49 replies to this topic

[petestenning]

The 8 clubs meetings mostly at Siverstone were a great day out with numerous cars not normally seen at race meetings on track together in what is not a race but a 30 minute trail.

You had a set number of laps to complete to gain an award.
You also had the chance to do a handicap race and a scratch race if you wished.

The shear variety of cars is what made theses events worth while to most enthusiasts.

To prove my point the cars entered in the two 30 minutes trails on 7th June 1969 were;-
race 1
Saloons
1) Singer Chamois[875]
1) NSU [1177]
1) Fiat 124 [1197] yes really
1) Austin A40 [998]
3) Lotus Cortina's [1558]
1) Ford Prefect 107E [997]
Sports cars
2) MG Midget/A.Healey Sprite[1275/998]
2) MG A 'S [1588]
2) MG B'S [1798]
1) Elva Courier [1622]
1) Honda s800 [791]
5) Porsche's -1600]
2) A.C 'S [1991]
10 Wells [1172]

Race 2
Saloons
1) Ford Prefect 107E [997]
2) Vauxhall Viva SL90/GT [1256]
2) Austin Mini [850]
1) Lotus Cortina [1558]
3) Ford Anglia's [1 Mick Hills Janglia] [997/1650/3800]
Sports cars
1) MG B [1798]
2) A.C ACE/Bristol [2553/1971[
1) Austin Healey 3000 [2912]
2) Elva Couriers [1588/1798]
1) Lotus Elan s4[Ed Reeve] [1558]
2 ) Lotus 7's [948/997]
1) Ferrari GTO [2953]
1) Lancia Aurelia [ 2500]
GT CARS
5) 1200 formula cars[ Dingo/Dison/Perigree/Mistron/Jeffrey.
1) Ginetta G12 [MIKE SPENCE ENTRY][1594]
1) Milmor GT [1594]
1) Lotus 47 [MIKE SPENCE ENTRY] [1594]


Did you attend any of these 8 club events, or Race in them , etc
Do you have any entry lists/programmes you maybe willing to provide for my personal files on these meetings.?

Lastly i seem to have a vague recollection of a 30 minute high speed trail at Snetterton does anyone remember if i am correct .? Andy Kitson maybe.?



Pete

[Allan Lupton]

Well yes I was there for many years, first as a spectator, then when COMCC became a member of the Eight Clubs (founder member clubs AC O.C. and Lancia MC who were also members of COMCC stood down to enable that) I marshalled and became assistant handicapper, later the handicapper and in the last couple of years back to assistant handicapper.
I'm pretty sure that the BRDC Silverstone archive will have programmes, as I helped fill in some of the gaps when they were assessing what they had.

The ethos of the Eight Clubs was that you could enter any non-single-seater car and you just entered for a High Speed Trial, a Handicap race and/or a Scratch race and we, the handicappers, sorted the entry out into groups of similar performance (based on our records and experience, and the competitor's declared best lap time (if we believed it)).
For the scratch races that was that and for many years the grids were based on our assessment, but eventually it was done on practice times like everyone else.
For the HST we gave them a target number of laps to achieve, eventually giving a First Class award for doing so and a Second Class for one lap short. Originally targets were set on the day, after practice, but we were prevailed upon to publish them in the programme although we could and did modify some after practice if we were badly out. Pressure of track time resulted in shorter HSTs and they ended up as 20 minute jobs.
For the Handicaps we did the normal staggered-start handicap race, compiled after times from practice and whichever HSTs and races already held were available.
A typical Eight Clubs day included three HSTs, three 5-lap Handicaps and three 7-lap Scratch races.
There was also an end of the day Team Handicap, and with a day's worth of racing data we usually got the result of that quite close!

Well what I haven't mentioned was that as one of the founder members was 750MC there were usually two races for their 750 and 1172 (later 1300) Formulae. Quite a number of cars from those races also did the other events, often with a guest drive for the mechanic!

[Sharman]

Most Club race meetings in the 50s and early 60s featured 30 minute trials with a target no of laps. They were known colloquially as "Half hour Blinds"

[D-Type]

Is COMCC the Combined One Make Car Club?

