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Fathers buying teams for children


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#1 HistoryFan

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 13:23

Hello!

Now more and more richt fathers buy racing teams to support the careers of their children:
- Nelson Piquet Junior almost drove in teams which his father ownes: F3 South America, British F3, GP2,...
- Walter Grubmüller Senior bought Hitech in BRitish F3 last year and this year P1 in WSbR to give his son Walter Grubmüller Junior a cockpit.
- André Herck bought DPR in GP2 to give his son Michael Herck a cockpit. He had also racing teams before.

Are there more examples in Formula racing, perhaps also in F1 (there were talks of Piquet buying BMW Sauber for securing his son's F1 career last year)?

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#2 Barry Boor

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 13:33

Having watch Michael Herck racing, I'd say his Dad should have kept his cheque book in his pocket!

#3 Andrew Kitson

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 13:42

Not buying a team, but Jackie Stewart set up Paul Stewart Racing - FF2000 in 1988. Through various changes of ownership and name it is now called Red Bull Racing and is leading the F1 world championship, still based in Milton Keynes.

#4 Michael Ferner

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 14:00

René Panhard for his son Hippolyte... :stoned:

#5 Peter Morley

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 16:17

Does Jean Todt's son Nicolas's application to enter F1 count?

#6 BrendanMcF

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 17:12

What about brothers...

Fittipaldi?

#7 Mistron

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 17:32

Does Gilby engineering count? i seem to recall it was funded by an indulgent father?

#8 Rob G

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 17:35

Although Alfred Moss founded rather than purchased BRP, it was originally for his son Stirling.

#9 RA Historian

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 17:59

Not quite what you are getting at, but Papa Rodriguez bought scads of race cars for his two sons to drive, then seats with teams, primarily Scuderia Ferrari.
Tom

#10 Formula Once

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 18:19

Of course, the majority of drivers had fathers that played an instrumental (financial) role in their careers up til some point including in F1.

As for actually buying/setting up teams for them, here are the ones I remember:

Karl Foitek was part of the group op people that bought the Onyx-team at the end of 1989 and his son Gregor joined the team soon after.

The Diniz-family all but owned Forti's F1 operation set up for Pedro to make his F1-debut in 1995.

Toine Hezemans set up a (Porsche-) team for his son Mike.

And there was of course Team Rebaque.

#11 sonar

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 21:31

What about brothers...

Fittipaldi?


I really think he could have done without that......really.

#12 David McKinney

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Posted 27 May 2010 - 21:36

Does Gilby engineering count? i seem to recall it was funded by an indulgent father?

Not quite. The company under Syd Greene entered cars for many years - principally for Roy Salvadori. When the boss's son Keith Greene was old enough he got to to drive the team cars - including of course the eponymous sports and F1 cars

Edited by David McKinney, 27 May 2010 - 21:37.


#13 Carlos Jalife

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 01:11

I am not sure father Rodríguez counts, he bought cars not seats and he didn't buy a seat in ferrari, he paid for a test and Enzo himslef gave a contratc to Ricardo and on Chinetti's advice also to pedro. That is not buying a team.
The same for rebaque, his dad founded the team when he was racing with carlos sales, and whn Hector ebcame old enough he drove for the team and others such as fred Opert and later just made the team a F1 effort and became a constructor. A bit like Jackie Stert but a much less distinguished career for rebauqe senior, and a much more distinghuished one for Rebaque Junior (than Paul).
That has nothing to do with modern day millionaires I would assume.


#14 URY914

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 01:28

Michael Andretti for Marco.

#15 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 06:16

I don't think that's accurate. Marco was only ever going to drive for his father's team but he was still karting when Michael bought into Team Kool Green, which was his retirement plan anyways.

#16 arttidesco

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 06:22

I was looking through some old prints yesterday and found some pics of various FF and F3 cars sponsored by a night club 'Stringfellows' which I seem to remember being driven by the owners son that I remember as 'Scott' but I could be wrong on that not sure what the team details were.

There was a time when Larry Foyt drove fo his grand farther AJ in IRL which must be some kind of record :-)



#17 Rob

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 09:13

There was a time when Larry Foyt drove fo his grand farther AJ in IRL which must be some kind of record :-)


AJ is also his adoptive father so it counts. Ish.

#18 alansart

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 09:19

I was looking through some old prints yesterday and found some pics of various FF and F3 cars sponsored by a night club 'Stringfellows' which I seem to remember being driven by the owners son that I remember as 'Scott' but I could be wrong on that not sure what the team details were.


