VIN: the Terry Croker / Fittipaldi Automotive / Carlos Avallone Lola T70 Mk3B GT chassis SL76/153
History of chassis SL76/153
Chassis SL76/153 was the T70 Mk3B GT supplied new to privateer Terry Croker for the 1970 season.
The yellow car appeared under an A&J Motors entry which was the garage run by Croker’s father in Chadwell Heath, East London. Chassis 153 replaced a Chevron B8 that Terry Croker had driven for his first season of top flight racing in 1969.
Croker’s debut outing with the Lola started promising when he comfortably took pole position for Snetterton’s round of the Special GT Championship. Unfortunately though, an oil leak was subsequently detected and Croker’s mechanics had not finished re-assembly by the start of the race.
Following trips to three events in mainland Europe over a four-week period in July-July (that yielded no results of any note), Terry Croker replaced his T70 with a more manageable under 2-litre sports prototype, a Lola T210.
Having acquired SL76/153 as part of the deal to supply Terry Croker’s T210, Lola sold the T70 to the Fittibiladi Automotive stable in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The Fittipaldi’s wanted the T70 for Emerson’s brother, Wilson, to race in the three-race 1970 Copa Brazil series which took place in December. During October, Emerson (who was the 1969 British Formula 3 Champion), won the United States Grand for Lotus. It was just his fourth F1 start as he stepped into the fold after Jochen Rindt’s death at the ITalian Grand Prix in September.
After the Copa Brasil series, in which Wilson took one win, one third place and posted one DNF, the Fittipaldi’s sold SL76/153 to fellow Brazilian, Carlos Avallone.
Avallone was a big buyer of single seat Lolas which he raced to great success en route to becoming a four-time Brazilian national champion. Avallone ran SL76/153 in domestic Brazilian events throughout the 1971 season and occasionally raced as far afield as Buenos Aires. He was a routine podium and top six finisher with the now white car later emblazoned with a blue noseband.
Chassis SL76/153 remained in Brazili for many years, but has since returned to Europe and been restored.
Notable History
Terry Croker (A & J Motors), London
25/04/1970 IND Snetterton - Special GT (T. Croker) DNS (#??)
07/06/1970 IND Dijon (T. Croker) 21st (#49)
28/06/1970 INT Norisring (T. Croker) unused (#??)
05/07/1970 INT Hockenheim (T. Croker) DNF (#7)
Fittipaldi Automotive, Sao Paolo
13/12/1970 CPB Copa Brasil Sao Paulo (W. Fittipaldi) 1st oa (#2)
22/12/1970 CPB Copa Brasil Interlagos (W. Fittipaldi) 3rd oa (#2)
27/12/1970 CPB Copa Brasil Sao Paulo (W. Fittipaldi) DNF (#2)
Carlos Avallone, Sao Paolo
10/01/1971 Interlagos (C. Avallone) DNF (#6)
17/01/1971 Interlagos (C. Avallone) 2nd (#6)
25/01/1971 Interlagos (C. Avallone) DNF (#6)
21/03/1971 Interlagos 12 Hours (C. Avallone / A.C. Porto Filho) DNF (#58)
23/05/1971 Interlagos (C. Avallone) 2nd oa (#6)
30/05/1971 Taruma GP (C. Avallone) 6th oa (#6)
20/06/1971 Torneio Uniao e Disciplina (C. Avallone) 5th oa (#6)
27/06/1971 Buenos Aires (C. Avallone) 5th oa (#6)
15/08/1971 Interlagos 250 mile (C. Avallone) 3rd oa (#6)
07/09/1971 Interlagos 500km (C. Avallone) 5th oa (#6)
18/12/1971 Interlagos (C. Avallone) 4th oa (#6)
03/09/1972 Interlagos 500km (M. Fernandes) DNS (#28)
Kept in Brazil for many years
Later restored
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Jim Culp - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimculp/albums/ & Rogerio PD Luz
