Thanks for these Alan.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gunnar Nilsson a couple of times that year when I was a marshal. Always fast, very brave, but at the same time quite level headed and personable.

I wonder what he would have done with the Lotus 78 if he had lived long enough to race it?

Just a slip I expect but Gunnar won in the Lotus 78. He was going to Arrows for 1978.

Apologies. You are right - I was thinking of the 79, when it all came good again for Lotus.

As for Arrows???

I helped the Safir team out in '75, and met Gunnar Nilsson a few times - you really could not have wished to meet a nicer man. At a Goodwood test in August '75, we were testing the short-lived F2 Safir, and Gunnar was testing the Rapid Movements Chevron B29 (I think Renzo Zorzi was having his first run in a Williams as well). I asked him a couple of questions about the circuit, and he threw me the keys of his Ford Grenada and said "Why don't you do a few laps, and find out for yourself?"

When he became ill, there was very little mention of it in Autosport or MN (apart from a denial by Jackie Oliver that he had cancer). I walked by an emaciated bald guy at the British GP in '78, who said "Hi" as I passed. It took me a couple of moments to realise that it was Gunnar. We exchanged a few pleasantries, but I have to admit I was shocked at how ill he clearly was.

The next time I heard his unmistakable voice was on the radio, a few days before his death, launching the Gunnar Nilsson Cancer Treatment Campaign.

It's always the good guys...

I saw him at Brands as well and didn't recognise him. When I realised who it was, he was gone.

At that Oulton race, Gunnar's cockpit fire extinguisher went off just before the start and I think he inhaled some of the extinguishant. At the very least, it prevented him from starting and at the next race he had changed from the Griffin helmet to, I think, a Bell with one of those chamois leather "bibs" attached to the underside of the helmet that a number of drivers adopted in the mid-1970s.

The thread of Eddie Whitham's photos has, curiously, disappeared onto the Racing Collectables section, so I shall post a few more of his 1960s gems under the main photo threads.

Can anyone identify this humble Anglia from a 1965 'clubbie'?


Two shots of Roger Nathan's Imp at Mallory. However, it has been suggested, via Barry Boor, that it wasn't Roger driving, although it looks like him to me. Any confirmation?

As you have reintroduced the concept of Ford Anglias, Mr C, here is some stuff from yesterday's 60th running of the Birkett Six Hours. First time I've attended since about 1982 - and I'd rather forgotten its splendid eclecticism...


"Very good, sir, but can it fly?" Bill Withey was entered in a Camaro Z28 but turned up in this instead...


...and it eventually passed scrutineering.


This isn't a case of poor aperture setting - it really was this dark for most of the morning. Doug Setters (Lotus Exige) leads Colin Whitmore (M3).


Correct: Vittal Chauhan (Elise) and Jason Christie (RS1600).


Incorrect, but much more entertaining.


"Attention paddock, attention paddock. Would all 327 competitors for practice session four please go to the assembly area immediately..."


Here comes the sun: Russell Paterson (Morgan Plus 8).


Knight and Day: Jeremy (MGB) and Anthony (Toyota MR2) of that ilk pursue Paul Waterhouse (Peugeot 405).


Opel fruits: Julian Gammage's irreversibly gorgeous GT.


Axle folly: Mike Allen (Tiger MAE) slithered off at Brooklands and ended up in Brighton.


Get my drift? Norman Ricketts (BMW 1602).

Poor quality shot of the sort I used to achieve on many a Saturday afternoon in the late 60s from the Woodcote grandstand...

Car at the back I recognise as the unique MG Gnat. I could probably name some drivers if I managed to unearth the programme, and connect it with the day.



Does a clubbie have this sort of atmosphere any more?

Ummm...No!

As Tim said Alan, you need to cajole, beg, whatever Eddie to publish these in BIG BOOK!!! What lovely memories of super cars, I love Nathan's Impudence

I remember that MG Gnat but cant for the life of me recall the driver , what i can remember is the Mini Cooper B which had a B series engine stuffed in the front with huge front wheels, and 2 Kenlowe fans in the boot lid to try to cool it down .

The name Trevor Davies i think was the driver of that Mini B.


Pete

No, but the Birkett Six Hours comes passably close... I always associate Avengers with either a) Bernard Unett or b) free yoghurt (Peter Slade's Dairy Crest-backed prodsaloon used to have complimentary pots on the roof in the paddock at lunchtime). This is James Christie's yoghurt-free Hillman at Silverstone yesterday. Also...


Fletcher Hornet? Check. Westfield SE? Check. Er, Metro? Check...


Let us spray: Peter Bove (Darvi) and Peter Burnham (Mallock Mk21).


Back to my Rootes: Steve Platts (Singer Chamois).


Snaking Chalmers: Rob in his Caterham R400.


Glisten and learn: John Plant (Kougar).


Kit Cat: Martin Astley (RAM D-type).

Wasn't it Wally Hall who used to drive the MG Gnat?

Ah, yes Rob.

All about it here...
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/news/news106a.html

Welcome Rob. That was a pretty good first post

Why did it take so long?

I thought it might be Wally Lisles.

The Mini infront of the Gnat, is that David Alexander in the Top Gear Motors ( Enfield ) Cooper S?
It was always yellow and black with a chequered roof. David was a bakery manager in his day job.

Some more from the same grotty batch (I hope they are of some interest )

Oulton Park, no info on these though, anybody ?

John Pearson?

The TR Reg Woodcock by any chance.?

The Imp Ray Payne hard to tell without colour but the lighter shade at the bottom could be hartwell orange .?

