Tag Archives: Gregory

Chased By A Panda – Exeter Trial 2013

A couple of months ago I was offered the opportunity to navigate a unique Parsons Trials car on the Exeter Trial by owner Alan “Spence” Spencer. After Alan kindly agreed to make a few modifications so that I could sit in the car properly by raising the seat and adding four inch screen to afford some protection from the on coming wind I agreed to join him and had been looking forward to the experience ever since.

Parsons, Exeter Trial, Cirencester

Alan is seen above strapping himself into the Parsons at the first rendezvous Burford Services, Cirencester where we joined 39 other motor cars at close to midnight. The Exeter Trial was first run on Boxing Day 1910 by the Motorcycle Club from London to Exeter and back. As the roads got better so the trials went off road to maintain some degree of challenge for those taking part. The first part of the 2013 Exeter Trial was a regularity run over an 88 mile prescribed route to the Haynes International Motor Museum with an easy target time of 2 hours, mercifully I had prepared my wardrobe well and was comfortably warm sitting in the Ford Kent powered Parsons despite being exposed to the elements.

Gregory, Exeter Trial, Cirencester

Among assorted Skoda’s, VW Beetles and an Mazda MX5 with an urban paint job starting from Cirencester was this rare #222 Gregory trials car driven by Josh Moss and Chris Ferin. At the Haynes motor museum there was a compulsory two hour break during which I enjoyed a hearty Full English Heart Attack breakfast and a 1/2 hour flat on my back to ease the inevitable stiffness that occurs after sitting in a confined space for 2 hours in ambient temperatures a couple of degrees above freezing.

Ford Special, Exeter Trial, Cirencester

Above the #223 Ford Special of Alex Wheeler and Tony Underhill is parked up alongside the #222 Gregory and ahead of a couple of Suzuki X-90’s that were also taking part at the Musbury Garage checkpoint.

After a very quick observed stopping and reversing test at Haynes we headed for the first off road trial at Windwhistle Hill, by now I had a good grip on the abbreviations used in the route notes which Spence had thoughtfully copied and mounted onto a neat illuminated roller box as used by bomber command navigators in WW2 and by Denis Jenkinson to help Stirling Moss to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia. In the pitch black of the night from the navigators seat of the Parsons at five in the morning the Windwhistle Hill observed section appeared to take place on a very wet and rutted and rocky forestry track, getting down to the start of the time section it was almost as much fun as roaring back up to the top for a clean run which included a compulsory stop and restart halfway up.

Mercedes Simplex, Exeter Trial, Musbury Garage

From Windwhistle Hill we proceeded 5 miles to the next observed section Underdown II following the magnificent chain driven 1903 Mercedes 60 hp Simplex of Ben and Roger Collings with a burbling 4 cylinder 9.235 litre / 563 cui motor which was being guided by chain drive aficionado Duncan Pittaway and Ant Lucas in a raucous TVR V8S. The Mercedes needed a guide on account of the fact that nominal navigator 70 year old Roger Collings, seen above, was fully occupied holding on to two handles to stay in his completely exposed seat.

Volkswagen Beetle, Normans Hump, Exeter Trial

Above the #238 Volkswagen Beetle of Nicola Butcher completes a clean run of Norman’s Hump.

After another clean run up Underdown II we headed for the Musbury Garage check point, as we were running ahead of scheduled time Spence pulled over for a quick cat nap before we pulled into the Garage to get our route card signed. Day light was appearing as we reached observed Section 3 known as Norman’s Hump where there was a long queue of competitors waiting.

FIAT Panda Sisley, Crealy Park, Exeter Trial

We began to feel like we were on a roll as we cleaned Norman’s Hump and the following observed sections Waterloo, Strets, Core Hill and Bulverton Steep which were all on wet surfaces thanks to the yule tide deluge that had ceased earlier in the week. Over the last few morning sections we were running last on the road with the course closing FIAT Panda 4×4, seen above, on our tail.

