Aurora AFX Formula 1 Series 1978

The Aurora AFX Formula 1 Series 1978 , also known as the British Formula 1 Championship 1978 , was a monoposto racing series that was run according to the rules of Formula 1 , but also included Formula 5000 and Formula racing vehicles Atlantic were eligible to start. The racing series began on March 24, 1978 with the International Gold Cup in Oulton Park and ended after the twelfth race on September 24 in Snetterton .

championship

In 1978 the first season of the Aurora AFX Formula 1 series took place, in which a total of 38 drivers tried to qualify for the races. Older Formula 1 and Formula 5000 vehicles were used. Overall victory in the championship went to British Tony Trimmer on a McLaren M23 with five wins this season .

Due to the older vehicles, the races of the Aurora AFX Formula 1 series could not quite reach the level of the Formula 1 world championship races. An example of this may be the 1978 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch compared to the Aurora race on the same circuit. Tony Trimmer tried in vain to qualify for the World Championship run with the McLaren and drove a lap time of 1.21.410. He was last in qualifying training. In the Aurora race, Geoff Lees achieved a pole position time of 1.22.160 in the Ensign N175 and would therefore not have had a chance to qualify for the Grand Prix either.

Racing calendar

No.	date	Race name / circuit	winner	vehicle
1	March 24th	International Gold Cup ( Oulton Park )	Tony Trimmer	McLaren M23
2	27th of March	Evening News Trophy ( Brands Hatch )	Tony Trimmer	McLaren M23
3	April 16	Anglia TV Trophy ( Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit )	Tony Trimmer	McLaren M23
4th	1st of May	Sun Trophy ( Mallory Park )	Geoff Lees	Ensign N175
5	May 15	International Whitsuntide Race ( Circuit Park Zandvoort )	Bob Evans	Surtees TS19
6th	May 21	Donington Formula 1 Trophy ( Donington Park )	Giancarlo Martini	Ensign N175
7th	May 29th	Radio 210 Europa Trophy ( Thruxton Circuit )	Tony Trimmer	McLaren M23
8th	June 24th	Oulton Park Formula 1 Trophy (Oulton Park)	Guy Edwards	March 781
9	20th of July	Dave Lee Travis Trophy (Mallory Park)	Bruce Allison	March 781
10	August 28th	Fuji Tapes Trophy (Brands Hatch)	Tony Trimmer	McLaren M23
11	September 10	Radio Victory Trophy (Thruxton Circuit)	Guy Edwards	March 781
12	September 24th	Budweiser Trophy (Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit)	Dave Kennedy	Wolf WR3

Drivers championship

Overall rating

position	driver	vehicle	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	total
1	Tony Trimmer	McLaren M23	22nd	20th	22nd	15th			20th		15th	20th		15th	149
2	Bob Evans	Surtees TS19 Hesketh 308E					20th	12	15th	8th	4th	15th	15th	4th	93
3	Emilio de Villota	McLaren M23 McLaren M25	15th	12	15th	12		8th	4th		12	2	3	3	86
4th	Guy Edwards	March 751 March 781		10		1		15th		20th	12		20th		78
5	Geoff Lees	Ensign N175 Chevron B42		17th	12	20th			2			8th	10		69
6th	Bruce Allison	Ensign N175 March 751 March 781				6th			10	15th	20th			12	63
7th	Valentino Musetti	Ensign N175 March 752				12	4th	10	8th	12		6th	10		62
8th	John Cooper	Hesketh 308C Hesketh 308E Williams FW05	12	3		3	3	4th	3	4th	2		1	10	45
9	Mike Wilds	Ralt RT1		6th		4th	6th		6th	6th	3	4th		8th	43
10	Desiré Wilson	Ensign N175 Ensign N177									6th	10	12	6th	34
11	Giancarlo Martini	Ensign N175					10	22nd							32
12	Dave Kennedy	Wolf WR3												22nd	22nd
13	Teddy Pilette	BRM P207		8th						12					20th
14th	Divina Galica	Surtees TS19 McLaren M23					15th						4th		19th
15th	Kim Mather	Chevron B34	10			8th									18th
16	Boy Hayje	Chevron B42					12								12
16	Elio de Angelis	Chevron B42										12			12
16	Ray Mallock	Ensign N175 March 752							12						12
19th	Ian McLaren	Chevron B35	8th			2					1				11
19th	Adrian Russell	March 762		1			2	3	2	3					11
21st	Brett Lunger	McLaren M26					10								10
22nd	Brett Riley	March 762									8th				8th
23	Don Breidenbach	Chevron B42										1	6th		7th
24	Geoff Brabham	Boxer PR2						6th							6th
25th	Walter out	March 762		4th											4th
25th	Stephen South	March 782										2	2		4th
27	John Briggs	Chevron B42										3			3
28	Carlo Giorgio	March 742		2											2
28	Richard Jones	March 742										2			2
-	Andy Barton	Barton JTB3													0
-	Gerd Biechteler	March 761													0
-	Alain Baillie	March 752													0
-	Norman Dickson	Boxer PR2													0
-	Dennis Leech	March 761													0
-	Alo Lawler	Surtees TS19													0
-	Nigel Clarkson	March 762													0
-	Jörg Zaborowski	March 761													0
-	Eugene Grupp	Toj F202													0

Scoring

position	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	Fastest lap
Points	20th	15th	12	10	8th	6th	4th	3	2	1	2

Web links

• Results of the Aurora Season-1978