Formula Atlantic/Pacific

[Steve Holmes]

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Formula Atlantic was formed in the late 1960s, in the US, under the guise Formula B. The Sports Car Club of America created Formula B to fit between Formula C, for cars with a maximum engine size up to 1100cc, and Formula A, for stock block race cars with a maximum engine size of 5000cc, as part of its new SCCA Grand Prix Championship. Initially, all three classes competed in the same race, but as Formula A rapidly grew in popularity, Formula B became a stand-alone class.

Formula B engine rules required a stock block engine of no larger than 1600cc, for which the Ford twin-cam unit was highly favoured.

Formula B was introduced in England in 1971 by John Webb, as Formula Atlantic. The intention was that Formula Atlantic cars be almost as fast as Formula 2 cars, but cheaper to purchase and run. The Formula Atlantic name was also used in Canada, where a high profile championship was established in 1974, with national television coverage, and the addition of Formula 1 drivers. The International Motor Sport Association (IMSA) then formed a Formula Atlantic championship of its own to run alongside its other categories.

Formula Atlantic was adopted for the Macau Grand Prix in 1977, but under the guise Formula Pacific, and New Zealand replaced the outgoing Formula 5000 with Formula Pacific the same year, while Japan followed suit a year later. In 1979, Australia merged its existing Formula 5000 with Formula Pacific to boost grids, and Formula Pacific would become that countries premier single seater category from 1982.

Formula Atlantic/Pacific chassis’ bore many similarities with F2 and F3 cars, and F2 or F3 chassis’ could easily be adapted for Formula Atlantic, but several manufacturers built chassis’ specifically for the formula. Engine choices in the early years were limited to the Ford twin-cam, but this was soon replaced by the BDA, and BDD, etc, and eventually the Toyota. The mid-1970s saw a raft of different makes of chassis, but eventually the Ralt RT4, based on the 1979 RT2, would come to dominate the category, as likewise, the American Swift DB4 would do several years later.

Formula Atlantic cars remain some of the best looking of all formula cars. The class became synonymous with its screaming BDA/BDD soundtrack, and aggressive cut and thrust driving, as it was established very much as a platform for young aspiring drivers with Formula 1 ambitions, and Formula Atlantic/Pacific proved an important stepping stone for many who reached the very top level of the sport.

[TonyG]

Found these shots today. This is from the year that Mike Thackwell and Andrea De Cesaris raced in NZ over the xmas period and while testing a week or so earlier at Pukekohe, De Crasherus had a bit of an oops at Railway corner.
They were not worried about my mate and I sitting on the marshalls post watching until one realised I had a camera. Then they tried to intimidate us into handing the camera over (we were only at High School) but we shot through and jumped over the fence onto the railway tracks to get away lol.
I was tempted at the time to take the film to the local paper but chickened out.








Not sure if this was the same year or not but;
Davy Jones

[Steve Holmes]

Hey those are fantastic pics Tony! Thanks for moving them across to here. Did de Cesaris race after doing this?

[Howard Wood]

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[Howard Wood]

I can't figure how to insert text, so in explanation, some photos of my March 742 Atlantic car Jan 1977.

Photo #1 In the paddock area at Puke, car owner John Anderson standing behind the car.

Photo #2 Driver's parade before Wigram. My best guess is from the right: 1. Keke Rosberg, 4 Richard Melville, 5 Dave McMillan, 6 Tom Gloy, 9 Steve Millen?, 10 Andrew Miedeke, 11 Alan Crocker and me 12 facing backwards on the truck deck. Any ideas on the rest?

Photo #3 First round Bay Park, not sure if it is a race or practice, cars behind are Dave Saunders' March 75B and Ross Stone's Cuda.

Photo #4 On the grid at Wigram, Steve Emson, Modus alongside, Steve Millen, Chevron behind and Ross Stone, Cuda alongside him.

[David McKinney]

From right (with a bit of guessing): Rosberg, Bruce Allison, Steve Emson, Melville, McMillan, Gloy, Beng Saswanto, Ross Stone, Larry Perkins, Millen, Miedecke, Crocker, Wood

[TonyG]

Hey those are fantastic pics Tony! Thanks for moving them across to here. Did de Cesaris race after doing this?

Yes as this was about 10 days before they raced anywhere that season. They were testing early.

[Howard Wood]

David,

Larry P did not race here in 1977, I am pretty sure he was still in the frame for the BRM F1 drive then, only problem was the car wasn't race ready! If you look closely, my overalls and helmet are from the outfitting he was given by BRM. He and Greg "Peewee" Siddle first came to NZ for Jan 1978.

