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THE LOLA T300

All pictures copyright Lola Heritage unless otherwise stated.

Frank Gardner in the works T300.

Following on from the success of the 1971 F5000 T192, which had won the Rothmans F5000 Championship with Frank Gardner and the SCCA Formula A Championship with Jerry Hansen, Frank Gardner knew that Lola's rivals, McLaren and Surtees, had caught up with the design towards the end of the year and something new was required for 1972 if Lola wanted to continue winning.

Flying back from the June Monza F5000 event Gardner had the idea that the T240 Formula 2/Formula B chassis could be a suitable base for a new car providing a lower centre of gravity and improved aerodynamics. On returning to the Lola factory Gardner sat down with a 26 year-old John Barnard and drew up the plans for a new design that would initially be called a T242 but would be renamed the T300.

The new tub was unusual with side-tanks emerging behind the front wheels and flaring out to almost the line of the rear tyres. Front suspension was conventional following the T240 design (see below) with inboard rear brakes (The T192 used outboard brakes). Modified T192 rear uprights were fitted and 13" wheels were used when 15" was considered standard wear in F5000. A notable change to the T240/T300 was the switch from front-mounted to side-mounted radiators but the wide monocoque meant they had to be mounted higher than normal either side of the driver's head with the distinctive flared ducting. A Hewland DG300 and a Chevrolet V8, initially on carburettors, completed the package.

Initial testing at Thruxton showed the team were on the right track, the new car was lighter, put its power down better and sooner and was 10km/h faster in a straight line. The new car debuted at Thruxton (entered as a T242) on the 1st August and finished 3rd after qualifying on pole. It's next two races at Silverstone (now called a T300) and Oulton Park saw a 2nd and the first victory for the design before it was written off at Snetterton.

The production T300 was hugely successful scoring almost 40 significant race wins and taking the Rothmans F5000 Championship in the UK, the SCCA Formula A Championship in the US and the Australian Gold Star Championship.

For details of the individual chassis histories please visit OldRacingCars HERE.

Year(s) of Construction: 1972

Total Built: 17



Frank Gardener's T300 outside the Lola factory.

T300 FORMULA 5000/1 RACING CAR

CHASSIS

CONSTRUCTION: Monocoque

MATERIAL: Aluminium Alloy 172 Rivetted & Bonded.

TORSIONAL RIGIDITY: 29,900 LBS per degree per ft.

WEIGHT: 59LBS

FINISH: Polished Alloy

BODY

TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION: Hand lay—up Glass Reinforced Polyester Resin by Specialised Mouldings Limited.

CONFIGURATION: Nose Piece and Central Body Section.

FRONT SUSPENSION

TYPE: Independent by Double Tubular Wishbones and Telescopic Double Adjustable Shock Absorbers with Co-axial Coil Springs and adjustable Ride Height.

HUB CARRIER: Lola" Magnesium Alloy Castings.

HUB SPINDLE: "Live" Spindle with Hub Bearings mounted in the Hub Carrier. High Quality Nickel Chrome Molybdenum Steel.

WISHBONE PIVOTS: Rod End Ball joints to Inner End and Spherical Joints in Housings to Outer End.

REAR SUSPENSION

TYPE: Independent by Lower Wishbone and Upper Link with Radius Rods and Telescopic Double Acting Adjustable Shock Absorbers, with Co—Axial Coil Springs and Adjustable Ride Height.

HUB CARRIER: Lola Magnesium Alloy Casting.

HUB SPINDLE: Live" Spindle with Hub Bearings mounted in Hub Carrier. Spindle in High Quality Nickel Chrome Molybdenum Steel

WISHBONE PIVOTS: As in Front Suspension.

STEERING

TYPE: Rack and Pinion in Magnesium Housing.

STEERING WHEEL: 10” dia Leather Covered.

STEERING COLUMN: Universally Jointed, Adjustable for length and angle.

TRANSMISSION

TYPE: Hewland D. G. 300 5-speed and reverse.

DRIVE SHAFTS: Roller Spline Sliding Shafts.

CLUTCH: Multi plate Borg and Beck. 7.25" dia Triple Plate

BRAKES

TYPE: Ventilated Discs with Ferodo DSII Pads.

SIZE: 10.5"dia x 13/16" thick. Rear Brakes inboard.

FUEL CELLS

TYPE: Flexible Rubber Safety Fuel cells by Marston Excelsior to F.I.A. and S.C.C.A. spec.

NUMBER: 3

CAPACITY: 24 Imperial gallons - 28 U.S. Gallons - 110 Litres

COOLING SYSTEMS

TYPE ENGINE (WATER): 2 Brass Fin and Tube Water Radiators by Serck S.M.S.

