Falken Mod Prod Cars

[Andy Trapnell]

G'day all.

[ascona i2000]

Originally Posted by Andy Trapnell

G'day all.

Blimey, Hi Andy.
Its Dave Hickton here, the what was then young lad that used to be with Ray alot. You will be glad to know that i am still racing (won at thruxton last sat) the yellow Ascona that was born out of the white one.
Hope all is well with you.

[Andy Trapnell]

Hi Dave,
Really glad she ended up with you.
Congrats on the Thruxton win! Ballsy driving needed on that circuit if it's anything like it was when I raced there.
Very fond memories of the Ascona. Pleased it's in good hands.
Best,
A

[John Hammersley]

Hi Andy, what took you to Oz, (apart from the lifestyle & weather)! What happened to the XR2? - didn't take it with you did you?

[Al Weyman]

Hi Andy I recognise that name.

[Andy Trapnell]

Originally Posted by John Hammersley

Hi Andy, what took you to Oz, (apart from the lifestyle & weather)! What happened to the XR2? - didn't take it with you did you?

Hi John,
Glad to hear you're still having a go! I well remember you mentoring me as a new boy to line up half of the nose of the Fiesta with the marshal's post at Thruxton and keep 'yer foot in'.... grateful(and surprised) it actually worked!
I got interested in historic tarmac rallying and entered the Targa NZ(twice in MK1 RS2000 and Viva GT) which took me to Sydney on the way home. Loved it and moved here 11 years ago. Children came next so don't compete apart from the odd track day although having moved from the beach to a country acreage I have my own 'special stage' on the way home from Sydney each night! Far enough from civilisation that rarely any other cars around although very occasionally I hook up with a local also coming home. (Had a pow wow with a tricked up Holden Maloo V8 ute the other night) ..... in a tweaked Peugeot 407 diesel(the poor thing!)
Currently playing with a very rapid boat (off shore RIB), a fettled 911 turbo and a 'handfull' of a 5.0V8 TR8.
Nice to hear so many familiar names.
A

[John Hammersley]

Hi Andy, good to hear from you - the lifestyle sounds pretty good too! Wish I'd known you were in Sydeney, we were out there in February so could have caught up! Good to hear the "unofficial" competetive spirit still remains - once a racer always a racer

[Andy Trapnell]

Hi John,
Would have been nice to catch up.
Hoilday idea:Now I know you've done a lot in motorsport but a week away doing a Targa rally was a major highlight for me. I'd highly recommend it. Targa Tas or Targa NZ offer an intense week/holiday. Best to rent the car as I did the 2nd time.
Of course can be fraught with disaster as nobody is allowed to recky the course and exact route is withheld beforehand. Friend, (Alan Hind) didn't have an easy run as co-driver)! .......
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiszC0eb2Vk

[John Hammersley]

Hi Andy, strangley enough any kind of rallying has never appealed - I like to know where the corners go before I commit to them, and the one thing you can guarantee on a race circuit is that the corner will be in the same place it was on the lap before!

[Al Weyman]

I gotta agree with John, looks a very dangerous sport for driver and spectator alike. Look at the guys standing by the wrecked car as the rally cars are still coming through at a blistering pace, do they think it can't happen in the same spot again!!!

[Andy Trapnell]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

I gotta agree with John, looks a very dangerous sport for driver and spectator alike. Look at the guys standing by the wrecked car as the rally cars are still coming through at a blistering pace, do they think it can't happen in the same spot again!!!

Hi Al/John,
I found it very hard to change the anticipation level. But it's the same for everyone. About day two you start to get into a different mindset. You can't go 'circuit familiar' full bore mode. It's more like nicking 1/2 a second a stage if you're lucky. If you leave the tarmac it's likely to be trees etc...... Peter Brock springs to mind. Still, it's a blast to do. If you want to be near the front you've got to take risks just like circuit racing but more drama if you fk up. Obviously there are the semi pro s like Jim Richards in a current 911 turbo you'd never beat but a second in class was job done for me.
Think it's a big tick off in life to complete and be up there and I'd urge like minded people to have a go. (I'm thinking of it again as bleeding as old as I am)
Best,
A

[John Hammersley]

Nope! It's not for me! I'm into my 34rd consecutive season, still managing the odd win, and in 34 years I've only spent 1 night in hospital (courtesy of the "Ring 24 hour race). Trees, sheer drops, spectators Etc. don't figure in my plans, I'll stick to still trying to do "Church" flat (OK with just a slight lift nowadays!)

[micky rason]

Originally Posted by John Hammersley

I'm into my 34rd consecutive season,

34rd??? the age is telling now John
my claim to fame? i was and etc to John Hammersly

Hi Andy, nice to see you on here mate nice to hear your well. As for the rallying thing.... the Robert Kubica crash springs to mind have you seen the pics? And di anybody see the prog about Grand Prix last night? some of those circuits in the 60s and 70s looked like special stages!

[Andy Trapnell]

Originally Posted by John Hammersley

Nope! It's not for me! I'm into my 34rd consecutive season, still managing the odd win, and in 34 years I've only spent 1 night in hospital (courtesy of the "Ring 24 hour race). Trees, sheer drops, spectators Etc. don't figure in my plans, I'll stick to still trying to do "Church" flat (OK with just a slight lift nowadays!)

