Favourite era

[paulzinho]

I did this topic a while back but seeing as this forum has grown quite a bit since then I thought I'd bring the topic up again.

What was your favourite era in racing? Are you old enough to remember the pre war days? Or are you a young one who's experiences of past racing a formed upon books, videos and TV programmes?

My personal favourite era would be the 1980's, the era of turbo F1 cars, a fantastic World Sportscar Championship Formula on top of that! Great driving, great racing and there were still a few tracks that were still a challenge!

F1 cars looked beautiful as did the Sportscars and this probably has some bearing on my decision, I just wish I had been born before 1984 so that I could've seen these events in the flesh as opposed to old videos!

[verglas]

Gotta be the 70's for me, probably the last opportunity for the true privateer to show well in International events, such as Dave Morgan and Alistair Walker (what ever happened to him?) in F2, possibly one of the most entertaining single seater formulas below F1, and seen as a true stepping stone to GP stardom for those with the talent...And club racing was fun as well, without mega budgets and articulated transporters for Formula Ford teams!

[paul-collins]

My favourite era is forever tied to my youth and bracketed by my favourite drivers - JYS and Gilles. Once the turbos came to stay, I lost the plot.

[marcus]

I would say for me it would be the mid to late 80's and early 90's , F1 was brilliant with great powerfull cars , awesome drivers and loads of entries for each round , sportscars were awesome then as well and bike racing saw some fantastic riders at play.

the best times that i can remember for sure would be the late 80's in my books.

[racer69]

Was only in my very early years of life, but i'd go for the mid-80s, 1985-86.

- Turbocharged F1 (unrestricted)
- Group B Rallying
- Group A Touring Car racing, when Touring Cars were at their best on a world stage
- Group C Sportscars
- Rallycross was going great

Would've have been a good time if i was old enough.

[davemorganfan]

Originally posted by verglas
Gotta be the 70's for me, probably the last opportunity for the true privateer to show well in International events, such as Dave Morgan and Alistair Walker (what ever happened to him?) in F2, possibly one of the most entertaining single seater formulas below F1, and seen as a true stepping stone to GP stardom for those with the talent...And club racing was fun as well, without mega budgets and articulated transporters for Formula Ford teams!

Couldn't have put it better myself - Verglas has saved me a few words. I have a particular passion for the last year of 1 litre F3, and the 1600cc formula that succeeded it. Incredibly close and spectacular racing, and lots of different types of cars and (in 1600cc form at least) engines. Magic!

[Smokey 6 litre]

Although i wasn't born until about 20 years after this era passed, i do love watchg cars from the 1960's.
Although there not always originals (GT40s, Cobras, Ferrari Dinos, ETC) i love watching them and dream about owning an original GT40.
It is a real treat when occasionally an original car (especially of those listed above) turns up for a meeting.

[klaus]

The most interesting time of motorsport to my opinion was the decade of the 60ies, especially for eyes and ears. Looking back to FI/II/III and sportscars/touring-cars and their evolution in this 10 years, from rather 50ies styled cars to first ground-effect design, from front-engined racers to mainly middle-engined ones, front wings, rear wings, space-frame, monocoque, air-scoops, 4-wheel drive...sometimes ending in a dead-end street, but always thrilling.
Starting grids with more than 100 cars in one race, Le-Mans Starts, racing tracks , which were not similar to Go-Cart tracks , yes , it was dangerous, but nevertheless less boring than the periods after.
With 1970 the design of race-cars grew more and more to one ideal-shape, cars became unidentifiable under loads of commercial-decals, starting grids reduced more and more, famous marques disappeared, it simply looked less and less "coloured" with every year.

[Andrew Kitson]

For me it is the period from the mid 60s to late 70s.
Big crowds even at places like Snetterton, Mallory and Cadwell. Lots of variety at a race meeting with allcomers events such as Formula Libre... different engines sounds and in many races, different driving styles. You dont see that now.

