October 1974 Race Reports

3 May, 20223 May, 2022

Race Report: Thruxton, 27 October 1974

Race Report: Thruxton, 27 October 1974

This was the final round of the Forward Trust Championship and at the end of practice it was Sweden’s Conny Andersson who took pole position in his March 743 Toyota by 0.2 seconds from the similar car of Brian Henton. Gunnar Nilsson, despite heavy understeer and the wrong gear ratios, completed the front row to give all three slots to the March/Toyota combination. Mike Tyrrell should have been on the second row but his engine broke a cam after a handful of laps, also having problems was Danny Sullivan who was trying some new Goodyears which were breaking up after two laps. Dick Parsons found his practice ruined by a troublesome clutch whilst José Espirito Santo wasn’t feeling too well and so decided to scratch from the race.

Gunnar Nilsson made a great start and had already opened out a gap by the complex on lap 1 but further round the back of the circuit the Swede showed his inexperience by trying to go too quickly on tyres that hadn’t come up to working temperature. The resultant spin saw a very chagrined Swede drop to the back of the field. This left Henton leading from Andersson with a gap back to Sullivan, Marcos Moraes, Jose Chateaubriand, Tony Rouff, Nick von Preussen and the rest. By lap two gaps were beginning to appear as Henton pulled away from Andersson who had increased his lead over Sullivan who had begun to drop Chateaubriand. Meanwhile Moraes car began to misfire and he seemed to be holding up von Preussen.
Lap 4 saw the first three seemingly secure whilst Chateaubriand and Rouff were fighting over fourth with von Preussen and Parsons disputing sixth after Moraes had retired with overheating. Rouff got ahead of Chateaubriand who then came under pressure from von Preussen and as the Brazilian entered the chicane on the last lap he lost the works March in a big way hitting the Armco hard and badly damaging the car.
This left Henton to take a comfortable win by just over two seconds from Andersson who was a long way ahead of Sullivan and Rouff. Gunnar Nilsson recovered to take a disappointed seventh after his first lap mistake, he said afterwards “In fifth gear with cold tyres there was no way I could get round!”.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Thruxton, 27 October 1974

Race Heat 1

1 Vittorio Brambilla

Birel Alfa Romeo 20:09.40

2 Fabrizio Noe

Lotus-Ford 69 20:09.50

3 Luigi Fontanesi

Tecno-Ford 20:13.10

4 Carlo Franchi (Gimax)

De Sanctis-Alfa Romeo 20:23.40

Race Heat 2

1 Giovanni Lo Voi

Brabham-Ford BT28 15:05.00

2 Adelmo Fossati

Brabham BT28 15:05.00

3 Patrice Compain

Martini-Ford MW7 15:21.00

4 Manfred Möhr

Lotus-Ford 15:34.10

5 Marcello Gallo

Brabham BT28

Race Final

1 Vittorio Brambilla

Birel Alfa Romeo 30:44.30 144.318

2 Marcello Gallo

Brabham BT28 30:44.34

3 Fabrizio Noe

Lotus-Ford 69 30:45.10

4 Adelmo Fossati

Brabham BT28 30:55.40

5 Patrice Compain

Martini-Ford MW7 31:08.00

6 Carlo Franchi (Gimax)

De Sanctis-Alfa Romeo 31:11.50

7 Manfred Möhr

Lotus-Ford 31:59.60

8 Giovanni Lo Voi

Martini-Ford MW7 31:08.00

3 May, 20223 May, 2022

Race Report: Brands Hatch, 13 October 1974

Race Report: Brands Hatch, 13 October 1974

There was another new face this week in the Lombard North Central round, Sweden’s Gunnar Nilsson in his March 743 and indeed it was Nilsson who sat on pole although many felt his time was a little optimistic. Danny Sullivan only managed three laps before his engine threw a belt damaging the head, a new head was fitted for the race but Sullivan was well down the grid. Also in difficulties was Mike Tyrrell with a broken clutch line and then on the warm up lap his March stripped a gear.

Nilsson took the lead from pole position chased by Ribeiro, Chateaubriand, Henton who had clutch slip, Santo and Andersson whilst Robert Joubert was left on the grid and needed a push start on his Brabham BT41 before he could start. At the end of the first lap Nilsson and Ribeiro had opened out a small gap on Henton and Chateaubriand but at the end of the next lap there was one long train consisting of Nilsson, Ribeiro, Henton, Chateaubriand, Santo, Andersson, and Danny Sullivan who was making up ground well. Already out was Tony Rouff with an off at Druids and Nick von Preussen was in the pits with a broken wing that was dragging along the track.
Nilsson’s engine began to misfire on lap 3 and he lost places to Ribeiro and Henton and the Swede now found Chateaubriand looking for a way past his sickly March. Henton closed right in on Ribeiro and by lap 10 he was trying for the lead,. Nilsson had lost another place to Chateaubriand but he was trying to retake the Brazilian. Santo was still ahead of Andersson who was under heavy pressure from Sullivan, Santo’s challenge was soon blunted however when his engine began to overheat and he fell away whilst the unfortunate Nilsson had to pit as his misfire worsened.
Henton decided to go for broke on the last lap at Clearways in an attempt to wrest the lead from Ribeiro but Superhen got all crossed up loosing several places before he recovered. So at the finish a delighted Ribeiro took the win from Chateaubriand who just managed to hold off Andersson and Sullivan, the three cars separated by 0.6 seconds with a chastened Henton another 0.6 down in fifth. Mention should be made of Joubert who finished ninth after a good recovery race following his push start.