Post by Mark Huber on Sept 8, 2019 15:21:29 GMT -5
My second entry in next year’s Return to Power Proxy series will be the successor to and stable mate of my first entry (a BRM P261), the BRM P83 powered by a 3L H16, as driven by Mike Spence at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1967. Car #5
The BRM P83 was designed for the new 3L engine regulations of 1966. The prototype used an unorthodox H16 engine that caused problems throughout the car's racing life. Despite the best efforts of Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart, BRM fell from championship contenders to also-rans as the H16 prototypes replaced the P261s retained by Owen Racing and now fitted with "Tasman" V8s.
Although the P83 was at Monaco for the first Championship Race of the 1966 F1 season, the car was not ready for prime time. Stewart tried out the P83 in practice before driving a P261 to victory in the race. At Spa, a race that should have suited the P83, Hill and Stewart practiced with P83s, but both opted to race their P261s. Stewart had his infamous crash at the Masta Kink that put him out of action for the French GP. Two P83s were available for the fast Reims circuit, and Hill set a time in his P83 which would have been good enough for fourth on the grid, but he started eighth in a P261 after experiencing gearbox problems with the P83.
Truth be told, neither Hill nor Stewart had much confidence or much luck in the P83 and its power plant.
Owen Racing left the P83s behind for the next three races to try to sort out the H16 engines' various problems. The P83s eventually made the starting line for the last three races of the 1966 season. At Monza, Hill's H16 blew up on the first lap while Stewart had to retire with a leaking fuel tank.
Hill and Stewart lined up fifth and sixth on the grid at the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Hill suffered gearbox problems early in the race but managed to carry on. With other cars retiring Stewart found himself in third place by lap 35, a fair way behind Jim Clark's Lotus in second. Hill retired with a broken differential on lap 53, and a lap later Stewart retired when a cylinder liner broke. On the following lap the leader Jack Brabham broke a camshaft, allowing Clark to bring his car home first across the finish line; the only win for the BRM H16 engine, albeit in the elegant looking Lotus 43, a better platform than the P83.
Hill and Stewart were seventh and tenth on the grid for the final race of 1966 in Mexico City. Hill's engine misfired from the start and lasted 18 laps, while Stewart moved up to third trailing smoke as another leak slowly drained all the oil from the engine. Stewart retired after 26 laps.
After being second and fifth in the Championship at the conclusion of six rounds while driving the P261s, Hill and Stewart ended the 1966 season without adding to their point totals and dropped to fifth and seventh places respectively.
Hill moved to Team Lotus in 1967. Stewart took over as lead driver and Mike Spence joined Owen Racing. At the season opener in South Africa, Stewart qualified ninth and Spence 13th in the P83s, but the team started 1967 as 1966 had finished. Stewart's engine blew up after two laps and Spence retired with an oil leak before half distance.
The P83 would never be the right car for Monaco, and Stewart again chose to drive a P261 while Spence piloted a P83. For the first time in four years, victory would not go a BRM. Stewart was in first place with his P261 when he was forced to retire on lap 14 with a failed transmission. Spence had qualified twelfth on the sixteen-car grid and finally scored the P83's first Championship point with a sixth place finish.
The story for the remainder of 1967 wasn't much better; Stewart switched to a slightly improved version of the P83, the P115, while Pence soldiered on in his P83 managing 3 fifth place finishes over the last 4 races of the season.
As good as the P261 was, the P83 was not.
However, this is the Return to Power Series, and it seemed fitting that I build a car that had more power and a BRM as well.
The BRM P83 was designed for the new 3L engine regulations of 1966. The prototype used an unorthodox H16 engine that caused problems throughout the car's racing life. Despite the best efforts of Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart, BRM fell from championship contenders to also-rans as the H16 prototypes replaced the P261s retained by Owen Racing and now fitted with "Tasman" V8s.
Although the P83 was at Monaco for the first Championship Race of the 1966 F1 season, the car was not ready for prime time. Stewart tried out the P83 in practice before driving a P261 to victory in the race. At Spa, a race that should have suited the P83, Hill and Stewart practiced with P83s, but both opted to race their P261s. Stewart had his infamous crash at the Masta Kink that put him out of action for the French GP. Two P83s were available for the fast Reims circuit, and Hill set a time in his P83 which would have been good enough for fourth on the grid, but he started eighth in a P261 after experiencing gearbox problems with the P83.
Truth be told, neither Hill nor Stewart had much confidence or much luck in the P83 and its power plant.
Owen Racing left the P83s behind for the next three races to try to sort out the H16 engines' various problems. The P83s eventually made the starting line for the last three races of the 1966 season. At Monza, Hill's H16 blew up on the first lap while Stewart had to retire with a leaking fuel tank.
Hill and Stewart lined up fifth and sixth on the grid at the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Hill suffered gearbox problems early in the race but managed to carry on. With other cars retiring Stewart found himself in third place by lap 35, a fair way behind Jim Clark's Lotus in second. Hill retired with a broken differential on lap 53, and a lap later Stewart retired when a cylinder liner broke. On the following lap the leader Jack Brabham broke a camshaft, allowing Clark to bring his car home first across the finish line; the only win for the BRM H16 engine, albeit in the elegant looking Lotus 43, a better platform than the P83.
Hill and Stewart were seventh and tenth on the grid for the final race of 1966 in Mexico City. Hill's engine misfired from the start and lasted 18 laps, while Stewart moved up to third trailing smoke as another leak slowly drained all the oil from the engine. Stewart retired after 26 laps.
After being second and fifth in the Championship at the conclusion of six rounds while driving the P261s, Hill and Stewart ended the 1966 season without adding to their point totals and dropped to fifth and seventh places respectively.
Hill moved to Team Lotus in 1967. Stewart took over as lead driver and Mike Spence joined Owen Racing. At the season opener in South Africa, Stewart qualified ninth and Spence 13th in the P83s, but the team started 1967 as 1966 had finished. Stewart's engine blew up after two laps and Spence retired with an oil leak before half distance.
The P83 would never be the right car for Monaco, and Stewart again chose to drive a P261 while Spence piloted a P83. For the first time in four years, victory would not go a BRM. Stewart was in first place with his P261 when he was forced to retire on lap 14 with a failed transmission. Spence had qualified twelfth on the sixteen-car grid and finally scored the P83's first Championship point with a sixth place finish.
The story for the remainder of 1967 wasn't much better; Stewart switched to a slightly improved version of the P83, the P115, while Pence soldiered on in his P83 managing 3 fifth place finishes over the last 4 races of the season.
As good as the P261 was, the P83 was not.
However, this is the Return to Power Series, and it seemed fitting that I build a car that had more power and a BRM as well.
I used a Prewing shell, a Beardog Mark I chassis, a Scalex FF050 motor (25K RPM), NSR tires and wheels by CB Design.
Driver figure by Immense Miniatures
I still need to attach the roll bar, mirrors and do some touch up work on the P83, but here's the car with its smaller stable mate:
