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Old 8 Oct 2009, 04:26 (Ref:2556357)   #26
rogerwills
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rogerwills should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridrogerwills should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
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Originally Posted by terence bower View Post
I've seen that site Roger,somehow it has linked to a very similar site name as my own.Owned by someone in Brno! Turn's out the owner has something like 63,000 other site's,guess what,they are all for sale.!
[Sorry for the OT info]
www.blackbullets.com ?

This is a site for NZ drivers.
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 05:34 (Ref:2556387)   #27
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terence should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridterence should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Seen that as well,but it is linked to www.historicmotorsportconsultancy.com which is like I said,owned by some guy in Brno who is impossible to get hold of.Check the above on a Whois site.
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Living the dream,Chief instruktor and racing on the worlds best circuits-The Nordschleife and Spa.Getting to drive the worlds best cars-someone has to do it, so glad its me.
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 07:44 (Ref:2556427)   #28
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zefarelly has a real shot at the podium!zefarelly has a real shot at the podium!zefarelly has a real shot at the podium!zefarelly has a real shot at the podium!
[QUOTE=GORDON STREETER;2556181]
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=compte deGraves;2556016] an MGA stock car at Wimbledon

Blimey an MGA stock car, you were brave
nearly as brave as a crash test dummy in a VW Combi!
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 08:01 (Ref:2556439)   #29
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simon drabble should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridsimon drabble should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridsimon drabble should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
Monsieur le Comte your biog was a very entertaining read and when I think I can write mine as eloquently as that I will!! In the meantime I look forward to some of our more professional drivers biogs - c'mon Terry et co....
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 08:06 (Ref:2556443)   #30
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terence should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridterence should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Nah,much too boring Simon.
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 08:18 (Ref:2556449)   #31
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delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!
Yes come on Tel we are all waiting.Come to think off it ,and Gordon,Big Al ect ect what about you JR not gone all shy have you.
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 08:21 (Ref:2556450)   #32
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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).
OK, mines pretty short and boring, so it'll pave the way for the rest of you to pipe up!

1) My late father was an 'automotive enthusiast' so I guess I was born into it, toys, scalextric etc, he was club secretary for Bognor Regis MC at one point and quite into rallying as a more than competent navigator. he had a pretty hot MK2 Cortina when I was small, previously a 356 powered beach buggy (not family freindly) latterly he restored a few scimitars, which, it might be argued, explains his untimely demise!

I really got into racing properly in 1999 when I used to help Adrian Tinknell/Les Goble with their Lotus Cortina. then built my own car 2003 . . . .

2) . . . and started breaking things, sorry, racing, in 2004.

3) only the Cortina, I'm still waiting for a better offer!
4) Brands GP, Chimay and Dijon, in no particular order
5) getting nurfed at Dijon by a Vauxhall being driven badly early on, then giving a pleasant wave when I lapped it later on.
6)5th overall behind 4 Mustangs and a class win in Top Hat at Spa 2006, or 4th overall and class win from the back of the grid in July at the Autoglym festival (Lydden)
7) Chimay 2005, made an early compulsory stop with a broken exhaust, it snapped off completely at the bottom of the manifold, deemed to be ok I resumed the race, in the pouring rain and finished 6th, without the long stop I think I might have got 3rd, but it was a great weekend, and a great race, on a great street circuit.
8) checking someones points at Snetterton gave me a massive buzz last year
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 08:48 (Ref:2556463)   #33
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GORDON STREETER is going for a new world record!GORDON STREETER is going for a new world record!GORDON STREETER is going for a new world record!GORDON STREETER is going for a new world record!GORDON STREETER is going for a new world record!GORDON STREETER is going for a new world record!GORDON STREETER is going for a new world record!
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Yes come on Tel we are all waiting.Come to think off it ,and Gordon,Big Al ect ect what about you JR not gone all shy have you.
I am writing my memoirs starting off in the Raj in India, but I will have to edit it down as my PC only has 500 GB of memory .
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 08:54 (Ref:2556467)   #34
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Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER View Post
I am writing my memoirs starting off in the Raj in India, but I will have to edit it down as my PC only has 500 GB of memory .
Maybe we could have a sub-forum for yours.
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 08:57 (Ref:2556469)   #35
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wolf sun should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
And thanks, Stuart and Zefarelly, too!
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 10:07 (Ref:2556506)   #36
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I am writing my memoirs starting off in the Raj in India, but I will have to edit it down as my PC only has 500 GB of memory .
thats more than most people

