24 replies to this topic

[boatsman]

I have just started posting on this forum and was replying to some posts under the 'drug related busts' topic. It has been suggested that I should post under a different heading.
It is quite clear having followed these forums for a while that there is a considerable amount of interest around the Group A and Cosworth era. I have watched the forums and the different discussions taking place, but for reasons that we are all aware of I have resisted adding any comment. It was only when I picked up a thread recently that I was prompted to post a reply. I have been touched by the personal messages I have received from a number of members and some of the posts.
Following my release last year I have avoided any form of contact with motorsport, I am deeply ashamed of my conviction and do not have the 'balls' to be seen in and around motorsport, it would be very difficult to look some of my old friends in the eye. I hope my contribution will be taken as a genuine gesture to perhaps re-visit what were the best times of my life and will give some insight to the members who have a genuine interest in that period of racing.
For those who are perhaps too young to remember I started racing in 1987 with a Cosworth Sierra Production Saloon. In 1988/89 I also raced an RS500 in the BTCC and joined Mark Hales in the Firestone Sierras in a two car Production saloon team. 1990 was a half season with a BMW M3 to the new 2 litre regs (disaster) and 1991 was back to a highly modified ex BTCC RS500 that we raced in the Thundersaloon Championship.
I raced many other different cars during my brief appearance in motorsport, but the cars above were my main 'steeds'. I have many great memories of that period which I am happy to share with anyone who has an interest.

[Lola5000]

I have just started posting on this forum and was replying to some posts under the 'drug related busts' topic. It has been suggested that I should post under a different heading.
It is quite clear having followed these forums for a while that there is a considerable amount of interest around the Group A and Cosworth era. I have watched the forums and the different discussions taking place, but for reasons that we are all aware of I have resisted adding any comment. It was only when I picked up a thread recently that I was prompted to post a reply. I have been touched by the personal messages I have received from a number of members and some of the posts.
Following my release last year I have avoided any form of contact with motorsport, I am deeply ashamed of my conviction and do not have the 'balls' to be seen in and around motorsport, it would be very difficult to look some of my old friends in the eye. I hope my contribution will be taken as a genuine gesture to perhaps re-visit what were the best times of my life and will give some insight to the members who have a genuine interest in that period of racing.
For those who are perhaps too young to remember I started racing in 1987 with a Cosworth Sierra Production Saloon. In 1988/89 I also raced an RS500 in the BTCC and joined Mark Hales in the Firestone Sierras in a two car Production saloon team. 1990 was a half season with a BMW M3 to the new 2 litre regs (disaster) and 1991 was back to a highly modified ex BTCC RS500 that we raced in the Thundersaloon Championship.
I raced many other different cars during my brief appearance in motorsport, but the cars above were my main 'steeds'. I have many great memories of that period which I am happy to share with anyone who has an interest.

Welcome be great to here about your BTCC year when you won your 1st race.Downunder it was a period which will always be remembered for Johnson and moffat and others racing these cars at the mountain and the ATCC.

Edited by Lola5000, 12 February 2011 - 10:36.

[Tim Murray]

I've enjoyed your reminiscences so far, Jerry, and am looking forward to a few more.

[JockinSA]

That's better. The other site was not really the area to hold a discussion site.

By the way, what did Robb ever tell you about the infamous "jet engine" restrictor that we ran at a couple of races, before Derek Ongaro asked us not use it again? I often wondered if he told you about it.

[boatsman]

Welcome be great to here about your BTCC year when you won your 1st race.Downunder it was a period which will always be remembered for Johnson and moffat and others racing these cars at the mountain and the ATCC.

Hi Lola

Yes 1988 was a great year and although I only won 1 race in the BTCC, I was 2nd and 3rd a few times and finished second in Class A behind Andy. March 1988 was a special time for me, the night I won the BTCC race at Silverstone my son was born, that was some drive back to Hampshire that evening. Earlier in the month I had won the first round of the Production Saloon Championship at Thruxton in the Firestone Cosworth and also won a race at Brands in the British Truck Grand Prix in the Ford Cargo Team.

Such was the class points system then that in the overall standings I was down the order, but the 'real' racing was in Class A & B. That was when there was a move to change to a single Class because the TV viewers could not really understand how someone who was racing just two other cars in Class D at the back nearly won the Championship when there were something like 10 RS500's at the front who didn't really figure.

