24 replies to this topic

[sterling49]

At Brands Hatch during the '60's, the name "Dan Gurney" was painted on the track at the entrance to Druids, knowing that there are a lot of well informed enthusiasts on this forum, I wondered if anyone knew who the artist was and the exact year it appeared? Also, where other "works of art" could be seen at tracks around the world, do I recall Vacarella's name on the Targa tarmac? I thought it added to the character of the track and unlike grafitti, a welcome sight.

[lil'chris]

I remember ' Ronnie' being painted across the road at the entry to the first chicane at Monza in 1979

[David Beard]

Originally posted by sterling49
At Brands Hatch during the '60's, the name "Dan Gurney" was painted on the track at the entrance to Druids, knowing that there are a lot of well informed enthusiasts on this forum, I wondered if anyone knew who the artist was and the exact year it appeared?

I think Barry Boor did it.

[Twin Window]

After the Victory Race in 1972, I saw 'Stewart retire!' round the back of the Brands Hatch GP circuit when I went walkies.

Prior to the 1973 British GP 'Clay Regazzoni' was painted across the track adjacent to the BRM pits (where I was loyally stationed with my Instamatic)...

[T54]

Is that Wilson in the BT44?

[Dave Ware]

I think Barry Boor did it.

That was my first thought as well.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by T54

Is that Wilson in the BT44?

Yes, it's Wilson - but it's a BT42 old chap...

[Jack-the-Lad]

I once painted DRUNK X-ING on the street in front of my college fraternity house, but since it was in New Orleans nobody noticed.....

Jack

[T54]

but it's a BT42 old chap...

Ooops...

[2F-001]

The Nordschleife is another favourite place for painting on the road; around 24-hours time there used to be almost more names, slogans and symbols than bare track surface! (Hopefully, nobody used thick, glossy paint thinking it would be more weatherproof...).

[LOLE]

This is the famous Pflanzgarten on the Nürburgring.
The photograph was taken recently on March 3th.
You can see Kurt Ahrens driving his Porsche S Boxter around the track he knows so well...
Look at the graffiti...

[RS2000]

Just a gut feeling - but maybe "Gurney" before Druids was not there late 1966 (Motorshow 200 F2/BSCC) but had appeared for major 1967 events? (67 RoC with the Eagle there?)

[LOLE]

A few days before the 1995 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, I drove 200 km to the circuit to do some painting on the well known "bus stop"-chicane. I wanted to pay a tribute to Ayrton Senna by painting "AYRTON SENNA, WISH YOU WERE HERE" on the track, away from the ideal line of the cars because glossy paint can be slippery in the rain....
This part of the circuit ( by-pass) was closed for traffic during non-race days so I was not disturbed by traffic and started painting at 01.00 in the morning till 05.00, helped by the moonlight. I only had to duck twice behind the guard rail because a car was approaching the scene… Could be an official, you never knew…
You can see the result in the photographs. The name SENNA was filled up in the Brazilian national colors and it really looked great.
Unfortunately, the day before the race, a Nigel Mansell fan covered the entire exit of the second chicane with huge lettering to encourage his idol…It looked awful and was a real mess…A small picture of this graffiti appeared in the Italian magazine “Autosprint”.
It was such a muddle and surely a potential danger for the drivers because it was painted on the ideal line and cars travel at high speed on that part of the track. This “Picasso” could not remain unnoticed. Result: everything was removed by race day…
If any of you TNF readers happens to have a photo of my graffiti, I would love to receive a copy as a souvenir.

RIP Ayrton...

[Maldwyn]

I remember seeing an overhead TV shot of graffiti on the run down towards Pouhon during the 1991 Belgian GP relating to a belief in the innocence of Bertrand Gachot. I guess it was a once-a-lap reminder to his replacement of how fate can provide opportunity.

[Gary C]

..there was a 'Dan Gurney' painted on the track at the 1965 Dutch GP too............

[Collombin]

Originally posted by Maldwyn
I remember seeing an overhead TV shot of graffiti on the run down towards Pouhon during the 1991 Belgian GP relating to a belief in the innocence of Bertrand Gachot. I guess it was a once-a-lap reminder to his replacement of how fate can provide opportunity.

Yes, I remember seeing that one, it said something like "Bertrand, tu n'es pas un hooligan" - please excuse my French, or their French. Sounds a bit pidgin to me.

