32 replies to this topic

[David M. Kane]

Paul Taylor bought up an excellent question the other day. How did 20 teams get into the Spa paddock in 1989?

So this prompt the question when did the Paddock Club start?

I am of the opinion that the need for more space in the "new" paadock is mostly to accomodate the growing Team/Sponsor "Spaceships" and the Paddock Club.

The last time I checked Paddy was worth $450M US, pretty good bread for his loyality to Bernie.

I notice today at Hockenheim that the Paddock Club was literally on top of the pits. 3-day weekend passes are 2,100 Euros per person, at the USGP it was $4,300 US per person. At Indy they had slots for 140 people. They have other options which I didn't check out.

Corporate entertainment is what it is all about in the US with the NFL, NBA, etc. having expensive luxury boxes, so it's just not F1. Champ Car is also totally focused on Corporate Entertainment.
As a result the product in all of these sports have been compromised and the quality has fallen off;
and as usual the little guy is suppose to buy the product to support others lifestyles.

So what is the history of Paddy and this Paddock Club and Allsport Management. It says in the links below he is good friends with Fergie.

http://www.grandprix...cref-mcpad.htlm

http://www.grandprix...ns/ns01014.html

[2F-001]

I believe McNally worked for Philip Morris at some point ( can we have a thread without them, please! ).
If you have the patience you can pick Mr McNally, the Paddock Club and a claimed role for him in Allsopp, Parker and Marsh from within the labyrinthine financial structure of "F1" as explored by "The Economist" a few years ago
http://www.economist...m?story_id=6012

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

he hails form co monaghan in ireland , so he mudt be yhre richest irishman in motorsport .

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by EDWARD FITZGERALD
he hails form co monaghan in ireland , so he mudt be yhre richest irishman in motorsport .

I'm not sure. Irvine earnt a lot with Ferrari and has become a property dealer since retirement, so he might be up there with McNally.

[2F-001]

I think Irvine had made a heap of money through shrewd investments when he was racing (quite lucratively) in Japan - before he pitched up in the F1 circus.

[hipperson]

I think McNally has never been poor....when I bought my 1966 Ferrari 275GTB/2 in 1971 his name was in the old style log book as the second owner.

[kayemod]

I remember that Paddy McNally had a regular column in Autosport many years ago, I know he had racing connections, but not too sure if they amounted to anything much more than hanger-on status. Some connection with Firestone possibly, marrying the boss's daughter or something like that? Rumour has it that Sarah Ferguson's toothbrush was quite often in his bathroom in the years before her marriage to HRH.

[bradbury west]

Paddy must have been comfortably off in those to be able to afford to work for Autosport, but he always wrote good articles, and I always enjoyed his track tests.

RL

[David M. Kane]

2F-001:

The article in the Economist was very good. If you and I did half the things...

[Sharman]

He certainly drove/owned some expensive motor-cars when he worked for Autosport

[kayemod]

Originally posted by Sharman
He certainly drove/owned some expensive motor-cars when he worked for Autosport

Nick Brittan wrote for Autosport in the same era. I remembering NB mentioning Paddy's 911s & others, plus the fact that a private income, by implication like Paddy's, was useful if you wanted to work for the magazine full time.

[David Beard]

I recall a Clubbie at Silverstone sometime in the late sixties....

Patrick McNally (if I have the right bloke) came thundering off the end of club straight and hit the bank with a thud that made the Woodcote stands shake. I think he was driving a Mustang?

[David M. Kane]

Surfing the web, he ran the whole '68 Springbok Series as a midfielder in a 911T. In 1969 as an entrant Charles Lucas finished 6th in a Porsche 910, Denny Hulme finished 1st in a Lola T70, Mk.3.
So it is possible he drove a Mustang that season and was he fact the one who quaked the bleachers.

In April, 2006 it was reported his trackside signage business and Paddock Club were worth $1B and that CVC was buying it and keeping him as CEO.

Clearly I lack the "vision" of CVC...

[Ross Stonefeld]

I think it went to CVC for less than 1bil, though it was valued at 1bil a few years ago in an offer he supposedly turned down.

Is it possible there's more than one Patrick McNally? It does seem a rather 'normal' name.

[Gary C]

there's only one Paddy McNally !!!

[David Beard]

Originally posted by David Beard
I recall a Clubbie at Silverstone sometime in the late sixties....

Patrick McNally (if I have the right bloke) came thundering off the end of club straight and hit the bank with a thud that made the Woodcote stands shake. I think he was driving a Mustang?

I think it must have been the BARC meeting on 18 June 1967. Here is the programme. It was a Fairlane, not a Mustang...

[2F-001]

There are some interesting saloon racing big names in that entry list...
Mike Bennion; the aforementioned Mr McNally; Roy Pierpoint; Vince Woodman; Willie(?) Kay; Brian(?) Cutting; Roger (?) Taylor; and another motor racing personality from "The Times Rich List", Martin Birrane.

[David Beard]

And Albert on one of his entertaining racing outings ....

[bradbury west]

And of course, Geoff Breakell, ex Lotus 23 and 30 racer, in Tommy Clapham's GTA, a rare bird in a club race.

RL

[MCS]

Originally posted by David Beard
And Albert on one of his entertaining racing outings ....

So is "S. J." his brother Stan then, David?

[Catalina Park]

I noticed my old mate Bryan Thompson in his Mustang with the appropriate colour scheme.

[2F-001]

I wondered about Roger C, but something completely unfounded told me it couldn't be.
Stan might be the other Clark - pity they don't show hometowns in the programme as was the norm a little later on.

Stan certainly raced in the rather later 'Production Saloon' series (the one with the class structure based on showroom price) and in an Alfa too.

[David Beard]

Originally posted by MCS


So is "S. J." his brother Stan then, David?

Ooooh...don't know

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Catalina Park
I noticed my old mate Bryan Thompson in his Mustang with the appropriate colour scheme.

No, it was Bryan Thomson ;)

[2F-001]

Just noticed Rod Harvey-Bailey in there, too.

I'm assuming that "M Kerr' cannot be the more recently successful hillclimber Mike Kerr (purely on age grounds)...

[jo-briggs]

Wasn't McN editor or publisher of Autosport. He was certainly Sarah Fergusson's boyfriend a while before she married Prince Andrew.

[MCS]

Originally posted by 2F-001
Just noticed Rod Harvey-Bailey in there, too.

You mean Rhoddy Harvey-Bailey, of course.

[2F-001]

Yes, I do. And I even (instinctively) typed "Rhoddy" - decided it didn't look right, tried "Roddy" and knew it didn't look right, then settled on Rod whilst I went away to look him up - but I got sidetracked...

[Sharman]

Did you mean Mister Pierpoint's brother, Albert?

[RS2000]

Originally posted by 2F-001
I wondered about Roger C, but something completely unfounded told me it couldn't be.

It was. Ford set up a season of club racing to help improve his tarmac rally abilities. Vic Elford had left the team at the end of 66 and all three main 67 drivers (Clark, Ove Andersson and Bengt Soderstrom) were forest experts rather than tarmac.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by RS2000

Ford set up a season of club racing to help improve his tarmac rally abilities.

For 'Ford', read 'Stuart Turner'.

[2F-001]

Originally posted by Sharman
Did you mean Mister Pierpoint's brother, Albert?

No, Roy took no prisoners...

[RS2000]

Originally posted by Twin Window
For 'Ford', read 'Stuart Turner'. ;)

Was it a secret plan by ST (then at BMC) to slow him down?