Quote:
Originally posted by Alain HACHE
Michael
yes I think we can translate "arceau de sécurité" to roll over hoop/ bar ,sorry for my bad english.
On differents pictures I am owner 4 types of roll over hoop
bar exist : first for HU01 and 2 in the beginning of 1972
second version at Monza 1000 Kms with a welded bar on the left of the car ( also Le Mans version ) . A third is the
symmetrical on the car winner of Paris 1000 Kms and the last for T282 284 and 286 cars .
The Gaspar car at Estoril is with the first type so we can
say that its an another chassis than HU01 and 2, we suppose HU03 .
If HU 003 was Rouveyran car in 1973 , I think Casoni car
was not HU001 because on picture of the car after Nurburgring the roll over hoop / bar seem to be like car
winner of Paris 1000 Kms .
2 years ago C FOX solded an T280 and telled to me that was
chassis HU005 .... I will try to contact it again to confirm me that and to know car's story . In case of that
who was HU004 owner ? TAKAHARA ?
Ã* bientôt
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Hi Alain
You don't need to apologise for your English - it is much better than my French!!!
I've been reading through my Autosports again and have found some more useful information!
Vila Real report, Autosport 13/7/72 p8
"Heading the list was Carlos Gaspar with his new 3-litre Lola-DFV T280, the only 3-litre Lola at present running apart from the one surviving Bonnier car. Gaspar took delivery of the car early in June, tested it at Jarama and then went to the opening meeting at Estoril, where he won against a poor field of seven cars, lapping Roger Heavens three times in the process. The car is sponsored by The International Bank of Portugal (BIP) in Lisbon and Oporto and with it Gaspar is making a return to motor racing after an enforced absence of two years in the Portugese army, serving his commission in West Africa. During National Service he suffered a hunting accident when the shotgun he was using slipped out of his hand and went off, resulting in the loss of four fingers on his right hand. Very bravely, this has not deterred Gaspar who is driving as well as ever in his new car."
So this seems to suggest that his car was HU-03, as he took delivery early in June, therefore probably before Le Mans.
I have found another race in which the Lola T280 competed in during 1972: The Rothmans 50,000 28/8/72, Brands Hatch:
"...Mario Casoni's 3-litre Ecurie Bonnier Lola T280, this team being one of the few fully conversed with long-distance pitstops..."
"Only one sports car qualified for the big race, Mario Casoni's 3-litre Lola T280 and he performed a most creditable time of 1m 28.1s, which is 0.2s faster than the best Lola T280 time established in practice for the BOAC earlier this year."
Casoni finished 12th in the race, on 107 (maybe 106, it's not clear) laps to winner Emerson Fittipaldi's (Lotus 72) 118. Source Autosport 31/8/72.
I guess this would have been HU-01, as its previous race was the final round of the sportscar World Championship at Watkins Glen, 22/7/72 and HU-02 had already been destroyed.
For the Imola 500km race 17/9/72, Autosport 21/9/72 p12 reports:
"Scuderia Brescia Corse once again hired the Ecurie Bonnier Lola T280 for Mario Casoni. The was as it ran at the Rothmans race but for a change of engine."
This implies two things: firstly that it was Scuderia Brescia Corse that entered Casoni in the Rothmans 50,000 and not Ecurie Bonnier (programme anyone?!) and that it was the same car, e.g. HU-01. I am not sure how this ties in with your comment about the roll-over bar/hoop, although I can see how they changed during the year. If you have some photos perhaps you could email them (send me a private message and I will give you this)as I cannot find any pics of the Gaspar car or Casoni in 72?
On the subject of the Japanese races, I haven't found any more info, only what is on Martin's site. I am surprised if there are HU-04 and HU-05 T280s, as the Autosport article said only three were built (although it was wrong when it said the third was never raced in Europe, so that is not a good sign!). I still wonder whether Takahara bought the Gaspar car and maybe this was then sold to UK for 1973.
Finally, looking through my 1973 Autosports, I came across a report for the Dijon 1,000kms 15/4/73:
"The remaining 3-litre Lolas [MO: e.g. in addition to the works T282] were the older ex-Bonnier [MO:HU-01??] and ex-BIP [MO: HU-03??] T280-DFVs and a new T282 fitted with a three-litre competition Capri V6 engine, all three cars still under the ye of Ecurie Bonnier mechanics. The DFV powered cars were for Giorgio Pianta and Pino Pica racing in a car hired by the Jolly Club for two races, while the second had been bought be Denis Rouvreyan who enlisted Francois Migault as co-driver."
Jolly Club were also the entrants for the Capri V6-engined car of Schon and Canonica.
I have a picture of the Pianta/Pica car in the race and it is in Ecurie Bonnier colours. It also has the full-width roll-over bar/hoop. No pics of the Rouvreyan car :-( However, there is a small pic in Motor Sport, which shows a car with a full-wide roll-over bar/hoop and two extra headlights together in the front nose, like the Le Mans cars from 1972 (whereas on the Pianta/Pica car there is nothing, just the words Jolly Club where the headlights on the Rouvreyan car are. Don't know if this helps...
I have to stop now and go back to work but I will continue to look through for more info on the cars raced in 1973...
Ciao for now
Michael