75 replies to this topic

[Rob Ryder]

Originally posted by BorderReiver in Crashes programme UK Ch 5 thread
The highlight for me was being able to put a face to Mr Nye's name.

This comment by BorderReiver set me thinking.. I am familiar with the contributors TNF, but have no 'faces to go with the names'. Maybe a thread to correct this? To maintain the Nostalgia theme I thought that maybe posting a 'then' photo from your early days of F1, and a 'now' photo would be interesting. If possible motor sport related photos?

I'll start the ball rolling and hope that at Barry B will jump in with a pic of himself from the 'Connew' days as well as a more contemporary image..


1971 Victory Race at Brands Hatch - Seppi's BRM P160


2000 EJ10 day at Donington (with my grandson) - Frederico Careca's BOSS Arrows FA12


I have a feeling that this thread my die due to members embarrassment ;)

[Ray Bell]

Not necessarily... I can dig out an old one to go with the one I posted of the group of us at Eastern Creek... give me a week or two.

[Gary Davies]

Originally posted by Rob Ryder
I have a feeling that this thread my die due to members embarrassment ;)

Hmmm. Not necessarily old fruit! It depends on how far one is from the lens of the camera!

The first picture (only slightly embarrassing) was taken around the time The Golden Boy was recovering from his Spa accident*...


... and the second pic (potentially quite embarrassing but cunningly uploaded at a piffling 72dpi to thwart all the smart alecs with Photoshop) was taken at a location any TNFer MUST know, whilst en route to Heathrow on 1.1.04 for the return trip downunder.


* Sadly, there is no obvious motor sport connection with this photograph, but it may be safely assumed that Vanwall was THINKING about motor sport at the time.

[David Beard]

Not many brave enough for this one then?

Me about to take a snap of Pedro...early 71



And on the right of occasional TNFer EProduction a couple of years ago. (sorry Stu)

[bigears]

Wonderful photographs!

Well, I am still a young adult but still there are the golden days of motorsports when I was younger. I got a nice photo of myself standing by Frank Sytner's BTCC BMW M3 at the Counties Fair in 1988.

As Ray said, give me a week or two as I am currently at university.

[Jack-the-Lad]

Thankfully, I don't know how to post pictures. Otherwise, I'd be tempted to join in the fun, only to regret it later.....(of course, we do have the luxury of "edit post" don't we?)

Jack

[Wolf]

No motorsport related photos of me, I'm afraid. Moreover, there are very few photos of me at all. Here is one taken few years back (click upon own peril). BTW, it's Pa Wolf and me in the photo.

[2F-001]

Would someone be kind enough to post mine, if I email them to you?

(I don't think attachments can be appended to mails direct of the forum)

My "early" picture does not fulfill any motorsport-content criteria - but scores highly on the embarrassment scale... somewhere I must have a schooldays-pic of me at a meeting though.

Cheers!

[Jim Thurman]

I think I prefer "stealth" mode

For the "then" part, I could post a photo (one of few) from my all too-short Cycling days...

But as far as "now", I'd prefer to wait until I'm feeling better

Maybe it's better to stick to "and"

[Rob Ryder]

Thanks guys.. I was feeling lonely for a while there

David Nice to see the 'Yardley BRM' sticker on your camera case.. another supporter from the 1970's?

As predicted the pointer on the embarrasment meter seems to be rising

Rob

[2F-001]

Is that a Zenith-E, David?

[Eric McLoughlin]

My first SLR was a Zenith E.

[Rob Ryder]

Posted on behalf of 2F-001

The first one must be 1958, I guess.
If this body-image had been sustained,I would now weigh more than my current car!
I'd like to say it was on Pendine Sands, but probably isn't...


The colour pic is at some airfield test day a couple of years ago - that's me on the right.
(I forget who took the pic, but 'thanks' to them if they see this!)

[Vitesse2]

Tony, is that Noige in the orange overalls?

[David Lawson]

My "then" photograph is from 1962 as an all too serious looking cub, coincidentally the picture was taken in the debut year of the sublime Lotus 25 which in the "now" picture I'm standing next to in the Donington Collection.

To save complete embarrasment I made sure I'm lurking in the shadows.

David

[Rob Ryder]

Originally posted by David Lawson
To save complete embarrasment I made sure I'm lurking in the shadows.

Photoshop 7 is a wonderful tool ;)
Thanks for posting your pics
Rob

[dolomite]

All right then.

