1972 Chevron B21 Sports Racer

History

The Chevron B21 was introduced in 1972 as the successor to the vaunted B19. The B21 continued B19’s winning record with John Burton and his B21 finishing second in both the manufacturers’ and the driver’s standings in the 1972 European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship, behind Arturo Merzario’s Abarth-Osella.

In the World Championship for Makes, John Hine and John Bridges won the 2 liter class at the Spa 1000 km, and finished 3rd overall.  They won the 2 liter class again at the Nürburgring 1000 km, finishing 5th overall. Rolf Stommelen and Toine Hezemans finished 5th overall and 1st in the two-liter class at the Österreichring 1000 km.  These cars proved themselves, winning at various types of circuits, and with different teams and drivers.

This particular Chevron B21 was acquired in Europe by vintage racer Bob Machinist in December 1998. The car was subsequently imported into the United States and underwent an extensive restoration by Vintage Racing Services in Connecticut.

The restoration included the complete remanufacture of the car’s aluminum monocoque section by Brian Rechtiene. The new aluminum panels were fabricated using 6061-T4 aluminum alloy, with original-style rivet spacing and construction techniques. Modern structural adhesive was also incorporated into the assembly. Brian also restored the front and rear subframes. The work was completed 1999–2000.  Following the restoration, Bob Machinist raced the car with support from Vintage Racing Services. 

There is no chassis tag on the car. However, there are letters and numbers stamped into the upper right rear corner of the chassis. According to BritishRaceCar.com who closely examined the B21 for an article (see link to the article below) they discovered the following letters and numbers sequence stamped into the chassis: “AM 72”, “B 21”, and “17”. That sequence is not consistent with other B21 chassis numbers, such as B21-72-04. We do not know the origins of those numbers, nor the chassis number. However, BritishRacecar.com states “…it’s believed that the frame and car share serial number 17.” Regardless, this B21 can qualify for FIA HTP papers if you want to race in Europe. If you wish to race it in the U.S., they are not required. Enjoy it as-is.

The current owner acquired the Chevron from Machinist in 2013. He ran it for 17 vintage race weekends over the next 10 years. These included two appearances at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Machinist also raced the Chevron at the Reunion prior to selling it.

The Chevron’s most recent race was at Virginia International Raceway, at the 2023 VIR Wild Hare vintage race weekend. Since then it has been stored in a climate-controlled garage in West Virginia.

The extensive BritishRacecar.com illustrated article about this B21, and its restoration, can be seen at:

British Racecar: Machinist Chevron B21

The Chevron is currently located near Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia, together with the extensive spares package discussed below. Contact us to set up a time to check it out in person.

Description

The Chevron is powered by a 2.0-liter Cosworth YB racing engine built by Bob Slade of Slade Engines in Salinas, California. The engine was completed in September 2021 at a cost of approximately $18,000 (invoice #5243). Since installation, it has accumulated approximately 3–4 hours of running time, consisting of a test day and limited sprint-race participation at VIR in 2022 and 2023. The engine was serviced with oil changes between race weekends and performed without issues during its most recent race.

Regarding the Cosworth YB twin cam, this engine has become an attractive, reliable, and less expensive alternative to the Cosworth BDG and FVC yet with similar performance. A ballpark comparison finds that a rebuilt BDG sells in the range of around $35,00 to $45,000. A rebuilt YB, on the other hand, sells in the range of about $15,000 to $25,000. If you are going to race in Europe you will want to investigate getting a BDG or FVA. However, if you want to race across the U.S. you are in fine shape with the YB. Many FIA 2 liter sports racers currently race with YB engines, and the cars have been accepted from coast-to-coast, including this car at Monterey. 

As the car has not been raced since 2023, it should receive a good inspection and going through, including but not limited to: new tires, an oil and filter change, brake fluid change, and alignment inspection. The seat belts, and fire bottle, will need to be updated. The car will come with a fuel cell compliance document dated April 29, 2014.

Spares

The sale includes an extensive collection of valuable parts and spares accumulated during the car’s vintage racing career.

Included are:

• Two additional complete sets of wheels.
• One set of unused slick racing tires, mounted on wheels.
• Quick jack.
• Large wheel knock-off torque wrench.
• Spare lightweight front body section, unpainted.
• Complete set of Weber carburetors.
• Spare intake manifold.
• Ignition modules and additional engine components.
• Spare brake rotors.
• Spare brake calipers.
• Suspension wishbones and various suspension components.
• Numerous gearbox gear sets, including ratios suitable for Laguna Seca.
• Additional miscellaneous racing spares.

This B21 has pluses and minuses. The huge plus is the restored chassis. The owner, a knowledgeable long time historic racer with multiple cars, also reports the car to be in fine mechanical and cosmetic condition. The Chevron also comes with significant, and meaningful, spares. The minuses are that we don’t currently know its original chassis number, and it needs servicing before being raced, including some consumables like new belts and a fire bottle. 

Having said the above, the car is priced at only $110,000. That leaves an awful lot of room to inspect and service the car, install minor things like belts and a fire bottle, and take it to the track. If you want to race it in Europe, install a BDG and go racing. You should still be way under what 2 liter FIA sports racing cars are going for in Europe (many in excess of $200,000). You can race the car in the new Motor Racing Legends series. Race it with Peter Auto in their Classic Endurance Racing 2 series. You can run with the HSCC Thundersports Series. You can also run with Masters Sports Car Legends Series. So in addition to local club racing, there are many, many excellent opportunities to race this Chevron in Europe. 

There are also a plethora of racing opportunities for the Chevron in the U.S. too, including the Classic 24 Hours of Daytona with HSR, or the Classic 12 Hour at Sebring, also with HSR. Of course you can race at many other club and premier events across the U.S., including the Road America Weathertech Vintage Race Weekend, and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. This B21 is not only an entry to historic sprint races, but you can also race it with a friend in historic endurance races as well. Another plus.

So lots of good reasons to get this Chevron. Probably the best is the pleasure and thrill of driving a classic Chevron 2 liter FIA sports racing car, one of the very best ever in the sport.

All vehicle descriptions are accurate to the best of our knowledge and understanding at the time of writing. Corrections, and supplemental information, are always welcome. Buyers are responsible for confirming vehicle histories, condition, and authenticity to their own satisfaction prior to purchase. Motorsports Market is not the owner of the vehicle and assumes no liability for errors and omissions.

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