Gerry Birrell
#101
Posted 02 June 2011 - 23:45
This is french historic racer Gérard Gamand, also webmaster of the Autodiva forum, publisher of the Autodiva magazine, and occasional contributor to this forum where he posted this pic a few years ago..... Gérard was a great fan of Gerry's and has for ages been wearing this replica helmet as a hommage to him - and still does this day, currently in french historic F2 .
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#102
Posted 12 February 2012 - 22:38
We are trying to collect as many photographs as possible of Gerry and any memorabilia that could be photographed for the website. Any stories from the period he was driving would also be appreciated.
Thank you.
#103
Posted 12 February 2012 - 22:50
Gerry Birrell
#104
Posted 12 February 2012 - 22:52
The search faciity at the top of the page would have shown you:
http://forums.autosp...showtopic=37361
http://forums.autosp...showtopic=38952
http://forums.autosp...howtopic=114339
#105
Posted 12 February 2012 - 23:54
#106
Posted 12 February 2012 - 23:56
Me too! He was a GREAT talent!Welcome Alex, I look forward to seeing the website.
#107
Posted 13 February 2012 - 16:58
Edited by johnthebridge, 14 February 2012 - 13:52.
#108
Posted 13 February 2012 - 17:14
Gerry was a good bloke. I seem to remember he worked in a tuning/accessory shop just off the Harrow Rd. roundabout, Wembley, in around '67/'68? I can't remember the name of the place now, but it specialised in Ford bits (didn't they all?)......
J & J Stanton ?
#109
Posted 13 February 2012 - 17:35
J & J Stanton ?
That rings a bell. It was across the road from Sudbury Hill station. A small shop with a couple of garages attached.
At one time I remember seeing an F3 or F2 of Tetsu Ikasawa - all white with the Japanese red roundel, amongst other things.
#110
Posted 13 February 2012 - 18:15
#111
Posted 13 February 2012 - 19:10
Doesn't ring any bells, but at my age that means very little. I think it was something ".......speed", but again, weren't they all?J & J Stanton ?
#112
Posted 13 February 2012 - 19:15
That rings a bell. It was across the road from Sudbury Hill station. A small shop with a couple of garages attached.
At one time I remember seeing an F3 or F2 of Tetsu Ikasawa - all white with the Japanese red roundel, amongst other things.
Now that does ring many bells! Lotus 59?
F3 in the late '60s. Cor! (I know it's been covered before.)
Edited by johnthebridge, 13 February 2012 - 19:15.
#113
Posted 14 February 2012 - 14:01
That rings a bell. It was across the road from Sudbury Hill station. A small shop with a couple of garages attached.
At one time I remember seeing an F3 or F2 of Tetsu Ikasawa - all white with the Japanese red roundel, amongst other things.
Having slept on it, the name I come up with is "Plus 2", but I could be wrong. Any takers?
#114
Posted 14 February 2012 - 14:17
Having slept on it, the name I come up with is "Plus 2", but I could be wrong. Any takers?
Yes, his Lotus 59. Probably F3 but can't be 100% sure.
I think the premises changed hands & certainly stopped the car prep. It became a 'run of the mill' accessory shop anyway.
#115
Posted 14 February 2012 - 15:00
Good luck with the project, hope that you find plenty of useful records and memorabilia. He was a fine driver, and I have good boyhood memories of seeing him, for example, win F3 at Brands in 1970 and, in 1973, come within a whisker of winning the Thruxton F2 race.
I may have a few cuttings - I'll send you a Private Mail
John
#116
Posted 14 February 2012 - 15:08
#117
Posted 14 February 2012 - 16:25
Yes-I think they mainly made straight cut boxes for Fords , and I think they also did various gearbox extension linkages to re-position the lever nearer the driver, on BMC models. I don't remember where they were located, but I don't think they were tied up with the firm I mentioned earlier, Plus 2. Maybe they were-it all seems so long ago.Shot in the dark here - in Gerry's obituary in Autosport it mentions his involvement with a firm called Wooler's when he was racing FF in 1969. This presumably was CT Wooler who I believe were based in or near Wembley - any bells rung?
