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#1 vroomgt

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Posted 18 June 2002 - 05:47

Does anyone have a good source of information on Dickie Stoop. In
> particular the circumstance surrounding his death?
>
> Regards, John

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#2 hil-nice

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Posted 18 June 2002 - 07:09

There is a long insert on Dickie Stoop within the DS Jenkinson book on Frazer Nash "From chain drive..."

#3 twymanj

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Posted 18 June 2002 - 09:08

My father is quite good friends with his nephew Adrian, who races in Formula 5000, I am sure I could find out more for you this weekend, as I will see him at Brands Hatch. :)

Joe

#4 vroomgt

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Posted 18 June 2002 - 09:48

Thanks for your replies.

I believe he may have had a heart attack at Brands, racing a Porsche.

I would be most interested in any follow up following the weekend.

Best regards, John

#5 twymanj

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Posted 18 June 2002 - 14:11

I dont think it was Brands, I have been told it was Castle Combe, but dont take my word for it!

Joe

#6 vroomgt

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Posted 18 June 2002 - 14:44

I received this privately:


Raced various cars post-war including a BMW 328, then various Frazer-Nash
models, including a Sebring which he campaigned until the company AFN
switched to importing Porsches, after which he raced a pair of 356 Carrera
4-cam cars in the early 1960s. Finally bought a 904 GTS and later a 911 S
road car in which he died during a club affair at Croft on 19th of May, 1968
as a result of coronary thrombosis. He was 47 years old.

#7 Pete Stowe

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Posted 18 June 2002 - 19:56

This obituary appeared in Autosport 24 May 1968.

"It is very sad to have to record the death during a club meeting at Croft last Sunday of Dickie Stoop. Apparently Dickie suffered a coronary thrombosis and died at the wheel of his Porsche 911S, which veered off the track into the bank.
James Richard Stoop had been an amateur racing driver of considerable standing for many years. His first race was the supporting F3 event at the Daily Express Silverstone in 1948, when he drove a GS1, and over the last 20 years he campaigned many types of car, but remained faithful for most of his racing to the marque Frazer-Nash. He competed at Le Mans no fewer than 10 times: in 1950 he was 9th overall and won the 2 litre class, in 1951 he was 19th and in 1955 he was 10th. In 1958 he drove the works spaceframe AC into 8th place, again winning his class. He also took part in long-distance racing at Spa, Rouen, Montlhery and elsewhere, and in 1964 was 3rd overall in the Rand 3 hours co-driving Peter Sutcliffe’s E-type.
He performed prolifically in club racing, not only in Frazer-Nashes but also in triumphs, Healeys, a D-type Jaguar and a Lotus 11. He also drove a Formula 2 Cooper in the late ‘50s, and with the passing of Frazer-Nash line he transferred his loyalties to Porsche. His successive Type 356 Carreras, registered YOU 4 and 5 HOT, brought him a lot of win; having been co-victor in the 1959 Autosport Championship with the Sebring Frazer-Nash, he won the Autosport 3 hours at Snetterton the following year in YOU 4 after a tremendous battle with Chris Summers’ Elite, won his class in 1961, and then won the 2-litre division of the championship in 1962 and 1963. He also had a few races with an RS60 Porsche Spyder, and in 1964 drove a 904.
More recently he had concentrated on club production sports car racing with his silver 911S Porsche, also registered YOU 4; this car was a frequent class winner. A retired RAF officer, he was only 47."

From the race meeting report:
"A sombre shadow was cast over the proceedings however, when Dickie Stoop (2.0 Porsche 911S) died at the wheel of his car on the 3rd lap of race 4. The Porsche mounted the banking at the exit to Barcroft, rolled and crashed through fencing."

#8 Bjorn Kjer

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Posted 20 July 2007 - 07:09

:wave: Any news or picture of his 904 ? :smoking:

#9 r.atlos

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Posted 20 July 2007 - 10:44

No additional pictures to those already shown on the 904 thread. I understand that 904-045 now resides in Australia after having spent many years in Pennsylvania.

http://forums.autosp...144#post2786144

#10 HiRich

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Posted 20 July 2007 - 12:33

With regards to his 500 career, Dickie bought the GS 1 off Gerald Spink. First appearance I have is the Boscombe Speed Trials in August 1948.

In 1950, he bought the CFS that had been built by Charlie Smith (the other CFS was Don Parker's first car, significantly lightened, and developed into the Parker-CFS, aka Parker Special)

#11 TooTall

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Posted 20 July 2007 - 17:11

I believe he drove one of the works Triumph TR3S' at Lemans in 1959 partnered with Peter Joop. The driving combo of Joop and Stoop sticks in my mind.

Cheers,
Kurt O.

#12 Alan Cox

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Posted 20 July 2007 - 17:27

Originally posted by TooTall
I believe he drove one of the works Triumph TR3S' at Lemans in 1959 partnered with Peter Joop.



I think you will find it was Peter JOPP, Kurt

#13 TooTall

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Posted 20 July 2007 - 19:30

Originally posted by Alan Cox


I think you will find it was Peter JOPP, Kurt


(Groan) Right you are Alan. That's what I get for relying on my memory! Jopp and Stoop, still sounds like a vaudeville act.

