Tag Archives: Gethin

Rising Rate Improvements – Lola T400 #HU5

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After the successes of the Lola T332 model which was driven to to two Formula 5000 Championshp victories in the United States by Brian Redman, in the UK by Bob Evans, in Australia with Max Stewart in a year old T330 and loosing only the Tasman Series to Peter Gethin’s Chevron B24 and the New Zealand Series to David Oxton in the Begg FM5 in 1974, Lola looked to be the manufacturer to go with in 1975.

The Lola T400 was designed with superior aerodynamics and rising rate suspension to the previous years T332 for the 1975 Formula F5000 season.

01 Lola T400_8734sc

That at least was the theory although when customers like Richard Oaten Racing, van der Straten (VDS) and McKechnie Racing Organisation took delivery of theirs they found the rising rate suspension, designed to get stiffer the more the suspension traveled, was not so easy to set up, because they did not realise that the spring rates originally chosen were not stiff enough, infact the opposite they thought the spring rates were too hard and made the handling worse by attempting to rectify the problem with softer springs that reduced the contact patch of particularly the rear tyres with the road even further.

Despite being invoiced for today’s featured T400 chassis #HU5 on February 17th 1975 Richard Oaten Racing’s driver Ian Ashley started the first two races of the 1975, British based, European Formula 5000 championship driving the two year old Lola T330 chassis #HU17.

Lola Chevrolet T400, Lance Robinson, Silverstone Classic Press Day,

Ian won with the 2 year old car at Brands Hatch from 4th on the grid and crashed out at Oulton Park, not for the last time, on the opening lap again from fourth on the grid.

Two weeks later back Brands with the T330 not repaired sufficiently after it’s accident at Oulton Park Ian had little option but to drive today’s featured T400 #HU5 from the back of the grid to 7th in a race noted for being the first to be won by David Purley in his one off Chevron B30 powered by the 3.4 litre Ford GAA V6.

Lola Chevrolet T400, Silverstone Classic Press Day,

By Silverstone the Oaten T330 had been repaired with much new metal in the form of a new T332 tub fitted with T330 suspension and a mixture of T330, T332 and T400 body work with which Ian qualified 2nd and finished 5th in a race that became notorious when the good old Auntie British Broadcasting Corporation refused to televise it because of the presence of Richard Scotts T400 #HU8 which was sponsored by prophylactic brand Durex. Richard won the race in #HU8 after it had been fitted with the older type T332 suspension after future Williams design guru Patrick Head was consulted about the T400 handling issues.

Ian’s second and final public appearance in #HU5 was at Zolder after gearbox damage to the repaired T330/332 #HU17 forced Ian in to the T400 with which he qualified 5th behind 3 other T400’s and was classified 2nd behind the van der Straten VDS T400 chassis #HU4 driven by Peter Gethin.

Lola Chevrolet T400, Silverstone Classic Press Day,

#HU5 is then said to have been abandoned as uncompetitive before the next race at Zandvoort where Ian returned to the wheel the T330 HU17 and retired with a broken big end on lap 3 after starting from pole.

The T400’s of Peter Gethin in the VDS #HU4 his team mate Teddy Pelitte in the VDS #HU11 and Richard Scott in the McKechnie Racing Durex sponsored chassis #HU8 finished that race in the top three showing uncompetitiveness was not an issue for the new T400 model once fitted with the modifications first seen on Richards #HU8 at Silverstone.

Lola Chevrolet T400, Silverstone Classic Press Day,

Ian driving the repaired T330/T332 beat Teddy Pilette’s VDS T400 at Thruxton, but did not feature in the top three again while Teddy Pilette driving his VDS T400 went on to win four of the remaining nine races on his way to securing the 1975 European F5000 Championship.

As I understand it Ian latter crashed #HU5 in testing and at the end of the season Lola rebuilt it to the same specification as Teddy Pilette’s championship winning VDS car before it was shipped to the United States where it remained until 2008.

Lola Chevrolet T400, Silverstone Classic Press Day,

Canadian Hamish Somerville drove #HU5 in New Zealand in 2011 and the car is seen above with former Prosport LM3000 driver Lance Robinson at the wheel during a Silverstone Classic Press Day.

