<< Prev Page 3 of 3 Towards the end of the season, Bennett redesigned the front suspension to accommodate the latest low-profile slick tyres. Several B21s were updated and rebadged B21/23. Using the latest all-alloy Hart prepared Cosworth BDA 2-litre engine, Gerry Birrell followed in the footsteps of Redman by dominating the Springbok Cup. He won four races and claimed the championship. Incorporating the revises suspension geometry, a new badge of B23s was built for the 1973 season. With class victories at the Targa Florio, the Nürburgring 1000 km and the Osterreichring 1000 km, it was again a good year for Chevron. The spaceframe cars were showing however consistently outpaced by the monocoque Lolas and a drastic redesign was required to maintain Chevron's competitiveness.
Just like three years earlier, it was a driver that persuaded Bennett to make a major step forward. This time it was loyal Chevron racer John Lepp who requested a new sports racer with a monocoque chassis and a proper rear wing. Clearly not daunted by the big task at hand, Bennett developed and built the all new B26 in no time. The prototype was ready and tested in time for the Springbok Cup at the end of 1973. In good Chevron tradition it looked set to take a debut victory during the Kyalami 9-Hours race. Overheating forced the B26 to drop out while leading the field by two laps. The first victory came shortly after; the start of a new and high successful chapter in Chevron's history.
In addition to the numerous successes on the track, the B19, B21 and B23 were also top sellers with 35, 28 and 26 produced respectively. Even though production stopped in 1973 the cars were raced around the world for many more seasons. Many are still actively campaigned in historic events. Much to the delight of historians and for a variety of reasons there are more examples around today than were ever built by Chevron in period. The best attempt to chart the history of each individual chassis can be found on Allen Brown's Oldracingcars.com. The continuing popularity and success are a great tribute to the solid design work of Derek Bennett. << Prev Page 3 of 3
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Towards the end of the season, Bennett redesigned the front suspension to accommodate the latest low-profile slick tyres. Several B21s were updated and rebadged B21/23. Using the latest all-alloy Hart prepared Cosworth BDA 2-litre engine, Gerry Birrell followed in the footsteps of Redman by dominating the Springbok Cup. He won four races and claimed the championship. Incorporating the revises suspension geometry, a new badge of B23s was built for the 1973 season. With class victories at the Targa Florio, the Nürburgring 1000 km and the Osterreichring 1000 km, it was again a good year for Chevron. The spaceframe cars were showing however consistently outpaced by the monocoque Lolas and a drastic redesign was required to maintain Chevron's competitiveness.