Which were the original Eight Clubs?
750 MC
AC Owners' Club
Lancia Car Club
and ?

Presumably none of the clubs had sufficient members to run a race meeting on their own.

[petestenning]

The 8 clubs in 1969 were;-

Hants & Berks Motor Club

Harrow Car Club

Cemian Motor Club

Chiltern Car Club

Seven Fifty Motor Club

Combined One-Make Car Club

Civil Service Motoring Association

Lloyds Motor Club


To Alan
The handicaps were listed in this programme

Handi 1
Scratch cars were
Maurice Gates/Elva Courier
J.B.Brown/Elva Courier
M.C.W.Fulford/A.C.Bristol

Largest handicap
G.Evans/Ford Prefect 107E /1 lap


Handicap 2
Scratch
B.Thomas /Lotus Cortina

at 70 sec
D.C.Freeth / Singer Le Mans
T.Cooper/ MG A


Handicap 3
Scratch
Ted Bunce / Lotus 47

at 1 minute
Eric Swan /A.H.Sprite
J.E.Dussek/Lotus 7
M.P.Rands /Lotus 7

Edited by petestenning, 09 April 2012 - 14:45.

[Allan Lupton]

Is COMCC the Combined One Make Car Club?

Which were the original Eight Clubs?
750 MC
AC Owners' Club
Lancia Car Club
and ?

Presumably none of the clubs had sufficient members to run a race meeting on their own.

Yes COMCC was the Combined One Make Car Club, a "Club of Clubs" which included one-make clubs of all sizes over its period of operation (roughly 1962-2002).

A number of people whose Clubs were general motor-sporting clubs had the idea that they could probably muster enough race competitors between them to make a race meeting viable. As you can imagine they were known to each other anyway, and a number of familiar names would be there if someone had the list. I understand that the idea was floated at the 1949 annual RAC Clubs Conference and the first Silverstone meeting was in July 1950.

The original Eight were Cemian M.C., Chiltern C.C., Hants & Berks MC, Lagonda C., AC O.C., Lancia M.C., 750MC and Harrow C.C.
750MC grew into a race promoting club quite soon, but was with us and was a major contributor of officials and competitors to the end.
Lagonda had withdrawn by the early 1960s and although it was a founder member of COMCC it withdrew from that too. It was therefore not really necessary for AC and Lancia to step down to let COMCC in but, as they were members of that Club too, it made it tidier.
Herts County A & Ae C. joined soon after COMCC and for a while CSMA was a member. Oh yes and Pete has reminded me of Lloyd's which joined around the same time as Herts Co and also was there to the end.

Edited by Allan Lupton, 09 April 2012 - 15:52.

[Allan Lupton]

Those 1969 handicaps Pete listed have a familiar look, as although it was before I was handicapping the runners and riders include a number of stalwarts.
Maurice Gates became a fast driver of a fast TVR Griffith, Bruce Brown was one of a group of Cemian MC Elva Courier people with Jerry and John Trace, and David Freeth still had his Singer Le Mans, as well as other Singers, when we met last a couple of years ago. Ted Bunce was also a name to recall, but in what I can't remember.
Interesting that Cooper's MGA was no quicker than Freeth's Singer.
The card index that would have shown what was what at about that time has not survived and the computerised version doesn't go back past about 1990.

[Eric Dunsdon]

Most Club race meetings in the 50s and early 60s featured 30 minute trials with a target no of laps. They were known colloquially as "Half hour Blinds"

They were also sometimes known as "Half Hour Binds!". I loved those meetings though. The Peterborough M.C was always another good one. Worth cycling up from High Barnet for/

[bradbury west]

... Ted Bunce was also a name to recall, but in what I can't remember.

Perhaps a Tornado of sorts, Allan, ISTR him in a Talsiman later in the 60s. Always liked those.
Roger Lund.

BTW do you remember the old North Staffs Motor Club events at Silverstone, usually end of season, late September, probably practice and a dozen races for all sorts all in one day?. MMEC asnd SUNBAC did similar events. Real club stuff.
RL

[Alfie]

Pete, you had me digging into my old programme box and I didn't have to go far down before I came across June 7th 1969 - sponsored by Hoverlloyd.

