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#51 Tim Murray

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Posted 19 November 2022 - 17:53

This from Quentin Spurring’s report on the Group 4 race at the International Trophy meeting:

Three Europas had been eliminated on lap 6, when David Walker and John Calvert collided at Copse, and Doug Hardwick spun off at Becketts; no one was hurt but there was some damage to the cars.


The event preview the previous week mentioned Brian Alexander, not Walker.

Sadly, no mention of either Walker or Alexander in the race report for the 15th June event at Oulton, and no preview the previous week either.

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#52 john winfield

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Posted 19 November 2022 - 18:15

Thanks Tim. It clearly was Dave then, not Vic.



#53 small block

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Posted 19 November 2022 - 21:08

A thread on Autodiva, and Jan's Racingsportscar website (post #24 above), suggest that Dave twice raced a Lotus 47 in 1968, both times, probably, for Brian Alexander. Was it really Dave do you think?  So many of the other Alexander/Lotus 47/Walker combinations refer to VIC Walker so I wonder whether there's been a mix-up.

 

I don't have the weeklies that might make some mention (3/5/68 and 21/6/68) but see that, in an International Trophy meeting programme listed on eBay,  Alexander is crossed out as driver and is replaced by 'Walker'. Inconclusive!

 

Michael Oliver's 2004 Motor Sport feature on Dave, 'Up in Smoke', makes no mention of any Lotus 47 drives, although he does confirm that in 1968 Dave was in the UK, driving a Lotus Formula Ford (51B?), so I suppose he might have had the odd sports car outing.  

The Motoring News (2/5/68) report of the sports car race at the International Trophy meeting says: 'Doug Hardwick had his Lotus 47 spun backwards into the bank at Becketts and was taken to the medical centre for examination, and on the same lap Vic Walker and John Calvert in two more Lotuses became entangled and both had to retire'



#54 john winfield

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Posted 19 November 2022 - 21:48

The Motoring News (2/5/68) report of the sports car race at the International Trophy meeting says: 'Doug Hardwick had his Lotus 47 spun backwards into the bank at Becketts and was taken to the medical centre for examination, and on the same lap Vic Walker and John Calvert in two more Lotuses became entangled and both had to retire'

 

Thanks SB.  Well that's interesting!  Perhaps Vic and Dave shared the drive... :stoned:



#55 Arjan de Roos

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Posted 20 November 2022 - 11:04

One of Dave Walker's most memorable, though brief, races was the 1971 Dutch GP when he was given the 4WD turbine Lotus to drive in wet conditions. He started 22nd on the grid and within 5 laps had rocketed up to 10th... before falling off the road at Tarzan. What might have happened had he not crashed that day? His whole career might have been different. After the accident I think Chapman was finished with him and didn't want to know.

 

The 1971 Dutch GP was a rain race where Rodriguez and Ickx showed their rain racing abilities and had a epic battle. Many drivers stranded at Tarzan corner. Some like Stewart, Stommelen and Regazzoni were lucky to get away with their spins there. Other beached properly. Walker landed his Lotus in a ditch with some damage, no way to get out, all which must not have impressed Chapman, on top with Wisell DSQ and Charlton a DNS a race to forget.

Mind you, what a task for Walker with a turbine car on the Zandvoort straight on the brakes into a slippery Tarzan....



#56 john winfield

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Posted 20 November 2022 - 11:40

The 1971 Dutch GP was a rain race where Rodriguez and Ickx showed their rain racing abilities and had a epic battle. Many drivers stranded at Tarzan corner. Some like Stewart, Stommelen and Regazzoni were lucky to get away with their spins there. Other beached properly. Walker landed his Lotus in a ditch with some damage, no way to get out, all which must not have impressed Chapman, on top with Wisell DSQ and Charlton a DNS a race to forget.

Mind you, what a task for Walker with a turbine car on the Zandvoort straight on the brakes into a slippery Tarzan....

 

I think that's a fair point Arjan.  It's often mentioned that Zandvoort in 1971 was the big chance for the 56B (and Walker), but it can't have been easy.  Even with the advantages of FWD, and Firestones, handling throttle lag and braking on a slippery track, at a circuit with a long straight ending in a hairpin...

 

Out of interest, apart from practice at Zandvoort, I wonder how much testing Dave had done in the turbine.



#57 MCS

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Posted 20 November 2022 - 12:03

Out of interest, apart from practice at Zandvoort, I wonder how much testing Dave had done in the turbine.

Possibly a fair bit.  This is interesting: https://drive-my.com...cal-f1-jet-car/



#58 alansart

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Posted 20 November 2022 - 13:08

I think that's a fair point Arjan. It's often mentioned that Zandvoort in 1971 was the big chance for the 56B (and Walker), but it can't have been easy. Even with the advantages of FWD, and Firestones, handling throttle lag and braking on a slippery track, at a circuit with a long straight ending in a hairpin...

Out of interest, apart from practice at Zandvoort, I wonder how much testing Dave had done in the turbine.

I was at that race although round the back of the circuit. It was noticeable how quick Walker was in the first few laps and I do wonder how well he would have done if he'd kept it on the track. It was a fairly big accident as he ended up in an advertising hoarding. He wasn't the only one to go off there. Chris Amon, Jackie Stewart, Francois Cevert and Nanni Galli, plus a few others all spun or crashed, although I think they were all on Goodyears and not the Firestone's that Walker was on. I don't think the 56B had any engine braking, so that possibly didn't help.