Race Report: Thruxton, 18 June 1972

thruxton_18_6_72

Another wet race for the Forward Trust Championship runners, the outcome of which would very much depend again on whether you car was fitted with the Firestone B33 wet tyre or not.

Once again it was Rikki von Opel revelling in the wet conditions who put his Iberia Ensign into the lead from the start, hot on his heels after a great start from the second row following a stripped third gear in practice was Brian McGuire in his Brabham BT38. Needless to say both of the two leaders were wearing the required Firestones. There was a big battle for third place between Tony Brise (Brabham BT38), Bev Bond (Ehrlich ES1), Chris Skeaping (Chevron B20), Mike Wilds (March 713S), James Hunt (Dastle Mk9), Russell Wood (March 723) and the GRD 723s of Masami Kuwashima and Andy Sutcliffe. It was Brise and Wilds with their B33 wets that began to pull away from the others with Brise holding third until lap 10 when a spin at the chicane allowed Wilds to take the place and hold it to the flag, an excellent result in only his second F3 race in the ex-Hunt March. Brise soon began to recover from his mistake but found Andy Sutcliffe in combative mood and it was several laps before the Brabham passed the GRD into fourth place.

Chris Skeaping lost his Chevron B20 at Campbell on lap 7 and Bond spun out at the chicane on lap 8 although he was able to continue. Interestingly the 8th placed U2 of Ray Mallock was equipped with F Ford Firestone Torinos and went very well in the conditions.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Thruxton, 18 June 1972

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