RACE HISTORY OF ED
SWART
The Swart family was in the automobile business and they were running a successful
Fiat & Lancia distributorship in
He started in 1956 with many national and international rallye’s and go-karting
in 1960. He started racing at the Zandvoort racetrack in 1961. The only cars he raced were
Fiat and Fiat-Abarth cars due to business ties. In 1964 he also started racing outside the
Ed formed his first racing team named “Scuderia Auto Swart” in 1964. He had
several other drivers buying Fiat Abarths from him, since he was Abarth importer and they
joined his popular team, which changed its name to “Racing Team SAS.”
Ed won many international FIA touring car races in 1964 and the beginning of 1965.
This resulted in the invitation from Carlo Abarth for Ed to race in the factory team at
the Nurburgring 6 Hour race in June 1965.
He did well by finishing second and raced for Abarth the remaining races of the
season, winning the FIA European Touring car Cup in first division (1000cc) that year. Due
to this success he continued racing for the Abarth factory till 1970 winning several more
Championships National and International.
Ed started a new racing team in the
He bought a new Fiat Abarth 2000SP sport car and competed in most of the FIA
European Sports Prototype Challenge races in 1969. For 1970 the Abarth factory offered him
works support for the car and he ended up winning the FIA European Sports car Championship.
At the end of 1970 rumors started that Abarth was going to sell the Company to
Fiat and that no longer race cars would be made. This was for Ed the sign to switch from
Fiat Abarth to Chevron race cars. Ed and his team mate Rein Zwolsman managed to sign up
Canon Camera’s as a new sponsor and they started the new “Canon Racing Team” with
two Chevron’s (B16 Coupe and B19 Spyder). Ed
bought these cars at the racing car show in
Ed signed a two years contract to compete with two cars in all the FIA European
Sports Prototype Challenge races. John Burton joined the team with his B19 after the B16,
driven by Ed’s teammate, was destroyed.
Due to business commitments, Ed was retiring from pro-racing at the end of 1971.
Therefor he decided to make it a double season that year, entering with his Chevron B19 in
the South African Springbok Series with Jody Scheckter as his team mate. They did well and
finished second.
For 1972 other drivers like Derek Bell, Toine Hezemans, Arthuro Merzario and Bob
Wollack replaced Ed to team up with John Burton for the Canon Team.
From 1972 till 1981 Ed was very much involved in race organization and became the
Clerk of the Course (Chief Stewart) for all the national and international races at
Zandvoort, including the Grand Prix races.
When historic racing was invented in 1975, Ed returned to racing buying a Ferrari
250 SWB Competition car, which he drove for 8 years. He also bought and raced a Fiat
Abarth 2000SP and a Fiat Abarth 1000TC Corsa from 1965. Ed emigrated with his family to
In 1989 he bought a Chevron B19 and raced it for 5 years in the European Super
Sports Series, parking the car with his brother in
In 1994 he bought a Lola T400 Formula 5000. The car was very incomplete and lots
of parts needed to be found, including the engine and gearbox! It took two years, but in
1996 he began racing this great car in the USA East and West coast. He ran the car for 8
years, including two events in
He also raced in Rondeau GTP cars with owner Steve Simpson at Daytona and other
tracks 2001-2005.
In 1999 he started his own racing organization HSR-West and has now 600 + members
and 7 events yearly.
His latest open wheel cars are a Shadow DN9 Formula One, the Chevron B45 F-2 and a
Chevron B46 Form. Atlantic. This B 46 was the last Chevron ever build. It was originally a
Form. Super Vee, but Ed changed the car into a Formula Atlantic.
Ed has competed in over 465 races from 1961-2006 in