Cheers,
Kurt

#14 Bjorn Kjer

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Posted 21 July 2007 - 18:47

Now , time for a bit of "fun" again ! Someone has send me a PM , suggesting it was an unapropriate question to put up in post 8 under those circumstances , when the poor man had died. I have tried to get it further explained , but yet no answer or expl. He might not be at home or have gone holidays , but when you PM something like that you are obliged more or less to stay and be ready to answer.
MAY I RIGHT AWAY SAY IT IS NOT DAVID MCKINNEY !

So can any of you explain what I have done wrong ?

#15 Sharman

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Posted 21 July 2007 - 20:56

Bjorn
Perhaps it is a paricularly British attitude but it somehow seems as though one is "profiting" , (yes I know that is incorrect usageof the word) from another's misfortune. I too felt uncomfortable with the smilies and waves in your post, but I know that no malicious intent was in your mind and did not feel strogly enough to make any comment.
John

#16 r.atlos

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Posted 21 July 2007 - 21:52

I have not interpreted Bjørn's post as being related to Dickie Stoop's passing away - as you can tell from my direct reply to his "incriminated" question.

I take it as an unfortunate chain of events: Bjørn and I had been discussing Stoop's 904 in a seperate thread and all Bjørn has done is to repeat his demand for more pictures / data in a more appriopiate thread which has been dormant for quite some time.

Just imagine: You remember that there has been a thread more appropriate for a subject close to your heart and you place a post there. Would you really have the presence of mind to check first what the content of the last post has been ? Nothing else has happened here in my view.

#17 lil'chris

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Posted 22 July 2007 - 00:06

It's very clear from the Autosport obituary published by Pete Stowe that Dickie Stoop suffered his heart attack in a Porsche 911 in 1968.

All that Bjorn asked for was news or pictures of the 904 that Dickie drove in 1964 ie 4 years before his death.

Perhaps whoever PM'd Bjorn suffers from the number version of dyslexia :) (dyscalculia - so my other half tells me as she enjoys her annual 12 week holiday away from teaching :rolleyes: )

#18 Wilyman

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Posted 22 July 2007 - 04:35

As a respectable time has passed since Dickie Stoop died might I ask how he came by the name "Dickie"?
Yes I have read that his middle name was Richard.
For years now I've read of his motor sport activities but, strangely every time I see the name "Dickie" the hairs stand up on my neck!

I have in my mind that he came from a well to-do family, private school along with all the "Buntys", "Guys" and "Tristrams"? Might he have even been ex RAF? Possibly to avoid confusion with his father. But why Dickie, surely Richard or Dick sounds better?
Someone will know.

Apologies if I've offended. [Moderator can pull this if necessary].

#19 Bjorn Kjer

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Posted 22 July 2007 - 06:37

:wave: Yes, now I am waving again , to Dickie , to my fellow TNFers , to whom you might want ! I am stunned ! I was speachless yesterday! I had a terrible night sleep dreaming I was at court ! This morning my
feelings are still driving me bewildered ,still very shaken in facts!

So here comes the whole case , you can read the posts or note dates yourself :

The reason is that I am looking for infos on Porsche 904 and their drivers/teams. As far I know there were 3 in GB: Stoop , deUdy and Morris . I used the SearchBB and up came Dickie Stoop thread. I put on my post 8 with the question , waving ,asking , and awaiting replyes with a smoke!

1. PM from Mr. X : "Bjorn...the post with the smileys does not look cool straight after the poor guys death notice" !! :

Being rather shocked ,thinking what have I done... asked Mr. X for an explanation :

2.PM : "I just dont think it was appropriate to have a post about someones death followed by a lighthearted like nothing had happened....." :

Looking and thinking again , I did not notice other than Peter Stowe in 2002 (!) had put an obituary on the thread on Stoop who died in 1968! So I asked again saying I was sorry not to understand what Mr. X meant !

3.PM : (this morning) the obituary followed by "THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS SOBERING (SAD)INFORMATION" my post 8 !

This is no defence , just facts ! Who are we , what or why are we here. Are we going to stop asking when one has passed away ? Have a look at other threads ! Immediately after my post 8 here , someone had fun on names ! On the Dean thread where I also asked , believing he had 904 before his 906 ,TNFers started talking about cigars and curtains ! And now even a new Stoop thread has been opened ! Are we not here to preserve memoires and collect infos ? I am most certainly !

Mr. X (the PM man) :Sorry , still thinking its way out , and I will not make a list of who can tolerate a "Smiley" or not !!
Sharman : the same , but respect for your "weaknes".
r.atlos : well explaned except "unfortunate" I would have used "coincidental" Ecxactly as it was !
lil`chris and r.atlos : thanks for reading the post 8 as it is meant!

Now to all feeling offended. Just dont open up when you see my name , or jump over my posts , and if Stoops death had not happened so many years ago , I would have been ready to search for his widow , to ask for pictures , perhaps even a transporter info ! I believe I got my frustration out now.