Lovely shot of the Cortina heading the field into Old Hall, Morris.

More great club racing shots. That Cortina was gold in colour. Raced by Cyd Williams in '66 who then sold it to John Morris.

Just when I thought that no matter what you did to a Kougar you would improve its looks someone proves me wrong!


April 1979 Oulton Park - Lap 1 FF2000 race - David Leslie in the lead.

Some more of Tim Blackburn's shots from British club racing.


Whatever he has just won, John Miles looks pretty pleased - It's definitely Brands, so could it be after his epic drive in the Willment Elan when he trounced Bernard Unett's Tiger? Looking at his overalls, he appears to be sporting a Goodyear logo, so possibly not. I would imagine his Elan had been running Dunlops.

Roger Mac in his Brabham BT2. Brands Hatch 31st January 1965. Ist place in the Knorr Bowl FJ race.

Boley Pittard - Lotus 23. Brands 31/1/65

John Coundley - McLaren-Elva. Boxing Day Brands 1965. I love the spare wheel nestling under the screen.

Warren Pearce (E Type) and Alan Woods(?) (Midget), Druids

The Mini behind (96) who seemed like an Oulton regular did overhaul the Cortina ,judging by the other shots I've got.The Mini's a BRT prepared car and has the little BRT badge just below the bonnet, I'd be interested to know who the driver is as I am of this car in the same race......

A couple of shots of the car with Steve Bradley driving in Historic F3....






PAR

Thanks for those, Phil. That was actually the second (Toyota-powered) car. The Ford-powered ex Neve car ended up with Van Hool, I think, in Belgium

Van Hool were sponsors, were they not? I have some slides from Cadwell Park from 1975 somewhere... (somewhere )

If I ever find them...

116 , Alec Poole , in the hornet, 1966, the XK John (plastic) Pearson .

[quote name='Morris S' date='Oct 26 2009, 00:16' post='3956416']
Oulton Park, no info on these though, anybody ?




In this photo, 286FAC is Bill Nicholson's MGB.

I now recall the expression "Plastic" Pearson. Rather like the differentiation betweens John Booths. Suggestive of the fact there was another John Pearson? Were either related to Gary Pearson?

Gary's father ( Jaguar expert ) is John 'Metal' Pearson. Gary's brother is also called John. Not related to 'plastic'.

I could be wrong, but did the "Plastic" refer to the XK's bodywork?

I think the Hornet's number is 105, I didn't think Alec's Hornet was deseamed like that one either ? In fact I've found a shot of it in the paddock ....

http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/i...ey%20Hornet.jpg

The BRT prepped car behind (107) I now think may be Oulton club regular Mike Caulton.







Couple more pics from Oulton...

[quote name='Morris S' date='Oct 26 2009, 19:36' post='3957550']
I think the Hornet's number is 105, I didn't think Alec's Hornet was deseamed like that one either ? In fact I've found a shot of it in the paddock ....


ALECS 66 car was deseamed , 67 CAR retained seams , in the background in the colour shot is his MK1 sprite .IIRC Pearsons used liberal amounts of f/glass , the fabric soft top may have been created in f/glass .

Aye, I'd always assumed so. What a wonderful era that was in Modsports, so much variety - Jaguars, TVRs, Elans, Porsches, Ginettas, Clan Crusaders, Sprites, etc., etc...

I used to so enjoy those races and saw some real humdingers.

Superb picture .....motor racing in the Cheshire countryside

PAR

In this photo, 286FAC is Bill Nicholson's MGB.
[/quote]


I think the Mk1 Sprite on the Front row (far right) could be TZA238 driven by Alec Poole

The tyre smoking E type is probably the Bridges/Red Rose Motors car. The Cooper S in the other shot looks a bit like Willie Green at the wheel;. ISTR he had one in those days. Not sure what Caulton looked like. BTW where is the BRT badge on the car?. They usually had a diagonally split rectangle on each wing.
Roger Lund

Hi I see you have a couple from Silverstone 1968 Im pretty sure I was at the July meeting with my dad he was racing his ex Terry Sanger V8 Cortina, I think he got the fastest lap but had to retire with it overheating
Steve.

Easy to miss but the BRT Developments badge is just below the bonnet, this shot taken in the paddock.





I know little of Caulton other than that he was a "Stockport man" as Harry Ratcliffe put it,a Team Red Rose member and he won the Peco Saloon Car Championship in this car .

Peco Saloon Car Championship

1) Mike Caulton 1.3 Mini-Cooper S 16

2) Peter Hawthorne 1.6 Ford Anglia 12

3) David Smith 1.3 Mini-Cooper S 11

4) Barry Pearson 1.3 Mini-Cooper S 10

5) Alan Peer 1.8 Ford Anglia 9

6) Jack Newman 1.6 Lotus Cortina 6


Ahhaa, a mate has sent me this which explains all, no date though :

I don't see many photos of this car, John Pope's V8 Aston Martin engined Vauxhall Viva / Magnum?



I took this photo in the Paddock at Silverstone in 1975

Good Lord was that thing road legal?

nice coach transporter looks like the ex Mike Wilds Dempster Developements one

I think I read somewhere, that John Pope used to drive it to and from the circuits.

I saw it race a few times. Very quick down the straights, but a bit iffy in the corners!

That's quite correct, although it can't be read in the photo, I do remember the tax disc being current at the time. I don't think it was driven to & from the circuit on that occasion, though.

And John still has it and it is still road legal.

Put the reg number in the DVLA it comes up as a "John pope special" road registered 13/03/1974.