55 replies to this topic

[island]

Hi!
The man from Upper Boddington. Only driver
to win F5000 (1971) and TransAm (1983)
Championships. Did not look too bad in F1
(7th at Zeltweg and 9th at Monza, substituting for Hailwood in the Yardley M23). His talent did not get the recognition
it deserved, I think. Who saw him race?
What does he do now?

[Fast One]

He has for several years been a color commentator for racing events on American television, first for ESPN, now for Speedvision. He does F1 and a variety of other events. I think he used to be very good at it, but has grown stale over the years, and has lost all perspective in his blnd adoration of Michael Schumacher.

I saw him race the Mirage at the Glen, and maybe other times as well. I don't remember forming any impressions of him as a driver. Endurance racing isn't the best venue for that. In a closed car, it was often hard to tell who was even driving. Looking over his results, he seemed quite competent, though probably not on par with the top drivers in Grand Prix racing.

[This message has been edited by Fast One (edited 04-16-2000).]

[Huw Jenjin]

David Hobbs would be on a par with John Fitzpatrick, Richard Attwood and Brian Redman. All very succesful in sports cars but the jury is out on their F1 performances. Most did an extremely competant job in FA/F5000.
Hobbs farther invented the Hobbs transmission, which was (I think) a sort of pre selector device used on Daimlers. If my memory serves me right, Hobbs made his name with a Lotus Elite fitted with just such a device. Hobbs was trained as an an engineer at the Daimler /Jaguar plant in Coventry, and for an English Engineer he doesn't make a bad American commentator. Last time i heard him was on the Televised Indy Lights races.

[Dave Ware]

I've seen him race but can't remember anything memorable. (The way one might remember Jody Scheckter in a F5000 or Can Am car.)

He certainly did very well in a lot of venues: F5000, 3rd at Le Mans in '69, fifth at Indy in, I think, '73. Drove well for several second-tier Can Am teams. Drove for John Wyer in GT 40s. Won the Monza 1000 KM in '69, or '68. Won several races with a BMW sedan and the Trans Am series which you mentioned. Never quite got a first class F1 car but Roger Penske thought well enough of him to put him in Donahue's McLaren M19 for Watkins Glen (10th) and partner him w/ Donahue in the Ferrari 512.

He's doing a lot of race commentating and Speedvision work now. He did and probably still does own a BMW dealership in Ohio, and he has, I think, a Honda dealership in Michigan. His son, Greg, does not race but announces on Speedvision for the South American F3 series.

I've always thought of him as a good guy and a good driver, and I enjoy seeing him on the tube.

Dave

I take back what I said about memorable. At one of the Mid-Ohio F5000 races he finished sixth, or thereabouts. On the cool off lap he undid his belts and leaned forward in the cockpit, and really waved to the spectators, like he was hamming it up a bit. A lighthearted, funny, likeable guy.

[buddyt]

Hobbs is one of those drivers that do'nt come along anymore, he has raced in about every form of motorsports and did respectable. Drove INDY 500, NASCAR stockers, F1, CAM-AM in its glory years, FORMULA 5OOO, TRANS-AM, ENDURANCE RACING, who knows maybe even a dirt car somewhere along the way. His time behind the wheel was during the late sixtes and seventes when injury and death was not as uncommon as it is today. The times I saw him race he may not been the fastest or even the winner but I never saw or have ever read of him doing something stupid on the track causing the big wreck or forceing the car to do something it could not do. Think of the tracks he have raced on and the history he has seen. He too is what I call a survior. Been there, done that, lived to tell about it.

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

[Don Capps]

Hobbsie was someone I watched at many a track in many a type of car. Buddy is correct about his being a solid, dependable driver. Never flashy or "bold" but someone who could make you look twice at your stopwatch as well.