TYPE ENGINE (OIL): Light Alloy Oil Cooler by Serck S.M.S.


ELECTRICS: A. C. Delco or Lucas with Varley Battery.

INSTRUMENTS: Tachometer, Oil and Water Temperature Gauges, Oil and Fuel Pressure Gauges by Smiths Industries.

LUBRICATION SYSTEM: Dry Sump with Alloy Oil Tank and Aeroquip Safety Reinforced Piping throughout.

FUEL SYSTEM: Fireproof Alloy Collector Tank with Aeroquip Reinforced Piping.

WHEELS

FRONT: 13"dia x 11".
REAR: 13"dia x 16”

DIMENSIONS

WHEELBASE: 101" - 256.3cms
TRACK FRONT & REAR: 58” - 147.2cms
LENGTH (OVERALL): 138“ - 350.4cms
WIDTH (OVERALL): 74“ - 187.6cms
HEIGHT TO WINDSCREEN: 26" - 66.0cms
HEIGHT TO ROLL BAR: 35” - 88.8cms
WEIGHT (WITH OIL & WATER): 13601bs - 616.8kgs

T300 CHAMPIONSHIP WINS

YEAR	CHAMPIONSHIP	WINNER(S)	NOTES
1971	Rothmans F5000 Championship	Frank Gardner	Lola T300-Chevrolet (Also drove a Lola T192-Chevrolet)
1972	SCCA Formula A Championship	Jerry Hansen	Lola T300-Chevrolet
1972	Tarmac British Motor Racing Champion	Frank Gardner	Lola T300 and T330-Chevrolet (Also includes results in the SCA Freight Chevrolet Camaro)
1974	Australian Gold Star	Max Stewart	Lola T300-Chevrolet
1987	Pre’71 Single-Seater Championship Class C	Geoff Thomas	Lola T300-Chevrolet
1988	HSCC Pre’71 Single Seater Championship	John Beasley	Lola T300-Chevrolet

T300 SIGNIFICANT RACE WINS

1971

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
22nd August	Oulton Park – Gold Cup	Frank Gardner	First in F5000 class (3rd overall) in Gold Cup for F1 and F5000 cars - Rothmans F5000 Championship - Round 12
12th September	Hockenheim - Preis der Nationen	Frank Gardner	Rothmans F5000 Championship - Round 14 - Winner Heat 1
12th September	Hockenheim - Preis der Nationen	Frank Gardner	Rothmans F5000 Championship - Round 14 - Winner Heat 2
12th September	Hockenheim - Preis der Nationen	Frank Gardner	Rothmans F5000 Championship - Round 14 - Winner on aggregate of the two Heats
18th September	Oulton Park - BARC (NW Centre)	Frank Gardner	Rothmans F5000 Championship - Round 15
28th December	Bay Park - Gold Star meeting	Graeme Lawrence	F5000 heat

1972

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
8th January	Pukekohe	Frank Gardner	Tasman series – Round 1
13th February	Palm Beach	John Gunn	SCCA National (FA class)
26th March	Mallory Park	Alan Rollinson	Rothmans F5000 Championship - Round 2
4th June	Edmonton - Lucerne 100	David Hobbs	Round 2 of the L&M Continental F5000 Championship - Winner Heat 1
4th June	Edmonton - Lucerne 100	David Hobbs	Round 2 of the L&M Continental F5000 Championship - Winner Heat 2
4th June	Edmonton - Lucerne 100	David Hobbs	Round 2 of the L&M Continental F5000 Championship - Winner on aggregate of two Heats
18th June	Elkhart Lake	Jerry Hansen	Road America June Sprints (FA class)
2nd July	Brands Hatch	Alan Rollinson	Single-seater Racing Cars
23rd July	Dallas Int Motor Speedway	Gus Hutchinson	SCCA National (FA class)
30th July	Brainerd – Minnesota Grand Prix	David Hobbs	Round 5 of the L&M Continental F5000 Championship - Winner Heat 1
30th July	Brainerd – Minnesota Grand Prix	Eppie Wietzes	Round 5 of the L&M Continental F5000 Championship - Winner on aggregate of two Heats
20th August	Road Atlanta – Road Atlanta Grand Prix	Brett Lunger	US FA (F5000) – Round 6 of US Championship - Winner Heat 2
20th August	Road Atlanta – Road Atlanta Grand Prix	Brett Lunger	US FA (F5000) – Round 6 of US Championship - Winner on aggregate of two Heats
20th August	Blackhawk Farms	Jerry Hansen	SCCA National (FA class)
3rd September	Phoenix Park - Irish Motor Racing Club	Alan Rollinson	Players No 6 Grand Prix - Winner 2nd Leg
3rd September	Phoenix Park - Irish Motor Racing Club	Alan Rollinson	Players No 6 Grand Prix - Winner on aggregate of two legs
4th September	Lime Rock - Lime Rock Grand Prix	Brett Lunger	Round 7 of the L&M Continental F5000 Championship - Winner Heat 1
4th September	Lime Rock - Lime Rock Grand Prix	Brett Lunger	Round 7 of the L&M Continental F5000 Championship - Winner Heat 2
4th September	Lime Rock - Lime Rock Grand Prix	Brett Lunger	Round 7 of the L&M Continental F5000 Championship - Winner on aggregate of two Heats
24th September	Brands Hatch - BRSCC	Alan Rollinson	Rothmans F5000 Championship - Round 12
1st October	Phoenix International Raceway	Warren Flickinger	SCCA National (FA class)
8th October	Adelaide Internationalp - Channel 7 Trophy	Kevin Bartlett	Australian Gold Star – Round 5
8th October	Fort Sumner	Warren Flickinger	SCCA National (FA class)
25th November	Road Atlanta - SCCA	Jerry Hansen	Road Race of Champions (FA class)
26th November	Brands Hatch - Romford ECC	Bob Evans	Formule Libre