From the grid sheet on http://www.oldracingcars.com if your list is otherwise corect, and I think you are on the money, missing are Kozarowitsky, John Nicholson, David Oxton and Albert Poon. These are photos I retrieved from the deepest corner of the cupboard yesterday so the memory is a bit hazy.

[David McKinney]

You're right about Perkins (How could I?)
I'd already made a list of The Missing - was the photo taken before or after Graham Baker's accident?

[kiwi285]

Here are some photos from my stash

[

[kiwi285]

[Howard Wood]

You're right about Perkins (How could I?)
I'd already made a list of The Missing - was the photo taken before or after Graham Baker's accident?

David,

I have to admit to needing to refer back to Oldracingcars.com because I can't remember. According to their list, missing from the main/ full series runners at Wigram are Graham Baker and Ken Smith.

Kenny had an accident at Teretonga, was his damage too bad to be repaired for Wigram?
Where and when did Baker have an accident?

[Steve Holmes]

I can't figure how to insert text, so in explanation, some photos of my March 742 Atlantic car Jan 1977.

Photo #1 In the paddock area at Puke, car owner John Anderson standing behind the car.

Photo #2 Driver's parade before Wigram. My best guess is from the right: 1. Keke Rosberg, 4 Richard Melville, 5 Dave McMillan, 6 Tom Gloy, 9 Steve Millen?, 10 Andrew Miedeke, 11 Alan Crocker and me 12 facing backwards on the truck deck. Any ideas on the rest?

Photo #3 First round Bay Park, not sure if it is a race or practice, cars behind are Dave Saunders' March 75B and Ross Stone's Cuda.

Photo #4 On the grid at Wigram, Steve Emson, Modus alongside, Steve Millen, Chevron behind and Ross Stone, Cuda alongside him.

Hey Howard, thats a really slick looking race car. The Cibie Lighting sponsorship looks 'big-time' too! Though I'm guessing it probably wasn't. Did you race this car anywhere other than NZ? Is this the same car pictured in post #11 above with Ken Smith?

[Steve Holmes]

Here are some photos from my stash

[

Nice work Mike, good to get all these photos together in one place. I'm sure there are a few more of yours scattered about too?

[kiwi285]

[kiwi285]

[Howard Wood]

Hey Howard, thats a really slick looking race car. The Cibie Lighting sponsorship looks 'big-time' too! Though I'm guessing it probably wasn't. Did you race this car anywhere other than NZ? Is this the same car pictured in post #11 above with Ken Smith?

The Cibie story probably belongs in "yards and Yarns". Cibie was distributed by Alex Harvey Agencies, a division of AHI, run by a wild Australian/ Irishman called Brendon Maloney with NZ rally legend Mike Marshall as sales manager. Needless to say their entertainment budget around the sponsorship would have dwarfed what I got but every bit counts.

My deal with the car and engine owners was; I will fund the running cost, to be covered by NZIG start money plus prize money (as you could in those days if you were frugal and didn't poke it in the wall) and you guys will get a profit on selling the car and spares in NZ at the end of the series. It was mission accomplished all round as the car was sold to Reg Cook as soon as the series finished.

The car looked quite nice but was actually the 1974 March pre production mule, we updated the bodywork to '76 specs from moulds I took from a replica March F1 car being part of a grid of cars we built for the world's most forgettable movie called Bobby Deerfield. We also bought the latest rear wing and a spares package from an ex Brabham mate of John's who had been running Eddie Cheever in F2 called Ron Dennis!

The car pictured with Kenny and Richard Melville is Richard's 76B, which was like Kenny's and Lawrence's car above, a genuine car but that is the same bodywork as our's.

[Steve Holmes]

Ahhh, thanks Howard. Have you ever wondered what happened to the car? Whether it still exists? I love the stories that are connected with these cars. This is the stuff you didn't get to read in magazines. Did you have any connections with March?

[David McKinney]

David,
Kenny had an accident at Teretonga, was his damage too bad to be repaired for Wigram?
Where and when did Baker have an accident?

Without checking too deeply, Smith was a 'dna' at Wigram
Baker's accident was on the right-hand sweeper after the Hairpin - piled into one of those huge marker-tyres borrowed from earth-moving machinery and wrote off his Birrana. From memory, in practice

[PhotoSmith]

Alternative use of an ageing F/Pacific.......
Tom Donovan 1983 NZ Hillclimb Champion in his Modified March 77b
2 day Event based in Rotorua - 1st Gravel Road - Penny Road,
2nd Day Tarmac - Ngongotaha Hill.