BP (British) Formula Atlantic Series Race

Brands Hatch, 23 Apr 1973

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Royale RP12A [1] (Tom Pryce): New for Ray Allen to drive as a works entry in the 1972 British Formula Atlantic series. He failed to start at Brands Hatch in mid-April (engine mount) or at Snetterton in May (misfire), after which Allen focused on his F5000 drive. In July, the car returned with Tom Pryce as the driver, and he won the Yellow Pages Trophy race at Brands Hatch in October. The car was updated to RP12A specification for 1973 with new bodywork, and Pryce was a leading contender in the series, with three pole positions and three wins by early May. Pryce then left the team to move into F2, and the RP12A was taken over by FF driver David Barden, who entered it intermittently over the next two years. Subsequent history unknown but reported to have been destroyed in a fire at some point.
2. March 722 [10] (David Purley): New to David Purley and entered by Lec Refrigeration Racing for him in F2 in 1972. Retained for 1973, but converted to Formula Atlantic, fitted with Falconer bodywork and run in the two British championships, winning the opening race of each championship. At Silverstone in May, Autosport reported that the car was appearing for the first time in 73B bodywork and using narrow track. Photographs of the car at the following race, which Purley won, show that it also had front-facing rollhoop supports, which are usually indicative of the 1973 March monocoque, and a more detailed picture of the car at Silverstone in July shows that the front suspension also indicated it now had a 1973 monocoque. He used the car to the end of the season, winning five races in total. It was then raced by Dieter Quester at Macau at the end of 1973, who was said to have bought the "73B". However, Quester's recollection was that it was rented by Team Harper for him to drive. Subsequent history unknown, but possibly sold in the Far East. The car would probably have been indistinguishable from a 73B by this time.
3. March 73B [1] (Stephen Choularton): Stephen Choularton (Hale Barns, Cheshire) acquired the first production March 73B and raced it in libre events and in the British F/Atlantic series with support from Autovita Developments Ltd. His mechanic Jim Crawford also raced this car in a libre race that year. Choularton continued with the car in 1974 when it was driven by Crawford in one round, at Brands Hatch in September, after Crawford had damaged his usual car. The car was next seen in May 1975 when Choularton dusted it off for Cyd Williams to drive after Williams had wrecked Graham Eden's Brabham BT40. Choularton retained the car, unused, until 1977 when it was sold to Paul Gardner (Preston, Lancashire) and used in libre racing in 1977. It then travelled out to the West Indies, quite possibly via Manchester-based racing car dealer Bobby Howlings, who would have known Gardner well, and was a regular visitor to the West Indies series. Raced by Mark Moodie in 1978 and 1979, winning the 1979 Jamaican National Championship. Subsequent history unknown, but it may have gone to Gordon Gonsalves in Trinidad.
4. March 722 [5] (Robert Cooper): 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.
5. March 722 [39] (Ken Bailey): New to Graham Eden Racing in April 1972 for Cyd Williams (Sandbach, Cheshire) to drive in British Formula Atlantic. It replaced the Chevron B18 which had taken Williams to two wins earlier in the season. Once he had the car to his liking, Williams won six out of the next nine races, but narrowly lost the championship to Bill Gubelmann. Run by Graham Eden Racing for Ken Bailey (Stretford, Greater Manchester) in 1973, and fitted with Falconer bodywork in May. The car was sold to Philip Dowell (Ombersley, Worcestershire) for 1974, but during pre-season testing at Silverstone, he hit the bank heavily at Woodcote corner and died later in hospital. It is assumed that the March was destroyed in the accident.
