John Hine

About fifteen or so years ago I used to get a bit of exercise at Aldershot dry ski slope doing slalom training once a week. One of the guys I was chatting to there said his name was John Hine. He seemed quite taken aback when I asked "What - the John Hine of FJ, Chevron sportscar , and saloon car fame?" He confirmed that it was him, and seemed quite surprised and embarrassed to realise that a total stranger knew so much about his past motor racing life. He undoubtedly had a great deal of ability and talent while he was competing, but never quite hit the heights in either sportscars or single seaters.

I have a particular interest in drivers who were obviously very talented, but who never quite achieved their full potential. ie Ulf Svensson, Dave Walker, John Hine - and in more recent eras John Pratt, Rick Morris, Jim Walsh, Roberto Moreno, Perry McCarthy etc.

Any anecdotes about these, or other drivers who should have gone further, should make for entertaining reading.

That's interesting - I think of John Hine as being quite famous! One one that great band of 'Group 6 Johns' doing battle in 2-litre Chevrons: Hine, Burton, Miles, Lepp, Bamford, Bridges. And no ''ordinary John'' at that! (Red Rose Racing??)

Rick Morris, I saw race many times. One particular instance must have been a Silverstone Finals Day, in FF1600, when he defeated a much vaunted rising star named Ayrton da Silva. Circuit knowledge payed off - know just how much kerb you could use at the Woodcote chicane (ie; all of it, and more!) and overtook Ayrton on the fianl corner whilst airborne! That must have been, what? 1981? (Thereabouts anyway, I've just got in from the pub.)

Ulf Svensson was famous for having his car in absolutely perfect trim. At the end of season, young hopefuls qued for buying his cars. Ulf gave his used cars a guarantee of six races!
On racedays his wife, Berit, acted as a mechanic, and was renamed "Johan".

Multiple Swedish Champ on Road Racing-bikes.

Stefan

I was told once that John Hine was offered money to "hide" one of the Great Train Robbers...and I'm sure he was one of many to be given this opportunity...

MCS

I recall pictures of John Hine & Ian Grob in a beautiful green Chevron B31 entered by KVG Racing. Was this a works entry of some sort ?

Think it was works-supported, if that's the correct phrase. "KVG" was Ian Grob's father's initials I recall. I also remember that Hine was quick.

Hey, wait a minute, weren't all Chevrons beautiful ??!!! (Well at least up to the B47 anyway...)

MCS

Originally posted by MCS
Hey, wait a minute, weren't all Chevrons beautiful ??!!! (Well at least up to the B47 anyway...)

MCS

Not this one ...

Originally posted by MCS
[B]Think it was works-supported, if that's the correct phrase. "KVG" was Ian Grob's father's initials I recall. I also remember that Hine was quick.

The KVG Chevron in the Nürburgring paddock (1974).

Re the KVG team, I've just seen that it was indeed Ian's father's initials, apparently, Kenneth Victor Grob. I think he was the 'ken' of the Token F1 project, can anyone confirm, and if so did Ian ever test or race the Token ?

Dan

No, he didn't, although his Chevron was based at the Token "factory" for a short time (about the same time he won a race at the Avus).