19 replies to this topic

[Sharman]

During the 70s I spent a lot of time out of the UK and although I saw the name Reg Woodcock in connection with Triumph TR3s I never met the gentleman. I have a great interest in what used to be called "Marque Cars" so can anybody tell me if RW is still with us and if so where I can contact him.
Thanks n advance.

[Allan Lupton]

In a later existance he raced a Westfield 11 with a Rover V8 engine (eventually of 4 litre capacity) which I last noted in 1997. That is as likely to be because I stopped collecting data as it is that he stopped racing. IIRC he was in his early 60s then, so may well still be racing.

[ErleMin]

Yep he was successful with the Westfield in 750 Motor Club Kit Car racing with his brother (name?) helping but the opposition got very "professional/upmarket" rather than their clubbie approach & I guess they stopped for that reason. I have seen them about the paddocks subsequently but don't know if they race anything these days.

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by ErleMin
Yep he was successful with the Westfield in 750 Motor Club Kit Car racing with his brother (name?) helping but the opposition got very "professional/upmarket" rather than their clubbie approach & I guess they stopped for that reason. I have seen them about the paddocks subsequently but don't know if they race anything these days.

Some of the opposition would have said Reg was professional if not upmarket: don't I recall that he/they worked for Lucas on fuel injection development for which the Rover engine was a testbed?
It certainly went very well.

[Sharman]

Interesting and brings me into the picture but does not help me find him, any idea what area he came from Allen?

[Andrew Kitson]

Reg Woodcock always entertained however sadly I have an unpleasant memory of being at Silverstone in 1978 when he was involved in a very nasty accident.

It was the BMRMC 21st anniversary meeting, on August 19th 1978 on the club circuit. Some friends and I were watching from the Woodcote stands among the sparse crowd on this particular Saturday afternoon.

The third race of the day was the 'Lew Wooster' Trophy Modified sports Car Race. A car stalled on the grid if I recall correctly, or it may have been hit by another at the start. However the marshals could not move it. As the field thundered down the club straight towards us on lap 1, the reds were shown due to the stricken car. In those days it might have been crossed oil flags as the red was shown only at the startline.

Reg in his 3.8 Jaguar E-type was at the back of the field, picking off the slower Midgets and MGBs etc. at an alarming speed difference down the straight and seemed to notice the flags and slowing cars at the last moment.

I do not know the reason why, driver error or a mechanical problem, but Reg's car spun several times under heavy braking, from a point where the national circuit bridge crosses the straight now. There was a marshals post to the inside by the paddock entrance on the 'hard shoulder' so to speak, protected by a small length of armco. The marshals were slowing the field, waving arms etc. but a couple of them had strayed beyond the armco at the edge of the track. Alas Reg's car slammed into the armco and then into the marshals and disintegrated, bodies flew through the air as we watched on and there were fatalities, although I think Reg was unhurt although obviously distraught. This tragedy made the TV news and one of the saddest days I have spent at a race circuit. I was very pleased to see Reg racing again after this terrible tragedy.

[Huw Jadvantich]

Reg was part of the motor industry in the 1980s and early 90s in would have lived around Solihull or Coventry I am guessing. A quick look through the white pages for that area might get him.

[Sharman]

I regret to say I have no idea of his initials save the obvious "R", Andrew, Allan et al, does anybody remember.

[Alan Cox]

As, for many years, Reg was a stalwart supporter of 750 Motor Club racing, I would suggest that you contact the club. They may well have info, and he may still be a member, if he is still with us.

[Sharman]

Thanks Alan, I will give them a try
John

[Allan Lupton]

Someone with 750MC race programmes of the time should be able to find at least the town Reg lived in: they had a convention where they printed that information after the driver's name, resulting in a few amusing moments for the easily amused when a Morgan driver from a small town in County Durham was listed as Name Surname (Crook)

[Sharman]

Thank you all, I now have an address and will let you know why I wanted t trace him if my received info tallies.
John

[Sharman]

I have now made contact with Reg and need to pose another question. Who else raced TR3s at the same time. Reg could not remember any names.

[Allan Lupton]

OK, the following, like RW, appear in my records as having raced TRs in the 1980s
In TR3s:
D.J. Bailey
Darrel Uprichard
Reg Woodcock
In TR3As
Philip Egginton
Geoff Mansfield
Frank Richardson

In other TRs:
TR2
David Lister
TR4
Peter Cox
Nicholas Evans
John Hanna
Michael Walker
TR4A
Trevor Allen
Nicholas Boneham
Howard Morgan
Michael Walker
TR5
John Gray
Jeff Pumford
Reg Woodcock
TR6
Chris Carter
Steve Chapman
Saul Empson
Alan Lowe
Evan Mackenzie
Michael Read
Jonathan Wood

They didn't necessarily race against each other.
Hope this helps

[Sharman]

A tremendous help Allan
John

[Alan Cox]

For those of you who have never seen the great Reg in action, here he is heading away from the field at Mallory Park.

[Phil Rainford]

Race from the mid- 1980s at Mallory Park



I think it is Frank Richardson in his TR3A

[Phil Rainford]

Its only taken 13 months.......but I have found a picture of the man in question



Kind regards

Phil

[Sharman]

Reason I was trying to find Reg was that he bought Bill de Selincourt's E Type and I wondered if he knew where Bill's original TR3 was (Bill bought it back in the 70s and raced it again). I have now traced it to its current owner

[Muskrat]

OK, the following, like RW, appear in my records as having raced TRs in the 1980s
In TR3s:

D.J. Bailey - Crashed it very badly - but rebuilt alot of it into a Fast TR4 - still come out occasionally
Darrel Uprichard - Run Racetorations - not sure he races now (or if so not in really fast Tr's in events I have done).
Reg Woodcock - Set the bar high - Mega fast. May have stopped TR's by mid 80's and front cars the were Cox and Hall.

In TR3As - still around but not racing.
Philip Egginton - no idea
Geoff Mansfield - heard the name - don't know any more though.
Frank Richardson - no idea

In other TRs:
TR2
David Lister - no idea

TR4
Peter Cox - The Man in the Mid 80's - he still has the Silver Bullet - but been waiting on and Engine from "Racetorations for longer than I can remember" (The original Cox of Cox and Buckles before Moss - still works for Moss as one of the top guys).
Nicholas Evans - no idea
John Hanna - no idea
Michael Walker - no idea

TR4A
Trevor Allen - no idea
Nicholas Boneham - no idea
Howard Morgan - no idea
Michael Walker - no idea

TR5
John Gray - no idea
Jeff Pumford - no idea
Reg Woodcock as above

TR6
Chris Carter (had a very fast 5 as well as 6) ran very sucessfull TR tuning / rebuild firm before going back to farming
Steve Chapman - still out occasionally (car occasionally fast, but pretty unreliable)
Saul Empson - no idea
Alan Lowe - no idea
Evan Mackenzie - no idea
Michael Read - no idea
Jonathan Wood - Worked for Cambridge then joint owner of Classic Racecraft before that was wrapped up (one of the best TR Engine builders (and car)) - impossible to ever get hold of though.....

They didn't necessarily race against each other.
Hope this helps

The wide body TR3 is a "Beta".