Bogotá Grand Prix

Bogotá, 14 Feb 1971

All cars are 1.6-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT30 [6] (Alan Rollinson): Bought by Mick Mooney's Irish Racing Cars for Alan Rollinson to race in F2 in 1969. Retained for 1970 but raced only at Phoenix Park as it still had 1969-style aluminium fuel tanks which weren't allowed in 1970. Raced at Bogotá early 1971 when Rollinson won the second race. Then to John Smith (Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) for Irish 1600cc racing, winning first time out at Mondello Park in April 1971. To Ken Walker (Harrogate, North Yorkshire) for 1972 and raced in northern English libre racing. Advertised by Adrian Bethall of Northern Racing Spares (Sheffield, South Yorkshire) in January 1973. Subsequent history unknown. At some point in the early 1980s, a BT30 was reputedly sold by dealer Jon Blackburn to Otford Group's Jim Wallis (Edenbridge, Kent) who restored it and raced it in HSCC events from 1982 to 1985. Its HSCC papers issued in 1984 identify it as BT30-6. It then passed via Bobby Howlings to Tony Thompson in 1986 but he did not like the car and had sold it to Australian Chris Farrell by 1987. Retained in Farrell's collection for many years. Fully restored in 2006 and raced in Tasman Revival events.
2. Brabham BT30 [25] (Rolf Stommelen): To Eifelland Wohnwagenbau (Mayen, Germany) for Rolf Stommelen to race in F2 in 1970. Driven later in the season by Hermann Unold and Willi Deutsch. Retained for early 1971 and raced by Stommelen and Hans-Joachim Stuck. To Hansruedi Wittwer (Diepoldsau, Switzerland) and raced in German, Swiss, French and Italian hillclimbs in 1972 and 1973. Wittwer then acquired a newer BT40, and the BT30 was sold to Janos Kiss (Lustenau, Austria), and raced in hillclimbs around central Europe between 1974 and 1977, mainly in Austria and Germany. The car was eventually put into storage, remaining there until 2002 when the container was vandalised. Sold to Rolf Gomeringer (Meßstetten, Germany), offered for sale by Coys at Essen 2002 and bought after the sale by Steve Worrad (Whitchurch, Shropshire). To Simon Langman (Worthing, West Sussex) 2005, and raced in the HSCC Classic Racing Car Championship from 2006 to 2008.
3. Brabham BT30 [14] (Peter Westbury): Sold new to Ecurie Ecosse and run for Graham Birrell in F2 in 1970. Also raced once by Peter Gethin and by Richard Attwood later in the season. To Peter Westbury early 1971 and raced in several F2 races (also raced once by Dieter Quester) until the team's BT36 was delivered. Sold to Dunnett's Garage, converted to F/Atlantic specification and entered for Ronnie Mackay in libre and F/Atlantic in 1971 and 1972, run by MRE. To Chong Boon Seng for south east Asian racing in 1973 and used by him until 1976. Then to Del Schloemer and raced by him and by Cherie Schloemer in 1977 and 1978. To Wybe Valkema around 1980 and retained to 1982. Then to Australia and with Brian Wilson by 1988. Wilson sold it to Art Valdez (Torrance, CA) and from Valdez it returned to Australia when he sold it to Bob Ilich (Perth, WA) in 2010.
4. Lotus 69 [69.F2.4] (Enzo Corti): New to Jochen Rindt Racing Ltd, managed by Bernie Ecclestone, for Jochen Rindt to race in F2 in 1970. According to Richard Spelberg's research, this car was Rindt's previous Lotus 59B chassis 59-F2-19 converted to Lotus 69 specification for 1970. Sold for 1971 to Wilson Fittipaldi's new Team Bardahl, managed by mechanic Richard Divila, but Fittipaldi could not get on with it, and it was soon replaced with a new March 712M. The Lotus ended up with dealer Bobby Howlings, who drove it at Croft on 19 September, after which it was evaluated briefly by Peter Hanson as a possible route back into single-seaters. Instead it was sold to another wheeler-dealer, Brian Classick, who raced in in libre in October. In early 1972 Classick entered it in libre for Willie Green then it was sold to John Coulter for libre later in the season, and then sold to Johnny Blades, who raced it once at the end of 1972. Blades advertised the car as "ex-Rindt, ex-Coulter" in November 1972, and as "ex-Rindt" in March 1973. As Rindt's Lotus 59B had been rebuilt into his Lotus 69, this is the only car that can have been. The car was acquired soon after this, possibly directly from Blades, by a major but very private collector of Lotuses, and remained in his collection, unseen, for over 20 years. According to historian David McKinney, the car was being stored by Peter Spooner in the mid-1990s, but when Spooner later died, the Lotus 69 was sold by his son David Spooner in lieu of storage charges to Joe Willenpart (Austria) around 2003.