[RS2000]

Just had a look at a photo I took at the 1967 BOAC 500, looking down the hill from Druids and I can't see the "Gurney" lettering (although the point at which resurfacing ends in the dip after Paddock is clearly visible). The location it would have been at is obvious because of the "tree line" cutting off the final run into Druids if you were looking from the grandstands on Top straight - and I recall it as being visible from there.
Still convinced it appeared for 67 Race of Champions - and it was reported as "someone got the result they wanted"? That was the 412bhp Weslake in the back of DG's Eagle that day? - shame there weren't a lot more of the the same or greater power to follow...

[d j fox]

I too, seem to remember the VV Gurney (exactly as the Targa Florio's VV Nino or VV Vaccarella) on the rise up to Druids at the 67 Race of Champions.
I also have a vague memory that it was rumoured at the time that it was actually authorised by old Webby himself to give Brands (sometimes called Scratchers Paradise) a more, well, Continental feel!

I was start-line marshal for that race and will always remember Dan’s huge grin as he climbed out of the Eagle, the overall winner at the end of the 40 lap final ( proceeded by 2 x 10 lap “heats” for the entire field), after fending of Lorenzo Bandini’s late charge.

David Fox

[Frank de Jong]

Originally posted by Gary C
..there was a 'Dan Gurney' painted on the track at the 1965 Dutch GP too............

IIRC, "welcome back Dan Gurney" was painted on the Zandvoort track in 1970 as well.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by LOLE
This is the famous Pflanzgarten on the Nürburgring.
The photograph was taken recently on March 3th.
You can see Kurt Ahrens driving his Porsche S Boxter around the track he knows so well...
Look at the graffiti...

How awful.....probably done by so called artists with hip hop and ganster rap playing, nowhere is sacred or free from this filth. It's all to clear where one of the artists originated from.............

[Ross Stonefeld]

Hmm, I thought this was the enlightened end of the forum.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by RS2000
Just had a look at a photo I took at the 1967 BOAC 500, looking down the hill from Druids and I can't see the "Gurney" lettering (although the point at which resurfacing ends in the dip after Paddock is clearly visible). The location it would have been at is obvious because of the "tree line" cutting off the final run into Druids if you were looking from the grandstands on Top straight - and I recall it as being visible from there.
Still convinced it appeared for 67 Race of Champions - and it was reported as "someone got the result they wanted"? That was the 412bhp Westlake in the back of DG's Eagle that day? - shame there weren't a lot more of the the same or greater power to follow...

Thanks for reminding me, I almost forgot that Dan won that race............ and I was there also!!! Did Team Lotus use the 2 litre CC Lotus 33's?

[d j fox]

Sterling49

The Team Lotus entry at the 1967 ROC meeting was Graham Hill's Lotus Cortina in the Touring car support race!
Chris Irwin had a Parnell Lotus-BRM 25

David

[sterling49]

Originally posted by d j fox
Sterling49

The Team Lotus entry at the 1967 ROC meeting was Graham Hill's Lotus Cortina in the Touring car support race!
Chris Irwin had a Parnell Lotus-BRM 25

David

Thanks David, I remember the Cortina, wasn't Hill partnered by Ickx?.......CTC23E and CTC24E? I couldn't place the Formula One Cars though!

Sterling

[Barry Boor]

The VV Gurney was on the road near Druids at Brands as early as 1965, I think.

Certainly it was there when my friend Fred and myself took our newly-made banner to Brands for the first time. It was about 1.5 metres long, with VIVA GURNEY on one side and I LIKE DAN on the other. We had it set up at Druids during the Guards Trophy race in 1965 and were asked several times if we were the ones who painted the road.

I seem to recall my answer being "No, but we fully agree with those who did."

As the '67 Race of Champions has been raised, I watched that from a point at the bottom of the dip before Dingle Dell Corner, standing under my banner, which was fixed to the fence on a couple of broom handles. Naturally, I was ecstatic when DSG won and even more so when he gave me a big smile and a wave during his 'tour d'honneur' on the back of the flatbed truck.

I have mentioned it to him when I was lucky enough to meet him personally and he remembers the banner clearly, though not exactly where it was on the circuit.

As to the painting of the roads.... a big to whoever it was.