#HU5 is currently nearing completion after a rebuild necessitated by the accident Lance had in the car during testing on the day before 2013 Silverstone Classic meeting according to Kevin McLurg.

My thanks to Kevin McLurg of Facebook, Ray Bell, Lee Nicole, kingswood, Tim Murray, Allen Brown, Mallory Dan and MCS at The Nostalgia Forum for their help

Thanks for joining me on this “Rising Rate Improvements” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Mercedes Monday. Don’t forget to come back now.

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Wider Longer Lower – Chevron B28 #B28-74-01

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Like Lola’s Eric Broadley a year earlier, Chevron Cars founder Derek Bennett decided that the way to go with the Chevron B28 1974 Formula 5000 challenger was wider, longer and lower.

Chevron B28, Simon Taylor, Silverstone Classic

Unlike Eric, Derek did not have such a good time convincing his customers that the B28 was a step forward they should invest in, with the VDS team being the only takers of two new B28’s, despite the fact that the previous years Chevron B24 had been successful winning the British F5000 title with Teddy Pelitte at the wheel and the Tasman F5000 series with Peter Gethin at the wheel, while Lola cars had not won any F5000 championships since 1971 !

Chevron B28, Simon Taylor, Silverstone Classic

With works support and Swiss Morand tuned fuel injected Chevrolet motors the VDS teams B28’s with reigning champion Teddy Pelitte and newly crowned Tasman Champion Peter Gethin raced exclusively in the 18 round Rothmans sponsored European F5000 championship.

Chevron B28, Simon Taylor, Silverstone Classic

By the season’s end Peter Gethin’s four victories were only good enough to secure 2nd place in the championship to Bob Evans driving an almost ubiquitous Lola T332 model while poor Teddy Pelitte driving what is believed to be today’s featured chassis only completed 7 laps of the opening two races before his season started getting any momentum.

Teddy managed several second place finishes, to Peter at Monza and wound up a distant fourth in the final championship standings. Interestingly the last race of the European Championship season was won by Vern Schuppan driving a Chevron B24 with the B28 suspension modifications.

Today’s featured chassis #B28-74-01 appears to have remained in the UK, with Tony Dean driving the car with Rockerfella’s, discotheque, sponsorship for most of the 1975 season before entering it for Brazilian Ingo Hoffman for the last four races of the season while he sorted out some problems with Her Majesties government regarding the import of cigars from the USA, said to have been smuggled in to the UK inside a spare car called the KEC Special, KEC denoting King Edward Cigar.

In 2012 present owner Simon Taylor, seen driving the car at Silverstone in these photo’s, had #B28-74-01 painted in the blue Thursday’s, discotheque, livery that was seen on the sister chassis #B28-74-02 in 1975 when it was driven by Australian F1 refugee Dave Walker for RAM racing.

Thanks for joining me on this “Wider Longer Lower” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Maserati Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Spare Smallman Embassy – Lola T370 #HU3

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At the end of his relatively unsuccessful, season high 9th place finish in Belgium, 1973 season at the wheel of his privately entered Embassy Shadow DN1, Graham Hill hooked up with Lola, who’s car he had driven to win the 1966 Indy 500, for a two car attack on the 1974 World Drivers Championship.

Lola T370, Haynes International Motor Museum

Embassy sponsored the building of the Lola T370 which was designed by Andy Smallman. Unlike Lola T330 and T332 Formula A/5000 cars with rear mounted side radiators the T370 had the radiators mounted directly behind the front wheels, as would appear on Lola 1975 T400 Formula A/5000 car.

The most remarkable thing about the T370 when it first appeared was the outsize tall airbox which gave the car the appearance of a sail boat, much larger than the one seen in today’s photo as can be seen in this link.

Graham’s efforts with the T370 were rewarded by a 6th place finish in the Swedish Grand Prix, but apart from that the over weight if reliable T370 was not particularly competitive as drivers of the second car; Guy Edwards, Rolf Stommelen, Peter Gethin and Vern Schuppan found out.

Guy Edwards scored a best 7th behind his team mate in the 1974 Swedish Grand Prix and German Rolf Stommelen repeated the feat in the 1975 South African Grand Prix.

