Tribute To A Racer
Discussion
Just a small tribute to a 'Yesterday's Hero'.
Last night my father-in-law lost his battle for life, peacefully.
When I started seeing his daughter I spent many fantastic days at Silverstone with the Bentley Drivers Club and with the VSCC as he campaigned LJJ 12, a MkVI Special of his own making running 3 twin 48 DelOrtos and somewhat comical Wolfrace Slot Alloys.
He held the lap record for a Bentley around Silverstone from 1980-86 in this car and is pictured below rounding the old Woodcote.
He replaced the Mk VI with an older 1937 Special, this time running SIX old brass bodied SUs. This car was driven to all it's race meetings laden down with tools, spares and me and won the Ford Trophy for points scored by a car not transported.
My wife and I had it as a wedding car in 1987.
His desire for a Grand Prix car resulted in the campaigning of a Mk1 Cooper-Bristol. This enabled him to compete at the Coys meeting at Silverstone with the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association, but a small, but significant accident caused by another driver at Copse was enough to persuade him to retire from racing.
A spot of trials in a Ford Model 'A' was great fun, but eventually he went back to road cars with a bare metal rebuild of a Porsche 356, a dalliance with a 924, a full rebuild of a Norton Model 19 and another rebuild of a Porsche Standard Tractor (an acknowlegement of his lifetime of farming).
His last major engineering job was the rebuild of a car he had assisted his Best Man (the late Alan Stacey of Team Lotus) in building, a Lotus VI. This was done on behalf of Alan's family and the car has been campaigned since by them.
Between all this he also rebuilt a Bentley Saloon to a standard enough to win him the Concours D'Elegance at Bentley Drivers Club, Kensington Palace.
I hope you like the pictures, I just thought I couldn't let his life slip away without a little recognition of a fantastic racer, engineer, father-in-law, grandfather, man....
Last night my father-in-law lost his battle for life, peacefully.
When I started seeing his daughter I spent many fantastic days at Silverstone with the Bentley Drivers Club and with the VSCC as he campaigned LJJ 12, a MkVI Special of his own making running 3 twin 48 DelOrtos and somewhat comical Wolfrace Slot Alloys.
He held the lap record for a Bentley around Silverstone from 1980-86 in this car and is pictured below rounding the old Woodcote.
He replaced the Mk VI with an older 1937 Special, this time running SIX old brass bodied SUs. This car was driven to all it's race meetings laden down with tools, spares and me and won the Ford Trophy for points scored by a car not transported.
My wife and I had it as a wedding car in 1987.
His desire for a Grand Prix car resulted in the campaigning of a Mk1 Cooper-Bristol. This enabled him to compete at the Coys meeting at Silverstone with the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association, but a small, but significant accident caused by another driver at Copse was enough to persuade him to retire from racing.
A spot of trials in a Ford Model 'A' was great fun, but eventually he went back to road cars with a bare metal rebuild of a Porsche 356, a dalliance with a 924, a full rebuild of a Norton Model 19 and another rebuild of a Porsche Standard Tractor (an acknowlegement of his lifetime of farming).
His last major engineering job was the rebuild of a car he had assisted his Best Man (the late Alan Stacey of Team Lotus) in building, a Lotus VI. This was done on behalf of Alan's family and the car has been campaigned since by them.
Between all this he also rebuilt a Bentley Saloon to a standard enough to win him the Concours D'Elegance at Bentley Drivers Club, Kensington Palace.
I hope you like the pictures, I just thought I couldn't let his life slip away without a little recognition of a fantastic racer, engineer, father-in-law, grandfather, man....
Edited by Ferg on Sunday 9th December 12:17
Just a quick update.
Funeral yesterday. BIG turnout, shed a tear.
Afterwards my mother-in-law got some old photo albums out and I have asked to borrow and scan some car photos. I'll post them here when I get time.
With typical forethought he had listed out every car or motorbike he owned....
Funeral yesterday. BIG turnout, shed a tear.
Afterwards my mother-in-law got some old photo albums out and I have asked to borrow and scan some car photos. I'll post them here when I get time.
With typical forethought he had listed out every car or motorbike he owned....
Hello all.
I spent a couple of hours with my mother-in-law going through a lot of racing stuff yesterday evening in my father-in-law's workshop.
Around 100 trophies from the VSCC and BDC along with some 'rogue' AMOC and JDC trophies as well as some Chelmsford and District Auto Club trophies from 1950-53... he was 17 in 1950 and I suspect these were motorbike trials or somesuch.
Anyway, I brought home with me 4 photos of him in Bentleys and also the 'Ford Vintage Trophy' from 1990. This is awarded to the driver who wins most points in the season in a car DRIVEN to all the meetings. Since I was the fool who got up at 5am to go with him in all weathers in an open car, I asked my MIL if I could be 'custodian' of that trophy...it's on the piano next to me now!!!
Silverstone 1977
Prescott 1978
Silverstone 1979
Silverstone 1997
I hope you like them.
Cheers,
Ferg
I spent a couple of hours with my mother-in-law going through a lot of racing stuff yesterday evening in my father-in-law's workshop.
Around 100 trophies from the VSCC and BDC along with some 'rogue' AMOC and JDC trophies as well as some Chelmsford and District Auto Club trophies from 1950-53... he was 17 in 1950 and I suspect these were motorbike trials or somesuch.
Anyway, I brought home with me 4 photos of him in Bentleys and also the 'Ford Vintage Trophy' from 1990. This is awarded to the driver who wins most points in the season in a car DRIVEN to all the meetings. Since I was the fool who got up at 5am to go with him in all weathers in an open car, I asked my MIL if I could be 'custodian' of that trophy...it's on the piano next to me now!!!
Silverstone 1977
Prescott 1978
Silverstone 1979
Silverstone 1997
I hope you like them.
Cheers,
Ferg
Thanks all for your interest in my photos. I've unearthed a few from my own collection, I'll have a look for some more from my MIL in a while.
The 'Alan Stacey' VI.
EGJ55 racing at Donington with mudguards and lights removed and sporting an aero screen. He ran it like this in races which didn't specify a 'sportscar'.
Cooper-Bristol passing the pits at Silverstone.
Grand Prix car dash..... LOL!
Now I think this is his Concours winning Bentley......
The 'Alan Stacey' VI.
EGJ55 racing at Donington with mudguards and lights removed and sporting an aero screen. He ran it like this in races which didn't specify a 'sportscar'.
Cooper-Bristol passing the pits at Silverstone.
Grand Prix car dash..... LOL!
Now I think this is his Concours winning Bentley......
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