Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Oval and Out - April 2006 part one
For us short oval enthusiasts, circuit closures are something that crop up all too regularly. The daily papers were recently full of copy regarding the upcoming move for BBC’s Top Gear show which is filmed at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. The show is being forced to relocate within the next three years due to plans to build more than 2,500 homes on the site. Good opportunity here then for it to move somewhere else. How about sticking some more tarmac down at Arena Essex or maybe a move to Rockingham? I think this one has been bubbling away for a while as I heard some rumbles about the show moving to Pembrey in Wales but that would have been a bit of a haul for the production team. Fifth Gear don’t have too many problems with their test track which is at the Anglesey Circuit. A flipping long way to go for us southerners but a really good circuit (and surely the most stunning views you’ll get at a racetrack anywhere). Anyway, it just goes to show that it’s not just oval racers that are up against the planners.
Sad news which took a while to get to us was that of the death of Adrian ‘Todd’ Sweeney, last November. Todd was the 1967 Superstox (nee Stock Car) World Champion. I didn’t get to see him racing during his first tenure with the sport but he must be one of the most well known drivers in the sport having had his car immortalised by Corgi toys in the early seventies. I was lucky enough to see both Todd and his brother Michael ‘Biffo’ Sweeney racing in the late seventies (around the time that Short Circuit was being produced with the now retro logo and in A5 size). They still had immaculate cars and were still capable of winning races.
Does anyone know what happened to their cars? The late seventies ones were originally sold to Mark Eaton (Biffo’s) and Paul Pearson (Todd’s) with the latter eventually selling (I think) to Dave Webb. Maybe the cars are sitting around somewhere and will emerge on the classic scene sometime.
Sad news which took a while to get to us was that of the death of Adrian ‘Todd’ Sweeney, last November. Todd was the 1967 Superstox (nee Stock Car) World Champion. I didn’t get to see him racing during his first tenure with the sport but he must be one of the most well known drivers in the sport having had his car immortalised by Corgi toys in the early seventies. I was lucky enough to see both Todd and his brother Michael ‘Biffo’ Sweeney racing in the late seventies (around the time that Short Circuit was being produced with the now retro logo and in A5 size). They still had immaculate cars and were still capable of winning races.Does anyone know what happened to their cars? The late seventies ones were originally sold to Mark Eaton (Biffo’s) and Paul Pearson (Todd’s) with the latter eventually selling (I think) to Dave Webb. Maybe the cars are sitting around somewhere and will emerge on the classic scene sometime.
