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Van Diemen 1976


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#1 hh-tech

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Posted 23 March 2006 - 10:42

Hello

I just bought a Van Diemen 1976 FF1600 chassis no1, and I'm looking for its history.
I have the history from 1977 onwards.

It was bought by a Björn Langrekken from Norway after the 1976 season.
He says that the car was owned by the Van Diemen factory and was rented to different drivers.
When Björn bought the car it was less engine and gearbox and the car had sponsorship from a Swiss Chees manufacturer on it, this is about all I know of it's 1976 history.

Björn Langrekken later worked for the Van Diemen factory assembeling cars in the winters and helping them to sell cars in the US having contact with the factory until 1984/85

Results from a race at Brands on 19-20 June show.

1. Nigel Gough
2. Ashley Ward (Swan Lager Racing)
3. Teddy Voellmy (D) (Van Diemen International)
4. Marc Donaldson (AShtune Racing)
5. Mario Neto (Van Diemen International)

Some research on the WWW shows that a Don MacLeod also drove a Van Diemen in 1976

Does anyone have recollections from 1976 FF scene, pictures or results?

Some results that I have gathered can be found here (mostly swedish) Results (3MB)
Have a look under the UK tab

Henrik

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#2 Henk A. Hazelaar

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Posted 27 March 2006 - 21:48

Dear Henrik,

Plaese find some information about the Van Diemen Formula Ford RF76.


Advertisement Van Diemen Formula Ford 1976 (Autosport - january 22, 1976)


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MacLeod Van Diemen RF 76


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In the next few days/weeks I will looking for more information about the history of your car in my old Autosport magazines and my collection.


Regards,

Henk A. Hazelaar
Netherlands

#3 Mallory Dan

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Posted 28 March 2006 - 14:00

Henrik, 1976 was a brilliant year for FF in England. Unfortunately, The VD RF76 wasn't a great car, to say the least, most of the wins were taken by Royales, Hawkes and Crossles that year.

The results you quote from that year must have been from a relatively 'minor' race, I suspect a Champion of Brands race, perhaps even a heat for such. The drivers in the results were not of the top order that year, these being people like Derek Daly, David Kennedy, Derek Warwick, John Bright, Kenny Gray, Bernard Devaney, Rick Morris, Mike Blanchet, Phil Bullman, Paul Smith, Rod Bremner, Bobby Scott, John Village, David Lang, Matt Argenti, Chris Skellern, Trevor van Rooyen, and towards the end of the year, Nigel Mansell.

See what I mean about it being a classic year !

#4 MCS

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Posted 28 March 2006 - 15:13

Dan is absolutely right - 1976 was a great season for FF1600 racing, but decidedly not for Van Diemen.

In terms of potential previous drivers of the RF76 - some of the suspects would be;

Mario Ferraris Neto (future works March F3 driver)
Teddy Voellmy

(Both of these works cars were red).

There were a number of different drivers who raced the Ashtune Race Hire cars as well and Derek Daly started the season in an RF76 before joining Hawke...

#5 LittleChris

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Posted 02 April 2006 - 00:53

Originally posted by hh-tech
Some research on the WWW shows that a Don MacLeod also drove a Van Diemen in 1976


Seem to remember he did rather well in a couple of Formula Ford Festivals :D

#6 Perruqueporte

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 21:09

Are you still looking for information about your RF76?

I am fairly sure that was the car which Ralph Firmin lent to Donald MacLeod towards the end of that fantastically hot summer (76), which Donald and I ran for the rest of that season culminating in the Formula Ford Festival (which we came close to winning).

Let me know if you are still interested in info, and I will tell you what I can remember.

Christopher Wigdor

#7 brucemoxon

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 21:36

It's a bit of a round-about way, but if you get in touch with NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose via his media reps (www.bammedia.com.au) they might be willing to put you in contact with his father, Ross, who was one of the owners of Van Diemen. (Van Diemen was a Dutch navigator who discovered what is now called Tasmania - originally Van Diemen's Land).


Bruce Moxon

#8 RonPohl

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Posted 14 December 2012 - 04:29

Nice to see some Formula Ford discussion here on TNF.

#9 E1pix

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Posted 14 December 2012 - 06:28

Agree wholeheartedly Ron! :up:

As MCS said, same here, Van Diemen wasn't all that successful in the States by '76... yet. There was a guy named Larry Wood in the Midwest who did quite well with one, his was white (car number was typically #66, sometimes #00) and struck me as a factory effort for at least the area.

Per other cars in 1976, Lola's new T440 was a step backwards from their '75 T342, the California-built ADF was still really strong after its Runoffs National Championship in '75, Tiga was fresh here but quick, Crossle was always strong and adaptable, Titan's Mk9 was tough to sort and unpopular after years of Mk6 success, and Indiana's own Zink Z10 was quick and sturdy. Hawkes were all but nowhere in the States by '76, though a good friend won the National title with one in '72 (and again in '74 with a T340).

Björn likely worked with another friend who ran the factory Super Vees here in 1983, driven by Bob Schader, Ted Dillon, and also by Bob Earl who served as early test driver. They were known as USA Gold Racing Team, and Yours Truly did all the paint, lettering, gold leaf, and graphics on their three Super Vees, two FFs, and a semi tractor-trailer rig. First time I ever flew on a plane was at 22, to do two of the cars at Wilbur Bunce's shop the week prior to the Long Beach GP (the opening SV round of '83).


Here's the Pace Lap for the 1976 June Sprints at Road America. Over 80 cars started as I recall. From memory, the Pole car of #96 is Gary Hackbarth in a '75 T342 alongside Tony Kester in a Tiga, then Bob Paladino (Lola T342) and Larry Wood in the Van Diemen, Rick Koehler in a T340, Dave Weitzenhof in a Zink Z10 (#67), Dick Pyzinski in a Dulon, Steve Lathrop in a Zink Z10 (#36, he became builder-distributor after John Zink sold out his marque), Tim Evans in another Z10 (#30, shaded), etc...

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Edited by E1pix, 14 December 2012 - 08:12.


#10 JacnGille

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Posted 14 December 2012 - 14:00

^ :up: