British Sprint Championship Round

Colerne, 29 Jul 1979

Notes on the cars:

1. March 782 [9] (David Franklin): Manfred Winkelhock's works car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably all season. He had an all-new chassis at Donington 25 Jun after his Rouen write-off but it presumably retained the same number. To David Franklin for hillclimbs in 1979, 1980 and 1981. Then with Fred Davies in 1982. Later with Bill Morris 1987-1990.
2. McRae GM1 [012] (Dave Harris): See full history: McRae GM1/012.
3. March 772P (Tony Westwood): Built new by Peter Bloore for customer Godfrey Crompton (Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire), fitted with a 2.2-litre Hart engine and used in hillclimbs in 1978. To Tony Westwood (Cardiff, Wales) for hillclimbs in 1979. Advertised from a Faringdon, Oxfordshire number in Autosport in February 1980 as the "ex Tony Westwood hillclimb car". To Stuart Lawson (Kirkliston, Scotland) and raced as a F2 car in Scottish and north English libre racing in 1980. Run by Terry Gorvel in hillclimbs from 1981 to mid-1985. To Rodney Eyles (Wellington, Somerset) in September 1985. Eyles acquired a Ralt for 1986, and the subsequent history of the March is unknown.
4. Chevron B30 [30-75-01] (Noel le Tissier): See full history: Chevron B30.
5. March 772/782 [6] (Ted Williams): New to AFMP-Euroracing, fitted with a Hart 420R and raced by Ricardo Zunino in F2 in early 1977. When AFMP collapsed, the car was taken over by mechanic Tony Harvey for Zunino to drive at Vallelunga, Pau and Mugello. Then run by "March Racing" for Zunino for the last half of the season. Sold to Ted Williams (Bristol) for sprints and hillclimbs in 1978, still using a 2-litre Hart engine. Retained for 1979, when it was partly updated to 782 specification. Sold to Martin Bolsover (Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire) for 1980, and fitted with a 1600cc BDA engine and again entered as a 772/782. Bolsover fitted his BDA to a new Pilbeam for 1981, and the March was not seen in 1981, 1982 and 1983. It reappeared in 1984 when raced by Roy Woodhouse, and fitted with a turbocharged 3.5-litre Rover engine. Alan Payne (Birmingham, West Midlands) won a sprint at Curborough in June 1984, when sharing this car with Woodhouse. Raced by Woodhouse in sprints in 1985 and 1986, after which he transferred the engine into a newer March 822. When that car was wrecked at the end of 1988, he returned to the 772 for 1989, 1990 and 1991, only for the car to be comprehensively demolished at the Weston sprint at the end of 1991.
6. Surtees TS8 [007] (Bob Clapham): 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.
7. Brabham BT35 [6] (Andy Fraser): New to Nick Cook and used in the British Formula Atlantic series in 1971. Retained for early 1972, but Cook does not appear in the UK after the end of April and this is probably the car taken to the USA to use in the SCCA series in 1972. Used by Rob Turnbull in British hillclimbs in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. Sold to Andrew Fraser (Newton Abbot, Devon), and shared by him and Tim Painter in Sprints in 1977. Retained by Fraser for 1978 and 1979, and appeared at Wiscombe Park events in 1980 and 1982. Then via David McLaughlin to Keith Norman about 1984 and used by him in HSCC events in the 1980s and 1990s. To Rob Haze (Netherlands) between 1992 and 1995, and then back to Norman again. To John Dunham April 2001, then to Ben Tyler 2003, then Peter Shaw 2004, then Dr John Monson 2007.
8. Brabham BT30 [8] (Mike Remnant): Bought by Mick Mooney's Irish Racing Cars for Tommy Reid (Tandragee, County Armagh, Northern Ireland) in Irish racing late 1969, winning four of the five races it started, and also in a single F2 race at Vallelunga. Retained for 1970 and 1971 but fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC. Then via Bobby Howlings (Manchester) and Bob Vincent (Bryn, Wigan), possibly Rodney Bloor (Manchester) 1977 and Robin Darlington (Ruabon, Wales) 1977 to Tom Elton (Westbury, Wiltshire) 1978 but unused through this period. To Mike Remnant (Redruth, Cornwall) and used in sprints and hillclimbs in southwest England. Then via Bob Wilson (Glasgow, Scotland) 1981 - Jonathan Bradburn (Wolverhampton, West Midlands) c1984 - Simon Hadfield (Shepshed, Leicestershire) - Andrew Fellowes (Ramsey, Cambridgeshire) 1986 and used in HSCC racing. Later to George Nuse (Norcross, Georgia) 1990 - Jordan Harris (Malibu, California) 1992 - Peter McLaughlin (Hanover, New Hampshire) 2007 - Sean Whelan (Somerton Park, SA, Australia) 2012.
