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.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

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.

Fifty Years On

The grid for a single seater race at Brands Hatch in 1968.  This was a picture from one of my first ever race meetings.

This year, 2018, marks my fiftieth anniversary of becoming passionate about motorsport.   In February 1968 I bought my first edition of Motor Sport magazine.  Then in May 1968 I went to my first circuit event, the Aston Martin Owners Club St John Horsfall meeting at Silverstone.   From then on I was hooked.  My passion hasn't always been at the same level.  After being very passionate about motor sport at the end of sixties and through the seventies, the combination of Ronnie Peterson's death in September 1978, the advent of the ground effects cars and meeting my first wife meant that my interest waned a little until about 1983.  Again during the Schumacher era and after meeting my second wife, my interest waned from 2003 until 2009.  In 2014 I became totally hooked on motor racing photography and hence this blog.

The grid of a single seater race at Silverstone in May 1968.  This was a picture I took at my first ever race meeting.

What I cannot remember is what ignited my interest in motorsport.  None of my family had even the slightest interest in motor sport.  Funnily enough none of my friends at the time had any great interest in motor sport either.   So what was it that made me a motor racing fan?

I had a friend with whom I played Scalextric but I think my interest in slot cars really developed from

an interest in motor racing rather than the other way round.   From day one I was a Graham Hill fan so so maybe my interest developed from seeing him on television but I am not sure this was so.  Certainly, Graham inspired me to be determined and competitive and this has enabled me to be relatively successful in my life.   Funnily enough in my school class the register used to go ...Etherton, Graham, Hill......

My dad had a colleague, Tom May, who was an Ecurie Ecosse  Jaguar C Type restorer and certainly Tom was the source of many pictures that ended up on my bedroom wall.   I am also sure that it was him who suggested the St John Horsfall meeting as my first meeting.  However, I have no actual recollection of meeting Tom so I am not sure it was him who started the bug off.  Certainly, he later offered to taker me around Brands Hatch in his Jaguar but my mum scotched this idea as too dangerous.

As a young teenager I used to read a lot of biographies.  The ones about mountaineers I particularly remember.  I also read Champion Year by Mike Hawthorn.  Maybe this got me started?

Before I even became a teenager we did have some neighbours who had a couple of boys who were older then me but fans of motor racing.  Apparently I did go and watch televised motor races from Goodwood and elsewhere in the early to mid sixties.  One of the brothers built a Mallock U2 and he took me around the block in this.  However, it was sometime after that the bug bit so I am not sure this is an answer either.

Perhaps, I will never remember!

What I do know is that the first couple of race meetings made a big impression on me.  Seeing Sid Taylor in his big Lola T70 MkIII-Chevrolet especially, but also my first encounter with single seater racing.

The paddock behind the pits at Silverstone in May 1968.

Not very good pictures but remember they are fifty years old and taken with an extremely basic camera.

Woodland Auto Display, Estrella Warbirds Museum

A copy of A.J.Foyt's 1961 Indy 500 winning roadster in a recreation of a Gasoline Alley garage.

I often go to Paso Robles on business and this time was surprised to find that they have a superb automobile and racing car museum.  The Woodland Auto Display is part of the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles, California.  If you like aircraft, cars or military vehicles this is a must see attraction.  I particularly liked the resident enthusiasts who willingly tell you about the exhibits.

The collection is owned by Richard Woodland who has built, owned, entered and raced many racing cars over the years.  His father and son have also raced cars.  Their main involvement has been with sprint car racing and Nascar.

Below is just a small part of the display.  Well worth visiting for an hour or two.

The Woodland family owned a Norwalk gas station in Paso Robles for many years.

One of my favourite cars in the collection was this 1951 Allard J2.

Another English car I enjoyed seeing was this 1951 Jaguar MkV saloon.

In the foreground is a 1966 Don Edmunds Autoresearch Super Modified car powered by a Chevy V8.

A 1929 Reo Speedwagon Camper, an early example of a motorhome.

Marmon won the first ever Indy 500 but also built road cars such as this 1929 Model 68 Coupe.

More modern racing cars feature in the collection including  this 1996 AAR Eagle Indy Car.

Mercury

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

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.

Part of the Warbirds Museum.

Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum

Lots to interest Drag racing fans at the museum.  The NHRA held its first officially sanctioned drag racing event in 1953.

I was going to a drag racing event at Irwindale on Sunday March 11th but it was cancelled because of the rain.   Thus I did the next best thing and headed off to the NHRA museum in Pomona near Los Angeles.   The museum is in honour of Wally Parks who founded the National Hot Road Association in 1951.   Lots to interest Hot Rod, Custom Car, Bonneville Salt Flats and Drag Racing fans at this museum.  I liked the way a number of cars were presented with a back drop.

The Chrysler V8 powered Beast that appeared at the 1952 Bonneville Nationals.

