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MARCH 722-8

DOSSIER
MARCH 722- 8
Chris Townsend
Translation into Japanese by - ****************

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MARCH 722-8

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MARCH 722- 8
This car was one of a large run of Formula Two and FB cars built by March in 1972. It was consigned to
Peter Bloore Racing for the Japanese driver Hiroshi Kazato to use in the European Formula 2
championship. The car had relatively little use after the 1972 season. Where most British based March 722s
ended up in Formula Atlantic and having long after-lives in club racing, 722-8 is shown in a document from
the March factory records as being sold to J.C. Gridley from Tooting, south London. Gridley was probably
planning to enter the car in the 1973 British Formula Atlantic championships for saloon car ace Holman
Blackburn. Blackburn recalls that he was offered the car by a chap from south west London but he could
never afford to put a BDD in it, and although many entries were made the car never actually raced. It was
sold in September 1973. After this the history of the car is somewhat murky. It seems to have been acquired,
still as a rolling chassis, by a hill climber in Mitcham, south London, or it was perhaps kept by Gridley
himself. It was found in autumn 1984 by British hill climber and photographer Ted Ferret Walker, acting
on behalf of John Harper, under a car cover in a lock-up garage. The car was, in fact, less time-warp than
Walker recalls since in the back was a seized iron block Alan Smith 1850cc BDA - and Kazato had never
run a Smith engine. It must, presumably, have been installed by the mystery hill climber, who told Walker
that it had done a couple of continental hill climbs. However, these must have been relatively low-key
events - perhaps regional events in France, which were popular with British club drivers - since no record
can be found of a British entered March, far less Gridleys name, amongst the entry lists for the major
Swiss, French and German events of 1973-74. It is more likely that the car was used in British hill climbs,
but even then there may have been only one or two events before the engine was irreparably damaged and without entry lists for minor events, and with no supporting documents from Walker, tracing the
identity of this owner may be a protracted task. Walker soon sold the car to collector Nigel Smith who sold
it on to Gerry Wainwright who began restoration, planning to use it in historic racing. That work was
completed by Simon Hadfield on behalf of Jim Bennett, from him the car went to Scott Meehan in 2005
and to Andrew Gifford in 2012.

DRIVERS
The only driver to race March 722-8 in period was Hiroshi Katazo (1949,
Chiba-1974, Shizuoka). Kazato began racing in his native Japan in 1967
with a Honda S800. He moved quickly on to single seaters with a
Brabham, and then to the Grand Champion sports car series with a
Porsche 910. By 1970 he was using a Porsche 908 Spyder in the Grand
Champion series and won two rounds. With support from a Japanese
business- man, and encouragement from American sports car racer
Chuck Parsons, he quickly progressed to competing on the international
stage, driving a Lola T222 in the Can Am series in 1971, run by Carl Haas,
earning a fifth at Elkhart Lake as his best result. For 1972 his mentor
arranged the backing that would allow Kazato a full season in Europe
with the March. He would stay on in Formula 2 in 1973 driving a works
GRD alongside fellow countryman Tetsu Ikuzawa, whilst commuting
back to Japan for important sports car races. In 1974 he was planning a
third season in Europe, with Chevron, whilst still racing in Japan, driving
a Chevron B26-BMW. Kazato was killed in a multi-car collision in the
banked turn one at Fuji Speedway in June 1974, when the leading
Marches of Urushisbara and Kitano came together on the opening lap
and bounced back into the path of the rest of the grid. Kazato died along
with one of his best friends, Seiichi Suzuki, in a Lola T292.

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MARCH
March Engineering was founded in 1969 by Max Moseley, after a career in Clubman formula and racing
Formula 2 in 1968, former F2 driver Alan Rees, club racer Graham Coaker and former McLaren designer
Robin Herd. March sought to imitate Lolas success in volume car production, though unlike Lola it limited
itself largely to single seaters. March also borrowed from Colin Chapmans model at Lotus where success
at the higher levels of racing could stimulate sales amongst drivers in lesser formulae. Whilst its Formula 1
cars were never hugely successful, March became established as a front runner in Formula 2, using Ronnie
Peterson as a works driver alongside his Grand Prix commitments. March also developed satellite teams,
running in various semi-works set-ups. By the mid-1970s March would become completely dominant in
Formula 2, with their works drivers usually favourites for the European title, even if they did not always
win it, and the bulk of the field composed of new Marches. The proliferation of March spares and secondhand cars made them a firm favourite with club racers across Europe, and Musetti was not alone in using
new (or newer) parts to update old cars or create new ones outside the factory. In the 1980s the company
changed policy and abandoned high- volume, low-margin production for junior formulae and concentrated
on cars for the lucrative American and Japanese markets alongside F2 and later F3000. However, financial
troubles at the end of the decade saw the company merge with RALT and sold to a succession of buyers.
Eventually the company was wound up in the1990s with its engineering assets sold to Andy Gilberg.