It was very much a learning curve for me with all the variables of set-up, tyre compounds, roll bars, shock absorber settings etc. We didn't have data logging in those days and I didn't have a team mate to compare with, but we had a good budget and I did an awful lot of testing.
The RS 500's were awesome to drive they went like rocket ships but didn't really like going round corners, they could light their tyres up in the dry in 3rd and in the wet they were a real handful. They were also incredibly heavy to drive, particularly as they moved around so much, lots of opposite lock and no power steering made them very physically demanding, particularly when the weather was hot, as the exhaust exited under the drivers door. You really needed strong arms and shoulders, I wasn't particularly fit but was a regular water skier so had strong arms and shoulders.

Most of the drivers got on OK and we used to have a real laugh on race weekends. I remember the weekend of the British GP at Silverstone, the BTCC was the support race immediately after the GP on Sunday, well the Saturday night before the GP things allways got a bit raucous, we had a few of the drivers having a beer round the Motorhome. Dave Pinkney thought it would be a good idea to start doing speed runs in his Countach at midnight along the Club straight, which was of course the paddock for the support races. Anyway Tim, myself and Dave were called up infront of the Clerk of the course on the Sunday morning (Pierre Aumonier) and he was going to exclude us from the race, but luckily Dave admitted it was him so Tim and I were let off and Dave wasn't racing so it was OK, actually that might have been 1987!!?

I remember well when Dick came over to do the TT he blew everyone into the weeds in qualifying, I remember having a chat to him in his garage he was a really down to earth guy and was very approachable. Barrie Hinchcliffe, who was part of the commentary team tried to take the p--- out of him and I thought Dick was going to whack him, but he was a true gentleman and took it all in good spirit.

Dick just disappeared in the race and was only put out by a fairly minor problem I think, a leaky the header tank cap, something small anyway. Of course all the other teams said he blew up because he was running to much boost, but it was only something really small that put him out.

Andy went on to win the race beating the Eggenberger cars, which if I remember cost them the championship, behind the scenes Ford were not happy. But it was a great result for Andy against that worldwide competition and must be one of his favorite victories. The thing was in those days there were entered from all over the world in that race, I think 40 cars could start the race, some cars did not qualify and had to go home such was the number of entrants. I drove with Mark Hales my regular team mate but we were 12th or something and in fairness just not on the pace of the front runners.

On the old Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone you could just about take Abbey curve 'flat' in 5th in an RS500 it was staggeringly fast and if you missed the turn-in point by a few inches you were on the grass on the exit at about 160mph, not to be recommended!

I did the TT in 1987 in a Holden with some Belgians and that grid was over subscribed as well, I do remember Mark Thatcher was in that race driving an M3 for Bigatzi (excuse spelling).

It was the pace of the Johnson cars that convinced Robb and Mike to buy his cars at the end of the season. It was a smart move because in the UK Andy was still the only person who could build a competetive Group A RS500 engine that would hold together. They rightly decided it was not clever having a competitor controlling your power so Trackstar was formed or Startrack (trec) as most of us called it! It was very hush-hush and when the team started you could'nt go in their garage or anything. I mean Robb was a good friend of mine and I remember Malcolm Swetnham ( team manager) asking me to leave the garage at the first round at Oulton Park, I was a bit taken aback by that, but all said and done they did go out and do the business.
The great thing they had was the Johnson engine management software. Mountune was able to work with this and build them reliable engines. But their key weapon was for sure their Yokohama tyres, these were light years ahead of anything Pirelli or Dunlop produced for the BTCC, again this was a very shrewd move as knowone else in the BTCC could get Yoko's.

I never raced on the 'Mountain' but went there in 1998 with Robb who was racing a Honda, I went round Mount Panorama on a Harley Davidson I had hired in Sydney which was probably just as exciting! I did fancy racing there but when I had the chance (88/89) the date conflicted with the last round of the BTCC.

There are many amusing stories from that era and I could ramble on for hours the memories are very fresh and its hard to believe it was all 23 years ago!

[boatsman]

That's better. The other site was not really the area to hold a discussion site.