once edited and filtered for bull**** most would go on a ZX spectrum!
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 10:11 (Ref:2556509)   #37
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compte deGraves should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridcompte deGraves should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
[QUOTE=GORDON STREETER;2556181]
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=compte deGraves;2556016] an MGA stock car at Wimbledon

Blimey an MGA stock car, you were brave
Thanks Gordon! You have spotted the deliberate error; I meant an MG Magnette! In the late '60 there was always a saloon car stock race as support to the "F1" stocks. I can assure you I was the original crash test dummy in that car.

My excuse for the error is simple - we are getting the harvest in at the moment and the heat is causing the grapes to ferment before we can get them inside. Most of the tractor drivers cannot stand up by the end of the day
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 10:25 (Ref:2556520)   #38
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Those were the days
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 10:34 (Ref:2556524)   #39
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1) What started you off racing? No idea (certainly not my parents!), probably saw a GP on TV when I was younger. A local garage had a kart team so I polished cars/pumped fuel in return for a few test laps. First test was on the main straight of the dissused Roy Hesketh circuit in ZA!
2) When did you start racing? 1994 in karts in ZA
3) What cars have you raced and which is/was your favourite? Karts, Formula Ford, Formula 3, Historic F1 and Formula Junior, Porsche 996 GT3, Formula 4 in Japan, Formula Asia in the Phillipines and Formula GTI in ZA
4) Your favourite circuit (but please don't all say Spa, or perhaps that should be apart from Spa!) Suzuka, Goodwood, Zolder and Brands GP
5) Any particular memorable racing events/incidents. Throttle jamming, cluch failing, seat breaking and steering column coming loose in the F1 car at Goodwood, all in the same race! And then the brakes started to go soft... The heat in the Phillipines in the F/Asia race. Any F/Ford race at Brands.
6) What was your best result? 1st place in ZA, 3rd in F3 and 9th at Goodwood in the F1 car.
7) What result gave you the greatest pleasure if different from 5) Podium in F3 and any finish at Goodwood. Driving a racing car around Suzuka is magical.
8) What race has given you your greatest 'buzz' if different from 6). First GT race in the Porsche
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 11:13 (Ref:2556543)   #40
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Well you did ask for it !
When I left school in 1962 I wanted to be a cameraman making films, but as I had no qualifications I started work as a motor mechanic at Alan Fraser's (of Imp fame) garage. This fueled my enthusiasm for motorsport.
As I wasted most of my money on motorbikes and girls I couldn't afford to go racing until I found out that you could actually get paid to race on the oval circuits.
Up until then I used to build some pretty hot engines and Anglia's for other people.
I actually started in banger racing with a 100E at places like Cross in Hand and Walthamstow stadiums in 1969/70 but soon moved on to Hot Rods in an Anglia sponsored by Weller Wheels, getting to a red top doing 2 or 3 meetings a week at most of the stadiums, and occasional meets in Holland and Germany.
On the way I nicked one of my mechanics girlfriends that is now my wife !
I then had a bit of a lay off for a few years and decided to go Motocrossing.
I had my moments but its a hard physical sport and I stuck at it for a few years without any serious injuries.
As I was still building Ford engines for other people one of my customers let me have a shared drive of a quick RS 2000 Mk 2 in sprints.
I immediately clicked with the car and was miles faster than the owner and on one occasion at Goodwood I was 10 seconds a lap faster than him. OK perhaps not a massive amount, but his time was in the dry and mine was in the wet !
I decided to go circuit racing in 1989 and built an Anglia (what else) for the HRSR series. As is usual with most race cars it was finished on the Saturday morning for its first race at Mallory Park on the Sunday. Not knowing what to expect I found that I was on the pace and actually had a class win first time out..
I stuck with the HRSR for a couple of years or so and in 1991 I had a class win at every round except 1 DNF and won the Championship picking up sponsorship from Fast Car Magazine on the way. I also had a few outright wins on the odd occasion.
George Polley also built an Anglia for that series that I brought and ran in the ICS Championship that was part of the BTCC package for a number of years. I had loads of class wins but never won the outright title. This was a brilliant series and I was very sad when it stopped
Still using the same car I joined the CSCC. (now the CTRC) in various races and won the Classic Thunder Championship in 2001.
As the car was trying to compete against much later designed and better machinery I decided that I would try the Heritage series as it seemed they were more historic oriented and I didn't want to radically alter the car to have any chance. It was a good choice and again had many wins,
Also as at the time they were doing high profile meetings (BTCC/ A1GP/WTC etc)my main sponsor paid for the race entries that cost an arm and a leg !
I would also do several of the “Winter Series” at Snetterton and Brands more for the “crack”than anything else but also had lots of wins against more sophisticated cars.
The car actually isn't as modified as some people may think, although its got a crossflow engine the suspension is very rudimentary but well sorted, and after using it for almost 20 years I know its limitations !
One last memorable story.
At Spa one year the race was sponsored by a champagne firm and they picked Skid Scarborough an me to drive their guest around the circuit in our race cars. We pointed out that we only had one seat but they said "if you drive slowly they can sit on a cushion on the floor" ! After a very short while Skid overtook me and then I overtook him and so on until we were almost in a race ! After the word got round there was a queue forming up for these “Hot Laps” and Skid will always remember seeing one guy hanging off my roll cage almost horizontal around Blanchimont , in his words “like an ape”. You couldn't make it up and of course it was all FIA safety approved !. (I think the cushions were fireproof)
Unfortunately as some of you will know I have had to pack it all in due to ill health, but you never know as I have still got the car ! PS I just found this http://www.richardjohnneil.com/1974/1974_mar_03.htm

Last edited by GORDON STREETER; 8 Oct 2009 at 11:38.
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 11:53 (Ref:2556568)   #41
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simon drabble should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridsimon drabble should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridsimon drabble should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
Gordon that was worth the wait...
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 12:35 (Ref:2556604)   #42
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Colin McKay should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridColin McKay should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
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I wasted most of my money on motorbikes and girls
How can that ever be thought of as a waste of money?
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 16:10 (Ref:2556714)   #43
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Marcus Mussa should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridMarcus Mussa should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
1) I have always been mad keen on racing. My father, who loved all sports, would lay out tracks in paper on the floor and we would race dinky toys by throwing dice and moving the cars around the track. At Mille Miglia time (May) we would lay out a giant track all around the sitting room. In 1955 he took my sister and I to watch the real thing just outside Rome and we sat on a little bridge with our legs dangling over on to the road and the cars flashing past. I was very upset afterwards because some upstart English driver beat my favourite red cars but I do remember Moss and Fangio going past and of course my favourite, Taruffi, the Silver Fox. Plus Ascari in a dark red Lancia.
2) I started as soon as I was old enough. I got my driving licence much earlier than expected, when I was 16 as we went to live in Ottawa, Canada – marvellous! When I was 18 (1967) my father bought me a second hand Kelly Vee from Wayne Kelly who lived nearby in Ottawa. To get my Canadian competition licence I had to do a drivers’ school, this was a day at St Jovite in May 1967. As the instructor could not instruct in a single seater, my father lent me his Corps Diplomatique plated Lancia Flavia saloon car! Very brave of him. So I did my first race that evening in a Lancia Flavia on Michelin X tyres, which three wheeled very effectively (in fact the instructor was enchanted by the car). First novice race in the Vee was at Mosport and I went off on the fourth corner of the very first lap (I learnt that it was unwise to lift off in mid corner, even if a car is spinning in front of you!). Bang went my dreams of becoming world champion! Best race in 1967 was the very first GP of Three Rivers, running clockwise for the first and last time. Scrutineering was in a slaughter house which was encouraging.
3) After the Kelly Vee (1967) we bought a brand new Lotus 51 from Bill Brack in Toronto and I raced that all 1968. I raced at St Jovite and Mosport, and also did the Three Rivers event again, finishing 8th overall and winning the Formula Ford “class” (informally as we ran as FB). I also won a race at St Jovite on 1/9/68 (easy date to remember!). I finished the season as “works” driver for Manic (who built Grac Formula France cars under licence). Then to the UK and F4 then FF in 1969/70. Then I got married and promised to retire from racing (I will one day!). Started again in 1982 in a Lister Jaguar, then got into modern racing (Samba Trophy, Coupe de l’Avenir in France). My brother in law (who owned the Lister) bought a Lotus 18 Junior in auction in Paris in 1987/8 and found he did not fit, so he proposed it to me. I did not really want to get back into racing but then a photo appeared in Motoring News of that upstart English driver, S.Moss, on a quayside in Belgium having just picked up a Widi which he was taking back to England to race. I thought that if he could be so enthusiastic about racing (he who really had nothing to prove!), then I jolly well ought to do it myself. So it was all his fault! The 18 led to a 22 and the 22 to my BT2, and here I am still. Only 20 years to go.
4) Difficult one – Brands GP, Road America, Mosport. The most fun per mile was perhaps last week-end at Lydden Hill! Oh yes, found it, the old Charade – absolutely fabulous.
5) Starting a race on the same row as Gerhard Berger. ETCC at Anderstorp in 1986 and as you guessed, it was indeed the last row – Berger couldn’t get his BMW CSI to fire up and had to go to the back of the grid! Well it sounds good. Later in the race being lapped for the umpteenth time by Denny Hulme – I tried to be helpful and moved over, off line – he moved over, then I moved back and he moved back. He finally made it past. I apologized afterwards and he said not to worry – what a nice guy! I had met him already after the first Canadian GP at Mosport in 1967; he was standing by his hire car in his underpants getting changed after finishing 2nd – on his way to becoming World Champion. None of these prima donnas in those days!
6) I suppose winning the Springbok trophy for FJ this year was a highlight. But sometimes one does not necessarily win one’s best races.
7) Perhaps 19th to 4th at Nurburgring in 2008 in the Lurani FJ race, my mechanic John having repaired my broken drive shaft by cutting and welding Brian Lambert’s MGB spare propshaft.
8) Driving Doug Mockett’s Penske PC3 at Road America in 2004. Got a call from Doug on Tuesday “can you be there Thursday, car is already at the track but I’ve broken a rib!” I did 4 hours in the car that week-end! It was pure heaven. Worst moment was sitting in the car before the race, warming up in the pit/assembly area with a very pretty lollipop girl standing there in her mini skirt and a good worms’ eye view of her. At last I was the big shot F1 driver. She mouthed “good luck” and waved goodbye and I waved back, dropped my hand back onto the wheel and hit the kill switch – just as the pack was moving off for the rolling start!

