Richard Long Where Are You?

[driftwood]

the docs khaman ghia was sports 2000 based car with 1 litre then 1300 bda in it later
before that he had maguire stilleto
1st maguire imp was around 1979 or 80 he had done minis prior to the imps also did 1 skoda and 2 esprit gt cars before he went on to do Gp 1 /2 BTCC cars golf gti and bmw m3 i recall
1st space frame imp was jeff ward in 76

[Gerry Taylor]

Hey Guy's this could run and run! What have I started Ha,ha. Does anyone remember these drivers? They were racing when I first began in 1964! Then the last I heard or saw of them was in the late sixties. LAURIE HICKMAN Ford Anglia. White car, and I seem to recall Castle Service Station of Dudley on the side. Then there was a guy I raced against IAN MITCHELL Team Charles Clarke from Wolverhampton. Someone we mentioned earlier MIKE BERMAN The Infamous BERPOP creator. Mike is still going strong, and runs a Theatrical Costume business in Liecester. Incidentally I shall be returning to Mallory Park this Sunday, not to race I hasten to add (although if anyones offering, no? ah, well) I havn't been back since I retired from the game in 1975, so am really looking forward to seeing the old place once again. I was speaking with Ron Overend earlier, he tells me he too retired from Mallory last year and it's now owned by BARC. Great to talk about those great innovative, pioneering hybrid racing adventurous days! Gerry "SWISH" Taylor.

[2F-001]

Thanks, driftwood. My memories of the Karmann are obviously a little sketchier than I thought: I have some magazine articles on it stashed away somewhere - I should have sought these out first! So was the earlier 1 litre engine an Imp, or are you suggesting it was a small BD-derivative (like a BDJ)? Since he had previously raced Imps, did I just assume this was originally Imp-motivated? I had forgotten the 1.3 phase - but I don't think I ever saw it run in that guise.

The 'Team Charles Clark' mini and the Berpop are among my earliest memories of Mallory. Although I'd attended a couple of times before that, I think, they were the 'stand out' cars from those times (apart from Lotus 7s - still a credible Clubmans car then - which became an enduring passion).

--------
tony p

[Andrew Kitson]

John Wales also raced the Berpop and I also remember him winning the small saloons race at Mallory in an NSU - I reckon 1969?

[driftwood]

karman ghia was 1 litre imp powered then 1300 bda later car was bit too heavey for the 1 litre lump

[Dan Rear]

Tony, the Mini-brothers from Leicester were the Edges, David & Ray.

[nikkilong]

Originally Posted by Gerry Taylor

Hi Everyone! My name is Gerry Taylor, and during the 1970s I raced a Ford Anglia for Swish Curtain Tracks Team Racing. I am now 65! But look back fondly on those early days of Saloon Car Racing. Amongst my fellow competitors were the stand-out names of Gerry Marshall and Peter Baldwin and the like, but one guy who raced against me was RICHARD LONG. He came from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, and we had some really good dices at Snetterton and at Silverstone, where we both set a new class lap record of 1.8secs. Does anyone know what happened to Richard? As I would love to get in touch again. Many Thanks, Gerry. oh, Hi to anyone that remembers me and the Anglebox.

Hi my father in law is Richard Long. He does indeed live on the Isle of Wight. My husband had told him about this forum and he will be in contact soon

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by nikkilong

Hi my father in law is Richard Long. He does indeed live on the Isle of Wight. My husband had told him about this forum and he will be in contact soon

Hi Nikki, welcome to he forum.
I note that Gerry posted this in 2005 so it might take a while for him to wake up

[Gerry Taylor]

Hi Gordon, sorry I have been absent for some time, bet you all thought the old buggers kicked the bucket....well, no I am still here, just been busy working that's all.
So, Richard (Rupert the bear) Long is still among the living, brilliant news.
I received a nice e-mail from Nikki this evening, and Richard will have my address AND the ten-tenths details, so lets hope he joins in the banter.
Thanks guys.

