If the 30th was not bad enough with the air crash news, reports on the other forum that Peter Wardle, former F.Atlantic competitor and comp secretary died yesterday following a long illness. RIP Peter.
Peter Wardle (latterly of the Thoroughbred Sportscar Championship)
Started by
Andrew Kitson
, Mar 31 2008 11:12
27 replies to this topic
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#2
MCS
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Posted 31 March 2008 - 19:26
Oh, dear - this is all getting a bit too much really.
He was maligned so much for his visionary idea of Indylantic. In fairness, it didn't work. But it was the wrong time. Two seasons earlier it probably had more of a chance... (How easy it is to be clever in hindsight).
Thanks for the information Andrew.
I know others here are similarly curious, but what happened to his protege Steve Cargill...
He was maligned so much for his visionary idea of Indylantic. In fairness, it didn't work. But it was the wrong time. Two seasons earlier it probably had more of a chance... (How easy it is to be clever in hindsight).
Thanks for the information Andrew.
I know others here are similarly curious, but what happened to his protege Steve Cargill...
#3
taylov
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Posted 31 March 2008 - 20:11
Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
If the 30th was not bad enough with the air crash news, reports on the other forum that Peter Wardle, former F.Atlantic competitor and comp secretary died yesterday following a long illness. RIP Peter.
I recall meeting a Peter Wardle when I was a teenager in the 1960s - He was racing an unusual 1600cc Ford powered Renault R8 in saloon car races - in 1965 if I remember correctly. Was this the Peter Wardle referred to here?
Tony
#4
sterling49
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Posted 31 March 2008 - 21:15
Originally posted by taylov
I He was racing an unusual 1600cc Ford powered Renault R8 in saloon car races - in 1965 if I remember correctly. Was this the Peter Wardle referred to here?
Tony
I remember that car also, gee, that was a long time ago. Sad news, R.I.P. Peter, another that I watched race for many years.
#6
Chris Townsend
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Posted 01 April 2008 - 08:19
Sad news indeed. Peter had been kind enough to help me with information and background on Indyatlantic when I was putting together the results posted on oldracingcars. In time I hope to make this into a larger 'history' page using reflections by competitors and period materials; part of that was planned to be an interview with Peter, but his illness meant that it never happened.
In many ways he was ahead of his time, with his vision of a competitor promoted series - which certainly worked better for Atlantic in North America than the SCCA/IMSA promotions. I don't think all of the innovations were necessarily in the best taste [Fiona Richmond?] or conducive to good racing, but I think that deep down Peter had the interests of drivers and racing at heart at a time when some leading promoters were bent on exploiting them, and the sport, and simply creating a crude spectacle. I don't know if Indyatlantic ever managed to pay the prize money it proposed, but £700 to the race winner, in 1976, was an extraordinarily generous sum, more than double what you got if you won in 1983. Peter understood that if you put money back into competitors' hands, all the way down the field, you would get depth in a field, rather than have races dominated by the two or three wealthy or well sponsored guys, and he also knew that if you didn't have depth in a field, sooner or later the sponsors would lose interest and the series would die - which is exactly what happened to Atlantic in Britain.
In many ways he was ahead of his time, with his vision of a competitor promoted series - which certainly worked better for Atlantic in North America than the SCCA/IMSA promotions. I don't think all of the innovations were necessarily in the best taste [Fiona Richmond?] or conducive to good racing, but I think that deep down Peter had the interests of drivers and racing at heart at a time when some leading promoters were bent on exploiting them, and the sport, and simply creating a crude spectacle. I don't know if Indyatlantic ever managed to pay the prize money it proposed, but £700 to the race winner, in 1976, was an extraordinarily generous sum, more than double what you got if you won in 1983. Peter understood that if you put money back into competitors' hands, all the way down the field, you would get depth in a field, rather than have races dominated by the two or three wealthy or well sponsored guys, and he also knew that if you didn't have depth in a field, sooner or later the sponsors would lose interest and the series would die - which is exactly what happened to Atlantic in Britain.
#7
Andrew Kitson
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Posted 01 April 2008 - 08:27
Peter also designed the present Esses dog-leg at the end of the Revett straight at Snetterton. The first version of the 'new' esses was too fast and dangerous with the vehicle bridge on the apex, John Webb recruited Peter to have a look at it.
#8
taylov
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Posted 01 April 2008 - 11:41
Originally posted by sterling49
I remember that car also, gee, that was a long time ago. Sad news, R.I.P. Peter, another that I watched race for many years.
