Race Report: Thruxton, 16 September 1973

There were two cars out before this Forward Trust round had even started, the unlucky pair were pole sitter Ian Taylor whose engine broke on the warm up lap and Masami Kuwashima who pulled off at Cobb, also on the warm up lap, when a battery lead shorted out.

Mo Harness made a great start from the second row to head fellow March drivers Tony Brise and Leonel Friedrich into Campbell where Friedrich locked his brakes causing Tony Rouff’s GRD to slow and be hit by Mike Wilds March Both cars spun in the confusion and although they resumed they both retired within a lap. Back at the front Harness continued to lead until the end of the second lap when a sideways moment exiting the chicane resulted in a spin down to eighth place.

Tony Brise now led but the Kent Messenger car had Brazilian Leonel Friedrich climbing all over his back and on lap 7 Friedrich tried for the inside line under braking into the chicane. The two Marches made contact but the two drivers kept their cars on the track and Friedrich took the lead despite Brise giving him a tap up the rear. Friedrich’s lead only lasted for one lap Brise resuming the lead at Church then gradually easing away to win by 2 seconds at the finish. Further back Matt Spitzley had been holding third in his March until lap 9 when Richard Robarts, who had been delayed on the opening lap, demoted him. Robarts drew away from Spitzley to secure third place as a recovering Harness began to close in on Spitzley but ran out of time, finishing two seconds behind the American.
Buzz Buzaglo had been holding fourth in the early laps but locking brakes and a deteriorating engine dropped him back until he retired on lap 12. José Espirito Santo spun his March on the opening lap and collected the similar car of Nicholas von Preussen to the detriment of both. Jim Yardley had been giving the F3 version of his front-engined Beagle Mk 3 Clubmans car a run but had to retire with failing oil pressure.

f3 HISTORY

RACES