All the best
Marcus
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 16:58 (Ref:2556758)   #44
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Well, if you're sure you want the boring people, I'll give a potted digest of a lifetime that is nowhere near as colourful as most:

Started motorsport when I was a baby & I was carried round in the boot of a Frogeye Sprite in my carrycot. Grew up around MGs as my parents were activists in the paramilitary drinking wing of the Provisional MG Car Club. So it was natural I started sprinting/hillclimbing/autotesting/trialling etc when I was 19 in a Sprite (1981?). And an MG Metro. And an MG1300. And an MGB. Won a championship in my first year and mistakenly thought I was good so progressed to circuit racing in a Midget. Also turned up at Castle Combe Special GT races in it.

Moved through Sports 2000/Thundersports (Aquila), Thundersaloons/Special GT (Rover SD1) and of course the inevitable MGBs (sorry!) to first retirement when, on the basis of "those that can: do. Those that can't: teach," I became a kart racing instructor. Got started again in hillclimbs/sprints in various FWD MGs thanks to MGDavid's bad influence before I persuaded him to share my Midget in the FISC series in Europe. Latest incarnation of the car (see avatar) looks exactly the same as my first Sprite nearly 30 years & 5 bodyshells ago and I thought we were supposed to progress in life!!!!

Favourite circuit? Possibly Donington where I had my one and only race victory in, ooh, 1986? 87?. Castle Combe features a lot in my life having spectated, raced and worked there, but if I had to choose it would be Dijon.

Best race? Definitely my only race in '09, driving MGD's Montego at Silverstone - it was like kart racing all over again, only in a 1.5tonne taxi :-)

Thanks to motorsport I've had huge hangovers all over UK & Europe, with a series of reprobates (sorry, upstanding fellow competitors) I'm proud to call friends. And when I'm in a retirement phase, like at present, I just can't stay away from racing places and racing people. Although as I've got older the socialising has become less important than the racing.

Less a sport, more a lifestyle choice
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 17:01 (Ref:2556765)   #45
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I forgot to add my favorite circuit is Brands Hatch (apart from Spa) and my most memorable race was beating Adrian Newey in his Ferrari with my Anglebox !!!!
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 18:25 (Ref:2556850)   #46
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delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!
Trust me to have to follow Marcus nothing no grand I'm afraid. By the way Marcus Ive asked you on the "lighter side " how did Lydden go i see you had two P2,s Well done.
Here goes. Back in the 60's my dad was the Truckee for John Wyer.He would stop by home on his way to the tracks sometimes with a GT40 then later Porsche 917's on the back of the trailer.I was a young teenager then and was just smitten with the cars so all i dreamed about then was becoming a racing driver,"still do ".Left school at 15 and worked at various jobs saving up money to go to Brands Hatch Racing school.At the weekends i helped a local mechanic who raced scooters and he taught me to weld and i just loved life then working all hours and learning what i could about motor racing. I started marshaling at Brands