[Kazan]

All TOM'S F3 chassis (031F to 037F) were built by TOM'S GB, established in 1987. With deep involvement in F3 engines and endurance racing already, plans were well under way for a F1 (Frank Coppuck and John Barnard). Investing to that end in impressive facilities at Hingham: "a 40,000 sq. ft. research and development center which included full composite facilities and engine dynos" (grandprix.com). A "political" decision from Toyota cancelled it all, when they opted to place all efforts in the development of their own racing department, Toyota Europe, in Köln...

Hence the 1998 mid-season disaster, when the premises were sold to Volkswagen AG, TOM'S GB being dismantled to give way to Racing Technology Norfolk (RTN), still under the management of Hiroshi Fushida, until Volkswagen AG sold it in early 2007. The AUDI R8C Le Mans coupe was developed there, as well as the 2003 Le Mans-winning Bentley. The Hingham factory is now the seat of Team Lotus F1.

With his nephew Martin O'Connell competing for the leadership of the 1998 British F3 championship, Ray Rowan had a deal for all chassis, engines and parts, Rowan Racing having been a most successful entrant in the National class in the previous years, with close connection with TOM'S.

1991 - The very first TOM'S F3 chassis won the All-Japan F3 Championship (Paulo Carcasci). Meanwhile, Rickard Rydell showed promise in the British Championship, winning the opening round, followed with one P3 and two P2.

1992 – 2nd (Jacques Villeneuve) and 3rd (Rickard Rydell) in the Japanese championship, the 032F chassis ended the season with a victory at the Macau GP (Rickard Rydell).

1993 - The 033F chassis was again a winner in the Japanese championship, finishing 1st (Tom Kristensen) and 2nd (Rickard Rydell).

1994 - So was the TOM'S 034F, winning again the All-Japan F3 Championship (Michael Krumm)...

1995 – A year of development of the new generation of TOM'S chassis by the main designer of the 031F, Andrew Thorby, with Christian Horner as testing driver. Among the technical peculiarities, the 035F had a single spring front suspension. Although the TOM'S official site mentioned another victory in the Japanese championship "in the Tom's 035F driven by Pedro De La Rosa", it is obvious that such chassis could not be available until quite late in the 1995 season.

1996 - It was run with the 036F modifications in 1996, Tom Coronel finishing 3rd in the Japanese championship and setting the fastest lap at the 1996 Macau GP. According to Tom Coronel, both 036F chassis used for the Japanese championship remained in Japan, one in the Esso showroom, and the other at the Toyota museum.

Although not as successful as in Japan, the TOM'S 036F showed promise in the UK, with new comers to the field. Particularly with Brian Smith in 1996, and Ricardo Mauricio and Kevin McGarrity in 1997 (unfortunately, Kevin was soon to run out of budget). Quite a number of drivers had a go at it, with some impressive driving from Martin O'Connell, once his "National" championship crown had been secured. Some of the four chassis built, in 037F slight evolution, were sporadically used (winning at Madras) until the late stage of 1999, when Ray Rowan sold them all.

Although labelled "036F", those four chassis are actually the 037F evolution (the two actual 036F being those that remained in Japan).

036F/037F #001: raced mainly by Ricardo Mauricio in 1997, it won at Madras in February 1999 (Martin O'Connell) and placed 2nd later that year at the Snetterton heat of ARP (Ray Rowan). This car, being the one referred to as "the red car" by Dermot Healy, was raced very successfully by Neil Cox throughout the 2000 ARP season (to my knowledge, Peter Parry owned the chassis, whereas Neil owned the engine). It is apparently the "Spawny Whippet" car, now in France.

036F/037F #002: the car run by Jamie Spence for DKS in 1997. Raced by Richard Davies in a gold livery and a Toyota engine in the Monoposto championship (in a remarkably neat condition when I saw it at the Nemesis workshop in Slough), the car was until recently raced by David Standing.

036F/037F #003: bought by Paul Harvey, then Jeff Tremblett to race it in Monoposto. This being the former "green car", as brilliantly driven by Martin O'Connell in 1997 at Silverstone and Spa.

036F/037F #004: The lightest chassis of them all, raced by Kevin Mc Garrity in 1997, then Andy Priaulx, and possibly Adam Wilcox for the earlier races in 1998. In Belgium since 1999.