32 replies to this topic

[Ian Smith - Diz]

I've just received the following Email.

Ian,

A friend wishes to contact Richard Hawkins who raced in FF1600 in the
mid-1970s.
He came from New Zealand and lived in Hale, Cheshire and Wanstead.

Hope you can assist.

Regards
Graham R. Heath
Brooklands

Where better a place to start looking than here on The Nostalgia Forum.

I'll reply to Graham - posting a link to this thread.
Who knows? He may already be a TNFer.
He might even be the same Graham Heath who dabbled in Clubmans - I think - and also ran a bike racing school at Oulton.

[petestenning]

Did he not also race a TR in modsports ?


Pete

[David McKinney]

Started in a TR4A 1970-71, then Titans in FF1600 for the next two years, followed by the works Dulon in 1974 and OTTOMH placing in the first six in the FF Festival each year. Graduated to F3 with a year-old March in 1975, racing this and also the works F3 Ehrlich in 1976 and then giving it all up.

I know he returned to NZ, but that was so long ago now I can't remember if it was to settle or merely visit

[Cirrus]

He was a quick driver. I suppose lack of cash curtailed his career.

[alansart]

Did he drive the Wincanton sponsored Elden?

[Cirrus]

This is probably one for Mallory Dan!

[MCS]

Originally posted by alansart
Did he drive the Wincanton sponsored Elden?

No. Wincanton? A Haulage/Logistics/Freight Forwarder does ring a bell though where Eldens are concerned. Mike Catlow raced one that was sometimes brought to the circuit on an open car transporter - a three car team I seem to recall. F3 maybe...

I can remember Link Fasteners in FF and FS Ratcliffe in F3 as sponsors of Hawkins.

[Cirrus]

I always associate Mike Catlow with Catnic Steel Lintels.

[Simon Arron]

Richard also raced a Lep-backed RT1 in Atlantic... Ian Taylor follows him through Lodge in 1981.

[picblanc]

Cant help with his where abouts, but here he is having modified his Formula Ford 1600!!



Both Photos Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

[MCS]

Originally posted by Cirrus
I always associate Mike Catlow with Catnic Steel Lintels.

Absolutely, so who were the other Elden F3 drivers? Or am I dreaming??

[Simon Arron]

Denny Shattuck and Ted Wentz raced works Eldens in FF1600 in '73. Was Mike Catlow part of the same set-up?

[Phil Rainford]

Originally posted by Simon Arron
Richard also raced a Lep-backed RT1 in Atlantic... Ian Taylor follows him through Lodge in 1981.

Adding two and two and probably getting five.

Taking into account David's information that Richard returned to New Zealand at some stage and Simon's picture showing Lep sponsorship on the RT1.......

The fact that part of the Lep company is a freight business in New Zealand may give an avenue to explore???

Kind regards

Phil

[hatrat]

There is a Richard Hawkins who has some property interests in Queenstown NZ and who lives in Dundee. Could this be our man?

[MCS]

Originally posted by Simon Arron
Denny Shattuck and Ted Wentz raced works Eldens in FF1600 in '73. Was Mike Catlow part of the same set-up?

Aye. Elden International rings a bell.

The F3 cars were predominantly dark blue - it may have been 1972, but I'm sure it was 1973. I don't think they did a full season.

Lep are a New Zealand company? I always thought they were British!

[Phil Rainford]

Originally posted by MCS




Lep are a New Zealand company? I always thought they were British!

I am sure they were originally...... indeed I have a Lep Matchbox Scammell truck somewhere

However if you Google them, it looks as if they went under in the UK but are still showing as trading in NZ

Probably a long shot

Cheers

Phil

[Simon Arron]

I'm sure I recall Catlow and Shattuck in Catnic-backed FF1600 Eldens (caramel and white, if memory serves) from 1972 or 1973.

As a completely unnecessary aside, I have a mental image of Richard Hawkins's Modsports TR4A being parked outside a house on Grove Lane, Hale, less than half a mile from my parents' current abode.

[David McKinney]

The British Lep company were Formula Atlantic sponsors about that time, I think through Duncan Bain

[paulsenna1]

I always associate Lep with Alo Lawler, latterly running a McLaren M29.

[Phil Rainford]

Originally posted by paulsenna1
I always associate Lep with Alo Lawler, latterly running a McLaren M29.

Indeed......



Kind regards

Phil

[Simon Arron]

I have a vague recollection that the Lep sponsorship had something to do with a guy named Peter Kirby (or Kirkby), who sprinted an F5000 Lola (a T142 or T190, can't remember which). Like Richard Hawkins, he lived in Hale (in one of the spectacularly large houses on Park Road).

His Lep Lola was usually visible if you stopped and peered through the hedge, as I tended to whenever I cycled past.

[Mallory Dan]

Originally posted by alansart
Did he drive the Wincanton sponsored Elden?

Wasn't Chris Woodcock the Wincanton man, in FF in about 73-74? Wincanton Transport became massive in road freighting I think, but have been sold within the past few years, to TDG, though I'm guessing now!

Richard Hawkins was backed by FS Ratcliffe Springs IIRC, in FF then F3 from about '73 to '75. He then disappeared for a few years, returning with the RT1 pictured above for 1981, then seeming to disappear again!

