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Caravan race, Silverstone 1974


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#1 roydpg

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 10:59

I filmed this in 1974. This sort of race never took of...!!!


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#2 alansart

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 11:19

I was one of the yellow helmeted marshals on the outside of Woodcote :wave:

Good fun, but a little mad.

#3 BRG

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 12:24

This was a short lived novelty. I think the races developed from the caravan rallying that actually attracted some quite serious entries in the early 70s (even Roger Clark or am I imagining it?). A friend of mine who runs a caravan company competed on a couple of those and reckoned they were quite mad - gravel stages, towing caravans??

Incidentally, I note in the video, there's a 100E/107E tow car, just to add to the bizarreness of it all. And different marshalling standards back then, eh alansart? A roller at Woodcote today would mean 27 laps behind the safety car (and caravan), not half a dozen random blokes heaving it back onto its wheels whilst the loonies still race by!


EDIT: not Clarkie, but Tony Pond and Pat Moss-Carlsson to name a couple - see link

Edited by BRG, 09 November 2011 - 12:28.


#4 alansart

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 13:13

And different marshalling standards back then, eh alansart? A roller at Woodcote today would mean 27 laps behind the safety car (and caravan), not half a dozen random blokes heaving it back onto its wheels whilst the loonies still race by!


Certainly different times, although rushing on to the track like that was not the preferred option a few years after. The late Phil Morom and others raised the standard of Marshalling at Silverstone which also meant looking after Marshals safety.

I remember the rolled Caravan. It was difficult to turn over as the car was still the right way up. I never did figure out how a Caravan could roll still connected to an upright car :confused:

Edited by alansart, 09 November 2011 - 14:57.


#5 arttidesco

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 14:52

Classic piece of film :up:

Right idea but wrong vehicles and caravans IMHO, now if some one had built another rig like this maybe BCE would have become a long forgotten pensioner :smoking:

#6 Giraffe

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 16:32

The concept made it right up to F5000........

Posted Image
By giraffe138 at 2011-06-15

Phil Bradford (Jagracer on TNF) testing Brian Robinson's McLaren M19. It didn't topple over but all it's windows blew out, somewhat unsurprisingly........ :)

#7 Allan Lupton

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 17:27

I never did figure out how a Caravan could roll still connected to an upright car :confused:


At about 1m20s into the clip in post 1 shows you all you need to know about how it's done! Under certain circumstances it's self-limiting as it lifts the driving wheels off the ground. Came across one on its side in the middle of the M1 one day and as we (various Motor Sporting marshalling and driving types who were en route to the races at Mallory and/or Donington) stood it on its wheels most of the contents stayed on the road, the windows having broken. At least at Silverstone the 'vans would have been empty.
Later on that that Silverstone event we had the Caravan Club as participants in a Hants & Berks MC Economy Drive and I'm told that was quite hairy in a similar but different way.

#8 alansart

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 18:00

At about 1m20s into the clip in post 1 shows you all you need to know about how it's done! Under certain circumstances it's self-limiting as it lifts the driving wheels off the ground.


Ironically Roy's clip has proved my memory wrong as I thought the car was left with the rear wheels dangling in the air but they drop back down on the ground. What I still don't understand is how a caravan tow hitch can turn through 180 degrees and stay attached to the car that's upright - or am I missing something :confused:

Edited by alansart, 09 November 2011 - 18:01.


#9 ExFlagMan

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 18:01

I never did figure out how a Caravan could roll still connected to an upright car :confused:

At about 1m20s into the clip in post 1 shows you all you need to know about how it's done! Under certain circumstances it's self-limiting as it lifts the driving wheels off the ground. Came across one on its side in the middle of the M1 one day and as we (various Motor Sporting marshalling and driving types who were en route to the races at Mallory and/or Donington) stood it on its wheels most of the contents stayed on the road, the windows having broken. At least at Silverstone the 'vans would have been empty.
Later on that that Silverstone event we had the Caravan Club as participants in a Hants & Berks MC Economy Drive and I'm told that was quite hairy in a similar but different way.
I recall seeing a video clip of someone towing a caravan at high speed round Oulton Park, not sure if it was a race or a demo. I also recall one of the old observers remarking that everything was OK until it rounded Lodge, where the door opened and the contents of the cutlery draw spread itself across the track, the discussion on post then being which flag do you display for knives on the track - is it white for fish knives and red for steak? :yawnface:

#10 alansart

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 18:02

I recall seeing a video clip of someone towing a caravan at high speed round Oulton Park, not sure if it was a race or a demo. I also recall one of the old observers remarking that everything was OK until it rounded Lodge, where the door opened and the contents of the cutlery draw spread itself across the track, the discussion on post then being which flag do you display for knives on the track - is it white for fish knives and red for steak? :yawnface:

:)


#11 Phil Rainford

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 18:53

Might be going bonkers but as the racing developed did some of the cars not grow huge wings on their roofs? :confused:



PAR

#12 arttidesco

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 19:30

The concept made it right up to F5000........

