Tag Archives: Bucknum

Transverse Success – Honda RA 272

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13 years after it’s foundation in 1949 Honda Motor Company moved into the production of it’s first S360 micro sports cars in June 1963.

A month earlier Soichiro Honda set his Research and Development engineers to work on a 1.5 litre / 91.5 cui 60 ° V12 motor for use in a Formula One application.

Honda RA272, Goodwood Festival of Speed

It would appear that after a deal fell through to work with Lotus the engineers, who had become world champions in Motorcycle Racing, used a 1961 Cooper in their possession as the starting point for an all new RA270 chassis.

This gold prototype tested, but never raced, by Jack Brabham in 1964 was notable for a transverse mounted engine and for having 12 exhausts coming straight out of the back.

Honda RA272, Goodwood Festival of Speed

At the 1964 German Grand Prix Honda made their Formula One debut with the RA271 driven by American Ronnie Bucknum, which still had a transverse mounted V12, but conventional exhaust manifolds with two tail pipes.

Ronnie qualified 22nd and was classified 13th despite having an accident after completing 11 laps of the scheduled 15 lap race, Ronnie retired from both the Italian and US Grand Prix later in the season.

Honda RA272, Goodwood Festival of Speed

For 1965 the Honda engineers Yoshio Nakamura and Shoichi Sano kept the transverse mounted V12 which was said to produce 230 hp at 13,000 rpm.

American BRM refugee Richie Ginther joined Ronnie Bucknum in the team.

Honda RA272, Gabriele Tarquini, Goodwood Festival of Speed

After the team missed the season opening South African Grand Prix and recording two retirements at Monaco, Richie scored the team’s first World Championship point with a sixth place finish at Belgian Grand Prix after starting 4th on the grid.

At the French and British Grand Prix Richie two more retirement and with the team now running just the one car he finished 6th in the Dutch Grand Prix from third on the grid.

Honda RA272, Gabriele Tarquini, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Honda missed the German Grand Prix but came back with cars for Richie and Ronnie for the remaining three races of the season.

Richie finished 14th and 7th in Italian and the United States Grand Prix where Ronnie retired and was classified 13 respectively with both drivers suffering from ignition issues.

Honda RA272, Goodwood Festival of Speed

However at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix, the last of the 1.5 litre / 91.5 cui era it all came good for Honda when Richie qualified 3rd and Ronnie 10th.

Against the form of British drivers and British built cars from Lotus and BRM winning the previous nine races of the season Richie came through for the win and Ronnie came home in fifth place.

This race would remain Richie’s only victory in Formula One and remarkably the Honda team have added only two more Formula One victories as constructors to that total, at the Italian Grand Prix with John Surtees in 1967 and with Jenson Button in 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Former Italian Formula One Driver and Honda works world touring car driver Gabriel Tarquini is seen at the the wheel of Richie Ginther’s #11 Mexican Grand Prix winning car at Goodwood Festival of Speed last year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Longitudinal Success” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Maserati Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

19/04/15 Thanks to Tim Murray for pointing out that the RA 272’s kept the transverse mounted engine layout for 1965.

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Cracked Exhaust – Broadley T76 Continuation

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A month before the 1969 Daytona 24 Hours Roger Penske took delivery of a brand new Lola T70 Mk3b GT chassis #SL76/139.

Under driver Mark Donohue’s guidance the team worked 18 hours a day in the run up to the race preparing the car and it’s fuel injected 5 litre / 302 cui Traco Chevrolet motor of the endurance classic.

Broadley T76 Continuation, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham,

Chuck Parsons and Mark qualified the immaculately prepared royal blue with gold pinstripes #6 2nd on the grid, alongside a factory Porsche 908 driven by Vic Elford and Brian Redman.

Mark and Chuck dropped back to seventh in the race with fuel pick up problems and then lost an hour while the cracked exhaust was repaired.

Broadley T76 Continuation, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham,

Despite these problems and with the Porsche’s having a myriad of issue’s of their own including cracked exhausts the #6 came through to take the checkered flag by 30 laps from the older #8 American International Racing, actor James Garners AIR team, Lola T30 Mk3 GT driven by Ed Leslie and Lothar Motschenbacher.

For the Sebring 12 Hours, #SL76/139’s final legal race appearance, the fuel injection was replaced by carburetors and Mark was joined by Ronnie Bucknum and the pair qualified 2nd alongside a Ferrari 312 P driven by Chris Amon and Mario Andretti.

Broadley T76 Continuation, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham,

During the race the Penske entry and Sportscars Switzerland Mk3b, driven by Swedes Ulf Norinder and Jo Bonnier
retired with broken radius arm mountings.

After the race the two Penske team members taking the Lola back to the Penske shop in Philadelphia made an overnight stop at a motel in Daytona Beach and awoke the next morning to find their truck and car along with two race motors had all been stolen.

Broadley T76 Continuation, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham,

The car was found within 48 hours with the engine, wheels and other parts removed evidently without much mechanical sympathy and the perpetrators were apprehended and arrested by Police acting on a paid for tip off from a stooge in Maryland a month or so later.

Penske had chassis #SL76/139 repaired by a third party and afterwards his shop fitted a stock 350 Chevy and sold the car as a street car, still painted dark blue with gold pinstripes to a chap in California known as Wolfman.

Broadley T76 Continuation, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham,

Wolfman and his mates founded a group of unsanctioned racers called “Banzai Runners” who had a penchant for running at a 150 mph on the LA freeways at 3:30 am.

Wolfman is variously described by those who knew of him as a some sort of record producer, covert LAPD drug squad officer with the Daytona winning Lola a part of his cover and being owned covertly by the LAPD, and yet another as a busted pot dealer who did some kind of deal to stay out of jail.

Broadley T76 Continuation, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham,

Wolfman was last seen driving a Ford Mustang and what became of #SL76/139 remains a mystery, one has to wonder how many car sleuths have had a go at trying to locate such a well known vehicle.

Curiously James Garners AIR chassis #SL73/117 was used as a cop car in the George Lucas film THX 1138 and was then also converted to road use for Dan McLoughlin.

Today’s featured car which is painted up to look like the ’69 Daytona winner is a Broadley T76 Continuation manufactured, with Eric Broadley’s blessing and eligible to race in FIA sanctioned historic events, by Broadley Automotive.

My thanks to everyone who contributed to the “Penske Lola Coupé” thread of The Nostalgia Forum.

Thanks for joining me on this “Cracked Exhaust” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for “Ferrari Friday” tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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