[backfire]

I have just heard that my friend Roger Cowman has passed away this afternoon in the Royal Derby Hospital. Roger, originally from Asfordby, started work at his local BMC dealer in Melton Mowbrayin the '60s before moving to Derby to become Used Car Sales Manager at TC Harrison Ltd. After a stint as manager at Lotus Dealer Robert Else he went self employed to sell second hand racing spares.
Roger raced karts in his early days and contested the first season of FF1600 in a Macon. As his business grew he bought a Royale RP27 FF2000 and ran it for several drivers before running and rebuilding historic formula one cars.
He was the archetype wheeler dealer, specialising in 3 litre F1 cars and spares which led to him starting and promoting BOSS formula (later EuroBOSS), but prior to that he was best known for his RCR F3000 team. In the first year he ran Slim Borgudd in the Ken Moore owned Arrows converted to F3000. In 1986 he entered a Lola in F3000 for several drivers including David Hunt and Perry McCarthy who finished 7th at Spa.
The team was run on an absolute shoestring (I think Roger even borrowed the shoestring) and there's some amusing tales in Perry's book "Flat Out, Flat Broke". Roger then became Perry's manager and got involved with sportscar racing in the States.
Roger had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease for about 10 years but had recently deteriorated. He contracted pneumonia after breaking 3 ribs in a fall and failed to respond to treatment. He leaves his wife, Jackie and two daughters, Sophie and Lindy.