Chevron B17

[allenbrown]

Here's something to get us started.

Allen

[Chris Townsend]

OK

B17 F3
17.70.01 Peter Hanson, to Keith St.John [F/S AS 9.9.71 ex Hanson p. 62]
17.70.02 Norman Foulds
17.70.03 Barrie Maskell F/S by works 9.9.71 AS p. 58 'ex Maskell'
17.70.04 Bert Hawthorne (w/o Oulton Park?)
17.70.05 Jurg Dubler
17.70.06 Rolf Reisen
17.70.07 Chris Skeaping [w/o Thruxton 17.5] retained to 1972 then Eddie Irvine (IRL) MN 25.1.73, p.16 'ex Skeaping'.
17.70.08 Ken Sedgley then John Finch 1971-2
17.70.09 Carlo Scarambone to 1972

B17B
There are two chassis 1s.

FB-70-01 Paul Craven then Nick May [Brands F2 1971] uprated to B18 [AS] sold to Opert [AS 16.9.71 p. 4/MN 2.9.71 p. 11 ex Paul Craven

17B.70.01 Mike Eyerley f/s Opert CPAW 10.10.70 p.13 '2 used B17b Chevrons ex Eyerley/Opert' [but perhaps not the first Eyerley car which is perhaps written off.]
17B.70.02 Fred Opert f/s Opert 10.10.70 p.13 '2 used B17b Chevrons ex Eyerley/Opert'
17B.70.03 Stebro: Peter Broeker; 1971 John Powell [ex Broeker CMB 71 season preview] and Craig Fisher. Seems to go back to Broeker for early 1974 season.
4-7 blank in copy of build record I was sent
17B.70.08 Mike Eyerley [late season car] f/s Opert CPAW 10.10.70 p.13 '2 used B17b Chevrons ex Eyerley/Opert'. New one suggests a car from teh blank part of the record.

B17C

17C.70.01 Works: Reine Wisell, F/s by Howlings AS 2.9.71
17C.70.02 Steve Thompson, 1971 Frank Mumford MN 25.3.71 p.22 then Russell Paterson [HC Scotland MN 31.3.77 p. 10 ex Thompson, 1976 champ winning]

Unknowns

F3 1971 Geoff Bremner [Brands 29.5]
Bendicht Kipfer [CH]perhaps 05
Sandro Cinotti
Auto Ascher: Klaus Reisch [perhaps 06]
Lenham Hurst: Terry Peterson
1974
Horst Floth
FC
1975
Jeff Marsh
Bill Anspach
Guy Revesz

FB
1971
Tom Outcault
Bruce Jensen retained 1972
1973
Tony Rolfe [SCCA FB VIR]
1974
Dean Lundgreen [SCCA]
1975
Bob Nelkin

Atlantic/FL
Mike Mather [maybe B15 F/S AS 9.9.71 p. 60 by Eric Mather B15 roller and Lotus 41C, plus Vegantune t/c]
1972
Alex Seldon [maybe the May car]
1973
Graham Lynch [F.At described as B17C]

Chris

[Simon Hadfield]

The Paul Craven FB-70-01 upgrade to "B18" spec was the conversion of the front uprights from the "wobble-bottom" type of the B15/17 to the B16 sourced solid type of the B18 with a simpler bottom wishbone.

[allenbrown]

Chris

I've worked through my notes on B17s and I can add a few comments.

I had completely different numbers to you for the FB B17Bs that went to the US and my source notes say "hand written production list from Adam F". I can't find that list anywhere but I'll keep looking.

Bobby Howlings had B17B FB-70-01 briefly in April 1971, in between Craven and May, winning three libres in it. It is said to be ex-Craven Autosport 22 Apr 1971 p31.

As well as the Mike Mather car in 1971, you haven't mentioned the Frank Lord that made a couple of late 1971 Atlantic appearences.

In April 1975, Uwe Jantzen had a B17C in a libre at Llandow.

In June 1977, Kevin Hodgkinson had a 1.1-litre B17 in a sprint at Blackpool.

