How did you find Brisca F1 Stock Cars?
Gordon Smith #293 and myself were born in the same village, just out side halifax, our fathers were the only two men in the village who were self employed and both had their own vans/cars. There was never much to do in a small place like this at weekends so my dad [Albert the local signwriter] and Gordons dad George [the local builder] used to get as many of the kids as would fit in their motors and off we would go to the old Odsal Stadium [Bradford], to watch the stock cars one week and the speedway the week after. I think this is where it was fixed in both our minds that some years later we would inevitably have a go at building something like what we had seen.
What gave you the incentive to race
As we got older at school, we used to ride old motor bikes up and down a disused stone quarry, at this time you could buy an old british bike for a couple of quid and when they were wrecked we would get another. After a while we started getting bored of falling off and decided perhaps 4 wheels would be a softer option and blagged a knackered ford van off the local farmer in exchange for doing his haymaking. Needless to say it did not last long in a quarry!!
First Car - Built, Bought or Borrowed
After we finished school we sort of lost touch for a time, I had a few different jobs but all seemed to be going nowhere and got the sack. So I went to join the Army but the local recruitment office was closed and I went for lunch at my mothers cafe instead. George happened to be there and asked me what I was doing, I told him about the army thing and he said it was not in my best interests, as i could get shot! so after I thought about it, he was right and I went to work for him instead. Gordon worked for his dad at this time and we got talking about old times with the bikes and the vans in the quarry and the stock cars at Odsal and suggested going to Belle Vue [Manchester] to see the stock cars again; and this is where we really got the bug. Within a week we decided to build a car for the coming season based on a Jag 3.8 engine and a bedford chassis. I think this was 1970, the year after i built my own a 3.8 Jag and bedford chassis, while Gordon had sold his jag and was building another with a buick engine this way we were both racing in the 1971 season. The year after i built another car based on a Hillam #229 chassis and bought Gordons engine as he was going with 454 chevy for the following season. [a lot of people think the buick I raced was ex 293 but it was totaly new] as far as I can remember Gordon sold that car to Harry Linney in 1973ish.
Memory of your first race.
All I can remember about my first race was being frightened to death, full of adrenalin and a funny smell coming from the seat!!!!
Best Racing Memory
Best race has got to be, winning the Grand National first time I ever raced at Cadwell Park - 13th Aug 1972.
Worst Racing Memory
Worst memory was White City when Brian Wallace #119 got killed.
Reason for Retiring
Although the buick was a fast car it was never going to beat the 454s, which more and more drivers were using, and the sport was starting to get very expensive. At the end of that season with the car needing a complete re-build, I decided reluctantly to pack it up and sold the car to a guy called Steve Wade #352.
After Retiring - What Then?
After that we moved to Broadstairs in Kent, where we bought an hotel, then a cafe and an off license. Then, in 2001, we sold everything up and bummed around europe in the back of a van for a few years before settling in Spain where we are now.
