21 replies to this topic

[WonderWoman61]

Anyone know the story behind this?
https://www.gettyima...hoto/1493218907

[BRG]

I don't think it was the Production Saloon Car Championship as captioned since there was no round held at Brands on 11 October 1987.   But there was a meeting that day with an EFDA F3 Euroseries race, won by Johnny Herbert, so there could have been a celebrity race on the schedule.

Edited by BRG, 13 April 2025 - 09:01.

[WonderWoman61]

I don't think it was the Production Saloon Car Championship as captioned since there was no round held at Brands on 11 October 1987.   But there was a meeting that day with an EFDA F3 Euroseries race, won by Johnny Herbert, so there could have been a celebrity race on the schedule.

I can tell it wasn't a Production Saloon race.

I can understand why such a mistake would be made through as Thompson did race in the National Saloon Car Cup in 1993.

[Tim Murray]

It was a celebrity race over ten laps using Ford Escort XR3s. Each celebrity was paired with a professional driver, swapping seats after five laps. Unfortunately Daley, who had been second fastest celeb in practice, never got to race as his car got shunted by another driver on the final warm-up lap.

Results
1. Curt Smith/Jonathan Palmer
2. Peter Waller/Damon Hill
3. Bobby Gee/Johnny Herbert

Source: Autosport

[WonderWoman61]

It was a celebrity race over ten laps using Ford Escort XR3s. Each celebrity was paired with a professional driver, swapping seats after five laps. Unfortunately Daley, who had been second fastest celeb in practice, never got to race as his car got shunted by another driver on the final warm-up lap.
Results
1. Curt Smith/Jonathan Palmer
2. Peter Waller/Damon Hill
3. Bobby Gee/Johnny Herbert
Source: Autosport

Thank you.

Any info on the other entries?

[LittleChris]

Curt Smith - Tears For Fears and Bobby Gee - Bucks Fizz, but who was Peter Waller ?

[AJCee]

Maybe Peter Waller was something to do with the sponsors?

I’m with LittleChris, the name definitely doesn’t ring a bell.

[WonderWoman61]

Maybe Peter Waller was something to do with the sponsors?
I’m with LittleChris, the name definitely doesn’t ring a bell.

I agree.

[LittleChris]

Robocop came out at that time so could it have been Peter Weller rather than Waller ?

[Tim Murray]

The meeting was sponsored by Cellnet, and Peter Waller was some sort of senior manager with them. I’ll dig the relevant mag out again to see what other info there is, but can’t summon the enthusiasm to start humping piles of magazines around again right now. Watch this space.

[kayemod]

Maybe Peter Waller was something to do with the sponsors?

I’m with LittleChris, the name definitely doesn’t ring a bell.

A long time ago, but the name rang a bell with me, and a more believable explanation I think. 

 

There was a one hit wonder singing duo around at the time called Peter and Gordon,  Peter Asher and Gordon Waller, ♫ A World Without Love ♫  Maybe an invitation was sent to their agent/management and the names got mixed up, did either of them turn up to take part ?

[LittleChris]

PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions

 

Looks like Tim is right, see above interview with Martin Donnelly

[ReWind]

PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions
 
Looks like Tim is right, see above interview with Martin Donnelly

Maybe even better here (scroll to p. 104 of 120)

[Tim Murray]

It seems that BRP in Motoring News was paying more attention than his Autosport counterpart, so here’s his report of the event in full:

… the Cellnet Celebrity Race in aid of the Save the Children Fund, on the Indy circuit. The situation became farcical when half the field missed the red and green lights, but one who was paying attention was Bucks Fizz pop star Bobby Gee, who burst between pole man Barry McGuigan and Daley Thompson, fetching the decathlete’s car a mighty clout in passing. It was a great pity that during the delay while the grid reassembled, no-one stepped down to make way for Daley, whose car was out with damaged suspension. One questions whether the public had paid to see (for example) the dynamic partnership of Heather Baillie and John Giddings instead of one of the greatest sportsmen of all time!

Finally under way, the race was led by the enthusiastic McGuigan with Tears for Fears lead singer Curt Smith in hot pursuit. Then came Bobby Gee and Cellnet’s Peter Waller, these four getting away from the rest. The plan was for all the runners to stop at half distance and change places with a set of professional drivers, but when McGuigan pulled in, having delivered a knock-out blow to the rest, it took rather a long time for Paul Warwick to rejoin the fray. In contrast the always ultra-motivated Jonathan Palmer wasted absolutely no time in taking over from Smith, having rehearsed the move to exhaustion. He it was who led handsomely while Damon Hill in Waller’s car and Johnny Herbert in Gee’s launched into a fabulously hairy duel to the flag, which saw Hill make it by a length, thanks to some highly imaginative weaving on the straight. Fourth, fifth and sixth were Charlie Morgan/Gary Brabham, McGuigan/Warwick and Paul Young/Martin Brundle, but the real winner was the Save the Children Fund, which benefitted by some £10,000 including the winner’s £500 cheque from Brands Hatch.

The only snippet that Autosport can add is that Peter Waller was Cellnet’s Marketing and Sales Director (as Chris mentioned above).

[70JesperOH]

Were these celebrity Escort XR3is the same as the Brands Hatch driving school cars, that helped fill out a sparse grid for the August 1986 British Saloon Car Championship race; http://touringcarrac...ands Hatch.html

 

Jesper

[Thundersports]

Were these celebrity Escort XR3is the same as the Brands Hatch driving school cars, that helped fill out a sparse grid for the August 1986 British Saloon Car Championship race; http://touringcarrac...ands Hatch.html

 

Jesper

Yes. With the ever pleasant Ben Edwards on the grid.

Edited by Thundersports, 15 April 2025 - 22:02.

[LittleChris]

Lots of well known names in the school cars. Ben probably the least recognisable. At that point he had yet to win the Formula First championship so was he just an instructor or was he racing that year ?

[John Ginger]

Lots of well known names in the school cars. Ben probably the least recognisable. At that point he had yet to win the Formula First championship so was he just an instructor or was he racing that year ?

'Fast' Peter Rogers and his sister Lucy too

[AJCee]

Formula First… (shudder)

I remember sitting in the main stand at Brands watching the multiple starts and ‘carnage before Paddock’ in the first race of the inaugural championship.

[opplock]

Formula First… (shudder)

I remember sitting in the main stand at Brands watching the multiple starts and ‘carnage before Paddock’ in the first race of the inaugural championship.

 

I was there and also suitably unimpressed. The poor standard of driving cost me a fortune. Having decided that I couldn't do worse than about 1/2 the field I ended up racing for the best part of a decade.

 

A few years later marshals told me that the bloke who wrecked his car at Paddock on 1st flying lap was crying. He'd told them that he'd bought it on HP and had only made one payment. 5 years of payments still outstanding and no money in kitty to pay for repairs.... Ouch! 

[AJCee]

Only half of the field? You do yourself a disservice sir!

To be fair, it turned out that there were a few decent peddlers in that field who went on to better things.

Only a few though.

[Sterzo]

'Fast' Peter Rogers and his sister Lucy too

Off topic, but: I once went to the Brands school for an "experience" session. Lucy was my instructor, and when I mentioned having watched her (and Pete of course) racing, she gave me an extra lap. I'm still in love.