34 replies to this topic

[Derwent Motorsport]

I am writing an article on Motoring Dogs. I have a few that I've picked up, particularly about Michael Schumacher's Westie going to some races. 

 

Bill Boddy referred to his Motoring Dog and presumably there were more than one given his long career. Does anyone know any names for them?

 

While dogs are banned from motoring events  there are execptions. At a BDC Silverstone a few years ago one gentleman hid his dog under the tonneau cover of his 3 litres to get into the paddock. 

 

Any others?

 

Thanks

[opplock]

 

 

While dogs are banned from motoring events  there are execptions. At a BDC Silverstone a few years ago one gentleman hid his dog under the tonneau cover of his 3 litres to get into the paddock. 

 

Any others?

 

Thanks

 

Lewis Hamilton seems to have an exemption. Lydden Hill used to allow dogs in. I do recall my Post Chief phoning Brands Hatch Race Control a few years ago after we spotted a dog on South Bank. In reply we were told that it was a guide dog in training. UK Circuits no longer have a legal right to bar assistance dogs but why anyone would take one to a circuit is beyond me. My wife had Hearing Dogs for almost 25 years. They stayed with friends when I raced, apart from trips to Pembrey where we found a nearby kennel prepared to have the dog as a day visitor.      

[Vitesse2]

Presumably you've included Lewis and Roscoe?

 

Caracciola and Moritz.

 

 

Either The Motor or The Autocar (I think the latter) had an occasional feature on Motoring Dogs in the 1930s, with readers encouraged to send in photos for publication.

[Derwent Motorsport]

Presumably you've included Lewis and Roscoe?

Caracciola and Moritz.



Either The Motor or The Autocar (I think the latter) had an occasional feature on Motoring Dogs in the 1930s, with readers encouraged to send in photos for publication.

Yes Roscoe the vegan dog is included, poor chap!

[Tim Murray]

I expect Sweep would have done some motoring with Jim at times.

[D-Type]

Mike Hawthorn's boxers, Grogger and Grogger II.

[RS2000]

Didn't Jean Behra have his poodle stolen from his road car at a race?

 

British Hill Climb champion Roy Lane used to bring his spaniel to meetings. It stayed in his motorhome during actual events but he used to walk it around the paddock at dawn. I once woke up at Wiscombe to a commotion right next to my tow car. The dog had got its long lead tangled around my trailer and RL was crawling underneath to free it. 

[jtremlett]

Whilst dogs might generally not be allowed in the UK they certainly are in France.  Quite a number at the last Le Mans Classic, for example.  Why you would take your dog to a hot and noisy event like that where there's not much shade is another question.

[Myhinpaa]

Mike Hawthorn's boxers, Grogger and Grogger II.

 

Mike with Grogger II (?) in '58 : 

 

https://www.mike-haw...ithpainting.jpg

 

 

Edited by Myhinpaa, 01 February 2021 - 14:16.

[Odseybod]

The last time I met Paddy Hopkirk (2019), he was rather proud that his dog had just been awarded either a BRDC or MSA pass.

.

[Richard Jenkins]

Richie Ginther - From the Jerry Sloniger article in Autocourse 1961 - "Living in Maranello with wife Jackie and Puck, their strong-minded dachshund, Richie is always handy, although his between race duties aren't arranged on any set schedule. 1 go over two or three times a day," he comments. " If they want anything all they have to do is have the gate keeper come across. The hotel is right across from the factory."

 

 

There is a photo of Puck in the Richie Ginther, Motor Racing's Free Thinker book.

 

 

I take it motoring dogs does not include the poor unfortunates that have strayed on the track and met their maker a la the one in Mexico that got a bit too close to Jackie Stewart...

[68targa]

Hermann Lang had a sheepdog called Volko  but I have no idea whether he took it to any races. If he did it probably chased Caracciola's Moritz !

[robert dick]

Four pioneer motoring dogs:

John B. Warden and dog, 1904 - 12-litre Mercedes.
(photo Jules Beau collection, Bibliothèque Nationale/Paris):




= = = =
Henry Fournier at the wheel of a Rainier in 1906, with his dog Napoléon as riding mechanic.




