3 replies to this topic

[Sharman]

Very sadly I have to record the passing of a truly enthusiastic gentleman driver. After a short illness Bill died yesterday in his 94th year, with his family by his side. He was the first Briton to win a continental Formula Junior race at Cadours in 1959 and in so doing beat a field containing 5 drivers who had or would contest F1 World Championship races. In that same year he won the MotorSport Trophy and the Autosport Championship. In the early 60s he was twice 2nd in class in the Nurburgring 1000kms. He had a break from racing from the middle of that decade but returned in the 70s in Modsports with the same TR3a he campaigned in the 50s, and an E type. He then bought a couple of Chevrons, a B19 and a 21, which ran in European Sports Cars under the Ember Racing banner. 

With Bill go the last links to Clapton-in-Gordano where he won a race in an Austin 7 single seat special named Piglet and to the Outer Circuit which he lapped in late August 1939. 

He was a special friend, whom I was privileged to know for nearly 60 years. He will be missed by all those whose lives he touched.

Edited by Sharman, 12 October 2014 - 15:41.

[Graham Gauld]

This is very sad news as Bill was such a quiet and modest driver. He first came to my attention at the famous 1959 Boxing Day Brands Hatch Formula Junior race where Colin Chapman introduced the unpainted Lotus 18 and Jim Clark had his first single seater race in a Gemini. On that occasion Bill was driving an Elva and had had a successful season., Indeed at Brands he was on pole position then explained that he had
set off far too fast and put the car off the road. He could still laugh about the indicent. When I came to France Sharman told me Bill was staying in a large caravan park near here and I looked him up. We would get together every so often and talk motor racing and then he moved to the North of France. The last time I was with him was his 80th birthday where Sharman was also present.
Sharman did not mention it but he also raced a Lister Jaguar with some success.
Another link to the past gone.

[bradbury west]

John, like many here I will mourn the passing of another link to those early days of our sport, but personally I must offer my sympathies to you also upon the passing of a lifelong friend. You have mentioned this to me in the past. Some  here will be unaware of the huge effort you made on Bill's behalf to celebrate his 90th, and how very happy owners of Bill's old cars were to turn out for him, clearly a hugely respected man. Like Graham I recall him in a Lister in the days of John Bekaert et al. I think I recall him in a 3.8 Jaguar in saloons, possibly in the Brands 6 hour etc.  I hope the journals write  appropriately worthy obituaries of him.

My sympathies to his friends and family

Roger Lund 

[Doug Nye]

Sincere condolences to his family and many friends, including Sharman.  These things, even if not unexpected, hit hard...  But they always live on in one's mind.

 

DCN