Eurocars of the early 90's

RSportRacer · 29 Sep 2005, 19:14 (Ref:1420287)

when the eurocars started in the early there was a guy called Tony Gale racing, was pretty handy if i remember.

Just wondering what he's up to or what he went on to do after Eurocars...

Minicross424 · 30 Sep 2005, 15:53 (Ref:1421046)

No Idea about Tony but others of that era have done well for themselves:
Mark Willis- Pick-ups
John Haffey - Rallycross grand prix champion
Peter falding - world BRISCA F1 champ
Steve Hodgson - Ascar.
Its such a shame that the series failed.
I think if they had just stuck to the v6 formula it would of been ok.
How many of them must be laying gathering dust in garages?

ss_collins · 30 Sep 2005, 16:09 (Ref:1421056)

didn't they spawn into VSRs?

Ian Sowman · 30 Sep 2005, 16:12 (Ref:1421064)

Yes, not sure that any have been out in VSR/Super Silhouette this year.

**Snapper Baz** · 30 Sep 2005, 16:42 (Ref:1421083)

And something I bet even Ian doesn't know...ex' Champion of Brands and Jamun star and also one time Eurcar V6 driver Mark Marchant is now selling BMW's at a dealer in Hollywood!

Ian Sowman · 30 Sep 2005, 17:59 (Ref:1421124)

I didn't know that, but I am sure we can trot that out in a Festival preview now, thanks Baz!

**Snapper Baz** · 30 Sep 2005, 18:27 (Ref:1421146)

...with due credit of course! ...he tried to be a star...now he's selling to the stars!!

Sheila M · 30 Sep 2005, 20:17 (Ref:1421224)

Anyone got any ideas where Mike Schmidt went to? He was involved with Ascar for a while and then seemed to just vanish.

Elio · 30 Sep 2005, 20:57 (Ref:1421239)

Read down this to fully appreciate just how good it once was!!.......

http://www.bmrc.co.uk/eurocars/euro96no.htm

**Snapper Baz** · 30 Sep 2005, 22:57 (Ref:1421314)

Didn't Schmidt go back to S.Africa? He was given the job as series director or something but I think it all went pear shaped before he had his say-so...This was one of the finest examples in British motorsport of how to make a great series crumble into worthlessness due to nothing more than greed. Jeez-they were excellent during those few years! Being driven round Mallory by Chris Dawkins in a V6 was something to remember!!

RSportRacer · 30 Sep 2005, 23:37 (Ref:1421333)

gee that list brings back some memories, just look at where some of those and where they are now!!!

**Woolley** · 1 Oct 2005, 01:08 (Ref:1421368)

Brings back memories. I used to love the Eurocar meetings. Scary, but fun.

Minicross424 · 1 Oct 2005, 08:33 (Ref:1421468)

I did not realize that there is so much interest in this subject.
I will never forget going to watch them for the first time at Brands Hatch.
I was 18 and my first sight was all of the cars lined up in the garages, just awesome.
I dont like what VSR done to them putting the spoilers on, much pefered them when saloons with big black weller wheels on.
Remember how last year Renault got all of the 5 cars together for a meeting, what chance of making up a field of these.
Like I said there must be loads laying up and cheap.
Mark Proctor has got one up for £3500 in autosport.

**Woolley** · 1 Oct 2005, 08:50 (Ref:1421480)

The oval at Mallory was fantastic. Wheel to wheel slidy action and that bump into turn 1... Some huge shunts, too, I'll never forget THAT fire, or Paul Easter's trip into the lake (and I wasn't even there for that one). The V8s were never quite right, not sure why, but the V6s were perfect.

It was a shame the series withered away and died, because the drivers obviously enjoyed it, the marshals and spectators loved it, and I assume someone ran it poorly and destroyed it. No idea who, but it can be the only reason something so popular fell apart. Shame. Can you imagine what ASCAR would have been by now if Eurocar had continued and fed into it?