Parsons, Crealy Park, Exeter Trial

This was not helped by the fact that Spence used an electric pump to inflate his tyres after each section which lost us time, unfortunately the Parsons, seen above at Crealy Park, is not really big enough to carry a time saving gas bottle as many other competitors did. For most of the observed sections we were running between 10 and 15 psi on the rear tyres for extra grip, too low a pressure to be running on the road sections to be safe.

Allard M Special, Crealy Park, Exeter Trial

Just after 10 we arrived at the Crealy Park time control where Spence borrowed Duncans jack to swap the rear wheels over because the tyres on both sides had slipped on the rims, he also checked over the levels which were all fine during the one hour compulsory stop while I took a few snaps of some of the other vehicles taking part including the #242 Allard M Type Special of William Holt and Martyn Wyatt above. After a brunch, chicken and fried rice with satay sauce that I bought at our local take away just before setting off from Bristol, we headed into the sunshine towards afternoon sections starting with Tillerton Steep.

Marlin Roadster, Crealy Park, Exeter Trial

Above Chris Hickling and Wendy Bayless from Falmouth are seen in front of their #207 Marlin which suffered a puncture on Norman’s Hump.

If the morning had proved to be ecstatic with clean runs then Tillerton Steep began a run of drip fed cruel agony as there was a restart on a large slab of wet rock which offered absolutely zero traction. We had failed our first test though we managed to get up the remainder of the course on our second attempt.

BMW 2002, Tillerton Steep, Exeter Trial

Above the Edna Perryman climbs into the back seat, of the #237 BMW 2002 while Colin awaits to cross the ford prior to their run up Tillerton Steep. Note the course closing Panda behind the Mercedes.

We then followed the Mercedes Simplex to Fingle Hill which we cleaned, with slightly raised spirits we continued the short distance to Wooston Steep behind the 1903 Mercedes Simplex which pulled an awesome handbrake turn to line up for the gates that marked the entrance to the path that led to the observed section. Wooston Steep which had two finishes according to class, being in the toughest class 8 we had to make a run past a left fork up to the top, unfortunately we got caught in the ruts which turned left and lost too much momentum to complete the test. The Exeter Trial is about completing ‘cleaning’ all the sections if one completes all sections no more than ten mins behind schedule one is awarded a Gold medal, if one fails one section but completes all the rest within 20 mins of the target time one earns a silver and a bronze is awarded if all bar two sections are completed within 30 mins of the target time.

Mercedes Simplex, Fingle Hill, Exeter Trial

Above Ben Collings blasts up Fingle Hill while Roger hangs on to the 1903 Mercedes Simplex as best he can.

After a third observed Autotest at Wooston Steep it was off to Ilsington Parish Hall for another compulsory hour break during which I enjoyed some decaffinated coffee and some lovely cake. Next it was off round the corner to Simms a long wait ensued as many cars failed to get to the top after the restart. We eventually blasted up the first part of the hill but could not manage the second and ended up being carefully guided, who almost manhandled the car back to the corner so that we could reverse down the remainder of the course. Our shot at a medal was over and dissappointed we headed for Tipley Hill where another long queue awaited us. By now it was getting dark and colder again and since we were no longer in with a chance to win a medal we elected to skip Tipley Hill and headed for the final section Slippery Sam a cross between a rock garden and a bomb hole of a hill, again we flew up the first part but needed two attempts to clear the restart after which we flew around the last couple of corners bouncing over ground that would be an easy test for a four wheel drive but was a thriller in the tiny Parsons.

Skoda Estelle, Simms, Exeter Trial

Above part of discipline of the Exeter Trial is having the patience to sit in long queues in narrow lanes, above the #227 Skoda Estelle of Ben & Rosin Giles awaits it’s turn to get to the start of Simms.

