British Sprint Championship Round

Curborough, 4 Jun 1978

Notes on the cars:

1. March 772/782 [10] (David Franklin): Built by March using "several second-hand components", fitted with a front radiator and March 771B nose, and sold to David Franklin in January 1978. Franklin used the car in the British Hillclimb Championship, winning the 1978 title, and in sprints. Sold to Alan Richards for 1979, and used in sprints and hillclimbs. Converted to Hart power for 1980, when it was entered by Richards as a 772P. Returned to BMW power for 1981, but Richards rarely qualified for Top 10 run-offs during that season. Sold to John Meredith for 1982, who used a 2.1-litre BMW engine. Sold to Rodney Eyles for 1983, now fitted with a BDA engine for the 1600cc class. Not seen in 1984, but Eyles returned to the "772/782" for 1985, now using a 2.5-litre Hart engine. Eyles wrecked the car in an accident at Blackpool in 1985, and later sold the wreck to brothers Roy and Doug Woodhouse, who also owned 772/6. After both brothers died, Doug's son Chris Woodhouse passed both cars to Nick Harrison (Worcester). Chassis 772/6 was reconstructed first, and by August 2025 772/10 was also nearing completion.
2. Ralt RT1/77 [71?] (Rob Turnbull): New to Rob Turnbull (Walmley, West Midlands) and fitted with a 2-litre Ford BDG engine for British hillclimbs, sponsored by B. & W. Motors Ltd of Sutton Coldfield. Turnbull was a regular Top 10 finisher in the RAC championship, with a best result of fifth at Shelsley Walsh, Doune and Gurston Down. He ended the season eight in the championship. He also used the car in the British Sprint Championship and in the BARC Hill Climb Championship. He fitted the Ralt with a Hart 420R F2 engine for 1978, and improved, finishing third in the Wiscombe Park RAC round in April, winning a round of the Scottish Hillclimb Championship at Rumster in May, and finishing second in a British Sprint round at Curborough a week later. He crashed the car heavily at Le Val des Terres in July where it was reported that he wrote off the near side suspension and damaged the monocoque. He replaced it with a March 762, and the fate of the Ralt is unclear. It is widely believed to have been repaired and sold to Mike Catlow, but no actual evidence of this can be found. There are also suggestions that it moved into French hillclimbs.
3. McRae GM1 [012] (Dave Harris): See full history: McRae GM1/012.
4. March 762 [5?] (Allan Humphries): Allan Humphries (Bath, Somerset) raced a March 762 in sprints and hillclimbs in 1977, starting at Curborough in June. The 762 replaced a March 702 he had used earlier in the season, and at first it used the same 1600cc Ford engine. In 1978, he upgraded the 762 to a 2.1-litre Hart engine, and was highly competitive over the next two seasons. In a sprint at Lydden Hill in August 1979 he crashed heavily and the March was reported to have been "written off". Humphries bought an ex-F1 March 761 which he converted to Cosworth GAA power and ran in 1980. At the Blackpool sprint in August, Humphries recorded second best time behind Mark Williams' F1 Hesketh 308E, but the throttle stuck open as he crossed the line and the 761 was badly damaged. He rebuilt the car on a 762 tub, almost certainly the one he had damaged at Lydden, and he continued to race the 761/762 until the end of 1981. What happened next is too ugly to relate, and does not speak highly of the motor racing trade. The complete car went in one direction and the old 761 tub in another, and before long both were claimed to be the actual 761. Then one was rebuilt on a new monocoque, and both it and the replaced tub (a 762 tub remember) were claimed to be "the" 761. Then the rebuilt one spawned a complete clone, which was also claimed to be the "real" 761. One of these four went to Germany where, within a very short time, the owner claimed it had been in a museum for 20 years. If you ever decide to buy a 761, ask plenty of questions.
5. Lola T460 [T450 HU1] (David Render): New to Ardmore Racing, fitted with a Swindon BDX F2 engine and raced by Ray Mallock in the opening Shellsport Group 8 race at Mallory Park in March 1976. As the race started, Mallock was pushed into the pits Armco and the Lola was heavily damaged. It was repaired at Lola and hired by Ian Ashley for the F2 race at Thruxton in April, but the car's handling was so poor in practice, he elected not to race it. It was returned to the factory, and was still there awaiting modifications in early June. Then converted to Formula Atlantic specification and sold to Adrian Russell (Thornton Heath, Surrey) for Indylantic and Group 8 in 1976, and in libre for the first half of 1977. Then fitted with a 2-litre Swindon BDX bought from Val Musetti, and used in Shellsport G8 for the remainder of the season. To David Render for 1978, and used in sprints and hillclimbs with a 1600cc BDA but only rarely used from 1978 to 1983. Sprinted by Jonathan Skinner and Anthony Lane later in 1983, and in 1984. Sprinted by Mike Lane from 1984 to 1986. Sold by Lane to Rod Fisher for sprints with a 2-litre BDA in 1988 and 1989. Sold by Fisher to David Dedrickson in about June 2001, and run in Seattle area historic events.
