Tom Pryce and the 'Lost Generation'

[Davhut]

...Pryce is buried in Otford graveyard - I pass it every day on my way to work. As he was a hero of mine I may see if I can find it and read the inscription.

And another great idea for a thread. You all there in England and the UK must have a load of unknown or little remembered drivers' gravesites. Be like a map of the stars in Hollywood.

[Vitesse]

Here's a link to Paul Narramore's virtual graveyard for Racing Drivers at FindAGrave:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...sr&GSvcid=4821

Here's Tom Pryce:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...GRid=12907252&

[Davhut]

Thanks Vitesse.
That's very interesting in a dark way.
David

[chunterer]

Any chance the thread can continue in a slightly less maccabre fashion?

[Davhut]

Hard to figure how a topic of three young drivers all killed in racing cars could be less macabre.

[chunterer]

Really?

Sorry Davhut, I hadn't planned on graveyards or grave stones being discussed when I started what I was hoping would be a fond recollection of three great talents.

There's been some good discussion so far folks so if it's going to continue let's keep it to discussing their careers and potential and perhaps rivals and other drivers who showed lots of promise.

Thanks,

chunterer

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Marcus Mussa

Interestingly he rates above all of them (and certainly on the same level as Pryce) a fellow that everybody seems to forget, named Tony Trimmer…who he says never made mistakes; was always unflappable under pressure, drove smoothly and just got on with the job (he compares him to Alain Prost). Colin thinks that perhaps he is the real talent who got away.

Do you remember when he raced in Formula Libre with the F5000 Lola T332 back in the 1980s ? There was one event in Mondello during that period where he either won or finished high up the order with the car stuck in one gear ! An amazing achievement at a circuit as tight as Mondello. My father, raving about the torque of the 5.0 Chevy, put it down to that... but Tony sure knew how to peddle the thing.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Do you remember when he raced in Formula Libre with the F5000 Lola T332 back in the 1980s ? There was one event in Mondello during that period where he either won or finished high up the order with the car stuck in one gear ! An amazing achievement at a circuit as tight as Mondello. My father, raving about the torque of the 5.0 Chevy, put it down to that... but Tony sure knew how to peddle the thing.

Yes, Tony and Alo Lawler in his McLaren M29 had some good battles iirc. Although I also seem to remember that one tended to avoid the other, is that right?

[davyboy]

You mean personally ? I didn't know that. Seems a bit odd given that they trailblazed that series all over the country for several years... and across the water as well.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by davyboy

You mean personally ? I didn't know that. Seems a bit odd given that they trailblazed that series all over the country for several years... and across the water as well.

Nah, give over! I thought I remembered meant they didn't always compete against each other in the Libre races for some reason, but I could be completely and utterly wrong!

[davyboy]

They definitely competed against each other a lot.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by davyboy

They definitely competed against each other a lot.

Argghh my poor fading memory

The Tony Trimmer points are interesting. He was quick in everything he drove and managed to forge a career at club level when he had the talent to get to the top.

There was another Tony a bit later on who was also pretty good and gave a lot of 'fancied' guys a few frights on a very limited budget but tended to drift in and out of F3 and stuff for years before disappearing. He was definitely in F3 in the early to mid 80's. Can't remember his second name though!!!

[ensign14]

Trevor?

[chunterer]

Yes! Well done that man.

[PeterM]

I recall going to a Vauxhall day at Millbrook and Tony Trimmer drove me round the handling circuit in an Astra GT. We did three laps. After lap 1, I thought "I can do this". I should have known better. Tony upped the pace on lap 2 and again on lap 3. Then we had to stop to cool the tyres down! There is no better way to show how inadequate a driver you are than to be driven round a race circuit by a top line professional. Have been lucky enough to do that with Derek Bell and Ricahrd Attwood at Zolder and Jan Lammers, Ian Flux, Mark Blundell and Tommy Erdos at Millbrook. (with Tommy in a Renault A610 Turbo!)

[chunterer]

Thanks for that little insight Peter, quite amusing!

Did you ever drive (or passenger) the same afterwards?!!

[PeterM]

I'd done a Jim Russell course many years ago but some of the tips told to me by the drivers certainly improved my road craft.

[Davhut]

I vaguely recall (diminishing Kbs of gray matter!) Tom Pryce driving a Chrysler engined Shadow F-5000. Can't remember if it was in US or UK, but I can still laugh over his comment about the lump of engine in saying, "driving it is like swinging a hammer 'round on a string."

[Dunzer]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Yes, Tony and Alo Lawler in his McLaren M29 had some good battles iirc. Although I also seem to remember that one tended to avoid the other, is that right?

Yes, I remember that Mondello race quite well with Alo in the M30 and Trimmer in the F5000. On a number of occasions my Dad and I would go over to watch Alo's races and stay at his house. He used to show me all of his old racing videos and in one I do recall a particular Libre race where both drivers were interviewed beforehand with Alo stating that Trimmer and himself weren't on speaking terms. I can only assume this developed as a result of some on-track incident but I must check with Alo next time I'm speaking to him.

Just to veer-off subject for a little bit, some of those videos were great particularly coverage of the '82 Macau GP where Alo finished 2nd to Moreno. Moreno went straight-on at the first corner and rejoined the field from the escape road. Moreno scythed through the field to win - Alo reckoned if it wasn't for Takao Wada constantly rear-ending him (which resulted in a very much askew rear wing) he would have won it. But he would say that anyway

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Dunzer

Yes, I remember that Mondello race quite well with Alo in the M30 and Trimmer in the F5000. On a number of occasions my Dad and I would go over to watch Alo's races and stay at his house. He used to show me all of his old racing videos and in one I do recall a particular Libre race where both drivers were interviewed beforehand with Alo stating that Trimmer and himself weren't on speaking terms. I can only assume this developed as a result of some on-track incident but I must check with Alo next time I'm speaking to him.

Just to veer-off subject for a little bit, some of those videos were great particularly coverage of the '82 Macau GP where Alo finished 2nd to Moreno. Moreno went straight-on at the first corner and rejoined the field from the escape road. Moreno scythed through the field to win - Alo reckoned if it wasn't for Takao Wada constantly rear-ending him (which resulted in a very much askew rear wing) he would have won it. But he would say that anyway

An amazing insight there. I've got lots of photos of Alo and Tony in the M30 and the T332 from those days in Mondello alright. I've gotta dig them out and scan them so people can see them. Both Alo and Tony were very friendly that's why it amazed me to hear they had a falling out. Still you learn something new every day I guess.

[Dunzer]

Davyboy, I really don't think it was as serious as it was made out at the time. I know for a fact that Alo had huge respect for Tony Trimmer but he (Trimmer) took some exception to a particular move Alo made on him. You could say it was healthy rivalry and I know thats all it was. I would love to see the photos you have of that Mondello meeting, I was around 13 at the time....I remember Alo's mechanic (Steve Sheldon of McLaren) was so serious about his job that he would not allow ANYONE into the back of the transporter. I remember getting more than one telling-off from the guy despite protesting my relationship to Alo...but Sheldon was a perfectionist and thats the way it was.