By the way, what did Robb ever tell you about the infamous "jet engine" restrictor that we ran at a couple of races, before Derek Ongaro asked us not use it again? I often wondered if he told you about it.

No Jock he never did tell me about it, no wonder he was so quick!

What are you doing in S/Africa, last time I saw you, 1993ish I think, you had a Garage at Bagshot, you built a very quick mini for a friend of mine as I remember.

[Phil Rainford]

Some shots to stir the memory Jerry








PAR

[boatsman]

Some shots to stir the memory Jerry








PAR

Great shots Phil, but I'm not quite sure where they were taken!! The first one is the RS500 in 1989 livery when Evans Halshaw took half the car, note the small camera mounted on the roll bar, introduced in 1989. It must have been early in the season as I'm still running Dunlop's, I switched to Pirelli midway through the season in a bid to improve performance (it didn't work!). The sheds behind have got me beaten though, I will guess Oulton?
The second shot is the 1987 Production saloon, looks like it may have been taken at Silverstone, good crowd, so I am guessing it may have been the Group A British GP support race?
The Firestone Prod saloon shot looks like it may be Snetterton. The car has a camera mounted on the roll bar which is surprising as I cannot remember any filming done of that series. I wonder where the footage is. It must be 1988 as I have not yet had my helmet painted in Firestone colours which I think was done in late 1988. I had an Arquati painted helmet, Firestone and Securicor Omega Express, my full face was in Arquati colours, but I preferred to wear 'open' face in saloons.

[Lola5000]

bathurst 88/89 whom were you going to race for?

[Phil Rainford]

Great shots Phil, but I'm not quite sure where they were taken!!

First one as you pointed out was Oulton in 1989 taken at Lodge corner in practice, the second again spot on: taken at the 87 GP Support race .......while the third was taken standing at the the inside of Old Hall corner at Oulton Park

Will look for some more


PAR

[bigears]

Some more memories to stir up:



This is from the 1989 Birmingham Superprix, do you remember anything about the 1988 (the race was cancelled) and 1989 BTCC races at the Superprix?

[boatsman]

bathurst 88/89 whom were you going to race for?

We hadn't got that far as the dates clashed, but we did get a call from Andrew Miedekke in 1988 who was interested in a ride in the TT, we may have been able to sort something out with him, or maybe with one of the smaller teams to start with as I had not raced on the Mountain before and was an unknown in Aus.

[boatsman]

Some more memories to stir up:



This is from the 1989 Birmingham Superprix, do you remember anything about the 1988 (the race was cancelled) and 1989 BTCC races at the Superprix?

Yes, I remember how p----d off we all were that the race was cancelled in 1988. As I remember one of the F3000 guys had crashed and wouldn't get out of the car, the story was because he wanted the session stopped, I think it may have been Russell Spence. The thing was the BRSCC could not run over time at all as the roads had to open spot on the allocated time.

In 1989 of course we raced and what a fantastic circuit it was, my favorite by a long way, public roads designed to do 30/40mph on, going round roundabouts the wrong way with camber trying to throw you into the barriers, add in Group A RS500 and it was a formula for real fun. I think the bit of film with Harvey/Rouse/Bristow is right up there with the best of them.
I can remember that not all of Class A would qualify due to the grid size allowed, so some were going to go home without a race, Evans Halshaw one of my main sponsors had a showroom right on the start finish line so not qualifying was not an option. I got out in qualifying really early and gave it hell! I was quite well up, top 5 I think, and then came back in to have the qualifiers fitted, they were put on and I blasted out of the pits, booted it down to the first corner, lost control on the cold tyres and stuffed it in the barrier dented the front wing, but worst of all knocked all the steering out. I limped round to the pits but the mechanics could not fix it in time to get back out. I sat in the pits watching myself being knocked down the order hoping I was not going to be pushed off the grid. What a w----r.
In the race it was the usual performance, off the pace of the leaders and fighting around mid-field, that was pretty much the story of 1989 for me, I never mixed it at the front and was always about a second off the pace. I found out why 2 years later from my good friend Laurance Bristow, but I'm not going into that.
Pace apart Birmingham was a fantastic place to race, really fast and bumpy. You could boot the car coming out of the corner by the multi-storey car park and lean the back against the barriers to control the oversteer! Lots of sparks. I think one of the RS500's sucked up a manhole cover as it went over it at about 150mph coming down the straight from the Mosque in qualifying and they all had to be welded down.

