Snetterton history & memories

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kitson

Cheers mike, yes ok a G12, but a Ginetta. Want more pics chaps...coming up.

They are sooo pretty. Think I tried to get in one of them at Snett once. When the owner told me that a lot were sold in Japan it struck me why I didn't fit.

Andrew, the Cadwell pics are great as well. Especially the Mountain ones!

[GORDON STREETER]

Has Ted Williams still got his G12 V8 ? if he has did he have a smaller 4 pot banger fitted ?

[Andrew Kitson]

Some more older wonderful Snetterton photographs from Mike Dixon here.
Eastern Counties Motor Club meeting, 29th June 1958
Triumph TR2s & 3s line up for the 5-lap Alec Dick Trophy race.


The 'Autosport' Production Sports Car Championship.
The Elites of Ian Walker & J.Lawry 1-2 on the five car front row. Ferguson & Gammon in Elvas sandwich Tooley's MGA.


Snetterton Motor Racing Club meeting, 7th September 1958
Ross Jensen in the works Lister, with Don Moore standing on the far left. The HWM on the far side of the assembly area in Bekaert's car. Note the SMRC 'Autocar' clubhouse in the distance with viewing from the roof and the first simple scrutineering bay.


Ivor Bueb took over the Lister for the Libre race and had a fine battle with Jim Russell's F2 Cooper. Almost a dead heat..the pair did a lap of honour together.


A view of the F3 start and the paddock from the SMRC clubhouse roof.



The F2 Coopers of Dickie Stoop and Reg Parnell.


Bill Moss waits in the assembly area, that's Dickie Stoop's Frazer Nash in the background, car 55.


The Connaught of Richardson.


Van Vlymen's Lotus XI in the assembly area. Car no.9 in the background is John Campbell-Jones' XI.


The Cooper Bobtail's 34 & 35 are Jim Russell school cars.


Out onto the track through the pit exit.

[gt917]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Andrew, the pics are wonderful, just wonderful! Thank you and Mike for sharing them.

Mike,I second that. Brilliant.

Pure nostalgia, with such great memories for me as a marshall and sometimes driver. I do not have many of my own photos, but what i have got is some old Cine 8 film of the grassy paddock area at one meeting that i took, probably during a rushed lunch break while marshalling in 1969, i think. I must re run it and try to pin point some cars. (There is a little run of a special saloon race from Brands as well.)

To all who are posting such great replies on this thread.
THANKYOU. GREAT STUFF.

[gt917]

Seeing the last picture of the two Jim Russell cars has just reminded me that i went on a one day taster at his race driving school at Snetterton in 1969, Totally underwhelmed by it, and the costs, so i continued with my own car.

Anyone else remember his school there.

Jim, until fairly recently, has been a regular face at at the famous FORC events and evenings up here in Suffolk. I do hope his health is OK and that he will be back in the audience before too long.

[Andrew Kitson]

He was at the circuit's 60th dinner last October, but a bit too frail to be interviewed by Ian Titchmarsh on the night, although he told me afterwards he really enjoyed it. His brother in law Ralph Firman did the 'interview' for him, Jim is after all in his early '90s now. I do hope he is well, such a gentle old boy..although some tell me he was fierce and formidable back in the day!

[snett fan55]

Gentlemen,
can I add my heartfelt thanks to Mike Dixon for allowing us all to enjoy these great memories,particularly the spectators attempt to clear the water from the Bombhole,for I who was one tried but failed.
Also,delighted to see the snowy "rallycross "picture from the seventies.I Knew I saw some racing in the snow that long ago,but till now have not been able to prove it to my 30 and 35 year old sons,who thought the old man was just losing his marbles!
Fascinating stuff,please show us more,

[Andrew Kitson]

Some more magical Snetterton photographs by Mike Dixon.

Emerson Fittipaldi winning in June 1969, leading Harness and Ashley in his own orange Merlyn Mk11A-Rowland. Emmo only did 8 FF races in the first half of ‘69..( 3 at Snett, winning them all ). Jim Russell noticed him ( who didn’t! ), became his manager and got him an F3 Lotus. Jim sponsored it via JRRDS and Emmo was F3 Champion, despite starting in July. The following season he made his GP debut in the British GP, just 15 months after arriving here to start in FF.



Dave Brodie in ‘Run Baby Run’, 1971 through Russell.


Alan Jones, F3 GRD 1973


Guy Edwards, Arrows A2 in the British F1 Championship 1980



Giacomo Agostini in the Williams FW06, same meeting 1980


Start of the 1973 FF Festival final.


