220 replies to this topic

[Twin Window]

Quote

Originally posted by bigears

Is it during qualifying? As Eliseo Salazar didn't qualify his March into the race.

Don't remind me... Yes it is (it's 1987 not '88 - sorry about that) when Russell Spence bumped him by something miniscule like 7/1000th sec on the chequered flag lap, and I had to bear the brunt of Eliseo's frustrations. Prior to Birmingham I'd last seen Russell indoor karting when he'd hit me so hard from behind, he'd left a tyre mark all the way up the back of my helmet. And the first person we saw back at the hotel was... Russell.

You can use them by all means - I've got another of Eliseo which I've yet to scan.

[bigears]

Quote

Originally posted by Twin Window
Don't remind me... Yes it is (it's 1987 not '88 - sorry about that) when Russell Spence bumped him by something miniscule like 7/1000th sec on the chequered flag lap, and I had to bear the brunt of Eliseo's frustrations. Prior to Birmingham I'd last seen Russell indoor karting when he'd hit me so hard from behind, he'd left a tyre mark all the way up the back of my helmet. And the first person we saw back at the hotel was... Russell.

You can use them by all means - I've got another of Eliseo which I've yet to scan.

Indoor karting? Was it at this place?



But you got to admit that Red's final qualifying lap was impressive. He got 1m 23.8 and his fastest lap before that lap was 1m 24.2! Also he glanced the barriers three times during that lap!

Please do tell me more about the 1987 Birmingham Superprix with your experiences...;)

[Gregor Marshall]

Quote

Originally posted by bigears


The Birmingham Motoring Festival in 1973? Interesting!

I only got information about it in 1970:

http://8w.forix.com/bsp-70.html

Also there is the 'On the Streets' show in 1978 and 1980:

http://8w.forix.com/bsp-80-81.html

This is some more information from a post at 10/10ths about the 1973 Motoring Festival:



Anyway, what I am assuming that the 'pit' in Birmingham must be a place to store their car and attend to the car before their demo run around the Motoring Festival route as Gerry described.

Gregor, is there a programme about the 1973 Motoring Festival around? I would be interested to know more. [/B]

I know it's not very clear but I beleive the date is actually 1975 (not 1973) as this was typed on an old type-writer. Also, I'm sure the signee was someone at Vauxhall, hence the Hamilton Motors car and not RX3 and therefore would have to 1975 as the Firenza (the Hamilton Motors car was an ex-Thruxton Droop Snoot racecar) wasn't launched until 1974. Confused?? It's logical in my mind!!

[fines]

It surely is 1975 as there are a couple of "3s" further down in the letter and they look different. Just a thought, maybe it was a Show or something, and the "pit" refered to the stand (or stall) the car was supposed to be displayed in?

[bigears]

Perhaps I need to email Mr Martin Hone himself then!

I am confident it is like a motorsport parade, presumbly with each of the cars having their own pit/stall

[Gregor Marshall]

Maybe Gerry T got his years wrong and it was 1975, not '74 or '73? I think you might be right and that Martin Hone is the only person to be able to answer; I haven't been able to find anything new in my stuff.

[bigears]

Prior to my earlier post, quoting Gerry Taylor's post. He did mention the year of 1973 (although he wasn't sure together with 1974) but it could be possible that it is in 1975.

Thank you Gregor for digging up some interesting information! I hope you will find some more information.

[Phil Rainford]

In this week's "Motorsport News" it is alluded to the fact that Britcar boss James Tucker is in negotiations with several councils about creating a street race in the UK.

He speifically mentions Birmingham and says he sees no reason why a race could not be held there again!!

Kind regards

Phil

[bigears]

Quote

Originally posted by Phil Rainford
In this week's "Motorsport News" it is alluded to the fact that Britcar boss James Tucker is in negotiations with several councils about creating a street race in the UK.

He speifically mentions Birmingham and says he sees no reason why a race could not be held there again!!

Kind regards

Phil

Thank you for the thumbs up. I will buy the newspaper tomorrow.

I have found some information about the 1975 Motoring Festival. It is called the "Duckhams Motoring Festival" and it took place in 1975.

That's all I got together with Gerry Taylor's post I have pasted a few posts up. I got no information about who and what cars that took part there.

[Mondiale M85S]

Birmingham Wheels Raceway upgraded their barrier around the oval with some ex Superprix sheets of armco, they are probably absolutely mullered now as this was 6-7 years ago.......

[bigears]

I think I have cracked it regarding about the festivals with some more research:

1970: Birmingham Motoring Festival.

