Aintree remembered

[Speedy norm]

Anyone remember not only the international races at Aintree but the clubbies at the short circuit over the Melling road?
I use to marshall there on the tuesday night sessions in the late seventies and have some great memories.
Richard Peacock, Ian Stronach, Alo Lawler, and many more.
I think Jim crawford still holds the outright lap record and for special saloons the magic minute was the target.
Also what about other such circuits now gone Rufforth, Longridge. I never got to these but there must be tails to tell

[Barry Pomfret]

I raced there in the early 80's in FF 1600, I've just dug out an old programme from '82 and among the entry are are a few familiar names such as John Bosch,Richard Peacock,Andy Middlehurst,Tim Sugden and Dave Abram.
We raced there twice during the season and at one of the meetings a large hole appeared in the track at the right hander which led onto the straight alongside the horse jumps. This hole was on the racing line, approx 6" deep and about 12" across, the race organisers (750 MC) placed a cone over the hole and the races continued with this cone in place! At the end of this straight there was a tight hairpin with a runoff leading to a gate, beyond the gate was a row of shops along a main Aintree road, apparently the locals shouted " another one going for chips" if you slid up the escape road as a fish and chip shop was at the end of the road. The time keepers accommodation consisted of an old derelict double decker bus.

[diz]

I had the pleasure of being Aintree Circuit Club's Secretary of the Meeting from 73-77 and for two meetings on a 'guest type basis' in 1980. Oh yes, happy days.

Big race entries, no modern day BS and some big stars at the meetings. Eddie Jordan had his first car win there, Gunnar Nillson and the F3 boys in 75. Legendary F Libre races - which no doubt will get DanRear onto this thread.

Tuesday night testing from 6-8 with anything from road cars to F1 machinery. Most new Chevron models turned their first wheels on an Aintree Tuesday and I missed very few of them from being a schoolboy in 63 upto 82.

The politics of ownership battles from Mrs Topham, through Bill Davis to the Jockey Club and the club fighting to keep the circuit open.

The 1.64mile track is still there and is used for sprints etc. The bulk of the 3.0 mile Grand Prix tarmac is also still there and wouldn't it be nice to see it used again. Pie in the sky? Probably, but it is nice to dream.

Richard Peacock starting a race school in 78, before selling it to Malcolm Barfoot in 85.

Val Musetti not stopping for a pint after a Tuesday night test, because he had to be in London to overturn a bus at 4.30am the following morning at Hyde Park Corner.

The J+P Polymers Formula Ford Fiesta meeting in 76 - I couldn't call it a Festival because I had taken on [and beaten] John Webb in 75

I could go on and on and on and .........

Oh yes, the buses. The original got replaced as a transport museum wanted it. I got quite good at bump starting a bus and driving it across the Melling Road and I never recall us ever needing to tip any diesel into it.

[gfm]

I was doing FF F3 Modsports Sports-Racers and SuperVW 68 - 73 and can remenmber a few of the weirder circuits.
Like the Brands Hatch mini circuit where we stopped halfway along the bottom straight and raced up to the top of Paddock.
Rufforth I remember because if you gently nudged the bollards you'd open the corners out, so as the race progressed, you'd get faster.
And Aintee I can only just recall but we did OK and it was fast in places. Was it in the evening?
And Llandow ... ....!

[diz]

Not the racing John, just the 'general' testing. I remember many a Saturday morning at the crack of sparrows seing Peter White's FSV parked up outside and Peter giving it the zzzzzs'
fast in places FF1600s topped 130mph down the Railway Straight into Club Corner hairpin. That is why a few 'went for chips', me included on a test day.

[diz]

What about the meeting that was cancelled [bikes I think] after 100,100 plus attended a Michael Jackson concert. When they turned up to race their bikes the following weekend, you couldn't stand up at Club Corner, let alone race round it.
All the dog burger and chip vans had been parked up there and after they left, the track was covered with copious amounts of chip fat.

