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Old 21 Oct 2013, 17:48 (Ref:3321187)   #1
Alan Morgan
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Syd Fox

I'm sorry to have to tell you that Syd Fox died last night. Together with delta (Iain Rowley) we had got to know him quite well over the past few years. In April of this year we arranged for him to have what would turn out to be his last single seater drive at Silverstone because he fancied having a go at racing again despite being the wrong side of 80. He said that he wasn't feeling too good at the test and it subsequently turned out that he had incurable cancer.

In a career spanning many years he became sought after for his testing abilities and ability to get the best out of any car. In the 1970's he won both FF1600 and FF2000 titles despite being over twice the age of many of his rivals. Needless to say, he had a fund of fascinating stories but sadly there was not enough time to get them all down on paper. A little known fact about him is that he was very fond of animals and every year raised thousands of pounds for animal charities.

He'll be sadly missed...

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Old 21 Oct 2013, 18:39 (Ref:3321224)   #2
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Very sad to here this ,a true character and a great driver.
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Old 21 Oct 2013, 19:39 (Ref:3321245)   #3
Alan Raine
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Alan Raine should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridAlan Raine should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridAlan Raine should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridAlan Raine should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
Sad news. Syd had some remarkable drives in The Old Nail. Thanks for the memories and RIP Syd.
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Old 21 Oct 2013, 20:05 (Ref:3321262)   #4
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That is sad news. I remember him racing with great success in FF and FF2000, as well as being editor? of Auto News, a weekly rival newspaper to Motoring News. RIP Syd.
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Old 21 Oct 2013, 21:26 (Ref:3321312)   #5
Alan Morgan
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Originally Posted by dave vass View Post
That is sad news. I remember him racing with great success in FF and FF2000, as well as being editor? of Auto News, a weekly rival newspaper to Motoring News. RIP Syd.
A little known fact about Syd is that he nearly got a drive at the 1966 British GP. He had tested the Shannon Climax and was down to race it. Unfortunately for him Trevor Taylor became available and he was denied the chance. As it turned out, TT retired after one lap so if Syd had got the drive, his only GP wouldn't have amounted to much.

He did, however, get the chance to test a number of F1 cars as his testing skills were held in very high regard.
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Old 22 Oct 2013, 07:13 (Ref:3321476)   #6
Andy Clegg
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I remember watching Syd at Oulton in the 1970's. Think he was a Racing Instructor at Brands. RIP Syd.
Thanks for posting Alan.
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Old 22 Oct 2013, 07:27 (Ref:3321482)   #7
Dan Rear
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I recall rumours that Syd was down for an Aurora F1 drive before its first season, 1978. Were these genuine, or another Webby/MCD smokescreen story?

Sad news indeed, but as he told Al, he'd had a great life.
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Old 22 Oct 2013, 09:49 (Ref:3321537)   #8
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Sad news. A great competitor Syd was in many different categories of racing.

We will move this to tributes shortly but please feel free to continue to post your recollections and tributes for now.
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Old 22 Oct 2013, 12:05 (Ref:3321599)   #9
Alan Morgan
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Originally Posted by Dan Rear View Post
I recall rumours that Syd was down for an Aurora F1 drive before its first season, 1978. Were these genuine, or another Webby/MCD smokescreen story?

Sad news indeed, but as he told Al, he'd had a great life.
He certainly showed me a picture of him testing a Surtees - TS19 I think
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Old 22 Oct 2013, 15:50 (Ref:3321687)   #10
Marcus Mussa
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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
Sad news Alan, although you had told me he was not very well. I had him as my "instructor" at Motor Racing Stables in 1966 - just a few laps in an Elan followed by a few laps in a Formula Junior (prototype FF I think). I then met him several times and remember having dinner with him near Mallory Park in 1969. I had just bought a Pringett Mistrale, as Syd held the lap record at Brands at the time, and I thought that the car must be good (bad move - it was Syd who was good). I think that by then he was driving or testing a Macon because he told me I should have got one of those! Too late...
Then a few years ago I got in touch again by email. I had just started driving the McLaren M1B so he told me that he used to drive those as well - which I never knew! He was a fine driver.
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Old 22 Oct 2013, 17:41 (Ref:3321757)   #11
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Very sad news. I feel privileged to have arranged for Syd (then aged 81) to have some laps around Brands Hatch last year in his old Macon MR8 that I had put back into his original livery from 1970. It was fascinating listening to his stories about FF1600 racing back in the day and of his exploits at Motor Racing Stables where he was a chief instructor. It was all very fitting as I am now Chief Instructor at MSV based at Brands Hatch and look after his lovely Macon too. He regarded it to be the best FF1600 he drove at the time and always regretted not driving it at the FF Festival. He only left Macon when Australian Vern Schuppan arrived and he felt Macon Race Cars attention was being focused on this 'new Australian kid'. It was a pleasure to meet Syd in the last few years. A lovely guy and a true FF1600 legend. RIP
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Old 22 Oct 2013, 19:28 (Ref:3321813)   #12
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Really sad news. A proper racing driver, would race anything, winning a 1978 championship with a "rather tired" old Palliser was a special achievement.
I bet he's waiting to have a word with Tiff Needell later in the great paddock in the sky...
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Old 22 Oct 2013, 19:31 (Ref:3321815)   #13
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Hopefully not for a few years though, Chris! Would their conversation concern Hawkes and Mr McKinstry per chance?
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Old 23 Oct 2013, 08:07 (Ref:3322050)   #14
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Now that the FF Festival is headlined with FF1600 again (Proper Formula Fords), I am sure that Brian Jones will take a moment to remember Syd this weekend.
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Old 28 Oct 2013, 13:47 (Ref:3324251)   #15
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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!
Having,run,driven,built many FF2000 Delta's over the past 30 years when Syd after his last test at Silverstone this year started telling me to do this and that to the set up well I thought ok!!! ok!!! and it all went out the window. Anyway we had built a car over the winter and I took what Syd said on board and set the car up to his advise.
Went like a rocket. Thanks Syd. RIP
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Old 28 Oct 2013, 17:12 (Ref:3324322)   #16
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Very sad news about Syd. I first met him at Biggin Hill airfield in the mid 60,s when he was running the skidpan.
I asked him how much it was for a "go" and he said 5 shillings, so I said OK, and got my money out.
As we walked to the battered old Ford Anglia, he said how old are you?
I said 16, he said, no you are not.
So I had to tell him I was 12.
He said, it doesn't matter and I had my first drive in a real a car!
Thank Syd, great memory, RIP
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Old 29 Oct 2013, 20:30 (Ref:3324878)   #17
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SidewaysFeltham should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridSidewaysFeltham should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridSidewaysFeltham should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
Sorry to learn this.

Syd was one of the only other people to actually compete in a Huron single seater. My team then, Felspeed Racing were running one of Jo Marquart's first efforts, in F Atlantic: (before Jo moved to GRD, after Huron cars broke up post the sad death of Jack Smith).

As Freddie Dixon said of the Brough Superior racing motorcycle, he was the only one able to "Wring its bloody neck!".

Syd was the same: he could make any old dog seem competitive: thanks to his innate ability and preparedness to "Tiger".

A real racer: there aren't many left now.

R.I.P Syd.
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Old 11 Jan 2014, 16:51 (Ref:3352831)   #18
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Oops - double post by mistake

Last edited by allenbrown; 11 Jan 2014 at 17:10.
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