1972: Birmingham International Motoring Festival.

1975: Duckhams Motoring Festival.

1976: There was a proposed Birmingham Motoring Festival but it was cancelled.

1978: Lucas 'On The Streets' parade.

1980: 'On The Streets' parade.

1984: The Chequered Bitter run.

My research is coming on really nicely and I have been working very hard with the articles. Please keep anything about the BSP coming in.

[Gregor Marshall]

Keep up the good work bigears.

[Terry Thorp]

I remember back in 1972 the festival featured a car rally for the first time. Won by Laurie Richards and yours truly..The start was about a mile from where I grew up!

[bigears]

Quote

Originally posted by Terry Thorp
I remember back in 1972 the festival featured a car rally for the first time. Won by Laurie Richards and yours truly..The start was about a mile from where I grew up!

Could you tell me more about the festival? I got very little information about the early Motoring Festivals at the moment.

[Phil Rainford]

TVR action from 1990 ...............McRae Senior in full flow

PAR

[bigears]

I am doing some research into the journalistic coverage of the Birmingham Superprix and I wondered if the F3000 series is well covered in the 1980s?

I know that:

Autosport,
Motoring News (with fellow TNFer Simon Arron covering the events)
Auto Hebao (French motorsport magazine)
Auto Sprint (Italian motorsport magazine)
Autocar,
Motor,

Is there any more magazines/newpapers that may have covered F3000 extensively?

I know that there was a big interest with F3000 in the UK, France and Italy, hence the numerous drivers taking part in the F3000 series from the representative countries. But is there any more countries/magazines that might have had an interest in F3000?

Thank you.

[NanningF1fan]

If this thread is still alive I could perhaps add a marshals perspective on the first Birmingham Superprix which was a unique experience.

The marshals campsite was in a public park near the old Austin factory at Longbridge. When I arrived the night before practice it looked great. The facilities were far better than the British club circuits I was used to and it was a beautiful sunny evening. So far so good.

The next morning it was raining heavily which was no problem as British marshals always go equipped for anything. But then the trouble started. Everybody assembled at the park gate for the bus to the circuit and waited, and waited, and waited. No bus and signing on time had come and gone. Some people tried to get to the circuit in their own cars but all the access roads had been closed by the police. In the end somebody spotted a Birmingham Council bus inspector and several large marshals collared him and forced him to radio his headquarters to find out where the bus had got to. The reply came back that it was only practice day so the bus had been cancelled. Some idiot in the council offices, who had never seen a motor race, assumed that no marshals would be needed for practice!

Eventually a bus was found and we all arrived and signed on more than an hour late. I was assigned to Halfords and we began to check the equipment. First of all numerous sections of the armco had been assembled the wrong way round with the bolts projecting onto the circuit ready to rip open any car that slid along them. When this was reported a gang of Gypsies were sent to rebuild the armco. They had no tools and arrived in an ancient wreck of a truck which dropped oil all over the circuit. The marshals got rid of them and we fixed the armco ourselves with whatever we could scavenge. But that wasn't the end of the problems. The debris fence was so close to the armco that in places it was impossible to run between them with a fire extinguisher. Where there was a gap it was full of old scaffolding poles and building debris. Despite protests about this practice eventually started hours late.

When practice did start the cars were spectacular. For the F3000 qualifiying I was right on the clipping point at the exit of the corner standing about 6 inches from the armco. I couldn't move back because the debris fence was touching my arse. It was that tight. I soon worked out that if I could see the whole of a driver's left rear tyre as he exited the corner he wouldn't qualify. If I could see half his tyre he would be on the back of the grid. If the whole tyre was hidden in the shadow of the armco he might be on pole.

In the actual race Sala was amazing and why he never made any impression in F1 has always been a mystery to me. Then came the Thundersports Race which was ended by a fiery accident to Robin Smith. He crashed at the top of Belgrave Middleway and bounced from side to side of the track on fire for a very long way before coming to rest in the breaking area of Halfords. I had to run round the blind corner trackside with a fire extinguisher to get to him. By the time I did colleagues had the fire more or less out and he escaped with minor burns. They had had to cross the track with the circuit still live because it took ages to get the race stopped. In fact if John Foulston hadn't taken the initiative and stopped the field himself by throwing his hand in the area and weaving all over the track to slow the cars down then I think Smith would have been more seriously hurt.