[blue nose]

You can stil use it twice ayear Diz Steve Jones from the Alpha club organizes it

[GolddustMini]

anyone got any then and now pictures?

[davemorganfan]

Aintree was a bit off the beaten track for me, but Rufforth I knew well. Real "minimal motor racing" stuff and I guess there must have been slight changes to the circuit at every meeting - how can you place bollards with pin point accuracy? The racing was usually good though, although I remember when the 750 formula boys made a one-off appearance they seemd to take an age to get down the long back straight and the commentator said he didn't expect to ever see them at Rufforth again. He was right. One thing you could always guarantee - if Tony Dean turned up, he would always win the Libre race. On one particular day in 1972 it was absolutely.....raining, and while most drivers were taking a very circumspect approach, Dean was having a right good go in his F2 Brabham and getting in some lovely slides in the corners.

[Flagman]

First corner used to be the best - a 90 left with a corn field on the outside.

Many a FF first lap incident ended with drivers chugging round and round in the corn looking for a way back onto the track.

[Speedy norm]

My memories centre on the Tuesday night practice sessions
I was always sent to marshall Beachers out. This was just before the long back straight but there was a public footpath crossing the track! This was closed for races but not tuesday nights. I not only had to flag marshal but act as a lolipop man also. When you had Norman Dickson in his March 772P you had to think quickly. Could I get the public across before he got here? Wekll usually.
Another night George "Welly" Potter brought his 7.2ltr Skoda down. I was on Country and one of his mates decides to join us at the post, "whos that I asked" Its george Potter" came the reply, "bugger we've forgetten the oil flags" I said, He wasn't impressed.
Great days

[Andrew Kitson]

Longridge was mentioned and this has to be one of the strangest car racing circuits we have had. I recall it had a maximum grid of 8 cars. Set in an old quarry , it was only 0.43 miles per lap. Looking through the archives here, the lap record was set by Kim Mather in an F1 BRM P153 at 23.6 secs in 1973, but the track being so short and tight, this was an average speed of only 65 mph! It is now a caravan park.

[Flagman]

the lap record was set by Kim Mather in an F1 BRM P153

I recall Kim driving the BRM in Libre races at Aintree.

Never managed to marsal at Longridge - but the regulars always said that the lap was so short that if a car spun there was a likelyhood that it would hit itself the next time round!

[KayBee]

I have been, reliably, informed that car races are unlikely to return to Aintree because of today's safety requirements e.g. gravel traps, proper run offs and tyre walls. These requirements would significantly change the layout and character of the horse race circuit and the proposals have been declined by the Jockey Club.



PS You can still see bikes race there.

[Dan Rear]

Speedy Norm , did Norman D take his F2 March there ? I'd have thought by the time he had that, 1978, he was out of Libre racing, other than in Scotland. Do you mean Kim Mather, who also had a 772P, but not the Dickson one. Kim shared his car with David Ward, ISTR the latter trashed the car in mid-79 at Aintree or Oulton maybe. Kim had it rebuilt as a 782/79B, and it went better after that.

I never got to Aintree races, but remember the great days of Northern Libre, as I've recounted many times on here before ! Neil Bold is another name I remember with an FAt Royale amongst others, tiny Warren Booth too.

[Speedy norm]

I do remember the March 772 was prepared by Colin Bennett. This particular evening '78? there was a libre race the following Saturday. We always had a good turnout prior to a meeting. In '80 Norman Dickson had the Lotus 79 so what did he campagn in '78 - 79
In 1977 Kim Mather raced the Dinorben Arms Chevron B35d which I do not recall ever turning out on a Tuesday.
My memory is faing so you could be right Thats the wonderful thing about this forum.
Talking of Longridge, I thought it was now a housing estate. Its still there? Hmm feel like a run out to Lancashire one day. Yes dear come along lets go and have a look at a nice caravan park in Lancashire!

[Dan Rear]

Speedy Norm, given the Colin Bennett connexion you may well be right on Dickson, many apologies!!

