Tag Archives: Barry

Rainy Day Grooves – Oulton Park Gold Cup

On Bank Holiday Monday two friends and I braved some atrocious weather as we headed 150 odd miles North to Oulton Park for the last day of the Gold Cup meeting.

Lola T292, Sinclair, Martini Trophy, Oulton Park

By the time the racing got started the track had dried out a bit though the track conditions were still treacherous as Tony Sinclair drove his #12 Lola T292 to a comfortable 13 second victory over Sam Carrington Yates driving a Chevron B16 in the second of the weekend’s Martini Trophy contests.

Chevron B17, Derossi, Classic Racing Cars, Oulton Park

Local pride in the Chevron marque from nearby Bolton was restored by Francois Derassi driving his #66 Chevron B17 who won the Rodney Bloor Trophy for Classic Racing Cars by 32 seconds over Palliser WDB2 driver Andy Jarvis.

Derek Bell Trophy, Oulton Park

The first of the days Derek Bell Trophy races looked set to go to Micheal Lyons in his blue grooved wet shod Formula 5000/A #74 Eagle FA74 but Richard Evans driving a slick shod Formula 2 #77 March 742 with only 2/5ths the cubic inches and half the number of cylinders of the Chevy Stock block V8 powered Eagle managed to claw back Micheal’s opening lap six second lead to take the win as the track dried out.

Super Touring Trophy, Oulton Park

The first time I came to Oulton Park in 1985 John Cleland was driving an Opel Monza in the Uniroyal Production Car race. On Bank Holiday Monday he was driving his 1998 #98 Vauxhall Vectra and after all sorts of problems for the Championship contending Honda Accord’s of Stewart Whyte and James Dodd, John won the Super Touring Championship race from the #44 Audi A4 quattro of Paul Smith. James claimed the championship with an impressive 4th place finish from the back of the grid.

Historic Touring Cars, Oulton Park

The rain became a little heavier during the first Historic Touring car race and the #67 Austin Mini of Peter Morgan consequently got the best start while the #1 Ford Lotus Cortina of Tim Davies got bogged down. 3 wheeling Tim recovered to take a close victory over Peter by just 0.3 seconds.

HSCC Classic Clubmans, Oulton Park

By the time the Classic Clubmans came out my friends and I opted to take cover and watch the race from the car. Mark Charteris won the race in the #1 Mallock Mk 20/21 by just over a second from Spencer McCarthy’s Mallock Mk 20b.

Historic Formula Ford 2000, Oulton Park

The inclement weather continued during the Historic Formula Ford 2000 race which was won after a good battle by Benjamin Tusting in the yellow #64 Reynard SF79 by just under 4 seconds from Benn Simms in the #2 Royale RP30.

Historic Formula Ford 1600, Oulton Park

The biggest field of the day started the Historic Formula Ford 1600 race. Micheal Mallock who had spent much of the race in fourth place driving his family #9 Mallock Mk9 came through the myriad back markers on the last lap to claim a victory, possibly the first for this car since the late 1960’s, over John Murphy in the green #3 Merlyn Mk20A.

Derek Bell Trophy, Oulton Park

Tim Barry driving his recently restored Ford GAA V6 powered March 76A suffered broken legs and a broken wrist in a nasty accident which stopped the second Derek Bell Trophy race.

The latest news from the hospital is that Tim has already asked doctors when he can drive again ! I am sure you will join me in wishing Tim and his March a speedy recovery.

After the restart Micheal Lyons did not put a foot wrong in his Eagle to claim victory over his nemesis from race one Richard Evans. 1974 Gold Cup winner Ian Ashley marked his return to the F5000 category after an absence of 35 years by driving his Lola T300 to a fine third, having finished 4th in the earlier race.

Historic Touring Cars, Oulton Park

The rain only got heavier during the 2nd Historic Touring car race and the tarmac from Knickerbrook up Clay Hill got a lovely pearlescent finish courtesy of Ian Brown’s Volkswagen Beetle which dumped all of it’s oil on the racing line on lap 2.