Hobbsie was also a great person to interview and always ready to tell you the truth as unpleasant as it might be. I asked him about the Lola T310 Can Am machine once during the 1972 season - at Road Atlanta - and after a long, slow look at the car and then another pause, he said something like, "Well, it is either the worse car I have driven or someone couldn't read the blueprints when they made it..." Not long after that it shed a wheel and Hobbsie was fortunate to walk away intact. When he said me, he said, " As I was saying..." After that, I was a Hobbsie Fan!

------------------
Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,

Don Capps

Semper Gumbi: If this was easy, we’d have the solution already…

[Ray Bell]

In the back of my mind (a dingy place!) I felt sure there was a Tasman/Rothmans series win at Adelaide for Hobbs in the M22.... but I can't find it...
The Hobbs Mechamatic transmission was by no means anything like the pre-selector boxes of the thirties. I think it had electric selection of its four speeds. Colin would never have allowed the fitting of a gearbox that weighed twice as much as the engine, which the various pre-selectors did.
The story I heard was that Hobbs came from Tasmania, or was born in Tasmania, therefore there is an Australian connection. But as with so many, we don't seem to know much about them.

------------------
Life and love are mixed with pain...

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Huw Jenjin
David Hobbs would be on a par with John Fitzpatrick, Richard Attwood and Brian Redman. All very succesful in sports cars but the jury is out on their F1 performances. Most did an extremely competant job in FA/F5000.
Hobbs farther invented the Hobbs transmission, which was (I think) a sort of pre selector device used on Daimlers. If my memory serves me right, Hobbs made his name with a Lotus Elite fitted with just such a device. Hobbs was trained as an an engineer at the Daimler /Jaguar plant in Coventry, and for an English Engineer he doesn't make a bad American commentator. Last time i heard him was on the Televised Indy Lights races.

Back in the day, I saw David Hobbs drive many cars, but a few, in particular, stay in mind, the lightweight Falcon Futura Sprint in the BSC, and the beautiful JW GT40 at the 1969 B.O.A.C. where I think he finished 5th with Mike Hailwood. I think he also drove the Bernard White BRM a few times, not sure whether this was ROC or GPs, but IMHO, David Hobbs was usually at the business end of the race, providing that he had the equipment. I watched him race throughout the '60s, and then, whenever he returned to the UK to race, once he was the other side of the pond.

[fbarrett]

Friends:

David Hobbs visited the Matthews Collection (focused on McLarens) here in Denver, Colorado, last month for a book signing for William Taylor's new McLaren book. He was a great speaker, enthralling everyone with tales of his racing exploits in so many venues. Some of his best stories involved what happened off the track, not on it! Someone should write a book...

Frank

[sterling49]

Reveal Frank!

[rdmotorsport]

Hobbo was a good allrounder from what I can gather when his name came up in conversation,I did see him drive in F5000 and he was up there with the likes of BR etc. and seemed to do ok the other side of the pond.

I met him on numerous occasions when I worked in IMSA and was always interested to talk with fellow Brits and I have seen his various commentaries on American TV which always came accross both professional and knowledgable

[RStock]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
In the back of my mind (a dingy place!) I felt sure there was a Tasman/Rothmans series win at Adelaide for Hobbs in the M22.... but I can't find it...

Yes , he won at Adelaide in 1972 in a M22 . I think it was just Tasman series then however , and it didn't become Tasman/Rothmans until the split in 1976 ? And I believe that was the first race ever at Adelaide ?

Info can be found here . A good site , mind you , for Tasman results and stories .

http://www.sergent.com.au/tas72a.html

The story I heard was that Hobbs came from Tasmania, or was born in Tasmania, therefore there is an Australian connection. But as with so many, we don't seem to know much about them.

My understanding was that he was born in England .

Oh , and he did have a 3rd at Syracuse in a Reg Parnell Lotus , if I remember right .

