I took this photograph at Brands Hatch about ten or twelve years ago.



David

This is Mike Chittenden's G4 at Snetterton in 1979. This was taken with a 28mm lens, but Mike's car was longer than the average G4 - never knew how it was done, though. I last saw it when he entered a Thundersports race in it, with a huge high-mounted wing on the back.

John Myerscough(Anglia) duels with Geoff Wood past the pits at Oulton August '71

I've just found Brittan's book on the net...and promptly bought it (even if there's a certain lack of communication with the seller)! Thank you very much!

The chap who took the shot of poor Dave Matthews must have been standing very close to me.
Sorry to be morbid, but in my mind I always remembered the sill of the car landing on the driver - and have always wondered if that was just memory playing tricks on me, but it looks from this picture as if it probably did.
It all happened so quickly that i didn't appreciate anything happened further down the track and was fixated on the Capri until we saw the flames from Brodie's car.
It is truly amazing that either of these guys survived.

It may seem peculiar, as speed differential was undoubtedly one of the contributing factors in the above accident, but having different capacity groups really did make the races interesting, and gave us the fabulous David and Goliath battles all the way down the field.
For spectators that was fabulous, for TV (todays main market I would guess) it is irrelevant because they can only focus on one battle at a time.

I don't think we are ever going to get back to the forms of racing that we enjoyed because tyre technology and aerodynamics have taken cars beyond the point at which they are truly exciting to watch.

I once envisioned a production saloon car championship where there were three equally important titles to be fought for. One which which divided the cars into price categories, another which divided them by power, and another a manufacturers team prize. i guess a drivers championship could be added.
The point of it was that there would be more for the entrants to fight for, and maybe some interesting battles going on between manufacturers that had cars in more than one group.
Dare I say it, but at the time I thought a reverse grid feature would have been a good spectacle too.

Those Group 1 and Group 2 days were excellent especially if you got a superloons race too. it was better then. Definitely.

Regarding the earlier comments on the quality of tin top racing in Britain today, you can still find races with full grids and an eclectic mix of cars if you know where to look.

There is a series run at club level, mainly in the South East, called the Dunlop Track and Race series (DTRC). At the last Brands Hatch round on 23rd July the entry list was full several weeks beforehand and the organisers started returning entries after 10 reserves had been reached. Competitors get a single practise and two races. Where possible, the classes are split at most meetings into two separate races contributing a total of four races to the day's programme.

The following are typical of the cars that have appeared in the series so far:

Alfasud Sprint, Audi TT, BL Mini Clubman, BMW E30 M3, Chevrolet Camaro, Citroen BX, Ford Anglia 105E, Ford Capri, Ford Escort Cosworth, Ford Escort Mk1, Ford Escort Mk2, Ford Escort Mk3, Ford Escort RS2000 Mk2, Ford Escort WRC, Ford Escort XR3, Ford Fiesta XR2, Ford Focus, Ford Sierra Cosworth, Ford Sierra Sapphire, Honda Integra Type-R, Mercedes Benz 190 Evo, Mitsubishi Lancer, Peugeot 205 Gti, Proton Coupe, Renault Megane Coupe, TVR Tasmin, Toyota Avensis, Toyota Carina E Gti, Vauxhall Astra Gsi, Vauxhall Astra Saloon, Vauxhall Nova GTE, Vauxhall Tigra, Volkswagen Golf Gti, Volkswagen Scirocco and Volkswagen Vento.

Many of the cars are homebuilt and are a credit to the ingenuity of the owner/drivers. They range from Rod Birley's Escort WRC (which does all of the winning) through the one off's such as John Cross's space framed 5.7 litre Ford Focus V8, Greg Rose's ex DTM Mercedes 190, Rob Crompton's Vauxhall Astra 6.7 Litre V8, Graham Bahr's homebuilt turbo BMW E30, David Oates spaceframed Vauxhall Tigra with it's roots in oval racing to a healthy mix of various marks of Escorts (both FWD and RWD), Minis plus a smattering of more modern hatchbacks.

Whilst Rod Birley wins most races at a canter there is always close racing all through the field. With 32 cars on track at the last Brands Hatch round it was difficult for the racing to be anything else.

For those of you who would like to see full grids and close saloon racing again I can recommend this series.

