Chevron B26

I have noted all the other Chevron threads but am unable to find detailed info on B26. Can anyone help?

Probably, John, what do you need to know?

Chevron lists in various places say 9 were built.

The works car that ran in 1974 became the infamous Imp super saloon/GT "Chimp", before being restored back.

In terms of chassis numbers, I think Lepp raced 01, works 02, but not 100% sure if that's right.

Steve Farthing raced 04 in HSCC & other events in the early 1970, said to be ex Vito Veninata (sometime Griup C Tiga driver)

Eris Tondelli raced 05, this car race in the 1990s by John Burton

The car that PC Automotive ran in Thundersports in the 1980s was 08, but don't know it's prior history.

The idea is to race one of these next season but I know nothing about them.Chocolate Drop is presumably the works car that was rebuilt and a very quick car is raced in the Orwell series.That is my total knowledge so anything new would be appreciated'

Jeremy, are you sure re the Chimp, I thought it was based on a B19 or maybe B21? It first came out at the end of 75, so I think a B26 would have been too modern/valuable then to have been turned into the Chimp.

Wasn't Chocolate Drop turned into a Skoda GT car at one point in the 80s, don't recall which one off-hand. I thought it, ie Chocolate Drop, was one of the later B26s, possibly the last built in mid-74.

Thats the bit I do know.it was the Skoda and subsequently returned to original

chocolate drop was for sale last year with hart 420R fitted
re 9 original factory B26 cars built i guess all 15 are still running today !!:banghead:
i think the chimp was b19 car ive put that AS mag away now wher it was featured
its about time Mr Brown started sports car listing as well as single seater car- cant have him off line for too long :laugh:
with the dark winter nights coming he will need something to keep him occupied!!:beer:

Whoops,, soory chaps.

The Chimp was indeed a B19, and the "Chocolate Drop" B26 went to a Skoda, used by Jim Price in 1980, and Walter Robertson in 1981.

cant be right all the time must leave room for others to shine:laugh:

i remember the skoda racing then choclate drop was restored mid 80`s for historic racing and was the "best car ever" to drive according to 2 drivers :rolleyes:

Didn't Richard Piper have a DFV B26/36 in T'Sports in the 80s? I recall Tiff N shared one with him, described as such. Was it Chocolate Drop that Iain McLaren had in about '76.

Dan,
Piper's is the PC Automotive chassis 08 I mentioned above.

PC car now in USA was in ireland for a few yrs

My notes give the following no’s:
01 Lepp
02 works (at least in the Springbok Series)
03 Anastasio (Italy)
04 Venematta Racing (Italy) - and Farthing in the early 1990s surely?
05 Tondelli (Italy)
06 nothing known
07 works/Lepp
08 nothing known until Piper
09 nothing known
10 works/Gethin etc > Skoda > Chocolate Drop
11 nothing known
12 racing a couple of years ago - a ‘new’ one?

Sorry David, Farthing dates was a typo, yes early 90s! I saw it in 1992.

Richard Evans raced 74-02 between 1993-96 at least

do u mean Jim evans?- Richard father:p
re nos 10- 12 i rest my case of 9 built all 15 still racing:rolleyes:
u do realise my sarcastic cynical comment was not far from the truth:banghead:

No, 'twas indeed Richard Evans
I also have him in 02 from 93-96, Jeremy, but in 12 later. Maybe I misread the plate...

It was Driver/Entrant Richard Evans when I saw it at HSCC events.

Later, I've seen chassis 12 that David mentioned attributed to Evans.

Beat me to it David. So did we both misread it?!

08 was the Gove Can-Am car from 1977 to 1979. Later to Piper.

Allen

Do you mean Gary Cove in USA that drove the Lovely RT4 Can Am car??

The works team for '74 was run by Forge Mill racing after the demise of Red Rose Racing. Works driver was John Lepp with a second car for Rapael Barrios.
Running a cosworth FVC engine initially but midway thru season Brian Hart unveiled his new 2litre block which gave 299bhp. this however did not fit and caused Chevron to amend the design to the chassis, in Dereck Bennetts own words "a bodge"
The rest of the season they played catch up to eventual title winners Alain Serpaggi in an Alpine Renault. Chevrons best finish being a second at Hockenheim.

