How did you find Brisca F1 Stock Cars?
Not Answered.
What gave you the incentive to race
For me the incentive came from my own self motivation and competitive spirit, my brother Terry was also already racing at the time and had been for at least a season, also my Dad was a mechanic come Lorry driver and the spirit of movement was in the family. The other reason we would have chosen Stock Cars was the cost, we were a poor family and money was hard to come by in those days. The other influence on us and in fact our introduction to Stock Cars was the Vincelli family. My Dad work at a company in Stanmore and Ray Vincelli (286) worked there also, Ray had a Brother Ted (284) who lived directly opposite Harringey Stadium. Ted lived above a Chip shop in the High Road and had a garage in the alleyway at the back of the shops, this is where he built his cars. Ted had a penchant for building beautiful Stock Cars, in their day, and was years ahead of his time but, for him, the building was the pleasure. He always used to actually drive the Stock across the High Rd and into the stadium pits. So the introduction came from our friendship with the Vincelli’s In affluence I’m sure we would have chosen single seater racing at all the British tracks.
First Car - Built, Bought or Borrowed
My memories of my first car are it was a tank probably weighed 3 tons, but it was safe (George the scrutineer attested to that). I acquired it from Dave Peters(231) through a friendship with The Wilde Brothers Jim I think was (90) and Ray(91) although I don't remember Ray racing for that long. The Peters Brothers raced for a long time but can only recall Dave's Number. I cant remember how much I paid but £250 would have been a fortune for me.
Memory of your first race.
My first race was at Harringey of course because living in Cricklewood which was London NW2 it was local to us. All I can remember of the night was that the car kept spinning round, and I probably only completed 12 of the 20 laps but the exhilaration and fear was superb I loved every second of it and could not wait for more. The car was completely uncompetitive but as I said safe so was a great introduction to the sport.
Best Racing Memory
My best racing memory was coming either second or third to Dave Chisholm(252) at Rayleigh, The feeling was that Dave Taylor passed me on the last bend for second, a bit sketchy but I had lead the race for a long time with my first outing in a car previously owned by John Symondson(324) it was called the ‘flower power slingshot’ but had been dormant in Pete Guinchards(258) yard for 18 months and I collected it on the Friday and raced on the Saturday quick paint Job (brushes and gloss paint from Woolworths) and out on the track. In the heat I hit Gypsy John Aldridge(211) and broke the drag link and borrowed own from Pete Webb(8) I think the race was either stopped and I got into the restart or it was the consolation. Who knows it was a long time ago but what a night, went to Crayford on the Wednesday and had a similar night and got invited to Brafield on the Sunday.(see below)
Worst Racing Memory
After a flying two weeks I was up and running in the Symondson car and the invitation to Brafield was brilliant, it was hard to get a booking there because they only wanted competitive drivers, who were already established. One or two white tops got in a month so your chances were limited. Getting the invitation was icing on the cake. Now the slingshot, for me, had only been raced on shale. Brafield was tarmac so this was a new experience for me in this car. I started well and was 12 lengths in front at end of first lap but progressively the car under steered until on the start of the 4th lap I hit the Pits entrance fence post bent it and the seat belt pulled the muscles away from my diaphragm and I could hardly breath. The car had bent into an L shape and my feet were on the tarmac. The race was stopped and I was removed from the car and taken to hospital. That was the end of that car. I remember it laying in my garden looking quite sorry for itself. But it created a moment for me I will never forget.
Reason for Retiring
I had raced for ten years and I had a young family and a wife who was grumbling about what she was getting out of it. For a easier life I decided to sell all the equipment and do something that all the family could get involved in.
After Retiring - What Then?
I bought horses not racehorses but general hacking types all could ride. After a very short time my competitive juices began to low and I enquired what do people do with these animals’ the answer was show jumping. So I embarked on a show jumping career very similar to Stock Cars i.e. not very successfully, but he ho I won 180 Rosette's in my first season. After a few years of this I noticed that all of the judges were very posh with very English accents and I thought(with my cockney accent) I wonder if I could do that. Well I can tell you you can. I became a BSJA(British Show jumping Association) judge and judged people like Derek Ricketts Caroline Bradley and Harvey Smith. I was never a top notch judge like doing Wembley or Hickstead but was well known and can claim doing the 3rd Ring at The Royal Windsor Horse Show, and also became a BHS(British Horse Society) judge and many times counted The Princes Royal down for her to start a Horse Trial on one of her young horses. In the mean time I was also an AA Patrol fixing cars on the side of the road, retired from that at 55. Joined Metropolitan Police as a civilian Horse Box Driver and still work there at 62 but having a massive operation on 14th December to remove my large bowel having had Ulcerative Colitis for many years but really badly for the past 18 months. Divorced first wife in 1986 remarried in 1988 and had two more boys Lucy my second wife already had two girls adding to the two girls and a boy from my first marriage so in all 7 children who are all grown up now but two boys still live at home
