Race Report: Silverstone, 18 March 1973

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.

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