The consequent scrabble for steerage and traction proved highly entertaining and it was the red and blue Mini’s of Peter Morgan and Tim Harber who made the best of it with the #37 Ford Lotus Cortina of Mike Gardiner coming home third to round out an entertaining day at the races.

Thanks for joining me on this Rainy Day Grooves edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be going for a little test drive in a 35th Anniversary Ford Mustang. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Bugs In Malta – Mtahleb Hillclimb & Mdina Grand Prix

A couple of weeks ago Barry Boor found himself at the Mtahleb Hillclimb & Mdina Grand Prix, in between his marshaling duties he managed to take a few photographs of the Bugatti’s which visited Malta to take part in the events and has kindly agreed to share them with us.

Bugatti T35B R, Mtahleb Hill Climb, Malta

Genuine Bugatti Type 35’s are extremely hard to come by, even Nick Mason’s example is a bitza made up from an assortment of parts from various cars into a complete vehicle, so it is no surprise to find that according to the best information I have available all the cars captured by Barry are replica’s like Gregory Ramouna’s Type 35B R, seen here on the Mtahleb hillclimb, which appears to have been built in 1998.

Bugatti T35 R, Mtahleb Hillclimb, Malta

Type 35’s were first seen at the Grand Prix of Lyon in August 1924 powered by a 2 litre / 122 cui straight 8 motor. Novel features of the car included the alloy spoked wheels and hollow front axle which all saved unsprung weight to the benefit of the cars handling. Above is a Type 35 R with a 2 litre motor unlike the type 35B which has a 2.3 litre / 140 cui supercharged motor.

Bugatti T51 R, Mtahleb Hillclimb, Malta

The Type 35’s were very successful allegedly clocking up to 14 wins a week with the Likes of “Williams” and Louis Chiron leading the way in major Grand Prix. The Type 35’s were replaced by the Type 51’s in 1931 but with only 160 hp from their supercharged motors the Type 51’s were soon to be overpowered by the government sponsored Auto Union and Mercedes Team’s. Above is the Type 51 R of Phillipe Brebant.

Bugatti T35B R, Mdina Grand Prix, Malta

Type 35’s and 51’s are very difficult to tell apart externally and even the experts can disagree, to show how difficult this is the Mdina Grand Prix entry list tells us that JM Laffonts car above is a 1931 Type 35B while the Bugatti builder site tells us that his car carrying the same registration is a Type 51 from the now defunct Blaydon Engineering, further more the car is listed on yet another Bugatti Builders post as a Type 35B R. If the truth on the identity of this car were to be decided by popular vote Type 35B R would win with two votes. Though in my humble opinion the car we are looking at is either a Type 35 or 35B because if it was a Type 51 it ought to have an easily discernible  second fuel filler behind the passenger seat what ever the vintage.

Bugatti Type 35 R, Mdina Grand Prix, Malta

One rough and ready way to tell a Type 35 from a Type 51 is to look at the rear fuel filler behind the seats, if there is one it’s most likely a Type 35.

Bugatti T35 R, Mdina Grand Prix, Malta

Barry was told the reason many of these vehicles, like this 2007 replica Type 35B about to head on up the hill towards the walled citadel of Mdina, appear with so much patina is to keep the value down in the eyes of the taxman.

My thanks to Barry for sharing this fascinating in sight into Maltese Motorsport.

Thanks for joining me on this “Bugs in Malta” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Luton’s Finest – Vauxhall HP Firenza 9F37REX111999

Like the recently featured South African Chevrolet Firenza Can Am the High Performance (HP) Firenza was a top of the range Viva HC Coupé model but built for the UK market and though intended to be produced in far larger numbers, 30,000 projected units, only 204 HP Firenza’s were built along with a further 197 estate / station wagon variants.

