23 replies to this topic

[P0wderf1nger]

The lazy journalise on Dominic Chappell, the man who bought BHS from Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia for £1, is ‘former racing driver and three-times bankrupt’.

 

Descriptions of him in a Commons Committee meeting this morning were rather fruitier: ‘a premier league liar and a Sunday pub league retailer - at best.' 

 

Anyone know what he was like as a racing driver?

[Risil]

IIRC he was involved in setting up the Interactive Sportscar Championship back in 2001. It consisted of a single round at Donington Park, and is chiefly remembered (when it's remembered at all) for the way in which several cars spontaneously caught fire in practice.

 

All in all, not a success (despite most of its proposed innovations being pretty commonplace in modern race broadcasting). And the promised prize money for the competitors didn't turn up either.

[Rupertlt1]

Some connection to F3?

 

https://en.wikipedia...ee_Championship

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 08 June 2016 - 12:29.

[ensign14]

I remember seeing him in F3, I think he even bought himself a ride in F3k for a few goes (albeit one wonders with whose money, if it ever turned up).

[nicanary]

The national news showed an image of him on the podium (1st place) at some event or other. Knowing what we now know, maybe he "arranged" the photo (allegedly.......).

[ensign14]

It was probably bona fide, he had genuine wins podia in the Class B category of British F3 at least.  Not that it was the most talent-deep of classes at the best of times, but I have fond recollections of triers like the sexagenarian cabbie Ronnie Grant, Kevin Jones, Carlton Tingling and Guido Basile, whose advert for steering-wheel-shaped pendants seemed to be a perennial in Autosport. 

[Alan Cox]

He raced the Apache Racing Ralt RT23 in British F2 in 1993 He also raced at Le Mans in '94 with Phil Andrews and Jonathan Baker in a de Tomaso Panters and with the Roock Racing Team Porsche 911 in '96 and with the Team Marcos Mantara LM600 in '97. Do I recall him racing a Mini in earlier days?

Edited by Alan Cox, 08 June 2016 - 16:22.

[Tim Murray]

Here's an incomplete listing of his racing career:

https://www.driverdb...minic-chappell/

as they have no info on his career before he moved into F3.

[Thundersports]

I understood he owned Apache racing? That team vanished mid season and he wasn't very quick more a "steady Eddie" behind the wheel.

[garoidb]

The lazy journalise on Dominic Chappell, the man who bought BHS from Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia for £1, is ‘former racing driver and three-times bankrupt’.

 

Descriptions of him in a Commons Committee meeting this morning were rather fruitier: ‘a premier league liar and a Sunday pub league retailer - at best.' 

 

Anyone know what he was like as a racing driver?

 

That's all we care about around here 

[ensign14]

I understood he owned Apache racing?

 

Makes sense, given he has Apache business record. 

 

I'm here all week.

[F1matt]

The picture the press like to use is him on top of the podium with Mika Hakkinen next to him, I cant decide if that is the class B winner getting his moment while the outright winner looks on or did Mika Hakkinen once finish second to our astute business who possibly has SAS training in Class B??????

 

 

Motorsport does seem to attract these charlatans doesn't it?

[AAGR]

Why not ask the commentator, Ian Titchmarsh - he has an encyclopedic memory, and is sure to know

[ensign14]

The picture the press like to use is him on top of the podium with Mika Hakkinen next to him, I cant decide if that is the class B winner getting his moment while the outright winner looks on or did Mika Hakkinen once finish second to our astute business who possibly has SAS training in Class B??????

 

Quick shufti suggests in 1990 Chappell won the Class B section of two F3 races at Donington in which Hakkinen won overall.

[Rupertlt1]

Part of the appeal of motor sport is that all human life is here, plus the others.

The sport has had more than its share of scallywags.

Long may it continue.

 

RGDS RLT

[Bumblyari]

According to some chap on the Jeremy Vine show the other day, "... he wasn't involved in the top tier of the sport, just Le Mans type stuff ".

 

I hope the French weren't listening.

[Glengavel]

According to some chap on the Jeremy Vine show the other day, "... he wasn't involved in the top tier of the sport, just Le Mans type stuff ".

 

I hope the French weren't listening.

 

Or, indeed, the British:

 

Le Mans Drivers per nation

 

1 = France 42 wins

1 = UK

3 Germany 29

 

or the Germans

 

Le Mans Constructors per nation

 

1 Germany 33 wins

2 UK 17

3 France 15

[GMACKIE]

Makes sense, given he has Apache business record. 

 

I'm here all week.

And I'm here...all weak.

[Vitesse2]

Makes sense, given he has Apache business record. 

 

I'm here all week.

Not his fault, apparently ... Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell jailed for six years after being found guilty of tax evasion

[Doug Nye]

Aah yes - the hapless Dominic 'Sha-pell' as he apparently preferred to be called...

 

DCN

[F1matt]

As loathsome and arrogant as he appears to be I cant help but feel he is something of a fall guy for a previous owner of the company. 

[ensign14]

The entire ISC is on youtube.

 

 

(Andy Pervis?  Someone was testing the editor...)

[ensign14]

^ lol at the thumbnail choice

[Gregor Marshall]

 

(Andy Pervis?  Someone was testing the editor...)

 

Definitely Andy Purvis, lovely bloke, raced in TVR Tuscans with my late Dad and now lives out in Australia.
His later father was the actor Jack Purvis, who was a dwarf and was in Time Bandits, Star Wars, etc.