17 replies to this topic

[Darren Galpin]

On the 3rd July 1954, A.Baker won a 5 lap handicap event at Silverstone against a field including MG's, Jowett's, Austin-Healey's and Buckler's. Is this the one and only race win for a Land Rover, or have they been victorious anywhere else?

[Allan Lupton]

I was on the point of writing "that could only have been at the Eight Clubs" when I thought I'd better look it up - and it was the MCC!
Average speed 52.18 m.p.h. and " . . cornered as if on rails . . . its driver sitting high up, like the Captain on the bridge of a ship, before a dashboard equipped for rally-driving, his person held steady by straps each side of his seat." (Motor Sport, unsigned)
That may have been an early (if not first) use of seat straps in a British race.
They did have a Land Rover at an Eight Clubs, but it turned over I think.

[Gary Davies]

...and " . . cornered as if on rails . . . its driver sitting high up, like the Captain on the bridge of a ship, before a dashboard equipped for rally-driving, his person held steady by straps each side of his seat." (Motor Sport, unsigned)

That may have been an early (if not first) use of seat straps in a British race.

Well WB would most certainly have disapproved!

[Doug Nye]

Unfortunately, Arthur Baker was killed in his Land Rover soon after at Silverstone when he crashed at Copse Corner during practice for the 1954 Six-Hour Relay Race.

DCN

[Allan Lupton]

Yes, Doug, dodgy memory said Eight Clubs, but it was the Relay - since the organising cast was very similar, I claim it was an understandable confusion.

I'm not sure that WB was against strapping in competiton cars, although, as Gary says, he was pretty firmly against for road cars.

[Dutchy]

Unfortunately, Arthur Baker was killed in his Land Rover soon after at Silverstone when he crashed at Copse Corner during practice for the 1954 Six-Hour Relay Race.

DCN

Weren't Land Rovers banned from circuit racing therafter?

[simonlewisbooks]

And Lo! Unto this thread a photo appeared.....




The aforsaid Mr Baker at speed 29 May 1954 with a rather wild Healey 100 trying to
a/get out of his way or
b/ pass on the outside....



And again but this time with a passenger on 3rd July - but notn I venture, in the actual race he won because he's got a passenger!
What was the deal with the passengers? I have several other photos of this event with similar 2-up entries,the note for one proclaims "start for the 1 lap blind" with several cars on the grid boasting passengers, so it wasn't some high-speed-trial which might explain it.




And finally in a sadly ironic, related photo - the late Lord Ebury (Killed at Prescott in a C Type?) at speed in the relay race that claimed Baker's life with another oddball entry, the VW of Owen which itself rolled on lap 1 ....but restarted

Edited by simonlewisbooks, 07 December 2009 - 14:04.

[Doug Nye]

If the unfortunate Arthur Baker really was strapped upright in his Landie, no wonder he was fatally injured when it rolled over... Dear me, sometimes competitors' lack of imagination is barely believeable, even given the manners, conditions and customs of the period.

Great photos Simon.

DCN

[mikeC]

. . . its driver sitting high up, like the Captain on the bridge of a ship, before a dashboard equipped for rally-driving, his person held steady by straps each side of his seat." (Motor Sport, unsigned)

That sounds to me more like an attempt to create a seat side support, rather than a harness over the driver's shoulders as others seem to have interpreted it?

[Les Dalton]

Perhaps of some interest to the subscribers to this thread, are a couple pf photographs of my International rally Land Rover, which was Turbcharged by one of the great Turbo specialists, Alan Allard.
This Land Rover would pull over 90mph in overdrive 3rd gear, and about 110mph in overdrive top, it was so torquey that I only had to use O/D and normal 3rd gear on the stages.
The YUMPING picture is on the Cheltenham race course stage, and the second shows the back end just starting to break away on the Twiglees stage of the 1979 Scottish at somewhere around 80mph.
With 3/4 ton suspension, SAS pinkey wide rims and Range Rovers tyres, it was awsome on the tarmac.

Regards,
Les Dalton.

[Ray Bell]

Do you think you can pull those pics back to about 700 pixels wide, Les?

Then they'd fit on my screen. And others' of course...

[simonlewisbooks]

I did the 2003 Wyedean Forest Rally in a shortened Mk1 with a 3.9 V8 engine and auto box. GREAT fun but utterly uncompetitive. Ran out of brakes as early as stage two and finished a glorious 102nd overall....

Edited by simonlewisbooks, 08 December 2009 - 10:23.

[Les Dalton]

Do you think you can pull those pics back to about 700 pixels wide, Les?

Then they'd fit on my screen. And others' of course...

Ray, By all means:
If someone can tell me how to do it ( or HELP, STERLING OR RS2000 are you there, can you advise please!!!)
Les.

[Ray Bell]

Download Irfanview is the easiest suggestion I can make...

Get it via the Tucows site is probably best, just download it and load it and mark it for 'images only' and then take every other option as a positive. You won't regret it. Makes altering pics sooo simple.

There's a thread I posted elsewhere about using it... check it out.

[Les Dalton]

Download Irfanview is the easiest suggestion I can make...

Get it via the Tucows site is probably best, just download it and load it and mark it for 'images only' and then take every other option as a positive. You won't regret it. Makes altering pics sooo simple.

There's a thread I posted elsewhere about using it... check it out.

Hi Ray,
Sorry for the delay in responding, it took me some time to work out how to make the pics smaller (which, hopefully, I have now done!!!!)
This picture was on the Cheltenham stages, when I landed I was straight into a 90 left,and the stress on chassis twisted it out of line.
[/URL

This was the awsome power of the Turbo, the back end was starting to break away at about 70mph here.
]

Same rally and the back coming around again.


This one shows us flat out on the Twiglees stage of the 1981 Scottish intrnational rally, pulling well over aton here.


These two are from the Rally Sport mag, and the motoring news.



[url="http://img682.imageshack.us/my.php?image=med24.jpg"]

[norton_mk2a]

The Army rally team use minimal modified service Landrovers

http://www.armedforcesrallyteam.co.uk/

I was with the service team for the Scottish RAC rally in the late 80's when the class was very competitive

[larryd]

I did the 2003 Wyedean Forest Rally in a shortened Mk1 with a 3.9 V8 engine and auto box. GREAT fun but utterly uncompetitive. Ran out of brakes as early as stage two and finished a glorious 102nd overall....

Simon, you always were a mad bugger

'Ows yer Mum??

[simonlewisbooks]

Simon, you always were a mad bugger

'Ows yer Mum??

Ha! Ha! If you are indeed the Larry that I am thinking of (could there be another? I doubt it!) then you're a fine one to talk.... 2 wheels on the Isle of Man ? Way madder in my book I never had the balls for anything less than 4 .

Still tinkering with the Aermacchi's?

Mum's fine, enjoying babysitting her two granddaughters at the moment. How's Janey?