Marshalled at the Birmingham Superprix?

[Mark Baines]

but the best bit of the super prix apart from the smell of mouldy carrots in the camp site(market) was watching cleland and sytner knockin tenbells out of each other.

i went to every superprix my nannan worked in the pits and grandad was an observer

[bigears]

Mark,

Could you tell me a bit more about the Cleland and Sytner incident please?

[Mark Baines]

yes from what i remember (vaguely) it was the last lap,i just can not remember the corner it was a sharp left hander and may have been for the lead sytner went for a kamikaze move down the inside of cleland and put them both in the wall cleland jumped out of his car and onto the bonnet of sytner and started knockin hell out of him before he got of the car and it was the doctor who split them up lol my grandad was the examining observer on that post.

[Woolley]

I was spectating at that corner when the shunt happened. I think Cleland's tyres were going off, and as they got to the corner Sytner nerfed his rear corner (accidentally, I assume ) causing Cleland to hit the wall on the exit. Sytner tried to squeeze through the gap but clashed wheels and ended up facing the wrong way, when John leapt out and expressed his displeasure with the use of fists.

He later returned to the marshals' post and apologized to them personally which was a nice touch since, in my opinion he had reasonable cause.

[turbo-ww]

Mr Sytner always was a 'hard' competitor

[Alastair]

I did all of the Superprix's as Deputy Chief Paddock. Alf Glasser (Chief Paddock) has always said he could write a book about the events surrounding the organisation and running of these wonderful meetings! (Rose tinted glasses a little maybe!!)

Unfortunately Alf is not on the web but I will print out this thread and show it to him on Monday at Donington.

I remember one incident in the paddock when Jasper Carrot visited. Not sure of the year, but Alf decided it would be good to play a trick on Jasper. He got together with the market police and persuaded them to wheel clamp Jasper's car, which he had parked where we had told him to! Thinking he would take this all in good humor, as he was a comedien after all, we waited for his return, (I think he was being escorted by someone from the council). When Jasper returned he went ballistic at all of us, it wasn't a pretty sight. We were all getting quite worried as Alf and the market police carried on with the joke, telling him it would cost money to get the clamp removed. Eventually Jasper realised his leg was being pulled and he fully joined in with the joke, even made a brief reference to it in a TV show once I believe.

Alf has many other stories including pit trolleys collapsing whilst being towed around the track back from the pits, getting stuck in the crowds with a convoy of support vehicles and many more.

[bigears]

What year did that happen? (the Carrott joke)

Any more stories? They are like gold! Keep them coming please.

[Shelagh]

Wasn't it at the superprix that Russell Spence (F3000) refused to get out of the car, so they just put the strap around it and started to crane it off with him still in it? (Got this from Bill, so if more info required I'll get him to add).

Also, wasn't it at the superprix that a touring car driver thumped a marshal??

Apologies that memories are more about might have beens than definites. Blame it on the age and read the signature.

[Mark Baines]

spot on sheila,i remember the russel spence incident,regarding the marshal i remember my grandad telling me about it but i do not remember the marshals name

[mini-mental]

To my huge disapointment I was too young to Marshal at the Brum Superprix. What an ace site, it must be a labour of love for you. Can't wait to read it, and more of the stories.

My Dad did attend though as a spectator, and photographer, and was working for Mick Phiilips Porsche team in 1987.
He has about 70 pictures of the 1986, 87 & 88 events. They are all on slide at the moment, but we are in the very slow process of coying them digitally. If you would like them, I can email them over.

I'll ask him if he has any stories of the time, and I'll ask him to speak to Mick about it from a Drivers perspective as well. If you think this will help.

On a slightly related note, I did hear a rumour about it restarting. Any news on that. As Vassey said with the increase in popularity and cheapness of tin tops, ths would be an amazing event.

[Alastair]

Originally Posted by bigears

What year did that happen? (the Carrott joke)

Any more stories? They are like gold! Keep them coming please.

I think the joke with Jasper Carrott was 1989, although it may have been the same year we had to put a security watch on Rob Gravett & Mike Smith's touring car team due to threats made to them at a previous round, and that was 1990.

Your really need to talk to Alf Glasser. If you are at Silverstone this weekend (WSR) then he will be in the assembly area both days.

[bigears]

Nice story there Alastair!

I got no time to go to the races, hopefully I will be able to do that next year and ask for people who went to the BSP.

Any more stories anyone?

[radiogaga]

Yeah, although a young fledging in those days - I can remember attending Birmingham SuperPrix - sorry but not sure of the exact year.

