By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

The 2023 TABAC Classic Grand Prix took place at the beginning of September, held at the famous TT Circuit Assen in the north of the Netherlands. Read on for our full photo gallery and news from the event.

A unique historic event that took place for the second time with attention to both historic motor cars and historic bikes. This combination of bikes and cars is an uncommon sight these days. During the Goodwood Revival, for example, the classic motorcycles are a regular part of the program. Other historic motorsport events place particular emphasis on four-wheelers.

Sun-drenched and un-Dutch tropical temperatures featured prominently during the three-day event. Sometimes it seemed like it was even too hot for drivers and spectators.

Crowd-pullers were two big stars from the United States, Kevin Schwantz and Randy Mamola. Schwantz won the Dutch TT in 1991 on a Lucky Strike Suzuki RGV500, with which he provided a number of exciting demos during the weekend in Assen. Two years later, Schwantz took the world title in the 500 cc class. Compatriot Randy Mamola won the Dutch TT in 1981 on a Heron Suzuki XR34 M1. Mamola and Schwantz came both into action during the demos, much to the delight of the audience.

The TT Circuit Assen was opened in 1955 and has a rich history. At the time, the circuit had a length of 7705 metres. In the period 2005-2006 it was shortened to 6027 metres, while in 2010 the circuit measured 6017 metres in length after further adjustment. Nowadays the circuit is mainly known worldwide for the annual MotoGP TT Assen and the World Championship for Superbikes. In addition to motorcycle competitions, international racing car competitions are held.

In addition to competitions with historic Formula 3 cars, Opel Lotus, touring cars and GTs, the program also included various demonstrations. Enthusiasts of historic two-wheelers, inextricably linked to the TT circuit, were also taken into account with the arrival of IHRO.

The AvD Historic Race Cup was present from Germany with the Historic F3 Interseries and Formula Ford Racing from Belgium. Touring car and GT enthusiasts would have thoroughly enjoyed the Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge, RECO NK GTTC, NK82-90 (HARC), Supersixties by NK HTGT and the Kampf der Zwerge.

Lovers of classic racing motorcycles could indulge in the presence of NK Classics IHRO, while demonstrations were provided by, among others, the Dutch Vintage Sportscar Club.

By far the hottest battle was fought in the Supersixties by NK HTGT. During the first race on Saturday, the lead changed three times between the Corvette Grand Sport of Michiel Campagne and Allard Kalff, the Shelby Cobra of Bas Janssen and Kevin Abbring and the Jaguar E-Type of Rhea Sautter and Andy Newall. Nevertheless, victory ultimately went to the Lotus Elan of Philippe Vermast. During the second race on Sunday it was again a fight for victory. This time the Campagne-Kalff duo came out on top.

The organisation behind TABAC Classic GP Assen can look back on a successful event that undoubtedly has the potential to grow into one of the major historic car/motorsport events in Europe. We are already looking forward with interest to the third edition in 2024.

Results Classic GP Assen 2023:

AvD Historic Formula 3 Interseries

Race 1

1. Alexander Weiss, Reynard F873
2. Valerio Leone, Dallara F390, + 12.136
3. Davide Leone, March 783, + 30.998

Race 2

1. Alexander Weiss, Reynard F873
2. Stephane Lechine, Reynard F389, + 18.223
3. Valerio Leone, Dallara F390, + 24.257

AvD Historic Race Cup FFR/OR

Race 1

1. Ralf Goral, Opel Lotus Mk. II
2. Jochen Thissen, Opel Lotus Mk. II, + 1.875
3. Henk van der Spoel, Reynard SF86, + 15.639

Race 2

1. Ralf Goral, Opel Lotus Mk. II
2. Jochen Thissen, Opel Lotus Mk. II, + 1.756
3. Philip Menzner, Reynard SF86, + 19.525

Colmore YTCC

Race 1

1. Amanda Hennesy, Argo JM19C
2. Roger Bolliger, Pontiac Trans Am SCCA, + 20.441
3. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1, + 29.332

Race 2

1. Amanda Hennesy, Argo JM19C
2. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1, + 18.926
3. Jack Gadd, Ford Escort Mk. 1 RSR, + 31.848

Race 3

1. Amanda Hennesy, Argo JM19C
2. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1, + 25.085
3. Brown-Brown, Ford Sierra RS500, + 30.737

Race 4

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Jack Gadd, Ford Escort Mk. 1 RSR, + 2.256
3. Bas Jansen-Kevin Abbring, BMW M3 E30, + 3.330

Race 5

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Leonard Batenburg, BMW M3 E30, + 4.022
3. Martin Reynolds, Ford Escort Mk.II, + 18.496

