Richard Croucher

Dan Rear · 8 Jan 2007, 13:51 (Ref:1809621)

I'm reading the Lost Generation book (utterly brilliant!), and this chap gets a good mention. Apparently he raced at Brands in FF in the early 70s, and was a keen competitor of Tony B and Tom P.

Anyone recall him, as I don't recognise his name at all, and my memory is usually quite good. I remember other 'Brands FF stars' of that era, like Frank Hopper, Rob Wicken, Miki Dee and so forth, but had not heard of Richard at all.

**John Turner** · 8 Jan 2007, 17:15 (Ref:1809754)

Dan, let's try in the main forum first; you might get more views there

Rob29 · 9 Jan 2007, 10:21 (Ref:1810261)

Certainly recalll him in FF racing at Brands.Drove a Merlyn Mk17,dark blue & orange in 1971.

Rob29 · 9 Jan 2007, 10:48 (Ref:1810280)

8th in British Oxygen FF championship-2 seconds -seems to have retired in July.

jph · 9 Jan 2007, 13:07 (Ref:1810366)

Purely from memory, so at 36 years' distance, probably unreliable. Came from Maidstone, father was a prominent scrutineer (Ted Croucher?), in early '71 was right up there with Brise and the other quick rising stars - possibly continuing previous karting rivalry as both came from the same part of the world?

glyn parham · 11 Jan 2007, 09:54 (Ref:1812166)

Dan.

Richard is still in Maidstone and running the family garage business, I used to have the family cars serviced and MoT'd there when I lived in Maidstone. Richard has hardly changed in the thirty odd years since and still keeps an interest in motor sport although I don't think that he does any competing himself these days.

You also mentioned Rob Wicken, I worked for him in 1972, 1973 as a schoolboy in need of pocket money at his petrol station (just round the corner from Crouchers) and he is also still in Maidstone wheeling and dealing in cars.

jph, Richard told me many years ago that the scrutineer at Brands was not related to him, they just shared the same name (Richards dad's name was Norman IIRC). And finally, one of Robs race mecahanics (Dave I think) now works for Richard.

Glyn

Rob29 · 11 Jan 2007, 10:06 (Ref:1812174)

Would be curious to know what ended his career ,which seems to have lasted about 6 months,but was as promising as the likes of Brise & Pryce at the time? Bernard Vermilio won the'71 FF championship,beating Brise,Pryce & Jody Scheckter.Anyone know what happened to him?

Dan Rear · 11 Jan 2007, 10:52 (Ref:1812205)

Rob, I think Bernard V did some underfinanced F3 in 72-73?? He then was quick in the first year or so of FF2000, 1975-76, and also in a, by then, v unfashionable Merlyn in 1977. So all in all a pretty quick driver at 'National' level in the 70s.

Andrew Kitson · 11 Jan 2007, 16:28 (Ref:1812439)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob29

Would be curious to know what ended his career ,which seems to have lasted about 6 months,but was as promising as the likes of Brise & Pryce at the time? Bernard Vermilio won the'71 FF championship,beating Brise,Pryce & Jody Scheckter.Anyone know what happened to him?

Bernard is running a garage business in Colchester.

glyn parham · 11 Jan 2007, 22:46 (Ref:1812797)

Rob.

Lack of sponsorship, pure and simple. The FF and F3 efforts were run on the proceeds of the family business and Richard could only afford to run a two year old March in F3 IIRC and the cost took its toll.

A great shame as he was a really quick driver.

Glyn

Lightning Bug · 12 Jan 2007, 09:41 (Ref:1813072)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob29

Bernard Vermilio won the'71 FF championship,beating Brise,Pryce & Jody Scheckter.Anyone know what happened to him?

Didn't he make a return in the 1980s in Sports 2000?

**chunterer** · 12 Jan 2007, 11:03 (Ref:1813126)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightning Bug

Didn't he make a return in the 1980s in Sports 2000?

That sounds familiar. Think he was also in FF2000 in mid 80's or something as well?

Chimay · 17 Jan 2007, 20:35 (Ref:1817881)

I am Richard Crouchers cousin and acted as general factotum during his FF and F3 days.
He actually did one and a half seasons in FF starting with a few early meetings at Lydden Circuit before moving on to Brands Hatch in the summer and actually won the first ever BP Man of the Meeting Award. He still has the silver trophy but sadly the presentation jacket has long gone.
The FF car was a Mk 17a Merlyn which originally had a Denis Rowland engine and later a Piper lump.
The move on to F3 was, on reflection, a little hasty as it was financed by the family garage business and the funds were severely stretched because of repeated engine blow-ups. With the help and support of the Lenham Motor Company we re-bodied and modified a March 703, chassis number 4, that had belonged to Roger Hurst. The Piper engine ran with Gardiner motorcycle carbs and had excellent output on the brake rig but would suddenly run lean on the track, with dire results.
Richard was a great friend of Tony Brise and it was Tonys dad that supplied the Montessa motorbike engines, through Montala Motors of Dartford, during their karting days.
Like many drivers Richard never got the opportunity he deserved to show his full potential but he was greatly admired at the time.
He was highly respected by the other drivers, especially when he was overtaking them around the outside of Paddock Bend at Brands.
If any members have specific questions I will try to answer them as Richard and I speak to each other on most days.

**John Turner** · 18 Jan 2007, 09:13 (Ref:1818225)

Warm welcome, Chimay. I think some of these posts are destined to go back into the Driver files forum!

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