6. Ensign LNF2/72 [F2-1] (Brian Robinson): Originally built for John Burton (Kidderminster, Worcestershire) to race as a works Team Ensign F2 entry in 1972, the LNF2 failed to qualify for its first two races, and the project was abandoned. It is then believed to be the car used as a works Formula Atlantic car for Mike Walker, who won a championship round at Snetterton in July. The car was then fielded as a works Formula 3 car for Tony Trimmer to drive in October 1972. Sold to Brian Robinson (Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham) and raced in Formula Atlantic in 1973, plus a one-off F2 race. Robinson then bought a F5000 McLaren, and the Ensign was raced briefly by Roger Keele, and is then believed to have been sold to Martyn Denley in September. The car's movements from 1974 to 1978 are not yet decyphered, but from 1979 to 1984 it was hillclimbed by Peter Varley (Barnsley, South Yorkshire). Then via three other owners to Barry Pickard and raced in Historic F3 in 1993. Later raced in Classic F3 by Paul Newton 1993-95, and by Martin Woodman in 1994. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Lyncar 003 [003] (John Nicholson): New for John Nicholson in May or June 1972, replacing Lyncar 002, and raced in the British Formula Atlantic series, using Piper BDA engines. Nicholson was probably driving this car when he won at Mallory Park in late May. He was third in the championship in 1972. He retained the car for 1973, and won at Silverstone in May and at Oulton Park in July. Exactly when he moved to his new car, Lyncar 005, is unclear, but it appears to have been prior to the Oulton Park race in early July. David Oxton then raced 003 at Silverstone on 14 July. Lyncar 003 was sold to Martin Steele (Faringdon, Oxfordshire) who fitted a Ford twin cam engine and raced it in sprints until 1982. He generally appeared in club events, but ran in British Sprint Championship round at Wroughton and Bassingbourne, and later at Colerne in 1978 and 1979. After 1982, the car was refurbished and the engine rebuilt, before a final appearance in 1985.
8. March 722 [29] (Mike Mather): New to John Calvert (Seaham, County Durham), and raced in Formula Atlantic and libre racing in 1972. The car regularly wore #77, and was described as white or blue. Sold to Mike Mather (St Helens, Merseyside) and used by him, and once by brother Kim Mather, in Formula Atlantic and libre in early 1973. Sold to John Kitchen in mid-season, and used by him in sprints and hillclimbs in late 1973, 1974, 1975 and early 1976, using a BDA engine. Then to Peter Riley (Crosby, Liverpool), again for sprints and hillclimbs. At first it was said to have a Cosworth FVA engine, but it had a Richardson BDA in 1977. Riley was still using the 722 in speed events as late as 1984. According to speed event historian Steve Wilkinson, Riley retained the car, complete but dismantled, and stored in his garage. Riley died in 2011, and the car passed to Paul Gardner and Alan Newton, and Gardner started the restoration. When Newton died, the car was sold to Chris Simpson in 2014, but he did not use it. It went to Ashley Hodge in 2016, and then to Daniel Clayfield in 2017.
9. Surtees TS10 [05] (Geoff Friswell): A new car built to replace the TS10/03 wrecked by Carlos Reusch at Pau in May, and raced by him as a Team Surtees entry during the 1972 F2 season. Reusch retired after two races of the Torneio do Brasil, and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud drove the car in the final Interlagos race. Sold to Geoff Friswell for 1973, and converted to Formula Atlantic specification, but the Clubmen's expert had a poor run of results, which ended at Mallory Park in May when he spun off at Gerards and badly damaged the car. Friswell acquired a new March 73B to replace it, and the Surtees was advertised as complete but damaged in November 1973. The subsequent history of the wreck is not known, but its tub was later with Dave Allen as a spare for his TS10/01, and was still in its company when TS10/01 was sold by Peter Bromage to Don Wood in the late 1980s.
10. March 712M [11 as '9'] (Colin Andrews): New to the Shell Arnold team for Jean-Pierre Jaussaud to race in F2 in 1971. Raced by Ferrari F1 driver Clay Regazzoni in the final race of the season. To Colin Andrews for 1972, now wearing the 712M-9 chassis plate, and raced in Formula Atlantic in 1972 and 1973. Acquired by Mike Sullivan Racing/Multiglide International Racing, for Formula Atlantic again, first driven by Richard Robinson, then by Alan Jones, who astonishingly won the high-profile Martini International support race at Silverstone in May, and finally by Richard Knight. Subsequent history unclear, as three separate former Sullivan/Multiglide cars went to Norman Dickson in Scotland, to Kim Mather in Lancashire, and to the partnership of John Colley and Rhoddy Harvey Bailey in Derbyshire. Which was which may never be known.