Battle of the Dwarfs

Race 1

1. Enzo Thiefain, Austin Mini Cooper S
2. Gregor Nick, Mini Swiss 24 H Special, + 1.496
3. Hans März, Simca 1200 S, + 32.618

Race 2

1. Gregor Nick, Mini Swiss 24 H Special
2. Enzo Thiefain, Austin Mini Cooper S, + 0.018
3. Hans März, Simca 1200 S, + 3.937

NK 82-90 (HARC)

Race 1

1. Leonard Batenburg, BMW M3 E30
2. Pieter Bikker, BMW E30 2.5 Group A, + 1:43.093
3. Sander Roest, Porsche 944, + 1 lap

Race 2

1. Leonard Batenburg, BMW M3 E30
2. Pieter Bikker, BMW E30 2.5 Group A, + 1:44.450
3. Sander Roest, Porsche 944, + 1 lap

Race 3

1. Leonard Batenburg, BMW M3 E30
2. Pieter Bikker, BMW E30 2.5 Group A, + 1:52.070
3. Marc Burger,  Porsche 944 2.5 Cup, + 1 lap

NK Classics IHRO

Race 1

1. Mark Cronshaw, Matchless JCRacing 450
2. Marc Beltman, BMW R50, + 14.774
3. Jeffrey Vermeulen, Ducati Mk, + 20.121

Race 2

1. Mark Cronshaw, Matchless JCRacing 450
2. Jeffrey Vermeulen, Ducati Mk, + 16.330
3. Marc Beltman, BMW R50, + 16.436

REKO NK GTTC

Race 1

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Hans de Graaf, Porsche 911, + 27.713
3. Cees Lubbers, BMW 3.0 CSL, + 28.925

Race 2

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Hans de Graaf, Porsche 911, + 28.981
3. Marcel Frijlink, Ford Escort RS, + 1:03.386

Race 3

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Anskar Masman, Porsche 935 K1, + 9.800
3. Hans de Graaf, Porsche 911, + 10.714

Supersixties by NKHTGT

Race 1

1. Philippe Vermast, Lotus Elan 26R
2. Roelant de Waard, Shelby GT350, + 9.095
3. Bas Jansen-Kevin Abbring, Shelby Cobra, + 9.095

Race 2

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Roelant de Waard, Shelby GT350, + 32.468
3. Rhea Sautter-Andy Newall, Jaguar E-Type, + 40.059

The post Schwantz and Mamola Grace the TABAC Classic GP Assen 2023 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

Still unique in the world of historic motorsport after 30 years, the Spa Six Hours 2023 was held on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the last weekend of September, 2023. We were there to capture the action.

The 2023 anniversary edition was held on a bone-dry Saturday, although typical Ardennes weather conditions prevailed during qualifying on Friday evening. Among the hundreds of participating drivers were stars like multiple IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and multiple NASCAR champion Jimmy Johnson.

The GT40 has dominated this unique historic endurance race for years. This year was again no exception. Of the twenty GT40s registered, seventeen eventually appeared at the start. Nico Verdonck convincingly drove the number 30 GT40 owned by Graf Marcus von Oeynhausen to pole position. The Belgian was even 2.2 of a second faster in qualifying than the number 21 GT40 of Oliver Bryant and James Cottingham.

Verdonck took off like a rabbit and created a gap in the early stages of the race. A true battle of attrition between the other competing GT40 drivers meant that contenders for victory, including the combinations Hart-Hart-Pastorelli, Bryant-Cottingham, Ditting-Hancock and Pearson-Brundle, did not reach the finish line. Thus, the battle at the end of the six-hour race was between former BTCC champion Gordon Shedden and the experienced GT racer Nico Verdonck.

Despite mediocre pit stops, Verdonck managed to connect with Shedden. However, thirty minutes before the race ended it turned out that Verdonck’s GT40 no longer had any brakes and the decision was made. Verdonck was able to resume the race, but could not prevent the Lotus Elan of the Jordan-Tordoff-Dorlin combination from taking second place. The drama was completed when Verdonck was overtaken in the very last lap by the GT40 of the Wood-Nuthall-Lyons combination.

As usual, the supporting program consisted of a large presence of the various series that fall under the banner of Masters Historic Racing. In addition, the historic grand prix cars of the HGPCA, the pre-war cars of Motor Racing Legends and the Belcar Historic Cup were also present. However, compared to previous editions, the number of participants in the supporting races was disappointing in some cases. Fortunately, the quality of the races made up for a lot.

The first race of the Masters Endurance Legends was dominated by the Peugeot 90X of Stuart Wiltshire. The Brit initially fought a nice battle with Steve Brooks in a similar prototype, until Brooks crashed. During the second race, youngster Antoine d’Ansembourg surprised friend and foe by outpacing Stuart Wiltshire in the usually lightning-fast Peugeot 90X with his Dallara-Judd SP1 and taking a spectacular victory.

