61 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

As Ian Burgess' Lotus 18 speared off the track at Devil's Elbow, Mallory Park today it occurred to me to wonder where the car would have gone back in the early 1960s, assuming that unlike now there was no armco barrier there.

Would it have careered into the pit area? If not, what did happen to cars that went off there?

[Twin Window]

From my personal recollection (early '80s) that corner was flat.

In anything...

So he shunted the Lotus today?!

[Barry Boor]

'Fraid so!

[Andrew Kitson]

There has always been a barrier there as these Autosport shots testify. The occasion is the official opening of the circuit on 26th April 1956. Bob Gerard did a few laps in his Cooper Bristol with Maurice Cann's Moto Guzzi giving chase. Gerard acheived a lap of 81mph.

In the Devil's Elbow rear view shot, you can see that the lake has yet to be dug out.
Autosport photos from the Chris Meek inspired, Gareth Evans book 'Mallory Park - Portrait of a Country Estate' ISBN 0 9519102 6 4

[Barry Boor]

Thanks for that, Andrew. To see a barrier there is quite a relief.

[Mallory Dan]

I remember Geoff Friswell in a FF2000 Reynard come somersaulting down the hill in 1980, right through the pack, and right over the armco on the inside of the track. It was very spectacular and looked pretty bad, but as I recall he got out unhurt. Certainly the worst looking accident I've ever seen live.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Thanks for that, Andrew. To see a barrier there is quite a relief.

Why so, Barry?

[Barry Boor]

.... because it removes the possibility that various drivers would have had nasties there.

Hitting a barrier is not fun but going off the road at high speed there would be something less than not much fun!

[BRG]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
In the Devil's Elbow rear view shot, you can see that the lake has yet to be dug out.

In the best tradition of 'You learn something every time you enter TNF', I never knew that the Mallory lake wasn't natural. What was that about? Why dig out a lake that cars will then try hard to fall into?

[Mallory Dan]

Somewhere for the Anglers to sit ?

[Andrew Kitson]

The two lakes on the infield were created in the winter of '56/'57 to provide the local anglers with somewhere to fish and create extra revenue.

[Cirrus]

......and the prospect of contracting Weils Disease in the infield must make the barriers seem almost comforting.

[Macca]

The barriers on the exit of the Elbow used to be seriously bad news for bike racers - if they survived the initial impact they'd bounce back into the path of following riders, and several died that way, which is why bikes use the bus-stop chicane (and why there's a new chicane at the Lake Esses where there's very little run-off due to another small lake behind the trees).

I'd always been under the mistaken impression that the lake came before the circuit...........because Gerrards runs round the top of what is effectively the dam that retains the lake. Maybe it's just that I didn't go there until after the run-off had been extended, which presumably meant building the ground up because of the fall of the valley.

Paul M

[2F-001]

Not just anglers - I remember seeing, in my childhood, small powerboats (we called them hydroplanes - never sure if that is a correct nautical term) racing on the lake.

[Andrew Kitson]

To correct my post above, the lakes were created in the winter of '57/58. In May 58, one of the car meetings also had races for motor boats as an added attraction.

There are infact 7 lakes in total. The large and small lakes in the infield, with two much smaller lakes (or ponds) also on the infield beside the Stebbe Straight behind the armco, between the 'Fantasy Island' bridge and smaller lake behind the paddock.
Behind the Lake Esses trees is a large foundation lake with two smaller ones in the trees between the Esses and the Shaws Hairpin.

From the startline, the Kirkby straight is named after the local village Kirkby Mallory, Gerards is named in honour of Bob Gerard, the Stebbe straight after another local village, 'stebbe' being local slang for Stapleton. Shaw's hairpin is named after Jack Shaw, secretary of the Leicester Query Club who organised the first motorcycle meetings.

A great circuit, great memories of F2 internationals, F5000 etc etc.

[Andrew Kitson]

An aerial shot taken at a 1999 bike meeting from the back cover of the Mallory book.
The lakes can be seen including the two small ones to the left of the track on the run up to the hairpin. The large foundation lake is to the left of the Esses, just out of shot.

[BRG]

They could do a nice infield loop if they filled just those lakes in again....

On the subject of lakes, I imagine that the Oulton Park lake is also artificial although doubtless it considerably predates the track?

[Mallory Dan]

Originally posted by 2F-001
Not just anglers - I remember seeing, in my childhood, small powerboats (we called them hydroplanes - never sure if that is a correct nautical term) racing on the lake.

Tony, you're right that it wasn't just for Anglers, it came in pretty handy for the Bay City Rollers to escape some of their teenybopping fans as I recall. Though given the later reputations of some of the Rollers, I reckon the fans had a lucky escape in not being able to get at the lads...

