1984 British Truck Grand Prix
Discussion
Jerry Can said:
soxboy said:
Also fondly remember the Austin Rover motorsport day at Donington, think it may have been 1985. 3 tests of motorsport, autotest in a Rover 216 Vitesse, rally stage in a Metro 6R4 and circuit race in Montego Turbos. Think it was won by Juha Kankunnen but I may be wrong!
ya b
d.....33 years I've known you, and only now do you tell me that...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VkQs82RKuQ
I was fourteen years old, my Dad took me to that race. I'll never forget the day. 130,000 people, East Midlands Airport had to close, because all the roads were blocked and there would be no way of allowing emergency services to serve the airport. A good reason the F1 Grand Prix never went there a few years ago.
I remember that you could get into the paddock and look up close at the trucks. There were black faced mechanics, opening up pumps on the engines for maximum fuel, and tons of black smoke coming from the exhausts. Trailers were dropped in the parking area, and the tractor units raced! I did hear a tale of the Ministry checking the tacho discs of one of the trucks a few days later, and seeing speeds well over 100mph. Maybe this is an urban myth?
Barry Sheene had a DAF 3300 sponsored by Sherwood from Nottingham. He later raced with Klausthaler non-alcoholic beer sponsorship. Richard Walker from Tuxford raced a Leyland Roadtrain which I seem to remember, won a position at the chicane, because he had to take to the grass! Ran out of brakes I think.
There was a truck from Rayleigh Cold Store, VOLVO F12 driver called Mel. Did Steve Parrish drive in that race with a Merc? Mitchel Cotts Airfreght? There was a Renault racing, driver Martin Brundle. Can anyone confirm this?
I remember a Bedford TM with a V8 Detroit. It came from a hire company called Wheels. A bloke called Rob Gravett? drove it. And there was always Andy Levvet's Scania 142 from Birds Haulage.
It was pure racing, how it ought to be. The FIA got involved, so did CVC and now we have trucks racing with computerised set ups, disc brakes, water cooled brakes, fire engine low down chassis. Vee engines simply to keep the centre of gravity low, and horrendous auto boxes.
I remember that you could get into the paddock and look up close at the trucks. There were black faced mechanics, opening up pumps on the engines for maximum fuel, and tons of black smoke coming from the exhausts. Trailers were dropped in the parking area, and the tractor units raced! I did hear a tale of the Ministry checking the tacho discs of one of the trucks a few days later, and seeing speeds well over 100mph. Maybe this is an urban myth?
Barry Sheene had a DAF 3300 sponsored by Sherwood from Nottingham. He later raced with Klausthaler non-alcoholic beer sponsorship. Richard Walker from Tuxford raced a Leyland Roadtrain which I seem to remember, won a position at the chicane, because he had to take to the grass! Ran out of brakes I think.
There was a truck from Rayleigh Cold Store, VOLVO F12 driver called Mel. Did Steve Parrish drive in that race with a Merc? Mitchel Cotts Airfreght? There was a Renault racing, driver Martin Brundle. Can anyone confirm this?
I remember a Bedford TM with a V8 Detroit. It came from a hire company called Wheels. A bloke called Rob Gravett? drove it. And there was always Andy Levvet's Scania 142 from Birds Haulage.
It was pure racing, how it ought to be. The FIA got involved, so did CVC and now we have trucks racing with computerised set ups, disc brakes, water cooled brakes, fire engine low down chassis. Vee engines simply to keep the centre of gravity low, and horrendous auto boxes.
SPIRITWALKER said:
It was pure racing, how it ought to be. The FIA got involved, so did CVC and now we have trucks racing with computerised set ups, disc brakes, water cooled brakes, fire engine low down chassis. Vee engines simply to keep the centre of gravity low, and horrendous auto boxes.
I agree, and I think there could be scope for a classic truck racing championship, run along similar lines to club level historic saloon/hot hatch championships. basically modified roadgoing vehicles up to, say early 90s only, extra points for driving to and from meeting instead of using a transporter, and an emphasis on cheap, fun racing.I actually started a thread on here a while back espousing this very idea, unfortunately it seemed to get poo-pooed at the time
ChemicalChaos said:
SPIRITWALKER said:
It was pure racing, how it ought to be. The FIA got involved, so did CVC and now we have trucks racing with computerised set ups, disc brakes, water cooled brakes, fire engine low down chassis. Vee engines simply to keep the centre of gravity low, and horrendous auto boxes.