when i was 17 but confess i would often arrive late for signing on and would spend the time sniffing around the paddock looking at the cars talking to drivers and absorbing as much info as i could.I would like to point out that Mum and Dad were absolutely against me racing as Dad had seen the dangers in those days with the fatalities that were so common in the 60's. So i was on my own.Finally past my test after 4 go's and set of to Brand's to become a Famous racing driver.That didn't work out so well and after half a dozen races it was suggested i was waisting my money, i remind Brian Jones when ever i catch up with him about those word's which he denies.By now i had left home and was sharing digs with my lifetime mate who is now my brother in law but that's another story and we decided to build our own car.To this day i don't know why but we chose to build a Mod-sports GT6More laughter.By now i had three jobs to pay for all the parts and we moved into a rented house in Ealing and the owner let us build the car in his garage.It would take too long and i would love to tell some stories off the build but after eighteen months we arrived at Goodwood to test with the plan on racing at Brands 1974 boxing day meeting.I pulled out of the pits and can remember the excitement to this day as i accelerated the car got faster and faster out on to the track but hang on i did not have my foot on the gas.The triple webbers were next to the front wheel and as the stones came off the tyres so they went into the carb's.So i did not make a lap and the disappointment was eminence and i cancelled Brands. Early next year we came back to Goodwood "do you know what they gave me a credit" ran the car and had my first race at Thruxton Easter the next year.I ve had nearly 40 years in Motor Sport and still enjoy it as much now as i did in those early days.Hears to the next 40 years.
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 18:42 (Ref:2556868)   #47
delta
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delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!delta has a real shot at the podium!
1,See above,
2 See above.
3.Been lucky enough to drive lots of cars and don't want to be boring.
4,I suppose most recent was testing the Shark Nose Ferrari.
5.Thruxton 1979. I'm in F4 car slipstreaming a more powerful Monoposto at Church in qualifying I'm on his gearbox he lift's and i come round half a mile away in a field.Took them ages to find me but I raced later that day.
6.P3 at Aungulemmne.In Duncan's Alexsis.Biggest trophy ive got,.
7.Driving with Compte at Pau in his Elite.
8Thruxton Classic F3 in 793 March 2006 pole led the race,then fell asleep finished P2.with fastest lap.Also this year with Jim at Donnington as featured in the "lighter side"Lotus 17 class win after changing diff in just over an hour.
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 20:20 (Ref:2556941)   #48
Mike Bell
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Mike Bell has a real shot at the championship!Mike Bell has a real shot at the championship!Mike Bell has a real shot at the championship!Mike Bell has a real shot at the championship!Mike Bell has a real shot at the championship!Mike Bell has a real shot at the championship!
Following Iain and others of such experience and intersting tales- not easy but here goes

Certainly a common thread regarding parental influence- this is my Mum & Dad in the family transport when I was 5 or 6!