[Barry Boor]

This last post obviously begs the question, "How do you know, Dan? Surely you weren't there!!!!!"

[Andrew Kitson]

I was Barry! It was chaos..
As a radio 1 fun day, there were thousands of tenny bopper girls who turned up,actually trying to get across a LIVE racing circuit to reach the Bay City Rollers who were waving to the crowds from a speed boat! The marshals had a very difficult job trying to control the crowds and keep an eye on the circuit.

[RTH]

Ah.......Valli dangling her legs in the Mallory lake for some publicity photos !

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
I was Barry! It was chaos..
As a radio 1 fun day, there were thousands of tenny bopper girls who turned up,actually trying to get across a LIVE racing circuit to reach the Bay City Rollers who were waving to the crowds from a speed boat! The marshals had a very difficult job trying to control the crowds and keep an eye on the circuit.

I always knew rock bands had no place in motor racing!








Why is it always assumed that anyone wanting to watch a motor race will be thoroughly delighted with rock music?

[paulsenna1]

Originally posted by RTH
Ah.......Valli dangling her legs in the Mallory lake for some publicity photos !

I seem to remember a photo in Autosport of Valli displaying her charms by the lake...

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson

I was Barry! It was chaos..

As a radio 1 fun day, there were thousands of tenny bopper girls who turned up,actually trying to get across a LIVE racing circuit to reach the Bay City Rollers...

I was there too, and it really was mental!

I was working for Alexis, IIRC; one minute it was a normal paddock environment, then the next there were screaming girls running and jumping over your race car - all heading for the lake!

That's a great aerial shot of the circuit, Andrew. It looks such a simple place on the pic, but I can assure you that it's a ballsy circuit from a drivers perspective (never mind about on a bike ).

The easiest corner for me was, ironically, Devil's Elbow because it was flat. The hairpin was a real problem for me, in terms of geting it all right consistantly. Silly with it being so slow, but you do arrive at a rate of knots...

In qualifying for a ProdSports race there in 1980, I spun into the inside of the early part of Gerrards, on bald tyres on a saturated surface! I tell you, I soooooo nearly went in the lake... During the race before mine the same day, a Camaro (or similar) did just that, albeit at the exit of the corner!

Looking again I'm sure that, when I drove there, the run-off - on the outside of Gerrards in particular - was nowhere near as wide.

[Andrew Kitson]

Keith Holland I recall put his F5000 Lola in the lake too - can't remember the year and a few years ago, an ASCAR ended up in one too.

[RTH]

Originally posted by paulsenna1


I seem to remember a photo in Autosport of Valli displaying her charms by the lake...

.......Did I neglect to mention she was also topless ?

[ian senior]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
Keith Holland I recall put his F5000 Lola in the lake too - can't remember the year and a few years ago, an ASCAR ended up in one too.

As indeed did Terry Sanger in his first outing in the Harrier in 1971, although I think he was "put" there by someone else (Mr J Allport?)

I think Ray Bell needs some education if he thinks the Bay City Rollers produced "rock" music!

[Mallory Dan]

Unsurprisingly I was there also, and aged 12, was very dischuffed that the racing was ruined by a load of girlies !

Not a great meeting entry-wise IIRC, the highlight, for me anyway, was the Forward Trust Spec Saloons, Whiting winning as usual for that time. Jock Robertson (whatever happened to him ?) won the little Prodsaloons, Brian Rice the big'uns. I presume you were working on the Alexis FF1600s TW ? Cozy Powell won the ShellSport Celebrity Escorts, from Noel Edmonds.

I'll get my coat !!

[Twin Window]

You mean that you were really at Mallory, Dan?!

Yeah, I can only imagine that I was working at Alexis at the time - there's no way I'd have gone otherwise, frankly. And I don't mean to be rude, as I think the 'Radio 1 Road Shows' did a great deal to bring our sport into the psychie of the nation at the time.

But that particular day was quite surreal! And a wee bit scary...

PS I keep looking back at Andrew's aerial shot while remembering the track from the driver's viewpoint... blimey, the Esses look so tight on entry on the photo! Sure; that was a tricky place - and bloody quick - but it really does look different from above! Has it been altered to create a tighter entry somehow?! And the infield at Gerrards looks a lot narrower... I mean I spun onto that and went on for ages (without hitting anything), and missed the lake. But, judging by the this pic, I can't see how that was possible!

[Andrew Kitson]

Looking at the photo again Twinny, if it was 1999 as printed in the book, I've just realised I would have been there!

By the size of the crowd it would definitely be the biggest event at Mallory these days, the September British Superbike meeting. Not really into 2-wheels myself but circuit owner Chris Meek is a customer of my work and has become a good friend. I am fortunate to be invited each year to his 'Fantasy Island' BBQ party that he has every Superbike meeting, hence the white marquee set up on the Island. Not such a great view of the racing from there, but great hospitality as ever with Chris and his Titan Group staff, long into the evening!

