Race Report: Thruxton, 17 June 1973

Ian Taylor took pole position for this the latest round of the Forward Trust Championship, sharing the front row with Taylor was the similar car of Tony Brise and Matt Spitzley in his updated variant. The GRD of Alan Jones sitting on row three was trying a front radiator conversion to increase cooling in preparation for the upcoming Paul Ricard race.

Taylor went straight into the lead from pole closely pursued by Spitzley, Brise, Kuwashima and Jones. Entering the complex for the first time Brian Henton’s GRD made contact with the Ensign of Mike Wilds causing the GRD to spin into the infield. As the leaders entered Club Brise, who had passed Spitzley for second, outbraked Taylor to take the lead but on the following lap Taylor was back in front. As the two leaders fought it out at the front the rest of the pack, headed by Kuwashima, began to fall away.

There was a big battle going on for fourth between Spitzley (March 713M/733), Jones, (GRD 373), Russell Wood (March 733), Johnny Gerber (Brabham BT41), Leonel Friedrich (March 733), Mo Harness (Ensign F373), Tony Rouff (GRD 373) and Richard Robarts GRD 373). It was an extremely close fight until Spitzley made contact with Jones at Campbell causing several of the runners to loose contact, Jones, Friedrich, Spitzley and Harness continued to contest the place.
Out in front Taylor gradually pulled away from Brise who in turn was leaving Kuwashima behind and at the end of the race Taylor took an easy 6.4 second victory. Friedrich passed Jones on lap 11 and any hope Jones had of regaining the place were lost when he was delayed by a back marker. Spitzley took fifth right on Jones’ tail with Harness taking sixth from Roberts.

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