I also got taken to Snetterton sometimes and remember standing on the big bank opposite the startline. In the early 60s we had membership of ‘Snetterton Motor Club’ and I still have a 1963 car pass and numbered lapel badges, along with a 1951 Sporting Car Club of Norfolk car badge! Left school at 16 and got a job as an apprentice engineering draughtsman in Norwich. On the top floor, overlooking the river, the best part of the job was (in the summer) watching sunbathing ladies on passing hire cruisers- the rest was crap! After a year I was allowed to get a job as grease monkey in a local garage and go to local tech on day release, so I could start to work and play with my own cars. First ‘competition’ car was a 105E (what else!) with Classic front struts and discs, plus 1300GT Xflow engine and box from a LuMo Escort 1600GT conversion. This was used for anything from Autotests, Prod trials to road rallies. The boss’s son turned out to be my best mate and an excellent navigator and we had some good fun with the car, but eventually I was lured by fwd and built up a Cooper S engined Mini Clubman from a wrecked shell. This was bloody hard work to navigate in and not very reliable. Next up after a year’s gap was a Mexico followed by a disaster of an Avenger Tiger! One stage rally and most of the spot welds were popped……..
Retirement ‘till the mid eighties, then got the bug again and bought a sh*tb*x of a Sunbeam Ti, which I put off on first stage of first rally! It didn’t get much better but I still was SCCON Stage Rally champion! By now GpN was beginning to get popular, so I built up a 1.6 205Gti from a wreck and on 2nd rally- Tour of Flanders- won the class! Tarmac rallying in Belgium was fun- roads just like in rural Norfolk but nothing coming the other way! The 1.6 was replaced by a 1.9Gti for the 1989 Peugeot Rally challenge. My gravel performance was dire, and while trying to go quicker on 3rd rally totally destroyed the car in Yorkshire somewhere. The wreck even made my local paper! Did my first race at Mallory as part of the championship before that, and although finished in the pack posted 3rd fastest lap. After mishap, quick rebuild into a new shell, and did Manx rally. Scarey roads- didn’t enjoy. Lastly entered Ypres 24hr event, and managed 3rd in class behind a couple of works built Astras- loved those Belgian roads again! By now funds were drying up so sold the car to a lad called Burns and got job spannering for Mitsu WRC team instead. That lasted 5 years and introduced me to professional motorsport standards! (And politics.)
Retirement again until, after buying and restoring an RS1600 road car (see avatar) I did some track days in it. By chance got talking to not too distant neighbour James Paterson who was a previous Morgan Class champ and had bought a Lotus 11. He invited me to a race or two and I was hooked on the historic stuff! Took my ARDS at Goodwood early 2006 and did the Spring Sprint. Couldn’t see much in that so decided I needed to find a pre-66 GT to build. Enter ‘Gilbert’ Gilbern- first event 2007 Spring Sprint again and first race for both of us at Snet (GTS) one week later. Late same year made decision to build a proper Gp2 Escort race car while could still find a shell. This year the 2 cars have taken me to Donington, Brands GP, Castle Combe, Magny Cours, Silverstone Classic and Spa. Plus I was privileged to race in the Autosport 3hr at Snetterton in James & Suzanne's MGB. If I can’t be racing then really happy to be somewhere supporting others!
Highlights? After only 3 seasons every event and track is still a highlight!
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 20:57 (Ref:2556975)   #49
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wolf sun should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid

Please keep going folks, compelling reading! And contrary to what some of you say, it's not boring at all, quite the opposite in fact..

Please feel free to add more if you've already posted.

I think I'll have to bring a dictaphone to next year's Six Hours to do a couple of Interviewettes...
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Old 8 Oct 2009, 21:03 (Ref:2556983)   #50
Al Weyman
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Al Weyman has a real shot at the podium!Al Weyman has a real shot at the podium!Al Weyman has a real shot at the podium!Al Weyman has a real shot at the podium!
OK you asked for it, here is mine for what its worth.