Ian Sowman · 1 Oct 2005, 10:09 (Ref:1421508)

It was the V8s that were the problem. The organisers thought "we'll have some more of this", but they just served to dilute and fragment the good thing that they had going. Shame, really.

andy97 · 1 Oct 2005, 13:27 (Ref:1421585)

I know of another car (Pontiac body style) that's for sale for £3500. A great track day car or must be useful for some thing like TRC etc.

AndyF · 1 Oct 2005, 19:43 (Ref:1421756)

Eurocars was IMO one of the best series of the 1990s during its heyday! Shame it fell apart like it did tho

Elio · 1 Oct 2005, 20:30 (Ref:1421793)

Neil Cunningham winning the series at one of the Formula Ford Festival meets is a personal fave highlight.... He was the only guy (presumably due to his FFord roots) to take the classic "right-around-the-outside" wet line through Druids in (I think) the final. I tend to remember ex-Touring Car driver Karl Jones in that one as well - in a rather posh Duckhams liveried car.

carrera · 4 Oct 2005, 19:03 (Ref:1423873)

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSportRacer

when the eurocars started in the early there was a guy called Tony Gale racing, was pretty handy if i remember.

Just wondering what he's up to or what he went on to do after Eurocars...

Tony started in V6s before moving to V8s in 96 taking his first V8 win at Lydden towards the end of the season. Team mate for 96 was Steve Dance; now in pick-up truck racing; who I believe is still in touch.

Sheila M · 4 Oct 2005, 20:43 (Ref:1423944)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolley

The oval at Mallory was fantastic. Wheel to wheel slidy action and that bump into turn 1... Some huge shunts, too, I'll never forget THAT fire, or Paul Easter's trip into the lake (and I wasn't even there for that one)

Actually, Woolley, it was Paul EATON who ended up in the lake!

He had a severe sense of humour failure the next time out when we pit marshals presented him with a rubber duck!

We did have some interesting times with the Eurocars - especially when they lost it coming out of turn four (Gerrards) and came into the pit lane THROUGH the tyre wall.

After one particularly good (or was it bad?) meeting I looked along the pit wall at the Armco - there wasn't one straight bit left!

**Woolley** · 4 Oct 2005, 22:56 (Ref:1424039)

Paul Eaton. yes. I knew that, but my fingers didn't!

I also remember Mark Proctor ending up inside the armco at pit entrance (the normal way) on his roof. Scary one, that.

ovaltrack · 5 Oct 2005, 09:47 (Ref:1424283)

Tony Gale was at the last Rockingham meeting of 2004 - spectating. He had not been at any races since packing in Eurocar and I've not seen him this season. He's busy with work. Great bloke though.

Those of you at Rockingham last weekend would have seen Gavin Wills racing an SCSA Stock Car in the Saloon race. I'd have liked to have seen one of the Eurocar V8s out there as well. We watched a V8 race on video last Winter and thought the cars still looked fantastic.

I understand Mike Schmidt is still in the UK but like Tony Gale busy with work - something to do with property.

There are still a lot of V6 cars sitting in garages - most of them were built in 94 and 95. The owners are reportedly keen to race them but not with the Silhouettes or Coupes (well that's what I've been told by those who have them).

Legends and Pickups still provide the close action that we saw from all the Eurocar family in the mid to late 90s.

Elio · 5 Oct 2005, 10:50 (Ref:1424315)

It should be resurrected as a feeder series for SCSA - they need a few new Championships to pad out their timetables for when they take the cars to the "proper" cicuits next year!!

**Snapper Baz** · 5 Oct 2005, 19:11 (Ref:1424687)

...or why don't they contact someone like SEMSEC who race at Lydden and Brands. They might be more than interested in helping out with getting a series for those cars out again and SEMSEC don't charge the earth to race like some clubs might do? To think that many of those cars are just sitting around is very sad. As Elio says-it could be a basis for a feeder series for SCSA though the Pickups could be argued as being that? Anyway-lets see those Eurocars back out again!

**Woolley** · 5 Oct 2005, 22:43 (Ref:1424830)

Preferably on an oval... Mallory was brilliant. At other circuits, they were just another series (albeit with overtaking and close racing) but on the monster mile... Wow!

Or how about SCSA at Mallory. NO, bad idea!

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