This is me on a hot lap of Silverstone the day after the GP in 1983. Unfortunately the available BHP and downforce of this particular vehicle proved insufficient to crack the 107% barrier....




Fast forward 20 years, not a directly motorsport related picture but here I am loitering about in front of a different type of very rapid machinery at the end of its final outing, November 2003.

[Patrick Italiano]

Sincerely, I would not have considered participating to this thread if I didn't happen to have at hand the perfect pic:



This was thus the very beginning of a passion...

It evolved into something more powerful...



But I then felt again the need for experiencing the wind in the face :



But someday, everyone needs to go back to the roots :



This last one was a couple of years ago, when visiting Milan's archives. The origins of the Alfa snake are to be found everywhere on the Castello Sforzesco's stones.

[Rob Ryder]

Posted on behalf of RTH

I'm on the right by my Mini Clubman age 22 before the Mini 7 race at Lydden Hill in 1972



I'm in the red&black overalls on the left before the Brands 200 mile Sports 2000 race in 1981

My road car in mid 80's

[GeoffR]

1977 - Lisle, NE Tasmania. Shuffling maps on the way to 3rd O/R


1990 - 2nd from right. A "works" ride with TTA!


2004 Planning a return to the forests on two wheels - hopefully mountain bike orienteering (MTB-O)

[Ray Bell]

eldougo's post... which I accidentally put in the other thread at his place the other night!

Ray Bell showed me how to do this so I hope it works



My Grant Vee at Oran Park with some young eager driver... whoops, that's me... about 1973



These days I can only dream of real racing so this one gets a run every day : with GPL

Hmmm... first picture doesn't work. Blame Ray Bell

I guess I deserve all the blame... sorry Doug.

[petefenelon]

PF circa 1974, Aintree paddock, unknown (Lotus 61, I reckon?) FFord:



PF circa 2001, with a mug of Navy rum at about 5am at a very strange party in Hertfordshire:

[Magee]

Here I am a few years before I started rally driving and road racing.



And here are two TNF'ers racing in 1967 at Westwood. TEJ is in the
Mark 1 Lola and I am in the Owen&Knight Cooper Streamliner.

[David Beard]

I think it's time to give this thread another go, there being some profilic new TNFers around, posting under stage names....

[RTH]

...............It would be helpful and indeed more friendly if all could be persuaded to add a signiture at the bottom of posts.

[Twin Window]

Ok guys; I'm a team player...

I've only listed pics below which I'd already got on my pc. I've got zillions of others, including the twee-2-year-old-behind-the-wheel-of-Grandad's-Vauxhall-Velox-type of pics too, but I can't see that they'd be of too much interest, frankly!

There are more here than the other chaps have included, but I've put a few in purely on the off-chance that someone will know one of the blokes in the pics.

Therefore I've made the images pretty small, but if - in any way - I've buggered-up on this or defeated the object, then I'll have no problem in binning the lot! Please; just let me know, as I won't be offended in the slightest.

So, here we go...

Brands Hatch 1976




Me & my precious five pieces of bodywork. Sadly, just about to sell it all in '77... I've been thinking of doing a thread on them, actually.




Mallory Park 1980




Mallory Park 1981




With 'Warwick' (and Oscar!) on a shoot for the cover of the Autosport 'European GP Preview' supplement, '81




My mate Jo and I in the paddock at Pau 1982




My favourite pic of Jo and I; taking the pee out of each other as usual! British GP 1984




With Eliseo on the grid at Silverstone, as his manager, F3000 1987.




In my Sunbeam, 1989.




In the lead from Chris Goodwin at Blackbushe in 1990. I'd have won that race, had he not tried to take me out on the straight...




1991 Mondello Park 24 Hours... for 2CVs! Brilliant fun & we came 6th; me at the wheel not long after the start.




In Gilles' 312T3 at Brands for an Autosport track test I'd arranged for Tiff Needell in 1992.




With my best mate Tommy Byrne, Puebla 1994.




Working for Mercedes in Charlotte '95. L - R Paul Dallenbach, Tommy Byrne, David Loring, me & Robbie Groff.




End of tour party '95; L to R John Paul Jr, Brad Funk, me and Scott Harrington.




Party pic #2 L to R, T to B Tommy Byrne, Brad Funk, Orlam Sonora, me. Johnny Unser, Mike Schrieffer, Paul Dallenbach. Guy Hobbs, Calvin Fish, Scott Harrington, John Paul Jr. Oh, and of course, the obligatory 'random waitress'!




