willhire 24hr mazda rx7 fire

[bigpentti]

hello everyone, i am trying to trace the year and other drivers of a mazda rx7 which spun and caught fire in i think the chicane before the start finish straight. my mate willie rutherford was driving it when the fire happened,if i remember the story correctly the car had just come out of the pits after being refueled but the fuel tank cap was loose? and willie spun when the fuel got on the rear tyres,then the car exploded into a fire ball as the fuel ignited,i think it also hit the barrier in the spin. any one with a memory, photo,etc i would be most gratefull yours bigpentti

[vjay48]

I was spectated at russell corner when it happened, i think it was 1980,my memory is a bit hazy, it was 30 years ago. The mazda hit a car abandoned from a previous incident,i think it was a capri driven by jeremy shaw,the fire was caused by a huge about of fuel/vapour escaping from the fuel cap on the mazda.

[vjay48]

Ive just remember there was a thread a while ago about 1980 willhire.i think that the capri hit the mazda which at the side of the track at russell.

[Groupc]

I was watching from the pit wall and in my memory the Mazda (sponsored by Hella kitchens or something kitcheny at least ? ) spun on the exit of Russell and hit the abandoned car(s) and pretty much exploded in a HUGE ball of flame. Everyone went quiet and it seemed ages before the driver escaped - seemingly unhurt. What a relief !

I thought it was 1981 as I took loads of film in 1980 and no shots of a Mazda. In 1981 I was on the pit wall signalling, hence no camera. A long time ago so it could be 1980 or 1981, but I fancy 1981. Still the nastiest car fire I've seen.

[vjay48]

There is thread about 1980 willhire, it could be 1981, moved to suffolk in 1979,1980 was the first event i think,1981 was the first non team event,i remember that i went on the saturday,went home came back on the sunday,the accident was about 9 oclock i think?

[Groupc]

Originally Posted by vjay48

There is thread about 1980 willhire, it could be 1981, moved to suffolk in 1979,1980 was the first event i think,1981 was the first non team event,i remember that i went on the saturday,went home came back on the sunday,the accident was about 9 oclock i think?

It was/is my thread

Going from memory so be gentle... 1980 was the 1st Willhire and it was a team event with cars pitting and handing over a sash (behind the pit garages ?) to one of the other cars in the team. In 1981 I think they dropped the sash rule, but it was still a team event. I was signaller/gopher for Trevor and Graham Scarborough, Norris Miles and my mate Clive Phillips.All in Capris. Anyway back to the topic the car was a yellowy green with black signwriting ?

Can anyone check Autosport or Motoring News ?

[VIVA GT]

I was there too, and thinking about it, agree that it was the 1981 event (as that was the second one I went to, but the previous year allowed multi-car teams).
I've got pictures of the car (somewhere), but thought the Capri ran into the stationary Mazda, not the other way around (but flaky memory nowadays). I do remember that the fire was horrendous, and thinking that (whichever one it was) the stationary car had sat there ages before being collected. I think the safety car was sent out then to gather up the racers and a number of dead machinery was brought in from around the circuit.
I'd also confirm (from memory) that the Mazda was yellow & blue (I think!)
Also, thinking on, I'm sure that it was the Mazda that had been stationary as I'm sure that was damaged in the rear (when the Capri ran ito it), and this probably ruptured something in the fuel system and hence the fire...

[Groupc]

This the car ?

This is from 1981 - borrowed from Rick Marshall's photobucket stream

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...24%20Hr/13.jpg

Sorry if it doesn't open easily, having trouble with the link

[gfm]

Originally Posted by bigpentti

hello everyone, i am trying to trace the year and other drivers of a mazda rx7 which spun and caught fire in i think the chicane before the start finish straight. my mate willie rutherford was driving it when the fire happened,if i remember the story correctly the car had just come out of the pits after being refueled but the fuel tank cap was loose? and willie spun when the fuel got on the rear tyres,then the car exploded into a fire ball as the fuel ignited,i think it also hit the barrier in the spin. any one with a memory, photo,etc i would be most gratefull yours bigpentti

I was a co-driver with Rutherford in that car that race. I was racing for Walkinshaw in the Win Percy Mazda team and they suggested I help out with the chores that day. I remember Rutherford's shunt which turned spectacular: circuit drivers well impressed by rally drivers (for leaving it so late in the day ?) ... we were never going to win anything on speed. Outlasting the field was our only hope ...
I don't recall who else was in the car. The owner, one other, Willie and me; silver RX7; not fast but fun. 'Mind the tips'. Seems a lifetime ago now

[bigpentti]

it is with great saddness i must tell you willie rutherford died today in new zealand.he was told he had pancreatic cancer last year and it finaly caught upto him today, to his partner lisa her children and all willies many friends my best wishes, bigpentti john greener

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by bigpentti

it is with great saddness i must tell you willie rutherford died today in new zealand.he was told he had pancreatic cancer last year and it finaly caught upto him today, to his partner lisa her children and all willies many friends my best wishes, bigpentti john greener

Thankyou for taking the time to share this sad news with us john.

[Trevor Scarborough]

Very sad to hear of Willie Rutherford passing away.

To answer the original question, the Rutherford / Harrison Mazda RX7 was in the 1981 event, the second of the Willhire 24 hour races. What actually happened was the car caught fire during one of it's routine pitstops. I can vouch for this as it was right next to my pit where I was running the DJ Electrical ex-Norris Miles Ford Capri 3-litre, along with Norris himself and Clive Philips (who actually worked for Dave Jackson (DJ) at the time. We were pitting at the same time as the RX7 when it suddenly exploded into flame. Everyone in our pit did a 'Permission to panic, Mr. Mainwaring' except for Sheila our timekeeper who stuck to the pit counter and didn't miss a lap!

Anyway, they patched the Mazda up, got the chief Scrut. to check it over, and it went back out (don't know how many laps it lost). Later on, it went off opposite the pitwall and hit the barrier, exploding into flames for a second time. Willie got out unscathed but the car was left where it was, only to be completely totalled a few laps later when Jeremy Shaw got Russell all wrong in his Capri and jumped on top of the burnt out Mazda.

I can probably dig out a few more facts and figures if I search hard enough through my archives. If so, I will post them.

By the way, 1981 was for team cars and singletons, and our Capri was running as a single. Graham Scarborough (my brother) was actually driving for Gerry Marshall's three-car Capri team, not us, although we cannibalised his own car for spares on several occasions throughtout the race, including the diff. assembly which we changed in about half an hour.

I would be pleased to know the identity of the contributor who was our pit 'gopher', so if you could kindly reveal yourself . . . .

[Trevor Scarborough]

Some additional info on the Willie Ruherford Mazda RX7. It was car no 46 in the 1981 Willhire, entrants were Leicht Kitchens and Sports Car Breakers (who sponsored Hamish Irvine's Commodore the previous year), entered drivers were Willie Rutherford, Sid Harrison and John Morrison. It ran in class B together with the Toyota Celica GT of the Brundle family (John, Martin and Robin) amongst others. According to Motoring News it was rally-driver Willie Rutherford's first venture onto the race track.

[chunterer]

Thanks for these posts Trevor, all contributions like these help the thread.

John Morrison posts on here sometimes, he may well come back on and contribute as well.

[rallycrosscraig]

I found of photo of the Rx7 in the Willhire 24 hr pit lan fire

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendaman/7414945628/

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendaman/7414945628/" title="1981 Snetterton Willhire 24 Hour - Mazda RX7 by mendaman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7414945628_8df28d7934.jpg" width="345" height="500" alt="1981 Snetterton Willhire 24 Hour - Mazda RX7"></a>