Atlantic Computer Leasing Historic GTs

[Speedy norm]

Anyone wish to reminis about the above. John Foulston had his critics - ask the DTI! but he did bring some superb cars to UK circuits
Still remember the sight of his Mclaren M8 cresting hilltop and thundering towards Knickerbrook in '83
With John Brindly in pursuit. It wasn't quite the Bruce & Denny show but pretty damm near.

[TimD]

Funny this should come up today - I am just browsing through the Silverstone programme for October 7 1984. What a grid! Nine Chevron B8s, half a dozen B19s, various Lola T70 marks and then of course the big stuff. The McLarens of John Brindley, David Franklin and the much-missed John Foulston. And then my personal favourites, Ted Williams' March 707 and Mike Wheatley's BRM P154.

Wonderful days!

[Andrew Kitson]

Absolutely Tim D! One of the best races I ever saw was at Silverstone - the sight of Ted in the 7 feet wide March and (I think ?) the BRM side by side through the narrow Woodcote chicane on the last lap. What a noise too!
Many of these cars are alive and well in the Orwell Supersports Cup. Funny too this should come up now. I was at Dave Finnigan's race shop yesterday and he is getting on well with the rebuild of the ex-John Woolfe / John Jordan McLaren M6B. Dave was it's mechanic when JJ owned it and it has been in his shop since the mid 70s. Plan is to have it in Woolfe's old colours of blue with twin yellow stripes. He also has an ex- Bruce Chevvy to power it! Hopefully out on the tracks towards the end of the forthcoming season.

[Andrew Kitson]

Here are the entries for the Atlantic Computer Leasing Historic GT race, 2nd October 1983. I still remember the noise at the start from this lot! Palmer was on pole in the Lola Aston, Marshall in the middle and Foulston on the outside. A 3-2-3 grid back then. Foulston won, Gerry 2nd and Wheatley 3rd. Palmer finished 6th.
New lap record - 1.29.25 Foulston at 118.26mph.

David Franklin McLaren M6B 5000cc
Anthony Taylor McLaren M1C 5000cc
John Brindley McLaren M1C 5000cc
John Foulston McLaren M8D 5000cc
Nigel Hulme Lola T70 Mk3 4991cc
Alex Seldon Lola T160 5000cc
Malcolm Clube Lola T160 5000cc
Jeffrey Wakelin Lola T70 5000cc
Jonathan Palmer Lola Aston Martin 5000cc
Gerry Marshall Lola T222 4999cc
Ted Williams STP March 707 5000cc
Mike Wheatley BRM P154 5000cc
Albert Obrist Ferrari 512S 4993cc
Anthony Clinkard Crossle C7S 5000cc
Martin Colvill Gulf Ford GT40 5000cc
Roy Pierpoint Ford GT40 4700cc
Ken Eady Lotus 47 1598cc
Chris Beauvoisin Piper GTR 1600cc
Stuart Ingram Lenham P70 1598cc
Reg Skeels Mercury GT 1800cc
Jim Gathercole Martin BM7 2000cc
Simon Hadfield Taydec MkIII 1800cc
Richard Thwaites Lola T212 1790cc
Keith Ashby Chevron B6 1594cc
Chris Aylett Chevron B6 1998cc
Richard Budge Chevron B8 1594cc
Ray Bellm Chevron B8 1998cc
Malcolm Paul Chevron B8 1991cc
Richard Dodkins Chevron B8 1594cc
Don Cressy Chevron B8 1991cc
Peter Grant Chevron B8 1998cc
John Upton Chevron B8 1998cc
Kevin Dolan Chevron B8 1998cc
Grahame Bryant Chevron B8 2000cc
Tony Gordon Chevron B16 1800cc
James Wallis Chevron B19 1790cc
Tony Griffin Chevron B19 1790cc
Michael Pearce Chevron B8 1990cc

[Aysedasi]

I remember those races soooo well. Great cars.

As an aside, was anyone at Thruxton for the round the year they presented Foulston with a strippagram? I never thought I'd ever see a completely naked woman in the Thruxton paddock! Ran out of film that day......

[Andrew Kitson]

At least it wasn't the streaker! Remember him in the Thruxton paddock in the early 70s?

[TimD]

Ah yes, Carl Jeanes - and it was a cooooold day!

[Andrew Fellowes]

Originally posted by Aysedasi

As an aside, was anyone at Thruxton for the round the year they presented Foulston with a strippagram? I never thought I'd ever see a completely naked woman in the Thruxton paddock! Ran out of film that day......

Bloody typical, I was in the wrong place again. I wonder what Mary thought?

I can think of three or four drivers in historics that can command spectators attention in their own right, he was certainly one. The M8 was really made for him!!

A very aggressive driver in his Ferrari BB in the inter marque challenge which was not very endearing to fellow competitors! In Single seaters he certainly did not have any compassion for those that didn’t watch their mirrors, as one poor guy found out the hard way at Brands one year. I had a yarn to John afterwards, the poor bloke only came out once a year so I thought there was mitigating circumstances. He didn't!

I was once told that John Foulston rather than get a pp licence for his helicopter had a commercial pilots licence, which if true or not is an illustration that he never did anything in halves.

It was a tragic loss.

[Aysedasi]

Agreed. Some of those races and the grids they generated were absolutely stupendous. Just look at that fabulous line-up in Andrew's earlier post. Terrific. But it was the McLaren's that took my breath away in particular.....

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by Andrew Fellowes
I wonder what Mary thought?

I suspect she was there. Perhaps she arranged it?

[Speedy norm]

With the demise of Atlantic Computer Leasing PLC Charllie Agg kept the torch going with the Supersports Cup. Sadly few rounds in UK but I do remember Sir John Whitmore joining him in '90 for rounds at Donnington & Silverstone - Christies. Both in 8.4 M8Fs Team orders prevailed but Sir John decided enough was enough and drove around the outside of Agg at Stowe! A lap later his tyres "gone off" he allowed Agg to take the lead but the point had been made.
At the Donongton round there was a tribute to Chevron and a 2 litre sports car racing celebrating the glorious days of Gp6. Brian Redman on pole but only seventh by Redgate. He was just toying with everyone By 5th lap he was in the lead and stroked the car - a Vin Malkie B19 to an easy win.
Pure class.

[DAVID FORCE]

The Thruxton Strippergramme may have been arranged by Mary although JGF thought that Brian Cocks did it and paid him back by arranging a strippergramme for Brian at that years HSCC Dinner Dance. That was thought to be a little out of taste due to the mixed company but those were the days...

As to what Mary thought, I well remember attending Johns 40th birtday party where Mary presented him with a Formula First car, as we all went outside to 'admire' this rather strange gift a beautiful black girl uncoiled from the cockpit as naked as the day she was born.

This is not the site to relate what happened next...

In fact Johns parties were all rather different, like the November 5th do when he burnt a guy closely resembling the current MIA Chairman Chris Aylett.

Historic Racing seems much more intense nowadays.

PS. I do have a photo of the Thruxton Strippergramme.

[Andrew Fellowes]

David I didn’t know there was a payback!

Just been chatting with Roger Ealand & he was at the dinner, -wrong side of the country for me & I didn’t collect silverware that often, but he recalls being ‘a little surprised’ given the company & occasion!!

Originally posted by DAVID FORCE

Historic Racing seems much more intense nowadays.

So right. I recall going to Zolder in about ’74 & scrutineering involved me lifting the bonnet and the official saying magnificent! All took about 10 seconds.

Ahhh!