F3 History

Category: 1973 Race Reports

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Race Report: Snetterton, 1 April 1973

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Race Report: Snetterton, 1 April 1973

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The track was wet as the cars came out to practice for this second round of the Forward Trust Championship and during the session it began to dry out causing some confusion as to whether to run wet or dry tyres. At the end of qualifying it was Mike Wilds who set the best lap in his Dempster Developments Ensign ahead of Ian Taylor and Brian Henton who had switched to dries at the end of the session after puncturing one of his wets. Fourth fastest and going well in only his second F3 race was Australian Larry Perkins in his year-old GRD.

Mike Wilds made the best start hotly pursued by Henton who soon lost his place to Ian Taylor, it wasn’t Henton’s day as he spun at the Hairpin on the opening lap dropping to thirteenth. At the end of the first lap it was Mike Wilds from Ian Taylor, Alan Jones, Mo Harness in his Ensign and Neil Ginn’s GRD. Jones moved into the lead on lap 2 with Wilds dropping to third behind Taylor whilst Harness was closing on these two. Jones began to pull away from the rest as fifth place runner Ginn was out when his Novamotor threw a rod, Richard Robarts moved up to take Ginn’s place closely pursued by Masami Kuwashima. The Japanese driver’s run was soon over when his clutch failed as was the Royale of Andy Sutcliffe with similar problems.
As Jones extended his lead at the front of the field the battle for second intensified and Wilds who had moved back to second found himself demoted by Taylor at the Esses on lap 11. Wilds wasn’t about to give in without a struggle and fought back hard over the next three laps and he regained second again at the Esses. Into the last lap and it was Jones who took the flag some eight seconds ahead of Mo Harness, to the amazement of Wilds and Taylor the Ensign of Harness got through to second at the Hairpin on the final tour and coolly held on to the finish.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Snetterton, 1 April 1973

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

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Race Report: Thruxton, 24 March 1973

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Race Report: Thruxton, 24 March 1973

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Practice for the first round of the Forward Trust Championship saw the Kent Messenger GRD of Tony Brise take pole position on a wet track from the ever impressive Palliser of Damien Magee, Alan Jones, back in his 1973 GRD, completed the front row.

There was a major problem at the start when the man with the Union Jack seemed to hesitate causing some confusion amongst the starters, the entire front row, Brise, Magee and Jones plus Russell Wood and Mike Wilds were penalised one minute for jumping the start. This harsh and undeserved penalty ruined the race for drivers and spectators alike.

It was Damien Magee who led from the flag in the still wet conditions from Tony Brise, Ian Taylor, Russell Wood, Alan Jones and Mike Wilds. Brise tried to get the lead from Magee at the chicane on lap 1 but spun at the exit leaving Magee with a comfortable 100 metre lead over Taylor and Wood with Brise continuing in third. Brise passed Wood on the next lap but promptly fell back again at the chicane. Lap 4 saw Taylor, Wood and Brise starting to narrow the gap to Magee and on the next lap Brise was up a place to third which was soon second as on lap 6 the unfortunate Magee hit the bank at Village rolling the Palliser several times, fortunately without personal injury.

It was now Taylor in the lead from a closing Brise who made his move on lap 8 the GRD taking the lead it would hold to the finish. Back in fourth spot Alan Jones was constantly changing places with the Ensign of Mike Wilds who had gradually homed in on the Australian. Russell Wood was out on lap 11 when the driveshaft on his March 733 sheared moving everyone from fourth up a place. At the finish therefore it was Brise who took the chequered flag in first place but his penalty dropped him to third, Andy Sutcliffe inherited second at the expense of the penalised Jones and Wilds with Masami Kuwashima in fourth despite a spin.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Thruxton, 24 March 1973

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

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Race Report: Silverstone, 18 March 1973

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Race Report: Silverstone, 18 March 1973

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19 cars arrived for the second round of the Lombard North Central Championship and it was Alan Jones who took pole position in his 1972 GRD after shunting his 1973 chassis at Snetterton in testing during the week. Second fastest was a surprise in the form of Mike Tyrrell in his Ensign with Russell Wood completing the front row. Expected front runners Tony Brise and Ian Taylor were both well down the grid, Brise due to an underpowered engine and Taylor at the very back after a seized metering unit stopped his qualifying on his second lap.

Jones made the best start as the flag dropped and he led away from Wilds, Woods and Damien Magee who had made a great getaway from the third row. Any hopes Brise had of improving his lowly grid position soon evaporated when the GRD of Larry Perkins made contact with him at Becketts, Brise was out with a damaged oil radiator and Perkins lost several laps. Jones was beginning to pull away at the front whilst second place man Wood was trying to fend off Wilds and Tyrrell who had passed Magee, the Irishman was now fighting with Mo Harness. Next up was the March of Richard Robarts with a gap back to Matt Spitzley in his elderly March 713M until he had a spin at Becketts.

