Rhodesian Grand Prix

Donnybrook, 31 Jul 1976

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT1/76 [10] (Roy Klomfass): New to Eddie Pinto's Team Gunston for Roy Klomfass at the end of 1975 and fitted with a Swindon BDA for the 1976 South African Formula Atlantic season. It was also fitted with a centre-post rear wing fabricated by GP Metalcraft, the only Ralt not to have an end-plate-supported rear wing. It was used through the 1976 season in South Africa, during which time it was extensively modified. In early 1977 it was sold "to a guy in Los Angeles". This must have been Kevin Cogan (Torrance, CA, in southwestern Los Angeles County), who raced his newer RT1/76-33 in 1977 but kept chassis 10 with its distinctive centre-post rear wing as a spare car for the first part of 1977. It was borrowed by Pierre Phillips at Mosport Park in May for Juan Cochésa to race after the Venezuelan crashed his intended car in practice. Then very probably the car acquired from Brian Robertson by John Connolly (Brooklyn, NY) and raced by him at Trois-Rivières in September. The car is thought to have remained with Connolly until advertised by him in early 1982, but he also had a newer RT1/78 and a Ralt RT4. After Connolly, the car may have gone to James Malapanis (Carlisle, MA) 1982-83 and then Richard Mullins (Hannover, PA) up to 1993. We would be keen to make contact with Malapanis or Mullins. [CT]
2. Wheatcroft R18 [003] (Nols Nieman): Sold new to Alex Blignaut, for the 1976 South African season driven by Nols Neiman. Chassis number given in AS report of Welkom race 10 Feb 76, with the note that ‘last year’s Wheatcroft works car’ was carried as the team spare [R18-002]. Used throughout season, the spare remaining un-raced until 1977. Reported by Ian Hebblewhite as sold to Grant Maben in 1977, debut at Kyalami 1 Oct 77.
3. Modus M3 [024] (Dave Charlton): New to Scribante Racing for Dave Charlton to race in South African Formula Atlantic in 1976, sponsored by the United Tobacco Company's Lucky Strike brand. Charlton acquired a new March 76B mid-season, and the Modus was taken over by Kevin Stopford for the rest of 1976. Retained by Stopford for 1977 and thought to have been wrecked that season. Components from this car were acquired by the Domingos to assist in the rebuild of their own Modus M3. The monocoque from Stopford's car has been repaired and was reportedly still in South Africa in 2019.
4. Chevron B29 [29-75-25] (John Gibb): The Rapid Movements Chevron B29 driven by Matt Spitzley is believed to have suffered a testing accident at some point early in 1975, and it was rebuilt with a new monocoque. At the Oulton Park race on 26 May, it was noted as having chassis plate 75-25, but exactly when the rebuild took place is still unclear. Gunnar Nilsson took over the car from Spitzley in August, and recorded five successive wins in it, four of them from pole. In January 1976 it was sold to John Gibb (Randburg, South Africa), to be raced in the new South African Formula Atlantic series, entered by Team Mum for Men with backing from Pioneer Hi Fi. It was sold to Geoff Frizell (Durban, South Africa) for 1977, and returned with Frizell in 1979, when it was described as a B34. It then went to Manny Pinto, and was raced by him from 1980 to 1984, and then reappeared two years later with Trevor Trautmann who raced it in 1986. Trautmann exhanged it for Alan Dunlop's Lant, and the Chevron then went to Alan McDonald and Mike Budd. Budd restored it for Mark du Toit, who owned it in 2000. It was purchased by Anthony Corin (Malmesbury, South Africa) in 2004 and was still owned by him in June 2008. By 2019 it was owned by Colin Frost.
