37 replies to this topic

[hkf1]

I am going to attend the Macau Grand Prix this weekend, from the early 80's it became the F3 championship won. Previously it was run in many different formats. Can anyone help me with the rules regarding FAtlantic?

[Frank de Jong]

Formula Atlantic was used as a sort of intermediate between F2 and F3. Started in the USA as "Formula B", using 1600 cc Ford Twin Cam engines (8 valves) with carburettors. The formula became popular in britain in the early 70's, nearly replacing F3. A failure was the fact that Ford BDA engines (16 valve) were allowed in 1973, bringing it too close to F2.

The formula was adopted in many other countries, like south-africa and Canada (Gilles Villeneuve!).
After an attempt to make the formula worldwide (Formula Pacific), its popularity diminished, although in the US there is still a Toyota-based single seater series which is basically Atlantic.
Apart from the Ford TC, engines from Nissan and Toyota were used in later years, I seem to remember even Mazda Rotary engines (in south-africa?).

Enjoy yourself over there!

[bobdar]

I've seached quite a bit for early FAtlantic rules and found just about nothing. My understanding is that the class started in FIA/Europe in 1971 and used 1600cc Cosworth BDD's with carburation. (The BDA was actually the "upgrade" for the Kent crossflow lower end, using the 4.928" rods and 1.746 piston pin height, whereas the BDD used the narrow (FVA?) journal crank, 5.23" rods and shorter pin heights). Sometime around 1975, the class was exported to the south Pacific (New Zealand, Australia) where it was called "Formula Pacific". The engine used in these cars was the Cosworth BDM, still a four-valve 1600cc but now with fuel injection. There undoubtedly more rules, but I haven't been able to locate them. Also, I don't know if the US SCCA adopted the class, or whether it was run here as an FIA class.

[David McKinney]

I don't think there ever was an FIA FAt class, apart from Formula Mondial mentioned on an earlier thread. This was the formula for a championship encompassing races in SE Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Frank's summary pretty well accords with my recollection. It was still run in NZ until two or three years ago. I'm also pretty sure that f-i was banned in the early years there, but I may be mistaken.

[Frank de Jong]

According to John Player Motor sport yearbooks, the BDA engine was allowed in Britain from the start (1971). But the first champion used a Ford TC tuned by BRM.
Apart from not allowing fuel injection, the valve sizes had to remain standard. The early seventies cars had a little over 200 HP, much more than 1600 cc F3 (max. 130 HP) and 2-litre F3 (about 165 HP). A 1998 US Swift-Toyota Atlantic had about 240 HP.

[bobdar]

Frank: So it started in the US. SCCA had Formula B, so is it correct that Formula Atlantic was a series outside of the SCCA?? Any more detail??

[quintin cloud]

Frank you are correct with the comment about the Mazada Rotary engines in South Africa about one year or so ago the guys tried to get the old F. libre racing going again but with no success

[David McKinney]

No, Bobdar, Formula Atlantic started in the UK. By coincidence it was similar to FB, which changed its name later. F/Atlantic was very strong in Canada, where a major championship was run for many years, IIRC with rounds south of the border as well. In the US it remained little more than a SCCA club category in the 1970s, apart from a couple of years when a national series was run, and rivalled the Canadian series.

[Gra]

Gilles Villeneuve featured prominently in the Canadian series. I believe Keke Rosberg also won the Canadian FAtlantic championship once. Other drivers that competed in this series included James Hunt, Patrick Tambay, Danny Sullivan, Bobby Rahal and Michael Andretti.

[Frank de Jong]

Originally posted by David McKinney
No, Bobdar, Formula Atlantic started in the UK. By coincidence it was similar to FB, which changed its name later.

David, my eldest records about F Atlantic/FB cars are from 1968; the UK championship took off in 1971. So, according to you, there must have been Atlantic races before 1971 in the UK. From which years was that, any idea?

[Rob29]

F.Atlantic was started by John Webb,then boss of Brands Hatch in 1971,following his success in starting F5000 in 1969.SCCA simply renamed their FA & FB at a later date.

[Don Capps]

SCCA Formula/B was a series which the SCCA leadership strongly supported right up to the end. Indeed, it seemed more popular among many senior SCCA officials than F/A. Whether that is true is subject to discussion, but it certainly seemed that way at times.

F/Atlantic emerged in the 1968/1970 period and by 1971 was a series which Webb supported. It was very similar to SCCA F/B and after the 1976 season, I think it merged or something with F/B. I am doing this off the top of my head since I am in the middle of a move and all my "stuff" is boxed up. I recall Bill Gubelman being a leading F/At hotshoe somewhere along in this period.

The formula scene in the mid to late-1970s in the US was an interesting one now that I think about it:

SCCA F/A F/5000 died at the end of the 1976 season and became the Can-Am Mark 2
F/B morphed into F/Mondial and/or F/At
F/Super Vee came into being about 1971 and was a step on the pro ladder almost immediately
F/Vee was still around and had lots of support in the amateur ranks
F/Ford was also around and very popular, my brother getting very involved in F/F about 1972 or 1973
and then there were the Champ Cars in USAC along with the Silver Crown/Sprint Cars and Midgets.