Yes, this is the same Gary Gove (Gove, not Cove). HE drove the B26 for Pete Lovely's team. It is now owned by Peter McLaughlin who has the original SCCA log books and confirmed the chassis number.

So Pete Lovely ran sports car in can am?:brm:

Thanks for all the information.Chocolate Drop is 74-10and I have purchased it.Jim Evans owned it76-77

Are you planning to race in Orwell Supersports series?
Did you get the spare motor?

Speaking of 26's

I know there is a B26 up for sale in California...

It's the ex-John Lep car (I believe it to be 07) and has the period baby blue paint with Domic Sherry livery. It has a fresh, Hart 420R motor and is race ready. Complete with FIA paperwork.

I have a photo in case anyone is interested.

Regards,

We are interested in asecond car so any details would be appreciated.To answer the other question I have several cars including pre war cars,60's sport,single seaters.I do not want to do the Orwell series just the odd race and make the Hart competitive.

its getting diffiicult to get races for these cars other than doing some orwell races
the french have the CER enduro events for pre 74 cars i believe but the cars must run motors correct for that chassis no!!
the britsports 1 hr enduro is another place to run a sports car in uk as well as doing some local sports/gt races at coombe or darlington & district club have a sports gt series at croft and a round at donington
the hscc phased out thundersports due to lack of entries and even the S2000 class didnt boost the grids

I figure we can do the odd race like Patrick Peter series event or the BRDC500.About three/four races is enough which will give us 14 races a season for all the cars.The idea is Oldtimers ,Dijon,Donnington,Silverstone Spa etc where we can do the different classes over a weekend. My main interest are the pre war sports cars and Duncan Wiltshires series and I did get the second engine.These along with Tour Auto ,Milla Mille,Liege-Rome,Tour Espana fills the year

Originally posted by john ruston
We are interested in asecond car so any details would be appreciated.To answer the other question I have several cars including pre war cars,60's sport,single seaters.I do not want to do the Orwell series just the odd race and make the Hart competitive. John,

Thank you for your interest...

I shall grab the info and forward it on to you.

John, I also have problems with all this technical stuff! We are probably the same age.
But here is an interesting question re the above. In mid 80s there appeared a charachter called John Salisbury racing under the name Fred Cowell racing - based in Birkenhead. He had a skoda supersaloon which later became a Chevron G26/36 with a GA 3.4 in the back - used in thunder sports in 85-86
So which was this one?
Is this car any of the above? Any one else remember this team?

I think that car become Suggies Ga Skoda?
or Richard Simms car??

Yes I think it was the Simms car given that it had a GA in the back.

Both Sugden's Skodas have been on purpose-built tubs by John Leek. His first was originally the AET Esprit, which went to Pete Edwards, from then I'm not sure. The one he uses now was put together in 1989 on an aborted Thundersports project tub.

The Salisbury Skoda had full 5-litre engine (Usually appeared as "Skoda Lola" in progs, which I guess speedy has explained). So was this the ex MicK Hill one? That definitely used T330 suspension, if nothing else.

Thinking about the Skoda and Chevron, I am now wondering if they were two different cars.
The skoda had bulbous arches similar to the John Turner design rather than the Richard Simms, Jim Evans type ones. It definitly wasn't the Mick Hill one though
Back to the Chevron Fred Cowell first apearence was at British GP Thundersports support race 86, were it propped up the grid. Can't remember who co drove it but I am sure someone will reply.....

The Fred Cowell Skoda rings abell with me as being the ex-Mick Hill 'Phoenix' car. I remember seeing it at Donington T'Sports in mid-83, Minshaw co-drove. it quallie'd last ! By then, 1983, Mick H was in his BMW M1, so the Cowell car could have been his ??

Could it have been the Welly Potter car? It just looked too rough to be the Hill one. I'm glad someone else remembers the Fred Cowell outfit. I thought I had dreamt it. Lola Chevron -Its just not the sort of thing you expect to see in Birkenhead!

Originally posted by Speedy norm

Back to the Chevron Fred Cowell first apearence was at British GP Thundersports support race 86, were it propped up the grid. Can't remember who co drove it but I am sure someone will reply.....