I agree, and I think there could be scope for a classic truck racing championship, run along similar lines to club level historic saloon/hot hatch championships. basically modified roadgoing vehicles up to, say early 90s only, extra points for driving to and from meeting instead of using a transporter, and an emphasis on cheap, fun racing.I actually started a thread on here a while back espousing this very idea, unfortunately it seemed to get poo-pooed at the time
My Dad took my Bro and i there as kids, fab day out! Paddock was like a truck show and racing was fast and furious, as much action on the grass as the tarmac!
It was Mel Bacon iirc, my Bro and i were cheering for him and Richard Walker.
I do remember one spinning thru last chicane and punching a hole in the pitwall!
It was featured on Top Gear (pre Clarkson) and then presenter Chris Goffey was in a celeb (??!!) Truck. The footage shown him dicing into corners then getti g left for dead on he exit. He finally realised he was bracing himself on the brake pedal in the corners--muppet! Lol
It was Mel Bacon iirc, my Bro and i were cheering for him and Richard Walker.
I do remember one spinning thru last chicane and punching a hole in the pitwall!
It was featured on Top Gear (pre Clarkson) and then presenter Chris Goffey was in a celeb (??!!) Truck. The footage shown him dicing into corners then getti g left for dead on he exit. He finally realised he was bracing himself on the brake pedal in the corners--muppet! Lol
CNHSS1 said:
My Dad took my Bro and i there as kids, fab day out! Paddock was like a truck show and racing was fast and furious, as much action on the grass as the tarmac!
It was Mel Bacon iirc, my Bro and i were cheering for him and Richard Walker.
I do remember one spinning thru last chicane and punching a hole in the pitwall!
It was featured on Top Gear (pre Clarkson) and then presenter Chris Goffey was in a celeb (??!!) Truck. The footage shown him dicing into corners then getti g left for dead on he exit. He finally realised he was bracing himself on the brake pedal in the corners--muppet! Lol
My dad shared the truck with Mel Bacon. Whoever qualified quickest got to drive the final. As my dad put it on pole, he got the drive. It was Mel Bacon iirc, my Bro and i were cheering for him and Richard Walker.
I do remember one spinning thru last chicane and punching a hole in the pitwall!
It was featured on Top Gear (pre Clarkson) and then presenter Chris Goffey was in a celeb (??!!) Truck. The footage shown him dicing into corners then getti g left for dead on he exit. He finally realised he was bracing himself on the brake pedal in the corners--muppet! Lol
I was working there running the T45 Team promotional activities in what I seem to remember was the covered Scrutineering Bay. My abiding memory was of the massive crowds and a total logjam of people in the tunnel between the paddock and outfield. Leyland had just launched the T45 Roadrunner (the toughest truck on 2 wheels!) and we had Gilbert Bataille do a lap on 2 wheels in a Roadrunner demo truck with a locked up diff. There was also some sort of celebrity race for Roadrunners with a bunch of trucks racing from point to point picking up boxes. seem to recall some wassock from You've Been Framed thinking it was a good idea to drive against the traffic...
The whole thing was supposed to be for standard engines, but there was a massive amount of cheating (allegedly)and very few stuck to the rules - with the notable exception of the Rolls engined T45 (Gertie).
I'm told that the Italian guy who won in the Scania stopped on the slow down lap and tried to destroy the evidence of what he'd done by setting it on fire.
When some rules were sorted out I think there was a 400BHP and max 100mph limit for later races. I was involved in preparing and running a T45 Rolls Royce at the race at Silverstone which I think was 1986. (the blue one with T45 livery), and we got F1 driver Alan Jones to drive it. This truck was totally legal, but got left for dead on the straights by just about everyone, AJ was pretty impressive in the twisty bits mind.
Earlier in the thread someone asked what happened
The whole thing was supposed to be for standard engines, but there was a massive amount of cheating (allegedly)and very few stuck to the rules - with the notable exception of the Rolls engined T45 (Gertie).
I'm told that the Italian guy who won in the Scania stopped on the slow down lap and tried to destroy the evidence of what he'd done by setting it on fire.
