SCCA L&M Formula 5000 1973

The 1973 season was a duel between Lancashire's own Brian Redman who had a pair of highly developed Lola T330s provided by Carl Haas and Jim Hall, and the young South African Jody Scheckter in Sid Taylor's Trojan T101. Redman beat Scheckter in the opening race, but the youngster then won three on the trot to take a big lead in the title race. Despite damaging the Trojan in practice at Watkins Glen, he continued his run with a fourth win in a hired Lola T330. Scheckter was so impressed with the T330 that he used his prize money from the Glen race to buy one, and his advantage over Redman immediately vanished. Redman won at Road America, Road Atlanta, Pocono and Seattle as Scheckter persisted with the Lola until the final race, but the South African still had enough of a points buffer to take the title with a third place finish back in the Trojan at the final round.

The Lola T330 was an excellent development of the 1972 Lola T300, and was the most successful car of the season. Apart from Scheckter and his Trojan, the only other non-Lola driver to finish in the top three at any race that year was Peter Gethin, who had expected more from his works Chevron B24. The March 73A was a complete flop, as was Frank Matich's revised Matich A51, but the real surprise was the McRae GM1, which was only a midfield runner in customer hands, and even reigning champion Graham McRae's example was off the pace.

The races

29 Apr 1973 > Riverside

06 May 1973 > Laguna Seca

20 May 1973 > Michigan International Speedway

03 Jun 1973 > Mid-Ohio

17 Jun 1973 > Watkins Glen

29 Jul 1973 > Road America

19 Aug 1973 > Road Atlanta

03 Sep 1973 > Pocono (road course)

30 Sep 1973 > Seattle

1973 L&M Championship table

The points table is derived from Wolfgang Klopfer's excellent Formula A and Formula 5000 in America p50.