in libre racing. Croker took the car to New Zealand and raced it in the 1977 Formula Pacific series, then sold it there to Ken Smith, who rented it to Ken Sager to drive in the 1977/78 Gold Star series, and to Robbie Booth for the 1978/79 season. It reappeared with Robbie Hislop in 1981/82, then to Tony Batchelor for 1982/83. Last seen when raced by Keith Laney in 1984/85, and sold by him back to Kenny Smith some time before 1988. Later sold by Smith to Richard Carter in Australia to donate parts to Carter's rebuild of March 73B/8. The remains of the car were sold with the 73B to George Makin (Melbourne, Australia) about 2005.
  8. Ralt RT1/76 [36] (Dave McMillan): To Cavanaugh Racing and run for Kevin Cogan in two late-season 1976 Canadian Formula Atlantic races. Sold to David McMillan and raced in the 1976/77 New Zealand Gold Star season, and in the January 1977 New Zealand International Formula Pacific series. Taken back to Canada for McMillan to race in two Canadian series races in 1977, then back to New Zealand for the 1977/78 Gold Star series and the January 1978 International series. Retained by McMillan for the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons, while also used in a handful of North American races in 1979 and 1980. Rebuilt as a Formula Super Vee for McMillan in 1980. McMillan moved to Ray Lipper’s Centreline Wheels team in 1981 and the old RT1 was raced by Lipper that season. CT
  9. Lola T460 [HU15] (Beng Soeswanto): New to American Ted Wentz and raced in the 1976 Indylantic series, entered by Swan Lager Racing. The car remained in Lola's ownership, and was sold at the end of the season via Albert Poon to Indonesian racer Beng Soeswanto, who raced it in the New Zealand Formula Pacific Internationals in January 1977, then in Southeast Asian races later that year. He crashed the car at Penang in May 1977, but was back out for the Macau GP in November. Believed to have been retained for 1978.
  10. Chevron B35 [35-76-06] (Steve Millen): New to Fred Opert Racing for Formula 2 in 1976, and used by José Dolhem for the opening seven races of the season. Then raced by Riccardo Patrese, Howdy Holmes, Keke Rosberg and Rupert Keegan later in the season. Taken to Macau for Keegan to race in the Grand Prix on 14 November, then sold to Steve Millen who raced it in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977, and then in Southeast Asian races later that year. Subsequent history unknown but some reports say that it was badly damaged in a testing accident by its next owner and remains in Southeast Asia.
  11. Chevron B34 [34-76-37] (Albert Poon): New to Albert Poon (Hong Kong), who referred to it as a 1977-series B35. It started out with a Cosworth BDM engine for Southeast Asian racing, and was then fitted with a Cosworth BDA for the Macau GP, which was held to Formula Atlantic rules, and the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977, before returning to the fuel-injected BDM for racing in Malaysia later in 1977. To Chong Kim Fah and Team Rothmans for 1978, but it is unclear whether Chong actually raced it that season. It is then presumably the "B39" that Chong raced in Formula Pacific in 1979. According to later owners, it then moved to Western Australia and was owned by Peter Nicol in 1979, Peter Morris in 1980, Jim Runciman in 1983. Then to Richard Fearon (Victoria) in 1994, Noel Robson (Victoria) at the end of 1998, and Peter Mohr (Queensland) in 2005. Sold by Mohr to Tony Simmons in November 2008, and raced by him through 2009 and in 2010. Next seen with Martin Bullock (WA) and raced by him at Sydney Motor Sport Park in November 2014, and at Barbagallo in 2016. Then taken to the UK by Bullock and raced at Brands Hatch in May 2019.
  12. Chevron B34 [34-76-19] (Keke Rosberg): Tom Bagley (Centre Hall, PA) raced a yellow-and-blue Chevron B34 run by Fred Opert Racing in three IMSA Formula Atlantic races in early 1976, with Kent Oil sponsorship. This car was then raced by Juan Cochésa (Venezuela) in the Players Formula Atlantic series, starting at Edmonton on 16 May. Chris Waddell's report from Edmonton for Autosport described Cochésa's car as "an Opert B34 driven earlier in the year by Tom Bagley". Cochésa then moved to a new car, and the ex-Bagley car was sold to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY), who first raced it in an SCCA National at Summit Point in late June. He then raced it in Pro and SCCA races for the rest of 1976. Nelkin recalls that the car was then returned to Opert to be used as a spare car for Keke Rosberg and Mikko Kozarowitzky to use in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977. After the 1977 New Zealand series, the car was sold to Norman Lankshear (Feilding, New Zealand) and raced in the Gold Star series in 1977/78 and 1978/79, and the International series in early 1978 and early 1979. It was then sold to Bryan Hartley (Palmerston) and raced by him in the 1981/82 season. The car was then sold to John Wigston (Auckland), fitted with a Ford crossflow engine and used in hillclimbs in New Zealand in the late 1980s. Wigston was reported to still have the car in October 2016.

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 New Zealand race results have been provided by Chris Townsend based on material in Autosport and Motoring News reports in the UK, Motoraction in New Zealand plus the information supplied by a wide range of contributors.

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.