[rupert the bear]

Hi Jerry you old dog,my son found this site and got in touch ,memories of one of the happiest times of my life came flooding back,Well this is me to date, we followed the Imp trend ,a Richard Wallinger space frame was built and we used,Andy Chessman engines,fron greetham engineering,the result was awesom we fould we had the legs of most cars in all the circuirts we went to ,many came to Silverston with high hopes and left disapointed,when the MOD sprts were finally finished I like Iam sure many of us were gutted,I finally moved to the IOW it seemed a good idea at the time !!!!!! anyway i then got involved in Porsches and ended up competing in the UK and EUROPE IN A GT3 RSR for 6 seasons it was a fab car ,but at that level its all money and OK YAR Types.anyway Ihad just finished a 6 hr event at SPA and basically fell out the car completely knackered I then decided enough was enough ,I am now a member of the boring British public,not my scene so who knows, Getting back to the great 70`s and 80`s i am still in contact with Dave Pike my mech ..."mr mayhem and chaos " we had some fantastic years never to be forgotten , it always puzzled me how you stuck on my tail in an Anglia made from old Swish curtain tracks..........Do you remember how we each used to wind up the Motoring News about abusing each other ,he duely printed it and it ended up with two set of fans screeming in the stands...great,I can honestly say I MISSED SO MANY FRIENDS,in the end,especially my old mucca Gerry Talor,my best wishes to u all..Richard Long,...please note I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REPLY TO ANYONE QUICKLY AT PRESENT AS MY bull dog ..WINSTON has just had a tantrum and eat my laptop porsche.driver@hotmail.co.uk

[275 GTB-4]

Welcome Gerry...you should get yourself along to the Goodwood Revival...it would be like "old pals week" for someone like you

[Gerry Taylor]

Hi everyone! I had a lovely letter from Richard Long today, and will answer it as soon as I get a sec' . I must say that memories come flooding back when I hear what Richard says about those wonderful EARLY days. To clarify what he was on about, when he said about winding each other up, and the fans taking sides. It was a set-up between us, and we would do all sorts of things to wind up the fans, and the press. OK, so we were young, and out for publicity, which we got in shed loads, but it got a bit out of hand, when someone that ran a store, stopped stocking my sponsors products because of of something I said, that got printed in MN.....BUT! fortunately for me, SWISH saw this as great publicity. I don't know if anyone recalls the sort of stuff we got up to? Of course the Autosport and Motoring News loved it, and we had the crowds taking sides, which was brilliant, and if the truths known both Richard and I loved every minute of it. Happy days. Just to remind you of what we looked like back then, I will attempt to put a picture on the page. Bless you Richard, thanks for the memories of a fantastic time in my racing career. Gerry.

[Gerry Taylor]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

Welcome Gerry...you should get yourself along to the Goodwood Revival...it would be like "old pals week" for someone like you

I would love to, and perhaps that would be a good day to meet up with my old friends. Cheers matey. (better do it this year, as I am now 127! ha,ha)

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Gerry Taylor

I would love to, and perhaps that would be a good day to meet up with my old friends. Cheers matey. (better do it this year, as I am now 127! ha,ha)

Cheers...and you don't look a day over 110!

[terence]

Originally Posted by Gerry Taylor

I would love to, and perhaps that would be a good day to meet up with my old friends. Cheers matey. (better do it this year, as I am now 127! ha,ha)

Two years younger than Gordon then!

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by terence bower

Two years younger than Gordon then!

Dammed cheek, you're only as old as the woman you feel !

[terence]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Dammed cheek, you're only as old as the woman you feel !

[Clifford Watts]

Originally Posted by driftwood

why was richard long known as rupert?
he raced the anglia then had space frame imp ( i cant recall if he was the 1st to do so or jeff ward had that honour) its just about the time i was allowed to go racing nearly before my time !!
Homewood had the 1st Davrian floor pan Imp and raced what was the last Frazer imp in kent messenger series ( according to AS article i read)

Jeff was first, he had Richard Wallinger from Burbage build him one, (which I later bought) Richard then got him to build him one , Dick Wallinger (now living in Portugal) was very creative and decided that the imp for Richard would handle better with a longer wheelbase ! After several events the Buzz had it it that Richards imp was to be protested at Silverstone, sure enough it was, but after an all night "cut and shut" it was declared legal, at which point Richards crew donned t shirts stating we are legal, what a brilliant bunch of characters, Cliff Watts

[stevegr]

hi guys is richard long still around went to a few races with him. i worked for greetham engineering at the time gas flowing the heads.

[Gerry Taylor]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Hi Nikki, welcome to he forum.
I note that Gerry posted this in 2005 so it might take a while for him to wake up

...Just woke up Gordon..... Isle of Weight eh.........Zzzzzzzz GT