How did you find Brisca F1 Stock Cars?
I knew about stock cars at school. Some kids had the little plastic badges of Mike Close, Mick Noden and Frankie Wainman. I was really into F1 Grand Prix racing and went to at least 2 or 3 Grands Prix a year and thought stock car racing was beneath me. A friend of mine suggested we go to a stock car meeting at Odsal one Friday night and, having nothing better to do, I went along to Frankie's first race as World Champion and was amazed that I could see all of the action all around the track, and there was plenty of it! I was hooked!!
What gave you the incentive to race
I worked for Frankie on the hire car team and one of the things I used to do was give the newbies some insight on how to get the car around the track without getting banged up too badly. I wanted to see if I actually knew what I was talking about and suggested, to Frankie, that I have a go and he, very generously, offerd to let me use a hire car at a race meeting. (I had raced his car in a mechanics race at Aycliffe and was doing OK for a while until a fence post jumped in front of me!!)
First Car - Built, Bought or Borrowed
All the cars I raced belonged to Frankie. The deal was, I would race his shale car that he had raced on Saturday night, on the tarmac track on Sunday. I got to keep any trophies I won and I would give Frankie the start money and prize money so he could buy diesel for the bus. I drove a car, capable of winning from the back, from a front of the grid starting position, so the plan went pretty well!!
Memory of your first race.
My first race was at a very wet Aycliffe and the car wouldn't run very well. But at my second race at Hartlepool was better. I chose to start at the rear, as a novice, behind John Lund. I had it all planned out perfectly; when the back of the pace car dipped as he accelerated away, I would floor the gas and the chase would be on. I watched the pace car come off turn 4 as I was in turn 1. The back dipped and I hit the gas. Unfortunately, I had not let the 53 in on my plan and he didn't leave in quite the hurry I was in! There I was, a novice in his second race, and I had just hit John Lund!! I saw him look in his mirror, shake his head and then leave me for dead!
Best Racing Memory
My first race win at Northampton. I was leading the race as I passed the last lap board, but Nigel Wharton was coming like a train. I deliberately went wide to let him through. I mean, Nigel Wharton, on tarmac, in that car get out of the way, novice!! Well he came through and I followed him down the back straight. Going into turn 3 he braked too hard and I ran into the back of him!!! Not hard, but enough to push him maybe half a yard off line, no big deal..........except for the car parked in the middle of the track, halfway round the bend! Nigel had to go around the outside and I went round the inside. Two very powerful engines with open exhausts coming off the turn at full throttle, and all I can hear is the crowd cheering!!!
Worst Racing Memory
Frankie being taken out of the World Final, at Coventry, by 254, leading by a straightaway, toward the end of the race. He had the race sewn up and then it sucked, big time! The worst memory of my racing is me throwing the novice of the year race away by trying to win it on the first turn! What a Pratt!!
Reason for Retiring
It became too far to travel every weekend as we had emigrated to Florida!!!
After Retiring - What Then?
I drove a Legends Car for a guy over here, with some success, but the family atmosphere of the BriSCA circus was missing so i gave up and bought a motorcycle that Diane and I can enjoy together. I still miss the stox and look forward to February when Frankie and Alison come over for their winter break. Talking about the stock car racing, the older I get, the faster I used to be!!
