VIN: the David Preston - Team Elite / Sid Taylor Racing Lola T70 Mk3B GT chassis SL76/144
History of chassis SL76/144
Chassis SL76/144 was sold to 32 year old privateer racing driver David Preston of Bosworth, Leicestershire.
Between 1964 and 1968, Preston had competed with a Lotus Seven, a Brabham BT14 single seater and a Lotus 47.
Like his previous mounts, Preston’s blue Lola would be campaigned under a Team Elite entry. Team Elite was a group of racing enthusiasts that mostly hailed from the Midlands.
David Preston purchased SL76/144 for ex-Lotus F1 driver, Trevor Taylor, to campaign throughout the 1969 season.
Taylor debuted the car at the Silverstone Club circuit on March 16th. The ten lap contest was organised by the Nottinghamshire Sports Car Club and Taylor lapped the entire field en route to victory.
Results thereafter were patchy.
At the Silverstone International Trophy two weeks later (round one of the British Sportscar Championship), Taylor led the first five laps before he span off the rain-soaked track. He then failed to finish the next two rounds (owing to a stuck throttle and clutch failure) after which the car was withdrawn from the subsequent two events (first after another T70 suffered hairline cracks on its wishbones at the Brands Hatch 6 Hours and then as a result of the torrentially wet conditions at the Silverstone Martini Trophy).
Taylor subsequently won the Oulton Park Tourist Trophy, but the race ended early in the saddest of circumstances after fellow T70 driver, Paul Hawkins, was killed in a fiery accident at Island Bend.
Thereafter, Taylor’s only finish was a sixth overall and third in class at the Swedish Grand Prix which took place at Karlskoga. He failed to take part in the two Scandinavian races that followed because of a starting money dispute.
For 1970, David Preston sold the Lola to Irish racing driver and team owner, Sid Taylor. SL76/144 was Taylor’s sixth and last T70. He had quit driving at the end of 1968 to focus on managing his team.
Taylor’s previous Mk3B GT (chassis SL76/138) had been arguably the most successful T70 of 1969. However, there was to be no repeat in 1970.
Trevor Taylor joined up with Peter Gethin to contest the two season-opening Temporada races in Argentina, but they failed to finish on either occasion.
Still in its original blue colour scheme, SL76/144 was then entered for the Brands Hatch 1000km World Sportscar Championship race. Barrie Smith was partnered by Howden Ganley for the event which ended in disaster.
Because of last-minute tyre panics in the paddock, Smith had to start in extremely wet conditions with dry-weather tyres on the back. During the opening lap, Smith aquaplaned along the top straight, left the track and took flight. The Lola smacked into the armco, rolled over and scattered itself in all directions before landing back on its wheels. Fortunately, Smith escaped unscathed, but SL76/144 was wrecked.
The remains (to include the engine, transaxle, suspension, brakes and steering) were sold to Mick Hill who used them to build a Boss Capri Super Saloon.
During 1980, the Capri was sold to Ian Webb who rebuilt SL76/144 around a new monocoque made by Brian Angliss.
Notable History
David Preston (Team Elite), Bosworth
Light Blue
16/03/1969 NSC Silverstone (T. Taylor) 1st oa (#124)
30/03/1969 BSC Silverstone International Trophy (T. Taylor) DNF (#40)
04/04/1969 BSC Snetterton Guards Trophy (T. Taylor) DNF (#??)
07/04/1969 BSC Thruxton Embassy Trophy (T. Taylor) DNF (#6)
13/04/1969 WSC Brands Hatch 6 Hours (T. Taylor / H. Dibley) WDN (#5)
17/05/1969 BSC Silverstone Martini Trophy (T. Taylor) DNS (#10)
26/05/1969 BSC Oulton Park Tourist Trophy (T. Taylor) 1st oa, 1st 3.0+ class (#36)
29/06/1969 IND Norisring 200 mile (T. Taylor) DNF (#4)
10/08/1969 BSC Thruxton Kodak Trophy (T. Taylor) DNS (#??)
17/08/1969 IND Swedish GP, Karlskoga (T. Taylor) 6th oa, 3rd 3.0+ class (#5)
24/08/1969 NDC Keimola (T. Taylor) DNS (#6)
31/08/1969 NDC Mantorp Park (T. Taylor) DNS (#6)
Sold to Sid Taylor
11/01/1970 TEM Buenos Aires 1000km (T. Taylor / P. Gethin) DNF (#46)
18/01/1970 TEM Buenos Aires 200 mile (T. Taylor / P. Gethin) DNF (#46)
12/04/1970 WSC Brands Hatch 1000km (B. Smith / H. Ganley) DNF (#6)
Wrecked in Barrie Smith’s opening lap crash at Brands Hatch
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
