F3 History

Holbay 713S had been repaired after it’s Silverstone shunt, other Marches were driven by Roger Williamson, Tim Goss, Franz Pesch, and Wolfgang Bülow all with Holbay powered 713s, Hermann Unold had a Schnitzer-tuned BMW in his 713. In Brabham BT35s were Colin Vandervell (Rowland), Brendan McInerney, Bernard Lagier and Ulf Svensson, all Holbay, David Purley (Holbay) and Peter Hull (Rowland) had their BT28s. Completing the entry list Bev Bond and Steve Thompson had their Ensign-Holbay LN1s while Chevron were represented by Barrie Maskell in his Holbay powered B18 and Chris Skeaping in his B17 (Rowland).

Practice consisted of two half hour sessions and by the end Steve Thompson had planted his Ensign on pole followed by the Loti of Walker and Möhr. James Hunt was disappointed to end up on the back row after his engine siezed on his third practice lap, he was able to borrow a spare from Brendan McInerney for the race

The race format was two 20 lap heats with the result being decided on aggregate times. Barrie Maskell had a few moments panic at the start of the first heat when his engine wouldn’t start but luckily it fired up at the last moment. The start was clean but at the second corner Ertl made contact with Kottulinsky who went off the track taking Svensson with him, this split the field into two with Bond, Möhr, Walker and Thompson leading. Bad luck soon struck Thompson as a piston failed leaving the other three ahead with Vandervell, McInerney, Maskell, Bourgoignie and Williamson following, these five caught up with the leaders again but Vandervell began to fall away. Hunt, embroiled in a battle with Ertl and Purley, was not making any progress, being hampered with handling problems. Back at the front McInerney locked up going into Tarzan and Williamson spun off in avoidance, this left Walker to take a very narrow victory from Bond, Maskell and Bourgoignie, all four covered by less than half a second.