I saw Peter race the Renault R8 several times - usually struggling with a chronic misfire. My best memory is coming across the car and its transporter in a public car park in New Malden, Surrey with Peter trying to reassemble the gearbox of the lorry in fading daylight. The elderly lorry had once been painted red but over many years had faded to an unusual pink hue.
Despite his obvious problems Peter had time to chat with me, a spotty teenager. I recall that his attempts to repair the gearbox must have failed as the lorry was still left in the car park several weeks later.
RIP Peter
Tony
#9
Mallory Dan
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Posted 01 April 2008 - 13:19
Agree with the comments of Chris above, a real shame Indylantic didn't succeed, it had some good ideas. Even though it was considered a bit of a flop, with the benefit of 30 years hindsight, it did provide some real good racing, with proper cars, and a number of decent drivers, if not Superstars. In that glorious Long Hot Summer of 1976, it was a better series than F3 that year. Discuss!!
Great shame about Peter, how old was he? Steve Carvill it was Mark, I wonder how he is...
Great shame about Peter, how old was he? Steve Carvill it was Mark, I wonder how he is...
#10
Andrew Kitson
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Posted 01 April 2008 - 13:47
From the Thoroughbred Sportscar Championship Newsletter:-
WITH SADNESS
It is with much sadness that I have to report that Peter Wardle who ran the Thoroughbred Sportscar Championship as Treasurer and Chairman from the early 1990’s up until Colin Jones took over in the early 2000’s, has passed away.
Peter had suffered from Cancer and had managed to fight it off for quite a few years but it came back mid 2007 and he finally lost his battle yesterday, 30th March at the age of 61.
Peter loved racing his MG’s and campaigned his MGA RGS for many years and had been intending to come out in an MGA Coupe in 2007. He had also previously raced an MGB sharing it with his friend of many years Malcolm White. Peter leaves Janie his Wife.
God bless you Peter, you will be remembered – Rest in Peace.
WITH SADNESS
It is with much sadness that I have to report that Peter Wardle who ran the Thoroughbred Sportscar Championship as Treasurer and Chairman from the early 1990’s up until Colin Jones took over in the early 2000’s, has passed away.
Peter had suffered from Cancer and had managed to fight it off for quite a few years but it came back mid 2007 and he finally lost his battle yesterday, 30th March at the age of 61.
Peter loved racing his MG’s and campaigned his MGA RGS for many years and had been intending to come out in an MGA Coupe in 2007. He had also previously raced an MGB sharing it with his friend of many years Malcolm White. Peter leaves Janie his Wife.
God bless you Peter, you will be remembered – Rest in Peace.
#11
David McKinney
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Posted 01 April 2008 - 15:26
Are we sure we're all talking about the same Peter Wardle here?
#12
ian senior
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Posted 03 April 2008 - 13:55
Originally posted by MCS
I know others here are similarly curious, but what happened to his protege Steve Cargill...
CarVill, I think, Mark (unless you mean Patrick Cargill....)
I Googled him some time ago. He is some kind of "entrepreneur" and seems to have done quite well for himself, finance-wise.
#13
MCS
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Posted 03 April 2008 - 14:04
Oh, yes. Well done Ian. Are you getting your PMs by the way?
Here he is...http://www.ecademy.c...t.php?id=143330
Here he is...http://www.ecademy.c...t.php?id=143330
#14
Twin Window
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Posted 03 April 2008 - 14:37
The same thought had crossed my mind...Originally posted by David McKinney
Are we sure we're all talking about the same Peter Wardle here?
The former-FAtlantic driver would surely have been older than 61 by now, wouldn't he?
#15
David McKinney
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Posted 03 April 2008 - 15:19
...not to mention the '60s Renault driver
#16
Rob29
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Posted 03 April 2008 - 15:44
Me too.Were there two Peter Wardles? The F.Atlantic one certainly posted here with regard to his 'Challenge Inititive' a year or so ago.An unsucessful proposal on the lines of 'Indylantic' No mention of Thoroughbred Sportscars.Originally posted by Twin Window
The same thought had crossed my mind...
#17
Allan Lupton
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Posted 03 April 2008 - 15:59
With all of you talking about Formula Atlantic, I was relieved to think that it was not the Peter Wardle I knew, who raced the RGS-MG with Malcolm White and rallied a Riley special in VSCC rallies with Malcolm navigating.
