1936 ERA R12B

This is a photograph that I took in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1972.

It's the 1936 ERA R12B of Bill Morris and David Kergon which has a supercharged 6-cylinder inline 1,488cc engine and was driven in the race by David Kergon.  Bill Morris owned two ERAs, R12B and R12C and the two cars have a strange history, R12B being a works car that was originally built in 1936 with a 2 litre engine as a B-type car, but in 1937 it was rebuilt to C-type specifications, thus becoming R12C, and given a 1½ litre engine. In 1938 it was sold to Prince Chula to become one of his White Mouse stable's trio of ERAs driven by Prince Bira, where it was given the name 'Hanuman'. In 1939 the car was badly damaged in a crash during practice at Reims and was rebuilt with a B-type frame, reverting to being R12B and the name changing to 'Hanuman II'. After passing through various hands after the Second World War it came to Bill Morris. Bill Morris had managed to acquire the rest of the wreckage left over from the 1939 crash and using the damaged chassis frame rebuilt the car to its 1939 C-type specifications by 1982. That car was now R12C, as if the 1939 accident had never happened, and was given the original car's name of 'Hanuman'.

1970 BRM P153

 I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park during practice for the Gold Cup meeting in May 1972.

It's the 1970 BRM P153, chassis 153/03, of Vern Schuppan who qualified the car in sixth position on the grid and ended the race in fifth place. The BRM P153 was designed by Tony Southgate and had BRM's own 2,998cc V12 engine. Its only victory was in the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix driven by Pedro Rodriguez.

1971 McLaren M19A

I took this photograph at Old Hall Corner during practice for the 1972 Gold Cup race at Oulton Park in May 1972.

It's Denny Hulme in his 1971 McLaren M19A, chassis M19A/1, and he qualified for the race in second place to Peter Gethin's BRM P160B, though he won the race the following day ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus 72 and Tim Schenken's Surtees TS9. The McLaren M19A was designed by Ralph Bellamy and was powered by the 2,993cc V8 Cosworth DFV engine. In the 1972 World Drivers' Championship Denny Hulme finished in third place to Emerson Fittipaldi and Jackie Stewart, winning just the South African Grand Prix, McLaren also finishing in third place in the World Constructors' Championship.

1972 BRM P180

I took this photograph at Old Hall Corner during the Friday practice for the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in May 1972.

It's Reine Wisell in the  1972 BRM P180, chassis number P180/02 who started in seventh place on the grid but retired after a collision with Ronnie Peterson’s March on the first lap of the race. The P180 was intended to be a replacement for the P153 and P160 cars that had raced in the 1971 season, sharing the same 3 litre V12 engine. Only two cars were built but were so uncompetitive that they were dropped at the end of the season, being replaced by updated versions of the P160.

1972 Lola T300

This is a photograph I took at Old Hall Corner on practice day for the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in May 1972. 

It's Alan Rollinson in his 1972 Lola T300 Formula 5000 car designed by Eric Broadley which has a 5 litre Chevrolet V8 engine and is chassis HU9. Because of a shortage of F1 entrants due to a competing F2 race at Crystal Palace ten Formula 5000 cars were allowed to compete in the Gold Cup race. Alan Rollinson qualified in fifth position on the grid but retired on the 19th lap of the 40 lap race.

1926 Bugatti Type 35B

This was one of the cars that took part in the Richard Seaman Memorial Vintage Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1972.

It's the 1926 Bugatti Type 35B of Bernard Kane, chassis 4696 that was once owned by Sir Malcolm Campbell. It has the 8-cylinder inline 2,262cc supercharged engine.

1972 Leda LT27

I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park on practice day for the Gold Cup meeting in May 1972.

It's the 1972 Leda LT27 which was driven in the European F5000 Championship race at this meeting by Trevor Taylor but retired after 5 laps with an oil seal problem. The car is chassis number 003 and was powered by a 5 litre Chevrolet engine.

1937 Mercedes-Benz W125

This is a photograph that I took in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1972. 

It's the 5,663cc straight-8 supercharged 1937 Mercedes-Benz W125 with which Colin Crabbe took part in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race and which he won later that day. Rescued by Colin Crabbe from East Germany in the 1960s, it's the only Mercedes-Benz W125 in private hands and was subsequently owned by Neil Corner and Bernie Ecclestone.

1971 Lotus 72D

I took this photograph at on practice day for the Gold Cup race at Oulton Park in May 1972.