5. Brabham BT38 [12] (John Amm): New for Motul Rondel Racing in 1972, and raced by Bob Wollek, Henri Pescarolo (who won at Enna-Pergusa), and others. One of a group of cars sold to South Africa after the Torneio do Brasil. Raced by Jackie Pretorius in 1973, using an Alan Smith Cosworth FVC, then to John Amm for 1974. Converted to Formula Atlantic and raced again by Amm in 1976. It was retained by John Amm until 1994 and then sold to Dickon Daggitt who had the car restored by Peanuts Fouche in Cape Town. After the restoration, it was sold to Thomas Koch some time around 1997-1999, and exported to the US. Then sold to Terry Allard (Denver, CO) some time before 2005.
6. Chevron B34 [34-76-02] (Tony Martin): New to Tony Martin for the 1976 South African Formula Atlantic championship, entered by Team Bic/South Coast Motors. Retained by Martin for 1977 as a spare car to his new B39 and raced only once that season, as a South Coast Motors entry for Evan Boddy at Kyalami in October. Raced by Boddy during 1978, entered again by South Coast Motors Racing. Raced again by Boddy in 1979, again entered by South Coast Motors, and also retained for 1980 as a backup for 34-76-08, but apparently unused that season. Sold in early 1981 to Stan Chandler, who commissioned SCM's engine specialist Piet Bredenhann to fit a Mazda rotary engine. The car was entered for John Banks to drive at Kyalami and at Goldfields Raceway in May 1981, at Kyalami in May 1982, and possibly at other races. Shortly after that last entry, it was sold to Ken Critchfield. The car was involved in an accident later in 1982 or in early 1983, and the engine and gearbox were then used by Fred Goddard to rebuild his March 802. The damaged Chevron tub and salvageable suspension components were returned to John Banks who retained it in its damaged state until selling it to Mike Budd in 1995. Budd was rebuilding the car for Gary Dunkerly, and after Mike's death in 2022, the restoration was taken over by his son Ryan.
7. March 722 [11] (Mervyn Tunmer): New to Brett Lunger, and entered by Space Racing for him in F2 in 1972. Bob Sparshott's partner John 'Ace' Woodington was in charge of the F1 team, with ex-Surtees mechanic Roger Flynn. Lunger also raced the car in the Torneio do Brasil in October and November 1972. March records show that this car was sold to Guy Tunmer in December 1972, although press reports at the time said Tunmer had bought the ex-Ronnie Peterson car. Tunmer (Sandton, South Africa) had acquired the 722 for the new "F2" class of the South African national championship, and had it fitted with an 1800cc Cosworth FVC and raced it through 1973. The car was not seen in 1974, but is believed to have been kept as a spare to Tunmer's new Chevron. In 1975, it was sold to André Verwey (Johannesburg, South Africa) who planned to rebuild it with a BMW F2 engine and Hewland FG400 gearbox, but when Formula Atlantic was announced, he updated it with bright red 74B bodywork and a Nicholson BDA engine. Used in this form by Verwey in two races late 1975, and then into 1976. Sold back to the Tunmers in mid-1976 for Mervyn Tunmer to use, when it was reclothed in March 76B bodywork. Unused in 1977, but then sold to Andrew Thompson in 1978, converted to a Ford V6 engine for the new formula, and raced in that form by Bobby Scott in 1979. At this time it had mostly 77B bodywork but with a front radiator and 79B sidepods, and was sponsored by Rembrandt through its Kronenbräu 1308 Lager brand. After Rembrandt's withdrawal, it was sold to Mel Lahner's Rackrite team for 1980, and raced by Derek Ziman and John McNicol. It was rebuilt with a Mazda engine mid-season. Retained by Rackrite for 1981, when it was entered for McNicol, Ziman and Lahner, then raced by Bernard Tilanus for a few races before he left the team, then by his replacement Trevor van Rooyen, and finally McNicol took it over again. Both Tilanus and van Rooyen won races in it that season. It was retained again for 1982, when Lahner's son Wayne drove it, and by this time it was in standard March 77B bodywork, but with a 79B rear wing. It was retained by the Lahner family until 2004, when it was sold back to Andrew and Stuart Thompson.
