Your personal racing biographies

[Tim Falce]

Al, that's quite a history and very interesting, thanks for sharing it.

[Al Weyman]

Thanks Tim.

[wolf sun]

There are times when I think the internet is a wonderful thing, and today is one of these occasions.

I'm repeating myself, but cannot thank enough those who have posted so far.

Al, I fully second what Tim said, a big big thank you for sharing!

[morninggents]

Al, don't give up on waiting for that first win. I started racing in 1966 and had to wait until 1998 for a first outright win.

Good write-up and sorry to hear about your son. I don't know how you got over it.

Sad also about Paul Hawkins. I used to work with the guy who was senior incident officer at all the major meetings of the 70s and he was the one who had to get Paul out of the Lola after the fire.

[Mike Bell]

Well written Al. Look forward to seeing the IROC moving under it's own power.

[Al Weyman]

Paul made a fantastic impression on my life and we were talking about me going to work for him, he was such a great character. I won't go into the Christmas Party at Grand Prix Metalcraft's place but suffice to say it was pretty wild!

I always remember we (Nathan Racing) took on a gorgous Dutch lady race driver, to this day I have never seen a better fit in race overalls, her name was Leanna Engleman and my task was to drag the old race Imp out of mothballs and give it the through once over and get Lianna out in the car and look after her at the track (a pleasure I may add despite her burly boy friend Radio London sponsored race driver Kieth St John coming along, I dont think he trusted the young stud muffin). Anyhow she came in bright and early Monday morning and we were chatting in the workshop which you remember was at the rear of the complex so all the other guys used to cut through to go to their respective shops. In walks Paul spots Lianna and lets out a nethandal like howl that nearly bought the roof down 'Whats that silly ''***// ***** tart doing here?' and stormed out the shop. We all looked at each other in blank amazement and Lianna was standing there looking embarressed so I said I better go and find out whats going on. By the time I found Paul he had simmered down a tad so I asked him WTF that was all about and he explained to me they had all just been racing at Daytona or Sebring (some famous stateside track) and Lianna was racing a factory AMC Matador saloon and he was lapping her regularly in his GT40. Anyhow one lap she just pulled straight across his line causing him to crash out and he was not a happy bunny! He got over it though.

Oh another thing on the Imp, Roger had said to me while you are going through it the bloody thing always suffered from chronic bump steer have a look and see if you can find anything wrong. Now the suspension on the car was designed by none other than Frank Costin and I swear as I am typing this I took a single cursory glance under front and said to Roger I can cure that in about 20 minutes. Of cause howls of laughter the 18/19 year old kid (I did leave school at 14 so was an old hand by that age) can cure it and Frank could'nt yeah right! So Roger said well go for it what harm can it do. Well half hour later the job was done and perfect no bump steer and how did I achieve it? I noticed the steering rack was running way out of line with the lower wishbone but by simply reversing the steering arms and turning them upside down they were perfectly inline! So perfect infact I think Frank had designed them like that but as he was known to like a bevvy or two may have got confused when bolting the thing together all I know is it worked leaving Roger walking off muttering words to the effect I raced that bloody thing for years like that!

Oh just one other thing about Paul and the team. I actually got to drive the Le Mans entered GT40, yes true. Richie his engineer had backed it off the trailer (no big motorhomes or transporters back then) and the car was in the alley along side the complex and had to be driven around the pumps at the front of the garage and into Paul's workshop. I pleaded with Richie to let me drive it round and he said go on then you crazy Limey. So I sat in the car and fired it up and Richie came over to me and said drive that out onto the Fortis Green road and you are dead meat, I didnt but it was bloody tempting I confined myself to driving it about 50 yards!

[Peter Dunne]

Some super anecdotes there Al.

Well written and you are too modest. Your motorsport history is very interesting!

As said before, thanks for sharing and well done!

[simon drabble]

Al and Iain great posts - exactly what this thread is all about - now what about the rest of you old timers ... come on Terry and Peter you have been around the block a bit - lets here your war stories! As far as mine and many other "historic only" stories to be honest they pail into insignificance against proper period anecdotes.... suffice to say that like many others mine has been an obsession since a very tender age aided by a childhood friend of my mother's being very closely involved with Snetterton since it started and my father living 3 miles from Silverstone!