Two shillings bought quite an in depth document with - surprisingly - postal addresses of each competitor.

Allan - Names from your postings are noted -

Maurice Gates, driving an Elva Courier, listed at the back as coming from 72, Seacourt Road, Langley, Bucks!
Ted Bunce driving a Lotus 47 for Mike Spence Ltd. (But I seem to associate him with a Ginetta G12 later?)
Trace, Jerry and John. I will need some help with initials as JR Trace is listed in two consecutive events, the handicapper decided he needed 5 seconds in his Elva to compete with Maurice Gates in his. But I can only find JR on this particular programme.
Other interesting names include Ian Bracey driving a Lotus Elan, and Mick Hill driving a Jaguar powered Anglia.

The handicapper for this meeting was listed as R.Birchall.

[Allan Lupton]

Pete, you had me digging into my old programme box and I didn't have to go far down before I came across June 7th 1969 - sponsored by Hoverlloyd.

Two shillings bought quite an in depth document with - surprisingly - postal addresses of each competitor.

Allan - Names from your postings are noted -

Maurice Gates, driving an Elva Courier, listed at the back as coming from 72, Seacourt Road, Langley, Bucks!
Ted Bunce driving a Lotus 47 for Mike Spence Ltd. (But I seem to associate him with a Ginetta G12 later?)
Trace, Jerry and John. I will need some help with initials as JR Trace is listed in two consecutive events, the handicapper decided he needed 5 seconds in his Elva to compete with Maurice Gates in his. But I can only find JR on this particular programme.
Other interesting names include Ian Bracey driving a Lotus Elan, and Mick Hill driving a Jaguar powered Anglia.

The handicapper for this meeting was listed as R.Birchall.

Jerry was JR and John was JC Trace, sometimes after a paddock rebuild referred to as the "Oily Trace". Ian Bracey was a Lloyd's man and drove some strange and interesting things in due course. As you say Ted Bunce in a Ginetta rings a bell and as Roger suggests so does a Tornado Talisman.

I went as assistant to Robin Birchall a couple of years or so later and we eventually operated as joint handicappers until the mid/late '90s when Jez Jones became one of us working with me.

[petestenning]

Pete, you had me digging into my old programme box and I didn't have to go far down before I came across June 7th 1969 - sponsored by Hoverlloyd.

Two shillings bought quite an in depth document with - surprisingly - postal addresses of each competitor.

Allan - Names from your postings are noted -

Maurice Gates, driving an Elva Courier, listed at the back as coming from 72, Seacourt Road, Langley, Bucks!
Ted Bunce driving a Lotus 47 for Mike Spence Ltd. (But I seem to associate him with a Ginetta G12 later?)
Trace, Jerry and John. I will need some help with initials as JR Trace is listed in two consecutive events, the handicapper decided he needed 5 seconds in his Elva to compete with Maurice Gates in his. But I can only find JR on this particular programme.
Other interesting names include Ian Bracey driving a Lotus Elan, and Mick Hill driving a Jaguar powered Anglia.

The handicapper for this meeting was listed as R.Birchall.

I have 3 Mike Spence entries
Lotus 47 For Bunce/Rex Bates
Ginetta G12 for Vivian Talfourd Cook
Lotus 23 for Peter Beaver

Others we may know are

Terry Mcnally [Anglia]
Hugh Chamberlain [Mallock]
Richard Scantlebury [ Anglia]
Dr David Enderby [Mini]
Tony Binnington [MG B]
Ed Reeve/Ian Bracey [Lotus Elan]

[Alfie]

Roger -

I have a North Staffs programme from 1968, but it would appear that they did not run a meeting in 1969 from the calendar in the SUNBAC programme of April 1969. Good solid club programme of events but with the odd interest - Ian Skailes in a Chevron, Rob Lamplough in a Lotus Cobra, Norman Abbott in a "Hillman-Ford" as well as his own Abbott F3 car.

The following year we had excellent service from MAC - Midland Automobile Club, and SUNBAC.