8. Palliser WDB4 [2] (Fred Goddard): New for Vern Schuppan to drive as the Palliser Racing entry in the British Formula Atlantic series, built in April 1971. This new car was built on a quite different spaceframe chassis fabricated by Bert Ray, using bigger tubes and with a larger rollhoop. It was first driven by Hugh Dibley at Castle Combe in April but did not start. Then raced by Schuppan to win a libre race at Thruxton two weeks later, and then in Formula Atlantic, winning the 1971 Yellow Pages Championship. It was then sold to Dave Handford (Chingola, Zambia) in January 1972. It was later acquired by Fred Goddard in Zimbabwe, then called Rhodesia, and he raced it in the South African Formula Atlantic series in 1976, using a Broadspeed BDA engine. It was then sold to Ronnie Watt, and in 1980 it was fitted with a Mazda engine for Mike Wesson, whom Watt had been sponsoring in FV, to drive in Formula SA events. It was then retained by Watt until 2010, when he sold it to Ian Hebblethwaite. Stuart Thompson fully restored the car to 1971 specification for Hebblethwaite.
9. March 74B [722?] (Garry Ainscough): Built up in March 74B specification by André Verwey (Johannesburg, South Africa) for Garry Ainscough (Bulawayo, Rhodesia) to race in the South African Formula Atlantic series in 1976. It has been suggested that it was built from a March 722, chassis 722/17, but evidence for this proving elusive, and it is possible that a tub number, such as AM72-17, has been misinterpreted. Ainscough raced the car again at the start of 1977, but it then disappeared again until 1980, when Alan Macdonald bought a March 722 from Tony Martin and updated it with a Mazda engine and wing-car sidepods for the Sigma Series. It was reported to be the "ex-Ainscough" March. Macdonald sold it to Dave Hart's Team Valvoline for 1981 after Hart lost his drive in the Hekro March 802. Kent Dyson bought it from Hart for the last race of the 1981 season and retained it for 1982, intending to update it to 77B specification. Ian Hebblethwaite then reports that it went to Keith Horwood for Michael Bryan in 1985, and then to Lew Baker who was the last to race it. In about 1988, it was sold via Brian Raubenheimer in South Africa to David McLaughlin in England. Its history after 1988 is still to be resolved.
10. Modus M3 ['MD'/"022A"] (Mike Domingo): Mike Domingo built up a Modus M3 for 1976 using what is believed to have been the first monocoque from Modus M3/022, which was replaced after an accident in July 1975. Raced by Mike Domingo in the South African Formula Atlantic series in 1976. Sold to John Simpson for 1977, but he crashed the car in practice at Welkom, his second event. The car returned to Team Domingo and was eventually repaired, apparently using a spare monocoque supplied to Dave Charlton in March 1976. It was raced by Yunus Domingo at least twice in 1979, and then by Jan Klinkert at Kyalami in May 1979. The car then remained with the Domingo family until 1995, when it was bought by Sam Thomas. Shortly afterwards, he sold it to to John McKercher. At this point it was found to have tub number 043-2-76, assumed to be a spare monocoque supplied to either Dave Charlton or Mike Domingo after their cars were built in 1976. Restored and used by McKercher in South African historic racing.
