[peter finlay]

I have revised the point-score (below) for the 1973 Formula Ford Euroseries based on information found in the 1973 Ford Motor Sport Yearbook which promoted the championship.


Indeed, the 1973 Championship was not promoted by EFDA, rather the Ford Motor Company was the sponsor and the major prize was a "works" F3 drive for 1974.


Contrary to my earlier understanding it is now confirmed that the point- scoring system was:

1st 20, 2nd 16, 3rd 14, 4th 12, 5th 10, 6th 9, 7th 8, 9th 6, 10th 5, 11th 4, 12th 3, 13th 2 and 14th 1 point.

Tied positions in individual had the points for the two positions totalled and then averaged. This happened only once at Osterrichring where Bengt Gilhorn and Lorenzo Sassi were classified in equal fifth place. At the Austrian round, prize-monies were doubled to compensate for the cancelled Vallelunga event due to an outbreak of cholera in Italy. Points were allocated as if this was a single round.

By my reckoning this is how the championship ended up:

1. Hans Binder (A) Merlyn-Scholar Mk24-64 pts
2. Peter Finlay (GB-AUS) Palliser WDF2-19-Rowland-63 pts
3. Bengt Gilhorn(S) Merlyn & Titan Mk6C-61.5 pts
4. Bob Arnott (GB) Merlyn Mk24-Scholar -60 pts
5. J-E.Johannsson (S) Titan Mk6C-49 pts
6. Gerhard Irsa (A) Lotus 69 -42 pts
7. Claude Crespin (B), Merlyn-HolbayMk24-34 pts
8. Lennart Sundahl (S) Merlyn-Scholar Mk11A-30 pts
9. Slim Borgudd S) Royale RP3-29 pts
10. Born Arvelid S) Merlyn Mk10A-26 pts
11. Jean- Francois Vaney (B) Merlyn- 25 pts
12=. Syd Fox (GB) Hawke. 20 pts
12=. Thomas Meray (D) Not Known - 20 pts
15. Walter Wurzbach (D-USA) Royale RP16-19 pts (US citizen based at Schweinfurt USAF B).
16. M.Gramman (A) not known-16 pts
17. Roger Manning (UK) Elden-Piper Mk10-15 pts
18=. Dieter-Karl Anton (A) Lotus 69- 14 pts . (Team mate to Gerhard Irsa).
18=. Donald McLeod (UK) Van Diemen FA73- 14 pts
20=. Steve Farnsworth (D-USA) Elden-Hammerschmidt- 13 pts
US citizen based at Ramstein USAFB. Ran the Panasonic team.
20=. Hans Maier (A) Brabham BT 29? 13 pts
22. Rob Wicken (GB) Merlyn Mk17A -Piper -12 pts
23. Richard Morgan (GB) Ray73F -Vegantune -10 pts
24= Mats Nygren Merlyn Mk24-Scholar - 10 pts
24.Ric Van Kempen (NL) Royale RP16-Vegantune -10 pts
26. Lorenzo Sassi (I) Delta MK 9. 9.5 pts
27. N. Rouff ((B) Not known. 9 pts
28. Erik Karlsson (S) not known. 8 pts
29=.. Tiff Needell (GB) Lotus 69 Scholar. 7 pts
29=. H. Regout (A) Not known. 7 pts
29=.T. Torgnysson (S) Not Known. 7 pts
32=. G. Vairani (I) Not known. 6 pts
32=. L.A. Olsen (S) Not known. 6 pts
32= Mike Young (GB) Merlyn Mk24-Scholar 6 pts
35=. "Rob" not known. 5 pts
35=. J. Ridell (S) Not known. 5 pts
35=. E. Bolfitz ( A) Not known. 5 pts.
38=. M.Bulla (A) not known. 4 pts
38=. Jan-T Pederson (DK) 4 pts
38=. S. Steiner (A) Not known. 4 pts
38=. G. Rydin (S) Not Known. 4 pts
38=. A Carlson (S) Not Known. 4 pts
38=.J. Lipman (GB) Dulon-Davron LD9. 4 pts
44=. R. Prior (GB) Not Known. 3 pts
44=. Patto Nunez-Gutierrez (GB-RA) Not known. 3 pts
44=.Per Sorensen (S) Hawke. 3 pts
44=. W. Fridolin (S) Not Known. 3 pts
48. J. Wansart ((B) Not known. 2 pts
48=. J. Ørsom (S) Not known. 2 pts
48=. Ric Vermeulen (NL) Not known. 2 pts
51=. A.Zeigler ( B) Not Known. 1 pt
51=. John Kalagian (USA). Not known. 1 pt
51=. H. Verhoven (NL) Not Known. 1 pt
51=.D. Shattuch (GB) Not known. 1pt

The following drivers are not listed on the official results of the championship as supplied by Ford Motor Company but I am aware that they did compete:

55=.Lennart Dahlqvist Merlyn 0 pts
55=.Leif Jorgenson DRC 0 pts
55=.Lars Olsson (DK) Merlyn Mk20 0 pts
55=.Frank Hopper (GB) Royale RP16-0 pts
55=.Anne Wurzbach (D-USA) Lotus 61 0 pts (Wife of W. Wurzbach)
55=.Thorkild Thyrring Ray 0 pts
55=.Lennart Dahlqvist Merlyn 0 pts
55=.Per Sorensen (S) Hawke 0 pts


Being the European Championship, the writer, Peter Finlay, entered on an RAC MSA International Licence. Similarly other drivers who hailed from non-European countries entered under the nationality of the country of their residence in 1973.

Ties in the final point-score were to be determined by awarding the higher place to the driver with the greater number of superior places, in all cases where this shows a tie that was not possible as drivers involved scored equal highest places so I have, for the sake of simplicity and in the absence of any official information to the contrary, listed drivers with equal points the same place in the championship. Naturally, where multiple scores are awarded, the following drivers' scores reflect the appropriate position had there been no ties involved.

The official results sent to me by Ford Motor Company, Boreham Airfield Chelmsford GB dated July 8th, 1974 do not show the actual points awarded to each driver.

Interestingly, the Ford Company letter states that I finished ninth in the final round at Brands Hatch but the accompanying score-sheet shows that I finished 7th. No mention is made of the two Swedes, Gilhorn and Johansson, in results for the Brands Hatch event. The error made by the writer of the letter (whose title was Administration & Budgets) meant that I was credited with 3rd place in the championship and awarded prize-money of £180 instead of £250 for second place. Probably due to the economic climate pervading at the time, the promised Ford Test drives appear never have eventuated.

The deletion of the two Swedish drivers from the final event at Brands Hatch was, apparently, due to some anomalies detected in post-race scrutineering.Clearly no one thought to inform the organisers of the Championship. C'est la vie.

I was delighted to have been able to compete in the Euroseries and manage the pair of second places, both of which were achieved after some dramas in qualifying which resulted in much lower grid positions than otherwise might have been gained. Some rather unsporting driving by a fellow competitor at Djursland forced my retirement from that race and a persistent hesitation in the car's Weber carburettor exiting right hand turns at two other circuits created undesirable handicaps. The low octane "power kerosene" which passed for petrol in Germany certainly didn't help at that country's two events. I noted that some teams brought their own high-octane fuel with them. Experience counts!

With the exception of Brands Hatch, where I had driven in a single race early in 1973, I had never seen or driven on any of the circuits in Europe previously. I entered all events and finished all but one. Indeed, it appears that I may have been the only driver to enter for all seven rounds.