Interest at the MAC meeting, a bit early on March 22nd, provided by my first sight of Roy Lane in his hillclimbing Tech-Craft Buick. IIRC blessed thing always ran with too small radiators so suffered from overheating after a couple of laps. Other interesting cars/pilots included John Scott Davis in the Cooper Cobra, David Cole in a protoype F3 Cooper, John Gott in his A. Healey, Pete Baldwin in an 850 mini (plus ca change!) alongside Del Bennett also in an 850 mini.

The SUNBAC meeting in April flattered to deceive with a number of notables not turning up. And not to forget that SUNBAC included a couple of motor cycle races in the programme. Those who did show included Jeremy Lord in a Mallock U2, already entered by Techdel Ltd. Under the Mike Spence banner, a name that keeps recurring but I cannot remember who they were - V Talfourd Cook. Ted Bunce driving the MS Lotus Europa won his class in the sports car race, the overall winner being John Burton in his Chevron BMW. Noticeable by his absence was John Woolfe in his McLaren M6B - for me a big disappointment as I just loved Group 7. Also missing was one G. McCrae, driving a Brabham F2 for Frank Williams - although we did have Carlos Avallone in his F5000 Lola.

The September meeting did not have so much potential to offer but did include both Martin Brain and Graham Eden in the Libre event, Martin Brain coming out on top although Eden had grabbed pole.

Happy Days!

[Derwent Motorsport]

I greatly enjoyed the 8 Clubs meetings I watched as a kid. The large variety of cars plus the handicap races - something that is missing from current race meetings. I think the last remaining true clubby race meeting is the BDC one. I have been lucky enough to race in the last two. There really must be a place for these types of events.

[Sharman]

I greatly enjoyed the 8 Clubs meetings I watched as a kid. The large variety of cars plus the handicap races - something that is missing from current race meetings. I think the last remaining true clubby race meeting is the BDC one. I have been lucky enough to race in the last two. There really must be a place for these types of events.

Endorse everything you say, that type of club event is what motor racing was all about. In the pre Poison Dwarf days even Grand Prix meetings had the same friendly air about them, we were all enthusiasts together.

[Allan Lupton]

I greatly enjoyed the 8 Clubs meetings I watched as a kid. The large variety of cars plus the handicap races - something that is missing from current race meetings. I think the last remaining true clubby race meeting is the BDC one. I have been lucky enough to race in the last two. There really must be a place for these types of events.

I think we can say that the true Club race meeting was a phenomenon of the second half of the twentieth century.
Aspects that made them successful but which no longer apply include:
willingness to compete in any car one happened to have
racing circuits with low overheads that were willing to offer affordable hire fees
minimum requirements for special clothing (helmet only for most of the period)
minimum training requirements before a race licence could be held
club racing is no longer part of a route to proper racing (many of the drivers held in high esteem in TNF started in club racing* but the current lot trained on go-carts and playstation)
there are no longer what amounted to club races supporting Grands Epreuves

That's before you get on to circuit redesign to include things such as encasing the starting grid with barriers so that a failed car can't be moved out of the way before the rest of the field gets back; putting Race Control in a building from which no racing can ever be seen by the volunteers who staff it; building grandstands in all the best viewing locations but not allowing them to be used for club events and many, many more.

* o.k. here's a quiz question: name 15 GP drivers together with what they drove in club racing

[RTH]

Happy days at those meetings late 60s/early 70s.

[Andy Somerton]

I own the Lotus Elan that Brian Sherwood used to compete in 8 Clubs meetings in 1965 and 66. He and Ted Bunce sometimes entered races as Team Minilite, Ted originally in the Tornado Talisman and then an Elan before he switched to the Lotus 47. I am always gratefull for info on the Brian Sherwood Elan if any one has any.
regards Andy

Edited by Andy Somerton, 10 April 2012 - 12:15.

[DouglasM]

Great days, great meetings.

I put a set of Formula Ford Torino tyres on the Spit and the little thing went round corners as it were on rails!

Edited by DouglasM, 10 April 2012 - 13:09.

