Crystal Balls

Sir,

Having read John Davenport’s article about Prodrive Supremo David Richards, I would like to correct him on one small point.

According to a trophy in my loft, I was the recipient of the 1974 Castrol/Autosport National Championship winning co-driver award. Does this mean that it is I who should be heading up Prodrive, as well as negotiating with Bernie over film rights for World Rallying?

I well remember sometime in 1974 travelling back down the M6 from Scotland with David in his little rusting Mini. We had both been co-driving on a National Championship round. As David was travelling by himself and feeling the effects of a particularly good after-rally party, (the crews were human in those days the parties were as competitive as the rallying!), it was decided that I should sit in with David as far as the Liverpool junction in order to keep him company and awake! As the journey progressed, David began to tell me how he was going to make rallying his business and was going to make his fortune from this enterprise. I listened to all this for an hour or so until it was time to part company. I climbed back into our service barge with the boys, and laughingly related to them how David Richards had talked an absolute load of b******s about his vision of making money out of rallying! We all had a jolly good laugh at his expense and thought “foolish, misguided boy”. It would appear that we got it ever so slightly wrong. Well done David, and good luck with your latest venture.

I AM, YOURS, ETC,

Monty Peters, Ansty, West Sussex