Track testers the truth
#1
Posted 24 January 2013 - 13:47
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#2
Posted 24 January 2013 - 18:29
#3
Posted 24 January 2013 - 18:51
#4
Posted 24 January 2013 - 19:26
...a stop watch and a deerstalker.
Something to do with John Bolster perhaps ?
I believe there was another journalist who used to frequent the F1 paddock who had a deer stalker but it was a bit before my time.
#5
Posted 24 January 2013 - 19:36
A Fan
#6
Posted 24 January 2013 - 19:42
Alan Henry was pretty well wired up as a driver. Sadly he never made the most of that ability, or never had the opportunity to do so.
A Fan
He impressed the Renault team when they had a journalists' F1 session at Paul Ricard (I think) some years ago, most of the others spun off at some point.
#7
Posted 24 January 2013 - 19:45
http://www.carlosghy...eerstalker.html
#8
Posted 24 January 2013 - 19:55
Roger Lund.
#9
Posted 24 January 2013 - 20:03
Talking of deerstalkers, newer members may not be aware of the deerstalker page of TNFers Luc and Carlos Ghys (Pedro 917 and LOLE):
http://www.carlosghy...eerstalker.html
Aha they are the ones I was thinking of Tim ! So they were just a celebrity stalkers and not a journalists, nice one Pedro 917 and LOLE, blagging a ride around Silverstone with Ronnie in a Europa is going to take some beating
#10
Posted 24 January 2013 - 20:17
The Porsche engineers and mechanics were pretty underwhelmed as hack after hack had a go, until some grey old guy got in and really wheeled a lap in the thing (and Weissach is not a place for the faint hearted). He'd never driven a car with a paddle gearshift or carbon brakes, but they were staggered by the performance as he pretty much blew them all away. Most of the engineers and mechanics were youngish, and had never even heard of the 70 year old called Brian Redman...
Edited by Nigel Beresford, 24 January 2013 - 23:36.
#11
Posted 24 January 2013 - 20:36
#12
Posted 24 January 2013 - 20:57
Just remembered Clyde's classic....."..famous Irish F1 driver, Jack O'Malley".
Edited by GMACKIE, 24 January 2013 - 23:01.
#13
Posted 24 January 2013 - 21:08
http://www.virhistor...n/lola-art.html
#14
Posted 24 January 2013 - 22:32
http://www.abebooks....;tn=track tests
#15
Posted 24 January 2013 - 22:41
Was that the famous occasion when Nigel Roebuck managed to spin while driving in a straight line?He impressed the Renault team when they had a journalists' F1 session at Paul Ricard (I think) some years ago, most of the others spun off at some point.
#16
Posted 24 January 2013 - 23:23
Was that the famous occasion when Nigel Roebuck managed to spin while driving in a straight line?
That's the one. Eoin Young went up to a blushing Nigel and thanked him for writing his next column for him.
#17
Posted 25 January 2013 - 00:01
Pat
#18
Posted 25 January 2013 - 00:36
Originally posted by GMACKIE
Anyone from 'Down Under' remember Clyde Hodgins, and his efforts in the Daimler SP-250? I saw him once, at Catalina Park.....someone else can comment.
Just remembered Clyde's classic....."..famous Irish F1 driver, Jack O'Malley".
Saw him a few times, I think he shared that car with Brian Lawler...
But that 'Jack O'Malley' thing wasn't half as funny as he wrote about an upcoming Warwick Farm event. He told how an Englishman would be driving a Lola T70, a bloke named Archie Scott-Thomas!
Clyde was a victim of how the Fairfax organisation worked, a regular journo doing a specialist job because it was his turn.
Pat, do you remember what drivers the magazine used? Or was it in Sports Car Graphic and they had Jerry Titus on the strength?
Of course, Phil Hill played driver/journo at times, drove some lovely stuff right back to pre-war and up to ground effect.
#19
Posted 25 January 2013 - 00:37
Mick Walsh on the other hand...
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#20
Posted 25 January 2013 - 00:50
Pat, do you remember what drivers the magazine used? Or was it in Sports Car Graphic and they had Jerry Titus on the strength?
Ray, I think the whole thing was a work of fiction! I remember the cars were depicted in a painting on the cover. I am pretty sure it was in Car and Driver!
Though it is so long ago and lost in the mists of memory.
I do recall an outburst of indignation from the purists.
A quick Google search found this http://www.caranddri...s-gto-road-test
Pat
#21
Posted 25 January 2013 - 07:57
#22
Posted 25 January 2013 - 09:22
David
#23
Posted 25 January 2013 - 09:29
#24
Posted 25 January 2013 - 09:42
I was allowed to join my Dad at one in the early '70s and we were circulating quite briskly in a Daimler Double-Six when a piddly little Vauxhall Viva came sailing around the outside of us at (I think) Becketts and vanished into the distance with a cheery wave - an occasional journo called Paul Frere at the wheel.