MARCH 722
Designed by Robin Herd as a dual purpose F2-F.Atlantic-FB car, the 722 was one of the largest of
Marchs production runs with some forty-five being constructed (although the last of these may have
been an adaptation of an existing March 723). It was essentially a revised version of the 712 [Motoring
News 17 February 1972 p.8] with a revised front end to the monocoque to accommodate the lower nose
allowed by the use of side radiators. The front of the tub tapered down forward of the front shock absorber
mounting, where the 1971 series had been squared off. The engine was a semi-stressed member,
supported by a detachable, tubular frame, with the rear suspension carried by a fabricated top cross
member and a magnesium casing below the gearbox. Front suspension was unequal length wishbones,
with parallel lower links. Rear suspension was adjustable top link and radius rods. Brakes were ventilated
discs front, and solid rear [F2]. Gearbox FT200; fuel tanks three cells, 25 gallons [F2] one below drivers
seat, one either side. Atlantic models had solid discs all round and no seat tank. Designed between April
and June 1971, the works test car [722-1] was first run at the Silverstone GP circuit on 19 August [Autocar
14 October 1971 p.38] driven by Mike Beuttler, and fitted with an FVA engine. A week later Peterson
drove the same car on the Silverstone club circuit.

Formula 2 in 1972
Formula 2 had become established as the preferred training ground for future Grand Prix drivers ever
since its reintroduction by the FIA in 1964. Aspiring stars could test themselves against many of the
existing aces, since leading drivers would often take guest drives in Formula 2. The principal focus
of aspiring non-graded drivers was the FIA European Championship; however, there were a number
of prestigious non-championship events, where lucrative deals with the organisers attracted guest
Formula 1 stars, and for 1972 John Player extended its sponsorship reach beyond the Lotus team to
support a British championship. 1972 was also the first year of a new formula, announced in 1969,
using 2.0 litre engines drawn from Group 2 homologated blocks and heads, with a minimum of 1000
units having been constructed. In 1971 Cosworth homologated its belt drive, 16 valve BDA engine
based on a Ford block. Since this would be the only competitive engine under existing rules the FIA
promptly reduced the number of built units to 100 to allow in other competitive units.

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This rendered the BDA uncompetitive within a year, since the BMW M12 was a superior engine.
However, for 1972 the BDA itself posed considerable problems: firstly, there was an actual shortage
of engines, clear at the start of the season when more than half the entries for the Mallory Park raced
didnt show up; secondly, there was a problem with getting the initially 1600cc BDA out to 2.0 litres.
Eventually FIA decreed that metal could be added to, as well as removed from, the block, allowing
engine tuners something approaching carte blanche. Thirdly, that process of tuning and expansion
produced some dreadfully unreliable engines. 1972 would see most teams experimenting with a wide
variety of engine capacities and builders in vain hope of finding a combination of power and
reliablity. This rarely happened: at the super fast Osterreichring, for example, Niki Laudas works
March 722 went through five engines in practice, from four different builders, and the Austrian took
the start with an engine rebuilt in the paddock out of the remains of the others! That lasted as far as
lap seven... It was Brian Harts version of the BDA, at 1850cc rather more conservative in capacity
than those of Racing Services and others, that emerged as the most reliable and powerful, giving
Team Surtees an edge in its pursuit of the European title with Mike Hailwood.
By mid season the battle for the European championship had resolved itself into a battle between
Hailwood, with the considerable resources of John Surtees and toy company Matchbox behind him,
Jean- Pierre Jaussaud, running as the experienced hand to the rather erratic, if wealthy, Count Adam
Potocki in an essentially private team using Brabham BT38s, and the Rondel run Brabham of
Argentinian Carlos Reutemann, with backing from French oil company Motul. Where both Hailwood
and Reutemann had the support of competitive team mates, in the form of Carlos Pace and Bob
Wollek, Jaussaud was very much on his own, with no spare car and very few engines. Reutemann,
however, was lucky to be in the hunt at all. He had a bad crash in practice at Thruxton, breaking his
ankle and missing several rounds. That he remained in contention was largely due to the unreliability
of others: having racked up fifteen points in the first two rounds, Niki Lauda didnt score again until
late July, and March, unusually, wouldnt really feature as a title contender in 1972, despite the solid
virtues of the 722 model. Going into the ante- penultimate round at Albi, Hailwood had pulled out an
18 point lead over Jaussaud and even sixth place would ensure the title. Reutemann had been
eliminated from the battle after a first lap collision with Mike Beuttler at the Salzburgring. Unusually,
in a very well conducted season, Hailwood made a mistake whilst
leading and bent the rear suspension. Jaussaud won, using Potockis car which was the only straight
chassis the ASCA team had left, and the race was on again. Sadly it only lasted as far as lap two of
the final round at Hockenheim before a driveshaft broke. Hailwood drove sensibly into second place
behind his team boss, and that was the title wrapped up. With everything settled, the last round at
Vallelunga was cancelled.
Of the class of 1972, Hailwood made it into Formula 1, though probably too late, and then had his
second chance at the top cut short by accident in 1974; Reutemann went on to be a regular Grand
Prix winner but never got the championship his determination quite merited; Jaussaud, deemed too
old, at 35, never got to Formula 1, though he deserved a chance and instead excelled in sports cars.
The real successes of the cohort were of course Niki Lauda, who had a season of wretched reliability,
even if he won the John Player championship, and Jody Scheckter, who ran a limited programme
with the unique and underdeveloped McLaren M21.