Today’s featured chassis HU3, seen at the Haynes International Motor Museum, first appeared as a spare car at the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix a role it remained in for 11 of the 14 events to which it was taken.

The car was first raced by Peter Gethin in the 1974 British Grand Prix where he qualified 21st on the grid but retired with a puncture. Rolf Stommelen then drove the car in the 1975 Argentine and Brazilian Grand Prix where he started 19th and 23rd on the grid respectively and finished 13th and 14th respectively.

HU3’s final appearance was again with Rolf at the wheel during practice for the 1975 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The T370 was superseded by a single T371 chassis in 1975 but as it dawned on Graham it was time to retire he decided to follow the lead of 3 time World Champion Jack Brabham and 2 time race winner Bruce McLaren to become a Formula One constructor.

Thanks for joining me on this “Spare Smallman Embassy” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Maserati Monday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Giant Killer – Chevron Chevrolet B24 #B24-73-02

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Having developed a passion for engineering through his interest in model aeroplanes Lancastrian Derek Bennett took an apprenticeship in mechanical and electrical engineering to become a mechanic, during this time he was exposed to (British) Stock Car racing.

It was not long before Derek graduated into building, maintaining and racing vehicles in the British Clubmans series for small Ford powered vehicles and into Formula Junior.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

In 1965 demand for copies of his Clubmans racer led Derek to establish Chevron cars assisted by mechanic Paul Owen based in a former mill in Bolton, well away from the regular stomping ground for racing car manufactured that with few excetions could be found in the arc from Southwest London, round Brooklands and Heathrow Airport to the East and Silverstone to the North.

In 1966 Chevron branched out into building a successful series of up to 2 litre / 122 cui sports cars and in 1967 the company expanded to build it’s first 2nd and 3rd tier open wheelers for Formula 2 and Formula 3.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

In 1972 Chevron built it’s first over 2 litre 122 cui open wheeler the 5 litre / 302 cui stock block Chevrolet V8 powered Formula 5000 Chevron B24 which Lancastrian Brian Redman drove in four races, claiming one victory at Oulton Park driving the B24 having won the previous race at Mondello Park a month earlier in a McLaren M10.

Today’s featured car #B24-73-02 was the second built in 1973, third overall from 8 built according to factory records, though as usual this does not tell the whole story, but I’ll be spare you that particular diversion here.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

#B24-73-02 appears to have been entered on three occasions carrying the #32 in British races as a factory entered car for Peter Gethin. The first two races held on consecutive days were at Brands Hatch where Peter won the Rothmans Formula 5000 championship round on the cars debut.

The next day the weekends feature event, The Race Of Champions, was a race for contemporary Formula 5000 cars and Formula One cars including entries from Lotus, BRM and McLaren all of whom had won championship Formula One events in the previous 12 months.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

Starting 8th on the grid Peter managed to steer his Formula 5000 stock block Chevron to an unlikely victory as his faster Formula One rivals fell by the way side to hold off Denny Hulme in the latest McLaren Cosworth M23 and formula one debutant James Hunt in an ancient Surtees TS9.

There is a myth that this was the only occasion in which a Formula 5000 car beat a Formula One car in such a non championship challenge race, this is not quite true there was a long forgotten event called the 1969 the Madrid Grand Prix at Jarama in which Tony Dean driving BRM #P2615 powered by a V12 BRM was beaten by Keith Holland driving an F5000 Lola T142 and Peter Gethin driving an F5000 MacLaren M10A, but the field at Brands in 1973 was certainly more contemporary and competitive.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

Chevron then entered Peter for one more British F5000 race at Mallory Park where Peter finished forth before the car was sold to Douglas Shierson Racing who entered the car carrying the same Marathon sponsorship for Peter in the US L&M series now running the #8 race number.

The B24 did not prove quite so competitive in the 1973 US series where only championship protagonists Brian Redman driving a Lola T330 and Jody Scheckter a Trojan T101 found victory lane. Peters best result came at Lagunna Seca where finished second.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

After 1973 #B24-73-02 remained in the USA where, Roger Bighouse 1974 /1975, Pat McGonegle 1976 continued to enter the car in open wheel F5000 events. For 1977 Pat McGonegle converted the car to closed wheel CAN Am 2 spec, scoring a best 6th place finish at Road America in ’77 driving #B24-73-02 which Pat raced until the end of 1978.

