Racing drivers directory - II (Continued from April)
Gerald Ashmore: A member of a well-known motor-racing family, Gerry Ashmore started racing only last season, with an immaculate D-type Jaguar, but immediately made his mark with spectators by his spectacular but fully-controlled power-sliding technique, very reminiscent of Duncan Hamilton at his best.
In 1960 he will be seen at the wheel of a Formula 2 Cooper-Climax, and in partnership with Tim Parnell will race both at home and on the Continent.
He is a garage manager when not racing, is married, and drives anything from an A35 to a Bentley on the road.
Jean Bloxham is one of the few lady drivers to race regularly in British events. Always faithful to Aston Martin. she has put up some excellent performances and is seldom last! In 1955 and 1956 she drove a DB2 Aston Martin, following this in ’57 with a 3-litre DB2. In 1958 she drove the ex-David Brown DB3S coupé, which gained her an unofficial lap record at Goodwood for closed cars of 1 min. 44 sec. (83.08 m.p.h.). During this period she gained something like 58 awards. Last year she raced a DB3S but owing to a road accident her season was curtailed. She will probably race the same car this season. Jean is the wife of Roy Bloxham, a director of their motor business, and a housewife.
Roy Bloxham has raced since 1955, in which year he commenced with an M.G. Special. In 1956 he drove a Mk. 8 Lotus and gained a good number of successes in Club meetings and sprints. In 1957 he “went vintage” by driving the ex-Peter Bell 2-litre supercharged E.R.A., his best place being fourth at Prescott. He also drove an M.G. Magnette in saloon-car races. In 1958 he drove an H.W.M.-Jaguar but crashed it badly at Oulton Park in April and did not race again until the end of the season. He also drove the ex-Peter Collins Aston Martin in 1958.
Bloxham drove one of Dick Jacob’s Twin-Cam M.G.s last year and despite mechanical trouble at the start of the season, he began to finish well up in sports and G.T. races. He will carry on with G.T. racing in the Twin-Cam this year, with other drives in a Frazer Nash Le Mans coupé. He claims that he is better known as Jean Bloxham’s husband! He carries on racing although he has been told by everyone that he will never make a racing driver. On the road he uses the Frazer Nash.
Jimmy Blumer has driven an impressive array of cars, including Cooper 1100 sports, Lotus Eleven, Austin Healey 100S, Lister-Jaguar and modified Austin A35, gaining a number of wins and places, especially in Scottish races. For 1960 he will drive a Cooper Monaco with a 2-litre engine in Britain and on the Continent. He will also take part in saloon-car races with an Austin Seven.
Blumer is a garage proprietor, not yet married, and on the road drives a Jaguar 3.4 or “anything in stock.”
David Boshier-Jones has been practically invincible in hill-climbs for the last two years driving his pale green Cooper-J.A.P. Mk. X 1,100-c.c., winning the R.A.C. Hill-Climb Championship both in 1958 and 1959. Before that he had driven both Kieft and Cooper in races and hill-climbs with a number of successes. In 1956 he had a roll bar on his car and nothing untoward happened, but when it was removed in 1958 he overturned the car with damage to self and car. In 1959 the roll bar went back and once again everything went well so the roll bar is definitely staying on for this season when he will once again contest the Hill-Climb Championship. His motto is “Festina Lente”—hasten slowly. He is a company director in the motor trade and is married with two daughters and drives either a Mk. II A55 or an Austin Seven, whichever the wife isn’t using.
Gerry Boxhall is a member of the Cambridge Racing team which raced A35s last year and he has also been involved in various record attempts with TR3s. Since marriage appears imminent his 1960 plans are uncertain but be will probably be a reserve driver for the Triumph works team at Le Mans. He hates income tax officials and his bitter enemy is the Bank Manager who says it would be better to buy a house than a racing car. Team managers are asked to note that he will drive anything (well almost) he is asked to. Still an undergraduate at Cambridge Boxhall is almost married and drives a rather tired Morris Minor.