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March 722-8 Race by Race

The 1972 Formula 2 season began at the short, fast Mallory Park circuit in Leicestershire. Apart from
the tight Shaws Hairpin and the left hander leading onto it, the circuit was pretty straightforward. It was
also limited to only twenty starters, so the twenty-odd non-arrivals from the entry list were not a problem.
Most teams still hadnt got their hands on new BDA engines to satisfy the new rules for the formula.
The Peter Bloore team was in the fortunate position of having a solitary Broadspeed tuned 1798cc motor
for their Japanese driver, so Kazato set about learning the circuit and about European racing. Practice
was topped by Ronnie Peterson in his works March [722-17], in 43.4 using a special Racing Services
tuned 1927cc BDF. This was 0.2 up on British Formula 3 ace Dave Morgan, who was using his backer
Ed Reevess year old Brabham BT35 with a1860cc Wood BDA on a circuit he knew very well. The front
row was completed by Carlos Reutemann in the Ron Dennis run Brabham BT38. Kazato was near the
back of the grid, seventeenth fastest in 45.8. On the row in front were Swiss hill climber Xavier Perrot,
in March 722-16, and David Purley, in March 722-20, with 45.1 and 45.4 respectively. Kazato sat
between American Brett Lunger, embarking on a European season with a Space Racing run March 722
[chassis 11], who set 45.6 and British Formula Atlantic and Formula 3 ace Cyd Williams, using a 1798cc
BDA tuned by Graham Eden in the Chevron B18 that he more regularly used in Atlantic races. The row
behind contained another pair of Atlantic interlopers - Dane Tom Bels, setting 46.3 in his old Brabham
BT28, wearing BT35 bodywork and still with a 1598cc Steele tuned BDD in the back, and Dick Barker,
with an Eden tuned BDD in his Brabham BT28, setting 47.6.
The first fifty lap heat was led off by Reutemann and Peterson, from Jody Scheckter in the works
McLaren M21, Morgan, Wilson Fittipaldi in a Brabham BT38, and Niki Lauda in the second of the works
March 722s [722-5]. Peterson had a fuel pipe come off on lap three, and whilst it was fixed he was left a
long way back and finally gave up when the metering unit broke. Running harder compound Firestone
R24s gave Morgan a distinct advantage and he took the lead from Reutemann on lap thirty five, with
Lauda following through two laps later. Kazato, meanwhile, had been having a fairly untroubled race in
Purleys wheel tracks towards the back of the field. Barker had retired after seven laps with engine woes,
and Belso, whod been following Williams stopped when a water leak threatened to overheat his engine.
However, after thirty-one laps the engine broke and that was the end of the day. Engine failures were to
be a major story of the season. Reutemann and Lauda finished one-two in the second heat, but Morgan
did enough behind them to take a startling win on aggregate.
There was a two and a half week break before the British and European series continued with a pair of
races on the Easter Friday and Monday. That gave time for Broadspeed to repair the ravages of Mallory
on their engine, and for Kazato to do some testing. However, because practice for the European
championship round at Thruxton on Easter Monday took place on the Saturday, not the Sunday to
keep the local churchgoers appeased - a Friday race in the north of England, followed by an overnight
dash with no time to repair damage, was not especially attractive. So, Kazatos March was joined in the
paddock in Cheshire by only fourteen other cars. David Purley, whod been a good if not outstanding
racer in Formula 3, took pole with 129.6, well clear of Lauda and Formula 1 guest driver Tim Schenken
in one of the Rondel Brabham BT38s, both with 130.2. John Surtees, shaking down one of his teams
TS10s shared row two with Gerry Birrell in the prototype March 722, run by Sports Motors. Kazato did
much better at Oulton Park, qualifying eighth in 133.6. He shared the third row of the grid with Roger
Williamson, debuting his Tom Wheatcroft owned March 722 [chassis 41 - with March having despatched
about twenty cars to the USA as Formula Bs] and Mallory winner Morgan. Behind were Richard Scott
with his year-old Brabham BT36, with 135.4, and Lunger in 137.2.
After a dry practice, Kazato got a proper taste of northern English weather. As the cars set out on their
warm-up laps it began to rain, and it didnt stop for the rest of the day. Everyone came in for wets and set
out again to form the grid. Lauda made the best start to lead from Schenken and Surtees, Williamson and
Birrell. Kazato was one of several cars passed in very short order by Jody Scheckter who charged up to