Phil Bradford (Jagracer on TNF) testing Brian Robinson's McLaren M19. It didn't topple over but all it's windows blew out, somewhat unsurprisingly........ :)


Not seen that one before :up:

I like the way the caravan replaces the wing to create drag but did the caravan create any down force ?

A couple of years ago while I was writing a blog on Robin Hamilton's LM Aston I was reminded of the caravan towing speed record set at 124.91 mph, in the rain (!), by ex Abingdon Town AFC player Mr Eric Prue.

Here is an excerpt from Eric's obituary that appeared in the Bicester Advertiser :-

' Mr Prue was interested in cars from a young age and got involved with caravan rallying in the 1970s when he realised how unroadworthy the vehicles were.

Having revolutionised caravan design by creating a new, more streamlined, aerodynamic shape Mr Prue earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records by setting the world speed record for towing a caravan on October 14, 1980 The daredevil towed his own Alpha 14 caravan behind a Le Mans Aston Martin V8 saloon at RAF Elvington in North Yorkshire."

To further illustrate how safe and more efficient the new design was, Mr Prue also drove from Dover to St Raphael in the South of France in less than 24 hours.

His friend and business partner, Don Viney, who assisted Mr Prue on the design of the caravan, said:

"I once stood in the caravan doing 90mph. It was so stable it was unbelievable." '

I wonder how many of us would be brave enough to stand in the back of a caravan doing 90 mph ? :eek:

#13 Pink Snail

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 19:37

Loving the idea of the caravan race!! :up: I think I`ve owned most of those towing cars in my driving life. The `van that rolled was `attached` to my favourite (Opel Commodore) :love: before I became Mercedes mad :rolleyes: . The Supervan pulling the twin wheeler has given me an idea though...I`ve already got the Caravan but would love to get to Donington from Halifax a bit quicker. All I need to do now is find the donors, a Jag XJS for the power :smoking: (giraffe?!) and maybe an old Transit for the top bit :well: .....

#14 arttidesco

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 19:38

Might be going bonkers but as the racing developed did some of the cars not grow huge wings on their roofs? :confused:



PAR


I don't remember seeing anything like that fitted to a car driven on a circuit, too young or in Autosport but is this the kind apparatus you mean ?

#15 arttidesco

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 19:47

Loving the idea of the caravan race!! :up: I think I`ve owned most of those towing cars in my driving life. The `van that rolled was `attached` to my favourite (Opel Commodore) :love: before I became Mercedes mad :rolleyes: . The Supervan pulling the twin wheeler has given me an idea though...I`ve already got the Caravan but would love to get to Donington from Halifax a bit quicker. All I need to do now is find the donors, a Jag XJS for the power :smoking: (giraffe?!) and maybe an old Transit for the top bit :well: .....


Don't forget you can save a good length of prop shaft and improve the handling of your Trany by mounting the V12 and gearbox in the cargo area immediately in front of the rear axle :drunk:

#16 MCS

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 20:44

Might be going bonkers but as the racing developed did some of the cars not grow huge wings on their roofs? :confused:

PAR


I have no idea about this at all Phil, but would suggest that such an insane notion is probably actually correct.

Let me explain. I met one of my customers the other day who spent a considerable amount of time - far too long actually - telling me how he enjoyed "reverse caravan driving" (what on earth is that!!!) and how he had "raced back in the seventies, when we were all mad anyway'...

So over to you Giraffe and, incidentally, why has that McLaren had its wing removed? Or is it on the roof as Phil remembers!!

Edited by MCS, 10 November 2011 - 06:00.


#17 BRG

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 21:42

I was reminded of the caravan towing speed record set at 124.91 mph, in the rain (!), by ex Abingdon Town AFC player Mr Eric Prue.

Here is an excerpt from Eric's obituary...

The proximity of these two statements made me smile....

#18 Pink Snail

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 21:42

I remember the roof-mounted wind deflectors :eek: . Some people used to decorate them with the stickers of places visited :rolleyes: . On the supervan/caravan combo :love: , I WAS thinking of the mid mounted engine route...hmmm :smoking:

#19 Giraffe

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 22:00

Phil was actually driving Tony Kitchener's M19 in the pic, having also worked on Brian Robinson's similar car but as AFAIK not his caravan.