[petestenning]

I know that we did a couple of 8 clubs meetings. We had a Formula 1300 Centaur EX Gary Barbour, we had fitted the CVH engine which had just been allowed .

We entered the F1300 race and a handicap for our young driver.

After the handicap practice he came back looking a bit perturbed . ask why he said. I came out of Becketts , was Nothing behind, Half way down the straight the ground shook and an orange blur went by.

The orange blur turned out to be Jim Tiller and that Allard , lol.

[David McKinney]

* o.k. here's a quiz question: name 15 GP drivers together with what they drove in club racing

You haven’t given your definition of either ‘GP driver’ or ‘club racing’, but here’s 15 using mine:

Hawthorn – Riley Imp and Riley Sprite
Brooks – Healey Silverstone, Frazer Nash LM Rep
Scott Brown – MG TD, Tojeiro-JAP
Ireland – Bentley, Brooklands Riey
Parkes – MG TD, chain-gang Frazer Nash
Clark – Sunbeam-Talbot, DKW, TR3, Porsche 356
Flockhart – MG TD, JP 1000
Watson – Healey Sprite
Gould – MG, Cooper-MG
Gerard – Rileys
Naylor – Cooper-MG, Alta-Bristol
Redman – Morris Minor, Mini, E-type
Piper – Lotus-MG
Wharton – Austin 7 special
Whitehead – Alta sports

[David McKinney]

And of course if you want to include club-level 500 racing you could add:

Moss
Collins
Lewis
Lewis-Evans
Allison
Raby
H C Taylor
T P Taylor
Burgess
Davis
Brandon
Brown
Bueb
Leston

[Allan Lupton]

You haven’t given your definition of either ‘GP driver’ or ‘club racing’, but here’s 15 using mine:

Must be pretty similar to mine!

[David McKinney]

Here’s another 15:

Abecassis – Austin 7
Harrison – Ford 8
Barber – Cooper 1100
Beauman – Riley Sprite
Fairman - Bugatti
McAlpine – Connaught sports
I M M Stewart – MG, SS100, Healey, XK120
J R Stewart – Healey Silverstone
Halford – Riley
Hill – Lotus 1172 sports
MacDowel – Lotus VI, Lotus VIII
Titterington – Fiat Ballila, Sunbeam-MG, Allard J2
Arundell – MG TC, Lotus VI, Lotus IX
Ashmore – Jaguar D-type, F2 Cooper-Climax
Bristow – Leonard-MG

[David McKinney]

And another 19:

Campbell-Jones – Lotus XI
Greene – Cooper-Climax sports
Marsh – Dellow, Cooper-Climax sports
Parnell (Jr) – Cooper-Climax sports
Piper – Lotus-MG
Spence –AC-Bristol, Turner
J Y Stewart – Healey Sprite, Marcos
Attwood – TR3
Bell – Lotus 7
Courage – Lotus 7
Gethin – Lotus 7, Lotus 23
Hobbs – XK140, Lotus Elite
Lawrence – Morgan Plus Four
Oliver – Marcos, Lotus Elan
Craft - Anglia
Henton – FV
Miles – Diva,Lotus Elan
Watson – Healey Sprite
Williamson – Mini, Anglia

[Flathead]

I re-open this topic to ask if anyone has attempted to compile a comprehensive history of the Eight Clubs meetings. I am particularly interested in the early days in the 1950's and in photos, particularly candid shots in the paddock. I have a lot of photos but not certain if they are 8 Clubs meets or not.

From the 1950's I would also be interested in any entries found of a Peter Hampton who drove a Buckler 1172cc, as I own his old car, registration AMY. He died very young after emigrating, so it has been impossible for me to gather much history. He sometimes raced as part of the "Shoestring Stable" which also comprised Len Terry in his JVT, Ken Obee in a Turner with Mistral Stiletto shell and a forth member who's name eludes Len.

I would have put up a photo or two but a 3rd party host is still required so it may take me and others, some time to organise.

[bradbury west]

I would have put up a photo or two but a 3rd party host is still required so it may take me and others, some time to organise.

