Paying a Driver

[terence]

Whilst attending Silverstone Classic,and other events for that matter, I was supprised by the amount of Owners who pay very good money to some drivers .One "Driver",an import apparently,quite frankly ,did,nt have a clue as to how to drive a very expensive sports car.This "Star" did not notice that there was a constant stream of engine oil soaking his overalls,the only time this was noticed was when there was sufficient oil on the rear tyre to encourage a spin! 1st race. 2nd race,Retired--Engine problem!!!.So all things considered,a pretty poor return for a rather large investment.I have a problem understanding the mentallity of the Owners of these fantastic cars,do they bother checking out what their drivers have done in the past?

[Robin_D]

I know what you mean. Last year we had a driver that on his first lap out of the pits dumped it into the Maggotts gravel. Did he know where the towing eye was? No.

If anyone wants to pay me to drive then please PM me.

[Al Weyman]

or me but I aint good looking enough :-)

Joking aside someone I used to work for gave a very beautiful young lady a drive and I hate to say but she was bloody useless in fact it nearly caused a riot in the workshop when GT40 driver walked through our workshop and first clapped eyes on her because weeks earlier she had taken him out at Daytona! But she looked fabulous in a tight fitting pair of drivers overalls and had all the girlie mags at the time covering he 'progress' so make up your own mind. Also later in life a driver with us in modprods won the Top Gear sponsorship package, now as I recollect he was a very good looking young man and very presentable but could he drive, could he hell as like! Two races he done and disappeared with the loot. What I am trying to say is in this shallow world of ours looks play a big part.

[rogerwills]

I've also struggled to understand this from the owner's perspective. Writing cheques to prep the car is one thing but when you get in it and race you forget what it cost, as long as you finish.

There is a high but decreasing correlation to the costs you "feel" and the number of laps you complete. Spending thousands and doing just a few laps just sucks.

So how does it work with owners who pay to prep their cars, don't drive themselves and then pay people to drive the car?

To me it feels like some kind of perverted voyeurism??

I don't get it.

But if someone wants me to drive their car, I'm ready, and I won't need paid!

[terence]

Bet you can,t guess where the que starts Roger. But yes,this is exactly what I mean,I do know several owners who do exactly that but never plucked up the courage to ask the question.Some of them ,are ex-drivers who are suffering bad health,others ,ex-team managers who just can,t stay away from the sport they love[I suppose].But there still is the question of how they choose thier drivers!

[simon drabble]

personally I would never pay someone to drive my car and I have had several professional drivers share my car paynig their share. However there are some very good historic race drivers out there (Peter Hardman and Tony Dron immediately come to mind) and to the multiple car owners like Liavantis (cant spell his name!) and Bamford etc who want their cars out at the squirty end and see success as beneficial to value. Equally I find it hard to take on board that David Piper readily hires out his gorgeous 250 LM!

[john ruston]

I do not pay drivers but understand those that do
It is the same as owning a racehorse,you like to see it run but have to employ a jockey,can't see Sheik Mohammed in silks
When a bloke owns a car he is allowed to do whatever he wants with it.
I race once a year (very slowly) and get much more pleasure in watching my mates annoy the front runners
There is a situation in crocks racing where a new owner who is talked in to racing his new car and gets saddled with one of the not so golden oldies who are only in it to get a ride and try to make a few bob or expenses .When it goes wrong they wash their hands of the whole thing.
I assume Mr wills its all a bit iffy if you watch old car racing!Must remember that as wouldn't want to lose my hard won street cred

[terence]

Originally Posted by simon drabble

personally I would never pay someone to drive my car and I have had several professional drivers share my car paynig their share. However there are some very good historic race drivers out there (Peter Hardman and Tony Dron immediately come to mind) and to the multiple car owners like Liavantis (cant spell his name!) and Bamford etc who want their cars out at the squirty end and see success as beneficial to value. Equally I find it hard to take on board that David Piper readily hires out his gorgeous 250 LM!

It was this car that gave me so much work last week!!.LMans aftermath.

[simon drabble]

Originally Posted by terence bower

It was this car that gave me so much work last week!!.LMans aftermath.