Of course, at the same event in a different year, a certain Mr L.G.K. Sparkplug got it all wrong and made a terrible mess of an E-type at Woodcote. There's some as can, and ...
#25
Posted 25 January 2013 - 10:24
#26
Posted 25 January 2013 - 10:49
Roger Bell, Steve Sutcliffe , Chris Harris, Simon Taylor, Tony Dron are/were all more than handy behind the wheel - and the maligned Andrew Frankel is no slouch either. And against the charge of journos being poor drivers-well they may be but as few racing drivers have the ability to write much more than cliched drivel it cuts both ways. And yes , there are exceptions before I am ..err ..flamed,,,
Don't forget Peter Dron , very talented and even raced TVR Tuscans
#27
Posted 25 January 2013 - 10:53
Indeed, Graham, and an occasional poster here.Don't forget Peter Dron , very talented and even raced TVR Tuscans
#28
Posted 25 January 2013 - 10:57
What about the Ferrari GTO vs Pontiac GTO 'comparison' test done by one of the American comics (R&T or C&D) many years ago? Of course, they showed the 'goat' was the better car ;-)
Pat
R&T also ran a Ferrari 358GTS against a GMC Syclone pick up and found the latter was quicker away from the lights
#29
Posted 25 January 2013 - 11:11
At an ALMS race late in the noughties the Porsche guys were telling us about a press test they had just had at Weissach, for selected journalists to drive the 2006 spec RS Spyder. That car was difficult for even seasoned professionals to get the best out of - a typical, capable Porsche factory GT pilot would struggle to get anywhere near the limit of the car, because it had SO much grip compared to the GT2 car they were used to driving. People like Luhr, Dumas and Maassen grew with the Spyder as it was developed, and could exploit its performance as it was enhanced, but it was a different kettle of fish for someone from a GT background to come in and drive it once it was developed.
The Porsche engineers and mechanics were pretty underwhelmed as hack after hack had a go, until some grey old guy got in and really wheeled a lap in the thing (and Weissach is not a place for the faint hearted). He'd never driven a car with a paddle gearshift or carbon brakes, but they were staggered by the performance as he pretty much blew them all away. Most of the engineers and mechanics were youngish, and had never even heard of the 70 year old called Brian Redman...
I'm not 100% sure on detail, but wasn't the late Paul Frere once offered a drive in one of the works Audi R8s Le Mans cars- presumably as some sort of track test? I seem to recall that, even at the age of (well) over 80, he impressed all present with his pace, feedback and willingness/ ability to adapt to technologies a world a way from those employed in his time as a professional driver. Something is telling me it was an end of season test/ media session at Paul Ricard - perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can confirm?
What's the saying? Form is temporary, class is permanent?
#30
Posted 25 January 2013 - 12:53
Had a nice racing CV also.
#31
Posted 25 January 2013 - 15:21
They should have run a F355 GTS then...R&T also ran a Ferrari 358GTS against a GMC Syclone pick up and found the latter was quicker away from the lights
#32
Posted 25 January 2013 - 17:38
Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.
To which Keith added :
And those who can't teach - write about it ....
#33
Posted 25 January 2013 - 17:47
His talent was God-given.Pierre Dieudonné for Autohebdo
Had a nice racing CV also.
#34
Posted 25 January 2013 - 18:05
His talent was God-given.
..unlike your wit, which surely must be the devil's work....
#35
Posted 25 January 2013 - 20:47
The Piper Hales case has set me thinking , have the journos driven the cars that are featured in the magazine articles , most have but not all Hans Tanner couldn't drive but he wrote great articles from the passenger set , so let the stories begin .
It was a Benetton in 1989.
#36
Posted 25 January 2013 - 21:47
#37
Posted 26 January 2013 - 04:11
#38
Posted 30 January 2013 - 13:33
#39
Posted 30 January 2013 - 13:59
DCN
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#40
Posted 30 January 2013 - 14:33
#41
Posted 30 January 2013 - 18:43
I'm quite proud of my 'Classic & Sportscar' impressions test of an Alfa Romeo T33 Stradale which was conducted from start to finish on the end of a tow-rope behind Geoff Goddard's camera car. Noise level was amazingly refined.
DCN
Didn't Basil Cardew have an even more relaxed test process for his road tests?
Roger Lund
BTW I think we are due a reprint of your FIAT Mefistofele ets article.........
#42
Posted 31 January 2013 - 08:30
ISTR that Simon Taylor was always regarded as both very quick and safe in the wide range of cars which he tested when he was at Autosport. If you check the old mags he seemed to be out in something quick on a regular basis, up to F1 cars, plus he was v swift in his Mallock mk6 in good company, at a time when Clubmans meant something
Roger Lund.
Simon Taylor tests an F2 March at Silverstone
... and blasting off the line at Shelsley in his weekend transport.