How sad that this was wrong.
How sad that this was wrong.
#18
Andrew Kitson
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Posted 03 April 2008 - 16:11
Peter's passing is reported in Autosport today and his exploits in F.Atlantic are mentioned.
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#20
Andrew Kitson
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Posted 10 April 2008 - 07:01
When I found out that Peter Wardle had died I instantly thought of his Formula Atlantic Surtees and his Union Jack crash helmet. I then started this thread as many of us saw him race. For years I had assumed (wrongly it turns out ) that Peter Wardle of the Thoroughbred Sportscar Championship and the F.Atlantic Peter were one and the same and he had taken up racing classics in later life.
Many apologies to the families of both Peter's whio may have seen this thread and to single seater Peter who is still with us. Autosport also wrongly reported it and have printed a correction this week.
Many apologies to the families of both Peter's whio may have seen this thread and to single seater Peter who is still with us. Autosport also wrongly reported it and have printed a correction this week.
#21
Ralf Pickel
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Posted 03 June 2014 - 14:29
With all of you talking about Formula Atlantic, I was relieved to think that it was not the Peter Wardle I knew, who raced the RGS-MG with Malcolm White and rallied a Riley special in VSCC rallies with Malcolm navigating.
How sad that this was wrong.
Sorry for digging out this old topic - a friend is interested in the ex-Peter Wardle RGS-MG. Would anybody have photos or more informations about that car ?
Thank you all in advance for anything.
Ralf
Edited by Ralf Pickel, 03 June 2014 - 14:30.
#22
Dipster
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Posted 03 June 2014 - 14:38
I remember that car also, gee, that was a long time ago. Sad news, R.I.P. Peter, another that I watched race for many years.
Ford/Lotus twin cam wasn't it? Metallic blue paint?
Edited by Dipster, 03 June 2014 - 14:39.
#23
Allan Lupton
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Posted 03 June 2014 - 17:01
Sorry for digging out this old topic - a friend is interested in the ex-Peter Wardle RGS-MG. Would anybody have photos or more informations about that car ?
Thank you all in advance for anything.
Ralf
A good bloke to consult would be Malcolm White I think. As I wrote, he used to drive the RGS and they did VSCC rallies together so must have been quite good friends. Last time I saw Malcolm in the RGS was at Silverstone 2001.
#24
Ralf Pickel
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Posted 03 June 2014 - 17:16
Good idea, Allan. So he is still around ?
Is he the one in the VSCC list ?
If so, I will get in touch.
#25
Allan Lupton
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Posted 03 June 2014 - 18:02
Good idea, Allan. So he is still around ?
Is he the one in the VSCC list ?
If so, I will get in touch.
PM sent
#27
Richard Jenkins
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Posted 21 April 2024 - 09:56
The Formula 2, sports cars, Indylantic, F5000 Peter Wardle died on 8th January 2020 in Coventry.
Just discovered this whilst doing other research work.
Definitely the same man as the racer as the 2020 man was Peter Charles Darlington Wardle, which matches up with companies house.
Just discovered this whilst doing other research work.
Definitely the same man as the racer as the 2020 man was Peter Charles Darlington Wardle, which matches up with companies house.
#28
Rupertlt1
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Posted 22 April 2024 - 07:41
Peter Wardle at Goodwood, Monday 7 June 1965
Event 4, "Spring Grove" Saloon Car Race
#107 Hermes Cars Ltd (Driver: P. Wardle) Renault R8 Ford, 1594 c.c., blue
See also: https://forums.autos...11#entry3256484
LOTUS 7 CLUBMANS, ex-Robert Glass/Peter Wardle.
Fully sorted. Adjustable suspension (twin trailing arm
rear, Panhard rod). 5.1:1 diff (BMC), complete less
engine and gearbox. Includes trailer, Tel for details
OPE 366559 weekends, OCA 363157 business. Robert
Glass.
Autosport, 27 November 1969, Page 66
Trade and retail customers purchasing Hermes conversions will now be able to fit these themselves under skilled supervision at Hermes Cars Ltd's premises at 132 Stanley Park Road, Wallington, Surrey. Hermes specialize in tuning equipment for all Renault power units, including the Lotus Europa, and recently delivered their 1,000th performance conversion.
Autocar, 18 March 1971, Page 38
RGDS RLT
Edited by Rupertlt1, 22 April 2024 - 10:33.