5. Chevron B18 [18.71.3] (Jo Siffert): New to Chevron's European agent Jo Siffert and raced by him in the F2 races at Bogotá in February 1971. Driven by Siffert in some European F2 races later in 1971, but more usually by François Mazet, who finished fourth at Pau but otherwise had a difficult season. Raced by José Dolhem at the final race of the year. It appears the Chevron was returned to Bolton after 1971 and found its way into the hands of Roger Hire, who was also running a Chevron B21 with Peter Hanson. The car was then leased to Willie Green and fitted with a 1.9 Alan Smith Cosworth FVC for the Rothmans 50,000 libre race in August 1972. Then unknown until July 1982, when "chassis no. 3 ex Siffert" was advertised by Richard Parkin (Manton, Leicestershire). Parkin recalls selling it to a dentist in Solihull, possibly named Tony Griffin, so maybe the Chevron B19 owner of that name. It was next seen when sold by John Harper to Robert Campbell (Dukinfield, Cheshire), who registered his fully restored red "ex-Jo Siffert F2 Chevron B18-71/3" with the HSCC in May 1989. Raced by Campbell from 1988 to 1991, then sold in 1993 to Sheila and Tim Hassel, who did not race it. To Denis Welch in 1999, but again not raced. Sold to a Swiss owner in 2003. Next seen in 2014, when a red B18 was advertised by Lutziger Classic Cars, showing the 1990 HSCC papers and a "71/3" chassis plate.
6. Lotus 59B/69 [59-F2-21] (Johnny Blades): New to Max Mosley for Formula 2 in 1969. It was prepared and entered by Len Street Engineering, a successful west London Lotus dealership. The car was first seen at the Jarama F1/F5000 race where it was ballasted and entered in the F1 class. At its next race, the F2 race at the Nürburgring, Mosley went off the road during practice when a bolt worked lose in the front suspension, and the Lotus was severely damaged. It returned to Lotus for repairs, but then remained unused during the summer as Mosley retired from driving. In September it was loaned to Roy Winkelmann Racing so that Ronnie Peterson could drive it at Albi, a precursor to Mosley and Winkelmann team manager Alan Rees signing Peterson to drive the new March F3 car two weeks later. The 59B was also raced by John Miles at Vallelunga. Then sold to Johnny Blades (Whitley Bay, Northumberland) for F2 in 1970, appearing at four early-season F2 races before being returned to Lotus to be converted to 69 specification. After a few libre races, it returned to F2 at Mantorp Park in August, where Autosport said "the only parts remaining of his ex-Mosley 59B being the wheels, gearbox and engine". Despite this surgery, the car was often described as a 59 or a 59B during Blades' ownership. Retained by Blades for F2 in 1971, when it was also raced by Carlos Pace at Crystal Palace. Blades retained the car again for 1972, when it was fitted with a BDA and used in the British Formula Atlantic series. Then sold to Ton Strous (Netherlands) for 1973, and fitted with a F2 engine, but Strous withdrew after wrecking his engine before his first race. Converted by Strous to F3 specification, but then unknown Strous reportedly sold it in 1991 to Richard Spelberg (Dusseldorf, Germany), who converted back to Lotus 59B spec for historic F2.
7. Brabham BT23C [11] (Brian Cullen): New to Winkelmann Racing for Alan Rees to race in F2 in 1968 but also raced by Gerhard Mitter at Hockenheim in October. To Bill Ivey for 1969 and entered for him in F2 races by Paul Watson Racing Organisation (PWRO). To Brian Cullen (Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland) in August 1969 and he raced it in a F5000 race and in libre in 1969, in European F2 events in 1970, and at Bogotá in early 1971. Entered by Irish Racing Team for Lingard Goulding at Mondello Park in July 1971 and then maybe the BT23C raced by Ted Shanahan (Dublin) over the next two months and also possibly the BT23C raced by Roy Courtney (Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) in local clubmans/club specials racing in 1972. To Harold McGarrity (Belfast) for 1973 and raced in Formula Ireland with a 1.6-litre Holbay engine. To Paddy Heron for 1974 and raced in clubmans and in Formula Atlantic. For sale from Glengormley in 1975 and entered by Belfast car dealer Noel Crymble for Chris Stanfield to race at Kirkistown a couple of times until the Holbay pushrod engine blew up. Next seen when bought from Ireland by Mark Raymont who still had it in the late 1980s with a Holbay engine and Hewland Mk 8 gearbox. Sold to Steve Worrad (Whitchurch, Shropshire) of Maverick Motorsport around 2002 and restored by him. For sale by Maverick in 2004 and sold the following year via the Bonhams auction at RAF Hendon to Joe Willenpart (Scheibbs, Austria).