Alfie Toledano, Senna da Silva and Enrique Mansilla, Snett paddock 1981


Toledano, Senna da Silva, Mansilla and Rick Morris, 1981



Geoff Friswell’s Surtees, Jim Murdoch’s Tui and John Nicholson’s Lyncar, April 1973 F.Atlantic


Start of Britain’s first ever round the clock race, the 1980 Willhire 24 hours.


The 1983 Willhire 24 hours


FF2000 1976, Friswell leads into the bombhole.

Bernard Vermilio, Ian Taylor and Geoff Friswell.


Brise leads Williamson through Russell, F3 1972


John Miles, Lotus 47 Europa 1968


Stan Matthews and Mike Wilds in JRRDS Royale RP4s lead Les Leston in an F100 race, 1970


Danny Alderton, FF Mirage, 1970


Martin Brundle and wife Liz, 1983

..and with his Dad John.


Martin Brundle leads away to beat Senna in F3, 1983




Raul Boesel, FF Van Diemen 1980


Jim Crawford, F2 Chevron 1980


Kim Mather, F2 March 1980


…more to come!

[Alfie72]

Brilliant, just brilliant!!

[nicanary]

Senna looks like the sort of kid who would today be a facebook-geek, locked in his room and hacking into US state secrets!

Thank goodness that sort of thing wasn't around then.

[Andrew Kitson]

Thank goodness it is ( the internet..)...otherwise we'd never see any of these photos here! They'd be locked away in Mike's cupboard forever!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kitson

Thank goodness it is ( the internet..)...otherwise we'd never see any of these photos here! They'd be locked away in Mike's cupboard forever!

Amen to that!

Seeing the pic of Martin B with his Dad reminded me what a family of petrol heads they were /are. I remember John's ex-works Triumph 2.5PI rally car he used in local SCCON events- it made my Mini look even smaller than it really was.

[terence]

What a pleasure to see these photos,thank you all who have posted them. It doesn't seem that long ago when Martin would fill my tank at Tottenhill!
John became a good and trusted friend well before Tottenhill,the days over at Foxe's Lane,West Lynn.Great days indeed.

[Andrew Kitson]

The old Brundle dealership at Tottenhill soon to become an Aston Martin dealership I hear.

[terence]

If it did,it didn't last long Andrew. Bit sad to see it as a glorified garden shop now,got some nice Sheep and a Border Collie standing outside,the collie is obviously very good at his job,the sheep haven't moved in a fortnight!!

[Andrew Kitson]

It will be soon. An Aston 'nut' I know, member of AMOC behind it.

[terence]

Its not often I go that way Andrew,there's only Kings Lynn at the end of the A10. Certainly not much there of any interest!

[nicanary]

This is a bit off-thread, but obviously Snetterton devotees will be (hopefully) reading this.

My profile mentions that my first "live" meeting was the Lombank Trophy 1963. I spotted a programme for this meeting on e-bay recently and nabbed it for 99p - it was a bit rain-damaged, but that wasn't unusual for Snetterton!

Lo and behold, I've got the dates all wrong. I know for sure in my mind that I witnessed a saloon=car race, and that's on the card, but I also saw a GT race, and distinctly remember Pat Ferguson's Turner and David Hobbs' automatice Elite in the race. However, the Lombank meeting did not have such a race.

So what did I see? With those entries it would not have been a minor clubbie, more likely an international or national card. Maybe it was 1962.Can anyone look up their old prog for that year and put me out of this confusion?

[Andrew Kitson]

David hobbs was racing his red elite at snett in 61, same time as dad10 and lov1. I have colour movie of it.

[nicanary]

Many thanks. There were E-types in the race, so it must have been post-April 61. Everything is starting to point to Lombank 62.

[Andrew Kitson]

No sportscar race lombank 62, just FJ and saloons.

[Andrew Kitson]

Hobbs and Ferguson were in the sportscar race at Lombank F1 meeting March '61, but no e-types. They were back in June and July '61 ( Scott Brown memorial meeting ) with E-types.

[nicanary]

You've been a real gent about this - many thanks.
My already befuddled brain is now fogged-over. maybe it was later in the year than I thought - the Scott-Brown meeting would seem to fit.

[Gerry Taylor]

Just wanted to say Thank You for sharing such lovely photographs with us. It took me back to my early racing days.

[snett fan55]

Gentlemen and fellow Snetterton enthusiasts,
can anyone recall the "rebuilding"of the old pits and who did it? When the opening that was the entrance to the pit lane was closed and we lost what I thought was one of the best features ,the fabulous view from above the pit lane,and nearly all round the circuit?I know its a bit obscure,but I love looking (and reminiscing)at the pictures of the cars and people involved through the many years of racing. It all helps to keep those memories of an older devotee flooding back! Mind ,I can't remember what I had for breakfast,and if I ask once more "whats for lunch?",I fear for my safety!
Regards to all,
snett fan55