Of course they raced there again in 1990 but I had already bowed out of the series after a series of non finishes in the M3.

[Phil Rainford]

As promised a couple more images........taken at Shell/Island bend at Oulton Park







PAR

[Phil Rainford]

Do you hear that, Phil?

Cannot possibly comment

PAR

[PAUL S]

Hi Jerry, great to see an ex racer on board sharing their experience with the 500s

Mike Smith popped up on the ten tenths forum recently as well on an RS500 thread. It seems all that raced them have very fond memores of the period.

I always thought your colour scheme was one of the best ones on the grid.

Did you run the cars yourself? or did you drive for a team, and any idea where the cars you raced have gone? I follow most of the existing cars and the only one thats known that you raced was the Lawrence Bristow thundersaloon which is currently being converted back to its original BTCC spec. It seems there are a lot of original cars tucked away still waiting to come out to play.

How involved were Ford with the privateers, did they help out or were you on your own with regards development.

Look forward to your replies, and please keep the memories flowing

cheers

PAUL

edit

meant to ask did you run any road car 500s back then and if so do you remember the reg number, as I can check with the RS500 registrar to see if they are still about

Edited by PAUL S, 13 February 2011 - 19:13.

[bigears]

Did you run the cars yourself? or did you drive for a team, and any idea where the cars you raced have gone?

Was it Roger Dowson Engineering?

[boatsman]

Hi Jerry, great to see an ex racer on board sharing their experience with the 500s

Mike Smith popped up on the ten tenths forum recently as well on an RS500 thread. It seems all that raced them have very fond memores of the period.

I always thought your colour scheme was one of the best ones on the grid.

Did you run the cars yourself? or did you drive for a team, and any idea where the cars you raced have gone? I follow most of the existing cars and the only one thats known that you raced was the Lawrence Bristow thundersaloon which is currently being converted back to its original BTCC spec. It seems there are a lot of original cars tucked away still waiting to come out to play.

How involved were Ford with the privateers, did they help out or were you on your own with regards development.

Look forward to your replies, and please keep the memories flowing

cheers

PAUL

edit to ask did you run any road car 500s back then and if so do you remember the reg number, as I can check with the RS500 registrar to see if they are still about

Hi Paul

Yes, its good to know that there is such great interest around what was a fantastic time in saloon car racing.

My Production saloon in 1987, my BTCC RS500 and the Firestone Sierras were all run by Roger Dowson Engineering at Silverstone who did a fantastic job. The production saloon was a brand new car I bought from a Ford dealer in Warminster inDecember 1986, I only had it on the road for a week before it was taken to Silverstone were it was converted for racing. I wrote that car off in my about my third race at Woodcote on the Club circuit, I was fighting with Dave Morgan (Cosworth) for 3rd place, you know the story last corner last lap, do or die manouvre, anyway it ended up head on into the sleepers. The car was re-shelled in time for the test day for the Willhire 24 hour race, Roger had suggested a co-driver whom he knew who came up to have a run in the car, second lap and he put it on its roof at Riches. He was sent home, the car was re-built again and that was when I recruited Mark Hales. We drove together for about three years after that, I joined him in a second Firestone Sierra and we jumped in together for the two driver races. I think we pretty much cleaned up in those Firestone cars and Mark drove the two driver BTCC races with me.

I know my Production saloon was sold to Japan but I am not sure what happened to it after that.

My RS500 was built from a bare shell over the winter of 87/88 by Roger with certain parts supplied by Andy Rouse. We didn't really get any help directly from Ford, I got £5000 for winning the race at Silverstone. But one of my sponsors was Evans Halshaw who were one of the biggest motor groups in the UK at that time, they had 9 Ford dealerships and 3 RS dealerships. They gave us a lot of goodies, new transit, a Cargo tractor unit to pull the trailer with and they supplied me with a brand new Sapphire Cosworth 2wd when a deer when through the front of my road going RS500 and did a massive amount of damage.
Roger Dowson also built a replica of my RS500 race car based on a three door 1.6 Sierra, this was identical to look at as the race car, unless you lifted the bonnet, the inside was stripped out, roll cage etc. This was displayed up and down the country at the different dealerships and I used to go along for motorsport evenings q &a's that sort of thing. We then thought it might be a bit of a laugh to take it to the race meetings and have it in the awning, this caused a bit of consternation in the paddock as I was telling everyone that I now had a car for qualifying and one for racing, which of course was against the rules, but we had some fun for a while winding up certain parties.