John Salisbury drove a B23/26 - GA in 1984 Thundersports, with a few co-drivers: Barrie Williams, Richard Simms & Alan Rollinson.
At that year's GP support, it was Whizzo, and it wa at the back of the grid. (It didn't actually start the race)

Potter did co-drive the Cowell Skoda in the 1983 Euro GP support Thundersports race..

Forge Mill Racing offered "Chevron B26 chassis No 005" for sale in Autosport (10 Oct 1974 p67) plus a choice of B23s. The photo underneath was of the Domecq car and the engines were said to be "as used by John Lepp 1974 season". So the advert implies 005 was Lepp's car without actually saying so.

Allen

the piper texas car is now for sale i saw the ad earlier today now i cant find it in the mag i was reading
i stood over Burtons B26 at BH yesterday but foolishly didnt look at the plate

I used to own a B26. I cannot remember the chassis no. but I bought it from Eddie Arundel (now Duke of Norfolk) he raced it to very good effect with James Weaver in Thundersports. It was powered by a Swindon 2 litre BDX. My first event with it was the 1985 European GP Thundersports support race (Mansell's 1st GP victory). I drove in this race with Tom Dodd-Noble. The car was White with Red/Black arrows running along the top body ( I think I was trying to copy a Gulf idea)
I sold the car in 1987 to John Saphir who had the car restored by George Fowles. John died of a heart attack at the wheel of his Williams FW07 and his estate sold the car to Ted Williams. I saw it again when Ted had it and it was painted Yellow. I don't know who Ted sold the car to and I have long since lost touch with it. The only other point of interest was that Stefano Sebastiani ('Stingbrace') told me that he owned the car when it was new or nearly new. I think he said it was painted black. Anway he gave me all its original homologation stuff which I passed on when I sold the car. I am 'fairly' sure that the chassis no. on the homologation stuff was not the same as the car. Nothwithstanding this, Stefano was absolutely convinced that this was his car. Who knows!

from memory only 9 b26 cars where built
Gareth burnett now has Choclate drop car ran at classic LM event at the weekend

Thanks for this Colin.

Stingbrace did share a B26-Ford with one Ranieri Randaccio at the 400 km Vallelunga in June 1977 so that could be the car. Arundell raced a "B36" in Thundersports in 1983 and a scan of Autosport may give us a history on that one. Thanks for the chain of ownership from then on.

Allen

randacio and stingbrace are best buddies
stingbrace was the manager at the berkley brothers hotel in london

yes yr right Arundel ran with weaver in B36 with scorpion racing then they built up their own Group C2 car the Arundle which i believe became the Bardon??
i stand waiting to be corrected

The Bardon was originally known as the 'Arundel C200', IIRC there was an Anson connection in its construction.

He sold it to John Bartlett I think, who used it with Robin Donovan, hence the name 'Bardon'.

B26 was 2nd on the 58th targa florio 1975

This is for you Allen.

Whilst I know that the Arundel car was advertised as a 'B36'.. It was a B26 with some B36 mods and also some extra mods that James Weaver did personally. I expect I have the receipt for the car somewhere

not uncommon to have early an model chassis with later body added and the title is given for the later body!!
well would u enter a b26 with 36 body as a 36 or 26 ??

often see B31/36 in results
many B21 with 23 bodies lola 290 with 292 body added
i looked at Italian Gp 5/6 race results there where 2x B26 cars running circa 76-78 but no stingbrace running in them at the time

the piper texas car is now for sale i saw the ad earlier today now i cant find it in the mag i was reading
i stood over Burtons B26 at BH yesterday but foolishly didnt look at the plate

I happened across this thread while searching for some info on B26.
The car I race is chassis 5 which was originally delivered to the Italian Chevron agent Eris Tondelli in 1974. After a succession of Italian drivers it was severely damaged and bought by Vin Malkie of Chevron to restore. The car was rebuilt for me and I bought it in 1974.

You may have noticed that the car is rather quick - witness finishing 2nd overall behind our good friend Richard Piper in his Mclaren M8 8.8 on the Sunday at the above meeting having been forced to start from the back row in the Orwell Supersports race due to a misfire on the Sunday.

Of course todays B26 is rather different to that of 1974. When the chassis was renewed, the opportunity was taken to use a thicker higher aircraft grade of
aluminium. This stiffens the chassis considerably as well as improving the safety and allows the use of stronger springs thereby improving the handling.