[Frank S]

I don't remember which it was of the four Riverside F5000 races 'Obbs participated in ('72-'75; he seems to have not done '76), when I was lolly gagging around Start/Finish during a Qualifying/practice session. Standing by the rail was a woman, maybe from his crew, maybe his wife. She said to me over her be-stopwatched clipboard, very Liverpool to my untrained ear, "Will you tell me when number 10 comes around, please?" I asked, "Oh, you're a spy, then?" She rocked back: "Too roight! That's me! A spoi, that's wot Oi am!"

Hobbs did come around a few more times, and I warned her, and she clicked and scribbled. When the session ended she smiled in my direction and said "Ta!", which I took to mean "Thanks!"

--
Frank Sheffield
San Diego CA
USA

[bradbury west]

Track test of the Hobbs Mechamatic Elite in MS Dec 62 and the Brooklands Elite compendium. IIRC there was a road test V4 Ford Corsair tested in period, '63/'64-ish, with the Hobbs box. Received wisdom at the time had it that FoMoCo bought the design, made a token option of it, then canned it.
Roger Lund.

[Robin Fairservice]

BMC fitted the Hobbs automatic box to Minis and 1100's. I have read that Ford's were going to use it, but were persuaded by their USA parents to use the Borg Warner box.

My wife refused to drive a standard (manual) clutch and gearbox and learnt to drive on an automatic 1100.

[RA Historian]

Originally posted by Dave Ware
and he has, I think, a Honda dealership in Michigan. .

Not Michigan, but Milwaukee, Wis. David Hobbs has owned a Honda dealership in Milwaukee for about 20 years and he lives in a very nice house on Milwaukee's east side with a splendid view of Lake Michigan.

Back when I was doing some press room officiating for the Trans Am Series, Hobbs did the TV announcing of the events. Since we are both from the same area, I shared a number of airplane rides with him. The man is a wonderful bon vivant, full of stories, all vastly amusing and interesting. He still does all the GPs for Speed Channel, and is a wonderful color commentator, enlivening many a dull interval with his droll wit.

Back in 2005 Mike Beill produced a DVD of Road America's 50th year. I did all the interviews on it, where we put the subject on a stool and I asked the questions and let the subjects ramble. Mike had to do a lot of editing, because David gave us so much material! Further, while he was being interviewed, Brian Redman came into the room so we immediately put a mike on him and let the two of them go at it. Priceless stuff! David and Brian wound up by singing a somewhat bawdy English drinking song, which was partially edited and left in the DVD as the sign off piece.

A simply delightful man!

Tom

[scdigest]

Mr Hobbs will be the honoree for the 2009 Amelia Island Concours. I think Bill Warner and the Amelia gang are arranging to have many of the cars he raced in attendance.

Here is a story on Hobbs being honored:

http://www.sportscar...m/archives/1648

[Alan Cox]

Roger Ellis photo

[drivers71]

David, as others have said, is a multi-talented driver who was competant in everything he drove and quite brilliant in some of them. One of the few whose competetive careers have spanned the decades.

Here he is at Mallory Park in 1973:



and at this years Goodwood Revival:

[Pedro 917]

David Hobbs told me at the Godwood Festival this year that one of the greatest disappointments of his career was the fact that he wasn't part of the John Wyer Automotive team for the 1970 season because of a missed gear during tests of the 917K at Daytona in November 1969. Everybody missed gears then he told me but I did it at the worst moment. All valves of the flat-12 were bent and they didn't have a spare engine. The guys from Porsche were "not amused" and as a result of this, he became persona non grata. I can only dream of what Pedro and I could have achieved he added...

[bradbury west]

Originally posted by Robin Fairservice
[B]BMC fitted the Hobbs automatic box to Minis and 1100's. I have read that Ford's were going to use it, but were persuaded by their USA parents to use the Borg Warner box.

O/T a bit.. I am not in a position to clarify the finer points of the design etc - whether it was Hobbs derived or not, but my recollection of the BMC auto box was that upto and including the Maxi it was an Automotive Products, Leamington Spa, box, and with a variation of the Borg Warner 35 being used on the 1800/2200 range. With the exception of one incident, I enjoyed the autobox fitted to my Maxi 1750 company car in the 70s.