I remember having a great time and having the priviledge of sitting in quite a few of the cars - even though I couldn't drive at the time.

On one occasion I marshalled the parc-ferme and remember feeling very supported by fellow marshals when I had to deal with a very upset Mike Smith (TV Presenter) who tried to ignore our instructions to leave the car alone and then had a paddy! A wave of the radio and a few running oranges soon made him disappear!

[stroller]

Originally Posted by bigears

Nice story there Alastair!

I got no time to go to the races, hopefully I will be able to do that next year and ask for people who went to the BSP.

Any more stories anyone?

Did you hear about when the organisers "lost" a F3000 car.

Apparently to try and save time after the main race - one of the broken down F3000 cars was tucked away behind the barrier somewhere with the aim of retreiving it later.
Unfortunately it got forgotten at the end of the day and was only when one of the team enquired "where's our car" was it realised that it was still out there, and a few panic calls went out firstly to try and find out exactly where it was and then to try and get a breakdown to go and fetch it.

[JEP]

I never managed to do any of the Brum races, but did do the "On the Streets" event organised by Martin Hone as a fore runner to the Super Prix. Jo Swift, who was a really great bloke, recruited me in the bar at Donington after a meeting there. Must have been a long time ago, I can't remember the year! It was great fun; the Fruit Market was the paddock, there were no barriers and the cars had police motorcycle outriders to keep speeds down; some drivers managed to get round this ploy of course. I have some 35mm slides of the paddock somewhere, must look them out.

JEP

[bigears]

Originally Posted by stroller

Did you hear about when the organisers "lost" a F3000 car.

Apparently to try and save time after the main race - one of the broken down F3000 cars was tucked away behind the barrier somewhere with the aim of retreiving it later.
Unfortunately it got forgotten at the end of the day and was only when one of the team enquired "where's our car" was it realised that it was still out there, and a few panic calls went out firstly to try and find out exactly where it was and then to try and get a breakdown to go and fetch it.

I never knew that! When did it happen?

Do you have any more details into this story?

JEP, I am very interested to see your photos as I am lacking the photos from the 1986 track rehearsal and I would like to see some more. The 'On The Streets' event must be in 1980 or 1984 as the fruit market was used as a paddock.

[Marshal]

Only went to the last one, which was brilliant, was at the end of the straight after the right hander off the dual carriageway, I think it might have been Halfords. Was flagging on the scafolding tower there (along with 3 others!), remember A TVR dropping its sump on the way into the corner, the next car up having a huge shunt on the oil and pingponging off the barriers, hitting initially directly into the armco in front of the tower, which then rolled about 6feet backwards, as it was on castors

Also remember chatting with the landlady in the pub opposite, as our flag tower was directly across the road from her bedroom window, which was slightly surreal.

[bigears]

I will be receiving a DVD of the 1990 TVR Tuscan race, hopefully this will shed more light into what happened during the race.

Any more memories or photos out there?

[Wet marshal]

I remember Marshaling at the Superprix.

I went up with BRSCC S.W. (COMBE MARSHALS).

I think it was Bristol street motors, FORD showrooms that was the Pit lane petrol pumps!!

The Fruit market was the Scruit bay and indoor paddock,nice when it rained on the Monday!

Roger Orgee did some P.R.photo's in his F.2 Lyncar,earlier in the week and had a bit of fun in the race.(s).

GOOD DAYS.

[bigears]

Here are some footage from the 1990 TVR Tuscan race:

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...irmingham&aq=f

Please keep them coming guys!

[ss_collins]

I thought you were at the Rugby! Loving the vids

[bigears]

Erm...I was!

I am still hoping I would get my hands on more footage. I know a guy who can help me with something...

[colincragg]

I also did all five Birmingham Superprix and in over 35 years marshalling I will always remember them as some of the best and most memorable race meetings I have attended.

Memories include big fried breakfasts at market cafe and markets own pub full of marshals at end of each day. Old ladies and other residents bringing us cups of tea. Including one year one old lady sitting in a deck chair on post with us wearing a Dunlop Cap and ear defenders loving every minute of it.

[ChrisA]

Well Colin, you've finally joined the ranks of ''tenthers''. Good to have you on board.

[bigears]

I am pleased to announce that I have written a book and worked in partnership with S.S Collins (of Autodrome fame) about the Birmingham Superprix:



It is ready for pre-order from the Amazon.co.uk and Waterstones.com websites.

There are more information about the book itself from Veloce Publishing.