I guess my passion started when I bought a Norton motorcycle on my 16th birthday and started modifying it. I used to go to the Busy Bee Cafe in Watford, Ace Cafe in Ealing and the Dug Out at Golders Green. Now i know this sounds a bit sad but there were some amazing machines turning up at these places in the evenings and remember I started going to them at aged 14 with a mate in his Mk 1 Zodiac so was easily impressed but that was not hard with stuff like Truimph engines in Norton frames (Triton) Vincent 1000 engines in Norton frames, Harleys, Bonnivilles, Manx Nortons, AJS 7R's, Vellocette Vipers even some V twin Jap engined Morgans used to turn up and most were highly modified not like the sanitised Japanese stuff we see today.

Anyhow we used to have these road trips and one was to Mallory Park to watch a motorcycle race and the Mini with the close coupled wheels was racing in the sidecar event and blistered around the track and I was hooked from that day. Also I started doing all my own work on the bike and learnt quickly even doing engine rebuilds.

I then had various jobs one was working at Elstree Aerodrome helping service the owner Mr Holders twin Cessna while there I actually met Graham and Damien Hill, Damien about 3 at the time so wouldnt remember me! Dad had a green Cooper S with a white roof and at the time had a single engined Cessna then while I was there he won Indy and with the prize money bought a brand spanking new Piper Apache Twin fully kitted out with all the latest radar equipment, the smartest plane at the airfield! Unfortunately that was also the craft he so sadly lost his life in some years later.

After that I got a job at Mullard Vehicles in Edgware, now that was interesting and did I learn a lot. They bought ex-army kit and our job was to rebuild them. I got to build my first Ford V8's then (still only just 17) that came in the F100 USAF pick trucks. I also got to work on Landrovers, Champs, Bedford RL trucks, Scout cars, Half tracks Commer 2 strokes, massive Scammell and Matador tank transporters and the most brilliant thing of all was we had a truly massive yard with a disused spur rail track going down to Mill Hill and we got to road test them, man that was fun! After that I had short stint at a Ford main dealer and while there see a job advertised in the Evening News for a race mechanic and road car modifier (it used to be like that!) so I applied and got it. I also bought my first Sports car an Austin Healy 100/6 for £240 on the strap from Camden Motors.

Any how the motorsport company was Roger Nathan Racing in Fortis Green Road Muswell Hill. When I started what a motorsport haven the place was unbelivable. We had the biggest workshop across back where they were building the Astra cars and my work mates were Cedric Selzer the ex Lotus F1 mechanic, Nick Coles, and a guy called David who went on to work for Guy Edwards I believe. Also were two brothers and a mate all ex-Aston Martin body builders and these guys were truely amazing. They could fashion a wing from a sheet of alloy in front of you, I have never seen workmanship like it. They went on to form Grand Prix Metalcraft. While there I was responsible for modifing road cars, looking after the Imp racer and building race engines and sometimes worked on the GT cars.

The building was split into smaller units and housed in those was David Piper Ferrari team complete with a real funny character called Fax Dunn who invented a fast filler system called the fax filler and Paul Hawkins the GT40, Lola T70 and F1 racer who I am proud to say I became friends with and we used to do some business together me buying all his old racing tyres and wheels and anything else of value and selling in Autosport. In fact I was even negotiating buying a redundant engineless Lola T70 covered in pigeons crap at the time he died at Oulton Park, a great loss and a sad day.

From there I went self-employed and eventually took on a garage premise in Barnet (about early 70's) and used to general repairs and some tuning. I let out a bodyshop in the premises and the guy was an ex-banger racer who wanted to have a go at HotRod racing so between us we built an Anglia. I then built a successon of Mk 1 Escorts, Minis, even a Mini Ford, got deliberately taken out big time by world champions drag racer Andy Carter at Arena Essex and knocked it on the head and got married and raised three childern I also left the garage game after being turned over for a lot of money and went into the replacement window business.