As usual I have been searching outside the TNF and found a fine 2 page story on James Richard "Dickie" Stoop here :www.historicracing.com


LONG LIVE THE MEMOIRES OF DICKIE STOOP

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#20 David McKinney

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Posted 22 July 2007 - 06:51

Originally posted by Wilyman
But why Dickie, surely Richard or Dick sounds better?

Bjorn has already provided the link explaining the origin of the diminutive in Stoop's case, and his RAF connections.
The name Richard is almost invariably abbreviated to Dick in Commonwealth countries, though Rick or Richie are probably more common in the US. Dickie is a not uncommon derivative - Richard Attenborough, for example, is never called Dick by his friends and family.
Parenthetically, I believe Richard Attwood was called Dickie at the time that Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx were prominent, and when Jack Oliver suddenly became Jackie - and never liked it

#21 Sharman

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Posted 22 July 2007 - 16:23

Bjorn
I responded to your question without really putting my brain in gear and because I had met and competed against Dickie in his Carrera. Why Dickie? I think it was a middle class English thing, Dickie Jeeps for example England & Lions scrum half, Dick did not sound right and Richard would only appear on team sheets and school reports.
John

#22 lolingram

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Posted 31 October 2008 - 12:14

Bjorn I responded to your question without really putting my brain in gear and because I had met and competed against Dickie in his Carrera. Why Dickie? I think it was a middle class English thing, Dickie Jeeps for example England & Lions scrum half, Dick did not sound right and Richard would only appear on team sheets and school reports. John



A Grand Monsieur I remember with much affection. Dickie Stoop from Hartley Wintney, who stormed up to Nick Syrett after practise and successfully demanded that I took my rightful 3rd on the front row, instead of starting at the back as a reserve. This was in the '62 Brands Boxing Day meeting, he driving a 356 Carrera 2.0 Twin cam (very special car at the time, but clearly not suited to Brands short circuit). Dizzy knew him well, and was instrumental in getting Dickie to complain to the stewards on my behalf. I drove Elite 1027 (ex Team Elite car of Marsh/Wagstaff and index winner Le Mans 1960).

A lot of us have left the scene, but I am doing my very best to ensure that the stats do not change in the immediate future... sorry to add this so long after the original post, but I have only just joined the forum.

#23 alangiddins

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Posted 13 August 2009 - 21:30

This obituary appeared in Autosport 24 May 1968.

"It is very sad to have to record the death during a club meeting at Croft last Sunday of Dickie Stoop. Apparently Dickie suffered a coronary thrombosis and died at the wheel of his Porsche 911S, which veered off the track into the bank.
James Richard Stoop had been an amateur racing driver of considerable standing for many years. His first race was the supporting F3 event at the Daily Express Silverstone in 1948, when he drove a GS1, and over the last 20 years he campaigned many types of car, but remained faithful for most of his racing to the marque Frazer-Nash. He competed at Le Mans no fewer than 10 times: in 1950 he was 9th overall and won the 2 litre class, in 1951 he was 19th and in 1955 he was 10th. In 1958 he drove the works spaceframe AC into 8th place, again winning his class. He also took part in long-distance racing at Spa, Rouen, Montlhery and elsewhere, and in 1964 was 3rd overall in the Rand 3 hours co-driving Peter Sutcliffe’s E-type.
He performed prolifically in club racing, not only in Frazer-Nashes but also in triumphs, Healeys, a D-type Jaguar and a Lotus 11. He also drove a Formula 2 Cooper in the late ‘50s, and with the passing of Frazer-Nash line he transferred his loyalties to Porsche. His successive Type 356 Carreras, registered YOU 4 and 5 HOT, brought him a lot of win; having been co-victor in the 1959 Autosport Championship with the Sebring Frazer-Nash, he won the Autosport 3 hours at Snetterton the following year in YOU 4 after a tremendous battle with Chris Summers’ Elite, won his class in 1961, and then won the 2-litre division of the championship in 1962 and 1963. He also had a few races with an RS60 Porsche Spyder, and in 1964 drove a 904.
More recently he had concentrated on club production sports car racing with his silver 911S Porsche, also registered YOU 4; this car was a frequent class winner. A retired RAF officer, he was only 47."

From the race meeting report:
"A sombre shadow was cast over the proceedings however, when Dickie Stoop (2.0 Porsche 911S) died at the wheel of his car on the 3rd lap of race 4. The Porsche mounted the banking at the exit to Barcroft, rolled and crashed through fencing."



#24 alangiddins

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Posted 13 August 2009 - 22:04