6. March 752/772 [75B-1] (Ted Williams): The original March 75B prototype was sold to Derek Cook (Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire) and was first raced at the 1974 Boxing Day meeting at Brands Hatch. Raced in the British Formula Atlantic series in 1975. To Roy Baker (Ferndown, Dorset), converted to Formula 2, and raced in the European F2 series and the Shellsport Group 8 series in 1976. To Ted Williams (Bristol), fitted with a 2.2-litre Ford BDA or BDG, and raced (as a "752") in British hillclimbs in 1977. Then fitted with a full F2 Hart 420R for the first half of 1978, before Williams bought a 772. To Bob Bailey and raced in the 1600cc class later in 1978 and again in 1979. To Richard Ames (Alderton, Gloucestershire) later in 1979, and raced by him in 1981 and early 1982, by which time it was in 75/782 specification and fitted with a 2.2-litre Hart 420R engine. Ames advertised the car in May and June 1982 and recalls that he sold it to somebody in Scotland. This must be Harvey Gillanders (Ellon, Scotland) who raced a 2.2-litre "75/782" in Ingliston libre races later in 1982. Subsequent history unknown.
7. Brabham BT38 [17] (Paul Edwards): Brand new for Richard Scott at Oulton Park at the end of March 1972, and used by him through the 1972 F2 season. To Alan Padgett (Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire) for 1973, fitted with an 1850cc Cosworth BDE and used in hillclimbs. To David Baumforth (North Newbald, East Riding of Yorkshire) for hillclimbs and prints in 1974, then to John Hinley (Knowle, Warwickshire) for sprints in 1975. It was acquired by Tony Griffiths (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) for 1976, then to chef Paul Edwards (London), who used it extensively in sprints in 1977 and 1978. To Ron Cumming (Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) for libre racing in 1979, when it still had a 1800cc BDE engine. Cumming crashed the car in a race at Ingliston, probably in May 1979, and rebuilt it using a replacement monocoque supplied by Jim Stevenson. The car was then sold, less engine, to somebody in Essex. About seven years later, it was acquired by Chris Perkins (Ashbourne, Derbyshire), still in the distinctive orange-and-white livery used by Cumming in 1979 and with evidence of where the March 79B-style sidpods had been fitted, but now with a Buick V8 engine in the process of installation. Perkins's recollection is that he bought the car in the Brighton area in the mid-1980s; Autosport mentioned his purchase in December 1987.
8. March 742/772 ["U1"] (Alan Richards): Built by March as the development car for the new March 742 series, but using a leftover 732 monocoque. Employed as the spare car for the Elf-sponsored works team in 1974, it was raced by Patrick Depailler at Montjuich Park, by Michel Leclère at Hockenheim in June, by Depailler to win at Mugello, by Ronnie Peterson to win at Karlskoga, and by Depailler again at Enna. It was not seen in 1975, but then sold in December 1975 to David Franklin (Portbury, Somerset) and used in British hillclimbs in 1976, with sponsorship from Wendy Wools. Retained for 1977, when it was fitted with 1977 bodywork. For 1978, it was sold to Alan Richards (Prestbury, Gloucestershire), fitted with a 2-litre Cosworth FVC and used in sprints and hillclimbs. To Norrie Galbraith (Lanark, Scotland) for 1979, and used in Scottish speed events. Retained by Galbraith for 1980, but rebuilt over the winter by Robin Smith to 782 configuration, and fitted with a Hart 420R engine. In December 1980, the car was advertised from a Frome, Somerset, phone number, described as being ex-Depailler and ex-Galbraith, modified by Smith. It has been suggested that Stephen Cuff was the advertiser. Subsequent history unknown.

Sources

The identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' original results.

The British Sprint Championship results were originally provided by Paul Parker and Steve Wilkinson and are based on material drawn from Motoring News, Autosport and Speedscene magazines plus results sheets and programmes provided by former competitors and by the organising clubs.

The identification of individual cars is based on the Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 5000 and Formula Atlantic research work presented elsewhere on the site.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.