(Super) road saloons - where are they now?

[Highside]

Originally Posted by Denis Bassom

One thing that could be a good idea is a class system based on some form of points or weighting.

Something like x number of point per capacity, y number of points or or multiplier for number of valves/turbos/inlet type etc, z number of points for weight etc.

Obviously you would only include variables that could be easily verified.

Tap your figures into a spreadsheet and hey presto (a blue screen, sorry computer joke) you get your class.

If you wanted to race a near standard lumbering v8 monster cos it's cheap fun racing then you won't get stuck in the same class as a massively modified version.

Likewise if you have a multivalve car that weighs 140Kg more than your similar capacity dual valve competitors that keep beating you, you won't then get stuck up in the class ABOVE them and put up against even more powerful cars weighing 140Kg less than you.

Just an idea.

<Sorry - Off Topic!>

I think people have been trying to do this since the 1920's at Brooklands!

Have a look at the rules for the Pomeroy Trophy run by the VSCC. Completely bonkers and eccentric, but somehow charming - i.e. the usual multipliers for capacity/turbos/four wheel disks etc, added to a handicaping system based on the cars age, distance between the clutch pedal and the rear axle, and the amount of suitcases you can fit in the boot. Silly, but totally brilliant.

The upshot is that if your car is road legal, you can race.

You end up with 911's & NSX's racing (on time at anyrate) against pre-war Bentleys and Frazer-Nash's. The rules are heavily in the older cars favour, but if you enter with the idea of trying to win, you have somehow missed the point....

<Off Topic / End!>

[petestenning]

I would like to make a suggestion to you if you are serious about running the Road Saloons as they were.

Get a decent pack of drivers who are willing to run , and approach the 750 Motor Club with a proposal.

Two things you might like to know are i am the clubs chief observer and would support you all i can, secondly the entry fee for our races are cheaper than the other clubs in general better still you would have to be a member.

We have had drivers through our stock & hot hatch series who would posssilbly have been the type of driver you are speaking of.


This is not an official 750 invite but my suggestion to maybe bring back what was started and very popular all those years ago.

Pete

[R59]

To be honest, I think the days of Road Saloons, and Super Road Saloons are now over.

Some of our compadre's went off to do Hot Hatches and Stock Hatches in the past. Some have just plain packed up.

Tim Dodwell tried to revive the Road Saloons some time back, but had no real support.

We also keep harping on about there being too many championships, so creating another one or two won't help the issue.

I suppose I could ask the 750MC to bring back F5000......

Rob.

[chunterer]

A shame, but time moves on for everyone and everything I guess.
However surely there's be an opportunity for a semi histric effort perhaps for a series of races rather than a full season?

Someone mentioned the Firenza's earlier - I remmber back in the Duckhams days that Trevor Griffiths and a guy near where I live; Rob Walker, (I think?) had a pair of indecently quick examples.

They were up against David Shead's Mk1 Capri, Derek Wileman's Mk3, a couple of Dolomite Sprints, the John Newbould's rorty Cortina, a couple of excelllent Sunbeam Lotus', and, a Mazda RX3 I seem to recall!!!?

The fields were always packed with races for the 2 big classes and races for the smaller 2 classes as well.

Was pretty good entertainment

[splash lazenby]

Super coupe and super road saloons have been done, road saloons was mega popular in its heyday and loads of drivers came and went, it would be great to know where the drivers and cars have ended up

[Al Weyman]

I gave them up when I totalled my Talbot at Oulton Park over 200 miles from home and had no way of getting it back, I thought what a damned silly rule (no trailers, sorry Tim in advance) and went and started ModProds.

[R59]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

I gave them up when I totalled my Talbot at Oulton Park over 200 miles from home and had no way of getting it back, I thought what a damned silly rule (no trailers, sorry Tim in advance) and went and started ModProds.

That's why RAC membership was a good idea.

They saved my bacon a few times when I won class D in 1991. Ahh nostalgia again! It ain't what it used to be.

[Al Weyman]

Actually I did have it and I used it to get home but the jobsworth driver (a contractor) started giving it large about how people like me delay rescue of more desrving cases so I just stuffed a tenner in his greedy mit and told him to shut up as my hearts really bleeding for them now get me home, muppet!

[Tim Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by splash lazenby

Super coupe and super road saloons have been done, road saloons was mega popular in its heyday and loads of drivers came and went, it would be great to know where the drivers and cars have ended up

I think a lot of the cars ended up on trackdays, tho there's still a few racing. I have a lot of old results sheets, dating back to 1990-91, then from 95 or 96 onwards, and I don't recognise the vast majority of names, so most may have given up.

I've had two roadsaloon astra mk2s; one will probably be in hot hatch next year (the Jim Pocklington / Chris Broad one) with it's new owner, and I'll be using Mitch's old car, possibly in DTRC. Neither are kept road legal anymore.

