1970 Lotus 72

This is a photograph that I took at Deer Leap during the HSCC Pre ’71 Single Seater Championship race at the Historic Sports Car Club’s Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1987.

It’s the 1970 Lotus 72 entered by Haslemere Sports Cars and driven by Mary Foulston. It is chassis 72/R4 and belonged to the then owner of the Oulton Park racing circuit (and Brands Hatch and Snetterton), John Foulston. The Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe and had the Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993cc V8 engine. Jochen Rindt won the World Driver's Championship in 1970 with the Lotus 72  as did Emerson Fittipaldi  in 1972, Lotus winning the World Constructor's Championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973.

1970 Lotus 72

The two cars in this photograph competed in the HSCC Seldon Pre '71 Single Seater Championship race at the Historic Sports Car Club's Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1986.

The number 72 car is a 1970 Lotus 72, chassis 72/R4 and beneath it is a 1971 McLaren M19A, chassis M19A/1, both of which belonged to the then owner of the Oulton Park racing circuit (and Brands Hatch and Snetterton), John Foulston, who drove the McLaren in that race whilst his wife Mary drove the Lotus. The Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe and the McLaren M19A was designed by Ralph Bellamy, both cars having the Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993cc V8 engine. The Lotus was the more successful of the two cars, Jochen Rindt winning the World Driver's Championship in 1970  and Emerson Fittipaldi  in 1972, and Lotus winning the World Constructor's Championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973. The McLaren's best results were a third place in the Driver's Championship in 1972 for Denny Hulme and a third place in the Constructor's Championship the same year for McLaren.

1970 Lotus 72

These two cars competed in the HSCC Seldon Pre '71 Single Seater Championship race at the Historic Sports Car Club's Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1986.

The number 72 car is a 1970 Lotus 72, chassis 72/R4 and in front of it is a 1971 McLaren M19A, chassis M19A/1, both of which belonged to the then owner of the Oulton Park racing circuit (and Brands Hatch and Snetterton), John Foulston, who drove the McLaren in that race whilst his wife Mary drove the Lotus. The Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe and the McLaren M19A was designed by Ralph Bellamy, both cars having the Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993cc V8 engine. The Lotus was the more successful of the two cars, Jochen Rindt winning the World Driver's Championship in 1970  and Emerson Fittipaldi  in 1972, and Lotus winning the World Constructor's Championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973. The McLaren's best results were a third place in the Driver's Championship in 1972 for Denny Hulme and a third place in the Constructor's Championship the same year for McLaren.

1970 McLaren M19A

These two cars competed in the HSCC Seldon Pre '71 Single Seater Championship race at the Historic Sports Car Club's Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1986.

The number 1 car is a 1971 McLaren M19A, chassis M19A/1, and the number 72 is a 1970 Lotus 72, chassis 72/R4. Both cars belonged to the then owner of the Oulton Park racing circuit (and Brands Hatch and Snetterton), John Foulston, who drove the McLaren in that race whilst his wife Mary drove the Lotus. The McLaren M19A was designed by Ralph Bellamy and the Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe, both cars having the Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993cc V8 engine. The Lotus was the more successful of the two cars, Jochen Rindt winning the World Driver's Championship in 1970  and Emerson Fittipaldi  in 1972, and Lotus winning the World Constructor's Championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973. The McLaren's best results were a third place in the Driver's Championship in 1972 for Denny Hulme and a third place in the Constructor's Championship the same year for McLaren.

Here's John Foulston at Deer Leap during the race.

Lotus 72

This car took part in the HSCC Pre '71 Single Seater Championship race at the HSCC's Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1987.

It's John Foulston's 1970 Lotus 72, driven in the race by his wife Mary. This car is the first of the Lotus 72s built, originally chassis number 72/1 but renumbered 72/4 after a rebuild, and is in the Gold Leaf Team Lotus colours used by the team in 1970 and 1971. Jochen Rindt won the 1970 Drivers' World Championship in 1970 in one of these cars despite losing his life in an accident during practice for the Italian Grand Prix. In 1972 the cars sported the more familiar black livery as the John Player Team Lotus and Emerson Fittipaldi won the Drivers' World Championship that year. On 10 March 2013 I showed some photographs of Emerson Fittipaldi's car at the non-championship Gold Cup race at Oulton Park in 1972.

Mary Foulston at Lodge Corner during the race.