I am sure there are more worms in this can than most of us realize or remember.....

[David McKinney]

Rob29 is quite right. Formula Atlantic did not exist by that name anywhere in the world before John Webb invented it in 1971. Formula B which, I repeat, was almost the same, existed in North America before that, and there were a lot of 1600cc t/c cars winning club libre races in the UK from around 1964. But neither was called Formula Atlantic.
I think it was 1973 or 1974 when the North Americans changed the name of Formula B to Formula Atlantic for the main series. But I think the SCCA retained the name FB for club events for a while.

[hkf1]

Thanks for all your responses,

F Atlantic always seemed difficult to find history on, thanks to all the nostalgia forum buffs for replying to my question (I am a lurker i.e. regular reader and rare poster), Macau since the early 80's appears to be the junior "championship" Senna having won in 83. followed by Shumacher (x2) etc etc. Previously it developed from an amateur type race where single seaters took on sports cars. Then it seems things changed. 83 (I think) is the turning point this is where F3 came in. I will visit the Macau Grand Prix museum and research the history in more depth this weekend.

Shame that they don't have a classic race car race as the circuit is fanatastic ( long straights then uphill and through plenty of challenging corners (Bernie would not approve) )



Cheers

J

[bpratt]

I got this from a 1978 program "Labatt Championship Series 1978: Formula Atlantic": "Since Formula Atlantic replaced Formula B in 1974 there have been 37 professional races in North America. Twelve drivers have won races and a further seventeen have finished among the first three positions. Of the four championships, two have been won by Bill Brack (1974 and 1975) and two by Gilles Villeneuve (1976 and 1977)."

Interesting list of names from those first four years, includes: Villeneuve, Brack, Price Cobb, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Bertil Roos, Bobby Rahal, Howdy Holmes, Keke Rosberg, Vittorio Brambilla, Craig Hill, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Allan Jones, Patrick Depailler, Kevin Cogan, James Hunt, Gordon Smiley and Richard Spenard.

I believe there is a 25th anniversary book available on Formula Atlantic.
Brian Pratt

[Rob29]

There is -I have it, but it only covers US/Canadian series.
Also 'Colour & Noise' the history of the Macau GP may be of interest.

[Falcadore]

Formula Atlantic first arrived in Australia sometime in 1978 and was mooted as a possibly Formula 5000 replacement. F5000 was at the time Australia's Formula One category, with a detuned version of Formula Three being called Austalian Formula Two.

Formula Atlantic, or Pacific as it became known locally was for 1.6 litre, 476 kilo class. Wheelbase of just under 2.5 m. Engines were twin overhead camshaft four valve. While not a control Formula, virtually all motors were Ford BDA's with a factory supported Toyota engine run by Peter Williamson, who was putting a two litre version of the same motor into his Toyota Celica touring car and decimating the two litre class with what was almost a handbuilt special.

1979 was an interesting year for Australian Formula One as eligible cars were expanded. As well as Formula 5000, Formula Pacific and World Championship Formula One were eligible. Almost all the cars running in '79 were F5000's though. David Kennedy drove a Wolf WR2, Geoff Lees raced an Ensign MN05 in the F1's and John Smith ran a Ralt RT1 and Peter Larner was in a Chevron of the FPs. By 1980 they had their won series and the faster ones wer making a dent in the dwindling F5000 fields. Not even the presence of Guy Edwards in a Fittipaldi F5A helped much. And people were still developing new F5000s! Alfie Costanzo was modifiying a McLaren M26 for F5000 and Garrie Cooper built the Elfin MR9, the only true skirted ground effects F5000 ever built.

At the 1980 Australian Grand Prix the entry list was dominated by Lola T430s, T332s, T400s, Chevron B37, plus other local creations like the Matich A53, the Elfin MR6, MR8 and the new MR9. There was also an Alfa Romeo 179 being run by Alfa Corse and most ominously Williams Grand Prix Engineering had shown up bring with them the Costrucotrs Championship car the Williams FW07B and the driver who made it famous, the new World Champion, Alan Jones. Further down field was Peter Williamsons Galloway, Ray Hangers March 77B and John Smiths very rapid Ralt RT1.

It was clear the hybrid F1/F5000/FP wasn't going to work, and for 1981 the Australian Grand Prix became Formula Pacific exclusively, with the Australian Drivers Championship following in 1982.

The 1981 Australian Grand Prix field looks exceedingly interesting.
Grid
#19 Roberto Moreno Ralt RT4 Ford #27 Alan Jones Ralt RT4 Ford
#9 Nelson Piquet Ralt RT4 Ford John Bowe Ralt RT4 Ford
Bruce Allison Ralt RT4 Ford #26 Jacques Laffite Ralt RT4 Ford
#12 Geoff Brabham Ralt RT4 Ford John Smith Ralt RT4 Ford
Larry Perkins Ralt RT4 Ford #6 Ray Mallock Ralt RT4 Ford
#5 Andrew Miedecke Ralt RT4 Ford Alfredo Costanzo TiGa FA81 Ford
#2 Charlie O'Brien Ralt RT4 Ford #18 David Oxton Ralt RT4 Ford
Lucio Cesario Ralt RT3 Golf Peter Larner Kaditcha Ford
#77 Peter Williamson Toleman TA860 Toyota Michael Quinn Galloway Ford
Ron Barnacle Ralt RT1 Ford #48 Ray Hanger March 77B Ford
Bob Creasy Birrana 273 Ford

Moreno then went on to score the first international race win of his career seeing of four F1 Grand Prix drivers, two fo the World Champions, the Malaysian GP winner, and a Can-Am front runner.