Try this service. It is so easy even I can use it, and it seems devoid of all the Imageshack-type baggage.
http://www.postimage.org/
I would be happy to post some for you if you pm so I can send my e mail addr. All copyrights recognised
Roger Lund,

[Flathead]

Try this service. It is so easy even I can use it,

Many thanks. http://www.postimage.org/ really is easy and I have book marked it. Use Hotlink for forums 1 and copy and paste the result. It is a doddle.

The photo shows Ken Obee ( later of drag racing fame) close to the camera in his Turner Stiletto, also in front is Len Terry ( Lotus designer) in his JVT and hard on their heels Peter Hampton ( who worked for Percival Aircraft Luton) in his Buckler Mark 5, which is still on the road. Date and venue uncertain but circa 1954 to 1956.


photo sharing

Please contact me if copyright details are required.

Edited by Flathead, 10 February 2013 - 08:15.

[rochdaleproject]

The photo shows Ken Obee ( later of drag racing fame) close to the camera in his Turner Stiletto, 
 

 

 I'm  sure this is N Barrett in a Rochdale MKVI bodied Buckler Mark V, this was the 14 May 1955 on Becketts Corner, Silverstone during the Maidstone and Mid Kent Meeting.

[Mistron]

Photos on the link below labled as 'Silverstone '69' are, I think, of the 8 clubs meeting (the high racing numbers) and the green car is my old project 'Pandora', which at that time was known as 'Mistron' as mentioned in the first post. It was owned and raced by John Sutton at the time. The Lotus 47 in the background must presumably be the one mentioned.

 

http://myweb.tiscali...john_sutton.htm

 

I wonder, does anyone have any photos of F1200 cars from the mid '60s  - Mid '70s? I'm trying to identify my current project, a one off 'special', it may be a Clubmans car, or from F1200, but I don't have any identification. Details can be found in the historical research forum  at  http://forums.autosp...c-clubmans-car/

 

Al

[kartman24]

Hi Al, I would also love to see some period pictures of some of the formula 750/1200 racers, I used to go to the 8 clubs every year in the late 60`s-early 70`s with my father who was racing a Lotus Twin Cam powered Anglia. I still have the programmes and the names of some of those formula cars used to fascinate me. Examples being Xenophon, Warp 9, Gopher, Skoobeedo, Little red spider and the best one for a small child Tiny Clanger! I wonder if any of them survived? ...........Martin

[Mistron]

Not the red and yellow anglia by any chance?, the one behind the Mistron in the pit lane in the '71 photo on the above link?

 

I suspect my current project may well be one of the above 'specials' or similar. I just need to work out what one!

 

Al

[kartman24]

Not that Anglia I`m afraid, it was red but with a blue roof. There must be plenty of photos out there of these cars but the chances of seeing most of them are very small and as the people that built them pass away the pictures may be sadly lost for ever............

Have you contacted Ron Welsh, he raced (and still has ) the Vanro P2 F1200 car, hopefully he will be out racing it again next year. As he raced in period he may have some pictures or remember your chassis. I will be talking to him in the next few days if you haven`t had contact yet I will forward some pictures of your chassis on to him..........Martin

[Mistron]

Yes, I've tried Ron, Derek Walker, Tim Goss and a couple of others, but so far without success.

 

feel free to ask anyone else you can think of though!

[kartman24]

In the spirit of the thread I was sent this picture by a friend of my fathers, picture taken by Graham Butcher at what I think is an 8 Clubs meeting, not sure of the year, probably early 60`s...........Martin

I tried uploading the image from Flickr but it wouldn`t upload it to this page.

 

http://www.flickr.co...07/10759164064/

Edited by kartman24, 09 November 2013 - 14:50.

[Allan Lupton]

The cars look like a typical 8 Clubs group but I can't work out what might be happening as:

a) not a crash hat in sight

b) they are well past the start line of the time

c) nobody in the grandstand at all.

As it is late in the day, perhaps they are the marshals who have driven back with their flags, observers' reports, etc. but in that case what are they hanging around for?

[Mistron]

so many cars and only one racing number and it isn't easily made out, so pretty tricky to work out the year.

