1976 British Formula Three season
The 1976 British Formula Three season was the 26th season of the British Formula Three season. Rupert Keegan took the B.A.R.C. BP Super Visco British Formula 3 Championship, while Bruno Giacomelli took the B.R.D.C. Shellsport British Formula Three Championship.
Despite competition from a heavily financed Formule Renault Europe series in 1975 and 1976, Formula Three continued to grow in 1976, notably in Italy and Sweden and with the FIA's European Formula Three series which was done properly in 1976 instead of being an afterthought as in 1975.
John Webb's MCD series had been dropped after 1974, leaving only the BARC series, sponsored by BP, in 1975. For 1976, BP's rivals Shell backed a five-race BRDC series at Silverstone and MCD also returned to organise a number of non-championship races with good prize money. Rupert Keegan won the more prestigious BP series having made a flying start in his ex-Brian Henton March 743-Toyota but then struggled mid-season when trying to replace the old March with a Hawke commissioned by his father and was caught by March works driver Bruno Giacomelli before snatching the title at the last race. The Italian however won the short ShellSport series comfortably. Geoff Lees and Stephen South emerged from the chasing pack as likely future stars.
Thanks to Giacomelli's March 763-Toyota and to Keegan's old 743, March dominated the two championships with 12 race wins, the other five falling to the Chevron B34s of Geoff Lees and mid-season convert Keegan.
B.A.R.C. BP Super Visco British F3 Championship
Champion: 
Rupert Keegan
Joint Runner Up: 
Bruno Giacomelli
Results
Drivers' Championship
| Pos | Driver | Entrant | THR
|
THR
|
ZOL
|
THR
|
BRH
|
SIL
|
OUL
|
BRH
|
MAL
|
THR
|
SNE
|
THR
|
Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rupert Keegan
|
British Air Ferries Racing Team | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 74 |
| 2 | Bruno Giacomelli
|
March Engineering | 3 | 3 | 9 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Ret | 71 |
| 3 | Geoff Lees
|
Rob Roy Racing with D.J. Bond | 12 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 31 | |||||
| 4 | Stephen South
|
Dortmunder Union Bier/Bogarts of Birmingham | 2 | 2 | 7 | DNA | Ret | 2 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 4 | 4 | Ret | 27 |
| 5 | Mike Young
|
Anglian Gilt Producers | Ret | 4 | 3 | 2 | Ret | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 21 | |
| 6 |  Brett Riley
|
David Price Racing | Ret | 3 | DSQ | Ret | 3 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 4 | 13 | |||
| 7 | Tiff Needell
|
Safir Engineering | DNS | 4 | 6 | 6 | Ret | 2 | 13 |
Table
B.R.D.C. Shellsport British F3 Championship
Champion: Bruno Giacomelli
Joint Runner Up: Rupert Keegan
Results
| Date | Round | Circuit | Winning driver | Winning team | Winning car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/03/76 | Rd.1 | Silverstone (Club)
|
Rupert Keegan
|
British Air Ferries Racing Team | March 743-Toyota |
| 11/04/76 | Rd.2 | Silverstone
|
Bruno Giacomelli
|
March Racing Ltd | March 763-Toyota |
| 20/06/76 | Rd.3 | Silverstone (Club)
|
Bruno Giacomelli
|
March Racing Ltd | March 763-Toyota |
| 30/08/76 | Rd.4 | Silverstone (Club)
|
Rupert Keegan
|
British Air Ferries Racing Team | Chevron B43-Toyota |