My late brother Mike "Ginger" Giddins was with Dickie when he died at Croft that fateful weekend. Ginger was one of the old school mechanics at AFN and looked after Dickie's Porsche 911 YOU 4 at weekends and some times I helped out as a willing pair of hands even though I was still at school. That Sunday evening my family and I were at my parents home in Hounslow when the sad news on Dickie came over the television news. Some while later Ginger telephoned home from the police station and after formally identifying Dickie. Ginger who was 18 at the time, drove Dickie's silver BMW 2000Ti OU 4 back from Croft non stop probably breaking every speed limit in force. I sat up all night with my mother Betty drinking a bottle of brandy waiting for Ginger to arrive home in the early hours.
My first encounter with Dickie was some years earlier when I came in one evening and Ginger had called our mother asking her to apologise to Dickie when he arrived that he would be late. Dickie duly arrived at our council house parking MAA 911F outside his pride and joy a mustard coloured Porsche 911 Sportomatic with all the local kids looking on. When Ginger came in Dickie was sitting in our kitchen eating a plate of egg and chips chatting to my mother. This became a regular event and Dickie "popped in" for his egg and chips weekly and became a good friend of our family. A couple of years prior to Dickie's death, Ginger was at home one evening from AFN in a panic having doubled booked his weekend with both Dickie Stoop at Silvestone and Mike De Udy Porsche 906 at Brands Hatch. I was 16 years old at the time and Ginger conscripted me in to go to Silvestone to "look after" Dickie Porsche 911. I flatly refused for a few days but having helped out many an evening at AFN rebuilding GVB 911 D which Chris Maltin and Nick Faure owned at the time, my fate was sealed. The Friday before the weekend at Silvestone, Dickie arrived at my parents assuming he was picking Ginger up to go back to Dickie' house at Hartney whiney in Hampshire only to find me saying I was his man for the weekend! This went down like a ton of bricks and eventually after eggs and chips we drove off in silence. Around Virginia Water, Dickie was asking me, "What was Ginger playing at" but I remained silent. At Dickie's house was to me was magnificent, I was surprised to find cameras and photographic equipment all over the house and as my passion was also photography (I spent most of my evenings with Bill Bates at Van Hallan) which was located at Harpers Yard in Old Isleworth where AFN & PCGB stored all the news cars (pre Worton Hall days).
Anyhow the following Saturday Dickie and I were up early and I hooked up Porsche 911 You 4 which was on it's trailer to OU 4 the BMW and we set off for Silvestone. Upon arrival I unloaded the car and warmed it up trying to answer questions from people in the paddock. After all was checked out, we took the car to scrutinering and passed with flying colours. Dickie took me off to an old wooden hut (left over from WW11) for some lunch, with every other person seeming to know him and vice versa. Needless to say Dickie qualified on pole and won the 2 races easily and was delighted for the rest of the weekend. We adjourned to the Green Man afterwards although Dickie was teetoll and never drank. I got my stripes as his "stand in mechanic" and we went on to be good friends attending many race meetings together as driver and mechanic or mostly bundled down with Canon cameras! Dickie was always poking his nose in especially at the big Sports Cars events when the Porsche Factory was running cars. He studied every device and development and these usually ended up on his Porsche race car shortly after. A great man and I miss him dearly all these years later!

#25 Tim Murray

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Posted 14 August 2009 - 08:30

Thanks for a fascinating post, Alan.

#26 alangiddins

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Posted 14 August 2009 - 09:19

Thanks for a fascinating post, Alan.



#27 lowdrag

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Posted 14 August 2009 - 09:39

It brings home just how much attrition there was in those days of yore. This from Motorsport of June 1968:-

Following the fatal accident at Hockenheim to Jim Clark O.B.E., and two deaths in club racing, Mike Spence, the leading B.R.M. driver, was killed at Indianapolis while practicing in the S.T.P. Lotus 56 turbine car after putting up the second-fastest lap ever at this american track, of 169.5 mph. And now J.R. "Dickie" Stoop has died of a coronary while racing his Porsche at Croft.

Words are not much solace under these circumstances, but to all the bereaved we offer our heartfelt sympathy.

#28 alangiddins

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Posted 14 August 2009 - 10:07

I have photographs of Dickie taking delivery of his Porsche 904 GTS at AFN and Porsche 911 YOU 4 at various race meetings. I also went on to work at AFN in the early 1970's and worked with Nick Faure and the Porsche Carrera 1973 2.7 RS cars RGO 2l and RGO 3L which were entered into the Production Sports Car Championship. This was followed by the limited edition Porsche Carrera 3.0 RS of which 5 were imported of which VVB 3M was raced by Porsche Cars Great Britain driven by Nick Faure.

I went on to work for Bill Bates Van Hallan who did all the photography work for AFN & Porsche and then I established Porsche in Bahrain in the 1980's.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's Ginger my elder brother worked from Vic Elford and David Stone, the Porsche Factory and Bjorn Waldergard rally 911's undertaking the RAC and other European events, Sports Cars Switzerland Richard Brostrom and Masten Gregory running Porsche 908's, ran McLaren M8 & M20 in the CANAM & Interserie championships for Denny Hulme & Helmut Kellerners, Won the World Championship for Makes for Alfa Romeo Team (the Italians could not do it so they quietly contracted Willi Kausen a German to do it). Ginger retired from motor sport and lived in California and had a small stake in Sears Point Raceway and a specialist race workshop at the circuit named after his 6 year old daughter that died of cancer "Robin Automotive". They restored and maintained vintage cars of every conceivable type and prepared and transported vintage race cars for wealthy Americans. He ran an 18 wheel Peterbuilt car transporter called "Mozart" owned by John mozart and even had that stroked and bored to do 100 mph! Ironically Ginger ended up working later in life on the same now historic cars he had actually built many years earlier in his career. He never lost his touch and still had the Vintage owners winning! He passed away after a long fight with cancer on 15th September 1997 at his home in Mill Valley, California just making the age of 48. I always think of Dickie Stoop who died at 47 plus! Mike "Ginger" Giddins was awarded the Roberts Harrison Trophy for significant contributions to vintage car racing at Monteray Historic Automobile Races a fews weeks before he died.