I saw the race on the telly he t boned Whizzo didn't he? mind you he drove it well at Silverstone this weekend - I assumed you were up at Silverstone with Whizzo rather than Piper

[terence]

I can understand what you,re saying John,but my point is that some of these paid drivers somehow do not respect the car,s they are paid to drive.I know that you do not pay you,re drivers,why should you,you are giving you,re guy,s a privilege that many would give thier right arm,s for!.There was a case fairly recently of a "named" driver shunting a very expensive car,the response to the owner was just a shrug of the drivers shoulders as he walked away!!.As I say,if/when a drive is given,the very least a driver can do is look after the gift he has been given!It is possible to be competetive/quick without trashing the car afterall.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by rogerwills

I've also struggled to understand this from the owner's perspective. Writing cheques to prep the car is one thing but when you get in it and race you forget what it cost, as long as you finish.

There is a high but decreasing correlation to the costs you "feel" and the number of laps you complete. Spending thousands and doing just a few laps just sucks.

So how does it work with owners who pay to prep their cars, don't drive themselves and then pay people to drive the car?

To me it feels like some kind of perverted voyeurism??

I don't get it.

But if someone wants me to drive their car, I'm ready, and I won't need paid!

I guess there's also the kudos of being able to say "I put so and so in my car, it only cost me £XXXX" which is the Gentleman's club effect.

I don't think anyone would want to drive my car so I don't have the problem, however if anyone does, they share the cost like I would if I were invited to drive someone else's.

[simon drabble]

I think Terence has a fair point and that is why some drivers manage the switch from current to historic and others dont. In current it is very much a case of if you dink it c'est la vie. I think there are some owners who want their car on pole "whatever" and others who want a good driver who will respect their car. That is why the likes of Hardman, Dron, Whizzo etc drive the same owners' cars for a long time - their is good mutual trust.

[terence]

Nothing wrong with Capri,s Peter Simon,you,re assumption was correct,mind you,David was made aware of the amount of work involved,Whizzo thought it fun!

[Bullett]

I remember at the Australian GP Historic Demo this year a well known Sports Car driver was driving a genuine GT40 in the demo and made contact with another car and took flight. The result was a hell of a lot of damage, many non historic car followers or just once a year F1ers would have thought 'only a replica' but it wasnt, the door wouldnt close, front body work was f***** and id hate to see the mechanical damage...now I wonder if he will be back driving the owners cars as normal when the next big events come around!?

[GBRM]

I think Paying a driver and those driving other peole's cars are very differant threads and I think I can safely say I can't ever recall a time Dad was paid to race someone elses car (other then manufacturer/sponsor contracts)

He always did it for the enjoyment but then you could say the person whose car it was paid the entry fees, running costs etc, so he was paid, depends how you call it really.

I agree with the comment about owners wanting to see their cars successful, of course they do, that's why they ask "names" to drive them and I'm sure they get their kicks out of it and from other things, plus there's always the two-driver races.

[terence]

Of course they want to see some success,but it still supprise,s me at the standards of driving to be seen by these paid drivers!

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by terence bower

Of course they want to see some success,but it still supprise,s me at the standards of driving to be seen by these paid drivers!

I agree, there are a lot of drivers out there who don't respect the cars or those around them and one of the few good things about Goodwood is they do tend to not ask certain people back.

I think it tends to be the older generations of "drivers" that are the best, firstly they have a bit more mechanical sympathy and secondly they have a bit more of the Corinthian spirit. Obviously there are exceptions to both of these!!

[terence]

You got it in one.

[Belmondo]

Just of of interest, which drivers are paid to race in historics?

[simon drabble]

Hardman and Willie Green was, others as has been outlined above are given "free" drives and I am sure there are others who fall into one of these categories.