We then headed to the Trecarn Hotel Babbacombe where exhausted we handed in our time card for the final time, glad to be in one piece, and that it had neither snowed or rained during the exhilarating 19 hour 250 mile drive. After a shower we joined many of the competing crews for dinner where tails of triumphs and failure were exchanged. I eventually crashed out feeling like I was still moving !

My thanks to Alan Spencer for taking me along on the Exeter Trial in his little Parsons which will be the subject of a future blog, thanks also to all the marshalls and organisers who put the time and effort in to making the event happen, I hope the opportunity to participate comes round again in the not too distant future.

Thanks for joining me on this “Chased By A Panda” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Goodwood Revival 2012 – #6 Lotus

Today’s post features some of the Lotus cars that were on track at Goodwood Revival last week.

Lotus Ford 30, Goodwood Revival

The looks and early form of the Lotus 30 flattered to deceive even with Jim Clark at the wheel, this one driven by Paul Wright features the cool exhausts coming out of the top and is one of the few whose lines have not been spoiled with a rear spoiler.

Lotus Ford 29, Goodwood Revival

Dan Gurney played an instrumental part in taking Lotus to Indy in 1963, this is the Lotus Ford 29 chassis #29/2 Dan used in practice for the 1963 Indy 500 until he put in the wall during morning practice on Pole Day. Dan qualified the spare chassis #29/1 running the #93 12th and finished the race in 7th place after a late pit stop dropped him from 3rd.

Lotus Climax 24, Goodwood Revival

Lotus designed the space frame Lotus 24 for it’s customers in 1962, while keeping back the new monocoque Lotus 25 for the works team. The Climax powered #23 driven by Michel Wanty above is chassis #942 which was one of two supplied to the British Racing Partnership Team racing under the UDT Lystall banner for Innes Ireland and Marsten Gregory to drive. Gregory drove the car once to a 7th place finish in the ’62 British Grand Prix while Ireland retired the car in five from seven races started before finishing 5th in the South African Grand Prix.

Lotus BRM 24, Goodwood Revival

British Racing Partnerships also used a BRM powered Lotus 24 in 1962 with which Gregory managed a best 6th place in the ’62 US Grand Prix, the following season BRP fielded two BRM powered Lotus 24 for Ireland and Jim Hall, Jim finished 6th in the British and 5th in the German Grand Prix. The Lotus BRM 24 driven above by Nigel Williams is chassis #P1 which was supplied to the Reg Parnell Racing team for 1963. Marsten Gregory, Roger Ward, Hap Sharp and Chris Amon all had a go in it with Sharp scoring a best 7th place in the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix. The following season Peter Revson drove the car now fitted with bodywork from a 1963 Lola Mk4A, as seen above, for Parnell on two occasions in Belgium and Britain without any worthwhile results.

Lotus Climax 21, Goodwood Revival

Dan Collins was out in the Classic Team Lotus entered Lotus Climax 21 #933 which I looked at in December.

Lotus 18, Goodwood Revival

Rob Walkers famous Lotus Climax 18 chassis #912 used by Stirling Moss to win the 1960 and 1961 Monaco Grand Prix was being driven by Stephen Bond.

Lotus 16, Goodwood Revival

Entered by Real Auto Club Catalunya was the Lotus 16 driven by Joachim Foch-Rusinol seen here blasting past the 1959 Tec Mec Maserati 250F at St Mary’s corner. The 1959 Lotus 16 was Colin Chapman’s second seat design after the 1956 Lotus 12.

Lotus Bristol X, Goodwood Revival

Finally the 1955 Lotus Bristol X driven by Malcolm Paul and Rick Bourne, who is seen at the wheel here, charges into the evening during the Freddie March Memorial Trophy race to a 6th place finish.

My thanks to Wouter Melisson from The Nostalgia Forum and http://www.ultimatecarpage.com for his help identifying Michel Wanty’s Lola Mk4A bodied Lotus 24.