I am not sure where the RS500 race car was sold but I know it went abroard, Belgium seems to ring a bell.

My road going RS500 I got directly from Ford and was one of the 5 consequtive registration number cars it was about 3 months old and I had it year and then either had to pay for it or give it back, I decided to pay for it and still have it in bits in my workshop. I am in the middle of restoring a TR4 at the moment so the Sierra will have to wait. I ran a Mountune built semi Group A engine in it in 1988 and it was a hell of a road car. I had an 'overfuel' switch fitted in the car, so when it was turned on the car would shoot massive flames out of the exhaust. It was great if someone was holding you up on the road or hogging the fast lane on the motorway, you could go past them pull in front and then lift-off and scorch the front of their car!! All a bit silly really but a lot of the guys had similar things.

I will dig out some of my own photos that have not been seen and get my son to scan and post them, you might find them interesting.

see you.

[Phil Rainford]

Jerry

Is my mind playing tricks with me ..........but along with all the cars you raced was your experience not put to use by a number of organising Clubs, by entrusting you with the " Safety Car "

PAR

[bigears]

I am interested to know what is it like to drive a BMW M3 and a Ford Sierra RS500. WHat are their similarities and differences in terms of racing, driving or other things?

[boatsman]

Jerry

Is my mind playing tricks with me ..........but along with all the cars you raced was your experience not put to use by a number of organising Clubs, by entrusting you with the " Safety Car "

PAR

Yes thats right Phil I drove the BTCC Safety car in 2001/2 I think, it was an Audi RS4 and was pretty quick but the brakes used to overheat quite quickly.
One of my jobs as Safety Car driver was to give track rides to visiting VIP's and some of the series sponsors during the lunch breaks. I can remember I had some quite high profile people in the car from time to time. I remember having 'Sporty Spice' in there one day at Silverstone, of course her brother raced for a while. Anyway she was helmeted up and belted in. Most normal people have their own limits set at what they are used to doing on the public road, so when you start driving at circuit speeds they start going for the 'imaginary' brake pedal, holding on etc, but Sporty was completely unfazed by the whole thing, even when I started 'over driving' the car and getting it at some pretty acute angles she was almost yawning with boredom!! How to shoot an ex-racing driver down in flames!! But most of the time the 'passengers' really enjoyed being hurtled round the circuits.
Another time that was quite amusing was at Brands in the wet, someone had crashed and the Safety Car had been deployed, after they had cleared the carnage they kept us out for a couple of laps as the rain was so bad, of course the RS4 was 4WD and massively fast, we got a radio message to slow down as the 'field' was having problems keeping up!! I got my moneys worth out of that one in the bar that evening.
It was, if I am honest, an ambition of mine to drive the Safety car in F1. I remember having dinner with Charlie Whiting in Macau in 2004, who is usually Clerk of the Course at Macau, we did discuss it briefly, but unfortunately we got interupted so never finished the conversation. Of course following my brainless stupidity in 2005 that is one ambition for sure I am never going to fulfill.

[Phil Rainford]

Thanks Jerry......... it shows I am not going mad ( Well not yet )


PAR

[boatsman]

I am interested to know what is it like to drive a BMW M3 and a Ford Sierra RS500. WHat are their similarities and differences in terms of racing, driving or other things?

I only drove one Group A M3 and that was the one I raced in 1990. I tested it only once in Group A spec before it was rebuilt to the new 2 litre regs, so I am not a great authority on M3's. The 2 litre car was a major dissapointment not only in terms of reliability but it was also gutless, it only had about 280hp and after racing the RS500 with over 500hp that was a real come down. But I think most drivers will tell you that the M3 was a very well balanced racing car with a progressive chassis that gave the driver excellent feedback. The M3 also achieved substantial success all around the world and was very confidence inspiring to drive. BMW had an excellent R & D department and most of the 'tweeks' were available to everyone. Of course some teams would do their own development programs and improve the cars even further.