[delta]

This going to turn into a fascinating thread well done Wolfeeeeee.One thing we are all agreed on is the friendship that you come across in Motor Sport especially the 10/10 subscribers.I would also love to here from our friends from the other side Marshalls, C of C ect about their moments in Motor Sport.

[wolf sun]

Indeed Iain, this has turned out even better than I imagined, and yeah, let's hear from the other side of the fence, too.

You've cut yours short though, didn't you? Of course want to hear about the GT6 and the cars you raced! (Don't make it as long and meandering as Simon Drabble though - after his page-long post I feel as though I've known him since childhood...)

[John Turner]

You don't mean Simon's do you? He is playing reticent.

Mike, you don't tell us what the car is that your parents are in; you must assume that we all know its a Connaught. An L3?

Excellent posts are coming through on this; please keep them coming.

[simon drabble]

Mike I meant to include your post as well and love the car.... John I actual feel rather embarressed to write about a few class wins through attrition when faced against those who were there "back in the day".
As I have mentioned before I have had lunch with Roger Nathan on several occassions and he is a real character. His post racing life is even more extraordinary!

[compte deGraves]

Originally Posted by John Turner

You don't mean Simon's do you? He is playing reticent.

Mike, you don't tell us what the car is that your parents are in; you must assume that we all know its a Connaught. An L3?

Excellent posts are coming through on this; please keep them coming.

Never mind the car.............where did they buy those hats?

[richard crossley]

Actually this is very inspirational stuff and I for one find it fascinating-

Thanks to all for the insights

[John Turner]

Simon, do it for me and posterity's sake! All the stories count; some are obviously going to be longer than others. How long, for example, do we reckon Mr Hadfield's could be? Take a bit of persuading to get him to do this, I guess!

[Al Weyman]

Did Roger ever talk about his old man Henry Simon? Now that was a character for sure. He once lost a car showroom in Cricklewood in a game of poker so legend has it. And I will always remember this and was warned previously this would happen, when we were doing a ghoster preparing the car with BMW engine for its debut at Crystal Palace (see front cover of Autosport somewhere on here and you will see the car, Roger, Nick Cole and Davy standing on the grid). Anyhow as the birds started their morning chorus old Henry started shouting at them, 'It's not morning yet go away!' and got worse and worse in the end he was hurling stones at them telling them to ***k off, no wonder a oil line was left loose on the car causing the engine to fail, can you imagine Ferrari F1 having that sort of distraction, it was bloody funny though!

Actually I have found the picture from Autosport and will post it below, Nick is the taller guy on the right and is the shorter guy with the hair is Davy, I would have been in the pits setting up. The blond girl was a scottish secratary that worked for the company and had the hots for Roger, I remember arguing with her when she said I would like a crack at driving the car and she said I would never be able to drive the car as I wouldnt be able to handle the racing clutch, yeah right luv wanna try the triple plate Tilton in my old Chevy!

[zefarelly]

Do you think he can remember it all? he's getting on a bit you know

Originally Posted by John Turner

Simon, do it for me and posterity's sake! All the stories count; some are obviously going to be longer than others. How long, for example, do we reckon Mr Hadfield's could be? Take a bit of persuading to get him to do this, I guess!

[simon drabble]