The Hobbs box was built and marketed by Westinghouse Hobbs Ltd, Walkden, Manchester and was a period factory spec option on certain new Cortinas, Capris and Corsairs, supplied by WHL to, and fitted by, Ford main Dealers for the extra price of £85.
Paddy Mcnally did a test and write-up in Autosport, endorsed by JVB, which also appeared in their High Performance Cars issue for 64/65
Roger Lund

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by REDARMYSOJA


Yes , he won at Adelaide in 1972 in a M22 . I think it was just Tasman series then however , and it didn't become Tasman/Rothmans until the split in 1976 ? And I believe that was the first race ever at Adelaide ?

Info can be found here . A good site , mind you , for Tasman results and stories .

http://www.sergent.com.au/tas72a.html



My understanding was that he was born in England .

Oh , and he did have a 3rd at Syracuse in a Reg Parnell Lotus , if I remember right .

David Hobbs, born Leamington Spa, Warwickshire 9th June 1939

I first saw him driving the Jaguar fitted with the Hobbs transmission at Aintree. Then I saw him make his F1 GP debut at Silverstone in 1967 driving a 2.0 BRM P261 for Bernard White.

I always rated Hobbo as one of the best all-rounders being capable of doing well in single seaters, sports cars etc.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Stephen W


Then I saw him make his F1 GP debut at Silverstone in 1967 driving a 2.0 BRM P261 for Bernard White.

I always rated Hobbo as one of the best all-rounders being capable of doing well in single seaters, sports cars etc.

I thought I had seen him in this car, but my memory does play the odd trick or two on me

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Alan Cox
[IMGhttp://img.photobox.co.uk/013132196d64f4418179736bcdd0674e6c80cf5f09e9827d6c98ab2a.jpg[/IMG]

Roger Ellis photo

What an absolutley gorgeous car, do you know much about it Alan? It looks like it is painted in Piper green. Glorious sports cars back then

[Alan Cox]

I think it was Bernard White's 250LM, taken by Roger at Croft, Wills Trophy 1966

[mwphoto]

David Hobbs in 1973 F/5000 race at Michigan International Speedway


David and Bob Muir walking back to the paddock after both retired from the race


Also from 1973, David behind the wheel of the McLaren M20 at Mid-Ohio

[URY914]

Road Atlanta 1977

[URY914]

[barrykin]

As mentioned, the 2009 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance featured the career and cars of David Hobbs.

Here are the cars Amelia assembled for the event:

http://www.sportscar...m/archives/3529

Lots of great cars and pictures, although there was no Porsche 917 on the field. What else is missing? Anything else that was a big part of his career?

[Pedro 917]

Some pictures of David Hobbs taken at last year's Festival Of Speed :























copyright Luc Ghys

[Lola5000]

Raced at Bathurst in the '80s in a JPS sponsored BMW.

[terry mcgrath]

You are all forgetting he cut his teeth in a Jaguar XK140 DHC at age 20/21
The car was purchased new by his father howard hobbs and it to was fitted with a mechamatic gearbox.
The XK140 was raced a Snetterton in august 60 and he came 1st in a GT race he rolled it badly at Oulton Pk late 1960 and it was rebodied by freddie owen and survives as an E type look a like
terry mcgrath

[Allan Lupton]

Actually, I seem to recall a Lanchester saloon with the Mechamatic transmission before the XK
There was also a Mechamatic Lotus Elite (mentioned above) which I'm more certain about.
Mechamatic, as the name implies, was not electrically signalled (stated above somewhere), but used hydraulic pressure to engage a series of plate clutches to connect different epicyclic gear trains. It could be left to get on with choosing the right ratios for itself, or you could use the gearlever in a conventional manner (a choice reinvented in modern times in many automatic transmissions). No torque converter losses, so a very efficient system as demonstrated in the racing.

