How did you find Brisca F1 Stock Cars?
I first heard about stock car racing when I was about 5yrs old. I come from Rushden, Northants; and Brafield was about 10-12 miles away. Chelveston USAF base was about 2 12 miles from Rushden and full of stock car racing enthusiasts at the time. I remember seeing stock cars being towed on the road when I was a child.
What gave you the incentive to race
The first time I actually went to Brafield was in late 1977. A mate I worked with at a trucking firm in Wellingborough was a big fan, so I went with him one Sunday and got bitten, the rest is history.
First Car - Built, Bought or Borrowed
I bought a car from John (269) and Barry (270) Rogers in Finedon, Northants. and built an old nailhead Buick for it, however, Larry Keily (ex-238) was selling his old Charlie Finnikin car with a GS455 Stage-1 Buick, so I bought that just for the engine.
Memory of your first race.
First race at Brafield as a novice, I somewhat foolishly started at the front of the whites, got pushed down the back straight before the starter dropped the flag and when he did all hell broke loose and I was shoved down the startfinish straight and dumped without ceremony into the fence! The optimism of youth....
Best Racing Memory
I raced for two seasons, the highlight of which was, while seeing four cars (3 reds and one blue) abreast directly in front of me coming onto the power coming off the pits bend (at Brafield), I nailed it through the middle of them and outdragged 'em down the back straight. While running second in the same race, Martin Fernihough (ex-208) caught me and tapped the back axle, which promptly fell out! This taught me that you don't locate LD axles in stock cars with 12 inch rose joints. I replaced the rose joints with farm gate hinges for the following weekend's fun...
Worst Racing Memory
Worst thing that happened was when somebody (don't know who!) whacked me through the Brafield fence and one of the big pit gate RSJ's stopped it dead and I got concussion and some sore ribs. Bent the chassis and everything... Ah, well thats the game...
Reason for Retiring
I quit in the end as I'd run out of money in the early-80s recession (whats new!). Later I went back to my original hobby of old American cars, of which I've owned a few dozen. I carried on spectating at UK F1 meetings until we emigrated to NZ in 2002.
After Retiring - What Then?
My favourite track in the UK was Rochdale, but they were all good and I have very happy memories of them all. I still go to speedway occasionally (as we call it in NZ). My favourite NZ track is Waikaraka Park in South Auckland, which was built in 1943 as a baseball stadium for US troops in WW2. Waikaraka Park, with its old brick grandstands etc. reminds me of a lot of the old tracks in the UK and the racing is always down home and very hard. I especially like the NZ modifieds. What I'm up to these days, there is an article on me and my current vehicles in this months (March 2011) (UK) Classic American magazine. My partner Maureen and I run a motel in Paihia, the main town of the Bay of Islands in northland NZ. Our website is www.bayofislandsmotel.com