John as you have contributed so much I will do it!
As I mentioned I was fortunate enough to live very close to Silverstone and as my father was a good friend of the owner of the Saracen's Head in Towcester I had tickets whenever I wanted them but I had to bicycle to the circuit. I also had two long standing friends of the family who where involved in racing, one with Snetterton and the other had a business with Paddy Hopkirk and also knows young GBRM. As a child we used to go to the Motor Racing Show each year and he would ensure we left with armful of stickers from all the stands which would then be stuck onto my tuckbox (which I still have and keep all my racing memorabilia in!). In more recent times he actually told me what he and several known drivers used to get upto with the models - all I can say is that the urban myths seem to be censored versions as to what these drivers actually got upto!!
At that age my interest was more in design and I believe I sent several ideas to Lord Hesketh as to how next years car should look. However an older brother who spent several years penniless working for William Towns (during the stilborn Bulldog era) as his junior showed me that it was a difficult industry!
Unfortunately for me although my father had very nice roadcars his passion was horseracing (which he enjoyed good successes in steeplechasers as an owner including a second in the National in 1969). So although I loved racecars I was never going to get any encouragement.
In about 1999 I decided that I had talked about it long enough so bought an MGB which was supposed to have FIA papers and entered an HSCC race. I then booked my ARDS and had a well known tin top driver take me for it, after several familiarization laps I learnt an important racing lesson - never lift off when its damp going under Bridge at Silverstone in an Elise. After the instructor grabbed the wheel the car ended up going backwards into the tyre wall and destroying the car. Ironically (and fortunately) that is the most serious accident I have every had both on the road and track! Suffice to say I failed my Ards but fortunately Thruxton accomodated me several days later 24 hours before my first race! The B didn't happen as the car was not FIA so I rented a Fulvia from Richard Thorne which was slow anyway and given it was snowing even slower - I think the whole field pretty much lapped me that day!
LAK and her husband took pity on me and kindly showed me the ropes during the rest of the season. Rambling on a bit here but to be honest my career from there in has been very dull. Raced several Alfa Sprint GT's then had a Lotus Eleven which I loved and should never have sold then my Merlyn which I still have which I was lucky enough to have two good co drivers and managed to finish 4th in the Spa 6 Hour in 2005. I also briefly co owned one of Mr Wills' Lotus Cortina's which I bought indirectly from Peter Lanfranchi and more recently have been having a lot of fun in a Turner Mk2 Climax which is very standard in terms of power which I co own with an old friend who has just started racing.
Best race? Probably the 6 Hour although my first Class win at an HSCC race at Snett was great, best circuit bar Spa? I had a very enjoyable weekend at Clemont Ferrard a few years ago in my Eleven (even though we didn't finish - a common feature in the Eleven!).
In short my racing is more about having a good weekend with mates doing mental wish lists as I go around the paddock rather than winning as I have neither the talent or budget to be a podium finisher!

[John Turner]

Excellent and interesting stuff, Simon; well done and thanks!

[paulSenna]

Superb thread, many thanks to all the posters.

[Tim Falce]

As a lot of you will know it was my uncle Eric that was, still is the family racer, he started in the 50s but I was never really allowed to go and watch, reality was no one wanted to cart a 6 year old + kid around the race circuits. The only race I think I ever got taken to was at Brands around 1963/64 and I remember there was a Mini in the lead, at least three quarters of a lap in front of the rest of the pack which were made up of everything from E-types to Imps. I think Eric came in third that day but I’m sure he can elaborate if his memory hasn’t faded too much.

The next time I got into racing was watching drag racing at Santa Pod in 1977. About this time I came across Eric’s last race car which was a reincarnation of his last racing E-type which he had rolled spectacularly at Brands in 1965. This had been laying around for years and was in a sorry state, he had fitted it with a 390CI Cadillac V8 which was completely rusted up and in need of a rebuild. It had a fuel tank the size of a small country in the boot area, I think he had the intention of doing a 1000km race at Brands but that never happened.

The E-type in it's heyday with a young Eric on the right

I got the car with the intention of taking it d**g racing, yes we all make mistakes, so set about renovating it. I stripped the engine down, cleaned everything up and fitted a new set of rings and after buying a new carburettor for £20 from an American car dealer in the Goldhawk Rd Chiswick I started it up. This however was in my conservatory where I had rebuilt it and the engine only had a pair of short headers fitted and my mum was not best pleased when the cat stood on the back of the settee unable to move with fear and promptly wet itself.

The car never got finished due to lack of funds and engineering skills so I sold it to a local guy who had a clothing factory and a racing team, I think he only wanted the engine for stock car racing and the car disappeared until a couple of years ago and was residing in France last I heard.

Fast forward to 1994 and uncle Eric finds a replica D-type for sale near where we live. I ended up buying it but it was quite a basket case when I got it home with a home-made chassis that was about as straight as.......... well, not very straight at all. I did a bit of home work and found out more about the car and had the correct chassis made and set about 2 years of rebuild.