John,
Actually you're quite right. It's quite a risky pursuit. The first one I did was going well and was leading class comfortably until a lose on the 4th day of 5. Backwards off a ravine and landed in a tree. Immediate thought at the time was we'd need one of those massive twin blade helicopters to get the car out. At least I could walk around it underneath and check for chassis damage! The car had some rear damage but getting it down from the tree caused most. Luckily we flew the 75 metres to our perch in the tree without hitting anything. After a frantic night of welding/straightening the wiring loom caught fire as we left the line for the TV/publicity town center stage the next morning
On the second attempt a year later, we were fighting for a class win on the last day and a forestry worker opened a locked gate (on a closed stage) and drove towards us. That resulted in a very near head on with about 1 foot to spare. My brother was co driver and didn't even see the pick up flash past.
At that point I questioned the whole sanity of what we were doing and cruised to 2nd. I also very much felt like I'd used my nine lives.
John, remind us of the 24 hour race incident. Have vague memory you were minding your own business and a low flying 911 landed on you?
34 seasons....that's huge!
Similarly,I believe that Jim Richards as done 19 Targa Tasmania's and won 8 times. Guessing a similar record for Targa NZ...that's a lot of lives!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaXo70IVpAM

Hi Mick, well remember the nicely turned out Minis.
A

[Andy Trapnell]

Originally Posted by micky rason

34rd??? the age is telling now John
my claim to fame? i was and etc to John Hammersly

Hi Andy, nice to see you on here mate nice to hear your well. As for the rallying thing.... the Robert Kubica crash springs to mind have you seen the pics? And di anybody see the prog about Grand Prix last night? some of those circuits in the 60s and 70s looked like special stages!

Hi Mick,
No, not seen that one. Do you have a link?
Does anyone remember the F1 driver who binned a Jag road car with the press aboard?..no helmets either!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XxU9IVwg-U

[John Hammersley]

[QUOTE=Andy Trapnell;2944482]
John, remind us of the 24 hour race incident. Have vague memory you were minding your own business and a low flying 911 landed on you?
34 seasons....that's huge!

And you recomend trying rallying - no way! The Porsche 911 at the Ring still brings shudders to my spine. It hit the rear of my little Pug 205 just as I turned into a flat in top corner at 130MPH and I got rolled end over end. On the 3rd roll the roll cage collapsed and left me hanging out of the windscreen aperture. Luckily it didn't roll a 4th time, or I guess I may not be here writing this. Just goes to prove that as it says on the ticket "motorsport is dangerous", but even so I'll stick to the circuits! One biggy in 34 years is still a good ratio! (and I raced the XR2 you bought off me the following weekend at Brands and won it, but boy did I hurt after that race!)

[Andy Trapnell]

[QUOTE=John Hammersley;2944546]

Originally Posted by Andy Trapnell

John, remind us of the 24 hour race incident. Have vague memory you were minding your own business and a low flying 911 landed on you?
34 seasons....that's huge!

And you recomend trying rallying - no way! The Porsche 911 at the Ring still brings shudders to my spine. It hit the rear of my little Pug 205 just as I turned into a flat in top corner at 130MPH and I got rolled end over end. On the 3rd roll the roll cage collapsed and left me hanging out of the windscreen aperture. Luckily it didn't roll a 4th time, or I guess I may not be here writing this. Just goes to prove that as it says on the ticket "motorsport is dangerous", but even so I'll stick to the circuits! One biggy in 34 years is still a good ratio! (and I raced the XR2 you bought off me the following weekend at Brands and won it, but boy did I hurt after that race!)

.......guess it's about when you're card is punched. And there was me last July trying to line up a rental 911 from Germany to do the ring.....

[micky rason]

Originally Posted by Andy Trapnell

Hi Mick,
No, not seen that one. Do you have a link?
Does anyone remember the F1 driver who binned a Jag road car with the press aboard?..no helmets either!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XxU9IVwg-U

hi andy just goolge robert kubica crash and you will find it there are a lot of simulations but also some real pics if you look hard enough. some show the armco barrier comming through the car and out the tailgate (i have a feeling some have been taken off now)
Mick.

[micky rason]

Hi Andy if your still viewing this thread ......

http://youtu.be/D_XzVzCP8-A

most of the pics i viewed before have been taken down.

[pondlive]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq0UPGKbo-o

Apologies for the shaky video, it was early days with the camera and all handheld by my Dad.

Hope you enjoy,

Tony.

[ascona i2000]

Brilliant video Tony, thats going back a bit! 22 years ago seems unreal it was that long ago. Terry Stone in the red corolla and Roger Ebdon in the blue fiesta, who was in the white front drive corolla? Have you got any more videos??

Dave

[pondlive]

Dave,

Yes a long time ago. Lots of fun!

Ian Mcreath and Roger Ebdon used to drive the light blue XR2's.
Bob Hawkins in the fwd Corolla I believe.

I do have more on vhs, but I had to leave that uploading on youtube overnight as it takes bloody ages.

I am using an easy cap/ulead to get them on the computer which is not too bad, but I want to get them onto a more stable media before the tapes deteriorate any more.

As you can tell I'm not a computer expert!
Any hints or tips anyone?

Tony.

[ascona i2000]

Sorry cant help with computer stuff, you lost me there with that jargon!!! Be cool to see more when you get time! Did you say you still have a sunbeam??
Dave

[pondlive]

Dave,

I may try and put up one from Thruxton later tonight. Don't hold your breath though.

I still have the last Sunbeam I raced with, and an Avon version.

Tony.

[John Hammersley]

Close but no cigar boys! The light blue XR2 was me, Roger & Ian drove the Torquiose XR2. Mike Helm was in the red XR2. My XR2 was sold to Andy Trapnell when we then went on to our Astra GTE. Happy days!