 

Why aren't historics like this anymore? (I know, there are a hundred reasons, but it''s still a shame!)

[kartman24]

Here is another, it is of my father Frank Collins in his BMW 700, year is 1964 I think. From some old invoices I have found I think the result was a blown engine!............Martin

 

 

http://postimg.cc/image/45xfn5rgd/

 

How can I post direct images on the site rather than a link, I have tried a couple of photo hosting sites but all I get when I try to insert an image is a black box with a cross in it?

Edited by kartman24, 09 November 2013 - 17:01.

[Catalina Park]

You need a direct link to the image, not a link to a page with an image. (usually something ending in .jpg)

http://s6.postimg.or...is01/BMW700.jpg

[bradbury west]

You need a direct link to the image, not a link to a page with an image. (usually something ending in .jpg)http://s6.postimg.or...is01/BMW700.jpg

It is interesting to see that he needed the goggles.... No windscreen by the look of things.
Roger Lund

[Allan Lupton]

It is interesting to see that he needed the goggles.... No windscreen by the look of things.
Roger Lund

If you presented the scutineers with a car that did not have a laminated windscreen, you had the choice of taking the screen out and racing or going straight home.

Happier times, one might say.

Oh and some who opted to remove the windscreen also removed the rear window for a bit of aerodynamic benefit - I remember a 1300 Ford Crapi at the Six Hour Relay racing like that!

[kartman24]

My father raced his Fairthorpe Electron Minor at the 8 clubs in the late 50`s and early 60`s before selling it in 64 and buying the BMW 700, Fairthorpes have 3 seats and by then my brother had come along so a 4 seater was needed! A chance meeting on a stand at a kit car show in the 80`s led me to buy the car back, upon collecting the car dad and I took a walk round it noting that all the original modifications he had made when racing it were still there. The rear edge of the bonnet had still got the rubber door stops under it to aid cooling, but one thing puzzled me, the aluminium windscreen frame had the usual lift a dot fittings along the top for the hood but there were a series of holes drilled down the side of the frame and even along the bottom? When I asked him whether he had put them there and if so why he had great delight in telling me that yes he had drilled the frame as he had turned up at an 8 Clubs meeting and that the scrutineer had recognised that it was not a laminated screen. There were no markings on it and dad argued that it was, the official was obviously a generous man and let dad race as he couldn't prove it wasn`t but stated that if the car was presented to him again with that screen he would not be racing. Fairthorpe screens are easily removed with 6 bolts but for some reason dad usually liked to race with it on so being unable to afford a laminated screen from Fairthorpes he came up with a cunning plan. The frame was drilled and a sheet of plastic was laid across it and secured under the hood fixings and with screws round the rest of the frame, the scrutineer didn`t like it but couldn`t fail it and so the car was passed. My father obviously went away feeling very pleased with himself and duly lined up on the grid, two laps into the race the flaw in the idea revealed itself when it started to rain, the water went down between the screen and the plastic and misted up, all the wipers did was scuff the plastic. He spent the rest of the race trying to peer round the screen to see where he was going! 

It`s great to be able to look at the car now and remember dad`s scrutineer beater.............Martin

 

http://www.flickr.co...tream/lightbox/

 

Can I take pictures straight from my laptop on to here, if not can someone point me to a hosting site that uploads them as a jpg file?

Edited by kartman24, 10 November 2013 - 11:03.

[D-Type]

If you presented the scutineers with a car that did not have a laminated windscreen, you had the choice of taking the screen out and racing or going straight home.

Happier times, one might say.

Oh and some who opted to remove the windscreen also removed the rear window for a bit of aerodynamic benefit - I remember a 1300 Ford Crapi at the Six Hour Relay racing like that!

Many years ago I read in Autosport about the long[ish] distance saloon car race at Lime Rock.  One of the cars lost its screen so they also removed the rear screen.  The car was back in thto the pits the next lap to have the headlining removed as it was 'ballooning' down and the driver couldn't see!

 

Now, back to the "8 Clubs"

[Anthony999]

Marsh Special YRF 167

 

Tony Marsh raced at 8 Clubs meetings, does anyone know if his first Special did?