On tour with Nissan, Miami '96. L to R Me, Mark Blundell, Carl Jones, (obligatory waitress!), Tommy,
Brad and Calvin.




At work (behind the car) in 2004.




Well, I hope that interested somebody!

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Twin Window

Well, I hope that interested somebody!

Cheers,

Certainly did....

[RTH]

Oh, it's very interesting TW ......or should I say ............ But still enigmatic and intriguing.

So , come on, how about giving us a full "This is your life" ?

Or do we have to start a thread about people who raced under psendonyms, John Winter, 'Stingbrace' even Nelson Piquet , etc, etc .?

[Mallory Dan]

TW, this is getting more and more intriguing!!

So much so that I've just checked my mallory progs from 80 and 81. Can't find a Prodsports TVR in 1980 no. 39, but I have found a F Talbot Sparton in 1981... May 4, same day as Richard's 200 Mile S2000 race. No 11 Sparton FT81, could this be the answer ?

If so, its a late entry driven by 'Dig Hastilow', is this really you? Staretd 5th on the grid, out of 7, finished there too, behind Messrs Ward, Jackson, Hayes-Harlow, and Manley.

Is the mystery solved at last !

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
TW, this is getting more and more intriguing!!

So much so that I've just checked my mallory progs from 80 and 81. Can't find a Prodsports TVR in 1980 no. 39, but I have found a F Talbot Sparton in 1981... May 4, same day as Richard's 200 Mile S2000 race. No 11 Sparton FT81, could this be the answer ?

If so, its a late entry driven by 'Dig Hastilow', is this really you? Staretd 5th on the grid, out of 7, finished there too, behind Messrs Ward, Jackson, Hayes-Harlow, and Manley.

Is the mystery solved at last !

Or is the answer obvious from your photo file names?

[Ruairidh]

Originally posted by David Beard



Certainly did....

Me too

[Twin Window]

There's no intrigue, guys... my name is Stuart Dent, and I just forgot to put it on my earlier post.

I replaced Dig in the 2nd works Sparton for that race as he was called up on duty for M&H somewhere or other. I'd never driven it prior to qualifying, which screwed me totally! As for the absence of my entry in the TVR, I have no idea - and I don't have copies of any of the programmes!

I acted as a part-time 'gofer' for Alan Brodie's F5000 team in 1973, worked full-time for their driver Steve Thompson duing '74, and was with the Alexis factory & Allan Taylor Racing Drivers School in '75.

After a spell working overseas I joined Autosport in 1979 and left for Grand Prix International magazine in '83. That folded in '84 and I went to Autocar/Autocar & Motor until I rejoined Autosport in '90. I went freelance in '92, and still am (worse luck).

From Monaco '92 to Hockenheim '99 I voiced the Autosport GP phoneline, aswell as the One-to-One interview line (after I sacked Palmer) which some of you may have used back in the day. I've also had photos, cartoons, drawings etc published (the cartoons were normally under the name SKiD).

See - no big deal after all!!

Stuart Window SKiD Twin Dent

[SEdward]

Dear TW,

I guessed that you were someone else. But you're not, so I'm still guessing.

Your reference to the cholestorol castle at the top of Paddock Bend almost made me cry...

Remember the biddies serving rubber burgers with burnt onions in stale buns? Welcome to the UK in the 1970s. The stench invaded most of the surroundings. I never had a kopek to buy one, what with paying to get in and all...

And that poxy little grandstand just opposite the burger bin. Is it still there?

Edward.

[SEdward]

More.

I seem to remember seeing Steve Thomson win an F5000 race hands down at Snetters in the rain around 1974-ish. Were you part of that team?

Edward.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by SEdward
Dear TW,

I guessed that you were someone else. But you're not, so I'm still guessing.

Edward.

After reading that, I'm quite confused myself now...!

Regarding the 'food' at almost any British circuit those days, the burgers were probably the worst known to man, and Brands' the worst of the worst.

After eating them, the build up of methane was almost instantaneous - to the extent that this unpleasant and unwanted chemical reaction was, and still is, known within my circles as 'Brands Hatch Bottom'.

Regarding Steve at Snett, I did two there in '73 - but I don't remember him winning either of them, but that's probably me. In '74 he drove the Trojan there (was it the T102? It looked like the F1 car with twin front rads) and I seem to remember he went well. he may even have won, but alas I wasn't there. IIRC, he subbed for Keith Holland on a one/two off basis.