Whist on the subject of caravan's at race circuits, TNFer Gatmo once famously dumped his in the lake at Mallory.... :rotfl:

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#20 BRG

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 22:25

It seems silliness with caravans dates from earlier than this.

Falling over at Goodwood 1965

Wobbling at Mallory 1968





#21 arttidesco

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 23:49

It seems silliness with caravans dates from earlier than this.

Falling over at Goodwood 1965


Seeing the driver being ejected through the back door is frightening :eek:

#22 eldougo

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 08:28

Looks like it was from TopGear show amazing.

Edited by eldougo, 10 November 2011 - 08:29.


#23 Duc-Man

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 09:43

Caravans: TopGear makes fun of them and in Brainiac they blew them up by the dozen.
So what is the story with english people and caravans? I don't get it.

#24 Tim Murray

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 09:56

Because every time a caravan sets out on our crowded and twisty roads it ends up with a queue of frustrated motorists behind it. Don't you suffer the same thing in Germany? :wave:

#25 Duc-Man

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 10:12

I don't see a lot of caravans around where I live. A neighbour of us has one and he tows it with a 320 M-Class diesel. So when you see one their usually pulled by a pretty heavy car and they can move. Or the caravans sit in a 'trailer-park*' (or as we call it: Campingplatz) all year.

* Not to be mixed up with an american-style trailer-park... ;)

Edited to add footnote

Edited by Duc-Man, 10 November 2011 - 10:16.


#26 pete53

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 17:46

That's the first time I have seen a Mustang towing a caravan!

I recall there being a caravan race at Thruxton somewhere around the same period as this one. I don't know if they have improved but the structural integrity of those caravans seemed to equate to that of an empty tin of lager. But then I guess a) they were designed to be light for towing purposes, and b) not designed to be hurled around racetracks.

#27 Alan Cox

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 18:23

Might be going bonkers but as the racing developed did some of the cars not grow huge wings on their roofs? :confused:

You are quite right, Phil. I remember that one of the stars of the short-lived series of caravan races was a chap named Tony Peatfield who worked, IIRC, for Harringtons Caravans at Delamere (whose successors have now gone bust), not far from Oulton Park. His Capri sprouted an enormous aerofoil on its roof and, I presume, others did likewise. Can't find any photo of it on a quick Google search, but came up with this page of interesting pics from the Caravan Club's flickr page on which Mr Peatfield features.
http://www.flickr.co...6790245/detail/

#28 alansart

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 18:36

Harringtons Caravans at Delamere (whose successors have now gone bust), not far from Oulton Park.


Alan, are Harringtons still operating. My Caravan came from them many years ago and the were OK to deal with. I had some problems with the old wagon this year in France. I even dropped into a Dealer on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans but they didn't have the bits I needed.

Edit: I took the Caravan around the road parts of Le Mans about 5 years ago on the way back to Le Havre. The rain was hammering but I managed 70mph at one point. Mrs R was not a happy bunny, although I'm sure she was more bothered about the bottles of Mousseux, stored in the back, that may pop their cork :)

Edited by alansart, 10 November 2011 - 18:45.


#29 Alan Cox

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 18:42

Alan, are Harringtons still operating.

Sadly not, Alan. They were taken over by Discover Caravans a couple of years ago, but have now ceased trading. The final sale by the administrators takes place this weekend http://www.discover.co.uk/

#30 glyn parham

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 18:44

I will have to check with mum but I thank dad competed in the 1968 Caravan rally with a friend (who owned the caravan) from the Crystal Palace area. I am sure that
they had great fun competing and I feel sure that they took part in races (such as Mallory Park) and also took to the forests as well.

Totally bonkers if you ask me, parents heh! :rotfl:

Glyn

#31 alansart

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 18:46

Sadly not, Alan. They were taken over by Discover Caravans a couple of years ago, but have now ceased trading. The final sale by the administrators takes place this weekend http://www.discover.co.uk/


That's a pity.

#32 petestenning

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 19:15

If my memory serves correct the rolling caravan driver was John Heppenstall ? and the Mustang was Brian Charig .

I was also at Castle Coombe when these raced and Heppenstall had a wheel fall off of the caravan on the exit of Quarry , unable to move offending car and van it had to stay on the kerbing for the entire race.

#33 776VDE

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Posted 14 December 2011 - 01:45

There was one big event for an number of years, usually at Mallory Park in the late 60's/early 70's and Silverstone in the mid70's.