My brother competes in this in his Vauxhall Astra and I am hoping to wobble around a little at the back when I have finished putting my Rover Tomcat back together.

If anyone is interested the forthcoming rounds are:

August 19th - Brands Hatch
September 9th - Lydden
October 7th - Lydden
November 4th and 5th - Brands Hatch

Andrew

Quite a few gems to post here. Many thanks to Dave Marshall who took these in period and has given me permission to post his work. He also took some of the 1-litre F3 ones we posted a while back.
You may have seen a couple of his F2 Crystal Palace photos in the Johnny Tipler 'Peterson' book.

Dave Brodie in the fabulous Run Baby Run. Mallory, march '71.


Ray Calcutt cuts a Mini up, same meeting.


John Rhodes doing what he does best.




Gardner with understeer, note the tape holding the bonnet down.


Woodcote British GP meeting '69


Dave Morgan doing a 'John Rhodes' into Old Hall, August '67.


Modified Anglia of McCracken at Rufforth, March '67.


Any line will do, Cadwell.


Here's Les Nash at the Palace...oops! May '69


Terry Sanger, same meeting.


Steve Neal, John Handley, same meeting again.


A month later, Neal leads Rhodes at Mallory.


An Alfa at Brands.


Zwolsman's Fiat at Silverstone.


Gardner and Mannion, Silverstone '69


Not sure if this is one of Dave's, great shot though...smile Tony!


Finally an Autosport shot of the aforementioned 1650cc Berpop from 1968.


Great days eh!

Andrew, interesting post for me personally in 2 respects.

The reference to the Portobello Inn reminded me of when as a youngster in the late 60s, before being old enough to have a driving licence (or even at that time oddly any interest in the nectar that the establishment apparently distributed), I was lucky enough to stay there over a couple of bank holiday weekends and walk down to a couple of meetings starring the F-3 and BSCC guys. Unfortunately my slides from those days are currently in storage and I have no access to a scanner. I presume the Portobello is still in business?

And having many fond memories of much saloon car racing from the late 60s and later periods, especially at Brands, many names spring to mind but especially the 'X0034xF' series of Escorts, the phrase 'Run Baby Run' and for some reason the exotically named local Zekia (of Cypriot origin as I recall). I haven't seen him referenced in years and of course I was about to introduce his name to the topic when I saw you had got in first. Only on TNF, of course.

Golden days and thanks one and all for the wonderful photographic reminiscences.

Nice one Andrew, lots of sixties photos at last, does anyone have more to share?

Huw, a friend who was driving in the saloon race that day at Silverstone told me the reason for the accident with Matthews and Brodie a few years ago and it's tragic consequences for Gavin Booth who was unfortunate to unwittingly cause it. We have already mentioned it in another thread (and I cannot remember which one now) but like you I was at Silverstone as well that day and looked up at just the right (wrong!) moment to see the Capri appear above the old Woodcote bridge before crashing to earth again.

Back to nicer memories, I see that Andrew has mentioned Spotty Muldoon again, his real name was Tony Roberts and his big engined Anglia was painted white with dozens of black spots over it. Tony's wife caused an even bigger stir according to my dad because she used to attend all the races as well and was always dressed in "team colours". The more lecherous members of the paddock community could hardly wait until mid summer when the trouser suit was replaced with the shortest of short dresses in the same colours and lead to to comments that not all of the spots at the front were fabric! I had to wait until I was nearly out of my teens before dad told me this (apochryphal?) tale and understood the joke and also why his eyes used to glaze over at the mention of Tony and his wife. I can also remember Jean Unett and my mother bringing Mrs Roberts back to the paddock in a severe state of shock after Tony had a big accident at Brands and had to be taken to St Marys Hospital, Sidcup and I don't think he raced much after that.

Mention of John Bloomfield earlier reminds me of his dices with Gerry Marshall and Dave Brodie, always the highlight of a club meeting at whichever circuit they raced and I rated Bloofield just as highly as eithr of his sparring partners, whatever happened to him?

And finally, I must boast that it was always a pleasure to see Jim Clark three wheeling the Lotus Cortina in '64, '65 & '66 and beating the big Galaxies in the process.

Glyn

Thanks for those Dave Marshall pics, Andrew. Brilliant stuff!