We usually manage to beat most of the Can-Am's apart from Richard Piper's M8
We can get frustratingly close to him at times. However, he does have around 880HP and a similar amount of ft lbs of torque!

Sorry if all this is boring you, since I seem to have somewhat got away from the subject of chassis numbers.

Thanks John fo rthe info
any idea which Italians ran the B26
looking at some website result pages many B26 cars went to Italy a sthey had a domestic Group 6 series and also raced them on the mountains ( we call it hillclimbing!! ) for many years as well as some drivers contesting Interserie and some Group 6 WCM type races
so you have had the car since 74?
would you have been racing thecar in the Euro and Uk 2 litre sports carraces then?
i have seen yr results in the 2 litre B19/21 cars and the french euro sports car racing book has a few fotos of you racing the Canon car
Ed Swart in usa is he the Canon team boss form thoses days and i assume his B19 is the car he had from those days?

regarding chassis# 9 B26 cars where built but probably all 12 exist today!!
i know a few are in USA now

Warm welcome, John. The information is entirely apposite, since it is deals with both the history and the current state of chassis 5, which is exactly what we are after. Here is a (slightly out of focus!) picture taken at the Silverstone Classic which also appears in the thread covering that meeting in our 'Historic Racing Today' forum:-
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/7569/silverstoneclassic30july20061324bmn7.th.jpg (http://img507.imageshack.us/my.php?image=silverstoneclassic30july20061324bmn7.jpg)

Incidentally, whilst noting that the car is indeed rather quick, I think many of us would attribute a substantial element of driver input to that!

Thanks John fo rthe info
any idea which Italians ran the B26
looking at some website result pages many B26 cars went to Italy a sthey had a domestic Group 6 series and also raced them on the mountains ( we call it hillclimbing!! ) for many years as well as some drivers contesting Interserie and some Group 6 WCM type races
so you have had the car since 74?
would you have been racing thecar in the Euro and Uk 2 litre sports carraces then?
i have seen yr results in the 2 litre B19/21 cars and the french euro sports car racing book has a few fotos of you racing the Canon car
Ed Swart in usa is he the Canon team boss form thoses days and i assume his B19 is the car he had from those days?

regarding chassis# 9 B26 cars where built but probably all 12 exist today!!
i know a few are in USA now

The previous Italian owners were :- Eris Tondelli, Gili Berti, Giancarlo Gagliardi,
Sandro Cinotti, Claudio Francisco and R.Zorzi .

I apologise for misleading you - didn't have time to check what I had written ! I bought the car in 1995 after Vin Malkie had totally rebuilt it, not 1974, which of course was when the car was originally built.

Ed Swart and his family used to be the main importers of Fiat cars into Italy.
He became very successful racing various Fiat/Abarth saloon cars, which culminated in him becoming European Touring car champion. We met when he was racing his Abarth 2 litre sports racing car and have remained good friends ever since. He secured sponsorship from Canon and asked me to join their team. I am not sure if his B19 is the original car. He emigrated to California around twenty years ago with his English wife Sally and runs a series for Historic race cars at various tracks on the West side of the U.S.A.

The B26 will be out at Dijon in October for the final Orwell round of 2006.

Warm welcome, John. The information is entirely apposite, since it is deals with both the history and the current state of chassis 5, which is exactly what we are after. Here is a (slightly out of focus!) picture taken at the Silverstone Classic which also appears in the thread covering that meeting in our 'Historic Racing Today' forum:-
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/7569/silverstoneclassic30july20061324bmn7.th.jpg (http://img507.imageshack.us/my.php?image=silverstoneclassic30july20061324bmn7.jpg)

Incidentally, whilst noting that the car is indeed rather quick, I think many of us would attribute a substantial element of driver input to that!

Thanks for the welcome John ! I appreciate your nice comments.
I keep telling my wife that it's important for us guys not to grow up . She says that in my case there's no possible danger of that whatsoever !

Incidently, I still do race modern cars from time to time, having done the Daytona 24hrs three times in the last seven years.

I am away for the next couple of weeks.

Woah!

A sportscar legend adding his input!!

Thanks John, I second John T's sentiments.

Thanks for the Itailan driver info
i noticed in the race results that afew b26 cars ran in italy over the years now i can eliminate yr car form the list of cars that ran there
yr wife must be related to my mrs has the same thought about growing up!
interesting info on Ed swart:)

I have been reading the BT26 thread and am delighted to add to it in that I am the current keeper of BT 26 2 which went to South Africa for the Sprinbok series driven by John Watson and Ian Schecter. We have restored the car having found it in a somewhat unraceworthy state in Ohio a year or two ago. It is now in the Gunston colours that it appeared in in South Africa and goes rather well. We took a hit in the left front at Sebring in early December but damage was light and we will be out at the HSR event at Sebring in March

Hi Murray

Do you have any history on the car between 1974 and when you found it? Given where you found it, it could have been one of the cars that appeared in Can-Am in the late 1970s.

Allen

I will dig out the information on owqnership which I have back into the eighties. But it was still in the UK then from memory so it is unlikely that it was a Can Am car in the interim. I am moving house right now so I can't lay my hands on the file till tomorrow.

Regarding further history on my B26 02.
According to FIA Papers filed by Jim Evans in the UK in 1994 the owership
history is as follows.
1973/4 Springbok Series works car driven by Watson and Ian Schecter
1974 John Lepp
1974/78 Bob Marsland
1978/85 Richard Simms ( often entered as B36 )
1985/87 Duncan Bain
1987/89 Lief Lindstrom
1989 Robin Smith
March 1990 Richard Simms and Jim Evans
Then restored and sold to Jack Russeli in June 1997.
I bought the car from Russeli in Ohio last year and have raced it at Mont Tremblant, Lime Rock and Sebring last year and this. It has been completely prpped by John Rogers, engine by Wenz, and is currently undergoing some fettling after minro accident damage at Sebring a couple of weeks ago.

this is the car raced by Jims son Richard in Thundersports and Orwell type races in the mid 90`s
if Simms owned the car it may have also had the skoda body fitted for special saloon racing maybe with GA motor?

Duncan Bain would have raced the car in Thundersports

It was already here in the US by the mid 90s so is unlikely to have
been the Skoda bodied car. It was certainly raced in the 80s in Thundersports as I have photos and results sheets from that period. According to the FIA papers mentioned above it was restored completely
as a B26 in the early 90s
It was also driven by Warren Booth with Simms.

skoda car would have raced mid 70s then converted to sports car for thundersports

I guess that is possible. but i see no reference to that part of the histrory in the files I have. I guess Marsland or early in the Simms ownership mebbe?

Simms definitely raced a car called a B23 in Northern Libre late 70s, I think it was this that was under a Skoda. I presume this was a different car to this
B26??

B23 is tube frame car B26 is 1st monocoque sports car
look the same with bodywork fitted though

Not sure how this helps, but at Ampus 15/16 March 1975, the first event of the French and European hillclimbing season, Eris Tondelli had a Chevron B26S with a Cosworth DFV engine. Was this B26-05 or a different (later) car?

I have a photo of the car in my Mauro Nesti book Im sure he is the driver I will check later tonight

nesti is in B23 DFV car at 2 events in 1976 when he would normally drive lola
t292 bmw
he ran b23 at Ascoli san marco & Trofeo valcamonica

I guess that is possible. but i see no reference to that part of the histrory in the files I have. I guess Marsland or early in the Simms ownership mebbe?
Hi Murray
I was interested to read that you bought yourself a Chevron B26 - If you are prepared to spend a little time and effort, you could have yourself a rather quick car.
We just came back from Mugello after this weekend's opening Orwell Supersport round and finished 2nd overall both days with our B26 to a well driven Mclaren M8F 8.8litre, but beat all other Can-Ams and of course 2litre sports. We also got fastest lap overall of the weekend. We were only passed on the long pit straight - our 163mph to their 190 !
Stronger monocoque, much stiffer springs than in 74 is way to go - I guess you knew this, but if you need any tips, let me know.
Whilst in Mugello, I took the opportunity with my wife and a couple of Swedish friends to drive around the fantastic 48km road circuit that ran through the mountains and villages and which I competed in 1970 in a Chevron B16. It was my first visit back in 1970 and Ed Swart and I kept trying to learn it in Sally's ( Ed's wife ) little Fiat. During the race, I managed to forget that the left hander I was trying to take flat in the process of overtaking another car, was not flat, but required a serious so called confidence lift! Fortunately, although well off the road in a field, not too much damage was done apart from too my pride. However, on getting out of the car, I and the car were surrounded by spectators who proceeded to start tearing bits off the damaged fibre-glass as souvenirs ! Fortunately, the carabinieri arrived and put an end to that game.
I was running 5th at the time, behind Merzario who won and Vic Elford, Leo Kinnunen etc. and the only one of the leaders who didn't know the circuit well.
It really was a most fantastic road and I really wish it could still be used.
Regards
John Burton

