LAUDA’S MARCH TO STAR AT THRUXTON
Famous formula 2 chassis will run at 50 th anniversary event
The Formula 2 March 722 raced by Niki Lauda in 1972 will return to racing in Europe this weekend during the historic single-seater races at Thruxton.
Chassis 5 has spent many years in Australia but has been brought back to the UK by ex-pat Stephen Weller and he will race it at Thruxton, 46 years after Lauda finished third behind the similar cars of Ronnie Peterson and Francois Cevert in the Easter Monday European F2 race at the Hampshire track. Three days earlier, on Good Friday, Lauda won a round of the British F2 Championship in the rain at Oulton Park.
After Lauda raced the car in 1972 it spent some time hillclimbing and was later believed to have been part of James Hunt’s estate when he died in 1993. It went to Australia nearly 20 years ago and has been raced from time to time.
“It got covered up and put in the back of a workshop, four doors up from me in Sydney, so I knew it was there,” said Weller, who acquired it in time for the Phillip Island Classic in March. “I’ve never raced at Thruxton before.”
The March, running in period STP livery, arrived in the UK last week after two months at sea and Weller is now re-preparing it for this weekend. He then plans to race it on the Silverstone GP Circuit two weeks later.
“We are only the custodians of these cars,” said Weller. “They shouldn’t be in museums, they should be out on track.”