Race Report: Kirkistown, 24 July 1971

kirkis_24_7_71

Race Report: Kirkistown, 24 July 1971

kirkis_24_7_71

A large prize fund attracted 19 starters to this non-championship race across the Irish Sea, the race being held on a two heat format with the aggregate times deciding the results.

Brabham BT35s were handled by Colin Vandervell, Randy Lewis, Ulf Svensson, Jorgen Jonsson, Ingvar Petersson, Jan Persson, Lothar Schorg and Conny Anderson, whilst BT28 mounted were David Purley and Sonny Eade. Marches were in the hands of James Hunt and Brendan McInerney, Andy Sutcliffe had his Lotus 69 as did Bengt Radmyr and Geddes Yeates. Singleton entries were Steve Thompson’s Ensign, José Dolhem (Martini MW7), Terrance Peterson (Chevron B17B) and Norman Moffett (Crosslé 17F).

Fastest in qualifying was Randy Lewis (Brabham BT35) from Conny Andersson also in a BT35, next up was the Lotus 69 of Andy Sutcliffe from the Brabham BT35 of Colin Vandervell.

It was raining heavily as the cars came out for the first heat and everybody put their wet tyres on, even so there were 9 spinners on the warm up lap! At the start Vandervell took an immediate lead from Andersson, Lewis, Sutcliffe and Purley, Dolhem was the only spinner this time. Sutcliffe moved up to second on lap 2 whilst Lewis, Radmyr and Moffett joined the spinners club. By lap 7 the field had become very strung out with Vandervell leading by 4 seconds from Hunt, Sutcliffe, Andersson and Svensson. Purley was next to spin and Hunt had a brief rotation at Fisherman’s on lap 8 loosing a place to Sutcliffe although he soon regained it. Vandervell increased his lead further whilst Sutcliffe found himself demoted by Andersson and Svensson. By lap 20 the track was beginning to dry out but most of the action was over except for Sutcliffe loosing another place to McInerney but the Irishman was soon out when a rear wishbone failed at the Hairpin. At the finish Vandervell was victorious from Hunt, Svensson, Andersson, Sutcliffe and Thompson.

The cars lined up for heat two according to their heat one finishing positions and Vandervell jumped into an immediate lead on a now dry track. Everything was fine until the pack reached the Hairpin when there were suddenly cars spinning in all directions, Sutcliffe, Lewis, Jonsson, Purley and McInerney all ending up in trouble. Sutcliffe had broken engine mounts but soldiered onto the end, Purley was out with broken suspension as was Lewis, Moffett had a badly damaged front end and McInerney was out with engine maladies. All this confusion meant that Vandervell had a comfortable lead from Hunt, Thompson, Svensson and Andersson. As Vandervell increased his lead, Thompson, Hunt, Svensson and Andersson were involved in a furious dispute over second place. Next up were Radmyr, Persson, Johnson (minus nosecone) and Dolhem. Things remained fairly static until lap 26 when Hunt spun off at Fisherman’s with a repeat of the broken wishbone that had afflicted McInerney. At the finish Vandervell won from Thompson, Andersson and Svensson. Aggregate winner of course was Vandervell from Svensson, Andersson and Thompson.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Kirkistown, 24 July 1971

Qualifying

1 Randy Lewis

Brabham-Holbay BT35 61.6

2 Conny Andersson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 62.0

3 Andy Sutcliffe

Lotus-Holbay 69 62.0

4 Colin Vandervell

Brabham-Rowland BT35 62.2

5 Ulf Svensson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 62.4

6 James Hunt

March-Holbay 713M 62.4

7 Brendan McInerney

Brabham-Holbay BT35 62.6

8 Steve Thompson

Ensign-Holbay LN1 62.6

Race Heat 1

1 Colin Vandervell

Brabham-Rowland BT35 34:17.4 30 80.17

2 James Hunt

March-Holbay 713M 34:40.2 30

3 Ulf Svensson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 30

4 Conny Andersson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 30

5 Andy Sutcliffe

Lotus-Holbay 69 30

6 Steve Thompson

Ensign-Holbay LN1 30

7 Randy Lewis

Brabham-Holbay BT35 30

8 José Dolhem

Martini-BRM MW7 30

9 Jorgen Jonsson

Brabham-Holbay BT35

10 Jan Persson

Brabham-Ford BT35

11 Lothar Schörg

Brabham-BMW BT28

12 Bengt Radmyr

Lotus-Holbay 69

13 Norman Moffatt

Crosslé-Ford 17F

14 Geddes Yeates

Lotus-Ford 69

15 Terrance Peterson

Chevron-Ford B17

Race Heat 2

1 Colin Vandervell

Brabham-Rowland BT35 31:47.4 30 86.48

2 Steve Thompson

Ensign-Holbay LN1 32:02.6 30

3 Conny Andersson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 30

4 Ulf Svensson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 30

5 Bengt Radmyr

Lotus-Holbay 69 30

6 Jorgen Jonsson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 30

7 José Dolhem

Martini-BRM MW7 30

8 Andy Sutcliffe

Lotus-Holbay 69 30

9 Lothar Schörg

Brabham-BMW BT28

10 Jan Persson

Brabham-Ford BT35

11 Terrance Peterson

Chevron-Ford B17

Race Final

1 Colin Vandervell

Brabham-Rowland BT35 60

2 Ulf Svensson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 60

3 Conny Andersson

Brabham-Holbay BT35 60

4 Steve Thompson

Ensign-Holbay LN1 60

5 Andy Sutcliffe

Lotus-Holbay 69 60

6 José Dolhem

Martini-BRM MW7 60

7 Jorgen Jonsson

Brabham-Holbay BT35

8 Bengt Radmyr

Lotus-Holbay 69

9 Lothar Schörg

Brabham-BMW BT28

10 Jan Persson

Brabham-Ford BT35

11 Terrance Peterson

Chevron-Ford B17