Thanks for joining me on this “#6 Lotus Edition” of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow for a look at what happens when a dictatorship put’s all the necessary resources into the hands of a couple of racing teams. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Goodwood 2012 – #5 Ferrari Friday

If I heard the commentary on Goodwood Radio correctly then there were over $300 million dollars worth of cars at Goodwood last Friday with 11 Ferrari 250 GTO’s present that would make up the first $120 million very quickly !

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

Among the 250 GTO’s I had not seen before was chassis #4219GT a car which Pedro Rodriguez drove to victory in the second Daytona 3 Hour race held in 1963. This car is reputed to have changed hands for just over $12,000 in 1964 and between $3 and 3.5 million in 1993 !

Ferrari 250 TR 59/60, Goodwood Revival

The role call of drivers of this Ferrari 250 TR #0774TR includes Jean Behra and Dan Gurney who did not finish the 1959 Le Mans 24 hours in it, Phil Hill and Cliff Allison who won the 1960 1000kms at Buenos Aires before it returned to Le Mans where it won the 1960 24 hours with Olivier Gendebien and Paul Frere at the wheel.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Goodwood Revival

I am not sure of the chassis number of this 250 GT SWB Berlinetta so I’m not sure wether or not it’s a Competizione model or not, if you know your 250 GT SWB’s and no the identity of this one please chip in with a reference or two below.

Ferrari 275 GTB/C SWB, Goodwood Revival

A class win at Le Mans in 1967 for drivers Dietter Sporey and Rico Steinemann followed by another in the 1000 kms at Spa in 1969 with Jaques Rey and Edgar Berney at the wheel did not do much to help the value of this car in 1969 when it changed ownership for just $6,000. By 1983 the value had leapt to $150,000 two years later it was fire damaged and the wreck changed hands for $46,000.
The restored car then went to Japan for a reputed $800,000 in 1988, since then it has come to reside in the UK via the USA for undisclosed sums.

250 MM PF Berlinetta, Goodwood Revival

My personal pick for Ferrari of the day is this 250 MM Pinifarina Berlinetta with a longer than standard nose. The car has little racing history from it’s heyday and lost 1 million Italian Lira in value, just under 1/3rd, between 1953 and 1955. By all accounts it was used for to chauffeur movie stars in 1954.

Ferrari 250 GTE, Goodwood Revival

If you can’t have the Ferrari 250 of your choice there are plenty of less valuable 250 GTE’s like the 1963 example above that can be acquired and transformed into the Ferrari of your dreams at a fraction of the price of the real thing.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

For one reason or another this Ferrari 250 GTO #3757 has come up for discussion on GALPOT numerous times, I make no apology for showing yet another photo of it again because this time former Ferrari Grand Prix driver and would be Indy rookie Jean Alesi can be seen at the wheel.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, Goodwood Revival

Christian Horner is best known as team principle of the multiple championship winning Red Bull racing, he was also a dab hand behind the wheel making it all the way to the second tier Formula 3000 open wheel series before the money ran out and he opted for team management in 1998. Christian is seen here in the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta chassis 1953GT another car that has been mentioned before in connection with the motor from 250 GT SWB Berlinetta #2025 that has been fitted to the #60 seen here.

Ferrari 290 MM, Goodwood Revival

The car above driven by Mike Malone looks like a 1958 Ferrari 250 TR however it actually started life as 1956 290 MM Scaglietti Spyder #0606 with Right Hand Drive. After Maurice Trintignant and Phil Hill won first time out in Sweden car was upgraded to 1959 250 TR specs at the factory and ended up in Brazil where Rio Negri was killed after probably mistaking the central pedal for the brakes when it was actually the accelerator. The remains of the fire damaged car were eventually fitted with a Ford V8. Much later it was discovered and mistaken and built up again as the Left Hand Drive ’59 250 TR 0726. Many years later it came to light that the car was actually #0606. Finding Ferrari’s can be difficult identifying them correctly even more so !