During the formation lap of the Masters Racing Legends, it rained considerably in the start-finish area at Spa, while the other side of the circuit was still completely dry leading the race director to not to allow the field of Formula 1 cars to start and to install rain tires. Still, a number of drivers decided to opt for slicks. Pole sitter Mike Cantillon went straight after the start in La Source, allowing Nick Padmore to take the lead. After a neutralisation by the safety car due to a stranded driver, Cantillon regained the lead and did not relinquish it until the finish line.

During the second race the name ‘d Ansembourg appeared again. This time, however, it was Antoine’s brother Werner who left his mark on the race. The young Belgian rode to a convincing victory with the beautiful ex-Nelson Piquet Brabham BT49.

Lolas dominated the only race of the Masters Sports Cars Legends. Diogo Ferrao and Martin Stretton commanded the race, although Kyle Tilley applied some necessary pressure. These attempts came to an abrupt end when braking problems appeared, followed by a trip to Les Combes. The win then went to the Tilley-Stretton combination.

In Masters Gentlemen Drivers, John Spiers seemed set to take home the victory from pole position. However, Nigel Greensall put a stop to this and took the lead in the race and claimed victory. Sam Tordoff drove unthreatened to the finish line in the Pre-66 touring cars with his Ford Falcon Sprint.

In addition to these series in the support program, the public could also enjoy competitions from the Masters GT Trophy, Historic Grand Prix Car Association, the Belcar Historic Cup, the Pre War Sports Cars and Sport Proto 2000. The dates for the 31st edition of the Spa Six Hours have already been fixed, from September 25 to 29, 2024. More than reason to bookmark these dates for next year.

Results Spa Six Hours 2023

Spa Six Hours

1. Miles Griffiths-Gordon Sheddon-Andy Priaulx, Ford GT40
2. Andrew Jordan-Sam Tordoff-Dorlin, Lotus Elan, +1 lap
3. Tony Wood- William Nuthall-Michael Lyons, Ford GT40, + 2 laps

Masters Racing Legends-F1 cars 66-85

Race 1

1. Mike Cantillon, Williams FW07C
2. Nick Padmore, Lotus 77, + 2.377
3. Ken Tyrrell, Tyrrell 011, + 2.747

Race 2

1. Werner d’Ansembourg, Brabham BT49
2. Ken Tyrrell, Tyrrell 011, + 13.451
3. Mike Cantillon, Williams FW07C, + 13.745

Masters Sports Car Legends

1. Diogo Ferrao-Martin Stretton, Lola T292
2. Jason Wright, Lola T70 Mk.IIIB, + 15.295
3. Stephan Joebst-Andy Willis, Lola T70 Mk.IIIB, + 17.476

Masters Endurance Legends

Race 1

1. Stuart Wiltshire, Peugeo 90X
2. Olivier Galant, HPD ARX 03A, + 2.777
3. Antoine d’Ansembourg, Dallara/Oreca DO-05, + 14.709

Race 2

1. Antoine d’Ansembourg, Dallara/Oreca DO-05
2. Keith Frieser, Zytek 09S, + 12.463
3. Michael Birch, Ligier JSP217, + 1:52.446

Masters Gentlemen Drivers – Pre-66 Touring Cars

Race Gentlemen Drivers

1. John Spiers-Nigel Greensall, TVR Griffith
2. John Pearson-Gary Pearson, Jaguar E-Type, + 2.389
3. Giles Dawson, Lotus Elan 26R, + 18.901

Race Pre-66 Touring Cars

1. Sam Tordoff, Ford Falcon Sprint
2. Rob Fenn-Jake Hill, Ford Mustang, + 1:17.227
3. Richard McAlpine, Ford Falcon, + 2:46.058

Masters GT Trophy

1. Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo, Chris Wilkins
2. Chris Milner-Nigel Greensall, Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, + 33.195
3. Rob Fenn-Paul Whight, Motorsport Elise, + 1:20.287

Historic Grand Prix Car Association

Race 1

1. Tom Child, Brabham BT3/4
2. Michael Gans, Cooper T79, + 8.729
3. Rudi Friedrichs, Cooper T53, + 9.557

Race 2

1. Michael Gans, Cooper T79
2. Justin Maeers, Cooper T53, + 1.122
3. Andy Middlehurst, Lotus 25 R4, + 31.485

Pre-War Sports Cars

1. Ross Keeling-Calum Lockie, Delahaye 135
2. Christopher Mann, Alfa Romeo 8C Monza, + 11.059
3. Martin Halusa, Bugatti 35B, + 42.228