The RS500 was a completely different animal, it didn't handle that well but tended to achieve its dominace by power and brute force. On a twisty track an M3 could very often keep up with an RS500 even though it was over 100hp down. Some of the foreign teams such as Eggenberger built their RS500's with a more compliant chassis, you only have to watch some of the epic Rouse/Soper battles of 1988 to see that the Eggenberger cars were a lot kinder on their tyres. But everyone I have ever met who raced a Group A RS500 really liked them, some drivers who have raced many different types of cars over the years still rate the RS500 as their favorite race car of all time. The cars were a handful for sure, more so in the wet, just when you thought you had it all worked out they would bite you in the backside! I never really think I understood or got to the bottom of mine completely, it was exciting, amusing and terrifying at times to drive. It was also extremely heavy to drive, they had no power steering and because they moved around so much and had a tendency to be over-steery there was a lot of input through the steering wheel, certainly strong arms and shoulders were helpful. The RS500 certainly suited the 'seat of the pants' style of driver unlike a modern touring car which needs more of a single seater mentality of driving, its far more about maintaining or carrying momentum through the corners, where as the Sierra was more point and squirt!

[ringers23q]

Hi Jerry,

I just wanted to let you know I have been watching the BTCC season review of 1989 and seen your name crop up a few times. Unfortunately, in Australia we never got the chance to see you blokes race at the time. I was watching you race and boy do I envy you! That was some tough competition back then and you certainly held your own! They were crazy beasts to tame! Kudos to you mate for realising your mistakes in the past and putting them behind you. I hope you get back into motorsport in one way or another. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. I hope you continue to contribute to this forum. Always great to hear from the racers themselves.

Cheers,
Ryan

[boatsman]

Hi Jerry,

I just wanted to let you know I have been watching the BTCC season review of 1989 and seen your name crop up a few times. Unfortunately, in Australia we never got the chance to see you blokes race at the time. I was watching you race and boy do I envy you! That was some tough competition back then and you certainly held your own! They were crazy beasts to tame! Kudos to you mate for realising your mistakes in the past and putting them behind you. I hope you get back into motorsport in one way or another. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. I hope you continue to contribute to this forum. Always great to hear from the racers themselves.

Cheers,
Ryan

Thanks Ryan they were certainly great times and great cars. I tried hard but in reality was only a novice with 3 years experience against superstars like Rouse and Soper who in fairness I never really got to grips with.

1989 was a bad year in the BTCC for me as I never really had the power to challenge at the front. 1988 was great, my first year in the BTCC and although I only won one race I was second or third a few times and finished second in Class A behind Andy.

I will always remember Dick (Johnson) coming over to the UK to do the TT in 88 and absolutely blowing everyone into the weeds, even the quick guys. It was a real shame he had a small problem in the race , I think with his header tank cap that put him out.

I also raced Trucks for a while and won quite a few races in a Ford Cargo as well as the Firestone Cosworth Production Saloons that I shared with Mark Hales, we pretty much dominated that series through 88/89.

I resorted to the new 2 litre format in 1990 with a converted BTCC M3, what a disaster, going from 500hp to about 275hp, my production saloon was quicker!! I only finished one race in 8 and that was last, so I got out of the car mid season, Ian Flux continued to race it but didn't really have any success either.

1991 was great we converted Laurance Bristows ex BTCC Labatts RS500 to Thundersaloon spec, which was basically anything goes!! Boy was that a quick car, massive rubber, tweaks to the engine that gave us 600HP reliably. All the races were two driver races and I shared with quite an assortment of drivers, Laurance Bristow, Sean Walker, Slim Borgudd and I am sure I did a race with Thomas Mezera as well. Anyway having won that Championship I thought it would be a good time to retire, quit while you are ahead!!

I always wanted to race at Bathurst but never did, I went there in 1997 with Robb (Gravett) whom I was helping at the time, he was racing a Honda Accord with Lee Brookes. I went round Mount Panorama on a Harley I had hired in Sydney which must be the next best thing to going round there in an RS500 or a V8 ! But we had a great 10 days there.

The RS500's were a very special racing car, if you speak to any of the professional drivers who have raced a variety of machinery most of them still think the RS500 was their favorite car, probably because it was such an animal, that was hard to tame!