Penang Grand Prix

Penang, 25 Apr 1971

All cars are 1.6-litre 1.6 2v unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Lotus 59/69 [F3-2] (Ken Smith): Entered by Michael Spence Ltd for Tetsu Ikuzawa in F3 in 1969. Autosport noted that he was "giving his 59 its first outing" at Silverstone on 17 May 1969 and Motoring News called it "c/n 2". In September, it was reported that the car had been sold to Eddie Jacobsson, but Izukawa continued with it through October. Then entered by Mike Ticehurst's Motor Racing Enterprises for James Hunt at Thruxon in November. To Mike Stow for 1970 and, after a single F3 race, converted to Formula 2 for David Cole to drive at Crystal Palace in May, where he failed to qualify. Raced by Stow in a libre at Silverstone and then sold to New Zealander Ken Smith who entered it for Gold Star races from October onwards. Raced by Smith in the 1971 Tasman series as a Lotus 69, as the car now had 69-style bodywork, and using a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC. Retained for Gold Star and International races in 1972, and also used at races in Singapore and at Batu Tiga with a Ford twin cam engine. According to Graeme Vercoe, the car was later owned by Simon Seagrave, Malcolm Webb and Steve Bullot as a Formula Ford car. Vercoe adds that it went via David Manton (Tauranga) to Allan Cattle (Auckland) in 1989. Subsequent history unknown.
2. Brabham [BT14/BT15 "FJB2"?] (Jan Bussell): Jan Bussell bought a twin-cam Brabham from Howden Ganley which was always described as a BT14. The car is said by John Blanden to be AM88, by Bryan Miller to be AM66 and is recorded by Ted Walker as F2-4-66. It is also said that Ganley had built up an unused F3 chassis, quite probably a BT15, while working at MRD and sold it to Bussell with a Ford twin-cam engine supplied by Red Rose Motors. As a BT15 with a twin-cam was virtually identical to a BT14, the description would make sense. According to Ted Walker again, it later went to P Chan (i.e. Percy Chan) in 1972 and then to Bruce Winder in New Zealand in 1973. It was not raced in NZ and is unknown until (according to John Blanden) it was bought by John Dymond in NZ in 1999. It was restored in NZ and raced in historics in 2000 before moving to Dymond's native Australia. Owned by Dymond until his death in 2006, then with his family as part of Team Penrite. Raced by Keith Simpson for the team in 2010 and 2011.
3. Lotus 59/69 [F3-11?] (Sonny Rajah): A new Lotus 59 raced by James Hunt in F3 in 1970 with Holbay engine and was modified with the 69-style bodywork of the 59A spec during the season. Then believed to be the Lotus 59/69 raced by Sonny Rajah in South East Asian racing in 1971. Retained by Rajah who refers to it as "the ex-James Hunt Lotus 69". Still with Rajah in 2010.

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

The Straits Times, 26 April 1971, p27. The Straits Times said there were ten starters and called the event the Penang Grand Prix for Cars.