8. Brabham BT30 [26] (Alistair Walker): 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.
9. Brabham BT30 [10] (Cyd Williams): Sold new to Rodney Bloor's Sports Motors (Manchester) Ltd and run for Tim Schenken in F2 in 1970. Raced also by Gerry Birrell once at Hockenheim. Sold to Ian Bannen and entered by him for Cyd Williams to drive in a few F2 races at the start of 1971 but sold mid 1971 to Bill Creasy (Dunstable, Bedfordshire), fitted with a Broadspeed twin cam and used in Libre and Formula Atlantic races, mainly at Silverstone. Raced again briefly by Creasy at the start of 1973 then sold to David Howes in part-exchange for a Mustang. Next seen with Simon Riley (Edmonton, North London) and hill-climbed in 1973, when it was reported as having a FVA engine again, and in early 1974. Subsequent history unknown but a car claiming this identity was bought from Manchester dealer Bob Fernley by William Southern (Blackpool) some time in the 1970s. Southern kept the car until selling it to dealer John Brannigan in the mid/late 1980s. To Jim Gathercole (Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire) 1989, and raced in Historic F2. Restored and sold to Nicolas Moreau de Melen (Belgium) 2007. To Bernd and Michael Quitzow (Germany) 2009.
10. Crosslé 18F [18F.70.01] (Tetsu Ikuzawa): New for Brian Nelson at the Mondello Park Boxing Day libre race in December 1969 in Formula B specification with a Ford twin cam. Fitted with a Cosworth FVA for 1970 and raced as a F2 in Irish libre racing in the early part of the season, then later in hillclimbs, and in the F2 races at Mantorp Park, Phoenix Park and Imola. Taken to Bogotá in February 1971 for Tetsu Ikuzawa to drive. Subsequent history unknown but believed to be the 18F bought by Mike Winn in 2012.
11. Chevron B18 [18.71.2] (Xavier Perrot): New to Chevron's European agent Jo Siffert and entered by Siffert Racing in the F2 races at Bogotá in February 1971 for Xavier Perrot to drive. Perrot drove it one more time, at the European season opener at Mallory Park in March, but then acquired a March 712M instead. The Chevron went to Midland Racing Team in for Bruno Frey (Horw, Switzerland) to drive, but after failing to qualify for the Hockenheim round of the championship in April, he limited his appearances to non-championship and national events. For 1972, the car went to fellow Swiss Georges Schäfer and was fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth BDE for French hillclimbs, domestic events, and a few failures to qualify for F2 races. He returned for another DNQ at the start of 1973, after which the car disappears. This could be the car later used by Rémi Gillis, Bernard-Etienne Grobot and Lucien Guitteny in French hillclimbs, but that could also have been the ex-Hervé Bayard car. In July 1976, Michel Wyler (Geneva, Switzerland) had a B18 at Ayent Anzere which is likely to be this car. In 1995, Fredy Kumschick (Lucerne/Luzern, Switzerland), applied for FIA papers for a Chevron B18 with chassis number 71-2. The history given had a gap after Frey until Walter Bollier (Zürich, Switzerland) in 1991 and then Kumschick in 1994, who ran it for Peter Stoboski. Sold to dealer Christophe Pund of Le Galerie des Damiers (Cassel, France) in 2004 and then to an unknown owner and advertised on his behalf by Lutziger Classic Cars from 2012 to 2015, at which time it was yellow. Subsequent history unknown.
12. Brabham BT30 [24] (Jürg Dubler): To Team Obrist and run by Motor Racing Enterprises in F2 in 1970 for Howden Ganley, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Richard Scott. Retained for 1971 and entered by Team Obrist for Jürg Dubler in F2 and also in some French and Swiss hillclimbs. Presumably the car driven by Albert Obrist at Lorentzweiler in April 1972. Then to Michel Pignard (Rillieux, France) for French hillclimbs in 1972 and early 1973 before being replaced with a 1971 Pygmée MDB16. Sold to Daniel Gache (Avignon, France) and advertised by him in December 1973. Gache recalls that he sold it to someone in the 'area of Lyon' and he believed that Gérard Gamand later bought the car from that same man. To Gamand (France) 1985 and retained to at least 1990. With Gerard Cerny (France) in 1994. Then unknown until raced by Laurent Fort (France) in 2009 and 2010. Sold to Ian Rimmer (Pavenham, Bedfordshire) in 2011 and restored by Peter Denty Racing. Sold by Rimmer in 2013 to Ray Stubber (Australia) who ran the car in a few HSCC Historic F2 and Derek Bell Trophy races between 2013 and 2015.
