From Spedeworth short-track oval racing to Le Mans winners

1980 Spedeworth meeting at Lydden Hill.

Most motor racing is insanely expensive, but there have always been some forms of motor sport accessible to those less well off.   Here, I am talking about Spedeworth, with their stock cars, banger racing, superstox and hot rods, which were mainly run on short-track ovals.  I always enjoyed going to Wimbledon stadium which regularly ran these events.  Occasionally, Spedeworth ventured onto larger circuits at venues such as Lydden Hill.   The pictures accompanying this short blog post were taken by me in the first half of 1980 at Lydden Hill.   All good family fun! 

1980 Spedewoth meeting at Lydden Hill.

Amazingly, three English Le Mans winners  spent some of the early part of their careers in Spedeworth short track racing. 

Derek Warwick is perhaps the most famous stock car driver to move on to the big time of Formula One and Le Mans.   Starting in stock car racing on the tarmac and cinder ovals he made his name in Formula Two Superstox on the Spedworth short track ovals like Aldershot and won the 1971 English title and then won the 1973 World Championship for Formula Two Superstox at Wimbledon.   In 1975 Derek started on the long circuits in Formula Ford.  Derek went onto win the 1978 Vandervell F3 championship before progressing into F1 from 1981 onwards.  In 1992 he won the Le Mans 24 hours with Peugeot.

Lydden Hill 1980. 

In 1975 Martin Brundle moved up from grass track banger racing to Hot Rods and he later got a red top on his car and was doing well on the short track ovals of East Anglia.  The big names at the time were Barry Lee, Derek Fiske, Gordon Bland, Mick Collard and George Polley.   Following Hot Rods, Martin competed in the BTCC in an old Toyota, had a season in FF2000 and then drove for Audi in the BTCC as team mate to Stirling Moss.  Famously in 1983 he was the main challenger in F3 to Ayrton Senna and then drove in F1 from 1984.  In 1990 in won the Le Mans 24 hours with Jaguar.

More recently, Nick Tandy raced in short oval Ministox from 1996 to 2000, winning the Midland title in 1996 and in 1998 he was runner-up in the World Championship.   In 1999 and 2000 he was the Spedeworth Ministox champion.   Then he had to progress as Ministox racing is for 11 to 16 year olds.   Through Mini Se7en racing, Formula Ford and Formula Three, he eventually landed a works drive with Porsche and won the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours.

1980 Spedeworth meeting at Lydden Hill.

Of the last six English drivers to win at Le Mans, three of them or an amazing 50% spent an early part of their career in Spedeworth short-track oval racing.   None of the three had a win in F1.   So if you want to win in F1 start your career in karting but to win at Le Mans, why not consider Spedeworth?

The other three English drivers to win at Le Mans this century were Johnny Herbert, Mark Blundell and Guy Smith.

The Porsche that won the Le Mans 24 hours in 2015 in the hands of Nick Tandy, Nico Hulkenberg and Earl Bamber.

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John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Always lots of action at Spedeworth meetings!   Lydden Hill 1980.