In my Porsche days in Bahrain we purchased chassis number 19 of the 20 911SCRS cars that Jurgen Barth commissioned at Porsche in the 80's and ran the car in the Middle East Rally Championship to be followed by Dave Richards and his fledgling enterprise which grew into "Prodrive" with Rothmans mega budget! David ending up taking chassis off the production line and building second generation 911 SCRS in Oxfordshire!

Roy Gididns my younger brother, also joined in motor racing BMW M1 Christian Danner, F2 with Keke Rosberg, Alfa Romeo with Derek Bell, Walter Braun 962, and Peter Sauber F1, then winding down with some F2 in Switzerland. Now semi retired worker harder than ever, Roy runs his "Old Timer" workshop in Switzerland www.giddins.ch the first Giddins to be on the web.

Increadible and now nostalgic days, all being put into a book I am writing which just needs polishing up before I get it published.

#29 Barry Boor

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Posted 14 August 2009 - 14:17

It gave me much pleasure to repaint and decal up this Porsche model:

Posted Image

#30 Leigh Trevail

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Posted 14 August 2009 - 15:41

"Increadible and now nostalgic days, all being put into a book I am writing which just needs polishing up before I get it published"

Alan........... Will the book be on Dickie Stoop?

#31 alangiddins

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Posted 14 August 2009 - 16:57

"Increadible and now nostalgic days, all being put into a book I am writing which just needs polishing up before I get it published"

Alan........... Will the book be on Dickie Stoop?


It is about about my family, our association with AFN and Porsche including of course a Chapter on Dickie.

#32 Leigh Trevail

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Posted 14 August 2009 - 18:51

Sounds good to me!

#33 RogerFrench

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Posted 17 August 2009 - 03:18

It is about about my family, our association with AFN and Porsche including of course a Chapter on Dickie.


I hope I'll get a chance to read it. I knew Dickie and some AFN people, You may have known Michael Burn, who at one time had a Le Mans rep, and was a close family friend back in the 60s.
The last time I saw Dickie was in 1967. My father was with Honda at that time, and we'd gone to the Phoenix on a VSCC evening in a then-new S800. Dickie there and was fascinated by the little high-revving engine and drove me around some back roads of Hampshire, which he knew well, being close to his home. I'm sure it was the quickest under 1 litre car on Hampshire roads that evening, by a long shot!


#34 Rob Russell

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Posted 21 September 2009 - 21:02

Alan,
I've read your post with much interest, and thought you would be glad to here that one of the cars you mention, GVB 911D is still alive and well.
In late 1969 it was sold by Nick Faure to a Swiss man by the name of Favre, it's history over the following four years is a little checkered, it was painted orange, registered on Swiss plates and at some point suffered a fire in the engine bay.
It was bought in 1973 from a shed in London by a Roger Connel. He spent about 8 years restoring it, very luckily there was still some of the original history for him to use to piece it back together (including the Green Log Book and some photos of it being driven to victory by Vic Elford in the first televised Rally Cross at Lydden Hill in February 1967).
It was returned to it's original Red colour and re-registered in the UK back to GVB 911D. Unfortunately the Carera 6 engine it was raced with in 67, 68 and 69 had been re-built a number of times with some less than original components (gone were the titanium rods for example). But the crank case, drilled aluminum cam drive sprockets and some other components remained.
In 1982 Mr Connel put the car up for sale and it was bought by my father Peter Russell. He was a rallying man at heart, and so GVB 911D started a new career. At the time Historic Rallying was in it's early days and there was only really one dedicated event each year, The Coronation Rally run over the Epynt Army Ranges in Wales. GVB 911D went back to it's winning ways, with three class wins in 1982, 83 and 85.
In need of more engine work and with other commitments taking priority it went into retirement, followed by another restoration. We finally got it back on the road again in 1994, now fitted with an engine from Francis Tuthill (the original components are still stored, perhaps a future project? After winning the lottery?).
My Father and I had a few interesting seasons in 1996 and 1997, competing in the now well established Historic Rally Car Register, Rally Championship, sharing Driving and Co-Driving duties. We also had some other memorable outings, to the Isle of Mann, for a track day (and the obvious blast round the TT course!), and I used the car to take my new wife away from the church at our wedding.
My Father passed away in late 2000, and with the commitments of a young family (as well as some racing in a Caterham and some rallying in a Peugeot) I have struggled to use the car as much as I would have liked. I competed in a few Sprints had some fun on a number of track days and it's been shown at a few Porsche Club events.
A notable highlight came in 2007 when the Rally Live Show arranged for Vic Elford to come over from his home in California and be reunited with GVB 911D to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rally Cross Victory. He was very happy to see it still in one piece and had lots of memories to share, including one fact that I was not aware of, in 1968 it was raced as BEM 911F, not re-registered just "re badged" to make it look like a new F reg car. The BEM standing for Bradly, Elford and Maltin. Bradly being a financial backer, Elford was obviously the driver and Chris Maltin I believe worked for AFN?
Another name that you may remember is Michael Gleeson? He shared some great pictures and memories of the car from when he worked on it while it was owned by Nick Faure.