1932 Ford Coupé custom car.

Of more interest to me was this 1955 Lincoln Capri that competed in the modern version of the Carrera PanAmericana road race in Mexico nine times between 1994 and 2008, finishing every time.

The legendary No.25 Chrisman dragster.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

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.

A statue to Wally Parks outside the museum situated on the edge of the los Angeles County Fairplex, Pomona, California.

Irwindale Speedway Night of Destruction, March 2018

Jet Car vs Car.  The car lost in this rather unfair contest!  Nobody was in the car.

I was looking for an event near Los Angeles to go to last weekend and I came up with the Night of Destruction at Irwindale Speedway.  They regularly hold these Saturday night events of family entertainment, although the one last November was meant to be the last event at Irwindale before closure.  However, come January it was rescued for at least another couple of years.  Irwindale Speedway is a half mile lightly banked oval but the Night of Destruction is mainly held on a third mile oval running inside the main track.

The weather was extremely rainy all night and thus a couple of races were cancelled, including the destruction derby and the Race of Champions for late model stock cars as they were considered too dangerous for the conditions.  However, with good rock music playing before the event and fun and entertainment from the other races, we all had a great time.   The same cars and drivers took part throughout out the night - the cars being rather second hand four cylinder front wheel drive compact sedans such as Acuras, Accords etc. It reminded me of the banger racing I sometimes used to see at Wimbledon Stadium in London, England many years ago.  Unlike Irwindale which survived by the hair of its teeth, Wimbledon did close last year.

On a dark wet evening, from high in the grandstand to avoid the rain, photos were not easy to take.  They were all taken with a Panasonic Compact as the organisers don't like spectators with DLSRs and long lenses.

ENDURO
The opening race was a  7 minute, 20 lap race around the third of a mile oval.  The top three finishers were cars 19, 117 and 17 driven by Rodney Argo, Michael Hudson and Daniel Hudson respectively.  They beat the other twenty three starters.

The wet conditions proved rather tricky, even for the leaders.

The winning driver, Rodney Argo, being interviewed after his first win of the night. 

Figure of Eight
The second race, also over 20 laps, was even more fun as it was held over a figure of eight shaped track with a cross-over.  This certainly thrilled the spectators even though only nine cars started.  It was again won by Rodney Argo in car No.19 but this time from cars 7 and 95.

Part of the grid for the Figure of Eight race.

The conditions were extremely wet.  Rodney Argo is in the lead car.

The cross-over in the centre of the figure of eight.

The leader again avoids a car at the cross-over.

A wider angle view of the circuit.

The Flag Pole race
This race featured a 360 degree corner, so again a cross over and 20 laps like the previous race.   This race lasted over ten minutes and had a different winner, Joseph Bereiter in car No.27 from cars 2 and 14.   Fourteen cars started this race.

The pace car leads the field around for the Flag Pole race.

The Flag Pole corner on the pace car lap.

The same corner showing the cross-over.

slippery conditions at the Flag Pole.

Jet Car vs Car.
In this demonstration a pickup with an aircraft jet engine mounted on the rear reduced a car to a smouldering ruin in a few minutes.  Forty years ago this would have been in distinctly bad taste at an auto event but with modern safety standards it is more acceptable.

The Inferno begins its demonstration.

The car well on the way to destruction.

Skid Plate race.
This race was for seventeen of the  front wheel drive compacts but with metal skid plates on the rear wheels instead of tires.  This made them slow but with a tail-out attitude.   This 20 laps race around the third of a mile oval was won by Mike Digregorio in car No.18 from cars 16 and 14.  It lasted nearly twelve minutes.

The skid plate cars go out on to their pace lap.

Val Cummings in his skid plate car.

Tail out in the corners.

Action involving two of the leaders.

More action from the lead bunch.  The eventual winner in fourth place.

The winning car No.18 still playing catch-up.

The usual post race interviews.

The Trailer Race
What a lot of the crowd had been waiting for - the Trailer race.  This features cars (the same as before plus some station wagons and a Chevrolet El Camino) pulling a variety of things including other cars, boats, jet skis etc.  A sort of demolition derby with trailers.   A few extra trailers were placed around the track for the cars to avoid or not!   This event was judged on style! The eventual winner was car No.7 driven by Robert Rice, the King of Destruction from Cheryl Hyland (176) and Steve Cook (99).  This was the longest event at around fifteen minutes.  Seven drivers took part in the mayhem.

The trailer race about to start.

Robert Rice got the judges attention early on by driving straight through the caravan!

The conditions continued to be extremely wet.  This is Tony Cummings.

The winner, Robert Rice, chased by Robbie Salcido.

Cheryl Hyland lost her trailer very early on.

The end of a fun but very wet evening.  Don't expect rain if you come to Irwindale - this evening was very unusual in terms of the amount of rain.  This is SoCal after all.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

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.