John Player Challenge Trophy

Brands Hatch, 22 Oct 1972

All cars are 3-litre F1 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B24 [24-72-01] (Keith Holland): Built for 1972 season. Works for Brian Redman: raced in UK 1972 (debut at Oulton Park 29 May 1972 - 5 races 3 wins) and US 1972 (Redman 4 races 1 win, Gethin 1 race) - Keith Holland for John Player Challenge Trophy at Brands Hatch 22 Oct - Alan Brodie for Steve Thompson: raced in Tasman 1973 and UK 1973. Badly damaged in a severe testing accident at Silverstone on 24 May when a tyre burst at Woodcote at 140 mph, and Thompson was lucky to escape with bruising. The car was written off, and Brodie acquired a brand new 1973 B24.
2. McRae GM1 [005] (Graham McRae): See full history: McRae GM1/005.
3. Lola T190 [190/F1/7] (Ian Ashley): New to Doug Hardwick's Henley Forklift team for the 1970 British Formula 5000 series. Raced by Mo Nunn (2 races), Davey Powell (7 races + 2 DNS) and Trevor Taylor (6 races) in 1970. To Kaye Griffiths (2 races + 1 DNQ), Terry Sanger (1 race only), Ian Ashley (3 races) and Tony Trimmer (1 race only) in 1971, during which time it was acquired by Rocky Plumridge. Retained by Plumridge for 1972 and raced by Ian Ashley (9 F5000 races, and DNQ for the Rothmans 50,000). Subsequent history unknown.
4. Lola T300 [HU9] (Alan Rollinson): New to Alan McKechnie for Alan Rollinson to race in the Rothmans British F5000 series in 1972, the only T300 to stay in the UK for 1972. Rollinson appeared with the car in 17 races in total, including the International Trophy, Rothmans 50,000 and John Player Challenge Trophy. He won at Mallory Park in March and at Brands Hatch in September. Sold to Research Consultants for Terry Sanger to drive in the 1973 series. Sanger first appeared at the abandoned Misano race, then crashed in practice at Mallory Park in early July and the Lola was very heavily damaged.
5. March 725 [1] (John Cannon): Built for 1972 season for John Cannon and fitted with Oldsmobile engine. Raced in UK and US series 1972. Advertised by Cannon and Patrick Kay (Autosport 9 Nov 1972) and later appeared in Ecurie Santos adverts in 1973 and 1974 but not seen again. It is reported that the 725 was sold as part of a large package of cars to Australian Ray Gibbs but the 725 remained in the UK and was sold to Peter Bloore (Wallingford, Oxfordshire). Bloore later sold it to Ryan Hodges who sold it to his friend Jeff Luff but the dates of these transations are unknown. In 1986 it was sold to Richard Parkin (Retford, Nottinghamshire). Richard has sold the car at least twice, only to buy it back again. Parkin sold the car to Richard Taylor (Rishton, Lancashire) in August 2014, but it sat with him at his Autotune Ltd business until 2021, when restoration finally began. During the restoration, Taylor's customer Andrew Wareing admired the car and decided to buy it. The car was completed in mid-2023 and after an initial shakedown test, the car was first seen in public at Aintree in August.
6. McRae GM1 [003] (Brett Lunger): Built for 1972 season as a Leda LT27 and entered by Leda Cars for Trevor Taylor in the UK series until Graham McRae bought the Leda Cars operation. Rebranded as a McRae GM1 (plated "LT27 GM3") and sold to Jock Russell (Midlothian, Scotland) July 1972. Raced by Russell in the 1972 UK series (also raced by Brett Lunger at two races). Raced again by Russell in the UK series in 1973. From Russell to Noel Butler (Birmingham), then to Roy Lane 2000, and restored in Lane's orange colours. To Peter and Aaron Burson (New Zealand) Oct 2006, and raced regularly by Peter in the F5000 Tasman Revival series from 2007/08 onwards. More information about Leda LT27-003/McRae GM1-003
7. Kitchmac [M10B 400-05] (Roger Williamson): Barry Newman for Howden Ganley: UK 1970 (18 races, five second places) - Gordon Spice: Argentinean GP 1971; UK 1971 (11 races + 1 DNS). Rebuilt as 'Kitchmac' by Tony Kitchiner for 1972 season: driven by Gordon Spice (UK: 7 races + 1 DNS), John Kendall (UK: 2 races; US : 1 race only R3 Watkins Glen), Fred Saunders (UK: 1 DNS only), Alan Rollinson (UK: 1 race only), Roger Williamson (UK: 3 races); UK 1973: driven by Kaye Griffiths ( 1 race only), Richard Knight (5 races + 1 DNS). Not seen again after the end of 1973. It has been reported that this car was wrecked in an accident but it appears to have survived its final race in 1973 intact. Subsequent history unknown.