There was a National Caravan Road Rally Championship for a few years in the mid 1970's. There were events based at York racecourse - called the White Rose, there was a Red Rose based at Oulton Park, Midland events were based at the Chrysler proving ground when it was at Wellesbourne airfield or Church Lawford airfield, a Cotswold event at Long Marston or further down in the Cotswolds and another in East Anglia. These were proper road rallies i.e. all night thrashes around the countryside as well as a number of tests before or after and concluding with a concours event where any damage was severely penalised.

The Mustang was indeed Brian Charig. I recall him approaching a Y junction at the boundary of Church Lawford airfield and going straight on into the scenery.

Tony Peatfield rolled a caravan into the chain link fencing at Silverstone in about 1975.

Roger Clarke competed in at least one event in a Dettol sponsored outfit. If memory serves his tow car was a Capri RS2600 or 3100.

Tony Pond used a BL supplied Triumph 2500 one year and I think Tony Fall may have competed a few years before.

Colin Grewer, Colin Malkin, Andy Dawson, Pat Moss all took part at various times.

Mick or John Beadle turned up with a brand new Escort RS2000 Mk 2 and broke a half shaft on the night section.

Opel Commodore (B version) GS/E coupes were popular tow cars as were Triumph 2500 PI's and as they were towing double stabilised lightweight caravans they were an impressive and fiercesome sight tanking down a narrow country lane.

It was serious stuff in the 1970's.

Edited by 776VDE, 14 December 2011 - 01:46.


#34 Greg Baker

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Posted 16 December 2011 - 17:39

You are quite right, Phil. I remember that one of the stars of the short-lived series of caravan races was a chap named Tony Peatfield who worked, IIRC, for Harringtons Caravans at Delamere (whose successors have now gone bust), not far from Oulton Park. His Capri sprouted an enormous aerofoil on its roof and, I presume, others did likewise. Can't find any photo of it on a quick Google search, but came up with this page of interesting pics from the Caravan Club's flickr page on which Mr Peatfield features.
http://www.flickr.co...6790245/detail/

Many many years ago now i use to live next door to Tony in Tiverton in Chestire just down the road from Oulton. I have many memories of him and his Capri and even as a small boy i was in ore of the car and kind of reameber the first time it appered with the BIGGEST rear wing on it which would have not been out of place on any can am car .
It was a work of art even then and fully adjustable , He was indead sponsored by Harrington cariavans which was a good think as most of the time after an event he came back with just a trailer !!!! Rallying with a cariavan who thought that was a good idea ?,
As a small boy then myself and his two sons Micheal and Graham use to take the stickers and event numbers off the car and put them on our soap boxes at the time, great fun . I have some reclation of him doing work for NASA at the time but lost touch some time after he moved to north Wales. Would love to see some photos of that car i did have some at some point but lost them many years ago.
Very happy days

#35 voxadd

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Posted 16 December 2011 - 18:25

The caravan races developed out of the Caravan road rallies where, on the track section during the Saturday, there would be a 'sprint' and also a braking test. For many years, the event was based at Mallory Park with a night rally (yes, 'twas so!) in the Buxton/Ashbourne area including the impossible hairpin near Flash. They returned to Mallory in the early hours of Sunday morning (for many to be rebuilt....) and then there would be a Concours judging on the Sunday, all lined up on the startline straight, with crockery and other accoutrements displayed. The Sprint took in most of Mallory and I seem to remember that one year Vic Elford drove a Lotus Europa with a Sprite 400 caravan. Along the Stebbe Straight, he struggled to reach 60mph, such was the aerodynamic excellence of his outfit. Big names did feature on the entry list. Ford entered a Cortina Estate with a few special motorsport parts one year. Pat Moss headhunted a farmers daughter to do the autotest section when the event moved to Silverstone (she was used to manoeuvring tractors and trailers) but she went to pieces under the pressure of performing against the clock with onlookers.

The event, when it moved to Silverstone, replaced the road rally section with a stage event that took in Thetford forest and other rarely used forestry stages. BBC Wheelbase did a feature on it.

When the race series developed for a full season's sport, Vauxhall - through Billy Blydenstein's operation - took it seriously and entered a VX4/90 driven by Andrew Hignett with a very special and stable Bailey Maru caravan. They basically won everything and that killed off the series.

#36 Gatmo

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Posted 17 December 2011 - 17:34

Phil was actually driving Tony Kitchener's M19 in the pic, having also worked on Brian Robinson's similar car but as AFAIK not his caravan.

Whist on the subject of caravan's at race circuits, TNFer Gatmo once famously dumped his in the lake at Mallory.... :rotfl:


Not quite true, Tony!

The caravan ended up on the fishing bank 2ft from the edge of the abyss.........I was still hanging off the back of the bloody thing at that point, that was a WILD ride.

