1973 Rothmans 5000 European Championship

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The 1973 Rothmans 5000 European Championship [1] [2] [3] was a motor racing series for Formula 5000 cars. [4] The series was organized in the United Kingdom by the British Racing and Sports Car Club but also incorporated European rounds. [5] It was the fifth in an annual sequence of European Formula 5000 Championships, [4] and the first to be contested as the Rothmans 5000 European Championship. The 1973 championship was won by Teddy Pilette, driving a McLaren M18 and a Chevron B24. [6]

The championship was open to Formula 5000 cars, which were defined for this series as single-seater cars using production based engines. [7] Significant changes to the technical regulations were made for 1973. [4] Engines from 2750cc to 5000cc capacity were now permitted, regardless of the number of cylinders. [4] Engines with a capacity of between 4000cc and 5000cc were still required to use pushrod operated valve gear, however engines of less than 4000cc capacity could use unrestricted valve gear and could be turbocharged. [4]

Calendar

The championship was contested over fifteen rounds. [5]

Round [5] Name [8] Circuit [5] [8] Date [5] [8] Winning driver [8] Car [8]
1Brands Hatch Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brands Hatch 17 March Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Gethin Chevron B24 Chevrolet
2Mallory Park Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mallory Park 1 April Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham McRae McRae GM1 Chevrolet
3GKN Vanwall Trophy Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Silverstone 7 April Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Hobbs Lola T330 Chevrolet
4Snetterton Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Snetterton 20 April Flag of the United States.svg Brett Lunger Trojan T101 Chevrolet
5Brands Hatch Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brands Hatch 23 April Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Steve Thompson Chevron B24 Chevrolet
6Oulton Park Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oulton Park 13 May Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Teddy Pilette Chevron B24 Chevrolet
7Mallory Park Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mallory Park 28 May Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Keith Holland Trojan T101 Chevrolet
8  Flag of Italy.svg Misano 10 JuneCancelled following practice [9]
9  Flag of the Netherlands.svg Zandvoort 1 JulyCancelled before practice [10]
10Mallory Park Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mallory Park 8 July Flag of the United States.svg Brett Lunger Trojan T101 Chevrolet
11Dublin Grand Prix Flag of Ireland.svg Mondello Park 22 July Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Keith Holland Trojan T101 Chevrolet
12  Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Silverstone 5 AugustCancelled following practice [11]
13Brands Hatch Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brands Hatch 27 August Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Teddy Pilette Chevron B24 Chevrolet
14Rothmans Gold Cup Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oulton Park 9 September Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Gethin Chevron B24 Chevrolet
15Jyllandsringen Rothmans F5000 Flag of Denmark.svg Jyllands-Ringen 23 September Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian Ashley Lola T330 Chevrolet
16Duinen Trophee Flag of the Netherlands.svg Zandvoort 30 September Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Guy Edwards Lola T330 Chevrolet
17Snetterton Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Snetterton 7 October Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bob Evans Trojan T101 Chevrolet
18Brands Hatch Rothmans F5000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brands Hatch 21 October Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Guy Edwards Lola T330 Chevrolet

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 20–15–12–10–8–6–4–3–2–1 basis for the first ten places at each of the first seventeen rounds and on a 40-30-24-20-16-12-8-6-4-2 basis for the first ten places at the final round. [4]

Championship standings

Position [6] Driver [6] Car [6] Entrant [6] Points [6]
1 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Teddy Pilette McLaren M18 Chevrolet
Chevron B24 Chevrolet
Racing Team VDS136
2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tony Dean Chevron B24 Chevrolet Anglo-American Racing133
3 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Keith Holland Trojan T101 Chevrolet
Lola T190 Chevrolet
Ian Ward Racing116
4 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Steve Thompson Chevron B24 Chevrolet Servis Appliances Racing114
5 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Guy Edwards Lola T330 Chevrolet John Butterworth102
6 Flag of Denmark.svg Tom Belso Lola T330 Chevrolet ShellSPORT Luxembourg97
7 Flag of the United States.svg Brett Lunger Lola T330 Chevrolet
Trojan T101 Chevrolet
Hogan Racing Ltd
Sid Taylor
95
8 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Gethin Chevron B24 Chevrolet Chevron Racing
Anglo-American Racing
65
9 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bob Evans Trojan T101 Chevrolet Alan McKechnie Racing64
10 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gijs van Lennep Lola T330 Chevrolet ShellSPORT Luxembourg59
11 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Clive Santo Surtees TS11 Chevrolet
Lola T330 Chevrolet
ShellSPORT Luxembourg50
12 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian Ashley Lola T330 Chevrolet Doug Hardwick37
13 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Hobbs Lola T330 Chevrolet Hogan Racing Ltd29
14 Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham McRae McRae GM1 Chevrolet
McRae GM2 Chevrolet
Iberia Team McRae [7] 28
= Flag of New Zealand.svg David Oxton Begg FM5 Chevrolet GN Begg Engineering28
16 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Watson Trojan T101 Chevrolet Hexagon Racing 24
17 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Chris Craft McLaren M18 Chevrolet
Chevron B24 Chevrolet
Racing Team VDS23
= Flag of the United States.svg Bob Brown Chevron B24 Chevrolet Anglo-American Racing23
19 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brian Robertson McLaren M19 Chevrolet Anglo-American Racing15
20 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ray Allen Surtees TS8 Chevrolet
Lola T330 Chevrolet
Servis Appliances Racing
ShellSPORT Luxembourg
12
21 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jock Russell McRae GM1 Chevrolet Jock Russell [7] 7
22 Flag of Denmark.svg Jac Nellemann McLaren M18 Chevrolet Sheridan Thynne6
= Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Rollinson McRae GM1 Chevrolet Alan Rollinson [7] 6
24 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tony Trimmer McLaren M18 Chevrolet
Lola T330 Chevrolet
Sheridan Thynne
ShellSPORT Luxembourg
5
= Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Willie Green Trojan T101 Chevrolet Hexagon Racing 5
26 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Damien Magee Trojan T101 Chevrolet Hexagon Racing 4
27 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard KnightKitchmac Chevrolet 3
28 Flag of the United States.svg John Gunn March 73A Chevrolet 2
= Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Clive Baker McLaren M10B Chevrolet Clive Baker [7] 2
30 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Arie Luyendijk McLaren M18 Chevrolet Sheridan Thynne1
= Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Chris Featherstone Lola T190 Chevrolet Chris Featherstone [7] 1

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References

  1. Programme, Rothmans 5000 European Championship, Mallory Park, Sunday 1 April 1973
  2. Programme, Rothmans 5000 European Championship, Grote Prijs van Zandvoort, 30-9-1973
  3. Official Programme, Rothmans 5000 European Championship, Brands Hatch, 20/21 October 1973
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula 5000 in Europe - Race by Race, 2004
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 European Formula 5000 races 1969-1977, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 4 January 2015
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wolfgang Kopfler, 1973 Rothmans European Formula 5000 Championship, Formula 5000 in Europe - Race by Race, 2004, pages 114 to 116
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Event 1, The Rothmans 5000 European Championship Race (entry list), Programme, Mallory Park, 8 July 1973
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 F5000 championship races in Europe, jpgleize.perso.neuf.fr Retrieved on 4 January 2015
  9. "Rothmans F5000 Championship round, Misano, 10 Jun 1973", www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 4 January 2015
  10. Brian Phillips, Two races cancelled, and now its F5000 action at last, Programme, Mallory Park, 8 July 1973, page 3
  11. "Rothmans F5000 Championship round, Silverstone, 5 Aug 1973", www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 4 January 2015