20 replies to this topic

[Dennis David]

While this is not a thread having anything to do with Nostalgia I thought that it would be best posted here in that this forum contains the largest number of people who have actually worked within the motorsports field at one time however brief, either as a journalist, driver, course worker, organizer or mechanic. I would guess that there is even a larger number of members who would given the opportunity want to do the same even if on an occasional basis.

So as a service to our members I would like to invite those who wish to share their experiences do so. How did you become involved, what preparation should one have to follow a similar pursuit, what resources and or training are needed and how do you acquire them and finally what additional advise can you give others?


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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Ray Bell]

Enthusiasm, knowledge and ability are more important than anything. With enthusiasm, of course, one naturally gains knowledge if one listens and reads about the subject.
I became a 'course worker' as a result of being a regular visitor to the office of the people who ran Warwick Farm. I joined the club and turned up to watch the racing all the time. I don't know if I asked (we, actually, a friend and I were inseparable at the time) or if we were asked, but we were soon pit marshalling and then flag marshalling at the best spot on the circuit.
Getting into the writing side of it followed a couple of letters to the editor and frequently getting into conversations with editors and others in the business.
Because I could write, I was invited to write.
I guess I did it well enough to get paid.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Keir]

If you are from the USA, then the SCCA is a good place to start. The people are friendly, there is a class of racing for almost everybody. How far you go is mostly up to you and the size of your wallet.

If your dreams involve F1, then get yourself to England, boy, and go motor racing.
Some things have changed over the years, but British Formula Ford is still the best "jumping off" point.

Karting seems to run in most of todays drivers' history, so if you are still of a younger age, that might be the way to go.

Most of all, get off your butt and get involved, because every day you're sitting some one else is driving.

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Dennis David]

Ray has most of your writing been for magazines, newspapers. Have you completed any books and if so how did they come about.

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Art]

In the late 60s I owned an Alpine Renault. And the wife and I ran a few timed Rallies economy runs and a lot of timed obstacle courses. In the mid 70s I worked with a Drag Racing tean and enjoyed it all very much.

Art NX3L

[Dennis David]

Art, What were you're duties with the drag racing team and where did this take place?

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Art]

Dennis David.

I worked for Bruce Nedro as a Mechanic on a modified Plymouth Valiant and we ran at New Alexandria Pennsylvania. And I also worked as a crew member on Bobby Stapes light weight Hemy Baracuda. The Baracuda was a real beast around 800 hp tunnel ram. The body was about 1/3 lighter than the normal Baracudas.

Art NX3L

[Ray Bell]

Trouble with that sort of stuff, Art, is having to work around bodywork. Preparing real racing cars is much easier.
Dennis - I was invited to help finish off the 50-year History of the AGP book because it was just going to take forever to get done. That was 1985, and I wrote the chapters on the Phillip Id races - 1928 to 35 - and 1939 at Lobethal, the latter specifically because of my interest and knowledge about Lobethal and Tomlinson.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Dennis David]

Art, there is a drag strip here at Sears Point. Might check out the NHRA Fram/Autolite Nationals August 4-6. Now those cars are loud.

Ray, I scanned the book briefly when I was in Sydney if I'm not mistaken quite impressive. Has most of your writing been with magazines or newspapers? How did that get started.

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Art]

Dennis David

I took the kids to York Pa. And have some beautiful pictures. Of the boys with the Prudome McCuen and Garlits. We have seen the big guns in person very nice people.

Art NX3L

[Art]

Ray Bell

The Cuda is a single use vehicle. I have had a ride in a 2.6 Vignalli Ferrari Coup and a 550 porsche Spyder. And the Cuda may be crude but the ride down the 1/4 mile in it put fear in my heart and sweat in the crack of my arse like nuthing I have ever been in. A shot out of the hole nearly takes your head off.

Art NX3L

[buddyt]

It always struck me as funny that by working in the pits you knew less about what was going on , on the track than anyone. I remember a driver in a Datsun 510 pitted next to us named PLN. Later I saw the driver as Paul Newman. You are so tied up on the car that the world maybe ending but you wouldn't notice.

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"Speed cost money, how fast do you want to go?"

[Barry Lake]

Ray Bell
You're going to spend less time on this bulletin board and more time talking to Frank Matich and doing a book on him, aren't you...
Or do I have to add that to my list of "books that should be done but I don't have time to do them because I have to spend 16 hours a day earning a living"?

[Ray Bell]

Matrace? ....oh, yeah, got to get to that...
Yes Dennis, as explained in my first posting, I just got to be known, wrote a letter or two and then got talking to the editor about regular contributions.

