1981 Brabham BT49C

I took this photograph at Redgate corner during a practice session for the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship race at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006.

It's Spanish driver Joaquin Folch in his 1981 Brabham BT49C, chassis #BT49/10, an improved version of the original BT49 of 1979. The car was powered by the 2,993cc V8 Cosworth DFV engine and was driven in the 1981 season by Nelson Piquet and Héctor Rebaque. Nelson Piquet won the Drivers' World Championship that year, finishing first in three races, second in one and third in another three. With three other minor points scoring places that was enough to win him the World Championship by one point from Carlos Reutemann. Héctor Rebaque finished in tenth place with his best efforts being three fourth-place finishes.

1981 Brabham BT49C

This car took part in the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship race at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006.

It's the 1981 Brabham BT49C of Joaquin Folch, seen here at Redgate corner during a practice session. The Brabham BT49 was powered by the 2,993cc V8 Ford Cosworth DFV engine and was introduced towards the end of the 1979 racing season. In the 1980 season Nelson Picquet in his BT49 finished second to Alan Jones and his Williams FW07 in the Drivers World Championship, but won the following year's Championship in the car. The BT49 underwent various modifications over that period and Joaquin Folch's car is the BT49C, chassis #BT49/10, that was introduced in the 1981 season. Although it was used in practice at various World Championship races it never competed in any of those races, and its only major competitive outing was in the non-Championship South African Grand Prix in 1981 where Nelson Piquet finished in second place.

The car behind the Brabham is the 1979 Arrows A1 of Rowland Kinch.

Brabham

Two Brabhams took part in the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship race in the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006 and here are photographs of both cars.

This is the Brabham BT49C driven in the 1981 season by Nelson Piquet and Hector Rebaque, Piquet winning the World Drivers Championship and Rebaque finishing in tenth place. In the Constructors Championship Brabham finished in second place to the Williams team.

Here is the car at Redgate Corner during the Saturday qualifying session driven by Joaquin Folch followed by the 1979 Arrows A1 driven by Rowland Kinch.

Here in the dead car park after the qualifying session

This is the other Brabham car in the race, the BT34 'Lobster Claw', again at Redgate Corner and driven by Ean Pugh. The car, designed by Ron Tauranac, was driven with no great success in the 1971 World Championship by Graham Hill who finished in a lowly twenty first position with only two points.

Here is the car in the dead car park after the qualifying session