Anyway I must stop rambling. To bring you right up to the present day, I have just used the car to visit the Goodwood Revival. What a great day out! I would love to think that perhaps one day we could see GVB 911D out on the track competing properly again?

If you have other memories of the Car I would be very interested to here them? It sounds like you spent some "quality time" together.
Thanks again for your post.


#35 sterling49

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Posted 21 September 2009 - 21:30

Really interesting posts Alan, most of the cars of which I saw race in period. GVB 911D, am I getting confused, as I am sure I saw Quick Vic race this in the saloon races at Brannds Hatch against the works Mk11 Cortina Lotus of Jacky Ickx and Graham Hill, I hasten to add, I am often wrong :lol:

#36 alangiddins

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Posted 22 September 2009 - 09:40

Really interesting posts Alan, most of the cars of which I saw race in period. GVB 911D, am I getting confused, as I am sure I saw Quick Vic race this in the saloon races at Brannds Hatch against the works Mk11 Cortina Lotus of Jacky Ickx and Graham Hill, I hasten to add, I am often wrong :lol:


Quick Vic did drive this in the Saloon car at Brands Hatch as I was there. The late John Aldington of AFN had argued that as the 911 has "2 rear seats" it qualified as a Saloon car and it raced as one until the game was up! Pioneering days for the Porsche 911 on the race track. It was up against Mini, Cortina, Ford Falcon, Alfa, etc. I have some old black and white photo's in my forthcoming book

#37 alangiddins

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Posted 22 September 2009 - 10:16

Alan,
I've read your post with much interest, and thought you would be glad to here that one of the cars you mention, GVB 911D is still alive and well.
In late 1969 it was sold by Nick Faure to a Swiss man by the name of Favre, it's history over the following four years is a little checkered, it was painted orange, registered on Swiss plates and at some point suffered a fire in the engine bay.
It was bought in 1973 from a shed in London by a Roger Connel. He spent about 8 years restoring it, very luckily there was still some of the original history for him to use to piece it back together (including the Green Log Book and some photos of it being driven to victory by Vic Elford in the first televised Rally Cross at Lydden Hill in February 1967).
It was returned to it's original Red colour and re-registered in the UK back to GVB 911D. Unfortunately the Carera 6 engine it was raced with in 67, 68 and 69 had been re-built a number of times with some less than original components (gone were the titanium rods for example). But the crank case, drilled aluminum cam drive sprockets and some other components remained.
In 1982 Mr Connel put the car up for sale and it was bought by my father Peter Russell. He was a rallying man at heart, and so GVB 911D started a new career. At the time Historic Rallying was in it's early days and there was only really one dedicated event each year, The Coronation Rally run over the Epynt Army Ranges in Wales. GVB 911D went back to it's winning ways, with three class wins in 1982, 83 and 85.
In need of more engine work and with other commitments taking priority it went into retirement, followed by another restoration. We finally got it back on the road again in 1994, now fitted with an engine from Francis Tuthill (the original components are still stored, perhaps a future project? After winning the lottery?).
My Father and I had a few interesting seasons in 1996 and 1997, competing in the now well established Historic Rally Car Register, Rally Championship, sharing Driving and Co-Driving duties. We also had some other memorable outings, to the Isle of Mann, for a track day (and the obvious blast round the TT course!), and I used the car to take my new wife away from the church at our wedding.
My Father passed away in late 2000, and with the commitments of a young family (as well as some racing in a Caterham and some rallying in a Peugeot) I have struggled to use the car as much as I would have liked. I competed in a few Sprints had some fun on a number of track days and it's been shown at a few Porsche Club events.
A notable highlight came in 2007 when the Rally Live Show arranged for Vic Elford to come over from his home in California and be reunited with GVB 911D to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rally Cross Victory. He was very happy to see it still in one piece and had lots of memories to share, including one fact that I was not aware of, in 1968 it was raced as BEM 911F, not re-registered just "re badged" to make it look like a new F reg car. The BEM standing for Bradly, Elford and Maltin. Bradly being a financial backer, Elford was obviously the driver and Chris Maltin I believe worked for AFN?
Another name that you may remember is Michael Gleeson? He shared some great pictures and memories of the car from when he worked on it while it was owned by Nick Faure.

Anyway I must stop rambling. To bring you right up to the present day, I have just used the car to visit the Goodwood Revival. What a great day out! I would love to think that perhaps one day we could see GVB 911D out on the track competing properly again?

If you have other memories of the Car I would be very interested to here them? It sounds like you spent some "quality time" together.
Thanks again for your post.


