118 replies to this topic

[D-Type]

Did those "Two sisters from Bradford" turn up?

I thought it was Bournemouth - or was that another pair?

[Tim Murray]

Whatever the location, it seems to have begun with the letter B:

Commentator - "Peter, What was your best moment in motor racing?"

Peter - "Two sisters from Bradford"

I'd heard it as "Those red-haired twins from Barnsley" but knowing "Rabbit"'s reputation it could well have been all four.;)

[Jerry Entin]

Good job Tony, everyone looked like they were having a great time. You can sure see Peter in Nick.

[Giraffe]

Greg Thornton tried to arrange for twice British F5000 championship Teddy Pilette to do a couple of demonstration laps at Silverstone today in his famous ex- PG Chevron B24, but sadly he was not allowed to do so for whatever reason.....
Teddy has however offered to come to Brands and demo it at the Brands Hatch Superprix.


By giraffe138 at 2012-05-19

[f1steveuk]

Greg Thornton tried to arrange for twice British F5000 championship Teddy Pilette to do a couple of demonstration laps at Silverstone today in his famous ex- PG Chevron B24, but sadly he was not allowed to do so for whatever reason.....
Teddy has however offered to come to Brands and demo it at the Brands Hatch Superprix.


By giraffe138 at 2012-05-19

I met Peter but once, at Goodwood, he was "manning" his driving school stall, well away from the action, and seemed genuinely surprised someone had recognised him as the modern F1 cars were running. Happy to chat, a lovely bloke.

Out of curiousity, the car above, and that shown in post 81, why are the roll hoops so different??

[Glengavel]

I met Peter but once, at Goodwood, he was "manning" his driving school stall, well away from the action, and seemed genuinely surprised someone had recognised him as the modern F1 cars were running. Happy to chat, a lovely bloke.

Out of curiousity, the car above, and that shown in post 81, why are the roll hoops so different??

I imagine the hoops have been beefed up to satisfy modern safety standards. Looking at old pictures of 60s/70s racing cars, often the rollover hoop closely resembles an old wire coathanger, and in some cases the drivers' heads clear the 'safety' hoop by several inches!

[Giraffe]

Peter at home in October 2010, showing off his 1971 Italian GP trophy with typical good humour, and justifiable pride....

DCN

It was a year ago today that Peter passed away.

[barrykm]

My word...so quickly!

[john winfield]

It was a year ago today that Peter passed away.

A sad anniversary. He gave many of us a lot of pleasure.

Tony / Doug, lovely photo and it reminds me of something I noticed at Bourne at the end of this year's BRM day. In the Baldock Mill Heritage museum there are many BRM trophies donated, I believe by Rubery Owen / David Owen. One is from Monza in 1971. It's not as impressive as Peter's, which looks like the one he held aloft on that happy day in Italy, was more compact, and had, I think, some obscure name which defeated my pitiful knowledge of Italian. It wasn't obviously a winning constructor's award but this seems the most likely, although many of the museum trophies are, I think those given to the winning driver; Graham Hill, Watkins Glen etc.. Next time I'm in Bourne I'll check exactly what it is - perhaps someone here already knows.

Edit. Here we are, No.15 on the Museum's inventory: The 'Italian Ministry of Public Employment Cup 1971'...I knew it was obscure.....

Perhaps it was the smaller one in this photo:

http://www.dailymail...d-tributes.html


Here's the Bourne museum's inventory of trophies:

http://homepages.whi...brmtrophies.htm

Edited by john winfield, 05 December 2012 - 15:41.

[Giraffe]

Nick Mason, Nick Gethin and Teddy Pilette with the trophy from the 1971 Italian GP


By giraffe138 at 2012-05-18

Peter's son Nick recently posted on the F5000 Facebook page "If you have any photos/movie footage of Peter Gethin racing from the late 60's early 70's period I would love to see them."

I think that Nick's interest in his father's career is increasing since his passing. I forwarded what I have to Nick, and if anyone would like to do the same, they may do so via myself, or alternatively PM me and I will provide Nick's e-mail address.

Edited by Giraffe, 05 December 2012 - 14:54.

[john winfield]

Last year picblanc posted this excellent colour clip of the 1971 Italian GP, Peter on the podium etc. It's so good that I thought some might like to see it again. We don't see a lot of Peter in the race but there are superb shots of Regga's great start (!), the battle at the front, the leaders screaming down the pits straight, swooping through Parabolica. Fantastic. For Peter to have caught the leading bunch from so far back, played a waiting game, then gone for broke on the last corner to outdrag the other four...he deserved that win!

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related


Note young Howden, and a Matra airbox held on by a bungee rope. Sod's law that the bungee held while Chris lost all his visor tear-offs.

Edited by john winfield, 05 December 2012 - 16:06.

[RTH]

Sad news indeed and only I think about 72.

[mfd]

Sod's law that the bungee held while Chris lost all his visor tear-offs.

Actually John it was the entire visor, which is of course far more serious

[kayemod]

Sod's law that the bungee held while Chris lost all his visor tear-offs.

When did visor tear-offs become the norm in F1?

[john winfield]

Actually John it was the entire visor, which is of course far more serious

Mike, of course, sorry, my mistake. His eyes were streaming weren't they, head tucked down as far as possible out of the airflow, fading away to sixth place?

Edited by john winfield, 06 December 2012 - 07:21.

[ryan86]

A sad anniversary. He gave many of us a lot of pleasure.

Tony / Doug, lovely photo and it reminds me of something I noticed at Bourne at the end of this year's BRM day. In the Baldock Mill Heritage museum there are many BRM trophies donated, I believe by Rubery Owen / David Owen. One is from Monza in 1971. It's not as impressive as Peter's, which looks like the one he held aloft on that happy day in Italy, was more compact, and had, I think, some obscure name which defeated my pitiful knowledge of Italian. It wasn't obviously a winning constructor's award but this seems the most likely, although many of the museum trophies are, I think those given to the winning driver; Graham Hill, Watkins Glen etc.. Next time I'm in Bourne I'll check exactly what it is - perhaps someone here already knows.

Edit. Here we are, No.15 on the Museum's inventory: The 'Italian Ministry of Public Employment Cup 1971'...I knew it was obscure.....

Perhaps it was the smaller one in this photo:

http://www.dailymail...d-tributes.html


Here's the Bourne museum's inventory of trophies:

http://homepages.whi...brmtrophies.htm

Also a nice look back at when trophies were actually trophies. Though the joy probably remains the same, Pastor Maldonado's trophy, or should that be Pastor's Santander advertising tool, probably doesn't look quite as impressive in the trophy cabinet.

[mfd]

When did visor tear-offs become the norm in F1?

I remember being instructed how to fit them properly in the late 80's. The real trick (to pass onto drivers) was how to fit multiple layers.Another key improvement was having eccentric posts that were fixed from the inside with an offset countersunk screw which meant the post could be turned, thus tightening the tear off against the visor

[Giraffe]

Sky in it's build up to the Italian GP at Monza yesterday did a very nice piece on Peter's famous 1971 victory featuring his widow Robbie, Howden Ganley & others, and had son Nick taking the BRM Pi60 now owned by Richard Mille around the circuit.

[Gary C]

I also saw a piece of Martin Brundle driving the car round Monza too on Sky F1.