11. March 722 [24] (Jas Patterson): New to Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) to use in the 1972 Yellow Pages Formula Atlantic championship. The car was blue and yellow, and wore #16 all season. Gubelmann won six races and narrowly pipped Cyd Williams to the championship title. The car was sold to fellow American Jas Patterson (Rosslyn Heights, NY) for 1973, repainted red and white, and entered for him by Texaco Team Racing/RIR in the 1973 British season. Patterson crashed heavily at Oulton Park in May 1973, and although the car was rebuilt, he appeared a few races later in what appears to be a new 73B. Patterson raced the 73B for the remainder of 1973 and through 1974, but the 722 reappeared in early November 1974 when an ex-Patterson "722/73B" was acquired by Roy Baker (Ferndown, Dorset) and raced regularly by him through the 1975 season. Subsequent history unknown.
12. Surtees TS15 [06] (Peter Wardle): New to Peter Wardle (Wimbledon, London) and raced in British Formula Atlantic in 1973, winning from pole position at one race Brands Hatch in August. Retained for 1974, again in British Formula Atlantic, and then retained for a third season in 1975. However, towards the end of 1975, Wardle was entering Steve Carvill (Wimbledon, London) in some races, and it is unclear whether the team had a second TS15 by this point, as the pair never appeared together in the same race. Wardle acquired sponsorship from Radio Luxembourg and Applied Racing Techniques for 1976, and both Wardle and Carvill appeared in Indylantic and in Shellsport G8 during that season, presumably both still in chassis 06. Wardle advertised a TS15 in 1983, with FG400 but no engine and a mountain of spares. According to researcher David McKinney, chassis 06 and chassis 07 were with Tony Collinson in 1990, and chassis 06 appears to stayed with its sister through the ownership of Gerry Wainwright, John Elliott, Mark Griffiths and Crispian Besley, who had both cars in 2010. Beesley sold chassis 06 to Dean Forward in 2019, still in unrestored component form.
13. Wimhurst (Jack Paterson): Designed and built in 1972 by Len Wimhurst, the former Palliser designer. It was a monocoque design and intended for F2 but fitted with a BDA engine and used in F/Atlantic in 1972 and 1973 by Jack Paterson (Seer Green, Buckinghamshire), who had previously driven in GT racing. Subsequent history unknown.
14. GRD 372 [036-F3] (Robin Smythe): New to Robin Smythe (Hounslow, Greater London) replacing a March 723 he had raced earlier in the season. Smythe converted the car to Formula Atlantic specification for 1973 and although it was often entered for BP Formula Atlantic events, Smythe's actual race starts were rare. Throughout that season, his older March 723 was raced as a Formula Atlantic by Johnny Dimsdale and by Reg James. In 1974, the GRD was described as a 274 and continued to fail to appear or fail to start championship events, but was a regular starter in Formule Libre events at Silverstone and at Brands Hatch. It was not seen in 1975, but made a couple of entries in ShellSport championship events in 1976, predictably failing to appear. The car is believed to have gone to Dave Saunders in 1976, but that may have been a hire deal, and then later spent time in French hillclimbs before returning to the UK.
15. Brabham BT40 [21] (Cyd Williams): New to Graham Eden Racing, and driven by Cyd Williams in the 1973 British Formula Atlantic championship. Retained by Eden and Williams for 1974. After Williams crashed the car at Brands Hatch in September 1974, it was raced by Richard Morgan and Tony Trimmer later that season. Retained by Eden again for 1975, with Cyd Williams again driving. To 23-year-old Formula Ford drivers David Winstanley (Winsford, Cheshire) of Withers of Winsford for 1976, and raced in the Indylantic championship with sponsorship from Roosters night club.