Vauxhall Firenza, Race Retro

The distinctive ‘Droopsnoot’ grp nose was restyled styled by Wayne Cherry and based on the nose of a well known Dealer Team Vauxhall Firenza raced by Gerry Marshall called ‘Old Nail’ that will it’s self be the subject of a future GALPOT blog. The twined headlights are interchangeable with the Renault Alpine A310.

Under the unusual for the period aerodynamic nose was a 131 HP 2297 cc / 140 cui slanted 4 cylinder engine enough to power the HP Firenza with a drag co efficient of cd 0.4 from rest to 60 mph in 8 secs and to a top speed of 120 mph.

Though the paint work of this particular car built in 1975 is not the original ‘Starlight Silver’ this car carries similar decals to those carried by a small series of vehicles for a one off publicity race organised at Thruxton to launch the model, a race won by Barry ‘Whizzo’ Williams.

The HP Firenza was undoubtedly a styling triumph for Vauxhall yet the car was also an unmitigated marketing disaster thanks to the after effects of the ’70’s fuel crisis, though design elements of the nose did find their way into future Vauxhall products notably the Chevette and Cavalier which were in essence badge engineered Opel models.

Thanks for joining me on today’s Droopsnoot edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at another performance saloon carrying a blue oval badge. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Sweet dreams are made of this #2 – Connew PC1 02

Continuing the improbable but never the less true story of the Connew Grand Prix team that I started on Boxing day today I am looking at some of the trials and tribulations the team had preparing for the French Grand Prix in 1972.

Connew Ford PC 1, Le Mans

Having built thier car with a dummy engine as seen in the previous Connew blog, Peter managed to secure funding from a French consortium lead by Vincent Mausset to run Francois Migault in 5 races.

Connew Ford PC 1, Le Mans

The funding took the form of a ‘wad’ of French Francs which Peter, his cousin Barry and chief mechanic Roger Doran could only exchange to Pounds Sterling at £30 a time, thanks to foreign currency exchange restrictions in operation at the time.

Connew Ford PC 1, Le Mans

Peter managed to put a deposit down on a second hand Ford Cosworth DFV engine, in need of a rebuild, from Phil Kerr at McLaren, and purchased a brand new gearbox.

Connew Ford PC 1, Le Mans

Francois borrowed a truck from his brother who was in the furniture manufacturing business with a company called SAPAL, in return for the truck which was used as the teams transporter SAPAL stickers appeared on the Connew.

Connew Ford PC 1, Le Mans

While final preparations of the car were made for it’s first Grand Prix and the truck was fitted out for racing car transporter duties, Barry got married, heroically spending just 24 hours with his bride before returning to help the team at it’s lockup in Chadwell Heath. FInally the team was ready to go with a truckie named ‘Mansell’ at the wheel of the SAPAL transporter, in Portsmouth customs officials were reluctant to let the truck leave the country because it was on French registration plates but the driver ‘Mansell’ was English.

Connew Ford PC 1, Le Mans

Once in France just outside Le Mans the trucks engine blew up. The truck was towed to Le Mans, Francois home town and the team used the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit, where these photos were taken, to do some testing while the truck was repaired.

On the first day of testing it became apparent that the cars suspension had been damaged in transit and with that the teams plans to go to the French Grand Prix had to be abandoned while repairs to the car were made.

To be continued….

With thanks to Peters cousin Barry Boor for the photographs if you’d like to read the whole story of how the Connew team came together over a period of two years and it’s trials and tribulations the year after please read Barry’s account of his part in this ‘Boys Own‘ adventure here.

Hope you have enjoyed the second part of the Connew story and that you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t for get to come back now !

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Sweet dreams are made of this – Connew PC1 02

Imagine a recently graduated 24 year old industrial designer, who knows nothing about motor sport, but with a passing interest in large American chromed land yachts sitting in an office designing record players in East London, i pods if your not sure of what a record player is, and the phone rings. His friends are calling to see if he would like to join them on holiday with the intention of taking in the 1969 Italian Grand Prix.