I always regret that I was never able to stand on the inside of Copse, as those with a track pass were able to do in the fifties and sixties. There are may brilliant images from that position, which is lost to photographers today.

Great pics Andrew. The Alfa shot is Han Akersloot with his Dutch-championship winning car.

Not really British Saloon Car Racing, but saloon car racing held in Britain - A few entrants from 1977's ETC, from Silverstone

Derek Bell gets the front discs glowing on the Broadspeed XJC

Pierre Dieudonne's Luigi BMW

Walkinshaw/Quester winning with their CSL

Those late 60s & early 70s B&W pictures make the current glued to the ground cars look pretty tedious.

Gentlemen:
Even though these are races that are thousands of miles from the one's I saw, shots like Pico Troberg's take me back to the great years of GT racing (and probably the best years of racing period) from the sixties to the end of the seventies.

The Troberg shot, even though it is thousands of miles away, gives me the warm feeling of paddocks I have been in,.

How many of these cars are UK built and how many were imported from the US?
It is obvious Gardner's Bud Moore Mustang was such,as he even ran Bud's colors; but the Barracuda, and a Javelin I saw a picture of at the ten tenths vintage forum, I would imagine were built in the good ole UK.

I wish I had, had easy access to the British Auto Sports mags back then that I do now, it would have been fascinating reading.

I aquired a Aussie NOS supply of articles covering the hay-days of their GT racing, now I must see if this is possible with such things in the UK.
Godspeed, and put the peddle to the metal.
Bob

Great pics, everyone!

It really is; I saw Brodie's Escort in the paddock afterwards and the engine was pretty much where a passenger would have sat had it been a road car...

My parents and my brother were at Abbey, and Howard found one of Matthews' shock absorbers after the racing had finished (and he's not morbid either).



I was at the entry for Copse, as was Andrew (are you visible in this pic matey?)

Alan:

Great pictures, thanks for sharing them !

I was about there somewhere on the approach to Copse Twinny, however right at the front hanging over the fence, a bit further down towards the bridge maybe.
I took loads of colour slides in the 73/74/75 period and had hundreds of them from all sorts of meetings. Annoyingly the lot went missing, in the council rubbish tip so it turned out with other belongings during the seperation/divorce period 14 yrs ago

with bits like that flying around its a good job nobody was allowed to spectate from farmer Browns!

I missed this one from my thread-opening post; the AMC Javelin at the 1973 British GP...

What a beauty...
Jeremy Jackson has helped me with the results of the BSCC 1967-1973 - they will be accompanied by the great pictures of this thread soon...

More on the Birrane Mustang logbook at http://www.ponysite.de/transam_birrane.htm

Wow! What a great page!! Thanks.

Another nice like is this one from Sweden: Brands Hatch victory race 1972

Guards International F2 event at Brands, 28 Aug 1967. Saloon car race includes Ickx in Lotus Cortina. I can’t remember a thing about it but I was evidently there…

Good Lord! I never knew that Team Surtees had ever entered the team boss in a Lotus Cortina (although I note it non-started). Did it ever appear?

I recall seeing Ickx in the works Cortina at the Palace in '67 - correction - I recall my father telling me it was him in it as I was a youngster at the time. I definitely have never heard of Peter Gethin driving a Falcon, as in that entry list or indeed the suprising Surtees entry!

Talking about the old days, had an enjoyable evening in my local in rural Norfolk tonight and who should I bump into? Commentator Ian Titchmarsh. We had a good chat about the old days and the Vauxhall touring car squad were also here for the Snetterton BTCC meeting. Apparantly they had a charity football match against 'Dunlop' on the playing field next to the pub.

Here's the entry list for one of the 1969 Brands races:


For some years, the BCCC/BTCC final points totals seem to be a well-kept secret; especially 1960 (though I found a total of 53 points for Doc Bundy a few minutes ago, but that's it), 1973 and 1975 are nowehere on the internet as far as I know. Ayone?

Frank,

Do you know the date for this 1969 Brands Hatch race?
Thanks in advance.

After a little research, I'm prettu sure it is the Guards Trophy of March 16, 1969

Is the Zwolsman ear'oling the FIAT 500 in Andrew Kitson's photo related to the Atlantic/Champcar driver, or is Zwolsman as common as Smith in Holland?

I pretty sure he is not - but Charles' father was a racing driver too; he drove in Group C in the early 90's.