Yes Scott Stringfellow did FFord & Formula 3 in the 80's although I'm not sure how much input his father had in it all. I think Scott Stringfellow now drives the BTCC Safety Car.

Edited by alansart, 28 May 2010 - 09:19.


#19 HistoryFan

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 09:34

Thank you!

To Diniz: I don't think, that his father only bought into the team to give his son a F1 seat. He later was also shareholder at Prost with Pedro not driving for the team.

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#20 brucemoxon

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 10:08

Absent TNFer Barry Lake's theory was that some fathers by the sons a team, or a drive, to keep them away from the family business.

He named no names, but I can think of a couple that are racing now...




Bruce Moxon

#21 BrendanMcF

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 19:22

Yes Scott Stringfellow did FFord & Formula 3 in the 80's although I'm not sure how much input his father had in it all. I think Scott Stringfellow now drives the BTCC Safety Car.


The only input was the money, I would hazard a guess... He won the Champion of Oulton in 86 in a Jim Lee Racing Van Diemen. Now works in the family (ahem) business, and indeed is the Bernd Mylander of BTCC at weekends.

#22 Rob

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Posted 28 May 2010 - 20:10

Absent TNFer Barry Lake's theory was that some fathers by the sons a team, or a drive, to keep them away from the family business.

He named no names, but I can think of a couple that are racing now...


Not thinking of a certain Scottish chap are you?

#23 arttidesco

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Posted 29 May 2010 - 21:56

Any one know what Mansell Snr's relationship with Ginetta is ?

Curious as to how all the Mansells ended up in a Le Mans entry ?

While I wish them luck I get the feeling someone in the Mansell family must be paying for this LMS outing ?

Edited by arttidesco, 29 May 2010 - 21:57.


#24 brucemoxon

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Posted 30 May 2010 - 01:50

Not thinking of a certain Scottish chap are you?



I wasn't - but Barry might have been. No, I think he was talking about Australian teams / drivers.


Bruce Moxon

#25 HistoryFan

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Posted 30 May 2010 - 16:38

Any one know what Mansell Snr's relationship with Ginetta is ?


I think he is shareholder...


#26 john aston

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Posted 30 May 2010 - 18:50

The only input was the money, I would hazard a guess... He won the Champion of Oulton in 86 in a Jim Lee Racing Van Diemen. Now works in the family (ahem) business, and indeed is the Bernd Mylander of BTCC at weekends.

And a very nice young man too when I met him- he was instructing me at Donington and was brilliant; more than can be said for the other instructor that day- a ruder man I have rarely met. He drove in BTCC too but am delighted to report he never won anything....

#27 Zeroninety

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Posted 31 May 2010 - 07:24

Tony George bought the defunct Kelley Racing team and formed Vision Racing to provide an IRL seat for his stepson, Ed Carpenter.

#28 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 31 May 2010 - 16:11

what about Nigel...? he share a team for him with his two son.....

#29 962C

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 19:42

Wasn't Super Nova originally set up by Taki Inoue's father as a vehicle for his his son to fulfil his ambition?

#30 HistoryFan

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Posted 02 June 2010 - 08:02

Perhaps that's right, because in Japan there was also a Nova team, perhaps that got Super Nova when David Sears bought in.
More information about that? Sounds interesting.
Who is Taki Inoue's father? Was he also racing driver before?

#31 HistoryFan

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Posted 02 June 2010 - 11:17

Another team: Cedars is a Lebanon team in Spanish F3 championship, which was set up by Youssef Jammal for his son Noel Jammar for the 2010 season. More information about that team?

#32 HistoryFan

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Posted 02 June 2010 - 12:25

Jack Brabham got shareholder at Simtek with his son David Brabham getting one seat.

#33 Frank de Jong

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Posted 02 June 2010 - 14:09

Rupeer Keegan's father bought Hawke for him, planning to go all the way to F1.

#34 HistoryFan

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Posted 06 January 2013 - 19:57

Perhaps that's right, because in Japan there was also a Nova team, perhaps that got Super Nova when David Sears bought in.
More information about that? Sounds interesting.
Who is Taki Inoue's father? Was he also racing driver before?


Any answers about this questions?