In April and May 1979, Paul Williams had a B17/35 in a couple of sprints.

Allen

[Leighton Irwin]

The Bruce Jensen B17 was modified in 1972 with a home designed sports car nose and larger rear wing. It was quite succsesful on short tight tracks but always a pig (and usually crashed) on fast tracks. We ran the stock nose at times, usually while repairing the sports car style nose. At the last race of 1972 at Mosport BJ crashed in #1. A marshall working the back straight told us the nose was dragging on the straight. The light finally went on. A waaay too much front downforce for the springs. How little did we know is those days. BJ was fast and good but never really could tell us what the car was doing. One of us had to go out corners and study the car and then change it as needed! We had not figured that out yet and it did not always work.

[allenbrown]

Hi Leighton

Nobody seems to have asked you the obvious question: where did BJ get his B17? Was it one of the Eyerley/Opert cars?

Thanks

Allen

[Leighton Irwin]

Bruce's B17 was new from Fast Freddy. I won't tell you Fred's other nickname over here. Mind you, we were friends. It came with a small valve Hart TC and a FT200. White gelcoat. I have no idea of the serial # and it was probably removed anyway as the Chevron replaced Bruce's BT21 (MK5 box) which was defintely smuggled which replaced his BT16 which replaced his Elva Mk7, all smuggled. Border, what border?
When it was sold I think our own wing design in Fibreglass went with it , red in colour, as well as the stock wing. I do not remember if the sports car style nose went or had been totally destroyed at Mosport. It took us all year (2nd year with B17) to figure out why the car went like stink on short tracks but BJ usually crashed on fast tracks. The downforce was so high at the front the nose was being driven into the ground and taking weight off the front wheels at high speed. It needed far stiffer springs but who knew in those days. Wesure didn't. After he crashed in turn 1 at Mosport it was an all nighter to get the car ready with the stock nose. It had needed repairs and I had the expoxy smoking. Pencils make great reinforcing ribs!
We do learn, however. A similar problem at Nelson Ledges several years later took me about 10 seconds to figure out.

[allenbrown]

Anyone for some more B17s?

1. A M Chenu appears once in French hillclimbs around Sep 1971 (only one sighting so far and Echapemetn isn't good with dates) in a Chevron. In 1972, Chenu appears all through the season and his car is referred to several times as a B17.

2. Bendicht Kipfer, already noted above as a Swiss 1971 F3 runner, appears regularly in French hillclimbs in 1972.

While I'm at it, a M. Ligonnet has a B15 in 1972.

Allen

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by allenbrown

While I'm at it, a M. Ligonnet has a B15 in 1972.

Allen

I thought it was Rene Ligonnet?

[Dan Rear]

M = 'Monsieur' rather than his initial ???

[allenbrown]

I wrote M meaning Monsieur. His first name wasn't given in the results. If this is Rene - I guess it must be - he's kept his B15 for a surprisingly long time.

[mike faloon]

i know a chevron b9 isn't a b17, but i'm new at this and a friend has one, does any body know where the other seven or eight are?

[allenbrown]

Just been talking with Gary Jarlson and he mentioned seeing a Chevron B17 in 1974 with Garrie Cooper's name on the side. Gary J was named after the actor Gary Cooper so he distinctly remembers the funny spelling. He says it had "a Lotus-type twin cam. It had been modified to the extent that it had a March (73B, I believe) nose and a later style rear wing. It was painted medium blue, with yellow trim accents."

What would a Garrie Cooper be doing with a FB Chevron B17 in the US in 1973 or 1974?!

[Leighton Irwin]

When Bruce Jensen sold his B17 (white) it also had a sports car nose designed by Terry Welch and a rear wing also designed by Terry that was red. At a quick glance the nose could be mistaken for a March nose.

[ossyhodge]

Alan,
Just Stumbled On This Site. Question-where Did You Get My Name From Regarding My B17 At The R.a.c. Sprint Championship At Blackpool In 1977.
Just A Thought For You I Personally Built Nearly All The B17's
At Derek Bennett Engineering Bolton.