[Redneck Rocket]

I've read everyone's posts on this subject & I have to put my 2 cents in on this one. As a young person who would take a drive in a pre-war sports car over a drive in Hamilton's McLaren, it is pretty hard to take. I understand exactly why people pay fast/famous drivers to run their cars but there is a flip side as well. Look around the paddock at a historic race meeting, or in fact most club races. I would say the average age in a lot of grids is well over 50. I've discussed with my friend (in his 60's) that the rising costs of racing means that there are less and less young people getting involved than there used to be, especially in historics. The only exception is sons/daughters in wealthy families.

So I (admittedly with some self-interested self-pity) always think - if there are people who don't really want to drive their cars, why doesn't the VSCC, HSCC, other organising bodies try to pair up some young people who are respectful enthusiasts with older drivers? I'm not talking about inviting any old council estate Kev to come and thrash anything he can get his hands on. I just think that some sort of mentorship/sponsorship would be a good way to kill 2 birds with one stone.

1. Get drivers into cars for people who don't want to drive them all the time.

2. Get some young enthusiasts into the sport and hooked on it so they will buy and race these cars when they are older and have the money to do it.

Again, fully admit that I'm writing this as a young keener and that I'm seeing things through that lens, but its just my 2 cents.

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by Redneck Rocket

I've read everyone's posts on this subject & I have to put my 2 cents in on this one. As a young person who would take a drive in a pre-war sports car over a drive in Hamilton's McLaren, it is pretty hard to take. I understand exactly why people pay fast/famous drivers to run their cars but there is a flip side as well. Look around the paddock at a historic race meeting, or in fact most club races. I would say the average age in a lot of grids is well over 50. I've discussed with my friend (in his 60's) that the rising costs of racing means that there are less and less young people getting involved than there used to be, especially in historics. The only exception is sons/daughters in wealthy families.

So I (admittedly with some self-interested self-pity) always think - if there are people who don't really want to drive their cars, why doesn't the VSCC, HSCC, other organising bodies try to pair up some young people who are respectful enthusiasts with older drivers? I'm not talking about inviting any old council estate Kev to come and thrash anything he can get his hands on. I just think that some sort of mentorship/sponsorship would be a good way to kill 2 birds with one stone.

1. Get drivers into cars for people who don't want to drive them all the time.

2. Get some young enthusiasts into the sport and hooked on it so they will buy and race these cars when they are older and have the money to do it.

Again, fully admit that I'm writing this as a young keener and that I'm seeing things through that lens, but its just my 2 cents.

I agree with a lot of this but unfortunately if you've not got the money people won't take the risk, motor racing is so expensive.
Plus most "yoofs" want to be the next F1 World Champion, something I never wanted to be.

The CTCRC is a great club but the demographic of it is pretty old, probably got a bit younger with the addition of PBMW and Pre '93 champrionships but then younger people don't necessarily like older cars as an average.

I wish I had money, luckily I have a name (that can be a hinderance though), but even if I had more money I would still be doing exactly what I am now, just without the skimping and saving and would probably have a new tow vehicle and trailer and not have to borrow them!!

[terence]

The very reason that most of these drivers are of the older generation is because of the experience they "mostly" have,young,unknown drivers [unless from a weathy car loving family] will need to unreservedly prove themselves worthy of being allowed in these car,s.

[petestenning]

If i had the money and or the cars the i would look at whether i wanted to get the maximum from my cars and to see the potential they have, or just to see them race with a reasonable driver.

In the first case you could do no harm in using Micheal Shryver/ Simon Hadfield/Sean Walker, well known and respected historic racers with a proven pedigree.

In the second case Marcus Pye, if he would forgive me, a talented Amateur who enjoys his racing and is sympathetic to the cars, would fit the bill.

A talented youngster i would use is Edwin Jowsey. As you can see i would pick known drivers of an abilty fiiting to my own idiology? and would not use a driver of unknown abilty even if they paid me a lot.

My own personal view.
Pete

[john ruston]

We use Luke Stevens ,the 23 year old Catherham champion ,to pilot the cars together with some other under 50's.all of which raced modern cars.It is his capacity to turn the thing off if he thinks something is wrong that gets him the drive,Many have the speed but not much common sence.This usually applies to the so called golden oldies whose rose tinted recolections of their former glories are far from the truth and I was there with British Saloons in 60's and 70's.