Cedric Brierley started racing in 1953 after several years of building “specials” for road use. He commenced with a Buckler fitted with a 1½-litre British Salmson engine, which gained a few places. In 1954 he modified the Buckler and purchased a J.P. 500, neither of which were very successful, but in 1955 the purchase of a special-bodied Frazer Nash Le Mans began to bring in those elusive first places. The year 1956 was spent in building a “special” which was designed to use a modified 1½-litre Bristol engine but eventually an F.W.A. Climax unit was substituted. The car was raced in 1957 and gained a large number of successes, which surprised its builder as it was heavier than other 1,100-c.c. machines. In 1958 the car was lightened and the Norton gearbox replaced by an A30. The car was once more very successful, but for 1959 it was sold and replaced by a Mk. IV Elva, which on two occasions managed to beat a Lola! This year he is racing a Mk. V Elva which has been considerably modified and lightened, but now wishes he had transferred to Formula 2.
Brierley is engaged in the wallpaper and paint trade, is not married, and on the road drives a Healey Elliot saloon and a VW, but only until he can afford a Porsche Super.
Patsy Burt is one of the only two women who compete regularly in racing events (the other being Jean Bloxham), although she has not recently taken part in circuit races. Her first car was an Aston Martin DB2/4, which she used with both a 2.6 and a 3-litre engine in circuit races. She followed this with a Cooper 1100 sports/racing car with which she was not disgraced against men drivers. Finally, in 1958, she purchased a Formula II Cooper with the single-camshaft 1½-litre Climax engine which she raced in Formula II events. She was handicapped from the start as the majority of drivers had the twin-camshaft engine but she surprised many people with the speed of the Cooper. Eventually realising that she had little chance of winning races against such opposition she took to using the car in hill-climbs and speed trials, where she gained a number of awards for f.t.d. and invariably the award for the fastest lady driver.
Although she will compete in British hill-climbs, sprints and speed trials this year her ambition is to drive in the longer hill-climbs counting for the European Mountain Championship if she can find a suitable car. Unfortunately the racing-car class is usually poorly supported.
Patsy is not married and on the road drives the first Fiat 1500 Cabriolet with twin-cam Osca engine which has arrived in this country. She may also drive this car in hill-climbs and sprints.
John Ewer will be remembered by most people for his rather unsuccessful Lister-Corvette, but he has also driven Ford Anglia, VW, Austin Healey and TR2, gaining a number of successes in Club and National events. During 1959 he was placed only once in the Lister but will persevere with the car this season. It has a new body with a modified engine built up from British components. He races for fun only because he gains a great deal of satisfaction from motor racing.
Ewer is managing director of his own motor company, is married, with one daughter, and on the road drives a Sprite because it is such a contrast with his racing machine.
Eric Fenning started racing only last year but impressed many people with his handling of a F.3 Cooper, gaining two good wins at Silverstone. He also drove a Staride in hill-climbs during 1957, winning his class at Brunton. For 1960 he will drive a Formula Junior car consisting of a Mk. 9 Cooper chassis with 10-in. brakes and using D.K.W. engine and Cooper gearbox. Fenning is still an apprentice motor mechanic, is not married, and on the road he drives a Ford Special.
John “Pat” Fergusson is an ex-motorcycle racer who has specialised in driving Elvas just lately, although he has also driven Cooper-H.R.D., Cooper-Norton, Emeryson-J.A.P. and Emeryson-Norton. With his Elva-Ford and Elva Courier he has gained numerous class wins and places in sports and G.T. races. This season he will be racing a new Elva Courier with 1,600-c.c. M.G.-A engine prepared by Rytune. Until this season Fergusson’s cars have been prepared by himself and driven to meetings under their own power. An automobile engineer, he is married, with two children, and for road use he drives a VW.
J. H. “Paddy” Gaston is well known for his driving of A35 and Austin Healey Sprite, being runner-up in the Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy, and would have won the Autosport Championship but for a wrecked gearbox in the Final. He has formed his own tuning business in Kingston and will in future tune his own cars. For 1960 he will drive a G.T. Sprite, Farina A40 and an American Apache Formula Junior car with B.M.C. engine. He may also drive an Austin Healey 3000 at Le Mans. A retired R.A.F. pilot, Gaston is married, with two children, and drives an A40 and Austin Seven on the road.