When his boss tells our hero that it is not okay to take the time of work to go on holiday our hero offers his resignation, and joins his friends anyway.

At the Italian GP our hero falls in love with the sound of V12 engines as they accelerate between the corners of the Monza track.

Upon returning to England he finds out about a vacancy in the drawing office of a newly established Grand Prix team owned by a former multiple World Motor Cycle champion and one time World Grand Prix champion.

Our hero’s attitude ‘that there was no problem in this world that common sense and application with half an ounce of intelligence can not overcome’ wins him the job, starting out knowing absolutely zero about the design of racing cars within months he is working on the design of a Grand Prix car.

When our hero sees the red car his new design is going to replace wheeled out into the sunshine for the first time, in that very instant he decides he is going to build a Grand Prix vehicle of his very own.

Our hero starts working from home, his parents home that is, on his own Grand Prix challenger, a friend tells our hero he may use a spare bedroom and lock up to start building his car, other friends chip in with time, suppliers ‘lend’ him various bits and pieces to be getting on with. As the design our hero is paid for near completion he then takes a job with an engineering company where he uses his and colleagues lunch hours to fabricate parts he cannot otherwise afford for his own Grand Prix challenger.

12 months after deciding to build his very own Grand Prix car our hero completes his chassis and he shows it to his cousin, a wood work teacher, who agrees to to join the team to make the bodywork using materials he has never used before.

Using only our heros own wages, friends time, goodwill and what can be scrounged including a dummy engine, once used by Jochen Rindt to win the 1969 US Grand Prix, gearbox and wheels our heros team push their improbably completed Grand Prix car one Sunday night out of it’s lock up, down the London Rd in Chadwell Heath to the only place with enough light to take a photo of their pride and joy, the forecourt of their local petrol station.

If this story sounds incredible then I’d like to welcome you to the incredible story of Peter Connew who in 36 months made the transition from record player designer to Formula One designer and constructor of the Connew PC1 02 Grand Prix car seen here in late 1971. To be continued….

With thanks to Peters cousin Barry Boor for the photographs if you’d like to read the whole story of how the Connew team came together over a period of two years and it’s trials and tribulations the year after please read Barry’s account of his part in this ‘Boys Own‘ adventure here.

Hope you enjoyed part one of my all time favourate Formula One story which will be continued at some future date, and that you’ll join me tomorrow for a look at some teutonic efficiency at ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Why does the sight of a little Mini Moke make every body rock ?

Today’s blog is dedicated to Rowdy Mini Moke fan club member ‘Archidude‘ of Brevard NC, who sent me a link to this interesting Mini Moke video.

Designed as a vehicle with military applications in mind the Mini Moke made use of BMC Mini mini parts bin, including the engine, drive train and 10″ wheels which rendered the vehicle useless for military off road purposes because the Moke did not have much ground clearance.

However the vehicle produced between 1964 – 1993 did find a niche as a recreational vehicle in the sunny climate of many former British Colonies and was the first vehicle ever used on Pitcairn Islands, of HMS Bounty Fame, becoming the remotest vehicle on earth.

Correction Edited 29 09 19 The above vehicle is an AMC Andersen Cub not a Moke. Thanks to Dean and every one at www.moke.org who helped me correct this error.

Of the 50,000, Mokes made in Britain, Australia, and Portugal some have a competition history which includes Hans Tholstrup and John Crawford who nursed their Moke from London to Sydney in the 1977 Marathon and most unlikely of all Charlie Smith and Barry Seaton who gallantly jumped in their Moke to take on a field of Ford GT40’s and Ferrari 250 LM’s including winner Andy Buchanan,seen here , co driven by none other than Jacky Stewart at Surfers Paradise in 1966.

Finally Mini Mokes were used as Taxi’s in the surreal television series the Prisoner, a catch phrase of which was; Be Seeing You !

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