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sixth almost immediately after a troubled practice. But, even at that point the March was hampered by a
misfire, and after only four laps Kazato brought it into the pits with the electrics doused in rainwater.
Lauda splashed round to take victory by nearly a minute from Birrell and Schenken - whose fastest lap,
143.6, some thirteen seconds off his qualifying time, gave some idea of the terrible conditions.
The BARCs Thruxton meeting was already established as the first important race of the European
season, and would remain so for the remainder of Formula 2s history. There were thirty cars present, to
be spread over two heats and a final, and there was a sprinkling of Grand Prix stars to supplement
Petersons regular outing in the works March. Graham Hill had a Brabham BT36, run by Tates garage
in Leeds with a single mechanic, Schenken had another outing in a Rondel Brabham, alongside Henri
Pescarolo, and Surtees, whod fallen victim to wet electrics at Oulton Park, was back to partner Mike
Hailwood. Reutemann, who was one of the pre-race favourites didnt even get to practice, crashing badly
when a stub axle sheared and breaking an ankle. His accident led to the withdrawals of Schenken and
Pescarolo as a precaution, though the other Brabham runners did not follow suit.
Kazato had been going very well in practice for the second heat, getting down to 114.0 and fourth
fastest behind Peterson 110.8, Franois Cevert in John Coombss March 722 [chassis 4] and Hailwood,
with 112.4. However, it then got away from him in a big way and he ended up rolling heavily, wrecking
the car beyond immediate repair. Peterson duly won his heat from Cevert and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud - who
was to have a very decent season with his Brabham BT38, and Peterson and Cevert finished a lap clear
of everyone else in the final, with Lauda, whod won the first heat, in third place.
A fortnight later the March had been rebuilt for practice at the first continental round at the ultra-fast
Hockenheim. Qualifying was marred when New Zealander Bert Hawthorne - 1971 North American
Formula B champion - was killed in his Tui after clipping the rear wheel of Bernd Terbecks Brabham
BT36 and going under the armco barrier. There were more than thirty cars out for practice, and Kazato
was again amongst the leading midfield runners. Lauda got pole in the works March with 208.0, from
Pescarolo, 208.2, Jochen Mass in Petersons works chassis, with 208.7 and Hailwood in 208.8. With
the withdrawal of Terbeck, Kazato wound up tenth on the grid in 213.7, sharing the fifth row with
Richard Scott in 213.5.
Ahead lay British club driver John Wingfield, putting in an excellent showing with his Brabham BT36
and Bob Wolleks Rondel Brabham BT38; behind were Tino Brambilla, who failed to start after engine
failure in his March 712M, and Tom Bels, whod replaced his old BDD engined BT28 with a new
Brabham BT38 and Tim Steele engines.
The flat out straights through the forests were guaranteed to test the reliability of the new BDA engines.
Tuners were struggling to come to terms with the motors, especially in getting another 400cc from the
block to get to the capacity limit and there were already problems. After practice Brambilla, Purley and
Roland Binder had all scratched with broken engines. In the first twenty lap heat all but two of the
retirements were down to engine troubles: Hailwoods flywheel came loose on the first lap, Liane Duarte
lost the 1800cc motor in his Pygme next time round, then team mate Patrick dal Bo detonated the one
1960cc Pygme engine on lap three. At the same time the head gasket let go in Kazatos Broadspeed,
ending his meeting. By the end only thirteen of the starters were still running. Jaussaud, whod qualified
only twelfth, came through to win both heats thanks to some canny driving and retirements, with both
works Marches quitting on lap eleven of the first heat, and Pescarolo losing his engine on lap six. After
four races of the season Kazato hadnt finished a race and completed barely sixty racing miles, which has
cost two engines and a tub.

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That disappointing record was to change in the Eifel

mountains on the Nrburgring. The Eifelrennen were
non championship races, but a reasonable entry was
assembled, with Derek Bell taking a guest drive in the
Rondel team and Vic Elford a one-off outing in the
works Chevron B20 normally raced by Peter Gethin,
who was at the Spanish Grand Prix. Bell duly took pole
in 756.8 from Mass, the only March works driver
present, with 801.5 and Scott, 807.3. Kazato wound
up sixth fastest with 816.7, behind the second row
runners, Elford (809.4) and dal Bo (815.9). The
Japanese shared row three with Morgan and Purley,
while behind were Fred Stalder, who had bought a
Pygme and equipped it with a bored out FVA engine,
and Silvio Moser shaking down a new Brabham BT38.
Ten laps on the Ring equated to the longest single race
of the season by far, with a race time of an hour and
twenty minutes.
Dal Bo jumped the start, without penalty, to chase Bell
on the first lap until a distributor lead came off, forcing
him to repair it by the roadside. Further back Peter
Westbury tried to overtake Bob Wolleck and spun when
he locked his brakes, taking out Duarte and Morgan. A
misfire meant that Bell eventually conceded his lead to
Mass, who was still learning about single seater racing
and took an impressive first win. Scott was third more
than a minute behind, then came Moser, another minute
away, then Kazato, almost a minute down in fifth, with
Lunger nearly a minute away from him.
Kazato prepares to set out from the paddock at the

The tight but fast Pau circuit, a week later, was in

Nrburgring. He will finish in a good fifth place on the
complete contrast to the Nrburgring. Sadly, Kazato
demanding circuit - his best drive of the season.
didnt get very far with the place. A bad crash in
o
qualifying for the second heat, setting only 120.0,
prepar second fastest for that heat behind Cevert,
meant that he didnt start the race. Peter Gethin, who qualified
es to John Coombs March by less than a second
went on to win both heat and final, beating Patrick Depaillers
set out
to earn a famous victory for Chevron.
from

Kazato didnt get on too well with the little Crystal Palace the
circuit either, when the teams turned up there on
a national holiday at the end of May. Only sixteen cars could
paddobe accommodated on the grids for the two
heats, and Kazato could do no better than fifteenth fastest
ck atfor heat two, ahead only of Dick Barker, still
running a BDD in his Brabham BT28. 51.8 put Kazato the
alongside Bels, who set 51.6 and behind Jos
Dolhem, setting 50.4 in one of the Shell-Arnold team Marches,
Nrbu Pescarolo, with 50.6 after a troubled time,
and Wollek also setting 50.6. Mike Hailwood went on torgring.
win the heat from the second row of the grid,
beating Scheckter by four seconds. Kazato was still down at
Hethe back when the engine broke on lap sixteen.
Scheckter got his revenge in the final, beating Hailwood bywilltwo seconds, with heat one winner Reutemann,
recovered from his ankle injury, in third place.
finish
a of dry practice it absolutely bucketed down
Hockenheim got its second race in mid-June and after twoindays
goodas a result. The impressive Lauda took pole,
for the race, with the race distances being cut by a quarter
fifthdebuted at Pau, Peterson and Jaussaud. This
ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi in the new Lotus 69 that hed
placetwenty-first, with 208.5, sharing row eleven
time Kazato was not nearly so competitive: he qualified only
on the grid with Adam Potocki, who failed to start afteroncrashing
the
his Brabham BT38 into Scheckter. In
front were Scheckter, who also failed to start after the collision
deman with Potocki, and Moser, who set 207.8;
behind were fellow Japanese Tetsu Ikuzawa, whod beending
enduring a tough season with his works GRD,
and newcomer Giancarlo Gagliardi with a Brabham BT38.circuit
- his
Heat one was won by Fittipaldi, two seconds clear of Gethins
best Chevron, and Dave Morgan. Lauda fell back
with ignition problems in the rain, and was penalised a minute
for missing the chicane, trailing in thirteenth.
drive
Kazato was placed behind, the first unlapped runner, ahead
of John Watson in the Tui, Wollek, Moser and
of
the
Gagliardi. The slow pace in the rain, with Fittipaldis fastest lap nearly 20 off his practice best, meant that
the engines held up remarkably well and there were only season
five retirements. Kazato lined up for the second
heat alongside Lauda and behind Carlos Ruesch in the .Surtees and Dolhem. Lauda quit with drowned

electrics on the first lap and next time round Ikuzawa and Gagliardi collided. At five laps Kazatos flywheel
broke and that was the end of another disappointing race. Fittipaldi took an easy victory after Gethin lost
his starter on the grid, with Jaussaud second and taking maximum points in the European championship.