Back to the books' issue...I've just found in a online bookshop a hardback called "British Saloon Car Championship 1958-1972", by Martyn Morgan Jones. Is it any good? Since is quite costly for a mere 190 pages, I'd like to know the opinion of our knowledgeable members before buying it.

If you are particulary interested in the story of the championship-winning Imp, it's OK; it is not, however, a comprehensive review of the BSCC. It has a little information on the period 1958-1969 (page 9-26); the 1970-1972 seasons are focussed on the Bevan Imp. The Ford book I mentioned earlier is biased around Ford, of course - but this spans a far wider period than the Bevan Imp.

This slide has suffered from lying around unmounted for the best part of 30 years so it hasn't come out too well and it's not strictly appropriate for this thread, but I thought it might be of interest. It's the 1978 6 Hours at Silverstone, not sure if Peterson or Stuck is at the wheel, but I remember it took me several tries to get the flame. Pity I couldn't get the exposure right...

Bit of a naughty boy, wasn't he (Zwolsman senior)? Claimed his occupation was flower/bulb exporter, but it seems that most of his funds might have come from dealing in other types of plant.

He was a flower/bulb exporter but as mentioned in http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Zwolsman learned about the profits of drug traffic on his visits to the Zandvoort circuit and decided to give it a try - getting it from Morocco and selling it mostly in the UK.

Now that I'm researching the BSCC 1967-1973 I see a remarkable difference between these two pictures. Both are from 1972, I'm sure, but on David's picture the mk2 Camaro doesn't have the SCA sponsorship (yet?). I suppose Twinny's picture is from the GP support race allright, but David's seems to be earlier in the season. Anyone?

1972 Race of Champions, at a guess Frank. As well as missing it's SCA and Castrol livery, Gardner's car hasn't got the Wiggins Teape number roundels on the doors either, suggesting a hurried entry.

The older Camaro running fourth in the group is Martin Thomas BTW.

Judging by the lack of leaves on the trees I would agree with Twinny.

And the end-of-season Victory race was held in the dark (or might as well have been).

I've just remembered that Gardner's Camaro was also all-white at the Oulton Park F2 meeting that March or April.

Indeed. In the pouring, pouring rain. Of course it may have been SCA red and white, but you couldn't see anyway!

One of the wettest, yet most memorable meetings I can recall. A wonderful day out. The day, of course, when Niki Lauda proved he could be a successful racing driver...

Here's one for Mark - Peter Jurgens with his remarkable A40, taken in 1977, methinks.

Definitely the Race of Champs meeting. The Camaro was all-white for the first 3 races, then he switched to back to the 1971 car for the next 2 races at Silverstone & Crystal Palace. This car re-appeared fully liveried at the GP meeting.

I've just found something interesting on youtube. Search for:- Clark, Cortina, Crystal palace.

Nice one, Tony! You can access it here. Great action shots of the Lotus Cortinas, Galaxies, Anglias and Minis - including one extrememly lucky driver...

A pretty useless pic I took at Mallory in 1973, I think, 1973;

Another saloon - again from Mallory in '73 - with a BRM V12 installed;

I had forgotten how leafy Crystal Palace was!

It's another world though. Spectators sitting so close to the track, with no crash fences, whilst Minis trip over their own wheels to show why sitting that close maybe wasn't such a clever idea! That Mini had no roll-over protection and by the look of it, was using the standard seats. You wouldn't even be allowed to do an autotest in a car like that today!

And that BRM V12 engined Escort, Twinny. Are you sure? How did he get hold of that engine, I wonder?

Yes, he's sure. It's Dennis Nott's car. I've got a photo of it from Silverstone in September 1971, and once I get a scanner that'll do transparencies....

Jeremy, great to see you back on here! TW's Mallory grid shot is fantastic, anyone else remember when there were grandstands opposite the start/finish. I think they were taken down shortly after '73. Looks like Bill Dryden's SMT Viva leading Sir Tony's Escort, and a big Escort of some sort. Is that a black Anglia just behind next to the Imp, Rpert Long maybe, or even Gerry 'Swish' Taylor?

Hi Dan, I haven't actually been away... I'll admit to not posting much though

The big Escort is Doug Niven's Boss Escort, if my powers of observation are still OK