Douglas Graham has remained faithful to Lotus since he commenced racing in 1956, when he used a Mk. 6 in hill-climbs and sprints. In 1957 and 1958 he used a Lotus Eleven, which gained him a lot of places but only one outright win, although it must be remembered that these were vintage years for the 1,100-c.c. class and competition was tough. In 1959 he moved up to a 2-litre Lotus Fifteen, in which he was second at Chimay and was also placed at Silverstone, Rouen and several other meetings. He will carry on with the Lotus Fifteen this season but will drive anything else if there are any offers! He finds it depressing that the collection of trophies huddled on his “telly” represent an investment of several hundred pounds! Graham is a newspaper executive, is not married, and drives a Raymond Mays-modified Zephyr which will shortly be swapped for a 3.8 Jaguar Mk. 2.
Syd Hurrell, who runs his own successful conversions business in Leighton Buzzard, has made his name at the wheel of a TR3 and, more lately, with a Saab in saloon-car races. For 1960 he is forsaking the TR3 and will be driving a Formula Junior Lola, together with the Saab. He may also drive a Lotus Elite in G.T. races. Hurrell is married, with a 13-year-old son, and on the road he drives either the Saab or a TR3.
Gordon Lee has remained faithful to the Jaguar engine, having driven the ex-Archie Scott-Brown C-type and the ex-Dunlop experimental C-type which has gained him a number of successes in Club racing. He has now acquired the ex-Jim Clark Lister-Jaguar which he has already driven at the Boxing Day Brands Hatch meeting and which he will use at about 26 meetings this season. Lee is no longer a young man and thinks it is about time he gave it up. A company director, he is married with four children and drives a Wolseley 1500 on the road.
K. W. Mackenzie: A Wing Commander in the R.A.F., Mackenzie started racing in 1956 with an Elva-Climax, in which he had a few minor successes, and followed this up with an M.G.-A, which was more successful, gaining first place in the 1,600-c.c. class in the Autosport Championship and fourth place overall. In 1959 he drove a Sprite which went even better, being in the team which won the Autosport Championship and gaining 20 places during the season.
This season he will be driving an Alexander-Turner and an A40, Mini-Minor and Sprite for Downton Engineering. He would like to see genuine production sports-car racing where the man with the most money would not win practically every time.
Wing Commander Mackenzie is married, with a daughter aged 12, and works at the Air Ministry. For personal transport he uses a Volkswagen. He has been asked to drive an Austin Healey 3000 at Le Mans with Paddy Gaston.
M. V. Mackie has driven Aston Martin DB2-4, Lotus Eleven and D-type Jaguar, but for 1960 he will concentrate on saloon-car racing, together with National and restricted rallies, practically every weekend. He was a founder member of the South Derbyshire Motor Club and his greatest ambition is to drive a works-prepared sports car at Le Mans. Mackie is a grocer, married, with two children, and drives a Farina A40 and a Minibus on the road.
Arthur Mallock has carried out his motor racing probably as cheaply as anyone. His various cars have cost very little by modern standards but by ingenuity and weight saving, his cars have been very fast and successful. Following his CRM 500 and Veritas, with which he had no success at all, he obtained five wins on Jack French’s Simplicity, and followed up with his own 1172 Special in 1959, which gained him five wins and four second places. He is now concentrating on building Formula Junior cars of his own design, which follows his principles of lightness and cheapness. He will take part in both British and European Formula Junior races this season. Mallock is a telecommunications engineer, married, with four children, and drives a Commer Cob the road.
Tony Marsh is well known for his exploits in the hill-climb field, having driven a Cooper-J.A.P. 1100 and a Cooper Sports, also using the latter for circuit racing. Last season he tried to break the Cooper stranglehold on the Hill-Climb Championship by using his own Shelsley Special, which was derived from a Formula 2 Lotus. However, David Boshier-Jones proved to be as invincible as ever. Marsh also purchased a Formula 2 Cooper and used it in a number of British and Continental events.
For 1960 he will use a Formula 2 Cooper and a 2-litre Cooper Monaco in as many National and International events as possible, including some Continental events. He says his choice of cars is influenced by the fact that he prefers to sit with his back to the engine. With the increasing number of rear-engined cars he should have a reasonable choice this season. Like Jim Clark and John Whitmore, he is a farmer, near Stourbridge, was recently married, and drives a Porsche as a road car.
