1963 Lotus 23B Roadster

In early January of 1963, John Normand (Normand Ltd.) ordered two Lotus 23Bs from the factory at a racing car show. It was announced that Norman Ltd were to run a team of two semi-works backed Lotus 23Bs for Mike Beckwith and Tony Hegbourne. The team were to be supplemented with TEAM LOTUS DRIVERS as other commitments permitted during the 1963 racing season. Chief mechanic, Colin Knight was to taker car of the cars.

April 1963
The race debut of the Lotus 23B in Britain was at the BARC Oulton Park meeting. It was also the debut for Normand Ltd, and their expanded team of Lotus 23Bs for Mike Beckwith and Tony Hegbourne (23-S-49 and 49). The race was won by A.G. Wood's Cooper Monaco after Beckwith spun, but he finished 2nd and won the class with fastest lap. 2nd was the other Normand Lotus of Tony Hegbourne. So early in the new 1963 season the domination of the Normand Lotus 23s was already becoming established. In the Formula Libre race Tony Hegbourne's 23B, 23-S-49 won for Norman Ltd and marked the first outright race win for the Lotus 23B.

On April 6, 1963 the British International race was at Oulton Park, where there was snow on the track during practice. On pole was Innes Ireland with his aging Lotus 19, with the 23Bs of Jim Clark, driving Tony Hegbourne's Normand car, then Beckwith. Ireland led from the start but pitted with gear box problems on lap 8 leaving Clark firmly in the lead. The result was the first four places to Lotus 23Bs - Clark, Beckwith, Bloor and Greene.

On April 27th the Daily Mirror Aintree took place near Liverpool. The Normand Lotus 23s of Beckwith and Hegbourne almost 'dead heated' for 3rd place overall, and first in the 2 litre class. Beckwith was the winner by 'a nose.'

May 1963
The two Normand drivers, Mike Beckwith and Tony Hergbourne flew overnight to Paris after a race at Silverstone on May 11th, for the race at Montlhery called the Prix de Paris on Sunday 12th May. They finished 1-2 in the Sports Prototype class.

The Aintree National race meeting on the 25th May was an opportunity for Mike Beckwith to improve on his 34 points from 5 races in the Autosport Championship, which he did, leading from start to finish in the 50 mile Sports Car event. Normand team mate Hegbourne was 2nd.

June 1963
On June 3rd Crystal Palace near the center of London was celebrating its 10th anniversary of racing since World War II. The main attraction was the Crystal Palace Trophy Race for Sports Cars which included the two Normand Lotus 23Bs of Mike Beckwith, while Tony Hegbourn's car was driven by Team Lotus driver Jim Clark. Jimmy Clark won the race after Roy Salvadori retired his Cooper Monaco on the 25th lap.

On June 30th following the French Grand Prix at Rheims which Jim Clark won for Lotus, the Sports and Prototype race included Ferraris, Aston Martins and Jaguars. In the smaller capacity class were the Normand 23Bs of Beckwith and Hegbourne who finished 7th and 8th.

July 1963
The British teams stayed in France for the Clermont Ferrand Auvergne Trophy race the following weekend of 6th/7th of July. The race was over 3 hours, and began with a LeMans start. Hegbourne was the first away. The race was won by Lorenzo Bandini in a Ferrari with Tony Hegbourne's Normand 23B in 2nd place.

The following weekend at Mallory Park 3 hour race saw Tony Hegbourne winning the race in his 23-S-49.

August 1963
At the end of August the Normand Team were at Mallory Park again in central England where there was prize money at this National event. Tony Hegbourne won the prize money from Beckwith after a 2 litre 23B had expired.

September 1963
The last British race qualifying for the Autosport Championship was at Oulton Park for the Gold Cup race on the 28th. Most of the leading contenders were competing. Jim Clark, the new World Champion, was entered in one of the Normand Lotus 23s which created a bit of a problem as both Mike Beckwith and Tony Hegbourne, the Normand drivers, were in contention lying 1st and 2nd in the Sports Racing 1151-2000cc class, whist Jim Clark was only 4th. It was team leader Beckwith who lost out, largely as he had a 6 point lead over Hegbourne in the Championship. On pole position was Frank Gardner in his Brabham with Roy Salvadori second in the large capacity Cooper Monaco. Alongside him were the two Normand 23s of Clark and Hegbourne. Salvadori took the lead from Clark on lap 2 but the World Champion was really motoring. He was 5th by lap three and 2nd by lap 5. Salvadori won by 20 seconds from the Lotus 23Bs of Clark and Hebourne. Clark's 2nd place at Oulton Park put him in striking distance of the Class F Championship on points. So he was now racing seriously as part of the Autosport Championship.