(Super) road saloons - where are they now?

[R59]

Well, if we can have a Super Coupe's where are they now, why not a Super Road Saloons.

Let's set the timeframe - 1989 to 1999 - a period of evolution, then demise of a once popular race what you drive, but modified, series.

We all know where I am, right here... and Denis, and Tim Dodwell.
Al, you were busy with ModProds in those days, but let's put on our rose tinted glasses, and drift back into memory lane....

Those who we know (still active)....

I'll start the ball rolling with:

Andy Pyke - Ran the no.70/72 Escort Mk1 Mexico, and later Mk1 Fiesta - Has been seen occaisionally in the Pick-up Truck series, and Legends, but is more known for being the crew chief on the #16 Pickup.

Duncan Aukland - Rover SD1 Class A - still running the now more developed Green Rover in the K&N Northwest Sports & Saloons - has been Champ in that series, and leads Class D.... and...

James Aukland - Ford Capri Class A- now running with a V8, in the K&N's, not very often, I guess when the ship's in port (if he's still at sea that is...)

Mark Wyatt - Talbot Sunbeam Class B - that's gone - Mark's now a leading player in the Castle Combe Saloons with his Astra. All I can say is insurance sales must be doing well!

Richard Gane - No.99 Nova Class D - Mr Whippy. DTRC and EERC Prod S1 with his Integra.

Chris Adams - No 95 Nova Class D - as above (without the ice cream references)

Joe Macari -The Honeymonster! - No.5 Lancer Turbo Class A - One of the Riverside Racing gang, a plethora of rapid Lancers with induction pipework held on with more hose clips than you'd find in a plumber merchant! - well known for his Gumball3000 antic, Joemacari.com, and now races in EERC from time to time. Not bad for a car-boot sale proprieter from Sussex!

Tim Watson - No.62 Fiesta Class C - now a stalwart (he ought to be, his firm sponsors it!) of the Ford Saloons, with either a trusty Fiesta, or his Mondeo Supertourer.

Brian Long - Sierra XR4i Class A - still racing it, chasing Tim Watson around!

Those are peeps that I know are active, others that have been active, but haven't heard much of them lately...

John Batchelor - Class C Nova - say no more......

Neil Huggins - Class C Escort - was running a Radical in National Supersports, but not seen for a year or more.

Ralph Underwood - Class A Rover - had the Rover destroyed - then built a TR7-V8 which he ran in K&N's. Not seen for a while.....

David Pearson - Class C Fiesta - my ol' mate carried on with his Fiesta for a while in the Northern Sports & Saloons, but changed to a Escort Cosworth and has been seen in the Ford Saloons, but not for a while.....

Now a couple of "retirees"

Roy Gravestock - probably too old to race now (if that doesn't get the old git back out in a car, I dunno what will). Still spends his time navigating through the side windows of various Nova's with knobbly tyres, once ran as high as 3rd overall in the Circuit of Ireland rally when it snowed, and being Roy, he was on road tyres, when everyone else was caught out on slicks, came to an early demise taking avoidance of an earlier incident.

Lord Fulke-Greville of Scrubs Lane (or is it Parkhurst?). I think I'll leave that there...

Carl Sawford - No.28 Mk1 RS2000 - so clean you could eat your dinner off it, and it showed various Lotus Sunbeams a clean pair of heels. When SRS died, Carl converted it to Gp.1 spec, and sold it without racing it once. The car wins regularly in the hands of Mr Primett in Post Historic Touring Cars, and Carl spends his time either on (or off!) of 2 wheels, and restoring a Dodge Charger for his 'bro'-in-law. I keep trying to get him back in the hot seat, as he has the talent to both prepare and drive a fast car.

Now, who's gone off the radar....... Prepare for long list (I'll start with the Leicestershire/Derbyshire contingent which made up a fair percentage at one time!)

Lol Dyke, Karen Dyke, Perry Brewer, Shane Golding, Fatteh Pocock, Richard Timpson, Vince Mitchell, Michael Ward, Ricky Metterick, Jim Dixon, Phil Castle, Graham Millward, Andy Robey, Tony Caig, Brian Coyle, Jeff Robinson, Linda Stimpson, Dave Stimpson, Terry Kaby, Lionel Wiffen, Michael Willis, Stephen Moore, Weston Moore, Ivan Stuparic, Peter Featherstone, Roger Turner, Neil Hasler, Eric Crawley,...

