VIN: the West Competition McLaren F1 GTR chassis 03R
History of chassis 03R
GTR chassis 03R was sold new to German banker, Thomas Bscher.
Along with Ray Bellm, it was Bscher that had convinced McLaren to build a racing version of the F1.
Bscher also owned an F1 road car (chassis 022) which he later sold to Miles Collier.
An enthusiastic amateur, Bscher was co-driven throughout 1995 by John Nielsen. Together the pair won that year’s BPR GT Championship.
Although they only took two wins (compared to the five notched up by Ray Bellm and Maurizio Sandro Sala), Bscher and Nielsen’s greater consistency delivered the title. They won at Monza and Donington, posted just one DNF and only finished off the podium once.
Bscher and Nielsen also ran at Le Mans (with Jochen Mass) but failed to finish.
03R was prepared for Bscher by Dave Price Racing, the team that also handled 06R for Moody Fayed’s Harrods-backed operation.
Sponsorship came from West cigarettes and 03R was painted the company’s familiar white and red livery.
03R was campaigned under the West Competition banner, but for those races where tobacco advertising was outlawed, the team switched to East instead of West logos. To get around the problem at Le Mans, they ran with ‘sponsorship’ from the French radio station ‘West FM’.
For the 1995 Monza 4 Hour and Suzuka 1000km races, 03R was entered in a black and red colour scheme with backing from Davidoff cigarettes.
03R was subsequently upgraded to 1996-specification during the course of the following season. That year, it won another two races (at Monza and the Nurburgring). However, there was only one other podium finish in the BPR series and the title fell to Ray Bellm with his new co-driver, James Weaver.
At the 1996 Le Mans 24 Hours, 03R placed fourth overall and third in class. Bscher and Nielsen were joined at la Sarthe by Peter Kox. The trio were the best placed McLaren that year.
For 1997, Bscher moved up to a 1997-spec. GTR Long Tail which he had prepared by GTC Motorsport.
Bscher retained 03R until 2012, at which point it was sold to a German collector that arranged for Lanzante Motorsport to convert it for road use.
Notable History
Sold to Thomas Bscher, Germany
Campaigned by Dave Price Racing for West Competition
White & red West livery
26/02/1995 BPR Jerez 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) DNF (#8)
12/03/1995 BPR Paul Ricard 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 3rd oa, 3rd GT1 class (#8)
Black & red Davidoff livery
26/03/1995 BPR Monza 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 1st oa, 1st GT1 class (#8)
White & red West livery
09/04/1995 BPR Jarama 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 2nd oa, 2nd GT1 class (#8)
23/04/1995 BPR Nurburgring 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 3rd oa, 3rd GT1 class (#8)
30/04/1995 IND Le Mans Pre-Qualifying (J. Nielsen) 8th oa, 3rd GT1 class (#49)
08/05/1995 BPR Donington 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 1st oa, 1st GT1 class (#8)
18/06/1995 IND Le Mans 24 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher / J. Mass) DNF (#49)
02/07/1995 BPR Anderstorp 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 2nd oa, 2nd GT1 class (#8)
Black & red Davidoff livery
27/08/1995 BPR Suzuka 1000km (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 2nd oa, 2nd GT1 class (#8)
White & red West livery
17/09/1995 BPR Silverstone 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 5th oa, 4th GT1 class (#8)
08/10/1995 BPR Nogaro 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 2nd oa, 2nd GT1 class (#8)
Black & red Davidoff livery
12/11/1995 BPR Zhuhai 3 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 2nd oa, 2nd GT1 class (#8)
Red & white West livery
03/03/1996 BPR Paul Ricard 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) DNF (#1)
24/03/1996 BPR Monza 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 1st oa, 1st GT1 class (#1)
14/04/1996 BPR Jarama 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 21st oa, 9th GT1 class (#1)
28/04/1996 IND Le Mans Pre-Qualifying (J. Nielsen) 17th oa, 6th GT1 class (#30)
12/05/1996 BPR Silverstone 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 6th oa, 6th GT1 class (#1)
16/06/1996 IND Le Mans 24 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher / P. Kox) 4th oa, 3rd GT1 class (#30)
30/06/1996 BPR Nurburgring 4 Hours (P. Kox / T. Bscher) 1st oa, 1st GT1 class (#1)
14/07/1996 BPR Anderstorp 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 5th oa, 5th GT1 class (#1)
25/08/1996 BPR Suzuka 1000km (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 4th oa, 4th GT1 class (#1)
08/09/1996 BPR Brands Hatch 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 4th oa, 4th GT1 class (#1)
22/09/1996 BPR Spa 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 3rd oa, 3rd GT1 class (#1)
06/10/1996 BPR Nogaro 4 Hours (P. Kox / T. Bscher) DNF (#1)
03/11/1996 BPR Zhuhai 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 6th oa, 6th GT1 class (#1)
08/12/1996 IND Curitiba 2 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 3rd oa (#1)
15/12/1996 IND Brasilia 2 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 4th oa (#1)
Retained by Bscher until 2012
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: McLaren - https://www.mclaren.com