 

http://forums.autosp...h-special-no-1/

[Allan Lupton]

Marsh Special YRF 167

 

Tony Marsh raced at 8 Clubs meetings, does anyone know if his first Special did?

 

http://forums.autosp...h-special-no-1/

I don't know but the photos in the link are said to be 27 June 1953 which was a Midland M.E.C. meeting.

That year's Eight Clubs had been on 6th June and there's no mention of Marsh in the Motor Sport report.

[mikestow]

Hello out there!

Am new to this Forum,but used to race Single Seaters in most Club Races ,and some Internationals then FAtlantic in its first year 1971.Long retired and have been building and collecting 43rd scale Race Car Models from Tenariv,SMTS,SRC,TWU,Marsh Models etc,over the past 30 years,as respite from "Standbys" stuck in hotels around Stansted and Gatwick,then back home in retirement.Have just completed a range of F2 cars from 67-72,including my own from a dismay foray in 1970.

Anyway have found a contact in Switzerland who produces resin body/bases for some very rare models of Sports cars from that time,viz the Lola T 210/212,and the Ginetta G12.I have built the Lola as the "Bongrip" Jo Bonnier version that won a lot in 1970.The Ginetta has a nice moulded interior and  Tron Minilites,plus windscreen/windows etc included.I was building it as Chris Meek's car in mid green,but can find no photos showing correct colours,except for a restored G12 photo,with Johnny Blades,Chris Meek and Willie Green in attendance at Mallory which Meek owned!!.I have therefore painted it this colour so far with no numbers.

Looking at the thread/posts here,I see several of you have programs from those times,and photos??

I well remember Ted Bunce racing a mid metallic blue Tornado Talisman,built by Rex Bates,who drove it from time to time,then a Twink Lotus 47,then FVA powered.Vivian Telford Cook bought Mike Spence Ltd from his widow a couple of years after he was killed at Indianapolis in 68.The Garage was run by David Porter and Peter Davis.Porter raced a Ginetta G4 SCA,later a G12,and started a Team in outlandish Orangey Yellow and Black colours,in which both Ted Bunce, and Rex Bates drove.Also I did in 68 in a Cooper T83,but crashed it at Snetterton!!No matter,but if any out there have a good shot of ANY Ginetta G12,that I could use would be appreciated??

I will try to find out how to post photos,as I still have many from 60s up to 1972 when I quit!!

Looking forward to anyone with memories contacting me??Mike Stow

Edited by mikestow, 12 June 2015 - 11:48.

[D-Type]

The WSRP site  http://wsrp.cz/natgb.html has some race numbers.  Maybe you can find the ones you want. Good luck!

 

[bradbury west]

Welcome to the Forum. Check with Ted Walker at Ferret fotos, has own website and can be found on TNF. He will have G12 shots without doubt, and is most helpful. Usual disclaimer other than as a very satisfied customer.
Check coloured front covers of Autosport if you have access for poss colour shots of G12
TNFer H4887 is a Ginetta expert.
I will check in some Ginetta books for colour pics.
Roger Lund

Edited by bradbury west, 13 June 2015 - 08:44.

[h4887]

Hi, Mike,

If you google "ginetta g12 blewett" you'll find some pics of Chris Blewett's car which is pretty well identical to an original sixties G12.

[martins7229]

Hi, I've just been reading though the comments on Eight Clubs in this post, as I have come across the Eight Clubs while I'm researching an old Alfa Romeo, that at the time was owned by Tom Barnard and Gerry Akroyd, as I had a couple of photo that were just dated ^th June !953. Looking at the fixtures for June 1953 in the Motor Sport Magazine, on the 6^th of June, there was a B.A.R.C. event at Goodwood, there was also an Eight clubs. Race meeting at Silverstone, comparing the photo from the 6th of June to other photo I have from them racing at Goodwood and Silverstone, I can see they were defiantly racing at the Eight clubs event at Silverstone they were car number 65 the registration was OV3264 does anyone have a race program from this event or any results or photo thanks Martin

Edited by martins7229, 01 March 2025 - 10:40.