John Mitchell is better known for his handling of an Ace-Bristol but before that he drove two much less potent machines, a Cooper 500 and a 100E Ford Anglia. He is a regular competitor in sports-car races and will compete in the B.A.R.C. marque races now that the Bristol-engined A.C. is eligible. He also hoped to drive a works A.C. at Le Mans but the factory decided not to enter at the last moment. He will drive a Ford Anglia 105E in saloon-car races.
Mitchell is a director of a garage business and a farmer, he is married, with two sons, and drives a 1950 Ford Pilot as it is useful on the farm.
Roy North is another TR3 exponent who has had many a battle with Syd Hurrell. He started as far back as 1946 with a Singer Le Mans, followed it up with a “Chain Gang” Frazer Nash, which gave him more frights than successes. In 1950 he purchased an SS100, which gained him a few awards in three years. In 1954 he bought a TR2 and fitted it with an anti-roll bar, the first TR to be so fitted. This gained many successes until 1957, when he purchased Syd Hurrell’s TR2, which he remodified and gained even more successes, including the Alick Dick Trophy and a third place at the Roskilde Ring, Denmark. In 1959 he bought yet another TR3 and modified it once again, but was not happy with t he disc brakes. He also drove with Syd Hurrell at Le Mans in the Saab, which only lasted 3½ hours, going out with piston trouble. One of his claims to fame is that he “ribbed” Les Leston into his first-ever competition event! North is married, is a motor engineer, and drives the same TR3 which he races.
Eric Pantlin commenced racing in 1957 with a Jaguar XK140, which netted him a first and second place, and followed this up in 1958 with a Lotus Eleven, which he could not keep on the track, so gaining few successes. In 1959 he purchased a Lotus Super Seven with Climax engine, which gained hint three wins and two second places out of eleven races. For 1960 he will stay all Lotus with a Formula Junior, which he will use for National and International races, retaining the Seven for Club meetings. As an ex-racing motorcyclist the two extra wheels give him a pleasant feeling of security! Pantlin is not yet married, runs a furnishing business, and drives a 3.4 Jaguar on the road.
Ian Raby has been racing for a number of years and has always been noted for “having a go” with more powerful cars. He started on a Cooper 500 and has also driven an 1100 and F.2 Cooper. His single-seater sports Cooper became well known because of its name of “Puddle Jumper”. He has also driven Elva sports cars and he had the distinction of winning the first Formula Junior race held in Britain, driving a Gemini which he had never even sat in until the race started. He co-drove with Jack Brabham in the 1957 Le Mans, coming 15th overall and third in their class in an 1,100-c.c. Cooper. In 1960 he will be driving the Hume-Cooper F.2 car and one of his own Envoy Formula Junior cars. Raby is director of his own garage business, which sells competition cars, is married with three children, one of whom will make his competition debut this season in an Envoy. He prefers an Aston Martin for road use but at present he uses an Auto Union 1000 Spyder.
“Josh” Randles is probably best known in Club circles for his extremely noisy Lister-Bristol of the type driven by the late Archie Scott-Brown. Before this, however, he had driven both Healey Silverstone and Frazer Nash Le Mans replica in Club races with a good deal of success.
To show the vicissitudes of racing he cites the example of when he was advised by a well-known Bristol tuning expert to fit a certain type of plug to the engine of the Lister, which had a 10:1 compression ratio. He fitted these plugs and as the car stood on the starting grid it burned out all six plugs!
This season “Josh” will be driving a Cooper-Monaco in short circuit races and in the Sports Car Hill-Climb Championship. A garage proprietor. he is married with two children, and on the road drives an Aston Martin Mk. III drophead.
Alan Rees commenced racing in 1959 and gained three wins, four seconds and three thirds with a Lotus Eleven, which he parted with towards the end of the year in favour of a Lola, which has given him one first and one third place so far. With this car he will enter British National and International races, together with a few selected Continental events. His ultimate ambition is to be a Grand Prix driver but thoughts of this may have to be delayed until he has completed his University course, where he is studying economics. Rees dislikes the apparent trend towards unlimited sports-car races, in which the 1100s stand little chance of success. Not yet married, he drives a 3.4 Jaguar on the road.
