The following paragraph appears in a CART.com article by Jonh Oreovicz, concerning champ car chassis. The PC-3 had been abandoned by the time Austria '75 rolled around, hadn't it? Donohue was driving a March, wasn't he?
[b]Penske Cars was formed in Poole, England, and Donohue debuted the Ford-Cosworth-powered Penske PC-1 in the 1974 Canadian Grand Prix. When that car wasn't particularly successful, Penske bought a March F1 car and massaged it into the Penske PC-3, which Donohue was driving when he met his unfortunate death while practicing for the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix.[b]
Full Version: The 1975 Penske PC3
Yes, according to the Racing Car News report, which I probably typed up as a condensed version of the Motoring News report, it was a March.
The PC3 did not appear before the end-of-season US GP. True, it was very much a March copy, but Donohue crashed in the 751.
Penske PC3:
While it retained some PC1 features, this car was also similar to the March 751 in some respects, for example with outboard suspension all round...
This car turned out to be an interim model. It first appeared at Watkins Glen in the last 1975 GP but it failed to start. John Watson drove then a March 751 in his first GP for the team Penske. In Brazil (first 1976 GP) Watson was eight on the grid and his race stopped early as the car began to fire.
Watson scored once with one of the 2 built (PC3-01 and PC3-02)when he finished 5th in the second round of the 1976 Championship, the South African GP at Kyalami. He started this race from the second row (third time with 1m 16.43 s)
His start was disastrous. He lost 9 positions in the first lap. On lap 39 (half-race) he was only 8th. Finally John Watson classified 5th, one lap behind Niki Lauda and James Hunt.
The car was replaced by the PC4 in Sweden. A PC3 was sold to the Hexagon Team and used by Damien Magee and Derek Bell in the GR8 British championship.
While it retained some PC1 features, this car was also similar to the March 751 in some respects, for example with outboard suspension all round...
This car turned out to be an interim model. It first appeared at Watkins Glen in the last 1975 GP but it failed to start. John Watson drove then a March 751 in his first GP for the team Penske. In Brazil (first 1976 GP) Watson was eight on the grid and his race stopped early as the car began to fire.
Watson scored once with one of the 2 built (PC3-01 and PC3-02)when he finished 5th in the second round of the 1976 Championship, the South African GP at Kyalami. He started this race from the second row (third time with 1m 16.43 s)
His start was disastrous. He lost 9 positions in the first lap. On lap 39 (half-race) he was only 8th. Finally John Watson classified 5th, one lap behind Niki Lauda and James Hunt.
The car was replaced by the PC4 in Sweden. A PC3 was sold to the Hexagon Team and used by Damien Magee and Derek Bell in the GR8 British championship.
Sorry but I've written an error.
In his first GP for the First national City Travellers Checks Penske Team, the 1975 US GP at Watkins Glen, John Watson didn't drove a March 751 but rather an old Penske PC1. The March 751 in which Mark Donohue had his accident at Zeltweg was totally destroyed.
John Watson practiced with the new Penske PC3-01 but the car suffered electrical problems in the sunday morning warmup. As he was being towed in, the mechanics crew retrieved the display car - a PC1 model - from the First National Citibank podium in the paddock and prepared it to enter the race! Not a proud moment for Citibank, the sponsors of the race; and the car still had settings from the French Grand Prix, where it had last run! Watson started from the back of the grid and finally drove the PC1 to ninth place, two laps behind Niki Lauda. After a season wasted by uncompetive cars, the Surtees TS16 and the JPS Lotus 72, John Watson had really made all to deserve a good car for 1976.
In his first GP for the First national City Travellers Checks Penske Team, the 1975 US GP at Watkins Glen, John Watson didn't drove a March 751 but rather an old Penske PC1. The March 751 in which Mark Donohue had his accident at Zeltweg was totally destroyed.
John Watson practiced with the new Penske PC3-01 but the car suffered electrical problems in the sunday morning warmup. As he was being towed in, the mechanics crew retrieved the display car - a PC1 model - from the First National Citibank podium in the paddock and prepared it to enter the race! Not a proud moment for Citibank, the sponsors of the race; and the car still had settings from the French Grand Prix, where it had last run! Watson started from the back of the grid and finally drove the PC1 to ninth place, two laps behind Niki Lauda. After a season wasted by uncompetive cars, the Surtees TS16 and the JPS Lotus 72, John Watson had really made all to deserve a good car for 1976.
Ah now what was the chassis number of the Penske March? Did it ever resurface or was it kept under wraps, especially given the court case against Goodyear by his widow?
QUOTE (ghinzani @ Jun 18 2009, 04:27) 
Ah now what was the chassis number of the Penske March? Did it ever resurface or was it kept under wraps, especially given the court case against Goodyear by his widow?
Mike Lawrence, Denis Jenkinson, and Paul Sheldon have it as '751/5' -- which became became '761/2' later on according to Lawrence. Given that the tub was supposedly written off, apparently the chassis number plate was used to build another tub around it as had been done with several of the 751 tubs during the 1975 season.
Automobile Year #23 (1975-76) also lists the Donohue March as chassis 751-5.
B²
B²
QUOTE (HDonaldCapps @ Jun 17 2009, 21:55)
Mike Lawrence, Denis Jenkinson, and Paul Sheldon have it as '751/5' -- which became became '761/2' later on according to Lawrence. Given that the tub was supposedly written off, apparently the chassis number plate was used to build another tub around it as had been done with several of the 751 tubs during the 1975 season.
Mr. Capps - I don't have the information from Jenkinson or Sheldon, but in looking at the Appendices (pages 241 - 243) of Mike Lawrence's The Story of March Four Guys and a Telephone, I'm reading on page 241, as you stated "March 751/5 written off in practice for Austrian GP".
Page 242 has this in regards to the 761. "This is the official works figure, but includes up-rated 751's. 751/1-2 became 761/3, 751/4 became 761/5 and 751/6 became 761/2. On the other hand - 761/1 had four tubs during the season and 761/3 had two tubs yet kept their original identities."
Page 243 states: March 761/2 was converted to a six-wheeler for the concept's first two test sessions. In early 1977 it was sold to Space Racing as a four wheeler for Brett Lunger."
I see no further mention of Mark's Penske March 751/5 after the "written off" comment. I'm not trying to be contentious, I just am a novice at these things and I'm trying to find out where I went wrong and what it is I'm missing. I've got a 1989 publishing date in my Lawrence book. Perhaps it is outdated and a newer edition has different information? Thanks for any help that can be provided.
Brian Brown
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