Tag Archives: Bicknell

Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Farm Targa Rally

A couple of weeks ago I popped along to the Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Targa Rally an event for novice rally drivers held entirely on Washingpool Farm near Easter Compton.

BMW 318is, Lukas/Bicknell, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Targa Rally,

There were 29 starters after a, now, rare Polski FIAT 126 dropped out before the start of the event. Above Dan Lukas and Jason Bicknell kick up a cloud of dust on their way to a 13th place finish in their #26 E30 BMW 318is after borrowing a couple of meters of wire to rewire their fuel pump.

Subaru Justy, Solarski/Tbc, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Targa Rally,

High on entertainment value was the Subaru Justy driven by Robert Solarski, who finished 9th, his co driver seemed completely unfazed after Robert gave the plastic barrier a hefty whack before stopping for the last time control.

Vauxhall Corsa, Attiwell/Emery, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Farm Targa Rally,

Classes were run for Masters, Experts and Novices then further divided above and below 1400 cc. Winners of the Experts Class for smaller cars and 15th overall despite a soft offside front tyre were David Attiwell and Kieth Emery driving their #5 Vauxhall Corsa.

Vauxhall Corsa, Sissins/Earl, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Farm, Targa Rally,

11th overall and winner of the Novices class for drivers of smaller cars were Ray Sissins and Haydon Earl driving their #110 Vauxhall Corsa.

Peugeot 205 Rallye, McLachlan/Baverstock, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Targa Rally,

6th overall and winners of the Masters class for drivers of smaller cars were Richard McLachlan and Andy Baverstock in their #2 Peugeot 205 Rallye.

Citroën Saxo, Potyra/Rudzki, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Targa Rally,

Winner of the Novices class for drivers of larger cars and 3rd overall were Robert Potyra and Piotr Rudzski driving the #28 Citroën Saxo.

Ford Fiesta, Lobb/White, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Targa Rally,

2nd Overall and winner of the Masters class for drivers of larger cars were David Lobb and Adrian White in their #101 Ford Fiesta.

Renault Clio, Connor/Spencer, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Targa Rally,

Steve Conner and Alan Spencer won the event overall with Steve at the wheel of the #6 Renault Clio.

Ford Puma, Spencer/Connor, Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Targa Rally,

Alan and Steve also took the team prize for fastest pair when Alan’s 12th place overall finish in his #106 Ford Puma was taken into account.

If the event goes ahead again next year and my daily driver is still on the road I shall give serious consideration to taking part in what was an entertaining day out.

Thanks for joining me on this “Tavern Motor Club Washingpool Farm Targa Rally” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me for a look at a Cutlass tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Pinacle Of 500cc F3 Design – Staride Mk 3

Mike Erskine Speedway rider who owned a factory that manufactured motor vehicle radiators who also built Staride frames for Speedway motorcycle racing in Southampton.

Staride Mk3, Xavier Kingsland, Gurston Down.

At the end of 1951 he quit Speedway and started building a prototype 500cc Formula 3 car to a design, an evolution of a Kieft design, by former Kieft designer Dean Delamont and Cecil Mitchell for John Hambin.

Staride Mk3, Xavier Kingsland, Gurston Down.

On it’s debut at Goodwood in April 1952 John finished 4th. A production protoype Staride also appeared in 1952.

Staride Mk3, Xavier Kingsland, Gurston Down.

For 1953 a production run was started and Reg Bicknell who had successfully built and raced the Revis was one of the works supported drivers.

Staride Mk3, Xavier Kingsland, Gurston Down.

Reg was a regular top three finisher in International Formula 3 events through 1953 as was Dennis Taylor in 1954.

Staride Mk3, Xavier Kingsland, Oulton Park.

It is believed 10 Starides, weighing 500lbs, were built and they were offered for sale at £550 less engine and gearbox.

Staride Mk3, Xavier Kingsland, Oulton Park.

Today’s featured 1953 Staride Mk3 is seen at Gurston Down and Oulton Park last year with Xavier Kingland at the wheel.

Anyone within traveling distance of Castle Combe will have the opportunity to see 500cc Formula 3 cars, like the Staride and Revis I looked at last week, tomorrow where they will be racing for the Bristol Aeroplane Company Motor Sports Club Challenge Trophy along with seven more races and a plethora of classic car demonstrations and static displays.

Thanks for joining me on this “Pinacle Of 500cc F3 Design” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I be starting an 80th Anniversary Celebration of English Racing Automobiles (ERA). Don’t forget to come back now.

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Unlike A Cooper – Revis

Reg Bicknell from Southampton was an entrepreneur who built up several business which eventually included dealing in cars, running pubs and managing amusement arcade machines.

After being demobed from the Royal Air Force where he served as a night fighter pilot Reg returned to his auto sales and repair business.

Revis, Mallory Park

Inspired by a copy of the Formula Three magazine IOTA in a pub he determined that he too could have a go at building a car, without interfering with his business commitments, to compete in the formula aimed at the impecunious.

Reg drew up nine criteria for his car before he started which began with “1. Be as unlike a Cooper as possible” and went on to include all round independent suspension, all parts to be made from scratch and so forth.

Revis, Mallory Park

He began building the car in the winter of 1950 with his teen neighbour Brian Trew after first getting a set of magnesium alloy wheel rims cast which could be bolted on to the brake drums.

The first JAP powered variant of the car was finished in late 1951 after many build problems particularly with the suspension were overcome by trial and error.

Revis, Mallory Park

Reg’s car initially proved too heavy and unreliable so over the winter of 1951 Reg ditched the independent rear suspension for a swing axle arrangement and during 1952 he replaced the JAP engine with a heavier more powerful “double knocker”, twin cam, Norton motor but still managed to bring the overall weight down from 625 lbs to 560 lbs.

These refinements along with replacing the pair of rear brakes with a single inboard unit turned the Revis into an altogether more competitive machine and Reg clocked up 2 wins and numerous placings along with a shared lap record at Goodwood during 1952.

Revis, Mallory Park

In 1953 Reg took the offer of a semi works ride with Staride, but on his only outing in the Revis took another win at Silverstone.

For 1954 Reg replaced the conventional aluminium body work of the Revis with a rough home made fibre glass nose that enclosed the front wheels, in this configuration Reg clocked up 10 more wins during 1954.

Revis, Mallory Park

The following season Reg abandoned the original Revis for the Revis II and in 1956 the original Revis seen here was shipped to the USA for future SCCA champion Pierre Moin who raced the car 5 or 6 times as an open wheel car with a Triumph twin motor without much success.

The Revis had further unreliable outings until at least 1961 and was brought back to the UK from Canada by present owner Richard Bishop Miller in 2009.

Revis, Bishop-Miller, Oulton Park

Reg Bicknell would go on to share a Lotus XI with Peter Joop in at Le Mans in 1956 where the pair finsihed 7th overall and 1st in class.

At the beginning of the 2014 season Richard Bishop Miller had the misfortune to fracture his vertebra after the Cooper of John Turner landed on top of him at the VSCC Silverstone Spring Start meeting.

Fortunately while Richard was recovering in hospital the Revis was striped and repaired so that both car and driver could return to the track at Zandvoort in Holland a couple of weeks ago.

Richard hopes to make the trip down from the Lake District to Castle Combe for the VSCC meeting on Sunday October 5th and I for one shall look forward to seeing him compete for the The Bristol Aeroplane Company Motor Sports Club Challenge Trophy for the “500” Formula Three cars which have not been seen at Castle Combe since 1955.

Thanks for joining me on this “Unlike A Cooper” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a concept competition car from Renault. Don’t forget to come back now !

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