[splash lazenby]

my dad raced from 95 to 04 in a capri in 95 then in a multi valve mk2 golf from 96 to 04 (which i shared with him 2000 to 04, not nearly as quick as the old man though!), the capri was last seen for sale in redline magazine in the late nineties and the golf is in pieces in my dads garage. He's now built a 205 for stock hatch and we've just bought a 2nd 205 for me to race next year. It wold be good to find a home for the golf where it would be competitive again, the golf was No16 from 97 to 04 so it should crop up on a few of your results sheets(1999 for sure!)

[Al Weyman]

What is your dad's name, we may know him.

[splash lazenby]

my dad is paul connell he raced road saloons with initally in the old class a with tony brass, david porter,phill simpson etc then when we went multivalve we raced with des smail, geoff bland, gareth porter, michael collins and quite a few more. don't know if you'll know dad cos we did road saloons from mid 90s til 04 but you might recognise some of the other names, you may know the car also it is the red mardi gras prepped golf i think it was originally owned by andrew bell

[Tim Wilkinson]

Gareth Porter was in Mod Prods for a while, Classic Thunder this year. Michael Collins is still racing his Astra - was out in the pre-93s a couple of weeks back.

Most of my results sheets are for the dual valve class, tho your dad does figure occasionally later on as the numbers fell and classes got merged. Are going to keep using the Golf?

[splash lazenby]

if we can find somewhere that it would be competitive then probably, may take a look at pre 93 cos if micks car is eligable then so should ours and my dad was always a fair bit quicker in road saloons so it could be a possibility, at the moment we're concentating on stock hatch with the 205s

[ascona i2000]

A couple more names from the very early days. Ron field in a mega quick little avenger tiger. Bob Beumont in a lotus sunbeam. Havent heard of either for ages???

[Al Weyman]

Both ran with the ModProds, are you who I think you are Ascona, a beige very fast one at that?:-)

[ascona i2000]

Hello Al, yeh its me! Thanks for the kind words!! Looking forward to Donington. Lets hope you have more luck then Snett. Its about time you had some.

[Tim Wilkinson]

Someone is selling their old super road saloon on ebay (or at least was trying to).

Item number 280033795969. An SD1 driven by Neil White?

[Al Weyman]

Originally Posted by ascona i2000

Hello Al, yeh its me! Thanks for the kind words!! Looking forward to Donington. Lets hope you have more luck then Snett. Its about time you had some.

Yeah I need a bit don't I?

[R59]

Al.

Want another IROC-Z Camaro? I know where there's one going for £3500...

I remember Ron's Scavenger. Like Andy Pyke, a Brands or Lydden specialist! We had a couple of them Hillamans from time to time.
The other one that comes to mind was the blue or was it blue-green Ricky Metterick.

[Al Weyman]

Naw got too many already!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by racing59

Al.

Want another IROC-Z Camaro? I know where there's one going for £3500...

I remember Ron's Scavenger. Like Andy Pyke, a Brands or Lydden specialist! We had a couple of them Hillamans from time to time.
The other one that comes to mind was the blue or was it blue-green Ricky Metterick.

Did a blloke called Mike Marlowe have one for a while (was it Field's old car?) before racing a Sunbeam Lotus. I seem to remember a story about a Tiger getting badly pranged somewhere and it came back out once rebuilt driven by someone else?

[Al Weyman]

Bit of a sad tale with that car I think, it was a Sunbeam Talbot not a Tiger and I sold him the Group 2 Rally engine out of my Talbot when I went over to Chevvies after totalling the Sunbeam at Oulton. I am not sure whether it was that car or when in Lotus guise but as I recollect someone was killed in it while driving it, cannot remember the full details.

Mike then bought the ill fated Starion Turbo that has been owned by so many people and crashed by as many. I remember when the guy who built it debutted it at Malory and everyone wanted it, he sold it to Mike, who sold it to Craig Davies, then back to Mike, then to Phil Rowley, then driven by Peter Barnes for Phil and I think it finally ended up with Mr Philpotts (not sure if same car but looked like it). I have followed the thing twice when it took an exit stage left into the barriers and I think everyone who owned it or drove it ended up smashing it! Quick car if you kept it on the black stuff:-)

[ascona i2000]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Did a blloke called Mike Marlowe have one for a while (was it Field's old car?) before racing a Sunbeam Lotus. I seem to remember a story about a Tiger getting badly pranged somewhere and it came back out once rebuilt driven by someone else?

Ron Field backed his Avenger into the paddock hill armco pretty hard. He wanted my dad to repair it but for some reason didnt do it. (cant remeber properly, i was only about 10 years old!) Someone else repaired it for him but was Ron never totally happy with it again and sold it soon after i think.

[bdwoody]

al is that the same starion turbo that exited right at lydden this year driven by neil