New Zealand too snapped up Formula Pacific and FP races were held across South East Asia.

New Zealand continued to use Formula Pacific right up until 1998 when it was replaced with Formula Holden amidst hopes of a revived Tasman Cup.

In Australian Formula Pacific had largely run it's course by 1986, the category lost it's impetus badly when the Australian Grand Prix moved form Calder to Adelaide and became a Formula One World Championship round. By 1987 AF2, a detuned Formula Three was contesting the national drivers crown before being replaced with the Formula 3000 derived Formula Holden in 1989. AF2 continued to ebb and flow before the detuned F3 cars in use became full Formula Three car ending in 2000 with the first Australian Formula Three Championship. Formula Three is now expanding and with Formula Holden losing chasis to a new US open wheeler Formulae it could become the Drviers Championship Formulae in 2 or 3 years.

The FIA invented the Formula Mondial concept in 1983. Several regional championship would be held around the world before qualifying for a grand final to be held in Quebec. Problem was though Europe preferred Formula Three, South East Asia was now running Formula Two and Australia and New Zealand were running Formula Pacific, who regulations had drifted slightly from it's new international 'parent'. Mondials insistance on using the Cosworth BDA in particular was a stick point to those using Volkswagon or Toyota products. The Aust/NZ qualifying zone was won by Canadian Allen Berg from Charlie O'Brien, and Roberto Moreno again won the Australian Grand Prix, again beating a host of Grand Pri drivers and international hot shots.

[leegle]

I think the 'Atlantic' name came from Webb's sponsor and it just stuck to the cars wherever they went.;) Falcadore has several small errors in his post above. It was only in the international races and the Grand Prix that F1 cars were allowed to run and the ANF2 cars were hardly 'detuned F3s' they were a totally different locally based formula.

[Falcadore]

leegle,
you'll pardon me on that F3 assumption, but leading up to the introduction of F3 in 1999 the ANF2 class were F3 cars, and I just backwards assumed. When did ANF2 start allowing F3 chassis to be used?

Additionally, Chevrons history of the AGP stated the 1979 Rothmans series were allowed to run F1 cars. Is that what you mean by 'international races'. Surely the Rothmans series by the end of the 70's would have been stretching the definition to call them International, or was that a moniker given to the series in it's post Tasman guise?

[unrepentant lurker]

Is this the series that JV competed in during 95?

[Eric McLoughlin]

For most of the 70's, the feature race at Dublin's Phoenix Park annual racing week-end was the John Player Grand Prix for Formula Atlantic. I remember makes such as Modus, Chevron, Lotus and Brabham taking part as well as some top flight drivers like Derek Daly, Gunnar Nillson, Tony Trimmer, Tony Brise, Eddie Jordan and David Kennedy. It was great racing to watch and truly spectacular in the confines of this (very) unsuitable and dangerous park circuit.

[Jonathan Merry]

Here is a (long) article written by Steve Wicks that I have copied from the motorpics.co.za site. It may be of some help with the rules of FAtlantic. At the very least it is an interesting read

The season that promised so much.

Nineteen seventy-five was the last year that South Africa hosted a domestic Formula One series. Purists still say this was the beginning of the end of South African motor racing.

Ever escalating costs were cited as the reason for its demise. It was said that a top-notch single car team needed R100 000 to cover expenses of a season. Twenty-five years later that same amount will just about get you through a lower class Group N season in what is essentially a standard production saloon.

The alternative to the high-tech machinery of Formula One was said to be Formula Atlantic. These were 1600cm Ford BDA powered single seaters with wings and slick racing tyres – very much like a slightly smaller Formula One and it was surmised that fields would grow and thus spectators would stream through the gates to resurrect South African motorsport.

Eddie Keizan (of TSW fame) was one of the first drivers to sample one of the new devices and when he stepped out of the Tom Wheatcroft owned car after a handful of laps at a deserted Kyalami he described the device as a “bloody go-kart.” Suffice to say that was the end of his career a single seater driver.

To cut a long story short, the 1976 season was the beginning of Ian Scheckter’s reign as the South African Drivers Champion. He’d won more races than Dave Charlton in the last year of Formula One, yet ‘Charlie’ had claimed his sixth straight championship. The following year Scheckter adapted well to the less powerful machinery and won fairly easily.

For 1977, the F/Atlantic promoters came up with a bold plan and an enthusiastic sponsor. “Bring in a top driver from either side of the Atlantic and see how they fare against the best from sunny South Africa over a four race series.” Thus Rupert Keegan, a playboy driver of the first degree and recently crowned British F3 champ and an unknown, but flamboyant Canadian who had a reputation for crashing a lot by the name of Gilles Villeneuve arrived at Jan Smuts airport to contest the Phillips Atlantic Championship.