Then in about 85-86 I used to drive regularly down to Norfolk to see my old mum who had retired there and my sisters and one day on the way down a load of modfied saloons came caning past me and turned into Snetterton. I thought this looks fun and looked into it and it turned out it was Tim Dodwell's Road Saloons. So after speaking with Tim who infact had a shop near to a company I was surveying for in Croydon I got the regs and decided to look out for a car. My job was very well paid and only required about three days work a week (free lance surveyor) so I used to trade cars as well and at the auctions an old Sunbeam Ti came through and I thought brilliant twin Weber 40's as standard way to go. I bought it and prepared it for racing and at about the time of the birth of my third child started circuit racing which really was a tad selfish if I am honest.

After a season or two at this and struggling as I took the rules too seriously even to the extent of using stock springs (it did say to) till I caught one of the organisers changing his in a dark corner at Snetterton. With that I changed the springs and transformed the car. I wrote off my Talbot at old Hall Oulton Park on the slowing down lap after taking overall pole I was nerfed off by an SD1 and it may even have been someone who posts here but not sure so won't name names. I was sitting there watching the race and was approached by Brian Sheridan who's car had also expired and asked if I wanted a hand to get it home as he had a trailer hidden away around the corner (you had to drive to the circuit). I said no the RAC are on their way so he asked me what I thought of the series and no trailering. I said not impressed so he said he could get finacial backing and if I was technical and could wright up a set of regs we could start a rival series. I said I am up for it and the Racing Saloon Car Club and Modified Production Saloons were born!

I spent many many hours on the regs on my of original Amstrad 464 computer and eventually produced a working copy and we went off to down to Thruxton for a meeting with BARC's head man Sidney Offord who thought it was a great idea and rubber stamped the championship. Brian had secured sponsorship from an Aussie company called Truseal and in a blaze of publisity and full spread articles in the comics the championship was launced. Memberships started pouring in and we kicked off with so many cars we had to break it down into two and sometimes three groups. At one stage I counted 6 SD1's and two Camaros on the grid it was awesome. We also tried to start a Capri challenge but could not get enough cars so they amalgamated in with the main championship. I had built another Talbot Ti but was bored with it so build a Chevrolet Monza Spyder GT a very rare car based on the Vega chassis. Unfortunately it had a bent chassis and do what I may even had it on a jig, it wouldnt turn into right handers and I eventually ran it up the bank at Chessons Lydden Hill breaking its back and nearly breaking mine! From the bits I bought a road going Camaro RS and built the yellow car I have today that was in about 89. Then Brian Sheridan resigned from The Racing Saloon Car Club and I took over as chairman and ran it for quite a few years and secure Falken Tyres sponsorship a great package taht meant we actually paid drivers prize and start mone (shock horror!!) I ran the club as non profit making and put every penny back into the club and prize fund.

I raced the Camaro for a year or so and decided it would be a good idea to build the one and only 3rd generation IROC-Z race car inthe country while it was still a current model, it was not a particularly good idea as it turned out and has been an uphill struggle as there was no internet back then to find information on the project. I was then black flagged at Donington for dropping fuel in qualifing and as I never saw the flag never pulled in. This cost me a £100 fine and I was very bitter about it after the years I had put into the club and the sport so loaded up and went home without paying the fine. That was the last race I went to with my 18 year old son and two weeks later he died in a car crash so I gave up racing as I just couldnt handle it anymore that was 97.

I still had the cars and put them in storage then in 2005 I decided it may be a good idea to refettle the old Camaro up for pre 74 historics something I had started to do in 97. I took an old engine put of a Penske IROC race car I had bought years before and rebuilt it and stuck that in the old 2nd Gen Camaro and joined the Classic Touring Car Racing Club. At the same time I down graded my 3rd generation car for their Pre 93 series and have been alternating between the two ever since with various degrees of success and failure. I have never outright won a circuit race and have only won my class when others have failed to finish or have not even started and now at 61years of age I doubt I ever will although I did win a few HotRod races back in the 70's!

My next project is to restart work on the Penske IROC this winter and try to get it out in some demonsration events like up the hill at Goodwood. Thats it all a bit boring and long winded.
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