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The Rouen circuit brought out the best in brave drivers, so even though it was unfamiliar Kazato went
better in practice than he had for a couple of races. Six of the entrants werent even going to qualify for the
two heats, let alone the final, but Kazato never looked in any danger. He put in 151.9 to be twelfth on the
grid for heat one, alongside Rueschs works Surtees. Graham Hill, now using a BT38 and Mike Beuttlers
semi-works March 722 were on the row ahead, while behind were Gagliardi and Westbury. Emerson
Fittipaldi, turning out mainly for the prestige races that didnt clash with his Grand Prix commitments, took
pole in 148.1 from Reutemann with 1.48.3. Over in the runners for heat two Pescarolo took pole for
Rondel in 148.5, a time equalled by Hailwood, with Cevert just behind in 148.6. Only twenty runners
were to make the final, the first six from each heat plus the next eight fastest race laps - giving quick drivers
who retired a second chance.
Reutemann led at the start of the first heat but Scheckter, from the second row, muscled past both him and
Fittipaldi. However, overheating brakes meant that Fittipaldi took the lead on lap 16, and a pit stop to clean
grass out the radiators meant the South African finished sixth behind Mass and Morgan, who crossed the
line separated by 0.5. Beltoise, having a one-off drive for Rondel finished third just behind team-leader
Reutemann. Kazato finished tenth, nearly five seconds behind Westbury, and ahead of only Gagliardi,
whod been in the pits. His best lap time wasnt good enough to get him into the race. In heat two Hailwood
took an easy victory from Cevert and Jaussaud. Fittipaldi won the final by eight seconds from Hailwood,
who improved his championship chances with maximum points.
The Monza Lotteria was a big-money race on an Italian national holiday, and though not a European
championship round it attracted a good entry. Even in the era of wings a race at Monza was still a
slipstreaming challenge in which practice times didnt necessarily count for a great deal. Richard Scott,
running a stubby homemade nose with no fins, took pole in 131.27 from Peter Westbury with 132.36.
Kazato lined up eighth, setting 133.83 and sitting alongside Claudio Francisci on the grid, with his Elcom
Brabham BT38. On the row in front were Purley and Lunger, behind were Belgian Claude Bourgoignie in
his self-run GRD 372 and Andrea de Adamich using a Novamotor prepared BDA in his Surtees. Kazato
switched between tyre suppliers during practice, going back to the old Firestone B24 compound when the
tread started to ripple on the outer edge of his Goodyears. Vittorio Brambilla, whod qualified fourth, led
initially, from Westbury until his engine went, but Hill, whod been doing this sort of thing round Monza
for over a decade, worked his way to the front of the bunch, trading the lead with Silvio Moser and JeanPierre Jarier in a Shell-Arnold March. Hill made sure that he had enough of an edge going into the Parabolica
and held on by 0.5 from Moser, Jarier, Francisci, de Adamich, Scott, Adrian Wilkins in his Coombs run
March 722, and Lunger. Kazato got cut adrift from this group and came home alone, well clear of
Bourgoignie and Purley whod had a huge moment. The second heat saw Hill, Moser and Jarier trading
places but Kazatos race came to an end with another huge accident. Claude Bourgoignie lost control when
a tyre delaminated on the straight between the start line and Curva Grande, and turned sharply to the right.
Kazato had nowhere to go and both cars went into the bank at unabated speed. It could have been a very
bad accident, but beyond being badly shaken both drivers were unhurt and able to walk back to the pits.
Hill won by a second from Moser, with Jarier a fraction behind, and these three took the top three places
overall.

In the first heat of the Monza Lotteria, Kazato heads into the
Parabolica ahead of the Brabham BT38s of Silvio Moser (3),
the retiring Peter Westbury (7), and Claudio Francisci (10).
Adrian Wilkins (25) follows closely in his March 722

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It was to the Bloore teams credit (and that of the March spares shop) that Kazato arrived in good shape
for the European round at the sterreichring. The heat was intense, and this, combined with the high speed
circuit took a heavy toll on engines. Lauda went through five, with the final blow up being an earlier casualty
stripped down and rebuilt in the paddock. Kazatos iron-blocked Broadspeed was less fragile than some of
the faster motors, which were pushing the limits of the basic unit. Perhaps still a little tentative after the
huge Monza shunt he nursed it to 146.33. Twenty sixth wasnt strictly a good enough time to qualify, but
both Beuttler (144.32) and Dal Bo (145.82) scratched after they ran out of engines, so Kazato wound
up on the back row of the grid alongside Roger Williamson, whod set 145.81. At the front Fittipaldi had
pole in the Moonraker Yachts Lotus in 142.57, from Hailwood, the impressive de Adamich, and
Reutemann. Fittipaldi went on to win, passing Hailwood when the fuel pressure dropped momentarily on
the Surtees, with Reutemann third and Morgan fourth. Kazato drove a quiet, sensible race near the back of
the field, finishing thirteenth behind David Purley, both being two laps down.
Although the Imola grid could take twenty four cars, with thirty four arrivals there were going to be a lot
of disappointed entrants after practice. For once the Bloore team experimented with engines: in addition
to the regular Broadspeed units, now completely outclassed for power by other tuners and not much more
reliable, there was a 1930cc BDA from Racing Services. Kazato stuck with Broadspeed for the first two
practice sessions, on Friday, and then went with the bigger motor to set 133.81 which got him into the
race comfortably, seventeenth fastest and sharing row nine on the grid with Wilson Fittipaldis Brabham
BT38. Jaussaud, challenging for the European title along with Reutemann and Hailwood, took pole in
132.05, with Hailwood, Gethin and Carlos Ruesch in the number three Surtees in pursuit. The nonqualifiers were largely who youd expect them to be, except that neither Lunger nor Richard Scott made the
cut.