It's Dave Walker in his 1971 Lotus 72 and the photograph was taken at Old Hall Corner. The Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe and has the Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993cc V8 engine. Jochen Rindt won World Drivers' Championship with a Lotus 72  in 1970  and Emerson Fittipaldi repeated the feat  in 1972, with Lotus winning the World Constructor's Championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973. At this Gold Cup meeting Dave Walker qualified his car in fourth position but retired after 25 laps of the race with gearbox problems.

1955 Connaught B-Type

This car competed in the Allcomers Scratch Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Trophies Meeting at Oulton Park in June 1972.

It's the 1955 Connaught B Type of Alan McKechnie and was driven in the race by Tony Mitchell. The Connaught B Type was made famous by Tony Brooks' win in the 1955 Syracuse Grand Prix where the main opposition were the five cars of the Maserati works team, since when the B Type has been known as the Connaught Syracuse. It has a 4-cylinder inline 2,470cc Alta engine and seven of the cars were produced, Alan McKechnie's car, chassis B7 was owned by Bernie Ecclestone after the Connaught team folded and was raced in 1958 by Roy Salvadori, Archie Scott Brown and Jack Fairman. In later years it was on long-term display in the Donington Park Museum.

1970 BRM P153

I took this photograph at Old Hall Corner at Oulton Park during practice for the Gold Cup meeting in May 1972.

It's the 1970 BRM P153, chassis 153/03, of Vern Schuppan who qualified the car in sixth position on the grid and ended the race in fifth place. The BRM P153 was designed by Tony Southgate and had BRM's own 2,998cc V12 engine. Its only victory was in the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix driven by Pedro Rodriguez.

1971 McLaren M19A

I took this photograph on the practice day  for the 1972 Gold Cup race at Oulton Park in May 1972.

It's the 1971 McLaren M19A of Denny Hulme, chassis M19A/1, and he qualified for the race in second place to Peter Gethin's BRM P160B, though he won the race the following day ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus 72 and Tim Schenken's Surtees TS9. The McLaren M19A was designed by Ralph Bellamy and was powered by the 2,993cc V8 Cosworth DFV engine. In the 1972 World Drivers' Championship Denny Hulme finished in third place to Emerson Fittipaldi and Jackie Stewart, winning just the South African Grand Prix, McLaren also finishing in third place in the World Constructors' Championship.

1970 BRM P153

I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park during practice for the Gold Cup meeting in May 1972.

It's the 1970 BRM P153, chassis 153/03, of Vern Schuppan who qualified the car in sixth position on the grid and ended the race in fifth place. The BRM P153 was designed by Tony Southgate and had BRM's own 2,998cc V12 engine. Its only victory was in the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix driven by Pedro Rodriguez.

1971 McLaren M19A

I took this photograph at Old Hall Corner during practice for the 1972 Gold Cup race at Oulton Park in May 1972.

It's Denny Hulme in his 1971 McLaren M19A, chassis M19A/1, and he qualified for the race in second place to Peter Gethin's BRM P160B, though he won the race the following day ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus 72 and Tim Schenken's Surtees TS9. The McLaren M19A was designed by Ralph Bellamy and was powered by the 2,993cc V8 Cosworth DFV engine. In the 1972 World Drivers' Championship Denny Hulme finished in third place to Emerson Fittipaldi and Jackie Stewart, winning just the South African Grand Prix, McLaren also finishing in third place in the World Constructors' Championship.

BRM P160B

Here's a couple of photographs I took on practice day at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in May 1972.

It's Peter Gethin's BRM P160B being wheeled into the paddock after a practice run. As you can see the weather wasn't being particularly kind that day.

Here's Peter Gethin rounding Old Hall Corner on his way to qualifying for pole position. In the race he unfortunately retired after 10 laps and the race was won by Denny Hulme in a McLaren M19A. This was the last race to be held at Oulton Park featuring current F1 cars.

Emerson Fittipaldi and the Lotus 72

There was a time when F1 racing wasn't confined to world championship Grands Prix and one of the non-championship races on the calendar was the Gold Cup race at Oulton Park. The following photographs were taken at practice for the 1972 Gold Cup race and are of the Lotus 72D of Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the world championship that year.

The Lotus being pushed through the paddock on a thoroughly wet and miserable looking day.

At Old Hall corner during a practice session. The weather had improved considerably by then.

Returning to the still-waterlogged paddock.

On the following day Emerson Fittipaldi finished second in the race, which was won by the McLaren M19A of Denny Hulme.