[Andrew Kitson]

My first memory of seeing David Hobbs was in the dark blue (with pale blue stripe) Lola T70 spyder in the Guards Trophy at Brands in the mid 60s. Something about the colour scheme has stuck in my mind all these years since my childhood days and it was a delight to see the same ex-Harold Young Ltd car, restored in those colours and raced by Frank Sytner at the revival in recent years. I also remember him very well in the red Surtees TS5 in the first year of F5000 in 1969 with the high wings.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
My first memory of seeing David Hobbs was in the dark blue (with pale blue stripe) Lola T70 spyder in the Guards Trophy at Brands in the mid 60s. Something about the colour scheme has stuck in my mind all these years since my childhood days and it was a delight to see the same ex-Harold Young Ltd car, restored in those colours and raced by Frank Sytner at the revival in recent years. I also remember him very well in the red Surtees TS5 in the first year of F5000 in 1969 with the high wings.

Me too Andy, as well as the great Ford Falcon (Malcom Gartlan?), the Team Surtees Lola Aston T70 and the (IIRC) Bernard White B.R.M, in a nice way, Hobbs was always driving something at an international meeting

[bradbury west]

Actually, I seem to recall a Lanchester saloon with the Mechamatic transmission before the XK
There was also a Mechamatic Lotus Elite (mentioned above) which I'm more certain about.
Mechamatic, as the name implies, was not electrically signalled (stated above somewhere), but used hydraulic pressure to engage a series of plate clutches to connect different epicyclic gear trains. It could be left to get on with choosing the right ratios for itself, or you could use the gearlever in a conventional manner (a choice reinvented in modern times in many automatic transmissions). No torque converter losses, so a very efficient system as demonstrated in the racing.

With due credit to Howard Hobbs where it is due. I knew I had a note of an award somewhere.
Paddy McNally did a very enthusiastic test of the box, endorsed by JVB, in Autosport October 18 1963. Howard Hobbs was later given an industry award for his design, reported in Autosport April 1973.


Do a TNF search for more Hobbs material.
If anyone wants a copy of PMcN's article I will be pleased to scan and e mail it.
Roger Lund

[Marc Sproule]

Some Hobbs snaps...various venues, cars and years....

With Redman, Laguna, '74

http://www.flickr.co...157623311357576

With Carl Hogan. Long Beach '75..

http://www.flickr.co...57623311357576/

On the Victory stand, Laguna IMSA, not sure on the year, probably '77

http://www.flickr.co...157623311357576

With Tony Brise, Laguna F5000, '75

http://www.flickr.co...157626135973193

Laguna IMSA, '77

http://www.flickr.co...157623186793517

Laguna IMSA, '77

http://www.flickr.co...57623186793517/

I think that's all I have of him in my sets. There will be more eventually.

http://www.flickr.co...81980@N03/sets/

[domenico]

I was at Red Bull Ring ceremony opening few month ago (in May 2011). There was also an exhibition of the old racing cars. Among other beautiful cars, I had immediatly noticed David Hobbs Can AM Lola Team Hass. I can't believe it that someone can drive it. It looks so dangerous.
This car is so HUGE!! Absolutely monster.
Here is some pics:


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Edited by domenico, 19 July 2011 - 05:27.

[E1pix]

This car is so HUGE!! Absolutely monster.

Wow, the T310, as huge as it was undriveable.

I always liked it, though, and Thanks for posting it!

[Nev]

I am always amazed at the amount of knowledge on this forum.

My interest in Hobbs stems from his involvement with Jaguar's stillborn Le Mans XJ13 racer. I posted a little about him here XJ13 - Building the Legend What little I learnt tells me he must have been a very accomplished racer.

He must have gonads the size of spacehoppers to have achieved an average of 167.5 mph at MIRA in the undeveloped prototype XJ13 - his record stood for 19 years or so. Other drivers who helped develop the car were Richard Attwood and Norman Dewis.