16. Chevron B25 [25-73-05] (Martin Webb): Used by Martin Webb for the first half of the British Atlantic season but without a great deal of success, and also in libre events. Sold to Chris Skellern (Worcester) for libre races, hill climbs and sprints in 1974. Sold to Harold McGarrity (Belfast, Northern Ireland) for the 1975 Irish Formula Atlantic season. Retained by McGarrity for 1976, and also appeared a few times in 1977. Subsequent history unknown but a strong candidate for the 'B27' of Bosco O'Brien in 1978.
17. GRD B72 [272 012-F2] (Martin Watson): New to Martin Watson (Lowestoft, Suffolk) and used in British Formula Atlantic in 1972. Watson's yellow GRD was described as a 272, 372 and B72 that season. Retained for 1973, when Watson raced in Formula Atlantic and in Formule Libre. He used the car again in libre and F/Atlantic in 1974, but only appeared at a handful of events. Not seen in 1975 or 1976, but Watson returned to libre racing at Mallory Park and Cadwell Park in 1977, competing in the "King of Cadwell" libre series and the BRSCC Midland Centre libre championship. He returned again for a handful of libre races in 1978, and at least one race in 1979. Subsequent history unknown.
18. Lotus 69 [71/69.8.FB] (Ian Mawby): Built for stock with white bodywork according to the Lotus built record. Fitted with a Cosworth FVC engine for Tetsu Ikuzawa to drive in the JAF Grand Prix in May 1971, then returned to Europe and converted to Formula 2 specification for Reine Wisell to drive. Advertised by Lotus Cars Ltd in March 1972 and apparently unused until early December when Ian Mawby (Cambridge) acquired the "ex-Wisell" car to replace the Lotus 69 he had wrecked at Brands Hatch at the end of November. Raced by Mawby until an accident at Snetterton in July 1973 left him badly injured. Mawby started to rebuild this car with a new chassis, but it was still incomplete when sold to John Bicht, an American expat. Bicht rebuilt the car with a number of his own ideas, including narrower front track and a Lola T360 nose, and raced it in Indylantic in Britain in 1976 as the "Swift SA1". He advertised the car in 1977, and eventually sold it to a friend in the US. Bicht made further improvements, including narrower rear track and a March nose. It was later sold by this owner to Joe Grimaldi. Subsequent history unknown.
19. Chevron B25 [25-73-08] (unknown): New to George Silverwood and entered by his Central Garage (Mirfield) Ltd for John Lepp in British Formula Atlantic in 1973. Also used by Lepp in the first European F2 round at Mallory Park, with the 1.6 BDA still in it. Lepp's sports car racing took priority from July and the B25 was sold to Patsy McGarrity (Belfast, Northern Ireland) for Formula Ireland racing. Loaned by him to Chevron cars for John Watson to use in the F2 race at Albi. Converted back to Formula Atlantic for McGarrity to race in the 1974 Irish season, winning eight races and the All-Ireland championship. Sold on to Pat Woods (Newcastle, County Wicklow, Ireland) for 1975, and retained for two further seasons. Last seen when Woods crashed heavily in practice at Phoenix Park in September 1977, when the car was described as wrecked. Woods' daughter later told James Murray that he sold the wreckage of the B25 to Bobby Howlings. Subsequent history unknown.
20. Lola T360 [HU1] (Bev Bond): The first Lola T360 made its first race appearance when loaned to Formula Atlantic championship leader Richard Scott for the International Trophy support race at Silverstone in April 1974. It had gone well in testing, but was understeering severely at Silverstone and was taken away. Scott returned to it at Silverstone again in May, and was impressively second in practice, led, and set fastest lap before retiring. Scott returned to his own F2 car and won the next round. The works T360 was next seen in May, when it was loaned to Ken Bailey for the remainder of the season. Wrecked at Silverstone on 28 July when Bailey spun at Copse on the opening lap and took off Spitzley, Musetti, Smiley and Wentz, and replaced with a new car.

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 race results have been compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Autosport and Motoring News reports in the UK 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.

Individual sources for this event

Sources include a grid from an annotated programme acquired by Chris Townsend.

Richard Page of the Formula One Register has added to the Autosport results using details from the lap chart and entry list he annotated in his programme that day.