Hello Rob, I was so happy to read your post. I am living in Highland Perthshire these days so I do not get down to the events down south much. I would love to see GVB again and perhaps we can meet up one day in the near future? I was the first employee of Chris Maltin at Braewood Farm, Hawthorn Hill in the early 1970's. Chris had worked for Bill Bradley, David Piper, etc and taught me most of what I know about Porsche and engineering! Chris was the first person to shorten the Porsche 917 which he did on Pipes car and the Factory followed suit. Also the Porsche 917 kept losing the main horizontal air cooling fans (which would fly off into orbit causing instant engine failure) and Chris solved this problem for Pipes and then sold the design mod to Porsche. He never told me what he was paid but when I left Hawker Siddley at Kingston Upon Thames to join Chris after he had just got married, he drove up in a brand new Porsche 911T on Zoll plates which he had just collected from Porsche Factory! Chris had sorted the AFN parts stores out and did a lot of consulting work for AFN/Porsche. When we started at the Farm, we got all the problem cars from AFN to sort out so there was a respectful relationship between Chris and Porsche. Chris also has YOU 4 Dickie old number plate which appeared on Chris 911T and is still on it today. We also prepared and looked after Dan Marguiles Porsche 911 rally car LYV 911D, took a racing 911 to Le Mans in 1971 with John Chatham and Mike Coombe (we did not qualify as the 917's took the average up so high that year our slow 165 mph 911 could not make the required percentage index) and we watched the race as spectators albeit with pit and paddock passes! Dr Helmut Marko & Gijs van Lennep won in a 917 and their record still stands today for the fastest average speed and distance! I knew Helmut from my days with my brother Ginger and Sports Cars Switzerland when Helmut drove for Richard Brostrom in various Porsche 908. I remember Ginger asking Helmut to take me back to our hotel from Karlskoga race circuit in a hire car Opel. Helmut took me the scenic route through the Swedish forests and it was then I realised I would never be a competitive racing or rally driver as Helmut had this Opel saloon cornering on it's door handles but I felt totally at ease with him driving so quickly. Over the years I have been in a lot of race and rally cars with all sorts of famous names and these drivers all have an ability that makes you feel totally at ease even if you going through a corner at 130 mph on a knife edge! I have plenty of GVB pictures in my book.


#38 Rob Russell

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Posted 09 October 2009 - 00:00

Yes, Vic raced it in the 1967 saloon car championship, then in 1968 / 69 it was raced pretty successfully by Nick Faure.
Alan, you might know some more, although a privateer, I believe Nick Faure was also supported to some extent by AFN ?

#39 alangiddins

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Posted 12 October 2009 - 11:23

Yes, Vic raced it in the 1967 saloon car championship, then in 1968 / 69 it was raced pretty successfully by Nick Faure.
Alan, you might know some more, although a privateer, I believe Nick Faure was also supported to some extent by AFN ?


Rob, Nick Faure and Chris Maltin purchased GVB 911D from AFN and they had some support from John Aldington in the form of use of AFN's workshops in the evenings after normal working hours. Chris had done a lot of work for AFN and Porsche so his relationship was very good with AFN management. These were my earliest 911 days helping my brother Mike "Ginger" Giddins who did most of the preparation work in his spare time. Chris Maltin had just relocated the oil tank forward into the front of the rear right wheel arch and the Porsche factory followed suit sometime later. I remember meeting George Sneath one day with Ginger and they were discussing the GVB 911D engine blow up and it turned out that the oil feed from Chris's relocated oil tank was getting compressed round left hand corners which staved the engine of oil, very easily fixed but a very expensive mistake! Chris and nick eventually fell out due to the costs of running GVB and it was sold on.

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#40 Doug Nye

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Posted 12 October 2009 - 19:18

This has become a most fascinating thread thanks to such distinguished contributions. Jenks was a good friend to both AFN and to Dickie Stoop. They went way back and got on like a house on fire. Jenks lived variously at Phoenix Green (Hartley Wintney), followed by nearby Odiham and then Crondall - and with Stoop resident at Hartley Wintney (once he had left the RAF) they saw quite a lot of one another.

I am pretty sure that Mr Stoop was known as 'Dickie' simply because a single-syllable surname trips off the tongue rather more mellifluously with a twin-syllable christian name - thus 'Dickie' Stoop sounds perhaps more comfortable than 'Dick' Stoop. As a single-syllable bloke myself - involved from time to time in naming offspring - ease of a two-syllable christian name preferably ending in an 'ee' sound seems to have much to commend it. I guess the Stoop family and his school and service chums felt the same way. He is, by the way, also remembered as having been a very talented pilot.

DCN

#41 Rob Russell

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 20:28

Alan, Doug.

I've been doing some surfing, looking for more snippets of GVB 911D history, and I've come across a couple of fantastic video clips that have been put on YouTube.
The first shows the 1967 Oulton Park Gold Cup Meeting, mainly concentraiting on the increadible wheel-raising antics of Icks and Hill in their Lotus Cortina's, but there in a few of the shots is Vic and GVB.
The second is from the 1968 Brands Hatch race of champions (GVB is running as BEM 911F). Elford finished 2nd (1st in class) apparently hounding Brian Muir's Falcon who took the win with a slow puncture.
All great stuff!

http://www.youtube.c...Y...PL&index=11

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

Alan,
How's the book coming along? (You'll have to put me down for one of the first copies).