When the car was complete I used on the road for a couple of years until the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club started talking about racing. I did a few track days with them and in 2000 decided I’d give the racing a go. After a winter of preparation I was at my first and nearly my last race at Brands Hatch in March 2001.
I ended up in front of the CoC before I even got on track, I’d done everything correct except I’d forgotten to sign a bit of paper saying I’d been to the new driver’s briefing, this was despite me being very nervous and asking if there was anything else to sign. As I could remind him as to what he’d said near enough word for word I was let off with a warning but I was not overly impressed with the MGCC’s way of welcoming rookies.

The race wasn’t much better, we had the newly introduced black and yellow quartered flag shown and those of us that had been at the briefing knew what it meant but the three leaders hadn’t read the finals and carried on at race speed, it ended up with three trains, the three leaders, the next more sensible guys who knew what the flag meant and then the man in front of me pootling around on a Sunday afternoon drive at 30mph and putting us over half a lap behind so we were lapped before our race had even restarted. Added to the fact my wife was watching me for the first (and last time) from the grandstand and afterwards she started nagging that I was driving too fast and too close to other cars, I nearly gave up there and then.

I didn’t give up however and went on to win my first race the following year at Lydden Hill, which is probably still my favourite track. The only down side to this win was that it was by default of the leader breaking down a couple of laps from the end gifting me the race.

I’ve also raced in Eric’s Mk1 Lotus Escort although the first time out I brought it straight back in complaining that there was something the matter with the engine as it would not drive under 5K revs, it took me quite a while having to use more than one or two gears around Brands Hatch

Probably the best car suited to my talent, or lack of it is his Mk2 Fiesta which is very forgiving, I’ve even had it on two wheels around Paddock bend something which in the D-type is a direct path to the gravel trap. In this car we won the first CSCC Tin Tops race at Snetterton, I got a second in class at Brands, would have been first apart from it was a pit stop race where you had to get out and run around the car, I left the stop as late as possible as it started raining half way and as I got out of the car my legs went from under me as I had cramp in them and my lap time was around three minutes which gave the win to a very smug journalist from, I think, Cars and Car Conversions magazine.

The only down side was when the car started to understeer dramatically one season and at Lydden Eric told me it needed to be really thrown into the corners to get it round, following his instructions I threw it into Paddock bend and ended up driving through the gravel on the way out only to suck most of it into the engine where he had no filter fitted, oooppps. It turned out that the front cross member had broken and was moving apart up to a half an inch under cornering.

In the Jaguar I’ve had quite a few class wins and came close to winning a series title only to be let down by the weather on the last race at Mallory a few years ago. I think I was third overall but the two guys who were leading weren’t racing so all I had to do was get a decent class position and it was mine. However when our race was due, the heavens opened and the race was cancelled so I had to console myself with Class champion that year.

Possibly one of my best races was at Thruxton a month or so ago where I won my class and there were around five of us who changed places so often it was corner by corner rather than lap by lap. At one point I ran wide at Church, ended up on the grass at least 50 yards off the track, looked over my right shoulder to see at least three or four other cars along side me, they’d all followed my crap line and come off in sympathy.

So that’s about it for me, nothing overly special and I hope it hasn’t wasted too much of your time reading it.
Tim

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by compte deGraves

Never mind the car.............where did they buy those hats?

And the duffle coats! Rallying in the 50s was sooo different..... (I dont think the hats were bought- more created!)

The car is a bit special- one of the four original Connaught L2s which carried MPH registration numbers. Ours was MPH 998. Duncan Rabagliati has MPH 996 which has exactly the same body, and raced it at Goodwood last year. Sadly 998 is lost. Occasionally I was taken to school in it and Mum was probably a faster driver than Dad- I can remember my bobble hat disappearing in the slipstream!

Well done Simon & Eric. Simon, I think your last sentence sums it up for a lot of us!

