How did you find Brisca F1 Stock Cars?
Weekend plans cancelled through motorbike breakdown, went to pub and met a couple of guys who invited me to join them in visit to Brandon, Roger and Grenville introduced me to stock car racing and became great mates over the next few years
What gave you the incentive to race
Got to know our local hero Ron “Skid” Skinner, travelled with him and helped on the ex Tiger Griffin car from time to time, and really fancied a go. Wrote my road car off and insurance pay-out provided a bit of cash so couldn/’t resist it
First Car - Built, Bought or Borrowed
Was planning to buy Nigel Shaws old car, but instead bought ex Trevor Frost 1964 car rolling chassis from Shay Galvin, and a Ford Thunderbird engine from Ron, Ron provided a great deal of help and encouragement in getting the car on the track
Memory of your first race.
First race was Crayford in late 1970, hadn/’t even got a tow rig, borrowed towing dolly from Ron, and Roger towed the car behind his MkII Zodiac which I later bought. Did a couple of laps in the first race until coil lead fell off, Ron suggested I try using the right hand pedal if I wanted to finish the consolation race before everyone went home.
Best Racing Memory
I think it was Easter Weekend 1971, Good Friday Crayford – shoved through the fence by Pat Byrne. Saturday Harringay – visited the fence again and did a bit of damage. Drove overnight to Brafield for the Easter Sunday meeting and found a garage where we borrowed a welder, Got to 3rd place and retired with a rear blow out 2 laps from home – probably the first time I did more than 2 laps
Worst Racing Memory
Ran out of cash, swapped road/tow car for a race engine and became totally reliant on others to get to the track with no money to race with – that was a miserable time
Reason for Retiring
Ran out of cash, made redundant, joined Merchant Navy
After Retiring - What Then?
After 5 years at sea, took up shore based Engineering job, got married, 2 children and now 2 grandsons, recently made redundant after 36 years so now in semi retirement, still occasionally visit Brandon, also went to Bradford, Brafield, Hednesford a few years ago. Went To Brandon in September and my wife picked up a comment suggesting “the Maestro” was dead, got home and Googled which unfortunately confirmed the sad news. Got carried away on Google and found your website and also Keith Barbers Heritage site - now into the nostalgia phase