You didn't see the Bathurst book yet, eh?

It must have cost John Medley 20 years of his life, a marriage and a lot of money, so we are obliged to promote it. It's only $A90 a copy, too.... brand new!

Tells a lot of Australian racing history without leaving Bathurst.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Dennis David]

Barry, I've made a request with someone at Goodwood. Let's see what comes of it. The more I've read about Tony Gaze's war exploits the more I believe you have a real life hero on your hands.
The must be a unit history somewhere maybe the Royal Air Force Museum in England.
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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/



[This message has been edited by Dennis David (edited 03-17-2000).]

[Falcadore]

My own start has been fairly recent so it perhaps more relevant than some. No offence.

I guess 18 months ago the British term for me would be an anorak. At the start of the 1998 season I started an e-mail newsletter called "The Road to Bathurst" about the local and international Touring Car scene. I developed quite a following very quickly. One of my earliest subscribers was Aaron Noonan, then a stringer for Motorsport News. We've since become good friends and he kindly put me up at his place during the Grand Prix last weekend.

Just into the 1999 season I decided to see if 'The Road to Bathurst' and my first website 'Australian Motorsport Internet Bulletin' had achieved anything, and wrote a letter to Phil Branagan of Motorsport News to offer my services such as it were, for when the racing visits South East Queensland. Branagan rang me fairly quickly asking if I could join them for the Super Touring Car round at Lakesdie and do race reports on the Porsche Cup and Commodore Cup. Around the same time an internet friend of mine Biranit Goren had taken over the reigns of full-time editorship of Atlas Formula One and invited me to write the Atlas F1 FAQ column. The FAQ column quickly became a success and the Motorsport News gig has since seen me covering most categories of racing in this country.

That's how I got started, I started writing off my own bat, publicising myself whenever and wherever I could. And it worked. As well as Motorsport News and Atlas Formula One, I've also got a PR job going with the local statistics service VESRIX and I'm being told there's even more to come. Even 16 months ago I was just a very enthusiastic amatuer.

[Dennis David]

That's just the type of post that I wanted to see. What with the WEB we don't have to settle for rejections we can just publish on our own. That's exactly how I was able to get some freelance work. My site will be the vehicle for the launching of my book on Grand Prix racing during the 30s. A bit of historical fiction on the Silver Arrows, Europe and the prelude to World War II.

For those that have written books what has been the procedure for including photographs, how much have you had to pay?

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[RAD]

Dennis,

Your site is great and I can't wait for the book!

Including historical photos may not cost as much as you would think. You probably already know about this, but National libraries have millions of photographs available to publish at minimal prices. Get in touch with as many as you can and they will send you lists of their archives.

[Dennis David]

Yes I know that I also wondering about some of the collections in private hands and getting access to those. Unfortunately for us and no knock on Karl or Chris Nixon, but these collections are being bought up in front of our eyes. Many of the photographs that were used in the Silver Arrows and Auto Union Album now belong to Chris Nixon and he is doing a book on Ron Fellows whose photographs are now also his property if I'm not mistaken. The National Auto Museum at Beaulieu allows you to use their photographs free of charge but I'm sure not the same would be said for those held now by Chris Nixon. It's troubling but I suppose unavoidable.

On a better note the book will cover the Grand Prix scene, the lives of the characters, intrigue, travel and the political situation leading up to the War. There is a wealth of plot lines including Varzi’s drug addiction and infidelity, von Brauchitsch’s alleged duplicity, the tragedy of Nuvolari losing both of his sons, Seaman’s marriage to German Erica Popp, the Nazis, the Caracciola, Baby Alice and Chiron affair, add to this my “own fertile memory”... add them all up you have the basis for a book!


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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Dennis David]

How's about some others? Don, Karl? Flagman? I'll keep bugging you guys till you spill your guts!

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/



[This message has been edited by Dennis David (edited 03-28-2000).]

[L'Autista]

Looking through the archived threads during lunch as I usually do (always learning) I came across this thread and thought I would boost it back up to consciousness, as I had wanted to start a similar thread on how people became involved with their world in motoring. Given it has been over 5 years since the last reply, many others would have joined up and may like to share their thoughts.

It is particularly relevant for me as I am trying to make a career for myself in auto journalism, instead of doing the dreary 9-5 thing I have been throughout my twenties.

So far, a couple of weekend interviews and race meetings have led to some good material, and I am about to embark on my first paid work writing the advertising info for a well known classic car dealership in Victoria. Looking to continue learning and gaining contacts to hopefully make a living off it

I would love to hear more about "starting out" in the industry from fellow tnf members!

Adam