[RCH]

He must have gonads the size of spacehoppers to have achieved an average of 167.5 mph at MIRA in the undeveloped prototype XJ13 - his record stood for 19 years or so. Other drivers who helped develop the car were Richard Attwood and Norman Dewis.

Hobbs and Attwood were both former Jaguar apprentices (well Hobbs was actually Daimler but Jaguar had taken them over) .... I guess Jaguar saw using them as keeping it in the family! They wouldn't have been bad choices had an XJ13 team ever raced.

IIRC the Mechamatic gearbox was planned as the standard transmission for a small (by Daimler standards) stillborn Lanchester saloon.

[peter kropotk]

[quote name='' date='Apr 16 2000, 23:44' post='20764']
Hi!
The man from Upper Boddington. Only driver
to win F5000 (1971) and TransAm (1983)
Championships. Did not look too bad in F1
(7th at Zeltweg and 9th at Monza, substituting for Hailwood in the Yardley M23). His talent did not get the recognition
it deserved, I think. Who saw him race?


[size="4"]Bless him; when I was a shy teenager at a Silverstone club race some 48 (lordy!) years ago, David Hobbs was racing a Lotus Elite equipped with a prototype "Hobbs Mechamatic" gearbox --- a bold venture for which Ford's tentative financing did not materialize. I asked for his autograph, and he grinned and said "As long as it's not a cheque I'll sign anything for you!"

Then about 8 or 9 years ago, I decided to catch up on some thank-you's, and got a message to David, sent him my old b/w snapshot of his Elite, and he replied very courteously with an appended autograph again, and at some length. Without laying my hands on the letter right now, I recall he was flourishing with a major dealership "somewhere in the States".

Funny, isn't it; I wonder how many people understand that a simple friendly gesture and a word or two can last, untarnished for fifty years, and re-awaken at the slightest reminder? Good man, David Hobbs. [/size]

[E1pix]

I'm not at all surprised with your experiences, but it is still delightful to read of their effect.

He's a fabulous commentator of F1 here in the States now, and operates David Hobbs Honda in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

David is a truly class act, a regular guy who's accomplished irregular achievements. He truly seems to know how lucky he was to live them, and to live through them.

[B Squared]

At the Mark Donohue Reunion and release of Michael Argetsinger's, Mark Donohue: His Life in Photographs mid-July, 2010. David Hobbs signing copies of the book along with John Woodard, Jerry Kroninger and Peter Law. Michael had asked me to sit with David and help streamline the process as he signed a couple of boxes of books. I certainly enjoyed my brief time chatting with him one on one.

photo: B²

[JacnGille]

David is a truly class act, a regular guy who's accomplished irregular achievements. He truly seems to know how lucky he was to live them, and to live through them.

[E1pix]

JacnGille:

B2: Cool Shot!

[Phil Rainford]

Just seen the excellent "Cars 2 " with my youngest daughter and David Hobbs is now a star of the big screen.....along with Lewis Hamilton

http://www.disney.co...haracters/david


PAR

[Nev]

I came across a recent interview with Jaguar's Norman Dewis where he claimed it was HE that set the closed course record with the XJ13 at MIRA in the mid 1960s.

I have always understood the record was set by David Hobbs and the record (167.5 MPH) stood for 19 years. Is this not the case?

[Alan Cox]

A reminder from his F5000 days - Oulton Park 12 April 1974


(Recently posted on the F5000 thread)

[terry mcgrath]

it was my understanding that it was hobbs who set the record for the fastest lap of a curcuit

I came across a recent interview with Jaguar's Norman Dewis where he claimed it was HE that set the closed course record with the XJ13 at MIRA in the mid 1960s.

I have always understood the record was set by David Hobbs and the record (167.5 MPH) stood for 19 years. Is this not the case?

Edited by terry mcgrath, 18 October 2011 - 11:37.