Come on then - where are they? And name some more 'names'.

[andypipe]

Neil Hassler is still alive and kicking. Has been racing in Mighty Minis until recently. He has been concentrating getting his step daughter in formula woman. He still has his trusty Sunbeam Lotus and I am trying to persuade him into joining the DTRC. Last heard of Vince Mitchell when i was racing against him in the Falken Tyres Mod Prods in the mid 90's but he sold his car and i think that was that

[Al Weyman]

ITs all got too ruddy expensive for most Rob thats the fact of the matter. It was 40 quid to enter back in those days, I have just looked to enter a double header at Snett in my ex ModProd car (the IROC) and they want in excess of 300 quid, its simply too much especially with squirt a ridiculous £1 a litre. Gerry cain only told me this morning his racing days are over because of amoungst other reasons, the expense.

[R59]

Originally Posted by andypipe

Neil Hassler is still alive and kicking. Has been racing in Mighty Minis until recently. He has been concentrating getting his step daughter in formula woman. He still has his trusty Sunbeam Lotus and I am trying to persuade him into joining the DTRC. Last heard of Vince Mitchell when i was racing against him in the Falken Tyres Mod Prods in the mid 90's but he sold his car and i think that was that

I seem to recall that Vince was working for Audi, which is probably when I last bumped into him, or his brother.

Petrol in terms of value compared to income is about the same as it was in around 1980. I remember it jumping to over a quid a gallon, and the woe in the press about it. Average bloke was probably on around £120 a week, now Mr Average is supposed to be on £500 a week, and petrol is £4.50 a gallon.

We just had a lot of years between then and now where fuel was cheap, regardless of the tax.

Rob.

[Al Weyman]

Its all the other claims on yer wages apart from petrol before you can even contemplate racing, mortgages for example!

[R59]

Yes, you were paying more % income tax in those days, but only 15% VAT.

The mortgage rate was higher, but inflation was high too, so your wages outstripped your mortgage, and the house prices were on the rise so your mortgage was "smaller" by the day.

I remember talking to an old work colleague who bought his house in 1974 for £34000, which by 1984 was worth £125K, and he had 14K left on his morgage to pay. That same house now would be worth around £270K.

Rob.

[greenamex2]

Me (Denis Bassom) - Still racing the Toyota Corolla, now in Modified Production Saloons after the BRSCC killed Super Road Saloons.

Tony Caig - Fiesta - Often seen in Northern Sports & Saloons.

John Parton - Small Citroen thing - On a break after playing with an Integra, most recently seen in the Northern series now.

Karen Dyke - Toyota Corolla FWD - Err, no longer Karen Dyke. Went to the Ford's in a Fiesta then dissappeared.

[greenamex2]

David O'Keefe - The other small Citroen thing (AX GT) - Last seen playing with 2CV's, mostly running cars rather than driving.

Paul Berman - Numerous Pug 205's - Occassionally pops up at race meetings talking about a return but not made it yet.

Oliver Allens Dad (Sorry, rubbish with names) - Fiesta - Mostly helping his son out in Ford Mod Prods.

Steve and Mike Quenby - Nova - Now in the Tiger R6 championship, his Nova fell apart.

[Al Weyman]

Trouble is again getting down to costs, this is the budget end of the racing spectrum so the money will run out from this end first.

Paul Berman. Shame he is not out as he used to spend a ruddy fortune with me on stickers as he had about four cars but only told his wife he had one so had to do them all up the same, bring it on!

What happened to all the northern Rover SDI contingent, Ray Webb etc. Nice guy he was even invited me to his wedding, he married Tom Wheatcroft's daughter.

[greenamex2]

Funny, people complain about costs and then jump at the chance at running on slicks, track day tyres, having dry sumps, plastic windows, fibreglass panels etc etc etc.

No consistency.

[andypipe]

Originally Posted by Denis Bassom

Funny, people complain about costs and then jump at the chance at running on slicks, track day tyres, having dry sumps, plastic windows, fibreglass panels etc etc etc.

No consistency.