John there is a retro revival Mugello road rally in may? i saw the man at the historic race car show promoting the event
cars are pre 71
protos can run with saloon gt cars
i have some where his details ( he even gave me a vidoe of the early day events)
If yr interested let me know and i can hook em out

Thanks for the info, but I don't think we shall be going - expense, time etc. However, if they ever decide to have another race round the old road that would be a different matter! It would have to be a little shorter, since there is now a reservoir where the old road used to go near the town of Scarperia.

Hi John
Delighted to see you note on Mugello etc.
Raced the Chevron last wekend at Mnt Tremblant,
and it went well but broke a brand new front wishbone at the weld. Lovely!
It will be out again at Lime Rock in early September. I plan to bring it to Europe for next season.
Will you be at Silverstone this weekend for the classic? If so I will look you up
as I will be driving a couple of cars there.
It would be very interesting to talk set up with you although redoing the chasssis to make it stiffer seems to be a little extreme!

orwell sports cars are not at silverstone this weekend next race is nurburging in august

It was already here in the US by the mid 90s so is unlikely to have
been the Skoda bodied car. It was certainly raced in the 80s in Thundersports as I have photos and results sheets from that period. According to the FIA papers mentioned above it was restored completely
as a B26 in the early 90s
It was also driven by Warren Booth with Simms.

I met my new friend Warren B again this morning, he had loads of pics of him driving the Simms B26. Mainly taken at the British GP 1984 T'sports race,he said it was a lovely car to drive. Also one of him (in the Scott) chasing Laurence Jacbosens Cuthbertsons B23 around Longridge. He said the B23 was too wide for him to pass on that track!!

Not really a B26 topic more a PM to John Burton re b19 21 cars
If your looking John can you check the PM i have sent to you

Only one B26 in Le Mans !

24 Heures 1976 (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Year/search.php3?lg=fr&recherche=1976) - Circuit de 13.64 km http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Img/chd.gif
Chevron (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Marque/search.php3?lg=fr&recherche=Chevron) B26 N°33 (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Numero/search.php3?lg=fr&recherche=33)Georges Schafer
Technique :Catégorie : Gr VI < 2000
Moteur : L4 Ford Cosworth FVC 1786 cm3

Pilotes :Georges (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Pilote/search1.php3?lg=fr&action=search&nom=Schafer&prenom=Georges&nat=CH) Schafer (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Pilote/search1.php3?lg=fr&action=search&nom=Schafer&prenom=Georges&nat=CH) http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Img/drapeaux/DraCH.gif
Ricardo (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Pilote/search1.php3?lg=fr&action=search&nom=Albanesi&prenom=Ricardo&nat=CH) Albanesi (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Pilote/search1.php3?lg=fr&action=search&nom=Albanesi&prenom=Ricardo&nat=CH) http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Img/drapeaux/DraCH.gif
Jean Pierre (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Pilote/search1.php3?lg=fr&action=search&nom=Adatte&prenom=Jean Pierre&nat=F) Adatte (http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Pilote/search1.php3?lg=fr&action=search&nom=Adatte&prenom=Jean Pierre&nat=F) http://histoire.lemans.org/ACO/Img/drapeaux/DraF.gif

Résultats :Course : Abandon
7ème heure
Moteur Qualifications : 45ème
Temps : 4'28"600
Moyenne : 182,815 km/h

PM for driftwwood : i dont forget you...

Hi Murray,

Sorry it has taken so long to reply, but I rather thought this thread was getting sleepy and hadn't bothered to check until this evening .