Regular guests at his Superbike bash are his long term supporter and entrant Bill Jones, Tim Parnell and Dave Brodie with many other motorcycle racing names I am not so familiar with.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson

...Not really into 2-wheels myself...

Well you should be - it's the best racing on the planet these days!

...but circuit owner Chris Meek is a customer of my work and has become a good friend.

Spookily enough, the spin at Gerrards [which I mentioned earlier] was performed in... Chris's TVR! Not only that, but in mid-spin I realised that the headlights which I'd seen in my mirrors for a few laps prior were those on his Panther Lima! In other words, he saw his other car gyrate towards the wet stuff from very close quarters...

Please pass on my regards to Chris the next time you're in touch. He's a top chap.

[Mallory Dan]

One of my earliest memories of... guess where, was Chris' lovely white Princess Ita Escort. What/who was Princess Ita, I wonder ? Given that he was from God's Own City, I followed him thru' the 70s.
Bit of a character I believe.....

[RTH]

In those days he used to drive home in a gold Corniche convertible 'CM 1', top down,sun glasses a companion with long flowing blonde hair , outside lane all the way !

Didn't look to be too bad a life from where I was sitting , - (in a Maxi towing a mini )

Incidently I saw reg no. ST 1 auctioned at Newmarket racecourse a week ago , with the buyers premium it made £109,000 on a retention certificate

[Andrew Kitson]

He has long flowing black hair these days and a very rude registration number on one car aswell as CM1 on his Enzo.

[FrankB]

Just picked up this thread after being at Mallory yesterday.

There was discussion earlier in the thread about the lakes being created a couple of years after the circuit was opened. As Macca pointed out, Gerrards appears to be running along the crest of a dam which is retaining the lake. Was this dam in place from the outset? One of the photos in Andrew Kitson's post is captioned "The Lake Esses", implying that the lake was at the very least planned for if not in place at the time of the opening. Was the track substantially different originally at Gerrards, or was the dam already in place?

[Fris the Whizz]

I remember Geoff Friswell in a FF2000 Reynard come somersaulting down the hill in 1980, right through the pack, and right over the armco on the inside of the track. It was very spectacular and looked pretty bad, but as I recall he got out unhurt. Certainly the worst looking accident I've ever seen live.

Here are the pictures, I was taken to Leicester Infirmary with concussion and a very painful back, after a 2 minute diagnosis I was discharged, even though I couldn't sit up. My wife and friends had to get my clothes from Mallory Park, dress me, as I couldn't move, and then borrow a wheel chair to get me to the car. I went back a week later to complain about my back, but was thrown out again. My own doctor had been on holiday all this time, and when he got back I went to see him at his home, where he actually felt a problem with a couple of vertebrae, he met me at Rugby Hospital casualty department the next morning, after a couple of X-rays the house man asked when I did it..............."two and a half weeks ago" I told him. "Do you realise you're lucky not to have severed your spinal cord, you've got two crushed vertebrae, luckily they will be stable by now."

Fortunately I had no real problems after that, and it's fine now, just aches a bit if I'm tired!

Immediately after the accident I was out cold for 10 minutes, I'd been taken into the trackside medical room, and as they were putting me into the ambulance I was woken from my slumber by Barry "Whizzo" Williams screaming at me ........."Eh Fris, watch out for 'Big Lill'......." It woke me up immediately, but even when I got to hospital I couldn't remember what had happened, what car I was in, or even what track I'd been at!


This is Roy Bates "New" Ex-Chris Skellern Reynard


Entering "The Elbow" Richard Trott is already gone, the first car in this group spun


I'm now on about my third sumersault, the side pod is just coming away!


I've now hit the armco (I didn't go over) the side pod IS going over, but I managed to get Roy Bates a bit of advertising!


The finished article! Note how the roll-over bar broke, crushing me down in the car, and my helmet was almost worn right through on top, I was a very lucky boy that day!

[Cirrus]

It's interesting to see how the top of the dash has also been worn away. Using the dash as an additional rollbar had only become mandatory a couple of years before...

[Gregor Marshall]

Great pictures and story Geoff, very lucky!!

Looking at Andrew's picture brought back lots of memories of Mallory but not many for racing, mainly the parties on Fantasy Island during and after the racing and the weird toilet there; anyone who has been on Fantasy Island should know what I mean!! After one party I was taken round the track by Dad, anti-clockwise, on the back of a brand new Harley (no helmets obviously!!) that Chris was trying, probably my scariest ever journey with Dad!!