#118
Posted 14 February 2012 - 23:44
Yes-I think they mainly made straight cut boxes for Fords , and I think they also did various gearbox extension linkages to re-position the lever nearer the driver, on BMC models. I don't remember where they were located, but I don't think they were tied up with the firm I mentioned earlier, Plus 2. Maybe they were-it all seems so long ago.
Will need to do a little bit more research on this to be conclusive and dig out an old photo of Gerry in the Crossle 16F in 1969. I thought the branding on the car was 'Wooler Performance' but suspect it may have been the firm that you mention. Anyhow the deal was that Gerry worked with Woolers and Crossle sent them the chassis and suspension, bodywork, etc; essentially the parts manufactured in the Crossle factory for the cars being sold in the UK. Gerry and Woolers then supplied the ancillary parts, shock absorbers, wheels, etc and assembled the cars to race ready specification for the customers. Crossle had a similar type of deal with Bert Ray in later years.
#119
Posted 15 February 2012 - 00:53
William
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#120
Posted 15 February 2012 - 09:56
Edited by RTH, 15 February 2012 - 09:57.
#121
Posted 15 February 2012 - 19:45
That rings a bell. It was across the road from Sudbury Hill station. A small shop with a couple of garages attached.
At one time I remember seeing an F3 or F2 of Tetsu Ikasawa - all white with the Japanese red roundel, amongst other things.
Just for reference its Tetsu Ikusawa
#123
Posted 15 February 2012 - 22:11
Just for reference its Tetsu Ikusawa
Konichi wa
Yes, I realised it wasn't the correct spelling after I posted it and hoped nobody would notice.
Should have known better with you sticklers for correctness.
I shall fall on my sword immediately....
But he did do a little F2 after F3 didn't he?
Edited by DogEarred, 15 February 2012 - 22:14.
#124
Posted 15 February 2012 - 22:56
#125
Posted 16 February 2012 - 15:51
Still on the scene, has a base in London & bought an old 911 Targa off a friend of mine last year.Yes indeed - Tetsu was a regular contender in European F2 between 1970 and 1973 before returning home to race in Japan.
#126
Posted 16 February 2012 - 17:07
#127
Posted 16 February 2012 - 18:55
Great memories of Gerry driving all sorts of cars, great in the RS1600 and Capris too, he was regularly at Brands.
#128
Posted 21 February 2012 - 13:01
Will need to do a little bit more research on this to be conclusive and dig out an old photo of Gerry in the Crossle 16F in 1969. I thought the branding on the car was 'Wooler Performance' but suspect it may have been the firm that you mention. Anyhow the deal was that Gerry worked with Woolers and Crossle sent them the chassis and suspension, bodywork, etc; essentially the parts manufactured in the Crossle factory for the cars being sold in the UK. Gerry and Woolers then supplied the ancillary parts, shock absorbers, wheels, etc and assembled the cars to race ready specification for the customers. Crossle had a similar type of deal with Bert Ray in later years.
Gerry at 1969 Phoenix Park, Dublin
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#129
Posted 29 April 2012 - 18:17
#130
Posted 05 May 2021 - 13:38
Leafing through the Bill Wyatt photos that Myhinpaa linked in the 1972 Weaverbird thread, I noticed this good shot of Gerry at the Rothmans 50,000 in August of that same year.
https://www.billwyat...972/i-ffMXVBk/A
Copyright Bill Wyatt
I think that's a sunny evening looking east, out to where the motorway now cuts across the countryside. Low tech Rondel bus in the distance.
Edited by john winfield, 05 May 2021 - 13:40.
#131
Posted 05 May 2021 - 15:15
Leafing through the Bill Wyatt photos that Myhinpaa linked in the 1972 Weaverbird thread, I noticed this good shot of Gerry at the Rothmans 50,000 in August of that same year.
https://www.billwyat...972/i-ffMXVBk/A
Copyright Bill Wyatt
I think that's a sunny evening looking east, out to where the motorway now cuts across the countryside. Low tech Rondel bus in the distance.
.... And that rusty scaffolding pole and corrugated iron sheltering is pretty basic