I am sure that his car was ripped open by armco that had been assembled the wrong way round and not noticed before racing started. His family thought likewise and tried for years to sue Birmingham City Council over the incident. However the relevant piece of armco mysteriously disappeared after the circuit was dismantled and all sorts of legal delaying tactics were used until eventually I believe the matter was dropped. However the Council didn't entirely get away with it. Juan Antonio Samaranch, then President of the IOC, was in Birmingham that weekend to assess the city's capability to host an international sporting event. Despite a lot of spin he knew a cock up when he saw one. I still believe that the fiasco of the first Superprix cost Birmingham the chance to host the Olympic Games.

As for me my personal weekend got worse as my road car broke its fan belt on the way home and I got soaked improvising a repair on the hard shoulder of the M6. That was the last straw and I never marshalled Birmingham again.

Edited by NanningF1fan, 21 July 2009 - 09:55.

[bigears]

Does anyone have anything when the 1975 Duckhams Motoring Festival took place in Birmingham?

Gregor?

[Gregor Marshall]

I'll check when I get home and see if I have anything.
Gerry Taylor on 10/10ths confirmed that he was at the Duckhams show in 1975 as did another poster.

[Ren� de Boer]

@bigears:

As to the journalistic coverage of the event, I am pretty sure that the British national tourist board invited one Dutch motorsport journalist, Hubert Winckers, over to cover the event. I think his story was published in Dutch monthly magazine, "Auto Selekt". Unfortunately, Hubert passed away ten years ago and the magazine already closed down before that, but I will try to get in touch with the former publisher to try and get a scan of the article.

For the German-speaking media, German journalist Wolfgang Monsehr covered all F3000-races, so I think he should have some articles published as well, perhaps in weekly "Motorsport Aktuell" and monthly "Rallye Racing". I have a lot of back issues of both, but not from that time. However, I will keep it in mind and try to find more.

[Simon Arron]

Bigears

Check your PMs. I have sent you Wolfgang's e-mail address. He is working in the States at present, covering NASCAR.

[rossifumi46]

Did you know about this forthcoming release....



http://www.amazon.co...i...7968&sr=8-1

[Racer.Demon]

He should. bigears is the author...

Also see http://8w.forix.com/bsp.html. I still hope we can one day finish it, David!

[bigears]

René de Boer, on Jul 21 2009, 11:39, said:

@bigears:

As to the journalistic coverage of the event, I am pretty sure that the British national tourist board invited one Dutch motorsport journalist, Hubert Winckers, over to cover the event. I think his story was published in Dutch monthly magazine, "Auto Selekt". Unfortunately, Hubert passed away ten years ago and the magazine already closed down before that, but I will try to get in touch with the former publisher to try and get a scan of the article.

For the German-speaking media, German journalist Wolfgang Monsehr covered all F3000-races, so I think he should have some articles published as well, perhaps in weekly "Motorsport Aktuell" and monthly "Rallye Racing". I have a lot of back issues of both, but not from that time. However, I will keep it in mind and try to find more.

Brilliant, I didn't know that the German media covered F3000 extensively. I will have a look on German eBay and see if I can get some copies of the magazines to help me with my research.

Please do let me know about the former publisher, it would help me a lot.

Simon Arron, on Jul 21 2009, 12:30, said:

Bigears

Check your PMs. I have sent you Wolfgang's e-mail address. He is working in the States at present, covering NASCAR.

Thank you very much for the PM, I will email him tonight. I am sure he will be busy tonight but hopefully he will notice my email and we can sort something out. I will drop in your name to him that you helped me with this arrangement.

[sky9liner]

I don't know if anybody is still interested but I was responsible for the BL Participation in the Duckhams Motoring Festival.

Pits erection began on Tuesday 2 September 1975 in Victoria Square in the middle of Birmingham. The pit holders were due to move in on 4 September and the Festival proper started on Monday 8 September. I was based in a Land Rover promotional caravan parked alongside the Town Hall. On Saturday 13 September we had a grand parade around the city centre which included a weird collection of vehicles including our Range Rover driveable chassis (literally a chassis with a driver's seat, engine, running gear etc but no bodywork) and a Scorpion light tank.

We brought the Silverstone fire engine (a manual Jaguar XJ12) up for the racing car parade and I have a photograph of myself standing alongside its open door. Sadly at this great distance I can't remember much more except that it was all Martin Hone's idea to promote the idea of round the streets racing in Birmingham. The parade route went from Victoria Square down New Street, left into Corporation Street, left into Bull Street, left into Colmore Row and back to Victoria Square. I think there was a parade every day but can't be sure.

Hope that's useful.

