South African F.Atlantic 1979

[Andrew Kitson]

Chris Townsend - you may be interested in these pics to help with research for the website. This first pic is a 1979 Gunston ad showing my old friend Trevor Van Rooyen in the Team Gunston March 79B on the grid at Kyalami.From the back cover of a Killarney race programme.

[Andrew Kitson]

This is Ian Scheckter in the Lexington car.If you need the entries from the prog, give me a shout.

[allenbrown]

Andrew

The entries from the programme would be most useful. Thanks.

Allen

[Chris Townsend]

I haven't really looked at 79, apart from the UK season but Andrew, any help for the future will be gratefully received. The elder Scheckter appears to be driving a March 79A, the Atlantic version of the March 'nothing for something' ground effects F2 car, of which only four were built.

Chris

[Andrew Kitson]

Here is the entry list as it appears in full:

Killarney 27th October 1979
False Bay 100
S.A. drivers Championship event

2 x15 lap heats.

1 Lexington Racing Team Ian Scheckter March 79A 2300
2 Eddie Pinto / Team Gunston John Love March 77B Ford BDA 1598
3 Team Gunston Trevor Van Rooyen March 79B Ford V6 3000
4 Kronenbrau 1308 Racing Team 'Bobby' Scott March 77B 2300
5 Lucky Strike / BP Racing Tony Martin Chevron / Ford B45 3000
9 D.A.W Suppliers Rezeks Sigma Bernard Tilanus Wheatcroft R18 2300
10 Sarel J. Pienaar Chevron
11 Team Domingo Mike Domingo March 76B BDA / Mazda
14 A.D. Thompson / J.W.I.S Chains / BP Graham Duxbury March 722 3000
18 G.Frizell Geoff Frizell Chevron
20 Team Valvoline Dave Hart March 77B BMW 2000
22 Peter Haller Tuning Centre Peter Haller Chevron B34 1600

[Fan]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
This is Ian Scheckter in the Lexington car.If you need the entries from the prog, give me a shout.

I saw that car in a Sports Cafe in Durban a few years ago. Are you trying to get in touch with any of the drivers - out of interest? Tony Martin raced in karting for a few years back in the early 90's. He, along with the others, should be fairly easy to track down.

[Chris Townsend]

Fan

We would like to hear from any F.Atlantic driver, anywhere! But S.Africans would be especially welcome.
Are you based in S.Africa? If so any help would be greatly appreciated. [Understatement]

Chris

[Fan]

Hi Chris,

I grew up in SA but now live in London. I'm going back in November for 6 months. I'm happy to help any way that I can. Ian Scheckter, Tony Martin, Graham Duxbury, Bobby Scott and Trevor van Rooyen should all be easy to track down. Trevor I believe is in the UK tuning engines for Van Diemen whilst all the others should still be in SA.

Do you just want contact numbers/addresses? Are you compiling a book of some sort or is it just an interest of yours?

[Andrew Kitson]

Chris, I'll get hold of Trevor for you. He's a good friend and if he is willing to help - although I know he is always flat out working and lives on the dyno(!) , I'll PM you his contact details.
He may have details of former car owners in SA such as Team Gunston etc and all the other drivers.
Perhaps too, you should contact the official Motorsport body in SA who may be able to assist?

[Chris Townsend]

Fan

Thanks for the offer of help. It's not for a book [I write books for a living, in part] but the completist in me would like to have a total record on the web of all Atlantic results and car records. We've made a start with NZ, and the more information we can gather the better. I admire the historians of the 1950s and pre-war eras, because they really have to work in detail with obscure documents. If we can get information down now, including the driver's memories, then it's going to be an easier life for the historians of 20-30 years from now, when someone is really going to want to know the provenance of that 1979 March 79B or Chevron B49

Chris

[flatbroke]

Very interesting thread I think u should try and contact fred goddard I was at his work shop and he is currently rebuilding a march 77b fitted with a mazda engine this car was raced out there(SA) and won some races also fred ran driver like Braam Smith and Bernard Tilanus

[Fan]

Chris,

I'll look for some contact details - I know how to get hold of Graham Duxbury but the SA Motorsport association will definitly be able to help with the others. I'll send you there details tomorrow.

Fan

[Chris Townsend]

The 1976 Phillips South African Formula Atlantic Championship.

I have pretty good details on this series [probably better than the UK series of the time] but the following details could do with tidying up, so if anyone can provide any information...

R1: Killarney: Qualifying times, race times, laps completed. What happened to John Nicholson?

R2: Goldfields: 100% complete apart from chassis nos!

R3: Aldo Scribante. What laps did Len Booysen and Alan Domingo complete?

R4: Roy Hesketh: Klomfass's qualifying time? Laps on which Mike Domingo, Joe Domingo, Fred Goddard retired? Did Goddard run a BDA or a Lotus LF twin cam?

R5: Brandkop: Race times and laps completed for all runners

R6: Kyalami: Race times and laps completed for all runners. Qualifying times for Mike and Yanus Domingo

R7: Kyalami: Qualifying times other than Scheckter's pole 1.21.39
Laps completed other than Scheckter and Charlton

R8: Roy Hesketh: Race times, laps completed below 3rd place, qualifying times

R9: Kyalami: Laps completed other than Charlton or Tunmer. Qualifying times

R10: Killarney: Laps completed other than by Scheckter, race times, qualifying times.

Also, the Donnybrook race in Rhodesia [yes I know it's Zimbabwe NOW] on 31 July won by Roy Klomfass. That's all I know about it. Any more info out there?

Thanks for your help in advance

Chris