Dickson had the 772P in 1978, a March 792 the next year, then the Lotus 78 in 1980, Colin Bennett being involve in all as I recall. Kim had an older March in early 77, then got the B35 later that year, thru' 78, and got the other 772P in 1979.

I've seen the name Ian Stronach recently somewhere on here, or the other place, I think he was a regular Aintree-ite too wasn't he, in F5000s.

[Barry Pomfret]

I raced at Longridge in 78. It was located not far from Preston, we only did one meeting up there in a 750 Formula car.The track was located at the bottom of the quarry and the paddock looked down onto the circuit. It was basically two sort of straights with a hairpin at each end. The highlight of our meeting was watching another heat involving the 750s, a car driven by Phil Bosley began to shower sparks from underneath the rear of the car, this shower became progressively larger as the session continued until a great rooster tail of sparks could be seen behind the car. Despite several attempts by the marshals to call him in Phil continued to drive until the end of the session. he drove into the paddock and we all rushed over to see what had caused the firework display, the fuel tank had fallen out of the bottom of the car and was gradually wearing away against the track!

[Andrew Kitson]

Talking of Northern libre races, anyone remember the white (ex-Barclays Guy Edwards) F5000 Lola T330 that was raced regularly at Croft/Rufforth in '74 by Nicholas Wattiez? I was 'gofer' for him then but never travelled up for the Libre races, I only helped out for the Rothmans F5000 rounds further south. He was painfully slow in Euro F5000, having taken the jump from a 1275cc special saloon Mini the year before. But a few pot-hunting wins at Croft and a couple at Silverstone in the Jaybrand Libre series did his ego no harm!

[Speedy norm]

Dan Rear, yes Ian Stronach was indeed a regular. He had a McRae F5000
Alo Lawler did a lot for Aintree Circuit club too, though a rare sight on a Tuesday night session. When he bought the ex Davina Galisa Surtees TS 19 we hoped it would appear but a DFV is an expensive tool just to slog around a circuit it would not actually race on. In fact the only DFV ever to run at Aintree I think was Jeremy Lord in a Lola T 292?
You are right about Norman Dickson campaigning a 792 in 79 - probably wished he saved his money. According to book "Four Guys & a Telephone" - the history of March it was an inferior car to the earlier 782
Kim Mather later got himself a 782 i beleive.

[diz]

Originally posted by Speedy norm
Dan Rear, yes Ian Stronach was indeed a regular. He had a McRae F5000

Don't remember a McRae, but the Kincraft was a regular.

Alo Lawler did a lot for Aintree Circuit club too, though a rare sight on a Tuesday night session.

Alo built the scrutineering bay. He was very regular from his days of two Royale RP16 Formula Fords in his bus [he kept a spare for when he crashed - which was often when he started] through to his early Atlantic forays with his Chevron B29.

[Andrew Kitson]

I remember Alo's RP16s. They were a horrible in-your-face bright lime green colour.Sure I have posted a pic before but black/white photo. will try and remember where.

[Pete Fenelon]

Blame David Beard and Ian Senior for my arrival on this thread ;P

I grew up in Aintree, and spent a lot of my time there at races, Tuesday night tests, and indeed anything else that went on there - rallycross, single-venue rallies, and anyone else remember the drag racing they held down the Railway Straight once (only over a measured 1/8 mile...)?

Oh and plenty of karts and bikes too...

Alo (who was usually skint, but I seem to recall got as far as Aurora F1 in a fairly recent McLaren), Kim (remember his twin-engined VW rally cars? - scary beasts indeed), Vin Malkie (a Clubmans guy before he got heavily into Chevrons, IIRC), Richard Thwaites (of the brewery family, I think, and had the loveliest Elva you've ever seen), the memories keep flooding back! Seem to recall Nigel Moores with a couple of his D-types turning up over the years too. Brian Robinson's McLaren M19 converted into an F5000 was a bit stunning, too!