8. McLaren M18/M22 [500-01] (Teddy Pilette): See full history: McLaren M18 500-01.
9. McLaren M18 [500-05] (Ray Allen): Built for 1971 season. Run by Team Trojan in the British F5000 series for Ulf Norinder in four races in May and June 1971. Then to Jackie Epstein's Speed International Racing for 1972 and raced by Ray Allen at most races in the British series, but also by David Prophet at Mallory Park in March and by Gijs van Lennep at Oulton Park in October. Not seen in 1973 and ended up being used by Shell as a show car. To dealer Jon Bradburn (Wolverhampton) by 1984 and sold by him to Gerry Walton, who raced for many years in HSCC racing before crashing it at Oulton Park. Repaired but then damaged when a lorry reversed into it! Subsequently sold to Martin Cowell (Hereford) in 1995 or 1996. The car's last outing with Cowell was at Shelsley Walsh in August 2005, and it was sold by him to Dave Roberts (Worcester) in December 2017.
10. McLaren "M10H" [400-06 (B)] (Clive Baker): Keith Holland's replacement car. Used in the 1971 British F5000 series during which time it was modified along the lines of McRae's successful car. Retained for 1972 but crashed at Brands in April, after which the car was even further modified and dubbed "M10H". By July 1972, it had side radiators, a wedge nose and had been lengthened by 3½in. Sold to Clive Baker August 1972 and raced in the British series in 1972 and 1973. Then via Chris Oates to Spencer Elton (Westbury, Wilts) late 1973 and advertised. To Stephen Cuff (also Westbury, Wilts) late 1973 and advertised with a 5.7-litre Chev Jan to Apr 1974. To Bob Leckie (Aberdeen) for libre racing that summer. Advertised by Leckie in July 1974 but not seen again. Spencer Elton recalls that Leckie converted the M10B to a Skoda Super Saloon. Subsequent history unknown.
11. McLaren M18 [500-04] (Tony Lanfranchi): See full history: McLaren M18 500-04.
12. Surtees TS8 [007] (Steve Thompson): 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.
13. Lola T330 [HU1] (Frank Gardner): Works car for Frank Gardner at the end of 1972, then to Max Stewart for the 1973 Tasman series, the 1973 US series, 1973 Australian Gold Star, 1974 Tasman, and 1974 Gold Star. In ecember 1974, Kevin Bartlett used the car to win a New Zealand Gold Star race. Driven by David Oxton in the 1975 New Zealand Tasman races, then by Stewart for last two races of Tasman 1975 after he gave up on his Lola T400. Driven by John Leffler, Stewart and Paul Bernasconi during 1975. To Ian Adams (NSW, Australia) 1976, and raced until 1982. Sold by Adams to Darcy Russell (Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia) in 1988, and raced in historic racing from 1992 onwards. Appeared regularly at the VHRR Phillip Island Classic from 1997 to 2016, and in the Australian GP support races in 2009 and 2010. More information about Lola T330 HU1

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.

3-litre Formula 1 Non-championship events 1966-1983

These results were initially compiled by Allen Brown, but these were in the very basic form required to track individual car histories. Since then further details, such as laps completed, qualifying times and so on, have been added from Rob Ryder's extensive database.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help with our research.

Individual sources for this event

Autosport 26 Oct 1972 pp30-32 (by Richard Feast). Motoring News 26 Oct 1972 pp10-11 (by 'AH' Alan Henry). Autocourse 1972-73 pp136-137 (very brief report by Mike Kettlewell).

There were two entries from each of Brabham, McLaren, March and Williams; three from each of BRM and Surtees; and one from each from Lotus and Connew. The privateers this time were the stockbroker March for Beuttler, and Hexagon of Highgate with the ex-Eifelland March 721 for John Watson. The second works March 721G was a new car built for French hillclimber Daniel Rouveyran and was entered for Francois Migault to drive, with Brian Lewis as mechanic. Migault wrote it off during practice. 18 entries was impressive for a non-championship race, the second highest in five and a half years.