Did any of you go round Mallory with Dad or Tony in the Porsche 962? They had a school there for a short time and some young IT millionaire with a ponytail and motorbikes had bought this 962 and they managed to talk him into letting them use it; it was sponsored by Death cigarettes!! I have some pistures I could post if anyone's interested??

[MCS]

Originally posted by BRG
On the subject of lakes, I imagine that the Oulton Park lake is also artificial although doubtless it considerably predates the track?

There are other lakes in the area, but if you look at this thread http://forums.autosp...174#post3014174 you could easily be forgiven for thinking that the lake was "designed" as part of the landscape surrounding the old hall...

[alansart]

Originally posted by Gregor Marshall
Did any of you go round Mallory with Dad or Tony in the Porsche 962? They had a school there for a short time and some young IT millionaire with a ponytail and motorbikes had bought this 962 and they managed to talk him into letting them use it; it was sponsored by Death cigarettes!! I have some pistures I could post if anyone's interested??

Of course we're interested. Cracking spelling mistake as well

[Gregor Marshall]

Originally posted by alansart


Of course we're interested. Cracking spelling mistake as well

Haha, just noticed the spelling mistake too, whoops!!

I haven't got all the Porsche ones in my Photobucket account, so 'll scan some more in when I get home later but here's one of the Porsche and another couple, maybe taken by a few of the TNFers, no credits on the back unfortunately, so apologies.

962 1991 maybe?? I don't know the chassis details of the car though - TL's road Alfa 164 in the background



Production Saloons, great battles with Graham Skid Scarborough and Norris Miles.



1986, you should see the other pictures!! Bob Sands and DJ Mike Smith have a coming together, the rest of the field almost join in on the way rounds as the black flags weren't spotted; maybe this is why we don't have black flags anymore?? There was a big tribunal about it at the time.



Hamilton Motors car, not sure when, but would be 1975 to 1977



1992 - BRDC/BRSCC National Saloon Cars - Too much front brake!!

[llmaurice]

Re-Devils elbow , the bikers have the indignity of the bus stop to try to slow the speed down although there is still the occasional drama exitting the last remains of the elbow on the bike circuit . On top of that ,the "new" chicane out of Gerards and the other chicane (Edwinas)at the end of the Stebbe straight have detracted somewhat for the Mallory of yesterday.
Mind you ,there is still a lesson to be learnt from Mallory if ever Mr. Palmer would deign to fly in ,that is the wonderful cafe staffed by old dears (even older that moi) who still know what a biker likes for his breakfast ,and at a reasonable cost . There is even some electricity in the paddock now plus the toilets have ben "modernised". The old tree ,on the approach to the hairpin is no longer there either.
Still a pleasure to race there in my opinion . Not at all like the sanitized MSV circuits !

[alansart]

Originally posted by Gregor Marshall


Haha, just noticed the spelling mistake too, whoops!!

I haven't got all the Porsche ones in my Photobucket account, so 'll scan some more in when I get home later but here's one of the Porsche and another couple, maybe taken by a few of the TNFers, no credits on the back unfortunately, so apologies.

962 1991 maybe?? I don't know the chassis details of the car though - TL's road Alfa 164 in the background

I can imagine Messrs Marshall and Lanfranchi had great fun scaring the living daylights of all who sat in the passenger seat. I'd loved to have seen it.

Excellent

[BerndRos]

For my 50 th , my kids bought me a full day at Mallory driving various cars to include a F1 Tyrrell , great fun and Devils Elbow leading onto the straight was great !

[Mondiale M85S]

So, just to confirm, is there definitely no chance of seeing Valli's norks on this thread then?

[Mallory Dan]

Originally posted by Mondiale M85S
So, just to confirm, is there definitely no chance of seeing Valli's norks on this thread then?

What are norks, M??? By the way, anyone know about the 962, an ex-TLD car perhaps?

[rbm]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
I remember Geoff Friswell in a FF2000 Reynard come somersaulting down the hill in 1980, right through the pack, and right over the armco on the inside of the track. It was very spectacular and looked pretty bad, but as I recall he got out unhurt. Certainly the worst looking accident I've ever seen live.

I met Geoff Friswell recently (bought a JAP speedway engine for the Cooper off him) and he was decribing the crash and what not to do - as the next day was my first race at Mallory.

[fines]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
What are norks, M???

I think I know what he meant ;) And I'm not even English!

[Mallory Dan]

Originally posted by fines

I think I know what he meant ;) And I'm not even English!

Yeah I knew OK, fines, just me being sarcastic! IIRC she didn't have too much to see anyway, Nork-wise...

What about that 962 though, there weren't too many of them in Club Racing around 91-92??

[D-Type]

Try 'Search BB' and you'll find Valli. Unfortunately some pictures have vanished into cyberspace.