[FISCracer]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Stop finding excuses and just post, all of you! It doesn't have to be a blow by blow account of your life; in fact, ...err... definitely not! . I'll even give you a template:-

1) What started you off racing?
2) When did you start racing?
3) What cars have you raced and which is/was your favourite?
4) Your favourite circuit (but please don't all say Spa, or perhaps that should be apart from Spa!)
5) Any particular memorable racing events/incidents.
6) What was your best result?
7) What result gave you the greatest pleasure if different from 5)
8) What race has given you your greatest 'buzz' if different from 6).

Come on; it's not rocket science and racing drivers at any level aren't noted for their shyness, normally!

If too long/boring please ignore

1) I raced everything I could from day one. Me (athletics), pushbike, motorbike it didn't matter. I seemed to have a need for speed. Was heavily into bikes in my late teens and got involved with a drag bike based on a Bonneville. Took my road bike a 350 Yamaha on track at Snetterton and Brands but never raced. My father couldn't understand it.

At uni I went out with a girl who had an MGB.......I remember going to Castle Coombe to see MGCC racing and seeing Roy McCarthy and Martin Shaw at it hammer and tongs in MGAs drifting the cars through Camp corner - must have ben about 1981. Also remember seeing Jimbo - Midgetman's dad - in his MGB. I think Rob Gravett was there in a Midget and seem to remember Mark Hales in one about then too.

2) It all started going downhill when I went to an MGCC natter in 1983 with said girlfriend and someone mentioned a gymkhana (I thought they were for horses) was taking place at the weekend. We went in her MGB and I won it.

I got involved with the MGCC SW Centre who did autotests, scatter rallies and organised sprints and hillclimbs - everything from 1930s M and C types to MGBs Midgets and Metros. A couple of months later got a lift with Kim Dear to Wiscombe Park hillclimb and remember seeing Paul Shannon in his Cobra just beating a TVR Tuscan V8. In 1984 used the MGB to compete in the SW Centre championship and won it. In 1985 bought a sprint/hillclimb Midget and won the MGCC Speed Championship. Got to know Midgetman and MGDavid.

In March 1986 I did my first race at Donington. It snowed. I went out with what was then the MGA Championship and is now the Thoroughbreds in my 1293 Midget. It sleeted in practice and I qualified quite well - 8th. I remember the start of the race as all the quicker cars inc a T type, went blasting past me on the run down to Redgate - I was down to about 20th. No visibility at all. Then I saw cars going all over the place, I picked my way through the carnage and managed to finish without falling off. I finished where I had started 8th and won the class. When I got out of the car my knees just gave way. I'd never been so full of adrenaline in my life. I was hooked.

Moved to the south east and got involved in driving in and organising sprints at Goodwood and did the odd bit of tuition there.

3) I ran the Midget for another year and then in 1988 I started to build the old MGB into a standard class race car. In 1990/92/93 I competed in BCV8 and Thoroughbreds. In 1994 I had a serious RTA which put me in hospital for 5 months and made me 2.5 inches shorter on one side and 1 inch on the other. It took 5 years for me to recover sufficiently for the MSA to give me my licence back.

In 1999 I went to MG Silverstone and ran the old Midget in the High Speed Trial. For 2000 I rebuilt the MGB into an up to date standard class race car and ran it in both the Phoenix Championship and the Thoroughbreds. I got a number of class podiums in the former and won every round in the latter. I thought I'd arrived!

For 2001 I bought the ex Matt Kelly MGF to do the MGF Cup. The highlight of the year was leading the pack at the end of the first lap in the first race at Silverstone. Things quickly went downhill. It was like bumper cars. Despite several podiums after 5 rounds and £20k of damage I decide to pack it in as I could not afford the damage. My last race in it was at MG Silverstone where I won the 1Hr enduro from pole to flag despite intense pressure from Malcolm Gammons in the ex Jamie Hunter B&G car.

For 2002 I built a 1380 Midget for the European FISC Championship. All the cars were rev limited, weighed 750kgs inc driver and ran on £25 155/70 Bridgestones. Over the next 6 years I raced all over Europe, with up to 20 hours on track per year in the car. I got to know Spa, the Nordschliefe, Monza, Le Mans, Clermont Ferrand, Zandvoort, Dijon, Monthlery, Magny Cours etc etc and got numerous podiums and a few outright wins. Raced at the RMU Classic, the L'Age D'Or at Monthlery and Dijon and various other prestigious events. Thank you Pieter Bakker. Learnt a huge amount about close racing, pushing a car to its absolute limit, car control and met some of the best drivers I have ever had the privilege of racing with. Did my first BSSC race at the Spa 6 Hr meeting in 2005 in the FISC Midget.