At Imola, Kazato Returns 722-8 to the pits

having just used a 1930cc Racing Services
engine for the first time, and got to the grid
seventeenth fastest

Page 11

MARCH 722-8

The race was to be decided on the aggregate of two twenty-eight lap heats. Kazato put a Broadspeed back
in for this, presumably on the grounds of reliability. If so, it was a misguided decision: he was running well
just outside the top ten when with four laps to go of the first heat the overheating engine cried enough.
The team didnt have enough time, or the inclination, to put a replacement in for the second heat.
Then came a couple of the long mid-summer hauls across Europe for which the Formula 2 championship
became notorious; if one had wanted to schedule the most uneconomic programme for the season one
really couldnt have done much better. From Imola the team went via its British base onto a ferry and over
to Scandinavia, for the race at Mantorp Park near Stockholm. Peterson came back to the March factory
team for a race on home soil, and most of the championship regulars made the trek. For Kazato, however,
it was to prove frustrating: having set a time good enough to make the grid, towards the end of the final
session he went off heavily in the fast right-hander after the pits. The left front wheel was torn off and the
tub wrinkled all the way back to the cockpit. This was the third monocoque wrecked by Kazato in what
was proving to be a very expensive season, and there was no way of putting the damage right before the
race. The retirement of poleman Peter Gethin in the second heat paved the way for Hailwood to win on
aggregate from Jean-Pierre Jabouille in the Coombs March normally run by Cevert, with Jaussaud in third.

In the first heat at Imola, Kazato will be let down by an

overheating Broadspeed motor and retire after 24 laps

From Sweden then it was back to Italy, and all the way down to Sicily. Kazato was one of the few without
an interest in the championship to make the trip. As at Mantorp the team ran only Racing Services engines,
and with a rebuilt car Kazato got down to ninth fastest with 127.4, sharing row five with Wilson Fittipaldi.
Behind were Patrick Depailler, using the Coombs teams unique Alpine A367, and Beuttlers March 722,on
the row in front were Jos Dolhem after a good showing in one of Mr. Arnolds March 722s, setting 126.7
and Ruesch. Pole went to Hailwood in 125.7, from teammate Carlos Pace, drafted in to strengthen Surtees
championship push (with Ruesch and de Adamich the team had four cars to look after).

Page 12

MARCH 722-8

Enna was another fast, slipstreaming circuit, punctuated by a couple of chicanes. Visibility in the first of
these was hampered in heat one by a grass fire, but no one saw fit to stop the race! The early laps saw a
group of six cars break away, led by Hailwood, Jabouille and Pace. Further back Kazato was in a race-long
scrap with Mike Beuttler. This ended on lap nineteen when an electrical fault cut out the Englishmans
engine and he spun off. Kazato did the last twelve laps with bad vibrations after flat spotting his front tyres
in avoiding the incident. However, he came home tenth, two laps down, behind Pace - who had a very sick
engine by the end - and ahead of Reutemann, similarly afflicted by engine maladies. Heat two looked as
though Hailwood would dramatically increase his championship lead, but then the distributor drive shaft
failed on lap ten. This left Pescarolo in the lead for Rondel, but he got held up on the last lap in lapping
Adam Potocki and allowed Depailler to nip through to win the heat. Fortunately Pescarolo had enough in
hand to win on aggregate, from survivors Depailler, Ruesch, Fittipaldi and Kazato, who drove another good
race, finishing fifth and on the lead lap, though nearly thirty seconds down on Reutemann, whose team had
changed engines in ninety minutes between the heats! Along with the Eifellrennen this was to be Kazatos
best result of the year.
From one flat out blind to another, the teams moved on to the Salzburgring, narrower than Enna, and
armco lined. Carlos Pace took pole in 112.15, just ahead of Hailwood, 112.17 and newcomer James
Hunt in Alexander Heskeths year old March, with 112.19. Using the Racing Services engines, Kazato was
some way back on the grid, fifteenth fastest with 113.25. Alongside was Ronnie Peterson whod had
myriad problems in practice; ahead were Wolleks Rondel Brabham, with 113.00, Wilson Fittipaldi, with
113.10 and Jabouille in Coombs Alpine, with 113.19. On the row behind were Gethins Chevron B20,
Dolhems Shell-Arnold March and Rueschs Surtees.
The first heat saw a high-speed train of cars slipstreaming each other, with Peterson steadily working his
way up the chain. Hunts engine failed with five laps to go, and at the same time Beuttler, at the back of the
field, had a puncture and spun. The Austrian marshals couldnt properly clear the car off the track before
the leaders came round again, and with no room for manoeuvre Peterson clipped his team-mates car and
took a wheel off. This rather broke up the tail end of the chain, so that whilst Dave Morgan slipped through
to win from Hailwood, Pace, Graham Hill and Carlos Reutemann in short order, everyone else was a bit
spaced out. Kazato came home in thirteenth on the end of the line, the last unlapped runner. Heat two saw
a coming together between Reutemann and Morgan that put the Argentine out. With a bent front fin on
the Brabhams nose Morgan couldnt hold back Pace or Hailwood, and the latter went on to win the heat
and take overall victory. Kazato was once again the last unlapped runner in tenth, finishing in a bunch with
Lauda and Wollek, whod blown a head gasket in heat one, just in front of him. His times put him eighth
on aggregate, but because Hill and Gethin ahead of him were both FIA graded drivers, and thus ineligible,
he picked up another championship point for his efforts.
This was to be Kazatos last outing with the car, however. He missed the final round of the British John
Player series at Oulton Park and when he reappeared at Albi in late September it was as a team-mate to
fellow Japanese Tetsu Ikuzawa in the GRS team. Although the Formula One Register Black Book shows
Kazato as using the March at Albi, Motoring News reported that he was driving the GRD 372 used earlier
in the season by Reine Wisell, Tom Walkinshaw and Andy Sutcliffe.

