George Harrison at the '79 Donington Gunnar Nilsson Meeting

[2volvos]

Hi

Don't know if this is the right place for this thread - could be Music, could be Film and TV as well.

Anyway, watching the excellent George Harrison documentary at the weekend and JYS's contribution about him being a well known F1 fan got me thinking of the 1979 Gunnar Nilsson Memorial meeting at Donington. I was there as a 9 year old with my family and remember rumours that he was there driving under a pseudonym in the BMW M1 Procar race. Looking it up on the web it confirms that he drove a Lotus 18 in a demo run but nothing about the M1 race. Can anyone shed any light on this?

PS - While having a post-uni job in the early 90s collecting and delivering BMWs for the Reading dealership I once spotted a helmeted chap driving a Rocket in Henley and have always wanted to believe that this was George as well.

PPS - What a great meeting that was - Fangio driving the Mercedes W154 as well, plus leading F1 drivers competing in 5 lap sprint for the lap record.

PPPS - George Harrison was such a cool chap - so many strings to his bow, so to speak.

[freedman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMm4bhs6GYY

[2volvos]

Thanks - that was marvellous...great song, great footage.

And the words let you know that he really did understand racing.

[PAUL. S]

Remember the event well, I was 11 and we drove up from South Wales in my dads mk 3 Cortina, seemed to take forever to get there, but the weather was great.

James Hunts last appearance in an F1 car as well before retiring, and he broke down in his M23 on the demonstration lap and had to be towed back.

I lined up for ages to get Noel Edmunds autograph and he was out in his GT40 as well on the day.

[2volvos]

We were in a rather fetching purple Reliant Scimitar! Still got the programme lurking in the attic somewhere...

[hot metal]

I remember that meeting well, I think the Procar event was James Hunt`s last competitive race,(could be wrong) he retired.

[DiscoColin]

You know that someone is just that bit more special when their biography is a Martin Scorsese film...

[morgscars]

I remember standing at the Old Hairpin watching Alan Jones in the Williams totally committed down the craner curves made a huge impression at the time and that was just in the morning warm up , It was fantastic day for a 13yr old. I,m sure Hunt hung a pit board out with RAIN when Jones was doing his run which amused us all. The Procar race had both Martin and Robin Brundle in I think.
Thanks for reminding me
cheers
Morgan

[2volvos]

I think it must have been my first proper race meeting apart from going to see the banger racing at Grimley, near Worcester and many trips to Shelsley Walsh hillclimb that was nearby to where I grew up.

Didn't Phil Hill talk about all of the drivers being in awe of the way Fangio four wheel drifted the old Mercedes W154?

[tyrrell]

Great posting, enjoyed the video good to see 70's gp cars again

[Zdenka]

Hi,
My husband has the trophy to the Gunnar Nilsson challenge ... 1979. He bought it at Christie's Auction rooms here in Australia . It was a few years ago. It was actually sold as the first place trophy for the Dutch grand Prix that year. The current "Motorsport" magazine has guest editor ... Sir Jackie Stewart .... He speaks of George Harrison entering that particular race.