{"id":858745,"date":"2024-07-07T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T06:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/\/?p=9925"},"modified":"2024-12-27T13:00:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T13:00:17","slug":"rare-winner-1976-march-7616-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/rare-winner-1976-march-7616-2\/","title":{"rendered":"1976 March 761\/6 – The Rare Winner"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Pete Austin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where do we start with the story of the March 761? In true Sound of Music fashion\u2014at the very beginning. In the late 1960s, a band of four guys, Max Mosley (a barrister), Alan Rees (a former racing driver), Grahame Coaker (engineer and racing driver) and lastly, Robin Herd (a designer), came together to form March. Their dream was to design, build and sell competitive \u201ccustomer\u201d Formula One racing cars, as well as running a \u201cworks\u201d team. It seemed so simple; a Cosworth DFV engine, a Hewland gearbox, an in-house chassis, aluminum body and four lumps of rubber courtesy of Dunlop, Goodyear or Firestone at each corner and anyone could go racing. Funding had now become available to Formula One through sponsorship, as the FIA had relaxed rules governing Grand Prix racing teams, which were now on a similar financial road as American racing series where commercial backing and advertising had been the norm for many years.<\/p>\n

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Hot laps at Donington Park, proved the March to be quick and tractable, despite its period reputation for being fragile and tempermental.
Photo: Pete Austin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 1970 season started incredibly well, of five race starts (two heats at the International Trophy Races, Silverstone) March managed three poles and four wins, a record on a par with the dominant 1954 Mercedes Silver Arrows! So, there was no surprise in Round Three of the championship, when Jackie Stewart again put his March on pole with Chris Amon sharing the front row at the \u201cJewel in the Crown\u201d Monaco GP. Enter Swedish racing driver Ronnie Peterson, a young, bright, superstar in the making who hit the Formula One grid at Monte Carlo, driving a sixth March entered by Colin Crabbe\u2019s Antique Automobiles racing team. Peterson had given March its racing debut at Cadwell Park, driving the 693 Formula Three car\u2014so he was part of their DNA. He would have been racing earlier in the 1970 season, but his car wasn\u2019t ready. Making the cut for the race was his first hurdle\u2014only 16 cars were allowed to start at Monaco that year\u2014which he did in 13th position. For March, however, the Monaco race showed flaws, only Peterson was classified as a finisher, in 7th place. Siffert and Amon, the works drivers, together with Jackie Stewart\u2019s Tyrrell March all retired (Servoz-Gavin, Stewart\u2019s teammate failing to qualify).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n