[alansart]

Originally posted by Simon Arron
As a completely unnecessary aside, I have a mental image of Richard Hawkins's Modsports TR4A being parked outside a house on Grove Lane, Hale, less than half a mile from my parents' current abode.

And about 150yds from my current abode.

Originally posted by Mallory Dan


Wasn't Chris Woodcock the Wincanton man, in FF in about 73-74? Wincanton Transport became massive in road freighting I think, but have been sold within the past few years, to TDG, though I'm guessing now!

Richard Hawkins was backed by FS Ratcliffe Springs IIRC, in FF then F3 from about '73 to '75. He then disappeared for a few years, returning with the RT1 pictured above for 1981, then seeming to disappear again!

You may well be correct regarding Woodcock. The first meeting I marshalled at Silverstone in the early 70's was at Copse. I still have this vision of Formula Fords hurling through the corner at impossible angles (scaring the **** out of me). IIRC both the Ratcliffe Springs and Wincanton cars were to the fore, hence my confusion.

[Phil Rainford]

Originally posted by Simon Arron
I have a vague recollection that the Lep sponsorship had something to do with a guy named Peter Kirby (or Kirkby), who sprinted an F5000 Lola (a T142 or T190, can't remember which). Like Richard Hawkins, he lived in Hale (in one of the spectacularly large houses on Park Road).

His Lep Lola was usually visible if you stopped and peered through the hedge, as I tended to whenever I cycled past.

Lep also sponsored Peter Cartlidge's famous Austin A40 in the mid -70s.......

Kind regards

Phil

[2F-001]

Returning to steel lintels for a moment - there was a Catnic-liveried Escort too, possibly in the Escort Mexico series; I have a feeling Mr Catlow may have been at the wheel of that as well.

Another sometime Elden-pilot who comes to mind is the alliteratively-monickered Buzz Buzaglo, What became of him?

[MCS]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
Wincanton Transport became massive in road freighting I think, but have been sold within the past few years, to TDG, though I'm guessing now!

It's been talked about for years certainly, but both parties finally decided not to join forces last month.

Back to the topic - does anybody have a picture of Hawkins in the Ehrlich ???

[Simon Arron]

Originally posted by alansart
And about 150yds from my current abode.

...although it obviously depends which bit of Grove Lane we're talking about. I think Hawkins was quite close to the Delahays Road junction (turn left if coming from Timperley, right if descending from the Hale Road traffic lights).

Is this the most arcane post yet on TNF?

[alansart]

Originally posted by Simon Arron

...although it obviously depends which bit of Grove Lane we're talking about. I think Hawkins was quite close to the Delahays Road junction (turn left if coming from Timperley, right if descending from the Hale Road traffic lights).

Is this the most arcane post yet on TNF?

Make that 250 Yards then

[Phil Rainford]

There is a letter from Richard Hawkins reference Gunnar Nilsson in the January issue of " Motor Sport "

The letter suggests he is now based in Hong Kong......

Kind regards

Phil

[rdmotorsport]

I beleive Peter Kirby was a director of LEP I remember him organising Brian Redman versus Phil Reed sprint/hillclimb at Longton motor clubs Isle of Man event he also arranged Lep sponsorship on a few cars for this event including Palmer Hewerdine s Shelby Mustang and considering Palmer was Irish albeit domiciled in Yorkshire it read on the side of the car "Lightening LEPrecaun", yes that is what I thought!

Rodney Dodson.

[hawkins.junior]

I've just found this thread after having googled Richard Hawkins myself....

I'm Richard's elder daughter.

Whilst tinkering with his cars back in the 70s, he qualified as an architect. He had his own practice over here until the mid 90s when he decided to go abroad to work, settling in Hong Kong. He returns every few months to see the family and tinker with the car he has now...his new baby...an AC Cobra.

We do still have a house in Hale, on the crossroads of Hale Rd and Park Rd.

Hope this helps!

[john winfield]

Originally posted by hawkins.junior
I've just found this thread after having googled Richard Hawkins myself....

I'm Richard's elder daughter.

Whilst tinkering with his cars back in the 70s, he qualified as an architect. He had his own practice over here until the mid 90s when he decided to go abroad to work, settling in Hong Kong. He returns every few months to see the family and tinker with the car he has now...his new baby...an AC Cobra.

We do still have a house in Hale, on the crossroads of Hale Rd and Park Rd.

Hope this helps!

It helps a lot - thanks very much and welcome to TNF!

I saw your Dad race in his Formula Ford and Formula 3 days and I remember him almost always near the front, something confirmed by a quick scan through some old programmes and a couple of ancient Motoring News!
John

[grboulter]

I've just found this thread after having googled Richard Hawkins myself....

I'm Richard's elder daughter.

Whilst tinkering with his cars back in the 70s, he qualified as an architect. He had his own practice over here until the mid 90s when he decided to go abroad to work, settling in Hong Kong. He returns every few months to see the family and tinker with the car he has now...his new baby...an AC Cobra.

We do still have a house in Hale, on the crossroads of Hale Rd and Park Rd.

Hope this helps!

Hi,
Firstly, I have sent you a private message which I hope finds you, as I would love to contact Richard.
(I have recently aquired the Ehrlich ES5/6).

Richard actually recorded the steel Ehrlich's one and only race win!
2nd May, 1976, Mallory Park!

Best wishes, Graham.