[Chris Townsend]

In Autoweek Vol. 26, no. 19 [28.4.76] p.33 we have Garey L. Cooper offering for sale an FB Chevron [implying still got the t/c in it] with sportscar nose, from Lakewood CA 90712

Looks like he kept it a while longer from 1974. Off to look in SCCA results, but it may only have been a regional car.

Chris

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by ossyhodge

Alan,
Just Stumbled On This Site. Question-where Did You Get My Name From Regarding My B17 At The R.a.c. Sprint Championship At Blackpool In 1977.
Just A Thought For You I Personally Built Nearly All The B17's
At Derek Bennett Engineering Bolton.

Kevin

I got it from here but the hard work was done by Steve Wilkinson at britishsprint.org.

Which B17 was it? Can you help us with its history?

Allen

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by allenbrown

Kevin

I got it from here but the hard work was done by Steve Wilkinson at britishsprint.org.

Which B17 was it? Can you help us with its history?

Allen

Allen, Kevin has provided me with the details and the BMSA website should now be up-to-date.

[allenbrown]

Steve

I'd love to know the details. Where the car came from, how long he had it, who he bought it from, who he sold it to ... etc, etc.

Allen

[Chris Townsend]

Allen

Kevin is preparing a spreadsheet from his notebooks of all the cars he built for Chevron, hopefully by the end of next week

Chris

[mike faloon]

Chris I know that this is probably cheating, but woud that cover my obsession with the B9s? Mike Faloon

[RJ Nelkin]

I bought the B-17 Outcault car from Chris Crisafulli (Greatneck, NY) 1974. We added larger rear wing and extended front wings..The car was a dream to drive especially being that it was my first racecar. We won approx. 26 races that year (SCCA/EMRA). I do not remember who I sold it to....but we went on to B-29 B-36 March 76b 77b 78b 79b 80a Lola T-332's T-530..RJ Nelkin

[Chris Townsend]

Welcome to the forum R.J [or can we call you Bob?]

I've been trying to find an address for you to talk about your Atlantic cars, so it's great to have you here and hopefully we'll find more to add on the later cars. I knew the B17 was your first Atlantic but not your first racecar. Impressive rookie year!
Does the name Roy Aber in Penn Hills PA ring any bells as the buyer?

I know your second car was the ex Jim Crawley Chevron B29 that took pole at Road Atlanta in 1975 [chassis # 2] but don't know who for sure bought it from you. (Maybe Kenneth Valca?)

After that we're into new cars running well in the pro series, and any help you can offer on the B34 or the Marches would be much appreciated

Chris

[RJ Nelkin]

The b-17 was my 1st racecar.....However I did race a JagXK-120m in Historic racing...that's what hooked me. The Crawley b-29 is a great story: I sold it to a guy named Rick Wellner..he hade never been in a racecar before. We were at Summit Point testing the first day Wellner got in the car. We told him to take it easy. The left the pits and went tearing down the front straight and went right off the track..never made the first turn. His guys got the car back to the pits and straightened it out. The left the pits again..flying down the track..never made the first turn again and totaled the car..never made a turn much less a lap. My other Chevron was from Opert "the Tom Bagley car" it was a good car..originally Bagley oil yellow but we had Opert get us new body work in our Nelkin Racing Green and we raced it the first time at St. Joviet. All are Marches were new from Doug Shierson. Another B-29: Bill Bracks car was sold to my friend Brad Abbott...Fred delivered it to him at the track "race ready" Ha! Fred had it out behind his truck trailer covered with a tarp...when we helped Brad get it we took the tarp off and it looked like a racehorse that had been run HARD and put up WET....very WET...It looked almost like a heap of parts....raceready fred. RJ Nelkin Mulefarm6@msn.com

[Steve Wilkinson]

Above: Paul Mawson in his B17 at Prescott in 1976

Just thought we should have at least ONE photo of a B17!!!!!