As i hadn't arrived home at the usual time the missus rung me and delivered the time honoured classic "Where are you, are you having problems?"

"You could say that" i replied from the cockpit of the circuit wrecker which was in the process of dragging said van back onto something more solid.

Word soon spread of my indiscretion and upon my return from holiday i found a diving suit and flippers on my chair and a printout of the latest shipping forecast on the messroom wall.

:lol:

#37 arttidesco

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Posted 02 December 2016 - 22:57

I don't see a lot of caravans around where I live.

* Not to be mixed up with an american-style trailer-park...  ;)

Edited to add footnote

 

13393930_1297165493646723_40307114085358

 

Perhaps you should try the Nurburgring ?

 

Found this browsing on the intelweb, does anyone recognise the car and or driver ?



#38 john winfield

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Posted 03 December 2016 - 09:45

Looks as if it's Rolf Stommelen in a Brabham BT?, both sponsored by Eifelland.

 

http://www.zwischeng...-Gespanne-.html



#39 Myhinpaa

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 10:33

When the race series developed for a full season's sport, Vauxhall - through Billy Blydenstein's operation - took it seriously and entered a VX4/90 driven by

Andrew Hignett with a very special and stable Bailey Maru caravan. They basically won everything and that killed off the series.

 

Here's a photo of him in Chris Parker's book : "Motor Racing at Brands Hatch in the Seventies"

 

Caravans,, should be declared a noxious weed and destroyed! And yes I now it is 40+ years ago but it appears the only vehicle towing one was remotely suited,,The Mustang.

 

Agree with the first part but in the footage we can see Andrew Hignot in his VX overtake the Mustang on the outside at Woodcote   ;)

Seem to remember WBB and his team fitted crossplies to the carvan and could such make "6 wheel drifts" possible to acheive.



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#40 D-Type

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 20:44

Didn't the "Banger boys" also have the odd caravan race on the short ovals?  After all, they raced Reliant Robins and Transit vans (not together!)


Edited by D-Type, 09 March 2022 - 14:29.


#41 Ray Bell

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 20:51

Test days to set up that Vauxhall would have been fun...

And I'm sure they would have gone testing if they got a special caravan built.

#42 john winfield

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Posted 09 March 2022 - 13:19

Didn't the "Banger boys" also have the odd caravan race on the short ovals?  After all, they raced Reliant Robiss and Transit vans (not together!)

 

Maybe not quite what you had in mind but, as this popped up on my Facebook feed today, I thought I should share it.  Serious motor sport for the purist:

 

https://www.facebook...339668354788186



#43 D-Type

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Posted 09 March 2022 - 14:32

That's what i was thinking of.  Jeremy Clarkson would approve!



#44 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 11 March 2022 - 11:07

Notice there's a motorhome...not towing anything...in that race



#45 john winfield

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Posted 11 March 2022 - 11:47

Notice there's a motorhome...not towing anything...in that race

 

Seems to start from the back of the grid. I think it may have been an unfortunate holidaymaker misled by Satnav.



#46 absinthedude

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Posted 11 March 2022 - 12:25

Didn't the "Banger boys" also have the odd caravan race on the short ovals?  After all, they raced Reliant Robins and Transit vans (not together!)

 

They still do at places like United Downs Raceway in Cornwall.

 

nowhere near serious racing, the aim is to crash and destroy the caravans for entertainment.

 

But caravan racing of some sort still exists. It was even televised on the Anglia TV show "Wheels" in the 80s and I've witnessed it in 2017 at United Downs. Definitely still goes on down there. The race I saw one of the drivers got stuck in his car under a smashed caravan and had a panic attack, causing an ambulance to be called....but he was racing bangers the following weekend. 



#47 john winfield

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Posted 11 March 2022 - 13:01

On the short video I'm impressed by the calm flag marshal who, after about four laps of mayhem, holds out a stationary yellow flag to warn competitors of possible obstructions ahead: discarded caravan bodies, upturned trailers, metal sheeting, mountains of debris etc.  Formula 1 could learn a lot from this 'the race must go on' approach.



#48 Glengavel

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Posted 11 March 2022 - 13:04

Notice there's a motorhome...not towing anything...in that race

 

That's the safety car...



#49 absinthedude

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Posted 11 March 2022 - 13:52

I'd love to see today's F1 cars towing a caravan....



#50 john winfield

john winfield
  • Member

  • 5,640 posts
  • Joined: July 02

Posted 11 March 2022 - 15:05

I'd love to see today's F1 cars towing a caravan....

 

arti's post #37 whets the appetite, particularly the wing arrangement!  Plenty of unused advertising space too.