Sport Proto 2000

1. Chris Lillingstone-Price/Freddie Lillingstone-Price, Chevron B8
2. Charles Allison, Chevron B8, + 31.551
3. Hugh Colman, Chevron B8, + 1:06.995

Belcar Historic Cup

Race 1

1. Ilaria Stalliviere, Renault Clio
2. Erik Qvick, BMW E36 STW, + 2.622
3. Guy Fastres, BMW M3 E30, + 25.984

Race 2

1. Wim Kuijl, Ford Capri 3100 RS
2. Luc Branckaerts, Corvette C4, + 2.673
3. Erik Qvick, BMW E36 STW, + 3.787

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Super Spa ‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’ was held for the second year in a row at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit at the beginning of October. The public enjoyed a number of interesting races accompanied by pleasant late summer weather conditions. We focus on the historic series that were present over the weekend.

Fans of historic Formula 3 cars, Formula Fords and Opel Lotus cars could enjoy the presence of the AvD Historic Race Cup from Germany for their closing races of the year. In addition to the overall championship title, it also had to be determined who could be crowned champion in the various classes. Qualifying took place on Saturday followed by both championship deciding races on Sunday. In particular, the fight in the German Open Class between historic F3 cars promised a lot.

Immediately after the start, an interesting battle commenced between pole sitter Valerio Leone from Italy and Frenchman Stephane Lechine. As soon as the lights changed from red to green, both of them swapped positions every single lap. At a certain point Lechine missed his braking point at the chicane. A better set up and more consumed tires gave Leone the possibility to open up a gap towards his French rival. After nine laps, the Monaco-based Italian’s lead was almost three seconds and he claimed his first victory of the weekend. Lechine had to settle for second place. At that point it was Roberto Cocciarelli who claimed the overall title in the AvD Historic Race Cup by winning the German Open 6 class in his Swift DB2 prematurely.

The second race of the weekend decided the championship in the German Open 1 Class between Leone and Lechine. The difference in points with just one race to go on Sunday afternoon was only 1 point in Leone’s favour and the race appeared to be a copy of the first one.

Although Lechine initially took the lead, Leone seemed to have the faster car, especially in the middle part of the circuit. The experienced historic Formula 3 driver then opened up another gap and did not relinquish the leading position. His victory also meant the championship title in the German Open 1 class. Lechine scored another 2nd place in front of Ralf Goral who also won the Formula Opel race.

Besides the AvD Historic Race Cup, the Spa Ardennes Challenge was also held. This is a genuine automotive challenge and is open to classic sports cars, GTs, touring, and saloon cars manufactured during the ’60s and ’80s. Three races of the Spa Ardennes Challenge were held during the weekend.

During the first race Andy Lambert and Phil James fought a great battle with their RAM Cobra 427SC and the superfast Lotus Elan of Paul Tooms. What no one had taken into account was the much faster Mazda RX7 from Taylor and Absolom, who started the race from the pit lane. Every lap the rotary powered RX7 came rapidly closer and in no time Taylor and Absolom had joined forces in the top three.

The Cobra couldn’t match that pace which gave way for the very fast RX7. Despite frantic efforts by the fast RX7, Tooms managed to keep a cool head and took the victory with a difference of only 0.710 of a second. James Hughes completed the podium. The second and third race were dominated by Taylor and Absolom’s RX7. No one from the competition had an answer to the speed of both men.

Roadbook already announced the third edition for Super Spa, scheduled for October 2024. We are eagerly counting down the days!

The post Report and Gallery: Super Spa 2023 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

At the recently held Le Mans Classic, we came across a Porsche 962C (chassis 962-143). Thirty-four years ago, this car was at the start of Le Mans with Dominic Dobson, Will Hoy and Jean Alesi. It is now in German hands and was recently completely restored by Porsche. Let’s get to know it a little better.

Team Schuppan received the car in May 1989, and it was the first 962 equipped with the Bosch MP 1.7 Motronic engine management system. Team owner Vern Schuppan himself had driven for the Porsche factory team between 1982 and 1988, culminating in overall victory at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans. Schuppan was victorious at the time with Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood. At the end of 1987, the Briton started his own racing team, concentrating on competing in the Japanese Sportscar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Chassis 143 debuted at the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans in the livery of Takefuji Corporation of Japan and was crewed by Jean Alesi, Will Hoy and Dominic Dobson. Due to braking problems, among other things, qualifying was difficult, which resulted in a 22nd starting place. Hoy managed to work his way into the top ten during the opening hour.

Hoy’s hard work was undone in the second hour, however, when Bob Wollek lapped chassis 143 with Dobson behind the wheel at Arnage. Both the nose and the tail section were significantly damaged, resulting in a lengthy repair.