13. March 702 [3] (Hannelore Werner): New to Eifelland for F2 in 1970, and raced by Rolf Stommelen, then Helmut Gall and then Hannelore Werner. It was retained for the start of the 1971 season and was raced by Werner at Bogotá and later by Hermann Unold at Hockenheim and Willi Deutsch at Nürburgring where it was badly damaged. According to Marcel Spiess's research, Eifelland sold the 702 to Günther Kox in 1971, who took it to the Sauber team to make into a sports car, retaining the 702's Cosworth FVA engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox. This would be the Sauber C2B that was raced by Dieter Kox (Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) in 1972 in the 1600cc class of German hillclimbs. He continued with the car in 1973 and 1974. It was then raced by Pierre Zoia (Basel, Switzerland) from 1975 to 1977. How much of the 702 was consumed into the Sauber is unknown; the original C2 built for Hans Kühnis was said to use the suspension from a F2 March, but a chassis built by Sauber. When the car was retired, it was acquired by Walter Grell for his museum at Rheinfelden, where it sat for over 25 years. It was sold to a new owner in February 2007. The Sauber was seen at the Ollon-Villars Historic Hillclimb in September 2013.
14. Lotus 69 [69.F2.5] (Graham Hill): New to Jochen Rindt Racing Ltd, managed by Bernie Ecclestone, for John Mikes and Graham Hill to race in F2 in 1970. According to Richard Spelberg's research, this car was Hill's previous Lotus 59B chassis 59-F2-20 converted to Lotus 69 specification for 1970. Also driven by Eugenio Baturone at Montjuich Park. Retained by Ecclestone for Hill to race in the first few F2 races of 1971, then sold to Pete Lovely and fitted with the rear end of his Lotus 49B for suitable races at his home track in Seattle, and for the 1971 US GP. After Lovely died in 2011, the car was sold by his daughter to Peter Gleeson (Seattle, WA), a BMW collector originally from England.
15. Brabham BT30 [4] (Silvio Moser): Sold to Frank Williams Racing Cars and entered for Malcolm Guthrie in two F2 races at Zolder and Monza in June 1969, and for Derek Bell at Vallelunga at the end of the season. Next seen in June 1970 when entered by Scuderia Jolly Club for Giancarlo Gagliardi but now given as chassis BT30-7 instead of BT30-4. This apparent change of number may be the result f the car's frame number, 'AM69-7', being used as its chassis number after it moved to Italy. For Silvio Moser at Bogotá early 1971 and at Mallory Park in March; then entered by Scuderia Ala d'Oro for several drivers in the first half of the season. When the team's other two BT30s were written off, the team bought new March 712Ms, and the last time this remaining BT30 was seen was at Monza in June 1971, where Gimax failed to qualify. A car with chassis number BT30-7 with Fabio Montani (Italy) in 1997. This car was imported to the US by Dave Irwin (Colorado) in 1998 and restored. Then via Barry Marquart (Kansas) 1999, Peter McLaughlin (Hannover, NH) 2005, James King (Belleville, IL) 2006 and Richard Scott (Ohio) 2007 to Brad Baker (Oshawa, Ontario) in 2009.
16. March 712M [4] (Henri Pescarolo): New to Frank Williams Racing, and raced in F2 in 1971 by Henri Pescarolo, Andrea de Adamich, and "Jean Max", who crashed heavily at Rouen in June. Suggestions that the car was replaced by a new car, 712M/25, after that accident appear to be unfounded. Used by Pescarolo for the remainder of the 1971 European season. At the Torneio Brasiliero, it was raced by Pescarolo in the first two races, then by Carlos Pace at Porte Allegre, and by local driver Nestor Garcia Veiga at Cordoba. This is almost certainly the "ex-Pescarolo" March sold to Tino Brambilla for 1972, and raced by brother Vittorio at several F2 events, using an 1800cc Novamotor BDA. According to later owner Fabio Montani, this is the car that went to Ettore Ricci and Scuderia Nettuno for 1973. A few modifications were made to the car, including fitting a 2-litre Armoroli BDA engine and a Hewland FG400 gearbox to replace the original FT200, and it was entered as a Somalita, but all the race reports, including Autosprint's, simply called it a March 712M. The last time the car was seen in F2 was at Vallelunga in October, when Fernando Spreafico drove it, but the Armoroli BDA engine broke on the warm-up lap. The car was then bought by Adriano Parlamento (Turin), so this would be the March "732" that Parlamento used in hillclimbs from 1974 onwards. Parlamento last raced it in 1979, and after a season racing small saloons, he acquired a March 75S sports car for the 1981 season. The March 712M/732 was acquired by Fabio Montani (Milan) and restored. It is hoped that photographs were taken of the car in Parlamento's distinctive bodywork to prove the identity of this car. It was advertised by Montani in December 1994, when it was said to have new skins and suspension, and a Richardson BDA engine, but with the old parts available.

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

All chassis numbers assumed to carry over from the first race and therefore identified by Motoring News 11 Feb 1971 p3.