#35 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 06 January 2013 - 21:26

A few indirect relationships in Oz V8s are John Kelley owned the third HRT team, and I believe effectivly then bought out Larry Perkins to become Kelley Racing. Though both Kelly boys were quite succesfull in good teams before that happened. In fact they are now less succesfull and will probably have a very hard year now racing Nissans.
Bap Romano ran a car for son Paul
Lucas Dumbrell is an entrant I guess in part funded by his father Garry. Lucas soes not race himself. And his brother always raced in teams at least funded in part by his father. Though in the end he became a quite good racer.
Paul Weel Racing was run by his father Kees Weel.
There is a couple of others too who escape me at the moment

#36 BRG

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Posted 06 January 2013 - 21:51

Chilton and AON in BTCC? And Team Dynamics for Matt Neal?

#37 Derwent Motorsport

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Posted 06 January 2013 - 22:02

Chilton and AON in F1?

#38 ensign14

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Posted 06 January 2013 - 22:15

Dick Moroso for son Rob. Who might have had a decent career - and life - had he not gone out drink-driving. And took someone with him.

#39 Zippel

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Posted 07 January 2013 - 03:55

A few indirect relationships in Oz V8s are John Kelley owned the third HRT team, and I believe effectivly then bought out Larry Perkins to become Kelley Racing. Though both Kelly boys were quite succesfull in good teams before that happened. In fact they are now less succesfull and will probably have a very hard year now racing Nissans.
Bap Romano ran a car for son Paul
Lucas Dumbrell is an entrant I guess in part funded by his father Garry. Lucas soes not race himself. And his brother always raced in teams at least funded in part by his father. Though in the end he became a quite good racer.
Paul Weel Racing was run by his father Kees Weel.
There is a couple of others too who escape me at the moment


Greg Murphy driving for Tasman Motorsport (owned by Kevin Murphy).

Dick Johnson's team was already established but still has his son Steven drive full time since 2000... obviously not for the results. Same with Larry Perkin's son for a couple of years there.

Andrew Jones driving for Kym/Uncle Brad's team.

Edited by Zippel, 07 January 2013 - 03:57.


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#40 HistoryFan

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Posted 22 May 2018 - 12:29

Michael Latifi for Nicholas?

A kind of Lawrence Stroll for Lance...



#41 F1matt

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 09:04

what about Nigel...? he share a team for him with his two son.....

 

 

I imagine that was more for Nigel than his sons.....



#42 kayemod

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 09:54

I imagine that was more for Nigel than his sons.....

 

Brummie Nige still hasn't announced his retirement has he?

 

Maybe he'd still be useful to what's left of the Williams team as a replacement for one of their current pair.



#43 HistoryFan

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Posted 08 August 2018 - 15:07

Lawrence Stroll buys Force India for Lance...



#44 David Lawson

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Posted 08 August 2018 - 15:52

Jody Scheckter set up a Formula Ford and Formula Renault team for both his sons.

David

#45 Michael Ferner

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Posted 08 August 2018 - 15:52

Brummie Nige still hasn't announced his retirement has he?


If I'm not terribly mistaken (and I often am), Nigel turns 65 today. That used to be the default retirement age here in Germany, though it no longer is. Don't know about Britain, though.

#46 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 08 August 2018 - 23:57

Greg Murphy driving for Tasman Motorsport (owned by Kevin Murphy).

Dick Johnson's team was already established but still has his son Steven drive full time since 2000... obviously not for the results. Same with Larry Perkin's son for a couple of years there.

Andrew Jones driving for Kym/Uncle Brad's team.

And Bradleys son now driving for the team as well.



#47 F1matt

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Posted 09 August 2018 - 09:47

Lawrence Stroll buys Force India for Lance...

 

 

Do you think it would be a difficult sell to Lawrence Stroll's business partners having his son in one of the cars? Force India have 2 decent pedlars who bring home points at almost every GP which must add up to a decent amount of points at the end of the year. 



#48 La Sarthe

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Posted 09 August 2018 - 12:38

Doesn't Lawrence Stroll also at least part-own the Prema Formula 3 team? - linked to when his son drove for them.



#49 Eric Dunsdon

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Posted 10 August 2018 - 10:59

Lucky boys. My old dad couldn't afford to buy himself a road car until the 1960's but he set me off by buying me a number of fine motor racing books in the early 1950's which I still treasure. Thanks Dad!. We had nowhere to park that Maserati 250F that I wanted anyway!.



#50 HistoryFan

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Posted 10 August 2018 - 15:02

Doesn't Lawrence Stroll also at least part-own the Prema Formula 3 team? - linked to when his son drove for them.

yes.