Page 13

MARCH 722-8

Race History
John Player Formula 2 Race, European F2 Championship, (round 1)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat One

Retired

Heat Two

DNS

Aggregate

NC

Mallory Park, 12 March 1972

John Player Formula 2 Race, British F2 Championship, (round 2)

Hiroshi Kazato

Retired

Oulton Park, 31 March 1972

XXVII BARC 200, European F2 Championship, (round 2)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat Two

DNS

Final

DNQ

Thruxton, 3 April 1972

VI Deutschland Trophe, European F2 Championship, (round 3)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat One

Retired

Heat Two

DNS

Aggregate

NC

Hockenheim, 16 April 1972

XXXV Internationales Eifelrennen

Hiroshi Kazato

Nrburgring, 30 April 1972

XXXII Grand Prix de Pau, European F2 Championship, (round 4)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat Two

DNS

Final

DNQ

Pau, 5-6 May 1972

Greater London Trophy, European F2 Championship, (round 5)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat Two

Retired

Final

DNQ

Crystal Palace, 29 May 1972

Page 14
VII Rhein Pokalrennen, European F2 Championship (round 6)

MARCH 722-8
Hiroshi Kazato

Heat One

14

Heat Two

Retired

Aggregate

NC

Hockenheim, 11 June 1972

XX Grand Prix de Rouen, European F2 Championship (round 7)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat One

10

Final

DNQ

Rouen-les-Essarts, 25 June 1972

XIV Gran Premio della Lotteria di Monza

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat One

Heat Two

Retired

Aggregate

NC

Monza, 29 June, 1972

II Jochen Rindt Gedchtnisrennen, European F2 Championship (round 8)

Hiroshi Kazato

13

sterreichring, 9 July 1972

XI Gran Premio Citt di Imola, European F2 Championship (round 9)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat One

Retired

Heat Two

DNS

Aggregate

NC

Imola, 23 July 1972

X Gran Premio del Mediterraneo, European F2 Championship (round 11)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat One

10

Heat Two

Aggregate

Pergusa, 20 August 1972

II Festspielpreis der Stadt Salzburg, European F2 Championship (round 12)

Hiroshi Kazato

Heat One

13

Heat Two

10

Aggregate

Salzburgring, 3 September 1972

Page 15

MARCH 722-8

Ownership
1: Peter Bloore Racing. Chassis number given Motoring News 16 March 1972 p.9 for car of
Hiroshi Kazato at Mallory Park, 12 March 1972, 6 April 1972, p. 6 for Kazatos car at Mallory
Park, 20 April 1972, p. 6 for Kazatos car at Hockenheim; 4 May 1972, p. 10 for Kazatos car at
Nrburgring; 11 May 1972, p. 10 for Kazatos car at Pau.
2: J. T. Gridley, 19 October 1972- Sept 1973? Sale shown in March factory records sales summary.
3: Unknown British club hill climber, 1973-1984
4: Ted Walker, 1984
5: Nigel Smith, 1984 - 1986
6: Gerry Wainwright, 1986 -1990
7: Simon Hadfield & Jim Bennett, (Colorado) 1990-1991
8: Jim Bennett, 1991-2005
9: Scott Meehan, 2005 - 2012
10: Andrew Gifford, 2012 -

All that survives of the 1972 March factory records is this

summary sheet of sales of cars mostly made after the end of the
season.
This shows 722-8 as sold to J.T. Gridley on 19 October 1972.
The veracity of the sheet is confirmed by the known, independently
observed histories of four of the other cars listed on the sheet:
713S-1, 713M-8, 722-11 and 722-5. All had their chassis numbers
observed with their second owners in 1973, but that data has never
been published.

Page 16

MARCH 722-8

Chris Townsend
143 Eaton Manor
Eaton Gardens Hove
East Sussex
BN3 3QD
Phone: +44 1273 231257
mobile: +44 7855 216846
email: [email protected]