In 2007 I bought a TVR Grantura MKIII but was tucked up on its 'restoration'. Unable to touch it for legal reasons in 2008 I bought the ex Mick Darcey/Paul White FIA MGB which had won BCV8 and Thoroughbreds championships and competed in last years' 6Hrs. We finished 22nd.

I have just bought another Grantura MKIII and once fettled I hope to be out in it in ADAC and/or 6Hrs next year


4) The Nordschliefe every time.


5) Throttle sticking open in top coming down towards Mansfield from the Gooseneck at Cadwell.

Avoiding Malcolm Young's hardtop as it flew off at about 100mph at Donnington

Running onto the grass at about 120mph at Flanzgarten in the Midget

My NSF alloy wheel breaking and parting company as I turned into Stavelot on the 4th lap of this years 6Hrs: driving back to the pits on 3 wheels


6) Winning the 1Hr enduro at MG Silverstone in 2001


7) Winning the very first race at Clermont Ferrand after the circuit had been restored and being interviewed by French TV

Beating NKHTGT Bizzarini's, GT350s, Corvettes, Healeys in the wet at Spa in my little FISC Midget on 155 road tyres.

Beating the Melse and Poland 911s at Dijon in my FISC Midget last year - couldn't catch Caresani though

Breaking 11m at the Nordschliefe (inc Short GP) in the FISC Midget

Breaking 3.10 in practice at this year's 6 Hrs in my MGB with only 135bhp


8) Making up 19 places in one lap at Silverstone in the MGF

A FISC race at Dijon. 7 cars in convoy swapping places like only Midgets and 7s can for 25 minutes. Moved from 7th to 1st with three laps to go. Lost the lead to Ian Hullett, got it back, lost it again. Went over the line 2nd with 0.038s between the first three.

My first time at the Nordschliefe

[James Murray]

Here we go then, very drab compared to the likes of Marcus, Iain, Al Weyman etc

Interest was like so many ignited by my dad (Roger, still races ocasionally) who took me to VSCC/HSCC in races from when I was very young. Distinctly remember Patrick Lindsay in Remus with black helmet and red jumper and also Bruce Halford in his Lotus 16, which I adored then and still do. Dad then started hillclimbing in mid 80's with March 703 and Brabham BT21 and then circuit racing in 1990 and I was dragged around the circuits without much persuasion although my mum and sister needed a bit more encouragement.

Started Formula TKM karting in 1991 but was rubbish as was too big and never had time to do it properly due to playing Cricket/Rugby/Tennis etc etc for school at weekends or going with dad and uncle to historic races but carried on dabbling in it until I went to university.

Started car racing in 1998 with Merlyn Mk20 which my dad bought me as a gift and I think has regretted it eversince! I have driven the Merlyn in FF along with a Lola T200 and a Palliser WDF3 in HFF. Also have raced Brabham BT30 and BT36 F2 in Derek Bell Trophy and Euro F2. Currently drive Lola MK5A FJ and Reynard SF77 FF2000 and hopefully another F2 on the way. Had enormous fun and still doing so but the highlights so far have been when myself, my dad and uncle were all racing at the same time but unfortunately that ended in disaster at Spa for my Uncle and he hasnt raced since. Being next to Bobby Rahal on the grid at Spa Euro F2 in the Brabham BT30 was a highlight along with being fortunate enough to win the odd HFF/FJ race and also being fortunate enough to race at all in very valuable and historic cars, which I am interested in as much as the driving! My pet hate is continuation cars and my favourite cars are most single seater/Sports Racers form 1960 -1980 although would love a 26r Elan one day!

[delta]

I enjoying this so much. Well done Wolfeeeeee. Simon that was just brilliant i cant stop laughing about your ARDS test at Silverstone. Good for you for telling us.Still waiting for the Stig's. Come on Tel.