Modern cars are 'over engineered ' due to the brakes, suspension and modern tyres, they don't slide so much hence they all follow the exact same line lap after lap as there is no other way. The end result is often processional and tiresome, such as Formula Renault and some F3 races.

I know safety is a big issue now but races then were very rarely stopped, even if there was a major 'off'. One wheel in the gravel trap now and the red flags are out or the pace car appears which never seems to pick up the leader anyway!

More races for your money in the old days too. When I worked at Royale in '77, there were three major FF Championships with heats and finals. Trevor van Rooyen won 33 races, Nigel Mansell won a similar amount and other races were won by Chico Serra and David Leslie. They now do about 20 in total.

OK, back in the old days it wasn't all rose tinted specs stuff. Some club races had less than 7 runners and the amount of non arrivals listed in programmes was alarming as was the retirement / reliability rate in some races and the injuries / fatalities. I also remember well the brass monkey weather at Snett in early March!! - but for me, it was a golden era with many opportunities throughout the year to see the F1 stars such as Stewart, Rindt, Clark, Hill or Peterson in action, be it in the GP, the Race of Champions, The International Trophy, The Gold Cup, F2 at the Palace or Mallory, in the British Saloon Car Championship or in evocative sports racing cars ( was there ever a better era for beautiful sports racers - GT40, 917, B16, F3L, Lola T70, 512S, P4..etc,etc..?)

The paddock was open to anybody too - F1s did not have a seperate one in those days so we could easily get our autographs / photos. I'm glad my dad had his job as a race mechanic so I could go along each and every Sunday and experience those things!

[gfm]

I’m very much with you all above. The ‘60s to the ‘90s do it for me.
There’s no doubt that racing has this habit of disappearing up it’s own technological bottom. There were some dreadful international sports car races in the ‘80s weren’t there, as the FIA kept changing the formula and criteria. Even then, many of us suspected of course that this is down to Ecclestone and his moves to ensure F1 GP is the focus of all manufacturers and big money. But even that will catch itself out.
While it’s probably OK now that Ferrari, Mercs and BMW are the acknowledged leaders in F1, with Honda, Toyota and Ford the second division, if you found that Mercs were being trounced by Honda or Toyota on a regular basis, I bet Mercs would pull out and do something where it was a consistent winner like DTM. It doesn’t need to be seen as losers or second best to Toyota say.
But I must say, I’m sad that we are so scornful of the modern days racing. I mean, who wants to watch British saloon car championship today? (50,000 at Donington I hear, but they are starved of anything else worth watching) If you want to watch Vauxhalls, Peugeots and Hondas rep wagons, you could do that at Hyde Park Corner for free.
No full house Falcons or Mustangs, or works Fords, lone Porsche (a saloon?) or massed Coopers from that Group 5 era. That’s where the characters were too, real race drivers.
Have you watched the Tonka toys that F3000 is now? God, it’s dreadful. Especially compared to Formula Two that you’ve mentioned. There were some magnificent battles. The sports car version - 2 litre Sports Cars were the same with a fantastically close European series.
Two litre race engines giving 320 bhp, relatively un-developed slicks, limited aerodynamics – these were beautifully balanced race cars, whether in single seat or sports configuration.
For myself the only saving modern grace has been GT and 24 Hour races where Porsche, Ferrari, Vipers mixed it over longer distances, with the exotic Audis, Mercs, Orecas, Chryslers and so on, through rain and at night.
I feel so frustrated that modern racing has been dumbed down; why can’t it improve, give us more character and colour? Because of F1 I think.
But historic racing, like this Board, will flourish; long may it do so.

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
I know safety is a big issue now but races then were very rarely stopped, even if there was a major 'off'. One wheel in the gravel trap now and the red flags are out or the pace car appears which never seems to pick up the leader anyway!

Maybe it wouldn't be necessary quite so often if drivers understood the meaning of a waved yellow?