Dobson then started his second stint, which ended abruptly when chassis 143 sadly caught fire on the straight at Indianapolis. The reason for the fire was a defective fitting in the fuel system, which caused fuel to end up on the red-hot turbos. The heat also melted the brake lines. Dobson then had to do everything he could to stop his car and get out of the burning 962.

Chassis 143 then returned to Porsche for a full repair. At the beginning of October that year, the car appeared for the last time at the start of a race – the Fuji 1000 km with Martin Donnelly and Johnny Herbert.

In July this year, chassis 143 appeared at the start of Group C Racing during the Le Mans Classic with Dominic Dobson and new owner Thomas Schlereth.

In a next episode of icons at the Le Mans Classic Centenary we take a closer look at a special Porsche 911 GT1 and a McLaren F1 GTR.

The post Icons at the Le Mans Classic: Porsche 962-143 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

In a new series of articles, we will take a look at the origins of Formula 3, a championship that is still seen as an important stepping stone for the premier class in motorsport, Formula 1. Although Formula 3 is still prominent in the world of modern motorsport today, in this series we focus on main constructors between 1971 and 1984.

To go back to the origins of Formula 3, we need to take a deep dive into history. During the late 1940s, lightweight tube frame chassis cars powered by 500 Norton and JAP motorcycle engines were raced in the United Kingdom, which would eventually lead to the international Formula 3. Formula Junior was an open wheel single seater racing class originally set up in 1958. The intention was to create an entry level category for younger drivers to take their first steps in single seater racing.

At the end of the 1963 season, Formula Junior ended and the new Formula 3 regulations came into effect on January 1, 1964. The cars had to weigh at least 400 kilograms and the engine had to come from a production car. A maximum of four cylinders, 1-litre cubic capacity and a single carburetor were allowed. Successful chassis manufacturers of this era were Chevron, Lola, Cooper, Brabham, Lotus and Tecno. They all relied on tubular space frames, front radiators and a cigar-shaped body. Ford’s MAE engine prevailed, prepared by tuners such as Cosworth, Holbay or Novamotor reaching around 120 horsepower.

In 1971 a change in the regulations was made whereby noisy 1-litre engines were replaced by 1.6-litre engines that produced fewer decibels. In order to reduce the power and increase the durability of the engines, the intake was limited to 20mm with a restrictor. Since the Formula 3 cars with 20mm restrictors had slower lap times than the 1 litre ‘Screamers’, the air intake was increased to 21.5mm for the 1972 season.

Another remarkable change were the more aerodynamic shapes, including wings and the use of slick tires. Aluminium monocoques were introduced by March and GRD in 1971. Brabham, Cooper and Lotus left Formula 3 to focus entirely on Formula 1 and 2, which led to the rise of manufacturers such as March, Ensign and GRD. Another significant change was the emergence of various national championships with those in England, Italy, France and Sweden predominating, instead of the individual when the Formula 3 championship switched to 2-litre engines with restricted air intakes.

In 1975 the FIA ​​launched the European Formula 3 Championship. In the first year, the competition calendar consisted of six races that were held on the European continent. The championship was cancelled in 1984 and replaced by the European Formula Three Cup, in fact a one-event format.

Overview of the main constructors:

Alba Engineering

The Alba AR1, designed by Giorgio Stirano, appeared in October 1981 powered by an Alfa Romeo engine. Stirano worked for Forti and Osella in Formula One. When he left he founded Alba Engineering together with three partners.

Their first design was the Alba AR1, a Formula 3 car tested by Enzo Coloni. The car raced in 1981 and 1982 but failed to score. The AR1 was Alba’s one and only Formula 3 car and from that point they switched to designing Group C sports cars.

Alpine

Jean Redelé formed Société des Automobiles Alpines in 1950, initially focusing on sports racing and rally cars, but from 1960 the focus was on single-seaters. An F2/F3 car was produced in 1964, but due to the uncompetitiveness of the Renault engine that was used, Alpine decided to switch to Formule France and sports car racing. It was not until 1968 that Alpine decided to choose Formula 3 again. Between 1969 and 1973, Alpine developed a number of single-seaters equipped with Renault engines.

List of Alpine F3-cars:

1964 A270 raced in both F2 and F3 fitted with a Renault R8-engine

1965 A270 with minor developments

1966 A270 with revised suspension

1967 A310 (also listed as T27)

1968 A310 equipped with a new Renault-engine

1969 A330 and A360. The A360 used a Renault R16-engine

1970 A360 equipped with a Ford-engine

1971 A360 with a space frame chassis and Renault R16-engine

1972 A364 with a new space frame and Dudot-Renault engine

1973 A364B with an upgraded suspension

Anson

Anson Cars was formed by former Brabham F1 mechanic Gary Anderson, Tyrrell F1 mechanic Bob Simpson and Jeff Hills. In 1975 they built the Anson SA1, based on the Brabham BT38 entered in Formule Libre. Unfortunately, major successes were not forthcoming, but in 1983 Franz Konrad won the title for Anson in the German F3 championship. When they failed to reach further success, Anson decided to permanently stop the production of Formula 3 cars at the end of 1985.