#42 vlatava

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Posted 01 May 2010 - 18:10

YES
I was at that meeting.
Cycled to Croft Autodrome from Redcar, on my 'Reg Harris' bike, as a training run - as usual.
Stood on the bank, inside the circuit, at the chicane, as usual - you could see Tower, Tower straight and the renamed Hawthorn from there but, only the rooves? of saloons from the Esses.
I'd have to open up my 3 decade archive of Autosport to define the date, meeting & race but, if it's important to anyone - 1969 - 1970?, it's no hassle.
Had taken a pic of Dickies gorgeous metallic silver, road going 911S Targa (Porsche - what else?) only an hour earlier in the paddock.
But was he driving it in the race? I don't know - it was Formula Libre or some other mixed bag tussle.
Finding that slide (remember those?) may be more problematical (worked worldwide for 30yrs, multiple partners - mainly behind the old 'Iron Curtain' or Gulf - lost a lot of history & artefacts)
First sensory input was an exclamation from the old green double decker bus at Tower (a remote commentary point). Can't remember the precise exclamation -something like 'Oh! no Dickie! or Oh! hell Dickie! I whipped round for my second, visual, sensory input, to see the Porsche airborne travelling out of the circuit. Couldn't see it land in the semi ploughed field beyond.
Once the ghouls had dispersed, the real supporters & friends, wandered over quietly to pay our respects, (we'd been advised that Dickie had died - of a 'broken neck') to find a visibly undamaged Porsche, minus Dickie, (remember this is from memory) buried up to the windscreen in mud. It had obviously 'settled' to a lower angle but, it had taken off from the dyke around the circuit and landed just off vertical. Didn't seem right at the time.
When we learned later that Dickie, a very skilled Club Racer, had had a heart attack through the Esses it made more sense. He had not 'lost control', he had 'lost the means to control' within the Esses due to his heart attack - otherwise he'd have just slung it sideways into the bank and stopped it.
Eyewitness testimony - accept or reject.


#43 vlatava

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Posted 01 May 2010 - 18:46

Rob

Jim Clark was there at Croft too. Another, Lotus Cortina Mk1 with wishbone rear and a pre FVA Cosworth. I saw one, howling up from Hawthorn? (another name then) to the Chicane on only 2 pre slicks. Awesome!
Did you know?
When 3 or 4 NASCAR cars visited Croft in the late 60's or early 70s to compete against Hill, Icks? Clark, Tony Robinson (the Master!) et al; that! in their wisdom the 'Scrutineers' made them saw through all their NASCAR 'Crash Cages' because they didn't conform to the Group 5? spec & unfairly stiffened the (bloated) American chassis. You could tell the difference from the practice & race times! I was silenced in disbelief, watching the mechs with hacksaws! in the paddock. They'd raced throughout the UK WITH their crash cages intact, without comment & D&DMC forced them to destroy their integrity & reduce their safety - unreal.
Brian Muir used to sling that Falcon at every turn; he must have been incredibly strong and accurate - 2 tonnes & no power steering? through the very narrow brick walled chicane without even a brush of a tyre.
Finally, after I saw a Marshall 'catch' a metre section of that wall during a club race, (literally - flat on his back with his arms around it; actually he didn't have many options - catch & secure debris; or run & get flattened) they replaced it with something more friendly much later. Marshalls were just as committed then as they are now - we, even as spectators, should applaud them.

Edited by vlatava, 01 May 2010 - 21:33.


#44 Giraffe

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Posted 01 May 2010 - 18:58

but, if it's important to anyone - 1969 - 1970?, it's no hassle.
Had taken a pic of Dickies gorgeous metallic silver, road going 911S Targa (Porsche - what else?) only an hour earlier in the paddock.
When we learned later that Dickie, a very skilled Club Racer, had had a heart attack


His 356 Carreras were registered YOU 4 & 5 HOT. He drove an RS60 Spyder and a 904 in 1964, but YOU 4 went to his Silver 911S, in which he died from a coronary thrombosis at Croft on 19th May 1968, aged just 47. (I remember as it was my 14th birthday).

Edited by Giraffe, 01 May 2010 - 19:00.


#45 alangiddins

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Posted 14 February 2011 - 15:26

All, I am writing the book online as a Blog to begin with so you may be interested in reading at http://giddins-porsche.blogspot.com/ regards Alan


Really interesting posts Alan, most of the cars of which I saw race in period. GVB 911D, am I getting confused, as I am sure I saw Quick Vic race this in the saloon races at Brannds Hatch against the works Mk11 Cortina Lotus of Jacky Ickx and Graham Hill, I hasten to add, I am often wrong :lol:



#46 alangiddins

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Posted 03 October 2011 - 13:06

I'm posting my book up on my bloghttp://giddins-porsche.blogspot.com/

Sorry but it starts with the latest so you need to go through the Archive to get to the beginning.

Please spread the word if you like it

#47 alangiddins

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Posted 08 June 2015 - 15:45

Just to let you know my book Porsche Memories is available at Amazon

 

 

 

all 450 A4 pages of it!


Edited by alangiddins, 08 June 2015 - 15:48.