Had a great weekend at Spa two weeks ago in the last round of the Orwell Supersportscup series . Very cold ( 3 degrees C !! ) weather on the Sunday meant two laps behind the pace car to get the tyres warm. Since we were leading the championship, i just needed a steady drive to retain our lead to win the championship, which we did. Although nearly 1 sec quicker in practice than Silvio Kalb in a 1976 March BMW M12, I finished just behind him after enjoying a really good battle ( side by side into Eau Rouge ! ), but beat him in the second race. The M12 seems a bit quicker on torque and top end than a BDG . Both times we were beaten by two Mclaren M8's with 8.4litre big blocks. However, we were quicker than all the other Can - Am's . I usually enjoy qualifying and managed to set a new 2litre sports car record of 2mins 22.4sec, which was quicker than the GP Masters cars a few weeks previously.

If you can stand being a bit bored, their is some film of our car on the orwell-supersportscup.com web site where you will also see that we run hte B26 very low.

I take your point about the monocoque, but if the chassis is good then try stiffer springs at the front than the rear. We usually run around 550lbs to 500lbs rear. Sounds illogical, but works. I assume you have good shocks.

Hope you had an enjoyable race at Lime Rock

John, many congrats on the championship. One taken of you at Brands Superprix in July (pinched from the thread covering it!). Wet, wet, wet!:-

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/984/brandshatchsuperprix1juyc4.th.jpg (http://img379.imageshack.us/my.php?image=brandshatchsuperprix1juyc4.jpg)

Many thanks John.

It was certainly a very wet start to our race at Brands this year, with the start being delayed for 30mins due to torrential rain. I was frankly surprised to see Silvio Kalb's March BMW M12 in my mirrors since I usually like the wet and felt the car was handling well. The track was drying out during the race and Silvio drove a superbly to win overall. I was very impressed at how easily he seemed to get the power down out of the corners
despite the conditions. However, when I had a look at his wet tyres afterwards, I saw they were a totally different pattern to ours ?! Perfectly legal, but German cut Avons. I now have a set for next time !

All the best

John, any good stories you can post of the fantastic Euro 2-Litre series races from 1972-74ish? I'm stuck into some 1973 A/Sports at the moment, the variety of cars/engines in the series is fantastic: Chevron, Lola, Abarth, March, GRD, Alpine, and so on. Must have been a great time to have been racing these superb looking cars.

Not sure if I'm supposed to post stories of the European Championship from the 70's on this B26 thread. My wife and I are driving over to Luxembourg for the Orwell prizegiving tomorrow. However, since I do have plenty of stories, some printable, others ... ( ! ), I'll see what I can come up with when we return.

Yes please. Absolutely. We'll distract John ...

No you won't, but I would love to hear them too. John is right of course; they should be in a separate thread, but if you want to start it here, I'll move it to the Motorsport History forum where it would get wider audience.

Yes John we can distract you look here is a crate of beer and a young blonde with large boobydoos
please return the crate as i get £5 back on it
let the stories roll!!

Yes John we can distract you look here is a crate of beer and a young blonde with large boobydoos
please return the crate as i get £5 back on it
let the stories roll!!

Trust Drifty! Predictable as always! :angel:

Motoring News 12/05/77 mentions that Richard Philip and Alan Sharpe had bought the ex-Iain MacLaren Chevron B26/31 and would share driving duties.

:)

Hi John
Delighted to see you note on Mugello etc.
Raced the Chevron last wekend at Mnt Tremblant,
and it went well but broke a brand new front wishbone at the weld. Lovely!
It will be out again at Lime Rock in early September. I plan to bring it to Europe for next season.
Will you be at Silverstone this weekend for the classic? If so I will look you up
as I will be driving a couple of cars there.
It would be very interesting to talk set up with you although redoing the chasssis to make it stiffer seems to be a little extreme!

So sorry to take so long to reply !!

I tend to forget to look at this site when a thread moves slowly, but I do apologise for the long delay.

Have you brought the car over the pond or is it still in the States ? I imagine a broken front wishbone caught your attention, but hope the resulting incident was not too damaging.

I haven't raced since Spa last year, since I managed to dislocate my shoulder skiing ( mechanical failure, ski came off ) and had to have an op. to re-attach the tendon to the muscle. I guess it will be July before I can see how strong it is in a race car.