List of Anson F3-cars:

1975 SA1

1976 SA1 new design

1977 SA2

1981 SA3 F1-type chassis with honeycomb construction

1982 SA3C slightly modified suspension and bodywork

1983 SA4 new model

1984 SA4B

1985 SA6 fitted with shorter sidepods and a deeper monocoque

In the next episode we continue our retrospective with manufacturers like Argo and Brabham.

The post Formula 3: The origins, 1971-1984 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

The Lotus 47 from 1968 was a competition car homologated for racing in Group 4. The car was developed by Lotus Components Ltd. from the Lotus 46 Europa production car. Let’s take a closer look at it.

Originally the Europa was intended as a race car to replace the Lotus 7. As available Renault engines turned out uncompetitive, it was decided to develop a pure race car based on the production version of the Europa.

Excepting the very first 47, all subsequent cars were produced by Lotus Components Ltd. The 47 was equipped with larger wheel arches and had a thinner body than the Lotus 7. The 1,594 cc Lotus-Ford Twin Cam-based Cosworth Mk. 13C used in the Lotus 22/23 Formula Junior cars was completely different from the engine used in the standard Europa and produced 165 horsepower. The 47 used a Hewland GT 200 5-speed gearbox and had a weight of just 565 kilograms.

Between 1966 and 1970 around 55 to 68 Type 47s were produced, including the 47GT and 47F, the exact numbers are unknown. The latter had a detachable body as used on the S2 Europa, although the large wheel arches were retained just as the side vents of the 47GT.

The post Widescreen Gallery: The Lotus 47 sports racer appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

In this second part of our retrospective on the origins of Formula 3, we take a closer look at Argo and Brabham.

Argo

Swiss designer Jo Marquart and British mechanic Nick Jordan founded Argo Racing Cars Ltd. during the late 1970s. Along with John Peterson, they completed their first car, the Argo JM1, in February 1977.

Although it initially seemed that Argo could make a splash in Formula 3, the arrival of the very dominant Ralt RT3 in the early 1980s made things difficult for the team. With the exception of the JM6, the JM8 and JM10 models in particular were quickly forgotten and Argo pulled back from the sport, only introducing a new Formula 3 car in 1990.

In the meantime, they mainly produced sports prototypes for participation in the Group C championship. Since we focus in this article on F3 cars from the period up to 1984, the models after this period are not considered.

Argo F3-cars:

• 1977 JM1
• 1979 JM3 fitted with a slim monocoque, wide sidepods and one-piece bodywork
• 1980 JM6 development of the earlier JM3 raced in the UK
• 1981 JM8 ground effect car
• 1982 JM10 featured an aluminium tub with wide sidepods

Brabham

British racing car manufacturer Brabham was founded in 1960 by Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac. Brabham produced a range of customer cars besides their works Formula 1 and Formula 2 cars, including Formula 3 machines. Although we focus on cars from 1971 to 1984, Brabham had already built their first F3 car in 1965 – the Brabham BT9.

The BT9 resembled the BT6 used in Formula Junior. It turned out that the BT6 was no match for the Cooper T72, although several victories were noted across Europe.

Between 1965 and 1966, 58 BT15s were built with no less than 42 victories. The car had the same space frame and dimensions as the BT16 from 1965 and the Formula Librae BT14, and was initially powered by a Cosworth SCA, BRM or Holbay MAE engine. Later in 1965 Brabham used a Honda RA300E engine.

In 1966 the BT18 appeared, a car that was made available in different versions for both Formula 2 and Formula 3. The Brabham factory team used two cars with revised Honda RA302E engines entered in Formula 2, known as BT18A. For the Honda Racing School, six cars were equipped with Ford Kent engines, known as Brabham BT18B. A total of 32 cars were built in F3 specification.

The BT21 followed in 1967, initially developed for open-wheel racing, although most of them were manufactured for racing in F3. From the outside the BT21 had a flatter chassis and a new and sleeker bodywork than the earlier BT18. Besides this Brabham used a revised suspension, as well as Cosworth MAE and Holbay 997 cc engines.

Some cars were produced for US Formula B and designated B21B. Cars that ran under Formula Libre designation were known as 21C. A total of fifty BT21s were built.

In the next part we continue our story with the Brabham F3 cars built between 1969 and 1971.

