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Come and hear Bob Sparshott talk about his long racing career


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#1 mariner

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Posted 23 February 2014 - 10:06

At the North Herts Centre of the 750 club we are fortunate to have had a series of guest speakers like Bob Dance and Tony Southgate in the past.

 

On Wednesday March 5th at a  pub close to jct 22 of the M25 we are very honoured to have Bob Sparshott come as our speaker at 8pm.

 

Bob will be talking about his long and distinguished racing career where he was part of the 1965 Lotus Indy winning team then Graham Hill’s mechanic in his 1968 Championship season. Bob later set up his own company BS Fabrications which made chassis tubs and suspension parts for many of the 1970’s cars.

 

This led to Bob joining the exclusive club of being an F1 entrant, running Henri Pescarolo, Brett Lunger and, in 1978, Nelson Piquet. His F3000 team provided Christian Danner with the 1985 F3000 Championship.

 

You do not have to be a 750 member to attend  so if you want to hear about 1960s and 1970's F1 from an insider please come along

 

For details please send me message here or an email to - northherts750@gmail.com

 

There is no charge we only ask you to buy some raffle tickets on the night.

 



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#2 ensign14

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Posted 23 February 2014 - 11:52

Can someone ask how close - or far - he was from building his own F1 car?  Motoring News floated the idea circa 1986.



#3 Gary C

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Posted 23 February 2014 - 12:10

this should be fun, he was good value when he appeared at my and Michael Oliver's Jim Clark weekend back in 2008.


Edited by Gary C, 23 February 2014 - 19:21.


#4 John Saunders

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Posted 25 February 2014 - 09:51

Glad to see the North Herts Centre still going well, I was a member back in the early 70's (can it really be over 40 years ago). We used to meet in a pub near Hitchin,

we had speakers like David Hobbs & Gerry Marshall, Happy days. For once I wish I did't now live in Norfolk, have a good night.



#5 mariner

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Posted 02 March 2014 - 10:22

Just a last reminder about this talk on Wednesday night, March 5th , at jct 22 of the M25.

 

- send me a message here if you want to come along.

 

- somebody asked if there is a charge - no, its free to non-750MC people , we just ask you to buy a raffle ticket on the night.



#6 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 04 March 2014 - 21:35

Mariner, regretfully, I won't be able to come to this one as my wife has already nabbed the evening out, so childsitting duties I must perform. However, as junction 22 of the M25 is a stone's throw from both my work and home, I'd be very interested in future events.

 

Would you be able to add me to any list you might have?

 

If there's enough advance notice, I'll be able to pip my better half into booking the night off.

 

I hope all concerned have a great evening, I've come across Bob speaking, albet briefly, twice now and he is always good entertainment.



#7 Bloggsworth

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Posted 04 March 2014 - 21:53

Name of the pub would be nice...



#8 mariner

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Posted 05 March 2014 - 07:10

The Bull, London Colney



#9 Bloggsworth

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Posted 05 March 2014 - 09:30

Aha - It is the nice pub by the river, I know it, haven't been in it, driven past it several times, but I know where it is. If, later in the year, you leave at the M25 junction and cross to the opposite side of the M25 and take the B 556 back road to South Mims, you will find the de Havilland Museum about a mile down the road, on the right.



#10 RTH

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Posted 05 March 2014 - 10:10

Two of us planning to be there.



#11 sterling49

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Posted 05 March 2014 - 10:48

What time are you planning to be there Rich?

#12 RTH

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Posted 05 March 2014 - 13:42

7.30 - it was at seating capacity for John Miles



#13 garyfrogeye

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Posted 06 March 2014 - 09:07

Hi Richard,

 

Can you let me know about the next one. It's only a quick blast up the A1 in the Frogeye from Camden/Islington.



#14 ghinzani

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Posted 07 March 2014 - 10:16

Ensign, Dear Chap, I thought the F1 cars were 78/79 and then possibly 80? To be built by John Thompson?



#15 mariner

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Posted 10 March 2014 - 10:57

Bob's talk was really interesting and informative. Like many of the guys from the 1960's and 1970's racing world there were funny stories best not repeated here.

 

I had not realised just how many cars Bob's BS Fabications was involved in building. As well as the Hesketh chassis they were major sub contractors for the Lotus 72 and Mclaren M23. When BS Ffabrications ran the M23 for Brett Lunger a condtion of sale was no factory support but as BS had made many of the chassis parts that was no problem.

 

We learned that the whole Chapparal 2K which won the Indy 500 was built in Luton with John Barnard in attedance much of the time.

 

Among Bob's exhibits were pics of his restoration work on several 1970's F1 cars. He had a special universal jig/flat plate with a DFV front end replica jig at one end and a  custom front suspension jig fitted at the other for accurate chasis rebuilding - in effect a full re-manufacture of each chassis.

 

As  an entrant at the time of Bernie  first reorganizing the F1 revenue structure Bob had a more positive view than many of today's armchair critics of what Bernie acheived back then.

 

One slight disappointment was that less than 20 people came to listen from an invite list of 250 plus advertising it here.. The world of forums is a briliant tool for enthusiasts to chat and share across the world but it makes me wonder if the virtual has now somewhat reduced the desire to have real contact with real people for us oldies in the way it seems to have done for younger people?


Edited by mariner, 10 March 2014 - 10:58.


#16 Garsted

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Posted 10 March 2014 - 19:46

I would love to have come (ditto your North London Lotus tour) but its a long way from West Yorkshire.  I sure many others on the forum had a similar barrier to attendance.

Regards, Steve



#17 Bloggsworth

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Posted 10 March 2014 - 21:38

The Chapparal wasn't the only design of Barnard's that Bob machined parts for - I guess the customer's name is still embargoed - And no, it wasn't Toleman.