Danny Johnson was the next owner and he raced #B24-73-02 sporadically between 1978 and 1982 scoring a best 5th place at Edmonton in 1981.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

Similarly intermittently Mike Engstrand drove #B24-73-02 from 1985 to 1987 scoring a best 4th place finish in the cars last in period appearance in the 1987 Canadian American Thundercars Pueblo event.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

#B24-73-02 now belongs to Greg Thornton. In 2012 the car caught fire and was badly damaged and it is seen here at Oulton Park after it’s rebuild from the fire damaged remains.

Chevron Chevrolet B24, Oulton Park

Thanks for joining me on this “Giant Killer” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l more psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a another Italian vehicle once owned by John Lennon. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Right Tyre, Right Time – BRM P180 #P180/2

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Despite winning the 1971 Austrian and Italian Grand Prix BRM lost their Yardley sponsor to McLaren at the end of 1971, but started 1972 with a plan for a five car assault on the 1972 World Drivers and Constructors championships using three different models the P153 from 1970, the P160 from 1971 and a new design the P180. All three models were designed by Tony Southgate and there was some interchangeability of suspension that was used to update the older models.

BRM P180, BRM Day, Bourne, Lincs

The P180 differed from the earlier models by having the radiator at the front moved to the rear in a bid to get a 33/67 balance in the weight distribution from front to rear in a bid to improve traction.

BRM P180, BRM Day, Bourne, Lincs

One of the novel features of the P180 was the steering wheel popping up through the cockpit fairing.

BRM P180, BRM Day, Bourne, Lincs

The P180 made it’s debut at the Spanish Grand Prix with Peter Gethin at the wheel, Jean Pierre Beltoise also had today’s featured chassis #P180/2 available to him but found the older P160 more to his liking. Gethin started 21st and Beltoise started 7th, both retired.

BRM P180, BRM Day, Bourne, Lincs

Howden Ganley drove #P180/2 in the ’72 Monaco Grand Prix where he qualified 20th but crashed on lap 47. Beltoise won the race from 4th on the grid in the older P160, this would prove to be BRM’s final championship Grand Prix victory. With the weight balance of the P180 being more like 30/70 the P180’s were modified.

BRM P180, BRM Day, Bourne, Lincs

While the work was carried out the P180’s appeared at two non championship meetings, Reine Wisell qulified 7th for the Gold Cup at Oulton Park but was rear ended by his compatriot Ronnie Peterson on the start line which broke Reine’s finger and caused his retirement. At Brands Hatch for the Rothman’s 50,000 both Beltoise and Ganley preferred to race the older P160’s.

BRM P180, BRM Day, Bourne, Lincs

The P180’s appeared again at the Italian Grand Prix where Beltoise qualified #P180/2 16th and finished 8th to score the models only Championship race finish. Both P180’s were taken to the Canadian and US Grand Prix’s Bill Brack joined Beltoise in Canada and Brian Redman replaced the Canadian in the States. No finishes were recorded and the cars failed to qualify in the top 15 for either race.

BRM P180, BRM Day, Bourne, Lincs

The P180’s final appearance was in the non championship John Player Challenge at Brands Hatch, where Beltoise qualified #P180/2 7th. The track was wet at the start but Beltoise elected to go to the start line on intermediate tyres where as almost everybody else was on wet tyres. At the start of the race Beltoise was left behind but as the track started to dry out he was perfectly placed to pick off those ahead of him to score the BRM team’s final race victory.

Tony Southgate, who say’s of the car what it really lacked was a budget to develop the engine, left BRM to join Shadow for 1973 and BRM decided to retire the P180 in favour of using yet another update of the P160 for 1973.

Howden Ganley is seen driving the car above at last years BRM Day.

My thanks to Ray Bell, RCH, kayemod Rob and MCS at The Nostalgia Forum for their help in finding out the cause of Reine Wisell’s broken finger.

Thanks for joining me on this “Right Tyre, Right Time” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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More Fuel – McLaren Ford M14A #M14/2

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Going into 1970 things were looking up as McLaren Cars entered their seventh year. The team had won three consecutive Can Am Championships, 2 for Bruce McLaren and one for Denny Hulme, the inaugural European Formula F5000 championship with Peter Gethin and four championship Formula One races one for Bruce McLaren and three, including the last race of 1969, for Denny Hulme.