Ive never complained about cost. I go where i think i am getting more value for my hard earned

[Al Weyman]

Because you only pay out for those items once Dennis, thats the unfounded argument the clubs always use, the 'Only a price of a tyre' syndrome. Dry sumps or Accusumps can be an insurance against further far more expensive costs, Plastic windows are not particularly expensive, not sure about fibre glass panels but I would bet they are generally cheaper to replace than a metal ex-factory one.

[andypipe]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

not sure about fibre glass panels but I would bet they are generally cheaper to replace than a metal ex-factory one.

You aint wrong there Al. There is a rumour that a pair of genuine ford MK1 Escort mexico wings are going for about £600 pair on Ebay. I picked up a brand new set of fibreglass ones the other day for £40

[R59]

Last heard of Mr Berman having problems getting his licence back due to health issues, so decided to stick with track-days.

Yes, I remember David O'Keefe running people in 2CV's, after all, he was a prior 2CV champion.

Other names to mention:

Matt Edwards - last thing I remember is he did a couple of rounds of the British GT series with Graham Millwards outfit in a Marcos.

Mark Gillam - was quick behind the wheel of the car that caused the rules to be changed to let it in (Class C 8" wide rims up from 7"), then sold it to Stuparic who wasn't very successful in it and kept blowing the engine

John Lewis - who gave up his department store empire to drive one of Paul Berman's cars......

I know he was mostly in Road Saloons, but occaisionally turned up in Supers - what happened to Salvador Valiente?

[R59]

Oh yeah.... Simon Light, appeared on here as "Sarnie" not seen for a while...
That was one well piloted rapid Capri!

[Al Weyman]

Raced against Salvador bit of a nut case, came past me wholely on the grass at Coombe and nearly took me out big time. Maybe Tim Dodwell the Road Saloons daddy will pop in and throw some light on the subject.

[Al Weyman]

I have a glass fibre boonet fitted to my black IROC as an 82/3 model had similiar from factory. Anyhow I stove it into the back of a Rover at Snett once and apart from some cracks in the paint now covered with a number square I have used it ever since and if that was steel it would have need replacing trust me and would have cost in excess of several hundred pounds secondhand if i could find one and probably £500 if i cound not! Fibre glass on race cars aint a bad deal as it goes.

[greenamex2]

John Martinson - VW Scirocco - Last seen in the northern series some time ago in a very scruffy sequential boxed Clio.

Simon Taylor - Honda Civic - Used to double on races with the Road Saloons. Last seen a year or so ago in the LMA Euro Saloons that absorbed Road Saloons after the BRSCC screwed that up as well.

[mark77]

Pete, did race a few times in Stock Hatch but retired after an accident and sold car etc earlier in the year

[Al Weyman]

The scrutineer at Snet I met recenly introduced himself as the driver I used to do battle with in a similiar Sunbeam Talbot to mine (sorry can't remember his name).

[Chris Y]

A few years ago, Lol Dyke was seen in 750 Hot Hatch. Corolla GT I seem to recall. Would have been 1999/2000/2001

[greenamex2]

Originally Posted by andypipe

Ive never complained about cost. I go where i think i am getting more value for my hard earned

Andy, can you define 'value for my hard earned'?

[tim dodwell]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Raced against Salvador bit of a nut case, came past me wholely on the grass at Coombe and nearly took me out big time. Maybe Tim Dodwell the Road Saloons daddy will pop in and throw some light on the subject.

Salvador (Valiente) moved to Spain a few years ago, plays with bikes nowadays (non-competitively).
Shame about the Super Road Saloons - in the early 90's they voted to be allowed trailers, and then the formula slowly faded until it got swallowed up with the mod-prods, becoming the Toyo's - which will join with Classic Thunder in 2007, I believe.
The Budget Road Saloons morphed thru Slick 50 to Lumenition, and then voted for trailers also. Surprise! They too then faded, and got amalgamated into the LMA Euro Saloons. Simon Jackson was the last to drive to his races, but has now started trailering.
Still think the idea of a road going series is a good one (but I'm biased), but an attempt to recreate it (the Highway Saloons) flopped for various reasons. The biggest being that you can get on the tracks now without all the hassles of racing (expensive transponders, entry fees, changing safety equipment etc) - via track days. Not so much fun methinks though.

[big andy]

the Toyo's - which will join with Classic Thunder in 2007 is this correct

[COLIN STUBBS]

seen ralph underwood still pedalling the TR7 v8 with bloody great slicks at cadwell this season.