The series started early in the season and was taken very seriously by both Chevron and March who took the opportunity to use the series to develop their latest machinery before the important European and North American seasons kicked off. March debuted its new 77B, although very similar to its predecessor it featured a lot of detail changes and refinements. One was in Lexington colours for Scheckter, while rival tobacco company Gunston had its branding painted onto the car driven by Roy Klomfass.

Chevron, with designer Paul Owens flown out to oversee operations, had a brace of new B39s for Tony Martin (South Coast Motors) and Villeneuve (Valvoline).

If the interest from Europe’s biggest racing car manufacturers was a lot, then the hype and number of local sponsors was even greater. Apart from the established Tobacco concerns (Lucky Strike, Gunston, Benson & Hedges and Lexington), there was Wrangler Jeans (Basil van Rooyen Chevron), Martin Flint’s clothing store chain Uniewinkels (Keegan), Intercontinental Breweries whose Sportsman Lager colours adorned Bobby Scott’s March. Free-State farmer Nols Nieman had backing from Golden-Flo whose patron Major Miller gave away copious quantities of orange juice to all and sundry at each race while BIC pens and lighters teamed up with South Coast Motors on Tony Martin’s Chevron.

The cream of South Africa’s drivers joined the party. Scheckter, Dave Charlton, Van Rooyen, Villeneuve and Keegan were ready to fend off challenges from the likes of Klomfass, Kevin Stopford, Len Booysen, Scott, Nieman, Mike Domingo, John Gibb and Evan Boddy.

One-off deals saw Rhodesians Royce Love (son of John), Geoff Frizell and Gary Ainscough on the grid while Keizan deputised for Scheckter at Donnybrook in what was then Rhodesia. Motorcross sensation Grant Maben had an impressive outing before his career was tragically cut short after an almost fatal motorcycle road accident.

Mike Domingo’s brothers Yunus and Joe and Capetonian John Simpson also had outings, but rarely were there more than a dozen or so cars on the grid for any given race.

The championship

It was never going to be an easy year for Scheckter, not only was he committed to the domestic series, but he was also signed for a year’s work in the works Rothmans March Grand Prix squad.

The four round international series kicked off at Roy Hesketh in Natal in January and finished at Cape Town’s Killarney circuit a month later. These four races also counted towards the SA championship and Scheckter was in dominant form. He won at Roy Hesketh, repeated the feat at Kyalami two weeks later before demolishing the opposition at Goldfields in the Free State.

The final leg of the international leg ended in disaster as he came up to lap Nieman while leading. Nieman had pitted for a puncture, but was determined to stay on the same lap as the leader though and eventually spun at Hoals, which also pitched Scheckter off the track. In his haste to rejoin, Scheckter half spun into the middle of the track and was T-boned hard by Villenueve who was unsighted in the dust. When the debris settled, the March was upside down and the championship leader was out of action with a broken ankle.

Despite this, he won three more races during the year and clinched his second successive SA Drivers Championship.

Villeneuve’s vast resources of natural talent were equally complimented by the Chevron’s amazing ability to snap from understeer to oversteer without forewarning. Likewise Martin found himself further down the order than he would have liked and in the early rounds van Rooyen’s self modified B34 version was the quickest of the Bolton built cars.

True to Villenueve’s character he started the first race from the back of the grid after tossing his car at the scenery in qualifying. He made amends for the indiscretion by storming to third place in the race though.

At Kyalami he became the fans favourite with his full blooded opposite lock antics through Crowthorne. By this time the Chevron had been kitted out with the old car’s rear suspension. Guy Tunmer had one of the new Chevrons on order, but cancelled when he realised how bad the car was.

Kyalami was also where Keegan showed his credentials. Klomfass was also on form and the two had an entertaining scrap until Keegan spun at Clubhouse. Villenueve resorted to passing van Rooyen around the outside at Crowthorn, exiting with two wheels on the dirt only to have ‘beautiful Bas’ pass him a few corners later.

Scheckter claimed his third straight win at Welkom a fortnight later and again it Klomfass was he only other driver to be in the ball-park.

Chevron boss, Derek Bennett flew out in an effort to get the new cars sorted and even got behind the wheel of Villeneuve’s steed only to discover the car was indeed awful. Still Villeneuve only qualified fifth with Martin next. Van Rooyen, in the older model meanwhile started from third!

Keegan was in trouble with a down on power motor and wasn’t in the best of moods, especially as his father Mike had flown out for the race. So bad was his frustration that during the race he had the audacity to pull into the pits and ask his mechanic for more power! He got more than he bargained for when the overworked spanner man turned around and rummaged through the toolbox before informing the bewildered driver that unfortunately there was none left!

Round four was the ill-fated Killarney affair and after the big shunt, Klomfass took a well deserved win, but only after Keegan spun away certain victory and retired a few laps from the end with a holed radiator.

That left Martin in second, but it was not to be. His motor went sick and Booysen came through to claim second ahead of the glum Chevron pilot.

With the overseas stars now but a memory the circus headed for the Eastern Cape. Nols Nieman replaced his Wheatcroft with a new March in time for the Port Elizabeth races and – bingo – he won!

If there was ever a race where new drivers and/combinations impressed this was it. Klomfass was the only regular to feature in the results, taking second two seconds behind Nieman.

Booby Scott’s first outing in F/Atlantic was impressive as he rewarded sponsors Sportsman Lager and team manager Andrew Thompson with a fine third place.Another new combination was that of John Gibb who’d taken over the seat vacated by Keegan and he too impressed by taking fourth. Martin at last got the Chevron on the pace and started from pole, but ran out of brakes and came home an unrewarding sixth.

Remember the other Free State circuit? Brandkop, just outside Bloemfontein, was the scene for the next round.

Scheckter was back in action, but Klomfass had caught up and the two arrived with equal points. Race engineer Eddie Pinto had provided Klomfass with a cockpit adjustable roll bar and he duly took pole ahead of the reigning champion. When Scheckter missed a gear in the dash to the first corner Klomfass had a gap he was grateful for.

Sadly the large crowd was deprived of a potentially excellent race when a huge midfield shunt wrote off Gibb’s March and eliminated Booysen, Charlton and Scott. That left Klomfass to win from Nieman, van Rooyen and Scheckter.

Scheckter then won at Kyalami with Charlton, Scott and Booysen following in the distance while Klomfass failed to go the distance.

Grand Prix duty forced Scheckter to miss the much liked Donnybrook round, but kept his three point championship lead after Klomfass retired after a coming together with Nieman.

Martin came on strong to give the recalcitrant Chevron B39 a world first win while Charlton continued with his impressive return to form by taking second ahead of Booysen and Scott who’d been delayed by a pit stop after tangling with Frizell.

So the circus travelled to another round at Goldfields and Scheckter still had his three-point advantage.

Scheckter proved that he was the country’s best driver by dominating proceedings throughout, but for Klomfass, the race was the final nail in the coffin as far as his title hopes were concerned. While fighting for second he tangled with Martin when a tyre on the Chevron suddenly let go and he was out on the spot.

Incidentally, after his win in Rhodesia, Martin suddenly found himself high on the list of important Chevron drivers and Paul Owen flew out to help engineer the car for Welkom.

Welkom turned out to be a good day for Gibb who brought the Uniewinkels March home in second after a workmanlike performance despite a dose of the flu. The same could be said of Charlton. He pitted after losing his nose against the back of Gibb, yet tigered his way to third place.

Nieman got fourth ahead of Stopford in this race of attrition. A rather dubious, if not charitable, case of officialdom saw Scott awarded the final point for a theoretical sixth place – he had been the last retirement! Roy Hesketh was the next event on this whistle-stop tour, but it was without van Rooyen whose sponsorship funds had sadly dried up. Klomfass’ nightmare continued, a dud battery left him stranded in the pitlane and when he finally joined the fray the race was two laps old with Scheckter well in command.

As expected Scheckter won again, but this time it was the sweetest victory of them all as the championship came with it. Ken Howes and braaimeister Geordie Gordon celebrated through the night.

Martin had led early on, but couldn’t hold off the flying Lexington backed driver and slipped back to second, well clear of Charlton who had the measure over a tussle for fourth which saw Scott hold off a fired-up Gibb.

Scheckter was busy at the Canadian Grand Prix while round 11 took place at Kyalami. Klomfass secured second place in the points log by taking the win but only after a broken cambelt cost Charlton certain victory.

One of the highlights of the day was the performance of Grant Maben in the Alex Blignaut owned Wheatcroft. Maben had never raced a car before, but impressed with a spectacular sixth place.

The final round of the season took competitors back to Killarney in October, exactly ten months after the opener and it was the race of the year.

True, Scheckter had little to prove and Klomfass had to prove a point. Thus the scene was set for a memorable encounter. From the start the two ran nose to tail with the champion ahead. Then Klomfass took the lead on lap six with a fast exit from Malmesbury and drawing level on the bluegum lined straight and outbraking the GP driver into the slightly banked final corner. Try as he might, Scheckter could not get back on terms and although Klomfass might have won the final battle, he’d lost the war.

It had been a memorable year of top class racing and the number of accidents was proof of just how hard drivers were trying. Scheckter won at the end, but Klomfass could have, indeed should have, but when Scheckter was away Klomfass seemed to give up, almost to the point of ‘what should I do if he’s not here’

Strange how life pans out, isn’t it? While Scheckter battled gamely with the uncompetitive March on the GP circuits, Villeneuve had an impressive debut in a third McLaren at the British GP and was a works Ferrari driver by the end of the year. Although he never won the ultimate prize, he went on to become the world’s most loved racer before his tragic death in 1982.

Scheckter’s son Jaki won the South African F/Ford title then moved Stateside where he won the Barber Dodge series and had a couple of Indy Lights races. Sadly a lack of funds saw his promising career come to nought.

Villeneuve’s son Jacques won the Indy series and the Indy 500 before moving to Formula One and becoming World Champion in 1997.

Klomfass suffered terrible head injuries in a road accident a few years later. He never fully recovered and sadly took his own life recently.

Tony Martin went on to win the SA drivers championship in 1980 and then won the Daytona 24-hour race in 1984 with Sarel vd Merwe and Graham Duxbury and raced a Toyota touring car in selected events a couple of years ago. Kevin Stopford still races and has taken wins in the Vodacom Sports Prototype series this year.

Sadly both Nols Nieman and Evan Boddy lost their lives in light aircraft accidents.

Quintin, are you aware of the Formula Libre club in SA? (http://www.formulalibre.co.za/) no formula atlantics, but does include vees, fords and gti's.

Jonathan

[Jim Thurman]

The first Formula Atlantic race was on March 7, 1971 at Brands Hatch. I have a write-up and results if anyone would like that posted.

For that matter, a picture of the field leaving the line on the start.


Jim Thurman

[bobdar]

Jim: That would be interesting. Hope you will.

[hkf1]

Dear All,

Thanks for all your replys, however it seems like I have sent you all on a "wild goose chase", after some research it appears that I am looking for the rules regarding Formula Pacific opposed to FAtlantic.

I have attached some details from the official Macau Grand Prix website ( for more details keyword macau grand prix should be enough)

1977
Italy's Ricardo Patrese drove his Team Harper Chevron to a decisive victory in the 40-lap Grand Prix, run to FIA Formula Pacific regulations. Kiwi Steve Millen was second and Australian Andrew Medicke was third. Peter Chow won the Guia Race, and set a new lap record of 2:52.50, in his Toyota Celica and Kawasaki UK rider Mick Grant smashed the Motor Cycle GP lap record when he rode the 3.8 miles of the Guia Circuit in 2:48.38 on his way to victory.
1978
In honour of the 25th Macau Grand Prix, Macau's most famous motor sport personality Teddy Yip organised the "Race of Giants." All the truly big names were in Macau that year - Jack Brabham, Mike Hailwood, Jackie Stewart Phil Hill, Dan Gurney and, eventual race winner, Jacky Ickx. Ricardo Patrese and Derek Daly took the top two positions on the Grand Prix rostrum, while Kevin Cogan was third. Yamaha riders took the top three honours in the Motor Cycle GP, with Sadeo Asami and Steve Parrish in first and second respectively while British rider Mike Trimby, organiser of the present day Motor Cycle GP entries, was third. Peter Chow's Toyota Celica set a new lap record of 2:44.82 and won overall victory, for the second year running in the Guia Race.
1979
For the first time, the Motor Cycle GP was run in two legs of 15 laps each; Sadeo Asami, riding a Yamaha TZ-OW, was the clear winner of both legs while Steve Parrish was second on points, and Bernard Murray, third. Herb Adamczyk took the chequered flag in the Guia Race, followed by Japan's Masahiro Hasemi and countryman Nobuhide Tachi. Geoff Lees' Theodore Racing March Ford took victory in the Grand Prix over Ricardo Patrese.

THE 80's: COMING OF AGE


1980
The Grand Prix was nominated as the first Formula Pacific Championship, with poleman Geoff Lees taking victory for Theodore Racing for the second year. Masahiro Hasemi was second in his March Nissan and American Tom Gloy's Ralt was third. Sadeo Asami was making history as well when his win in the 14th Motor Cycle Grand Prix made him the only competitor to win the same event three consecutive years. British bike aces Steve Parrish and Bernard Murray repeated their second and third place finishes of the year before and Hans Stuck drove his BMW 320 to victory in the Guia Race.
1981
American Bob Earl took victory in the 28th Grand Prix with Japan's Naohiro Fujita in second and Briton Ray Mallock in third. The Guia Race, in which former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's son Mark competed, was won by the late Manfred Winkelhock. In the Motor Cycle Grand Prix, a new star was on the horizon in the form of "Rocket" Ron Haslam, who took victory in the 30 lap race in 1:22:57.75, followed by Sadeo Asami in second and Dutchman Boet Van Dulmen in third.
1982
Despite the wet and windy conditions the Guia circuit's newest sensation, Ron Haslam, took pole position - and won the Motor Cycle GP - for the second consecutive year. Charlie Williams clocked in a lap time of 2:35.76, setting a new record - one which stood for a decade. Brazilian Roberto Moreno drove to Grand Prix victory in this, the last race in the short-lived Formula Pacific Championship. Columbian Roberto Guerrero smashed Alan Jones' record when he lapped the circuit in 2:20.64 in his Theodore Racing Ralt RT4 Ford. Hong Kong drivers Helmet Greiner, Adrian Fu and Peter Chow took the top three positions in the Guia Race.
1983
The 30th Macau Grand Prix was another landmark year for the event with its nomination as the FIA Formula 3 World Cup. Strongly supported by Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing, a young Brazilian driver, then known as Ayrton Senna da Silva, took victory in this first Formula 3 Grand Prix. Senna was followed home by Roberto Guerrero and Gerhard Berger. Ron Haslam's victory on his Honda 500 in the Motor Cycle GP saw him equal Sadeo Asami's record of three consecutive wins. In the Guia Race, Hans Stuck and Dieter Quester battled it out with Hong Kong driver Michael Lieu, with victory going to Stuck, second to Quester and third to Lieu.
1984

any info regarding formula Pacific?

Thanks again to all

[Rob29]

AFAIK Pacific & Atlantic at that time were one & the same in that they used the same chassis & Cosworth BDA engine. The name F.Mondial was a 3rd option.
Hope you enjoyed Macau,I hope to get there myself some day.

[David McKinney]

Formula Atlantic UK-only series run from 1971. Name adopted in 1973 or 1974 for North American Formula B, which was virtually the same. Name used for the premier South African series from 1976, to UK (I think) rules. Name used for NZ series in 1990s (and maybe late 1980s)
Formula Pacific. Name adopted by NZ for its premier single-seater series from 1977, and also by some Australian promoters (ie, Bob Jane) as an alternative to ANF2 and F5000. Virtually the same regs as F/Atlantic, but that name was avoided because there was an Atlantic fuel company in NZ, and their competitors Shell were major backers of NZ racing at the time. Name was also used in Asia - but so was F/Atlantic.
Formula Mondial. Name for shortlived FIA series supposedly incorporating Pacific Rim countries. I think it may also have been used in the US, but I'm not sure if that was an alternative to FP, or something else again.

All three categories ran to near identical regs. Four-valve engines were not always permitted however, some countries allowed Japanese engines before others did, and so on. None was a fully international FIA class like F2 or F3.

[anjakub]

In 80's Formula Mondial were used in former socialist countries.

[Rob29]

What cars were those? The old F.Easter?

[bobdar]

From the "BDA Engine" family chronology in the Dave Bean Engineering catalog:

"BDM: Formula Pacific (big valve, fuel injected version of the BDD for South Pacific Series)
81 mm bore 1600 cc 230 BHP"

I believe that both the European and North American series required carburation.

[anjakub]

Started in 1987 the east european Formula Mondial using 1600 cc VAZ 2106-M (Lada) engines. In first year a part of the cars were modified Formula Easter. Premier Formula Mondial car was KDV 3/M (designer Karel Dlouhy, driver Jaroslav Vorel) from Czechoslovakia. Also competed new cars like MTX 1-08 and Avia AE 3/B from Czechoslovakia, ML 89 (designers Heinz and Ulli Melkus) from GDR and Estonia 24 from USSR.
Formula Easter run with 1300 cc engines, produced by socialist countries

[Jim Thurman]

When I can find a moment, I'm going to see if I can post the photo of the grid leaving the line at the first Formula Atlantic race as well as some info on the report (results, etc.). That way it will be an all inclusive post

I'll also try to check for info on engine rules for U.S. Formula B/Formula Atlantic.


Jim Thurman

[Allen Brown]

We might be confusing the Professional series with the SCCA's amateur categories.

FB was the SCCA amateur category, introduced in 1965 together with FA and FC. FA was then for 3-litre racing engines, FB for 1600cc and FC, IIRC, for 1100cc.

A 'Pro' series started in 1967 for all three categories but was poorly supported.

In 1968, FA was expanded to allow 5-litre stock-block engines and the Pro series were split with FA having one series of races and FB and FC going their own way. I'm not sure what became of FC.

In due course, the Pro series moved away from the SCCA, to USAC at one stage I think, and then off on its own. Some time during this, the name of the Pro series changed to F Atlantic. The SCCA's amateur category remaned called FB. Also during this time, the SCCA's Pro FA series changed its name to Formula 5000 but the amateur category remained FA until its death in 1977.

I'm sure FB was the basis of Webb's Formula Atlantic as most of the cars winning in the US were built in the UK so it would be easy to get up and running.

Allen

[fines]

Originally posted by David McKinney
Formula Mondial. Name for shortlived FIA series supposedly incorporating Pacific Rim countries. I think it may also have been used in the US, but I'm not sure if that was an alternative to FP, or something else again.

Formula Mondial was supposed to be an all-inclusive name for FPacific and FAtlantic, and there was a North American FMondial Cup in 1983, replacing the FAtlantic Championship. It was won by Michael Andretti from Roberto Moreno, and very nearly killed off FAtlantic racing in North America at all when it collapsed at the end of the year. After that, two seperate sanctioning bodies (ECAR and WCAR) revived FAtlantic racing on the East and West coasts, respectively.

Same in Japan: when FMondial superceded FPacific, the category died completely!

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
In 1968, FA was expanded to allow 5-litre stock-block engines and the Pro series were split with FA having one series of races and FB and FC going their own way.

A bit of a simplification, Allen. For the first year or two at least FB cars scored points in the same races as the FA cars, though I suspect those meetings attracting the biggest fields would have split the classes into a race of their own for each. Like you, I don't know what happened to FC.
And I take your point about a distinction between amateur and pro series.
The real confusion in North America came in the mid 70s when the Canadian series, which had accelerated at a greater rate than the US, ran alongside the US series, with many of the same competitors doing both.

[Jim Thurman]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
We might be confusing the Professional series with the SCCA's amateur categories.

FB was the SCCA amateur category, introduced in 1965 together with FA and FC. FA was then for 3-litre racing engines, FB for 1600cc and FC, IIRC, for 1100cc.

A 'Pro' series started in 1967 for all three categories but was poorly supported.

In 1968, FA was expanded to allow 5-litre stock-block engines and the Pro series were split with FA having one series of races and FB and FC going their own way. I'm not sure what became of FC.

