Historic F1 - Rob Walker Festival - Dorking Sunday 21st Oct

[westhumbler]

If you've an interest in historic F1 and particularly Rob Walker's team - Sunday in Dorking Surrey is the place to be!

Two years of planning have already gone into organising this event which will celebrate one of the most successful F1 privateer motor racing teams - The Rob Walker Racing Team. The necessary administrative approvals are all signed off to allow ordinarily illegal vehicles (ie historic F1 racing cars) permission to come onto the public highway for a parade around the town where the team was originally based.

https://www.dorkingtownpartnership.co.uk/news-and-...

https://www.lotus7.club/forum/chitchat/rob-walker-...

[Derek Smith]

Thanks for that. I'll be going. My claim to fame is that I was once in the same car park as Rob Walker.

Edited by Derek Smith on Tuesday 16th October 15:34

[mk1coopers]

I did offer a car for this (a Minisprint GTR) as it is one of a type they used to sell, (after the organisers asked for one) but I never got a reply, not even a polite 'no thanks'

[Robscim]

Darn it - I'm away!

I could have claimed a "Spartacus" reference....

Rob (yep!)

[rallycross]

mk1coopers said:

I did offer a car for this (a Minisprint GTR) as it is one of a type they used to sell, (after the organisers asked for one) but I never got a reply, not even a polite 'no thanks'

Bring it along anyway will be good to see one even if its just parked.

[mk1coopers]

Unfortunately other plans have been made now, so I don't think it will be possible to drive it up there

[rallycross]

mk1coopers said:

Unfortunately other plans have been made now, so I don't think it will be possible to drive it up there

Interesting little car you have!
Here's an old Ad from back in the day

[mk1coopers]

Nevilles 'MSR' as it has become known, just before it was sold and raced by Wilf Ashman (it later became a hill climb car) now in Japan without its orginal engine or steering wheel (Wilf still has the wheel, the engine ended up in a racing motorbike side car combo I believe)

[westhumbler]

That's a real shame you didn't hear back from them. They've got one car coming from the US especially for the event. I went to a talk last night and met a couple of the volunteers who've been organising this for the last couple of years and I'm sure they wouldn't intentionally ignored you - they're really doing their best to make this an incredible event.

The parade of vehicles will be starting at 11am and before and after will be parked up in a grid formation outide Dorking Halls. There are lots of other car based activities and displays planned too, including general classic cars too in other parts of the town.

There should be some interesting cars to look at in the general car parks too, belonging to people coming.

Weather looks great too - should be a good day

[mk1coopers]

Just one of those things, would have been nice to have been a part of the event, if the car coming from the USA is a Black and White Sprint then it would be a far more appropriate car (but it would have been good to show both the GT and GTR types)

[Pericoloso]

I'll be coming,went to the similar Mike Hawthorne thing in Farnham last Sunday and this is closer to home.

[westhumbler]

I wish I'd known about the Mike Hawthorn event - my dad would have enjoyed that as well, having been a big Hawthorn fan back in the day.

[Smollet]

About to head off to it in a friend's 1947 Riley. Weather is superb.

[rallycross]

That made for a nice day out in The Surrey hills thanks for putting this on here would have never known it was on otherwise.

Edited by rallycross on Sunday 21st October 15:13

[westhumbler]

Really pleased you enjoyed the day.

I thought it was an excellent event, lots of interesting vehicles and a great atmosphere.

Did you get down to the other end of town to the classic car display? There were some beutiful machines there to drool over!

[rallycross]

westhumbler said:

Really pleased you enjoyed the day.

I thought it was an excellent event, lots of interesting vehicles and a great atmosphere.

Did you get down to the other end of town to the classic car display? There were some beutifull machines there to drool over!

I missed that bit, hopefully someone will have some photos, do you know if there were any Mini Sprints there? (and thanks again for flagging it up on here)

[Riley Blue]

A Mini Sprint passed me in the opposite direction near Mickleton yesterday. Prior to that I can't remember when I last saw one.

[westhumbler]

rallycross said:

I missed that bit, hopefully someone will have some photos, do you know if there were any Mini Sprints there? (and thanks again for flagging it up on here)

I didn't see any mini sprints there, but there were several MGs (MGB, MGB V8, MGC, a Magnette and (from memory a TC or TD and a TF), a lovely XK120, the restored AC Ace Ruddspeed (you'd have seen this in the procession) a 1920's Bentley to name a few. I've posted some pics on the Aston Martin forum (but a bit biased in terms of what I've posted there I'm afraid).

It was well worth a walk around some of the public car parks too - not the usual Sunday cars parked in Dorking today. I saw a lovely trio of Cougar Jags that I couldn't help but photograph.

[Derek Smith]

rallycross said:

That made for a nice day out in The Surrey hills thanks for putting this on here would have never known it was on otherwise.

I saw Moss win the Redex Trophy in 1960 driving that car. It looked wonderful coming around Clearways with the steering wheels straight ahead.

On the way to the circuit Moss came out of the Farningham pub with Rob Walker and my father drove in. Moss came up to us for a chat.

[rallycross]

Derek Smith said:

I saw Moss win the Redex Trophy in 1960 driving that car. It looked wonderful coming around Clearways with the steering wheels straight ahead.

On the way to the circuit Moss came out of the Farningham pub with Rob Walker and my father drove in. Moss came up to us for a chat.

It's amazing its survived all this time as a racing car and great to hear you have a story to connect to it from back in the day when it was a current/new racing car. Where is/was the Farningham pub?