11. Chevron B25 [25-73-02?] (Alan Domingo): Chassis number observed by the Formula 1 Register (F1R) on the #7 Team Gunston car of Brian van Hage in the 1973 South African Formula 1 championship (F2 class). This car was raced by Ian Scheckter at the start of the 1973 season, then by Piet de Klerk, Andrew Thompson and Brian von Hage after Scheckter moved to the team's #8 car. These two cars remained with the team for 1974, now run by Ken Howes as Team Lexington. Chassis 73-02 is believed to have been the car driven by Guy Tunmer in 1974, and then by Roy Klomfass in 1975. At the end of 1975 it was sold, with chassis 73-03, to the Domingo brothers and converted to Formula Atlantic for 1976. Although it has not been possible to determine the exact usage of the two cars, it is assumed here that 73-02 was the #8 car raced by John Nicholson, Alan Domingo and Yunus Domingo in 1976. In 1978, one of the B25s was sold to Mel Lahner, and entered by his Rackrite team for Mike Hoffmann to drive. Not seen in 1979, but then converted by Andrew Thompson to Mazda rotary engines for the new South African 'Atlantic' rules. Raced by various drivers in this form in 1981 and 1982. In the absence of any other information, it is assumed that 73-02 was the first choice car, wearing #10 in 1980 and #15 in 1981. Sold to Thompson in 1983, and retained until the mid-1990s when it was restored, and sold to Gary Dunkerley in 1998. Sold on in December 2006 about 2005 to a 'racing trust' owned by Anthony Corin (Pretoria) and Peter Lindenberg. They sold it to New Zealand some time around 2016.
12. Chevron B25 [25-73-03?] (Joe Domingo): Chassis number observed by the Formula 1 Register (F1R) on the Team Gunston car of Ian Scheckter in the 1973 South African Formula 1 championship (F2 class). This car, and its sister chassis 73-02, were retained by the team for 1974, when they ran with Lexington sponsorship. Chassis 73-03 is believed to have been the car driven by Brian van Hage in 1974. In 1975, the team ran one of the B25s for Roy Klomfass, with the other one being kept as a spare car for him. Both cars were sold to the Domingo brothers for the inaugural year of the South African Formula Atlantic championship but it has not proved possibly to identify the individual histories of the two cars during this period. It is assumed that 73-02 was the #7 car driven by Joe Domingo in 1976, by Yunus Domingo in 1977, and then the #11 car entered for Joe Domingo in 1978. Not seen in 1979, but then sold to Mel Lahner for 1980, and converted by Andrew Thompson to Mazda rotary engines for the new South African 'Atlantic' rules. Raced by various drivers in this form in 1981 and 1982. In the absence of any other information, it is assumed that 73-03 was the first choice car, wearing #12 in 1980 and #16 in 1981. In 1985 or 1986, Alan Macdonald and Andrew Thompson bought 73-02 and 73-03 from Mel Lahner. Thompson refurbished 73-03 for Johann Rupert's Franschhoek Motor Museum, and sold it to the museum in 1991.
13. March 76B [1] (Ian Scheckter): New to Ian Scheckter for South African Formula Atlantic in 1976. Sold to Len Booysen for the 1977 season, then loaned by Booysen to Dave Charlton to drive. During this time it was bought from Booysen by Ken Gillibrand, who then loaned to DAW for Bernard Tilanus to drive in April and May 1978. It was unused in 1979, and advertised by Gillibrand in August. Sold later in 1979 to Soon Weeks who fitted the 2-litre BMW engine from Dave Hart's March 77B and raced it in this form in early 1980. Then swapped with Bernard Tilanus and the DAW team for DAW's Wheatcroft R18, and fitted with a Mazda engine. Raced several times by Tilanus but he then left the team after a disagreement with Jeff Waberski and was replaced by Trevor van Rooyen, who raced the 76B for the rest of 1980. It was sold to Vernon Bricknell at the end of that season, and raced by him in early 1981 until his new Maurer MM80 arrived. The 76B was then sold yet again, this time to the Pretoria Brick team for Wayne Taylor to drive, until Hekro's March 802 was acquired for him. Pretoria Brick retained the 76B for 1982, when it was raced by Basil Mann, Kevin Heath and Roy Carr. It was sold to Alan Dunlop for 1983, and he raced it until 1985. It then passed to Neville Riddell and most of its components were used in a sports car built for Riddell by Lew Baker. All that was left was the tub, and this was sold to Fred Goddard who is believed to have stripped it to keep the bulkheads as spares. At this point the 76B no longer existed.
14. Chevron B29 [29-75-15] (Len Booysen): New for Jim Crawford at Oulton Park in late May when his early-season development car was rebuilt on a new monocoque, effectively becoming a new car with chassis number 29-75-15. Crawford raced this car seven times in the British Formula Atlantic series, winning two races, and also raced it in F2 specification at Silverstone in August, using a Geoff Richardson BDA engine. Richard Morgan (Purley, Surrey) then hired the car for a few races at the end of the season. To Len Booysen (Randburg, South Africa) for the 1976 South African Formula Atlantic series, entered by Golden-Flo Racing with Kenitex. Then to Dorino Treccani, and raced by him in a few late 1977 and early 1978 races before it passed to Sarel Pienaar, who raced it for the rest of 1978 and in 1979. It was purchased from Pienaar by Peter Haller in 1980 to provide parts for his homebuilt Haller Special. The B29 tub was not used in the Haller Special, and was never converted to a Mazda engine. After Haller's death in March 1984, the original tub and salvageable parts from the B29 and were bought from Haller's widow by Alan McDonald and Mike Budd. Their plans to build a sports car did not materialize, and the B29 was eventually restored by Budd for Mike Ward. The restoration was completed around 2005. It was later sold to Doug Brown, who returned it to its 1976 Golden Flo livery. Later sold to Colin Frost about 2015.
15. Chevron B34 [34-76-03] (Guy Tunmer): A works-backed Formula Atlantic development car entered for Bill Brack in STP livery in the opening two rounds of the 1976 South African Formula Atlantic championship. Then to Guy Tunmer (Sandton) who ran it for the rest of the 1976 season, entered by Paradise Beach/National Radio. Tunmer did not continue in Formula Atlantic in 1977, and in 1978 Andrew Thompson recalls buying a Chevron B34 from the Tunmers on behalf of Rembrandt. Entered by Thompson for Abel d'Oliveira for a couple of races in early 1979. Then to Peter Haller, who fitted a 3-litre Ford Essex V6 for the new Formula South Africa but the car did not race in this form. It was fitted with a Mazda engine for 1980, and Haller drove it that season and in early 1981 before his Haller Special was ready. This was presumably the B34 entered by Haller's sponsor Hekro Engineering for Roy Moss at Kyalami in August 1981. Entered for Haller's mechanic Freddie Sprenzer at Killarney in early 1982, then raced by Haller from late 1982 to early 1984. After Haller died in a racing accident, the B34 was bought from his widow Hettie by Michael Rudolph, who raced it in 1985 and 1986. The car is reported to have later gone to Alan Macdonald, and then found its way to Michael Budd. Some time before 2012, Budd sold the project to Michael Hillary, and then started a restoration for Hillary. Unfortunately, Budd died before completing the project, but his son Ryan Budd has continued the project for Hillary.
16. March 722 [11] (André Verwey): New to Brett Lunger, and entered by Space Racing for him in F2 in 1972. Bob Sparshott's partner John 'Ace' Woodington was in charge of the F1 team, with ex-Surtees mechanic Roger Flynn. Lunger also raced the car in the Torneio do Brasil in October and November 1972. March records show that this car was sold to Guy Tunmer in December 1972, although press reports at the time said Tunmer had bought the ex-Ronnie Peterson car. Tunmer (Sandton, South Africa) had acquired the 722 for the new "F2" class of the South African national championship, and had it fitted with an 1800cc Cosworth FVC and raced it through 1973. The car was not seen in 1974, but is believed to have been kept as a spare to Tunmer's new Chevron. In 1975, it was sold to André Verwey (Johannesburg, South Africa) who planned to rebuild it with a BMW F2 engine and Hewland FG400 gearbox, but when Formula Atlantic was announced, he updated it with bright red 74B bodywork and a Nicholson BDA engine. Used in this form by Verwey in two races late 1975, and then into 1976. Sold back to the Tunmers in mid-1976 for Mervyn Tunmer to use, when it was reclothed in March 76B bodywork. Unused in 1977, but then sold to Andrew Thompson in 1978, converted to a Ford V6 engine for the new formula, and raced in that form by Bobby Scott in 1979. At this time it had mostly 77B bodywork but with a front radiator and 79B sidepods, and was sponsored by Rembrandt through its Kronenbräu 1308 Lager brand. After Rembrandt's withdrawal, it was sold to Mel Lahner's Rackrite team for 1980, and raced by Derek Ziman and John McNicol. It was rebuilt with a Mazda engine mid-season. Retained by Rackrite for 1981, when it was entered for McNicol, Ziman and Lahner, then raced by Bernard Tilanus for a few races before he left the team, then by his replacement Trevor van Rooyen, and finally McNicol took it over again. Both Tilanus and van Rooyen won races in it that season. It was retained again for 1982, when Lahner's son Wayne drove it, and by this time it was in standard March 77B bodywork, but with a 79B rear wing. It was retained by the Lahner family until 2004, when it was sold back to Andrew and Stuart Thompson.
17. Chevron B34 [34-76-08] (Basil van Rooyen): New to Basil van Rooyen for the South African Formula Atlantic series, sponsored by Wrangler Jeans. Van Rooyen significantly modified the car during the season, with a March nose and side radiators. Retained for 1977, again with Wrangler Jeans sponsorship. Van Rooyen recalls that he sold the car to Tony Martin, and it was at some point during this time that the car was raced by Desiré Wilson in the first few races of the 1978 series. It was raced by Tony Martin at some races in 1979 as an alternative to his unsatisfactory B45, but Bernard Tilanus recalls that "the tub was damaged when Tony fell asleep and went off the road writing the trailer and car off". Tilanus explained that Martin bought a replacement tub from Chevron and built a standard B34. It was entered for some late-1980 races as a spare car for Martin, and retained in early 1981 as a spare to Martin's new Maurer MM80. The B34 was then sold to Roley Nöffke, who raced it in 1981. At the end of the season, Mike Needell took over the drive, still entered by Nöffke's Roray Racing, and he drove it through the 1982 season. Tilanus reports that it later went to Keith Horwood. Tilanus then bought the car and sold it to Mike Fergusson, but the restoration was still incomplete when Fergusson died. It was then bought by Colin Frost, who took it to Andrew Thompson to complete the restoration.
18. Chevron B25 [25-73-01] (Mike Fogg): Chassis number given by the Formula 1 Register (F1R) on the #6 Team Gunston car of John Love in the 1973 South African Formula 1 championship (F2 class). Sold to Tony Martin for the 1974 South African season, and retained for 1975, when he fitted it with a 2-litre Hart BDA. It was then sold to Mike Fogg for Formula Atlantic in 1976. It went to Ivor Raasch for 1977, and he used the back end of the car in a spaceframe Ford Escort Special Saloon. The car then went to Alan Macdonald for 1979 and was reconstituted, now with a Cosworth BDG, and Macdonald raced it in this form at Roy Hesketh later that year. The organisers knew its engine was not eligible, but were apparently grateful for another car on the grid. Macdonald later sold off the Hewland FG400 and Cosworth BDG but kept the rolling chassis until he sold it to Mike Budd in Johannesburg. Budd still had the car in March 2006. By 2016, the car was with Stuart Thompson and was being restored.

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 South African race results were originally compiled by Chris Townsend based on material in Autosport and Motoring News plus information supplied by a wide range of contributors. One of the contributors was later found to have used erroneous information, and the results have in some places been reworked using reports and results in South African newspapers such as the Rand Daily Mail.

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

Chris Townsend's sources include Bulawayo Chronicle mc 1700 11 Jun 1976 p5 and 5 Jul 1976; Rhodesian Herald 1 Jul 1976 p16, 2 Jul 1976 p15, 3 Jul 1976 p1 and 5 Jul 1976 p1.