= = = =
Herb Lytle, mechanic Jim Bates and dog, 1909.
(photo Detroit Public Library)




= = = =
Lewis Strang, mechanic Fred Kunze and dog, 1909.
(Detroit Public Library)


 

[Michael Ferner]

Cotton Henning and Dog with Car, 1933 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection - The Program of Digital Scholarship at IUPUI University Library (iupuidigital.org)

 

There's also a fairly well known picture of a dog sitting on the Peugeot engine that Harry Miller rebuilt for Bob Burman, but unfortunately there's another Harry Miller who wrote a book about dogs, so it's impossible to google - or perhaps it isn't online.

Edited by Michael Ferner, 31 January 2021 - 17:17.

[ensign14]

Wasn't there a BRM Rover?

[helioseism2]

This is history?

[D-Type]

This is history?

Yes, the lighter side.

[RS2000]

If expanding to cover cats, the most famous associated with wheeled sport is top road cyclist  Marianne Vos' "Sjekkie". He usually travelled to races in her parents' motor caravan and had a harness and long lead to survey events from the steps.

[john winfield]

I believe Prince Bira had a white mouse.

[helioseism2]

Yes, the lighter side.

No.

[Jerry Entin]

Jim Hurtubise had a huge German Shepherd named Prince. Prince was Jim’s contant companion at the races, until the cars started running. He would hang out around Jim in the pits, then he would crawl under his station wagon since he was afraid of all the noise.

 

At Indy in 1960 Superintendent Clarence Cagle made Jim tie up Prince all month. But after Jim set his qualifying record in the Travelon Trailer Special, Cagle looked the other way as Prince frolicked through the garage area with Jimmy Bryan’s dog. To everybody’s amusement, Prince would jump in Troy Ruttman’s Zink Special after A.J. Foyt told him to. He stayed in the cockpit a few seconds, then trotted back to the garage area.

 

Prince died of old age in the early 1970s, after having received fan mail for many years.

 

All research: Willem Oosthoek

[blueprint2002]

You probably know this already, but just in case.

The very popular thread "Vintage shots from days gone by", on the HAMB, has plenty of wonderful pictures of dogs on/in/with cars, as well as the occasional cat. Also the odd donkey or horse.

[john aston]

I am writing an article on Motoring Dogs. I have a few that I've picked up, particularly about Michael Schumacher's Westie going to some races. 

 

 

While dogs are banned from motoring events  there are execptions. 

 

Thanks

  They are almost compulsory at my local drag strip, Melbourne Raceway. Staffordshire terriers are very popular .  

 

I see plenty of dogs at Autograss (I know some will sneer, but it is insanely  fast and  spectacular - also very friendly ). Labs and muts seem the popular choice. 

 

VSCC trials also tend to attract lots of outdoor types with sensible dogs.   

 

I know most events ban them but as long as somebody cleans up the unmentionable and keeps them  on a tight lead they're fine by me . I'd say the same about the BTCC Barmy Army 

Edited by john aston, 01 February 2021 - 08:00.

[Stephen W]

British Hillclimb Champion Scott Moran used to bring his Border Collie to events. It was walked early morning, lunch time and after the event finished for the day. Towards the end of the season he arrived at Doune in a brand new motorhome (his usual shed on wheels was out of service). On the Sunday afternoon in a fit of pique the dog set about rearranging the interior! Several hundred pounds worth of "alterations" later the Morans returned to the motor home! 

 

They do say that pets start to mimic their owners and one particularly grumpy hillclimb regular had a somewhat similar Labrador. However I suddenly became its best friend when I took three sausages to a meeting as a bribe! Suddenly I couldn't get rid of the beast and always had to have a "bribe" ready!  

[Charlieman]

If more people knew about sites like the one below, they'd ride sidecar combinations:

https://wagwalking.c...de-in-a-sidecar

 

I recall a chat with an assistance dog trainer at an NZ motor racing meeting -- it was a good opportunity to raise money and teach the dogs to cope with noise, crowds and the temptation of fast-food vans. Quite a few spaniels and standard poodles, rather than the labradors and German shepherds we see in the UK.