The post Formula 3: The Origins, 1971-1984 Part 2 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

Next up in our long running Group C retrospective series, we dive back into the mid ‘70s, when two former Formula 1 drivers, Tim Schenken from Australia and New Zealander Howden Ganley founded Tiga Race Cars in the UK.

The company was known for various types of racing cars, ranging from Formula Ford to sports cars for the World Sportscar Championship. Schenken raced at Le Mans in 1973 as a Ferrari prototype works driver with a sixteenth place in 1976 as his best result. Ganley gained more success at La Sarthe with a second place during the 1972 edition driving alongside Francois Cevert in a Matra MS 670.

In 1984 the Tiga GC84, also known as GC284, appeared with a Ford Cosworth DFL V8 engine. The car was an evolution of a sports car originally built for Australian racer Neil Crang back in 1983. For the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans, Crang teamed up with Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm under the Tiga/Spice Engineering flag. Unfortunately, the team ran into engine problems and their first participation in Le Mans was unsuccessful. However, once the engine problems were resolved, the GC84 proved to be a formidable car. At the end of the year the GC84 won the World Championship in the C2 class.

Building on the success of the GC84, the GC85 was introduced in 1985 also known as the GC285, in fact an evolution of the earlier GC84. Gordon Spice, Ray Bellm and Mark Galvin took a class win at Le Mans, finishing fourteenth overall. Spice entered the GC85 as a Spice-Tiga for the World Championship and alongside winning at the Le Mans they were crowned World Champions in the C2 division. The Tiga GC86/GC286 for the 1986 season was a development of the GC284 and GC285, both designed by Howden Ganley. The car was in fact Tiga’s first ground effect C2 and IMSA Light sportscar.

Several types of engines were used, such as the Mazda 13B rotary, Cosworth DFZ, Chevrolet V8, Ford BDT and even one from a Porsche 962. For its first season in 1986 this car was powered by a Ford Cosworth BDT-E 1.7 litre turbo engine, but by the time they got to the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1987 the engine was replaced by a Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 litre V8. The final outing for the GC86/286 was in the Interseries.

For the 1987 season Ganley modified the GC86/286, resulting in the Tiga GC87/287. Tiga was unable to build on the successes of previous years with the GC87/287. Just a single victory in the World Championship was scored, while the brand kept on struggling in the American IMSA championship. Later that year Ganley sold his company. Before Tiga Race Cars ceased operations in 1989, the GC288 (1988) and GC289 (1989) appeared.

In a next episode of the most important Group C cars we focus on TOM’s and Toyota.

The post Group C: The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age of Endurance Racing: Tiga Race Cars appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

The BMW E9 is one of several machines from the South German manufacturer that have written history. Not only in the period between 1968 and 1975, when the particularly beautiful coupe was known as a fast and elegant vehicle. Even today, the E9 continues to fascinate young and old, especially in the historic motorsport scene with its potent appearance and performance.

In 1968, the BMW E9 appeared on the scene, the result of a collaboration between Wilhelm Hofmeister and the Italian coachbuilder Michelotti. The E9 was based on BMW’s series of four cylinder models, the 2000 C/2000CS. It was the coupe variant of the E3 and more than 30,000 examples were built between 1968 and 1975.

To accommodate the larger six-cylinder M30 engine, the E9 received larger bodywork, which was developed by Karmann. In order to fit the M30 six-cylinder engine up front, in addition to a larger body, the wheelbase was also increased. Additionally, the E9 offered better performance thanks to its smaller front end and lighter weight, although the rear brakes were initially drum brakes.

A compression ratio of 9.5:1 and the use of an electronic Bosch D-Jetronic injection resulted in a 200 hp for the 3.0 CSi, as a compression ratio 0f 9.0:1 and two carburetors led to 180 hp for the 3.0 CS.

In the late 1960s, BMW dominated the European Touring Car Championship in Division 3 with the 2002. However, amended regulations led to a change in the 1970s. Lighter weight helped the Capri dominate the ETCC and win the championship in 1971 and 1972. BMW looked on in agony, but far from surrendered. The answer was found in the CSL.

Based on the three-litre E9 coupe, the engineers at BMW had already started developing a lightweight version in 1970 that would be used in the European Touring Car Championship. Alpina boss Burkard Bovensiepen created a homologation version for touring car racing in Group 2 of the German Racing Championship DRM. In the fall of 1971, the first three-litre ‘Coupé Sport Lightweight Construction’ better known as the BMW 3.0 CSL, rolled off the assembly line.