| 18/09/76 | Rd.5 | Silverstone
|
Geoff Lees
|
Rob Roy Racing with D.J. Bond | Chevron B43-Toyota |
| Source:[6][7] | |||||
Table
| Place | Driver | Entrant | Car | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruno Giacomelli
|
March Racing | March 763-Toyota | 79 |
| 2 | Rupert Keegan
|
British Air Ferries Racing Team | March 743-Toyota Chevron B43-Toyota |
62 |
| 3 | Geoff Lees
|
Rob Roy Racing with D.J. Bond | Chevron B43-Toyota | 42 |
| 4 | Mike Young
|
Anglian Gilt Producers | Modus M1-Toyota | 36 |
| 5 | Ian Flux
|
Ockley Racing Team | Ralt RT1-Toyota | 29 |
| 6 | Stephen South
|
Dortmunder Union Bier/Bogarts of Birmingham | March 763-Toyota | 21 |
| 7 |  Willi Siller
|
Team Modus | Modus M1-Toyota | 18 |
| 8 |  Geoff Brabham
|
Brabham Racing Organisation | Ralt RT1-Toyota | 16 |
| 9 |  Paulo Gomes
|
Team Modus | Modus M1-Toyota | 15 |
| 10 | Jan Seymour
|
City Speed Racing | March 743-Ford March 743-Toyota |
11 |
| 11 |  Ulf Svensson
|
Ulf Svensson | Ralt RT1-Toyota | 10 |
| Paul Bernasconi
|
Paul Bernasconi | Ralt RT1-Toyota | 10 | |
| 13 | Richard Hawkins
|
Dr. Joseph Ehrlich | Ehrlich ES5/6-Toyota March 743-Toyota |
8 |
| 14 | John Lain
|
Imado Watch Co Ltd | Modus M1-Toyota | 7 |
| 15 | Bob Arnott
|
Bob Arnott | March 743-Ford March 743-Toyota |
6 |
| Aryon Cornelsen-Filho
|
March Racing | March 743-Toyota | 6 | |
 Claude Cuicci
|
Ian Williams | Supernova SF376-Ford Supernova SF376-Toyota |
6 | |
| 18 | Barrie Maskell
|
Jeff Sharpe | Dastle Mk 10C-Ford | 4 |
 Dick Parsons
|
Dick Parsons | Anson SA1-Triumph | 4 | |
| John Stokes
|
Dortmunder Union Bier/Bogarts of Birmingham | March 753-Toyota | 4 | |
| 21 | Doug Bassett
|
GRD 373/376-Ford | 2 | |
| Pierre Dieudonné
|
Dr. Joseph Ehrlich | March 743-Toyota | 2 | |
| Brett Riley
|
David Price Racing | Modus M1-Ford | 2 | |
| Phil Silverstone
|
Phil Silverstone | March 763-Toyota | 2 | |
| 25 | Tony Dron
|
Unipart Racing Team | March 763-Triumph | 1 |
| Ken Silverstone
|
Ken Silverstone | March 753-Toyota | 1 | |
| Source:[8] | ||||
Non-Championship Races
Results
| Date | Race | Circuit | Winning driver | Winning team | Winning car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27/03/76 | Race of the North | Oulton Park
|
Rupert Keegan
|
British Air Ferries Racing Team | March 743-Toyota |
| 02/05/76 | Hollies Trophy | Mallory Park
|
Richard Hawkins
|
Dr. Joseph Ehrlich | Ehrlich ES5/6-Toyota |
| 31/05/76 | Volkswagen Silver Cup | Silverstone
|
Brett Riley
|
Brett Riley/David Price Racing | Modus M1-Ford |
| 26/09/76 | Griffin Golden Helmet Trophy | Mallory Park
|
Stephen South
|
Dortmunder Union Bier/Bogarts of Birmingham | March 763-Toyota |
| 24/10/76 | Paul Nicholas Trophy | Brands Hatch
|
Conny Andersson
|
March Racing Ltd | March 763-Toyota |
| Source:[9][10] | |||||
References
- ^ http://www.formula2.net/F376_Tables.htm
- ^ http://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/
- ^ http://formula-net/F376_Index.htm
- ^ http://www.formula2.net/F376_Tables.htm
- ^ http://www.formula2.net/F376_Tables.htm
- ^ http://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/
- ^ http://formula-net/F376_Index.hrm
- ^ http://www.formula2.net/F376_Tables.htm
- ^ http://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/
- ^ http://formula-net/F376_Index.hrm