9. Chevron B17/B35 (Paul Williams): Paul Mawson (Newcastle, Staffordshire) had raced a Jomo hillclimb car until an accident in 1975. He reappeared in 1976 with a Chevron "B17/35", indicating a Chevron B17 that had been upgraded in some way to partly Chevron B35 specification. Mawson raced the car in the 1600cc hillclimb class until 1979 at least, reportedly changing his name to Paul Williams some time around 1977. After the 1979 season, Williams sold the car to Guido Van Acker in Belgium, who raced the car in the Belgian hill climb championship in 1980. Guido then sold the car to France and had no further contact with it.
10. Brabham BT30 [26] (Peter Robinson): To Alistair Walker Racing for Walker himself to race in F2 in 1970 and the first part of 1971. Sold to Tommy Reid in Ireland but not used by him and with dealer Bobby Howlings (Congleton, Cheshire) by July 1971. Used by Howlings in libre from July to September 1971 and then to George Dudley (Witney, Oxfordshire) and appeared at two libre races, the last in May 1972, but did not start either race. Dudley has not been found in any results after 1972 with this car but it must surely be the "ex-Alistair Walker" BT30 with 1600cc FVA advertised from Witney, Oxfordshire in March 1976. Later owners of BT30/26 have traced it back to 1978, when Peter Robinson (Studley, Warwickshire) was running it in hillclimbs. Robinson had acquired it with a FVA but it dropped a valve so he replaced it with a BDA. He retired it at the end of 1979 and transferred the engine into the BT29X which he then ran until he retired. The engineless BT30 was bought for Julian Majzub (Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire) by his father at the end of 1979 and was later joined by the BT29X to acquire parts that belonged to the BT30.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Chevron B28 [28-74-02] (Johnty Williamson): See full history: Chevron B28 74-02.
14. March 772P [772-10] (Alan Richards): Built by March using "several second-hand components", fitted with a front radiator and March 771B nose, and sold to David Franklin in January 1978. Franklin used the car in the British Hillclimb Championship, winning the 1978 title, and in sprints. Sold to Alan Richards for 1979, and used in sprints and hillclimbs. Converted to Hart power for 1980, when it was entered by Richards as a 772P. Returned to BMW power for 1981, but Richards rarely qualified for Top 10 run-offs during that season. Sold to John Meredith for 1982, who used a 2.1-litre BMW engine. Sold to Rodney Eyles for 1983, now fitted a BDA engine for the 1600cc class. Not seen in 1984, but Eyles returned to the "772/782" for 1985, now using a 2.5-litre Hart engine. Wrecked in Eyles accident at Blackpool in 1985.
15. March 73B [722-5] (Richard Lester): New for STP-March number two driver Niki Lauda for F2 in 1972 (won at Oulton Park in March), then for Pedro de Lamare in Torneio do Brasil. To Robert Cooper (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) for Formula Atlantic 1973, and rebuilt mid-season to 73B spec. Retained for early 1974, then sold to Dairmuid McFeeley (Clonee, Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland) for Irish Formula Atlantic in 1974, 1975 and early 1976. To John Ledlie in 1976, then sold to Richard Lester (Yoxall, Staffordshire) for sprints from 1978 to 1984. With Keith Wanklyn (Wimborne) for hillclimbs from 1985 to 1990. Via three other owners to John Gale (Sydney, NSW, Australia) 2006. Sold to Australian-resident Englishman Steve Weller (Sydney, NSW) in 2017, who moved the car to the UK.
16. March 75/76B [713M-8?] (Ken Ayers): New for James Hunt, replacing the 713S he had raced earlier in the season. The 713M was run as part of a newly constituted team run by Chris Marshall, based at his Sloan Marshall Garages in London and entered as Team Rose Bearings with Baty Group. Hunt won first time out, at Crystal Palace in June, and also at Brands Hatch in August, but the car was heavily damaged in a crash during practice at Snetterton in October. Repaired and used by Bob Evans in the Boxing Day meeting at Brands. Bought from the March factory by Anthony Binnington and raced in F3 through 1972. Then to Nick Crossley for one race early in 1973 before his new 733 was ready. To Peter Stahl (Ascot, Berkshire) and raced in the 1600cc class in hillclimbs in 1973. Stahl later went abroad on business and his wife sold the March to Geoff Deakin (Penrith, later Carlisle) who hillclimbed it between 1975 and 1977. It was in 742 bodywork by 1977, and Deakin called it a "742X". Deakin recalls selling the car to a fellow hillclimber who crashed it badly the following year, taking out one side of the monocoque. Photographs show that Deakin's car exactly matches the "742X" hillclimbed by Ken Ayers (Twyford, Berkshire) in 1978 and crashed by him at some point. After this accident, the car was rebuilt on another 1971 March tub, and run with 1975 bodywork until a second accident at Le Val des Terres in July 1979. The car was then rebuilt using a 1975 March monocoque and 76B bodywork, effectively ending its link to the original 713M.

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.