At least 1000 cars were needed to achieve homologation in Group 2 and to reach that mark, BMW Motorsport GmbH was founded in 1972. Under the leadership of ex-Ford racing director Jochen Neerpasch, the CSL received an injection engine with Bosch D-Jetronic, the displacement increased to 3003 cm³ and the output to 200 hp. The price of the road car, which cost more than DM 30,000, led to only moderate sales. Just 165 of the three litre carburetor engine cars were sold. When the newly founded BMW Motorsport GmbH, nowadays BMW M, took over the development of the 3.0 CSL, this soon changed. In the end BMW managed to sell 1096 examples, enough to get the ‘Batmobile’ homologated to race in Group 2.

To make the CSL competitive, BMW had to do some development work. Competing models weighed around 900 kg, while the production version of the CS weighed no less than 1230 kg. BMW solved this problem by using tin plate and aluminium. The front bumper was replaced by an aerodynamic spoiler, and a plastic bumper was installed at the rear as well as a roof spoiler, deck lid spoiler and a large rear wing. For all rear windows Plexiglas was used, and the hood has simple quick-release fasteners instead of the complicated locking linkage. Harder dampers and progressive springs were mounted, including 17-inch light alloy wheels.

The result of saving on insulation mats and carpet coverings was the grumbling of the three-litre six-cylinder engine equipped with its two Zenith twin carburettors. The grumbling of the three-litre six-cylinder engine with its two Zenith twin carburettors penetrates the cabin a little louder because there were also savings on insulation mats and carpet coverings.

Let’s take a little break here, and return for a second episode continuing our story of the remarkable Batmobile.

The post BMW E9 CSL: The Capri Beater, Part 1 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

In our third part of our retrospective story on the origins of Formula 3, we take a closer look at Brabham.

British racing car manufacturer Brabham was founded in 1960 by Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac. The manufacturer produced a range of customer cars alongside works Formula 1 and Formula 2 cars, including cars for Formula 3 competition.

Although we will focus on the period between 1971 and 1984, Brabham had already built their first F3 car in 1965, the Brabham BT9. The BT9 resembled the BT6 used in Formula Junior. While it scored several victories across Europe, the BT6 was no match for the Cooper T72.

In 1965 the BT15 was introduced and went on to win 42 major races. Between 1965 and 1966 58 BT15s were built, also claiming some 42 victories. The car had the same space frame and dimensions as the BT16 from 1965 and the Formula Librae BT14, and was initially powered by a Cosworth SCA, BRM or Holbay MAE engine. Later in 1965 Brabham used a Honda RA300E engine.

Brabham BT7 – James King / Spa Six Hours 2014

In 1966 the BT18 appeared, a car that was made available in different versions and used in both Formula 2 and Formula 3 competition. The Brabham factory team entered two cars with revised Honda RA302E engines in Formula 2, known as BT18A. For the Honda Racing School, six cars were equipped with Ford Kent engines, known as Brabham BT18B. A total of 32 cars were built in F3 specification.

The BT21 followed in 1967, initially developed for open-wheel racing, although most of them were manufactured for racing in F3. From the outside the BT21 had a flatter chassis and new sleeker bodywork than the earlier BT18. Besides this Brabham used a revised suspension, as well as Cosworth MAE and Holbay 997 cc engines. Some cars were produced for US Formula B and designated B21B. Cars that ran under Formula Libre designation were known as 21C. A total of fifty BT21s were built.

Brabham BT21 – Nigel Miller / Spa Six Hours 2010

Brabham introduced the BT28 in 1969, their ultimate design as the 1-litre Formula 3 era ran until the end of 1970. Compared to the BT21, the BT28 had better aerodynamics thanks to a revised body, Cosworth engine and Hewland gearbox. The BT28 continued into 1970 and won many races. Despite a strong rivalry with the Lotus 59, the BT28 claimed 23 victories in 1970. In the end Brabham sold 42 cars.

Next in line was the Brabham BT35, built in 1981 for racing in Formula Atlantic, Formula B and Formula 3. The BT35 was developed from the earlier BT28 and BT29, although the latter was only used in Formula Atlantic. It was followed by the BT38 from 1972, which was based on the BT36 (Formula 2). The BT38 was Brabham’s first production monocoque instead of a space frame used on the earlier cars, designed by Geoff Ferris. In Formula 2 the car was designated BT38, BT38B for Formula B and BT38C for Formula 3.

Brabham’s final customer F3 car was the somewhat disappointing BT41. Geoff Ferris designed the BT41, which was very similar to the BT40 used in Formula 2. The tub was almost identical, although the BT41 had an inner mild steel skin.

List of Brabham F3-cars:

• 1965 BT9
• 1965 BT15
• 1966 BT16
• 1966 BT18
• 1967 BT21
• 1969 BT28
• 1971  BT35
• 1972 BT38C
• 1973 BT41

In the next episode we continue our story about the origins of Formula 3 with Chevron.

Brabham BT38C – Sami Hamid / Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort 2017

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