1973

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
18th February	Dallas Int Motor Speedway	Eddie Miller	SCCA National (FA class)
1st April	Riverside	Eddie Miller	SCCA National (FA class)
3rd June	Fort Sumner	Tuck Thomas	SCCA National (FA class)
2nd September	Mid-Ohio	Thomas Tuck	SCCA National (FA class)
30th December	Bay Park - International meeting	Reg Cook	New Zealand Gold Star round

1992

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
4th July	Oulton Park	John Harper	HSCC Historic Formula - 1st Overall and Winner Class A
19th September	Silverstone	Tony Trimmer	Motor Sport Trophy for Historic F1/F5000 - Winner Class A
18th October	Snetterton	Tony Trimmer	Historic Formula Racing Cars - First Overall and Winner Class E

2004

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
26th27th June	Snetterton - HSCC	Michael Scott	Derek Bell Trophy - Winner Class A - Race 1

2006

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
2nd April	Donington - HSCC	Simon Hadfield	Derek Bell Trophy - First overall and Winner Class A
28th-30th July	Silverstone - HSCC	Simon Hadfield	Derek Bell Trophy - First overall and Winner Class A - Race 1
28th-30th July	Silverstone - HSCC	Simon Hadfield	BDerek Bell Trophy - First overall and Winner Class A - Race 2

2007

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
9th-10th June	Snetterton - HSCC	Nick Shrigley-Feigl	Derek Bell Trophy - First overall and Winner Class B1 - Race 1
9th-10th June	Snetterton - HSCC	Bruce Fullerton	Derek Bell Trophy - First overall and Winner Class B1 - Race 2
26th August	Oulton Park - HSCC Gold Cup	Bruce Fullerton	Derek Bell Trophy - Winner of Class B1 - Race 1

2008

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
23rd-25th August	Oulton Park - HSCC	Bruce Fullerton	Derek Bell Trophy - Winner Class B1 - Race 1

2014

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
4th September	Oulton Park - Gold Cup	Ian Ashley	Derek Bell Trophy Race 2 - Winner Class E

2015

DATE	VENUE/MEETING	DRIVER	NOTES
16th May	Silverstone International Trophy	Ian Ashley	Derek Bell Trophy and Classic Formula 3 - Race 1 - Winner Class E
16th May	Silverstone International Trophy	Ian Ashley	Derek Bell Trophy and Classic Formula 3 - Race 2 - Winner Class E
30th May	Donington Park HSCC Race Meeting	Ian Ashley	Derek Bell Trophy and Classic Formula 3 - Race 2 - Winner Class E
11th July	Brands Hatch Superprix	Ian Ashley	Derek Bell Trophy - Race 1 - Winner Class E
11th July	Brands Hatch Superprix	Ian Ashley	Derek Bell Trophy - Race 2 - Winner Class E

The T300 of Canada's Eppie Wietzes.



David Hobbs in the Hogan Racing T300 leads the McRae GMI of Graham McRae.



A T300 in the Silverstone paddock. (Picture courtesy of Peter Stenning)



Ian Ashley in a T300 at the 2015 Thruxton Easter Revival Meeting. (Picture courtesy of Peter Collins)



The T300 of Alex Seldon at Silverstone in 1986. (Picture courtesy of Ben Cowdrey)