[Gregor Marshall]

Great story - I had the pleasure of meeting Martin Hone at the Bentley Driver's Club meeting at Silverstone a couple of weeks ago; really nice chap and I can see how he got things done!!

[tyrrellp346wheels]

looking forward to the book big ears !

[bigears]

Thank you for your interest, it will be coming soon!

[bigears]

René de Boer, on Jul 21 2009, 10:39, said:

@bigears:

As to the journalistic coverage of the event, I am pretty sure that the British national tourist board invited one Dutch motorsport journalist, Hubert Winckers, over to cover the event. I think his story was published in Dutch monthly magazine, "Auto Selekt". Unfortunately, Hubert passed away ten years ago and the magazine already closed down before that, but I will try to get in touch with the former publisher to try and get a scan of the article.

For the German-speaking media, German journalist Wolfgang Monsehr covered all F3000-races, so I think he should have some articles published as well, perhaps in weekly "Motorsport Aktuell" and monthly "Rallye Racing". I have a lot of back issues of both, but not from that time. However, I will keep it in mind and try to find more.

Any luck about the issues and their edition numbers so I can try to find it on eBay?

Same for the scan of the article you mentioned as well.

Thank you.

[bigears]

I stumbled across this website: http://www.jonjones....ls.php?album=25

I found some photos from the 1978 Birmingham Motoring Festival. I would like your help to identify the drivers and cars in most detail as possible. Here are the photos, all credits goes to Jon Jones:



Mark Dunham in the unknown #52 car on the left with Roger Andreason in the Druid on the right.



Dave Allen in his Royale Supervee.



Paul Morton lost his brakes in his F3 (what make?) car and crashed into a female spectator, she was injuried but recovered soon afterwards.





David Render in his Lotus 77 car.



Who is in the 1976-spec Ferrari 312T2 Clay Reggazoni's Ferrari there? Geoff Lees' Mario Deliotti-owned Hi-Line Car Stripes Ensign (what car model?) is on the right.



Mike Wheatley in the #32Marsh Plant Lola T70 3B? Behind the Lola is the ex-Scuderia Montjuich Ferrari 512M (1002) owned by Robert Horne.



Simon Riley's Brabham BT33 fitted with a BT37 nose.



An Elden?

If you want the bigger versions of the photos, go to the website and click on the photo, a bigger photo show pop up in a new window.

Looking forward to your replies. Thank you.

Edited by bigears, 27 March 2010 - 19:32.

[Alan Cox]

Second photo - Dave Allen, Royale supervee
Seventh pic - Marsh Plant Lola T70 3B. Driver could be Mike Wheatley?

Stephen W should be able to pinpoint some of the hillclimbers.

[bigears]

Lovely, that's a start!

[alansart]

bigears, on Mar 27 2010, 13:25, said:

I stumbled across this website: http://www.jonjones....ls.php?album=25

I found some photos from the 1978 Birmingham Motoring Festival. I would like your help to identify the drivers and cars in most detail as possible. Here are the photos, all credits goes to Jon Jones:




Looking forward to your replies. Thank you.

The car on the right I think is Roger Andreason in the Druid

[bigears]

Here is two more from my collection. There is a better view of the Andreason car in the background below:





Could anyone do more identifying in the latest photos please?

[Alan Cox]

Bottom photo - Steve Malins in the Mamod Chevron B43 No 48

[Phil Rainford]

bigears, on Mar 27 2010, 19:06, said:

Here is two more from my collection. There is a better view of the Andreason car in the background below:




Could anyone do more identifying in the latest photos please?

Almost certain that is Ray Mallock in the Ensign



Check out his helmet from last year

PAR

[Mallory Dan]

The Paul Morton car is an F3 Hawke, DL5 perhaps. He entered, but rarely raced, in various F3/Libre events of the period. The no. 30 FF2000 is a Hawke, not Elden, Chris Skellern maybe? He was West Mids based, as was Morton I think. The Wychavon FF2000 in front of Malins is a Dulon FF2000, Bill something rings a bell. I don't recognise the no. 29 March, it looks 75B-ish, a climber/sprinter perhaps?

[MCS]

Mallory Dan, on Mar 29 2010, 12:23, said:

The Paul Morton car is an F3 Hawke, DL5 perhaps. He entered, but rarely raced, in various F3/Libre events of the period. The no. 30 FF2000 is a Hawke, not Elden, Chris Skellern maybe? He was West Mids based, as was Morton I think. The Wychavon FF2000 in front of Malins is a Dulon FF2000, Bill something rings a bell. I don't recognise the no. 29 March, it looks 75B-ish, a climber/sprinter perhaps?

No 30 is a Crossle methinks - the rear wing says Richard Dutton Racing...

[Mallory Dan]

MCS, on Mar 29 2010, 20:09, said:

No 30 is a Crossle methinks - the rear wing says Richard Dutton Racing...

You're spot on Mark brainfade on my part! Definitely a Crossle 33F, and if its Dutton it could well be Tim Wallwork's car from that era.

[bigears]

Excellent contributions chaps!

Please keep them coming!

Anyway, I went for a radio interview in the Carl Chinn programme with BBC WM about my Birmingham Superprix book. I was in the studio with Martin Hone and Sam Collins (my book editor and of Autodrome books fame)

You can catch the interview on the BBC iPlayer. I think the interview is after the first hour mark:

http://www.bbc.co.uk...inn_28_03_2010/

[Racer.Demon]

David, I was mailed by The Birmingham Industrial History Group today. I forwarded their message to you, did you get it?

[Racer.Demon]

And another such request, this time by Evo Magazine no less, concerning the 1981 Dubai GP organised by Martin Hone. I forwarded their request for information again. Hope you received it.

[tyrrellp346wheels]

Great images on this link witch I believe shows the atmosphere of the event.

http://www.birmingha...97319-23901559/

Also the pic of Render's lotus 77, does anyone know what the sponser logos says on the sidepod

Love this photo as well.
http://www.flickr.co...@N02/2664223158

Edited by tyrrellp346wheels, 09 November 2010 - 20:06.

[MCS]

tyrrellp346wheels, on Nov 9 2010, 20:03, said:

Also the pic of Render's lotus 77, does anyone know what the sponser logos says on the sidepod

Warecrete. Render's concrete company in Hertfordshire.

Incredibly, whilst doing a search (out of idle curiosity more than anything else), I came across a site announcing that David Render himself is giving a talk this evening about Warecrete:

http://www.cihs.org.uk/

Edited by MCS, 10 November 2010 - 17:37.

[tyrrellp346wheels]

Thanks MCS

[Mallory Dan]

What about that FAt/F3 March no. 29 above, still not been identified!

[bigears]

I have recently contacted Martin Hone about the Birmingham Motoring Festivals and car demostrations around the city of Birmingham. So this is the complete list before the Birmingham Superprix started in 1986.

1970 - Birmingham Motoring Festival,
1972 - Birmingham Motoring Festival,
1975 - Duckhams Birmingham Motoring Festival,
1976 - Patrick Neve did a demo run in his Brabham-Alfa F1 car,
1977 - Martin Hone demostrated his Porsche 906 and with Wayne Wainwright, Basil (Tye?) and Steve Thompson in their Ford Escort Mexicos around a 1.8 mile circuit at the NEC,
1978 - 'On The Streets' parade,
1980 - A demostration run with a HWM Jaguar driven by Nick...? around the proposed Bull Ring circuit,
1980 - Lucas 'On The Streets' parade,
Late 1983/1984 - Martin Hone drove Nigel Dawes' Jaguar D-Type around the proposed Birmingham Superprix circuit.
1984 - Sportscar demostration run with Steve Thompson in his GRID Cosworth and Nigel Porter in his republica Ford GT40 car.
1984 - Chequer Bitter Run parade.
1986 - Track rehearsal featuring Rod Birley, Roger Orgee, Tony Trimmer and Mike Wilds.

Now, can anyone shed any light on the name of the driver who demostrated his HWM Jaguar around the Bull Ring in 1980?

Is it Nick Wigley?

I hope someone out there can help me out. Thank you.

Edited by bigears, 19 December 2010 - 18:56.

[MCS]

bigears, on Dec 19 2010, 18:51, said:

Now, can anyone shed any light on the name of the driver who demostrated his HWM Jaguar around the Bull Ring in 1980?

Is it Nick Wigley?

I hope someone out there can help me out. Thank you.

Very likely, but others on here would know for certain.

[Gregor Marshall]

MCS, on Nov 9 2010, 20:31, said:

Warecrete. Render's concrete company in Hertfordshire.

Incredibly, whilst doing a search (out of idle curiosity more than anything else), I came across a site announcing that David Render himself is giving a talk this evening about Warecrete:

David very kindly visited my mother in hospital last week - he's fighting fit and a lovely chap.
bigears - I finally got a copy of the book, worth a read for those that haven't - read my copy whilst driving over to Spa!!

[Phil Rainford]

From Race Retro yesterday






PAR