FFord was always fantastic there. you'd always get at least two races. Future stars I recall seeing - Eddie Jordan (along with a whole crowd of drivers who'd come over and do Aintree and go on to Oulton if they still had cars left!), Geoff Lees, I'm pretty sure we even had "Our Nige" in his "Sponsor Wanted" phase!

The closing FLibre races at most meetings were full of all kinds of cars -- you got a bit matter-of-fact about F2s and Atlantics, but you knew you were in for a treat whenever there was a 5000 around. Now if ever a racing formula promoted cars that used to look, sound and even smell right it was F5000. Tony Dean came and smashed the lap record in a B24, 52 seconds or something? I think this was after the "King Edward Cigars" trouble

Talking of people who had been a bit dodgy, I remember Roy James' comeback to racing. Got a clip round the ear'ole from my dad for suggesting that it'd be bad if he broke down on the Railway Straight!

Local heroes - Dave Millington (Vauxhall Firenza) and Tony Sugden (Escort-BDA) backed by Brook Hire, a local car rental firm. I think Dave went off to Canada and Tony of course kept going with his ever-more-outlandish Skodas!

Tony Sugden was very much King of saloons round Aintree in the mid 70s and there was a splendid meeting when Nick Whiting brought his yellow Kent Messenger (All Car Equipe, ISTR?) Escort up and trounced everyone...

Someone else must remember Knickers in Tins Racing.... now there's a name to conjure with - immaculate black and red minis, which were a bit of a contrast to a lot of the usual tank-tape and rust at the time - and I assume that knickers in tins were exactly that. Seem to recall them always having a lot of dolly-birds round the paddock.

Then there was the one visit of F3. You knew it was a big meeting - they'd hired a grandstand. Well, a little portable one that I think fitted onto the back of a Transit van, and sat it at the first corner. Met Gunnar Nilsson and Alex Ribeiro, although I don't think I got one of Alex's "Jesus Saves" stickers (you know the March mechanics used to put them on the wall and stick Green Shield stamps under them?). Thinking of the talent around in F3 then... Stephen South, Danny Sullivan... can't remember who was in the works Ralt but that was Ron Tauranac's first season on his own...

My last visit to the circuit was about 8-9 years ago, I happened to be visiting when there was a sprint on, and the atmosphere hadn't changed - just the technology. Loads of F3000 Reynards looking splendid.

[Andrew Kitson]

Pete, a warm welcome to the forum and thanks for a great first post! So many good memories. If you check out many of the old photo threads in this historic forum, some of the cars you mention can be seen.

[diz]

A few more names :
JOE APPLEGARTH - a legend in Northern Libre
DAVID SUGDEN and subsequently his son TIM starting out in a Royale RP26
JOHN SCOTT_DAVIES in many things - including a V8 Cortina, which he drove to the circuit on the road one night.
HARRY O'BRIEN Lotus 19
RAY DAVIES - still playing in Historics
LES LIPTROT with a sit up and beg Ford Popular
JOHN CHAPPEL [K+N Filters] with indecently fast Minis
KEN Le RICHE with the Le Riche GT, which was subsequently bought by Charlie O'Hara [an Irish boat builder from Blackburn, that world centre of boat building ] Derek Daly tried to sneak out in it one Tuesday night without signing on, but Mr Officious here soon put a stop to that. I remember Mike Blanchet and Eddie Jordan having a disagreement over whose bit of track it was at Oulton one day. This was quickly sorted until Mike's dad made some observation along the lines of 'B£oody Paddys' and old Charlie became a man possessed. The handbags at five paces was hilarious to watch. I'm sure I even saw Mansell smiling at the antics. Anyway, I'm veering off thread, so back to Aintree.
SIR JOHN 'somebody or other' [not Whitmore] in a big engined single seater which he transported half in and half out of the back of an old Jag Estate.
NICK WHITING was a fairly regular visitor, so I assume Charlie must have been with him.
ALAN MINSHAW
FRANK SYTNER
RAY MALLOCK [or maybe Richard] in a BDA engined Mallock
and many, many more.