Jack Sears is possibly better known for his rally appearances, having won his class in the 1956 Geneva Rally and the 1959 Tulip Rally, although in 1958 he won the National Saloon-Car Championship with his highly-modified Austin A105. Also in 1959 he won his class in the Autosport Championship driving an Austin Healey 3000. For 1960 he will drive at Sebring and Le Mans with a Healey 3000, and in British races he will drive for the Equipe Endeavour using Aston Martin DB4GT and Jaguar 3.8. Sears is a farmer, married, with two children, and drives an Austin A105 on the road.
Richard Shepherd-Barron started racing only in 1938 but has already made his mark on the record books. His mount in 1958 was a FiatAbart h 730. us hid* gained him three first places out of 14 events entered. In 1959 he purchased an
.11faRomeo C It Sprint Veloce and gained an impressive list of awards, despite having to give best to LotusElites on occasions. Of 32. events entered, he gained eight firsts, 10 seconds and six third places. lie will continue to use the Alfa in G.T. races this year but is as yet undecided on his programme for other ears—possibly a Formula Junior. At the moment Shepherd
Barron is not married, which is just as well as he is also unemployed. Ile doesn’t think marriage 1111XOS with motor racing. On the road he drives an A35 van and a Gilera motorcycle.
Bob Staples has driven a number of cars, including “1.112. Lotus Eleven, A.C. Ace md A.C. AveBristol, but is probably best known. for his handling of the pale blue Ace is h A.C. engine during ’58 and ’59. He put up some. spirited performances again it very stiff opposition front the TR3 and Ilealey brigade. He, races entirely for fun. liking nothing better than motor:rig sideways on full opposite lock. Next season Staples will drive the new Ace-Bristol in all Club events, plus visits to the International sports-car races, including Le Mans, Spa and Nurbargring, and some others ” if the
some money holds out.” Ile is a sales director, earnest afford to marry and race, and on the. road he drives a perpendicular Ford Popular ” trotter
at 30 m.p.h.” Julian Sutton started his comcareer driving A305, Tits M.G.s in rallies but soon to racing, using Austin healers, first with a 100-1 and with a 1005. Ile is noted for tail-wagging antics of his cars. t hey usually seem to stay in the right direction and is invariably well placed at the Thi: season he will be the same Austin Healey BS I as last year eNcept that it is
lit t ed wit 11 disc brakes. trained as a farmer, is now a ship owner and broker. takes part in other sports, as ski-Mg. shooting, horse riding and water ski-ing. and the same. Austin Healey on the road.
Henry Taylor commenced racing in 1954 with a Mk. IV CooperVincent, following up inn 1955 with a Mk. VIII Cooper, with which he won the J.A.P. Trophy and the A ato4)ori Club man’s Trophy. 111 1956 he won the J.A.P. Trophy again and was second in the lit)mile race. For 1957 he acquired a D-tyjm Jaguar, with which he gained third place in the Spa G. P. For 19511 he changed to a Formula 2 Cooper, winning the Prix de Paris and taking second place in the Vanwall Trophy. He used the Cooper in 1959 but with no outstanding successes. This year Taylor will he very busy, driving. the new Laystall
mula Junior Cooper, and co-driving at. Le Mans with Graham Whitehead in the latter’s G.T. Ferrari. He is a farmer, is married, and drives a supercharged Triumph Herald on the road.
K. Y. ” Jimmy ” Twirilt drives a Formula 2 Cooper from the Tulip Stable, so named because it is Dutch-sponsored and the driver is engaged in the horticultural trade. In 1958 he drove a T R3 with one or two places in Club meetings and with the Cooper last year he wisely restricted himself to Club meetings gaining three second places and the Allday trophy for fastest lap at the SUNBAC meeting. The. Cooper will be used for the 190 season in National and International races. It is painted green with orange nose to indicate its Dutch connections. John Vernier-Pack made his debut only last season but out of nineteen races entered he gained 10 wins and four places in his modified Sprite. He will carry ea with the Sprite tibia year, using it
mainly as a G.T. car W ith Speedwell 1101111e1 :mil hard-top. lie has already won his first MO race at Goodwood, and the car has been taken over to Belgium for high-speed rims. Ile will also drive a Cooper-Austin in Formula Junior events in conjimetion with Speedwell. As a first-season driver he has found organisers and scrutineers most helpful and the more. experienced drivers have also taught him a lot, although one or two have threatened to punch hint on the
nose for passing too close A company director, Venner-Pack is married, with one child, and drives a Jaguar NK150 youpe on the road.
