Tag Archives: Smith

Air-time – Cholmondeley Pageant Of Power

Cholmondeley Pageant Of Power takes place on the estate of the Marquess Of Cholmondeley, a descendent of Sir Robert Walpole the first British Prime Minister, against the back drop of his fine 19th century mock Gothic castle in Cheshire.

G Smith, Bentley Speed 8, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

The opportunity to get close to the Le Mans winning Bentley Speed 8, the subject of next Monday’s blog, seen above demonstrated by Guy Smith who drove this car to victory in 2003 is what initially attracted me to make the journey.

Kingston/Cropley, Infiniti FX Vettel, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

There were many attractions at the event on four wheels, two wheels, hovering and flying, but I spent the whole of Saturday morning transfixed by the sight of the participants in the sprint event getting air-time over the bridge close to the finish and it is that feature which I would like to share today. Above the Infiniti FX Vettel named after reigning three time world champion Sebastian Vettel was driven by Autocar journalists Lewis Kingston and Steve Cropley.

Cray/Cropley, Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Vauxhall Motors Director Martyn Cray shared this Corvette C6 powered Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer with Steve Cropley, the Tourer is based on the Holden Special Vehicles GTS.

Strafford, COT, Chevrolet Impala SS, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Last time I saw a Sprint Cup COT Chevrolet Impala SS was at Talladega four years ago this one appears to have once been part of the Stewart Haas Racing fleet run for Ryan Newman but has been repainted in the Hendrick Motorsports Dupont colours used by Jeff Gordon for owner driver Mick Strafford.

Van Nierop, Audi 80, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

In the early 1990’s Xavier Lapeyre ’90, Marc Sourd ’91 and Frank Biela ’92 won the French Supertourisme championships with all wheel drive Audi 80’s like the one driven above driven by Johannes Van Nierop.

Reid, Ford Mustang Mach 1, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Glaswegian Anthony Reid, 1992 Japanese Formula Three open wheel champions and Saloon car ace and a regular Jaguar C-type competitor, is seen getting three wheels off the ground in a Ford Mustang Mach 1.

Boutwood, Nobel M600, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Among the Supercars Peter Boutwood’s Noble M600 won the high jump award …

Marshall-Rowe, Lamborghini, LP570, Superleggera, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

from the Lamborghini LP570 Superleggera driven by Tim Marshall-Rowe.

Mansell, Caterham SP/300.R, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Scott Mansell was in the running for the high and long jump events in the Track Day class with the Caterham SP/300.R but …

Robbie Kerr, Radical SR3 RS, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

he could not quite match the best efforts of Robbie Kerr driving a Radical SR3 RS.

Jenkins, MAN TGX, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Easily winner of the Golden Cojones award was 2011 Truck Champion “MAN in black” driver David Jenkins who manhandled his MAN TGX at terrifying speeds through the narrow lanes of Cholomondeley.

All in all the Pageant of Power was neither as corporate or as busy as Goodwood Festival of Speed which made for a great day out in the opulent surroundings of a country home in Cheshire.

My thanks to Alan Cox for identify Anthony Reid.

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

Vauxhall VX220 – Lotus 116

Turbo Erika – Ford Escort RS Turbo

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Launched with the strap line “Simple is Efficient” the third generation Ford Escort was code named “Erika” while in development taking the name from Fords Product Planning Dept leader Erick A. Reikert.

The Escort MKIII went head to head in the market place with the popular Volkswagen Golf which had turned VW fortunes around after the demise of the ‘Beetle’.

Like the Golf the 3rd iteration of the Escort employed front wheel drive, unlike the Golf the Escort was a conservative hatchback retaining some vestige of a three box shape bodywork at the rear, although the tailgate included the rear sloping window.

The 132hp RS Turbo version of the Escort was launched in 1984 with the 5 speed transmission driving the front wheels through a viscous coupling differential that was a world first for a front wheel drive car. The RS Turbo proved a strong competitor in production saloon racing where it rendered the hitherto dominant Ford Capri 2.8i obsolete in the space of 12 months.

In the top photo national radio DJ Mike Smith and Lionel Abbot shared the #25 to win the 1986 Willhire 24 hour race at Snetterton at their second attempt becoming the first two driver team to win the race since it’s inception in 1980. The #32 was driven by Karl Jones, Patrick Watts and Chris Creswell in the 1987 Willhire 24 hours qualifying 2nd, to a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, and finishing sixth, third in class after a late driveshaft failure. By 1989 the Escort RS Turbo’s driven by Vaughan Richmond, #44 seen at Brands Hatch and Jonathon Harrison, #60 seen at Silverstone, were overwhelmed in class B by half a dozen faster BMW M3’s.

My thanks to Tim Murray on The Nostalgia Forum for the race details on the #32 at Snetterton.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Turbo Erika’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Americana Thursday. Don’t forget to come back now !

Kiwi Adventures – Ferrari 246 #0007

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A couple of weeks ago at Race Retro I caught up with the last front engined car to win a Grand Prix again. This car was originally given the chassis number #0007 and driven by Wolfgang von Trips, Oliver Gendebien, and Phil Hill in 1958 recording just one 5th place finish in Portugal with ‘Taffy’ von Trips at the wheel.

The following season it driven by Dan Gurney in 4 Grand Prix recording a best finish of 2nd on aggregate at Avus in the 1959 German Grand Prix.

In 1960 #0007 was wheeled out for Phil Hill again for five more Grand Prix appearing for the last time at the Italian Grand Prix which Phil Hill won, in a clean sweep of the podium for the Italian marque, ahead of Richie Ginther and the Belgian Willy Marisse who was a lap down.

The significance of the win the last ever in a championship Grand Prix recorded by a car with the engine in the front was a matter of complete indifference to Ferrari as evidenced by the fact that before the year was out the trusty 2.5 litre Dino V6 motor had been swapped for V12 250 TR motor by the factory. The whole car, renumbered at Maranello as chassis #0788, had been entrusted to New Zealander Pat Hoare who won in 1961 at Waimate and the 1962 New Zealand Gold Star Championship with it.

After the car proved no longer competitive and Pat Hoare had retired from racing Pat converted the single seater into a closed two seat GTO coupé replica which can be seen in this link.

The car was acquired by respected historic racer Neil Corner in 1978 and restored to it’s V12 open wheel chassis spec.

Today the car is owned and rock manager Tony Smith, who had a had a replica Dino V6 motor installed, raced #0007 at Goodwood Revival last year when I first saw it.

14/05/12 Ammended to read ‘and restored to it’s V12 open wheel chassis spec’ and ‘, who had a replica V6 motor installed, in the light of Charles Hollands comments below.

Toni Tickford – Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth #159

The Rowdy Racer – #187 1960 Daimler SP250

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Today it’s a great thrill to introduce the famous Rowdy Daimler and its pilot Ryan Smith known as Racer 187.

Ryan was wrenching for father in law John Aibel and his Le Mans Crosley Hotshot Sport at the Pittsburg Vintage Grand Prix in July 1995. In the paddock next to the Crosley was John Putnam who was having trouble with his red Dailmler SP250 a recently restored ‘barn find’.

Ryan spent much of the meeting helping out John’s son, John Jr., replacing parts and eventually finding and temporarily fixing a fuel tank sludge problem. At the end of the meeting Ryan asked John Putnam that if he ever wanted to dispose of the Daimler to call him first.

Six years later Ryan got the call and has been running the Daimler ever since. With his wife Chief 187 acting as crew chief Ryan recalls fabulous family days out and having great fun racing in the VSCCA ‘Preservation’ Class with Dick Rowley in a Porsche 356 for two seasons until they were both kicked out into separate faster race classes.

The Daimler SP250 is based on a heavily modified Triumph TR3 chassis with a fiberglass body and fitted with a 140 hp 2,547 cc / 153 cui hemi head V8 designed by Edward Turner. The vehicles were in production from 1959 – 1964.

The Daimler has touched the lives of many Rowdy acquaintances, from left to right, Racer187, Chief187, MIL187, Kerry, front row Christi, RockinRouschMan, in the Daimler, ScottinCT’s daughter and ML187, to the right of the Daimler, left to right, Sadie, Lauren and ScottinCT.

Ever the devoted faithful father and now with three children, left to right Rosie187, GS187 and ML187 to groom into the future generation of NASCAR winners, Ryan has taken some time out of his own racing activities while still maintaining a role within the VSCCA as Event Co-Chairman for VSCCA Vintage Races & Racing School at Pocono.

I look forward to taking up the invitation to joining the #187 crew as team windscreen washer upon Ryan’s return to the track.

I’d like to thank Ryan for kindly taking time out to sending me his photo’s and story and the many members of the Daimler and Lanchester Centre Forum who have visited in anticipation of this blog.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s #187 edition and will join me again tomorrow at ‘Getting a lil’ psycho on tyres’ for some seriously big stuff in honour of all those who work hard to keep us moving in all weathers when the unexpected happens while we are in transit.

Why does the sight of a little Mini Moke make every body rock ?

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Today’s blog is dedicated to Rowdy Mini Moke fan club member ‘Archidude‘ of Brevard NC, who sent me a link to this interesting Mini Moke video.

Designed as a vehicle with military applications in mind the Mini Moke made use of BMC Mini mini parts bin, including the engine, drive train and 10″ wheels which rendered the vehicle useless for military off road purposes because the Moke did not have much ground clearance.

However the vehicle produced between 1964 – 1993 did find a niche as a recreational vehicle in the sunny climate of many former British Colonies and was the first vehicle ever used on Pitcairn Islands, of HMS Bounty Fame, becoming the remotest vehicle on earth.

Correction Edited 29 09 19 The above vehicle is an AMC Andersen Cub not a Moke. Thanks to Dean and every one at www.moke.org who helped me correct this error.

Of the 50,000, Mokes made in Britain, Australia, and Portugal some have a competition history which includes Hans Tholstrup and John Crawford who nursed their Moke from London to Sydney in the 1977 Marathon and most unlikely of all Charlie Smith and Barry Seaton who gallantly jumped in their Moke to take on a field of Ford GT40’s and Ferrari 250 LM’s including winner Andy Buchanan,seen here , co driven by none other than Jacky Stewart at Surfers Paradise in 1966.

Finally Mini Mokes were used as Taxi’s in the surreal television series the Prisoner, a catch phrase of which was; Be Seeing You !

Gettin' A Li'l Psycho On Tyres

Art Tidesco blogs on all things motoring