Sunday, March 16, 2008
Oval and Out - April 2008
The new season will be with us by the time you read this so a quick look at some of the other oval related drivers who are in action this year. In Formula Three (or the British Formula Three International Championship to give it the full title) you can all cheer for two short circuit related drivers: Alistair Jackson who remains part of the Räikkönen Robertson Racing squad but will do the whole season in the top class for new chassis rather than the national class which caters for older cars. Another oval driver of note is Nick Tandy entered under the Joe Tandy Racing banner. I cannot recall if Joe Tandy senior ever raced against Alistair Jackson senior in hot rods at all. I guess if they did it was probably 1977 when Jacko came over for the World Final with his brother Derek.
Sticking with single seaters, Sean Brown’s boys, Daniel and Robert are moving into Formula Palmer Audi from T-Cars and Renault Clio respectively. Palmer Audi is a one chassis championship that has been around a little while and is run by circuit owner and former Grand Prix driver Dr Jonathan Palmer. For those interested in the economics of such racing, a season of 20 races at seven circuits was advertised in Autosport recently at £59,950 plus vat. That might seem a lot when you are only hiring the car but it actually works out very favorably when you compare it to the cost of other single seater championships ‘on the ladder’. Palmer Audi’s paddock presentation and hospitality is also second to none.
Looking through the classified ads in Short Circuit I was quite shocked to see how expensive some of the oval cars are these days . OK so it’s not the same league as the aforementioned formula racing but you could easily go club racing on the circuits with something like a two litre hot rod and the prices do suggest they would be fit for purpose. Several of the drivers I have encountered at club level on the long circuits have said that it’s actually cheaper racing MSA style as they spent less on entry fees than they did on replacing body panels whilst racing on the short circuits.
Silverstone are looking to recreate the 1948 British Grand Prix grid in the Classic meeting at the end of July. You’re probably wondering what the connection with short oval racing is. Well it’s the fact that the entry included an Emeryson which was the marque built by Paul Emery (although Paul himself was not competing at the GP that year) – best known to us ovalteenies as a midget racer of note. I initially thought that 1948 was a little early for a Paul Emery car but on checking my records I see he was born in 1916 which of course not the case. Paul started Midget racing in the early 1970s and won the MARC points championship several years on the trot. The other recent connection between Midgets and Silverstone is the proposed half mile oval which I think has fallen by the wayside now. The drawings for the new circuit were produced by Tom Barnard who was of course the chap who facilitated the breakaway from Spedeworth by the MARC when he ran his own ill fated short circuit racing at selected stadia, again in the early 1970s under RAC rules.
There were a lot of Formula One connections with the GP Midgets from Cliff Davis through to Graham Hill and Stirling Moss who both are reported to have tested the cars. I did hear a conspiracy theory that it was a look-a-like rather than Stirling himself who drove the Midget although I recently found out that the great man himself was at a Legends test at Northampton back in 1994/95 so who knows. Someone like Alf Boarer would probably be able to clear up the mystery as he once told me about Graham Hill test driving the cars and said that he was quicker than the regular drivers as well. Graham’s son Damon was, according to an early edition of Short Circuit, at the presentation of the first Graham Hill Memorial at Bovingdon (well before it was a Spedeworth circuit) and Damon’s own son, Joshua, is going to be racing this year in the Ginetta Junior Championship on the Touring Car bill.
Anyway, all this talk about classic midget racing characters is beginning to veer into John Hyam’s territory so I’ll get back up to date. Talking of Mr Hyam – where are you John? We’ve missed you the last couple of months – hope all is well.
Last month I was talking about Rob Collard testing with Robertshaw Racing in a Chevrolet British Touring Car but he has in fact signed with Motorbase Performance as team mate to Steve Kane racing in BMW 320si. Other oval connections see Mike Jordan back for another year although this time he will be racing against his son Andrew – the first ever father and son pairing in the 50 year history of British Touring Cars.
How sad to learn of the death of Brian Sayers – Stock Car 402. I well remember the south coast racer’s Opel Manta – unique I think – in the early 1980s.
Silverstone are looking to recreate the 1948 British Grand Prix grid in the Classic meeting at the end of July. You’re probably wondering what the connection with short oval racing is. Well it’s the fact that the entry included an Emeryson which was the marque built by Paul Emery (although Paul himself was not competing at the GP that year) – best known to us ovalteenies as a midget racer of note. I initially thought that 1948 was a little early for a Paul Emery car but on checking my records I see he was born in 1916 which of course not the case. Paul started Midget racing in the early 1970s and won the MARC points championship several years on the trot. The other recent connection between Midgets and Silverstone is the proposed half mile oval which I think has fallen by the wayside now. The drawings for the new circuit were produced by Tom Barnard who was of course the chap who facilitated the breakaway from Spedeworth by the MARC when he ran his own ill fated short circuit racing at selected stadia, again in the early 1970s under RAC rules.There were a lot of Formula One connections with the GP Midgets from Cliff Davis through to Graham Hill and Stirling Moss who both are reported to have tested the cars. I did hear a conspiracy theory that it was a look-a-like rather than Stirling himself who drove the Midget although I recently found out that the great man himself was at a Legends test at Northampton back in 1994/95 so who knows. Someone like Alf Boarer would probably be able to clear up the mystery as he once told me about Graham Hill test driving the cars and said that he was quicker than the regular drivers as well. Graham’s son Damon was, according to an early edition of Short Circuit, at the presentation of the first Graham Hill Memorial at Bovingdon (well before it was a Spedeworth circuit) and Damon’s own son, Joshua, is going to be racing this year in the Ginetta Junior Championship on the Touring Car bill.
Anyway, all this talk about classic midget racing characters is beginning to veer into John Hyam’s territory so I’ll get back up to date. Talking of Mr Hyam – where are you John? We’ve missed you the last couple of months – hope all is well.
Last month I was talking about Rob Collard testing with Robertshaw Racing in a Chevrolet British Touring Car but he has in fact signed with Motorbase Performance as team mate to Steve Kane racing in BMW 320si. Other oval connections see Mike Jordan back for another year although this time he will be racing against his son Andrew – the first ever father and son pairing in the 50 year history of British Touring Cars.
How sad to learn of the death of Brian Sayers – Stock Car 402. I well remember the south coast racer’s Opel Manta – unique I think – in the early 1980s.
# posted by RJ Neil @ 11:22 AM 