Jon Goddard Watts is well known for his performances in Berkeley’s. In fact, he has driven nothing else, starting with the 328-e.e. model and going up. through the 500. to the present 700.e.c. Royal Enfieldengine( machine. He holds the Goodwood class lap record and has been class winner in many A utosport production-car races. This season he will be driving a new Formula Junior car of which tlw details are not yet known. His roost amusing or horrifying momerst. whichever way you look at it, was in his very first race at Goodwood. when the bonnet eame off and clouted him over the head. W attsis an engineer. not yet married, and on the road he uses a Sprite Which may prose something !
Graham Warner is the proprietor of the Chequered Flag group of Companie.s, art enterprise Whirth has enabled hint to commence serious motor-racing. Although he made a couple of unsuccessful sorties into motor-racing some years ago he was only able to start racing properly in 1958, when he formed the Chequered Flag stable. The team’s cars were painted a distinctive black and white and during the .season no less than six cars were used. Warner gained good race experienee, especially with an Austin Healey 100S, while Percy Crabb drove the spOrts/racing ears with a fair amount of suecess.
For 1959 the stable was cut down LO three cars, the Lotus VII with 1,500-e.c. Climax engine, de Dion axle and disc brakes which had been used in 1958, a brand new Cooper-Nlonaco and a Lotus Elite. The Cooper was written 44 at Snetterton by Crabb who also suffered injuries which caused his retirement from racing. By now Warner was gettiug the feel of the Elite, putting up several gooll performances, and by the end of the season Ist• rOuld usually be found at the front of the field. At Zandvoort in the limit cm cersuis Holland contest he was going very well when a Inds casting broke causing Owl…lite to ON crlurn several times, fortunately withinat much damage to driver or car.
With business intere,t, growing his racing appearances were restricted but with the growth of Formula Junior Inc saW the opportunity to drive a single-seater. Ile was offered the plans and prototype of the Moorland by Les Redmond. it, designer, which, owing to Varner’s other commitments, was (Irk en at the Boxing Day Ifrands Hatch meeting by In Itaby. who had nui er even sat in the g.ar. Although beaten by .several 1″.3 cars it was the first Junior car to finish and inspired Warner to build more cars. For 1%0 he will be driving a Mk. II Gemini (as the car is now called) and the I.otus Elite which has been rebuilt after a fire in the lirm’s Chiswick workshops. He is married with no children and with a mouth-watering, selection of cars in his showrooms drives ” anything available,” which means anything front a Sprite to a Ferrari.
Alan Wershat purchased Eric Broadley’s original Ford-engined Lola in 1958 and has had almost as much success with it, although very little of the original car remains. -hence its new name of Lolita. For 1960 he will race in 1172 Formula events, Monoposto FO1’111U111. hill-climbs and sportseear races up CO 2-litres, all with Folita various stages of undress, although, as he says, his wile lias marked him down for gardening; roof repairs, house destoration and so on when he should be going to these events—but motor raring will probably win as usual. A designer-a ralkghtSMan, V, ‘ udi it ru-es cm Messerschmitt three-wheeler when it is cold and wet and Lolita when it is warm and dry.
W. E. ” Bill ” Wilks came into proniinenee with his Frazer Nash 1,e Mans ‘with which he gained about 20 wins including thin 1957 Myron SPORT TrOphy. Before that he had driven an kustin 750 with which he won the Goodacre Trophy. Last season Wilks drove an Aston Martin D132 with a few successes and will carry on with this car while he is getting over the financial disaster of marriage ! He would like to take tip vintage car racing as he dislikes the present crop of ” electric ligItt conduit.” racing cars. On the road he drives the Aston DB2. Last year Wilks drove a Frazer Nash at Le Mans but his co-driver crashed it. early on.