In addition to these racing programs for 1970 McLaren were to embark on an Indy program with the new turbocharged McLaren Offy M15 and were contracted to run an Alfa Romeo V8 powered car alongside their new Ford powered M14A Formula One car.

McLaren Ford M14A, Goodwood Revival

The new M14A was an improvement of the 1969 McLaren M7C, itself based on a Formula F5000 M10A chassis with McLaren M7A Grand Prix winning suspension.

The main feature of the new car was the narrower internal dimensions of the monocoque which were necessary to accommodate larger fuel tanks required by the ever more powerful and thirsty Ford Cosworth DFV V8’s.

McLaren Ford M14A, McLaren Manchester, Knutsford

The McLaren M14A was used in all but one race in the 1970 Formula One championship season. It’s best result was on it’s debut in South Africa where Denny Hulme finished second, driving I believe today’s featured car. Bruce McLaren matched that in Spain where he also finished second. After the Monaco Grand Prix where Denny finished forth disaster struck as first Denny was badly burned after his car caught fire in testing at Indianapolis and then a couple of weeks later Bruce was killed while testing the M8D Can Am car at Goodwood.

The team consequently missed the Belgian GP and reappeared at the Dutch Grand Prix with Dan Gurney driving the lead car #M14/1 and 1969 European Formula 5000 champion Peter Gethin making his Formula One championship debut driving today’s featured chassis, both cars retired. Denny Hulme still suffering from burned hands was back in time for the French Grand Prix alongside Dan Gurney and the pair came in 4th and 6th respectively.

#M14/2 is seen at the McLaren Manchester show room in Knutsford above.

McLaren Ford M14A, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Dan Gurney retired from Formula One after retiring from the British Grand Prix where Hulme finished a remarkable 3rd. Peter Gethin was back in the team for the German Grand Prix where Denny again finished 3rd. Denny retired from the Austrian GP but at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix he came home 4th. Peter Gethin scored his first World Championship point at the Canadian Grand Prix where he finished 6th and Denny rounded out a painful year with a third in the Mexican Grand Prix finishing 4th in the Formula One Championship points table.

Incredibly despite his injuries Denny had also won 6 of the 10 Can Am Championship rounds enough to win the 1970 Chamionship his second Can Am Crown and McLaren Cars 4th consecutive championship aided by a further win from Peter Gethin who also won a second consecutive European Formula 5000 title driving a McLaren. The US, New Zealand and South African Formula 5000 thousand championships were won by John Cannon, Graham McRae and Bob Olthof respectively all also driving McLarens.

McLaren Ford M14A, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

For 1971 #M14/2 was driven by Peter Gethin to two second place finishes in non championship races at Oulton Park and Brands Hatch, the best championship result Peter had from 3 championship start in the car was 8th in the 1971 Spanish Grand Prix.

Jackie Oliver joined McLaren for the British Grand Prix where he qualified #M14/2 22nd but a bungled flag drop saw Jackie crash into Graham Hill at the start causing instant retirement for both and a £50 fine for Jackie. The cars final works appearance was at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix where Jackie qualified 13th and finished 7th in a close fought race won by Peter Gethin now driving a BRM.

McLaren Ford M14A, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

#M14/2 next appeared with a Formula 5000 Chevy stock block V8 motor in the hands of Tony Dean who’s best result was a 10th place finish in his first start in the car at Mondello Park. On his seventh and final attempt, which included retirements from races at Elkhart Lake and Brainerd, to race the car Tony failed to qualify for the non championship 1972 John Player Challenge Trophy at Brands Hatch.

In 1973 at the same venue Willie Wood failed to qualify #M14/2 for the Formula F5000 race or non championship Race of Champions and was not classified in a further appearance at Oulton Park. Allan Kayes then bought #M14/2 was also unclassified at Brands Hatch, finished 11th at Oulton Park and then retired, failed to qualify or failed to start in 12 further races most of which were rounds of the 1974 European Formula 5000 championship.

Thanks for joining me on this “More Fuel” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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