In due course, the Pro series moved away from the SCCA, to USAC at one stage I think, and then off on its own. Some time during this, the name of the Pro series changed to F Atlantic. The SCCA's amateur category remaned called FB. Also during this time, the SCCA's Pro FA series changed its name to Formula 5000 but the amateur category remained FA until its death in 1977.

I'm sure FB was the basis of Webb's Formula Atlantic as most of the cars winning in the US were built in the UK so it would be easy to get up and running.

Yes, a great deal of confusion over what-when.

You are correct, there was a separate Pro F/B series that ran through the early 70's (I believe through '73). At least for a while, F/C cars ran with F/B for purse and class wins (I don't know if they had their own points by then or not). I recall seeing a Pro F/B race as support to a F5000 race at Riverside. And, yes, it was very poorly supported...more by the SCCA than the competitors, who at one point tried to organize and promote themselves.

The Super Vee series switched from SCCA to USAC, but I'm not aware of F/B being run by USAC.

So, it does get confusing.

Now, Atlantic...well, I'll have to dig a bit when I can for that one


Jim Thurman

[Jim Thurman]

First, I've been told that I must have a website URL to post a photo...and since I don't, I'm afraid I won't be posting the grid photo

But, here is a report and results from the Formula Atlantic debut on March 7, 1971 at Brands Hatch. Unfortunately, not a full field results, but this is all I have. It's from an American publication, so it's geared more that way (miles instead of km):

The much ballyhooed Formula Atlantic barely survived a very painful birth at Brands Hatch today.

Before the race, promoter John Webb apologized to the few thousand spectators who braved "Arctic-like conditions" for what turned out to be a dismal entry. Webb said that either British manufacturers had been too optimistic in promising delivery dates to their customers or had been hit by motor industry strikes, particularly Ford. He added that the competition department of Ford had been closed for over a month, so there was no way to obtain new engines or spares. Webb said that some drivers had been let down by their potential sponsors at the last minute and had been unable to complete their cars, but also went on to add that some would not have been ready even if the series had not started until July.

The race was run on the 1.24 mile circuit. There were only two competitive cars, one of them without it's proper engine, plus some "make weights" and a few Formula Fords thrown in (my comment: the results show a bit more than "a few" FFs).

Australian Vern Schuppan was fastest in practice (noting his Palliser WDF4 is known as a Winkelmann in the U.S.) with a lap of 51.0 seconds, which compares unfavorably to the old 1000cc F/3 record of 49.6 or the Formula Libre record of 48.8, which ironically enough was established by a prototype Formula Atlantic car in November of 1970.

Unable to take delivery of his Ford DBA 16 valve engine (notes engine outlawed by SCCA in F/B), Schuppan instead relied on a BRM prepared Ford twin-cam. The favorite, Ray Allen, driving a Royale RP8 powered by a Steel-tuned BDA, was only fifth fastest, a cam follower having broken in practice. Allen started the race using a low rev limit "expecting the engine to be spread over the South of England at any time."

Second fastest in practice was Australian John Gillmeister, who removed himself from the grid with seconds to go with smoke belching from the exhaust of his Brabham BT29-Ford. It's written "that was about the most exciting part of the race." Schuppan led start to finish while Allen kept within sniffing distance until the expected engine failure occurred on lap 8.

This final note from the report: "One thing is for sure: F/Atlantic can only get better."

20 laps, 24.8 miles

1. Vern Schuppan, F/B Palliser WDB4-Ford, 20 laps
2. Bob Ellice, F/B Chevron B15/17-Ford, 20
3. Pat Longhurst, F/3 Brabham B18-Ford, 19
4. Jeremy Gambs, F/F Lotus 61M, 19
5. Colin Crang, F/F Merlyn Mk20, 19
6. Clive Santo, F/F Palliser WDF3, 19
7. Peter Slade, F/F Hawke DL2A, 19
8. John de Stefano, F/F Titan Mk6, 19
9. Buzz Buzaglo, F/F Palliser WDF2, 19
10. John Tait, F/F Lola T200, 18
11. Mike Stow, F/B Brabham BT29-Ford, 18

Time of race: 17:25.6 (85.39mph avg.)
Fastest race lap: Schuppan and Allen, 50.8 (87.87mph avg.)

That's all for the results, obviously Gillmeister and Allen make 13 and the photo of the grid leaving the line on the start shows 14 cars.


Jim Thurman

[2F-001]

I remember seeing some really fine domestic Formula Atlantic races in Britain, with drivers such as John Nicholson (as in 'Nicholson-Mclaren Engines); Bill Gubelmann; Colin Vandervell; Vern Schuppan; Roger Williamson (I think); Tony Brise; Jim Crawford; Ray Mallock; David Leslie, most of whom went on to more high-profile drives.

The Formula went through a decidedly dodgy period in Britain when, for some hare-brained promotional scheme, it went under the name of ''Indylantic''; it used some strangely complicated qualifying procedure - not just as simple as one-at-a-time Indy style - which even the commentator at some meetings admitted a failure to grasp. I really lost the plot at that point. If anyone remembers that period (and understood what was going on) I'd love to know!

I thought the cars were pretty good - fast, simple and sounded good. Quite a practical proposition to run as ''privateer-historic hobby''. Not sure what you could race it in though...