Ferrari 860 Monza, Goodwood Revival

Last year I saw 1985 Indy winner Danny Sullivan at my local track Castle Combe, this year I have now seen him race a Ferrari at Goodwood, above he is driving a 1956 Ferrari 850 Monza chassis 0604M, as we saw in a previous post Danny is following in the footsteps of one five time Juan Manuel Fangio and America’s first world champion Phil Hill ! Danny qualified 15th but did not finish the Sussex Trophy Race.

Ferrari 750 Monza, Goodwood Revival

Finally the Freddie March Memorial Trophy race included this 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spider S1 chassis #0504M which appears to have been raced by Frenchman Michael Poberejsky under the pseudonym Mike Sparken. Michael won a race in Morocco before sharing the car with Marsten Gregory at Le Mans in 1955 where they failed to finish. R and A Frankel retired with less than half an hour to go in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy too !

Thanks for joining me on this ‘#5 Ferrari Friday’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at some of the Lotus racing cars that were present at Goodwood. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS 12 09 21 Condolences to family and friends of Michael Poberejsky who died this morning at his home in Beaulieu sur Mer.

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A tale of two chassis frames – Lotus Climax 19 Monte Carlo #952

The Lotus 19 was a two seat version of the Lotus 18 mid engine Formula One car that Stirling Moss drove to an unexpected first marque Grand Prix victory for Lotus at Monaco in 1960.

In a case of history repeating itself, two years earlier in 1958 Moss had driven a Cooper to record that marques first Grand Prix victory and Cooper dubbed their 1958 sports car the Cooper Monaco, Colin Chapman dubbed the 19 the Lotus Monte Carlo in honour of Stirling’s achievement.

Lotus 19, Goodwood Revival

The Lotus 19 chassis #952 was originally purchased along with two others, #950 & #953, by the British Racing Partnership (BRP) team #952 & #953 were both acquired in 1961 and #950 in 1960.

BRP, co founded by Stirling’s Dad and Stirling’s ex manager entered the car under sponsors UDT-Laystall banner. The exact racing history of #952 from 1960 to 1962 is not known to me but by 1962 it was acquired by the Rosebud Racing Team in the USA and was successfully raced in the USA by Marsten Gregory and Innes Ireland.

By the end of 1963 the Rosebud Racing Team had managed to attach a 3 litre Ferrari V12 to #952 in place of the usual Coventry Climax 4 cylinder.

Innes Ireland sustained severe injuries when he crashed the now Ferrari powered #952 during practice at Pacific Raceways, Washington for the Pacific Northest GP.

Rescue workers had to cut Innes, who had a broken leg and hip, out of the wreck while he was still fully conscious on account of his morphine allergy.

Rosebud Racing replaced the chassis on their Ferrari powered racer while retaining the #952 chassis number, see second photo in this link and Innes Ireland bravely stepped in to drive it again.

Many years later, after ownership of #952 along with a Ferrari 250 GTO (!) was transferred to Victoria High School in Texas, #952 eventually ended up back in England with the Higgins brothers who rebuilt #952 in the 1980’s replacing the Ferrari V12 motor with a 2 litre / 122 cui 4 cylinder Coventry Climax.

The second chassis frame incarnation of chassis #952 is seen above driven by the Danish Baron Otto Reedtz-Thott at the Goodwood Revival.

Footnote this car should not be confused with a Lotus 21 Grand Prix car belonging to Alex Morton that carries the chassis number 939/952, apparently after 939 was damaged a replacement Lotus 21 chassis with the number 952 was sent to repair 939 and the frame has carried the 939/952 number ever since.

My unreserved thanks and congratulations to the many contributors on the Case history: Lotus 19 Monte Carlo thread on The Nostalgia Forum which has been attempting since 2004 to piece together the histories of all 17 of the Lotus 19 Monte Carlo’s that left the factory. Particular thanks to Micheal Oliver, David Birchall and David McKinley who kindly answered specific questions.

Thanks for joining me on this Carceaology Edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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