22 replies to this topic

[Derwent Motorsport]

At some of the first Ingliston race meetings one of the Birrell brothers entered the Formula Ford races in a Centro Scot, a new name to me and most of the other entries were Lotus 51s.

Has anyone any ideas as to what it was?

[JtP2]

There was a race team in Scotland at that called Ecurie Centro Scot. They used to mostly enter sprints and hillclimbs. The owned a Lola and another single seater.

The team was Ian Callender and 2 others. I am still working on the other 2 partners and the 2nd car. They were based in the Glasgow area and Gerry lived in Milngavie, just NW of Glasgow. Ian lived in Lenzie, just NE.

If a FF race, it must have been in 68 and possibly one of their cars was altered to FF spec.

One for Graham Gauld.

[Derwent Motorsport]

I'm looking at the August 68 programme and it says 61   G H BIRRELL/A.Evengelisti so the later must have been the entrant of the Centro-Scott FF. There are no results but looking at the championship listing below they had come secord at the July meeting to D. Walker in a Russell Alexis who was not entered in August.

[JtP2]

Tony Evengelisti was a member of Ecurie Centro Scot. Now I just have to remember the 3rd team member. August 68 makes it the last meeting on the old circuit. July was a national meeting, there were 2 per year, the other 4 were restricted/ closed.

 

D Walker in a Russell Alexis, translates to Dave Walker entered by the Jim Russell school.

 

I suspect the car was one of ECs cars converted to a FF, probably by Gerry. Not that far from Milngavie to Lenzie.

Edited by JtP2, 26 February 2015 - 10:56.

[WillHenderson]

The team was called Equipe Centro Scot. I believe at one time they had a Chevron B8

I think it was Tony Evangelisti from Stirling, George Stewart and Robbie Callendar from Larbert.

[Derwent Motorsport]

Interesting, so what was the FF car? Obviously good enough to take a second place against the massed ranks of Lotus 51s?

[NickEvangelisti]

Mr Henderson, you are 100% correct. You painted a picture of my dad driving the Chevron B8 which I still have.
My dad was very good friends with both Gerry and Graham Birrell.
Please feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to give you the answers.

[Derwent Motorsport]

Good to hear from you Nick. Do you know if the FF car was a modified something else?

[Graham Gauld]

Nick

 

I hope you are well. Your dad was a very good friend of mine and we often talked about Equipe Centro Scot who, as mentoned above, supplied Gerry Birrell with his first Formula Ford to drive. However, what is probably less well known was that Tony had a team sticker made showing a typical Italian gesture. As seen below. These were great fun days and Tony was usually embroiled in the middle of it.

 

hébergement gratuit d'images

[Graham Gauld]

Aha.......photo downloads acting up again  Lets try this one

 

 

 

hébergement gratuit d'images

[Graham Gauld]

One more try

 

[Graham Gauld]

[Graham Gauld]

If this does not work I give up

 

 

http://s21.postimg.o...1v/IMG_0002.jpg

[Derwent Motorsport]

They are all there Graham! Several times!

Do you remember what the FF car they ran was, surely not a home build but a modded Lotus 51 perhaps or an older f2 car with a Cortina engine?

[NickEvangelisti]

Hi Graham,

 

Im good thanks. I was at the Ingliston Revival meeting last Sunday and watching the older cars go round the track reminded me of when I was very young and I used to go with my dad.

I actually looked out one of those stickers yesterday afternoon (but I was having trouble in posting it on here). I also have hundreds of slides that belonged to my dad that I will need to look through and see what I can find.

I know that there are several slides of my dad and Gerry at different circuits with different cars and also of them having a lot of fun along the way.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Nick Evangelisti

[WillHenderson]

Nick,

The sticker was designed by my dad, Bill Henderson. We've still got artwork.

 

regards

William

[Mistron]

I wonder, what colour was the B8, and did it by any chance have aerodynmic additions to the side of the nose? A few years ago I picked up a pair of front and rear B8 clamshells from the Glsgow area and lways wondered where they came from. How many B8s have run in Scotland over the years? My guess is no more than 1/2 a dozen.

 

Al

[bradbury west]

William, it may pay to post a link to your family's photo archive website, as there may be quite a few people who are unaware of it, perhaps also in the Photographers' thread.

Roger Lund

[WillHenderson]

Thanks Roger. Website is www.thebillhendersoncollection.co.uk

Hopefully I'll be updating it in the next month. Also on www.facebook.com/TheBillHendersonCollection

William

[JtP2]

The team was called Equipe Centro Scot. I believe at one time they had a Chevron B8
I think it was Tony Evangelisti from Stirling, George Stewart and Robbie Callendar from Larbert.

Just got around to checking. It is Ian Callendar, not Robbie. Ian at the time and for the rest of his life stayed in Lenzie

[alexshore]

Hi Graham,

Im good thanks. I was at the Ingliston Revival meeting last Sunday and watching the older cars go round the track reminded me of when I was very young and I used to go with my dad.
I actually looked out one of those stickers yesterday afternoon (but I was having trouble in posting it on here). I also have hundreds of slides that belonged to my dad that I will need to look through and see what I can find.
I know that there are several slides of my dad and Gerry at different circuits with different cars and also of them having a lot of fun along the way.

Kind Regards,

Nick Evangelisti

[alexshore]

Hi Graham,

Im good thanks. I was at the Ingliston Revival meeting last Sunday and watching the older cars go round the track reminded me of when I was very young and I used to go with my dad.
I actually looked out one of those stickers yesterday afternoon (but I was having trouble in posting it on here). I also have hundreds of slides that belonged to my dad that I will need to look through and see what I can find.
I know that there are several slides of my dad and Gerry at different circuits with different cars and also of them having a lot of fun along the way.

Kind Regards,

Nick Evangelisti

Nick,

My name is Alex Shore, my half sister is Kara Birrell, Gerrys daughter. We are currently producing a documentary about Gerry and are looking for as many old photos and film of him as possible. Do you think it might be possible to get some copies of the pictures with your dad?

If you want to know more or have any questions you can email me on alex@alexshore.co.uk

Thanks

Alex

[Graham Gauld]

Nick

 

This may amuse you. The picture was taken just after the International Scottish Rally where Gerry Birrell, second from the left, and Mike Leeke, extreme right ,who ran the Glasgow Singer Dealership, with the Singer vogue Gerry and Mike used on the rally. Second from the right is your dad Tony Evangelisti and yours truly next.  If I remember correctly by the look of the picture we were in our "Blues Brothers" period.

 

https://postimg.cc/image/di4j4zoch/