Wood had briefly eased away from the Ensigns of Wilds and Tyrrell but some determined work from both men saw them catch up again with the Chequered Flag March. Wilds passed Wood on lap 12 and Tyrrell also got ahead briefly but Wood fought back to regain the place and at the flag it was Jones by four seconds from Wood and Wilds. The battle between Magee and Harness was increased by two when the GRDs of Masami Kuwashima and Brian Henton joined in, Robarts had to drop out when his metering unit rod broke. Kuwashima spun at Copse on lap 18 causing Henton to spin as well Brian then retired as his oil pressure was low, Magee was delayed by the spinning duo allowing Harness to take fifth behind Tyrrell. Magee now found himself under pressure from the GRD of Neil Ginn and the two cars made contact at Woodcote causing Magee to loose several places, Ginn was able to continue and take sixth. Ian Taylor moved up from his back of the grid start to take seventh despite a spin at Woodcote, Andy Sutcliffe might have expected to be up amongst the front runners but a broken gear lever on his Royale RP11a meant retirement.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Silverstone, 18 March 1973

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

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Race Report: Casale, 12 March 1973

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Race Report: Casale, 12 March 1973

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This was the opening round of the Italian F3 Championship held at the new Casale track South of Turin. Practice was very much a Brabham benefit with the English chassis taking the fastest four positions after qualifying.

Pole position man Alberto Colombo lead for most of the race in his BT41 before indulging in a quick spin near the end that let the similar cars of Claudio Francisci and Luigi Cinotti through to take first and second. Colombo recovered to take third and set the fastest lap from yet another BT41, this one driven by Lella Lombardi. F the other front runners Roberto Marrazi crashed his Ensign whilst the engine of the similar car of Roberto Marrazi blew up.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Casale, 12 March 1973

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

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Race Report: Brands Hatch, 4 March 1973

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Race Report: Brands Hatch, 4 March 1973

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This was the opening round of the Lombard North Central Formula Three Championship and pole position went to championship favourite Tony Brise who was still running his 1972 GRD, Brise wasn’t happy with the car’s handling and felt his 0:49.2 lap time was on the optimistic side. Second quickest was the Chequered Flag March 733 of Russell Woods who set the same time as Brise with Mike Wilds third fastest in his oversteering Dempster Developments Ensign. A surprise fourth quickest and showing you didn’t need the latest machinery was Damien Magee in his old Palliser, sharing the same time as Magee was the overheating Baty March of Ian Taylor.

As the flag dropped it was the two men from the second row who made the best starts with both Mike Wilds and Damien Magee getting the best of the front row starters and leading into Paddock. 

At the end of the first lap the two cars of Magee and Wilds were side by side across the line and as they entered Paddock Magee went around the outside of Wilds and the two cars made contact. Wilds went sideways as Magee took the lead and lost several places dropping down to fifth with the nose on his March now askew. Taylor was now second with Wood and Brise third and fourth, all three were charging and on lap 3 they had caught up with Magee. There was now a furious four way battle for the lead with all the drivers showing their F Ford roots with plenty of wild manoeuvres and wheel banging. Lap 4 saw Wood pass Taylor at Kidney and on the next lap he repeated the move on Magee putting the Chequered Flag March into the lead.
It took Taylor a further three laps to demote Magee to third, diving inside the Irishman at Druids but Magee wasn’t giving up and repeatedly pushed the Palliser back alongside the March under braking. On lap 14 they came across some backmarkers and in the confusion Magee regained his second place and although Taylor tried hard to move up again more backmarkers balked him and he had to settle for third at the finish less than a second behind Magee.

Back at the front Wood had gradually pulled away from the battling duo behind him and he took the win by 4.2 seconds from Magee and Taylor. Brise had never been far behind the two men ahead but he still wasn’t happy with his GRD and settled for fourth ahead of Wilds and Jones who had both had a long duel with Japan’s Masami Kuwashima. Val Musetti took a good eighth after starting from the back row of the grid, ninth was Brian Henton who suffered several spins, he had been dicing with Mo Harness in his Ensign but Mo had to retire with a broken wishbone. Tony Trimmer was out in a borrowed Brabham BT41 but a blown head gasket in practice meant a poor grid position and the engine was still poorly in the race causing several pit stops.

After the race an angry Mike Wilds protested Magee’s driving to the stewards but they let the result stand although Magee did receive a reprimand.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Brands Hatch, 4 March 1973

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

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