When some rules were sorted out I think there was a 400BHP and max 100mph limit for later races. I was involved in preparing and running a T45 Rolls Royce at the race at Silverstone which I think was 1986. (the blue one with T45 livery), and we got F1 driver Alan Jones to drive it. This truck was totally legal, but got left for dead on the straights by just about everyone, AJ was pretty impressive in the twisty bits mind.
Earlier in the thread someone asked what happened
3059hp said:
I was working there running the T45 Team promotional activities in what I seem to remember was the covered Scrutineering Bay.
You may well know my uncle then, Peter Chambers. He was Product Development Manager for Multipart at the time, The Truck GP was his idea / baby.3059hp said:
There was also some sort of celebrity race for Roadrunners with a bunch of trucks racing from point to point picking up boxes. seem to recall some wassock from You've Been Framed thinking it was a good idea to drive against the traffic...
Yes. I spent the weekend in the hospitality suite with the guest drivers. I remember Jeremy Beadle, Peter Duncan, Anneka Rice and about 5 others. Beadle was a legend, handing out boxes and boxes of Yorkie bars to me and my brother. I was about 7 years old and must have eaten my weight in free chocolate bars that weekend. Happy days...!Hi Roop,
Yes I knew him well, both through truck racing and in day to day work (I was in Leyland Trucks Marketing). What was his TVR connection? At one point we sold an ex demo Cruiser tractor unit to TVR (in theory to tow a race trailer) at a ludicrously knocked down "promotional" price, and Pete was the guy who brought someone from TVR (I think it might have been Peter Wheeler??)to Leyland to agree the deal. Not sure if it was ever used as intended, or just for general TVR trucking.....
That first truck GP was an amazing event, and I remember that everyone involved was really surprised just how big it was.
Yes I knew him well, both through truck racing and in day to day work (I was in Leyland Trucks Marketing). What was his TVR connection? At one point we sold an ex demo Cruiser tractor unit to TVR (in theory to tow a race trailer) at a ludicrously knocked down "promotional" price, and Pete was the guy who brought someone from TVR (I think it might have been Peter Wheeler??)to Leyland to agree the deal. Not sure if it was ever used as intended, or just for general TVR trucking.....
That first truck GP was an amazing event, and I remember that everyone involved was really surprised just how big it was.
3059hp said:
Hi Roop,
Yes I knew him well, both through truck racing and in day to day work (I was in Leyland Trucks Marketing). What was his TVR connection? At one point we sold an ex demo Cruiser tractor unit to TVR (in theory to tow a race trailer) at a ludicrously knocked down "promotional" price, and Pete was the guy who brought someone from TVR (I think it might have been Peter Wheeler??)to Leyland to agree the deal. Not sure if it was ever used as intended, or just for general TVR trucking.....
That first truck GP was an amazing event, and I remember that everyone involved was really surprised just how big it was.
Small world...! It would certainly have been Wheeler that agreed the deal on the tractor unit, but Peter Chambers' link to TVR was my dad (his brother-in-law) who was the 'works' driver. Yes, the tractor unit was used extensively to tow the cars round, I remember it well. There's a press cutting of it somewhere.Yes I knew him well, both through truck racing and in day to day work (I was in Leyland Trucks Marketing). What was his TVR connection? At one point we sold an ex demo Cruiser tractor unit to TVR (in theory to tow a race trailer) at a ludicrously knocked down "promotional" price, and Pete was the guy who brought someone from TVR (I think it might have been Peter Wheeler??)to Leyland to agree the deal. Not sure if it was ever used as intended, or just for general TVR trucking.....
That first truck GP was an amazing event, and I remember that everyone involved was really surprised just how big it was.
Henry Fiddleton said:
Just a heads up, the trucks are racing are Brands this weekend! I will be going - first time watching truck racing. Should be fun..
Got my tickets sorted for this, always a good (and busy) meeting, well as long as they don't take out too much of the armco/ tyre walls etc. 
|http://thumbsnap.com/vvTTyM6r[/url]This is a later photo of gertie that i found here
http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=35...
Was at the BTRA championship final at brands the other weekend. I like that they have fia spec trucks in class A and more standard trucks In class B still pumping out clouds of smoke. Quite a few crashes so every race was red flagged. Finished by a show truck parade round the track after and a fireworks display.
Oh another highlight was watching people slide their cars into each other down the south bank.
Oh another highlight was watching people slide their cars into each other down the south bank.
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff