Anthony Reid: My life in cars
Anthony Reid raced in BTCC’s golden era, but it was an MG at Le Mans that stole his heart
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My family car as a child…
The first one I remember was a Sunbeam-Talbot with a soft top. I recall being in the back seat when my father came across a herd of cattle and spun the car avoiding them. So that was my first spin, the first of many! He later started buying Fords after they finished 1-2-3 at Le Mans in 1966.
My first road car…
I bought a Mini van, for £45 at an auction in Glasgow. A bargain. I used it to tow my Nike Mk10B Formula Ford, built by an obscure race car manufacturer based at Bideford in Devon. I’d been driving since I was about six, sitting on my father’s lap and after having only six lessons, I passed my test first time.
I was hooked on racing when…
I went to Ingliston on a school trip and I remember seeing Jackie Stewart break the lap record in a Mini Cooper in the saloon race. Stewart and Jim Clark were my boyhood heroes – they were always in the press and on TV in Scotland. The excitement of racing was so thrilling compared to my everyday life.
My first ever win was…
It was in 1983 although I’d been racing since 1976 and I’d won the top scholarship at the Jim Russell Racing School in ’77. That first win was in my Argo JM14 Formula Ford 2000 at Snetterton. It started raining during the race and I was on slicks, but I kept my nose in front.
The win I remember the most was…
August 1998 – beating Rickard Rydell in the BTCC on the Brands Indy circuit in my Nissan Primera. I won both races that day but the second one was taken away when it was decided I had nudged Rydell and shimmied through into the lead. Touring car racing was incredibly competitive back then, with lots of top-line drivers.
My favourite racing car is…
It would have to be the MG LMP675 that I raced at Le Mans [in 2001 and ’02]. I had helped to develop that car. It really suited my driving style, and we split the factory Audis, running third overall early on Sunday morning. We knew it might break down, and it did, with a minor problem in the gearbox. That MG went on to win IMSA races against Audi in the States.
Reid has tackled Le Mans six times, but the MG-Lola EX257 was his preferred car
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If I could race in any era…
It would be the 1970s through to the 2020s. That’s how long I’ve been racing and I’m still competing at Goodwood. My uncle raced there at the first meeting in 1948, so racing there now is a privilege and a wonderful way to have sustained my career on track.
If I could take part in one more big race it would be…
The Indy 500. I went to the qualifying in ’94 [Mario Andretti, during Indy 500 qualifying that year] and was fascinated by the scale and the speed. My hero Jim Clark’s win at Indy, and his two world titles, were celebrated on a plaque at Loretto School in Scotland where he and I were pupils.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given was…
That would be from my maths teacher who said I should never believe anything I read and only believe half of what I see. I’ve never taken advice too seriously because it’s free. If you pay for something it has a value.
Sprint Race
Lewis or Max?
Lewis.
Senna or Prost?
Senna.
Oversteer or understeer?
Understeer.
Brands Hatch or Silverstone?
Silverstone.