[RTH]

Ah, Mr Dent, - we just love cartoons here , get some put up immediately !!! I once visited Barry Foley who used to live in Harlow, not so very far from here, and buying a few bits turned in to about 5 hrs in his kitchen talking ! A really nice and talented bloke, and a good builder/driver in the 'St Bruno Roughcutter' clubmans car - sadly missed.

[SEdward]

TW,

That's the one. Steve Thompson won by miles in the Trojan. Totally unexpected. I think the car was orange and blue. I was sitting in the rotting wooden grandstand at the Bum Hole, sorry Bomb Hole (which pretty well sums up Snetterton at that time).

Edward.

[Mallory Dan]

TW/Stuart, thanks for revealing yourself, and sorry for my earlier suspicions !

When I saw that F Talbot, the name 'Stuart Dent' did come to mind. I recall the commentator saying some thing about him being an M & H tyre engineer, I presume this was correct. Were M & H involved with F talbot then, the thing I most remember about that is the smell of the cars, and Mark T of course, who I didn't think was as bad as certain other celeb drivers we've known. Was there really some one called Dig Hastilow, or am I missing something...

Moving on, I'm well into the Klopfer F5000 book, which has a page on each race from 69-75. I'll check on the Thompson Trojan issue tonight as my bedtime reading, and report back!

Finally, on the burgers/caterers, my brother and I used to know the mallory lot as the 'Merchants of Misery'. We only ever patronised them when it was cold and wet (so pretty often at mallory in March and October). They seemed to delight in taking money off us little kids when we were at our lowest, wettest and coldest ebb, praying for the Ff1600 Consolation or Clubmans B to finish, so we could see the Special Saloons and then get home. Great days indeed !!

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by RTH

Ah, Mr Dent, - we just love cartoons here , get some put up immediately !!!

Your wish, Mr Hinton, is my command!

This is one which went in the 'Comic' coinciding with Ferrari announcing their Pioneer sponsorship...



Funny little aside to this; the ad department got hold of the story about two to three weeks before the announcement, and duly reported the news to James Allen. James was having none of it and duly missed out on a 'scoop'!

And then there was the time when my contact at Brabham told me - in some detail - what the new BT55 was going to be like. By fluke, this coincided with my old housemate Quique Mansilla visiting the UK from the States, as his season had ended early after he's damaged his neck in a shunt during a CART race at Phoenix driving for Hemelgarn. Anyway, he insisted we go visit his Argy mates Sergio Rinland and Enrique Scalabroni. We had a great meal (Enrique even remembered it 17 years later!) and all went back to Sergio's flat where I told them all I knew about the Brabham.

Enrique got a pencil and paper and drew his interpretation of my info, which I then took and turned into a more realistic car with Olivetti livery, etc. I duly presented this drawing to Quentin Spurring, but it didn't make the mag. Why? Because NSR was worried that Gordon Murray wouldn't talk to him at the GPs any more!! I love Q and Nigel to bits, and still rib Q about it to this day - the mag could have beaten Autosprint to the story by six weeks!! And even then, they're artist's impression wasn't anywhere as near to the real thing as mine...

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
I recall the commentator saying some thing about him being an M & H tyre engineer, I presume this was correct.

Dig was a tyre fitter or engineer, and I think it might have been for Yokohama and not M&H - the car was sponsored by M&H. He raced when his work commitments permitted.

A pic of me in the car featured in a M&H ad on the outside back cover of Autosport in late-ish '81, or early '82. Whichever, I seem to remember it was Elio on the front cover.

You remember the smell of the fuel - I remember lining up on the grid only to have a blanket thrown over me!! I wondered what the f*** was going on, and was eventually informed that I was being topped up as the tanks weren't large enough for a race distance! I'd have prefered some form of warning, however...

[RTH]

Oh, that's just brilliant, - have you got enough for a compilation book like Jim Bamber's "The Pits " ? They are welcome anytime.

The "lie down" Brabham was something of a caricature of a racing car on its own - but apparently not so funny for those who had to drive it .

Sounds as if paranoia was in overdrive at Teddington.

[Ruairidh]

Originally posted by Twin Window


Me & my precious five pieces of bodywork. Sadly, just about to sell it all in '77... I've been thinking of doing a thread on them, actually.

Some nice stuff there - I, for one, would enjoy a thread about them (and other bits) folks have (how did Barry Boor end up with that Graham Hill wheel for example).

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by RTH
Oh, that's just brilliant, - have you got enough for a compilation book like Jim Bamber's "The Pits " ?

I'm afraid not, Mr Hinton. In fact, I can't find any of the buggers at the moment - I only saw that one purely by chance a couple of days ago, while searching for my drawing of the Connew! I've got a few more somewhere, and I'll stick them on when I finally fall over them.

BTW, you may recall the Armchair Enthusiast column (monthly, IIRC) in Autosport. Circa 1980, I did the graphic for that column and it stayed with it or quite a while. IMMSMC it was a 'racing' armchair - and when the CSI/FISA banned skirts, the skirts came off the armchair graphic too! It took me a few days to notice...

It was funny at the time... :

Originally posted by Ruairidh


Some nice stuff there - I, for one, would enjoy a thread about them (and other bits) folks have (how did Barry Boor end up with that Graham Hill wheel for example).

Working on it as we speak, my friend...

SKiD

[ScottL]

Originally posted by Twin Window

After eating them, the build up of methane was almost instantaneous - to the extent that this unpleasant and unwanted chemical reaction was, and still is, known within my circles as 'Brands Hatch Bottom'.

Oh god, this is just too good. More bathroom humor - MORE! I ate White Castles on the way out of Indy because I can't find them on the East Coast. They have the uncanny property of smelling exactly the same coming out as they did going in!

[SEdward]

I ate White Castles on the way out of Indy because I can't find them on the East Coast. They have the uncanny property of smelling exactly the same coming out as they did going in!

And you put them in your mouth!!!

Edward.

[Mallory Dan]

Originally posted by SEdward
More.

I seem to remember seeing Steve Thomson win an F5000 race hands down at Snetters in the rain around 1974-ish. Were you part of that team?

Edward.

Apparently Steve Thompson did win this race, then didn't ! According to the Klopfer book, it started and then after 6 laps was rained off. Re-started later, Thompson convincingly won this latter part, and so was the 'winner'. However, the Stewards later remembered the 1st part and gave it to someone else, can't remember who now, tho' I was only reading about it last night..He was in the Tauranac designed T102, which, Keith Holland used, very unreliably, thru' most of that year, 1974.

[RTH]

Originally posted by Twin Window


BTW, you may recall the Armchair Enthusiast column (monthly, IIRC) in Autosport. Circa 1980, I did the graphic for that column and it stayed with it or quite a while. IMMSMC it was a 'racing' armchair - and when the CSI/FISA banned skirts, the skirts came off the armchair graphic too! It took me a few days to notice...



SKiD

Stuart, - Ah , yes I remember it well , There is a chap called Ed China who has built a number of road legal - shall we say unusual motor vehicles ( he's been on Top Gear, Monster Garage, Scrap Heap Challenge, - lots of TV like that )

One of his first creations was a road going armchair (finished in amber draylon ) which would do about 30 mph - so now we know where the idea came from !

Well you had better get the pens out and do some more, - you can't let a talent like that remain unused - God knows the current motor racing scene is totally devoid of humour, or indeed any criticism, satire, of fun of any kind.

I was an enthusiastic consumer of Nick Brittain's ' Private Ear' column - the page to be turned to first - now clearly the present incumbants are too cowed to say any thing , anyone might regard as derogatory.

I also thought 'COBRA' the unofficial magazine of (ironically) the Brabham team was sheer genius.

There is so much now to take shots at - why isn't someone doing it . Sadly Autosport these days reads like the FOM house magazine where everything is wonderful all the time and couldn't be improved, and we must not upset anyone , even though motor sport is being destroyed before our very eyes.

[Jeremy Jackson]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan


However, the Stewards later remembered the 1st part and gave it to someone else, can't remember who now, tho' I was only reading about it last night..He was in the Tauranac designed T102, which, Keith Holland used, very unreliably, thru' most of that year, 1974.

Just to tie this one off, Belso was given the "aggregate" win, as Thompson lost 2 laps before the initial stoppage. Tom came second to Thompson in the re-started bit.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by RTH


Stuart, - Ah , yes I remember it well , There is a chap called Ed China who has built a number of road legal - shall we say unusual motor vehicles ( he's been on Top Gear, Monster Garage, Scrap Heap Challenge, - lots of TV like that )

Is this one of his, Richard?



That's my son Thomas next to it at the 'Make-A-Wish' day at Silverstone in '98.

[RTH]

Yes, thats our boy, he did a garden shed, a skip, a country cottage, I wonder if any of them have been captured on a speed camera yet ! I imagine not long before Thomas will be old enough for a competition licence then ?