[RCH]

Perhaps I shouldn't admit to this but whilst organising the first of the Imp Club's PCTs we were in need of a second club steward. A certain Tara Hunt was nominated. Being a ChowChow/ Alsatian cross she had very strong views on what was right and what was wrong and therefore ideally suited to the role. I was forced to ghost write her steward's report....

[Dipster]

I am writing an article on Motoring Dogs. I have a few that I've picked up, particularly about Michael Schumacher's Westie going to some races. 

 

Bill Boddy referred to his Motoring Dog and presumably there were more than one given his long career. Does anyone know any names for them?

 

While dogs are banned from motoring events  there are execptions. At a BDC Silverstone a few years ago one gentleman hid his dog under the tonneau cover of his 3 litres to get into the paddock. 

 

Any others?

 

Thanks

Lotus 30.   Oh, you meant actual dogs........  Sorry.

[10kDA]

Ray Kuns, an automotive engineer/writer, published a number of plans to homebuild race cars using production car components. These designs were what later became known as sprint cars, modifieds, etc. His "K8" design was fairly well-known and many were built and campaigned successfully. At some point one wag pointed out his next design turned out to be somewhat of a dog.

 

[D28]

As to other pets, has anyone mentioned Tim Flock and pal yet?

 I seem to recall one of you using this co-driver as a question in the Motorsport quiz.

Edited by D28, 01 February 2021 - 15:18.

[Parkesi]

Mike Parkes used to have his Labrador Federica with him all the time.

I remember a picture of him with the dog in the paddock - Nürburgring 1000km/1970.

And Federica in the cockpit of the parked Ferrari 512 during the shooting of the movie "Le Mans".

 

Penny, Mike`s fiancée, came up with the following anecdotes:

they went from Modena to Verona in a deTomaso Pantera incl. Federica.

Mike was always late so he drove very fast in order to keep his appointment.

Before the return trip the dog steadfastly refused to get back into the car...

 

Federica was also with Parkes whenever he took his private plane.

The dog always slept aboard but as soon as the descent to Modena Areoporto started

Federica woke up and was prepared for disem"bark"ment!

[Myhinpaa]

Castrol had a bulldog on their 1970 World Cup Rally sticker, BL/Abingdon had a strong connection to Castrol also rallying under "Team Castrol" at the time.

 

 

Here's the whole BL WCR team with team manager Peter Browning with a bulldog as their team mascot.

 

[Vitesse2]

Parkesi's anecdote reminded me of B Bira's Westie, Titch - another aviating canine, who accompanied said prince on his gliding exploits and - one assumes - would thus also have qualified as a 'motoring dog'. There's an article by Bira here (page 17) with a picture of Titch in the glider's cockpit:

 

https://s3-eu-west-1... 8 Aug 1946.pdf

[Catalina Park]

How about Max Balchowsky's Old Yeller?

[Odseybod]

Parkesi's anecdote reminded me of B Bira's Westie, Titch - another aviating canine, who accompanied said prince on his gliding exploits and - one assumes - would thus also have qualified as a 'motoring dog'. There's an article by Bira here (page 17) with a picture of Titch in the glider's cockpit:

 

https://s3-eu-west-1... 8 Aug 1946.pdf

 

What a fabulous magazine. There goes the morning ...

[kyle936]

Mike Parkes used to have his Labrador Federica with him all the time.

I remember a picture of him with the dog in the paddock - Nürburgring 1000km/1970.

And Federica in the cockpit of the parked Ferrari 512 during the shooting of the movie "Le Mans".

 

Penny, Mike`s fiancée, came up with the following anecdotes:

they went from Modena to Verona in a deTomaso Pantera incl. Federica.

Mike was always late so he drove very fast in order to keep his appointment.

Before the return trip the dog steadfastly refused to get back into the car...

 

Federica was also with Parkes whenever he took his private plane.

The dog always slept aboard but as soon as the descent to Modena Areoporto started

Federica woke up and was prepared for disem"bark"ment!

 

Here she is! I don't know if Mike actually took her for a spin around Le Mans (I suspect he did, though, but I guess we might never know!). 

 

Edited by kyle936, 05 February 2021 - 02:57.