The Bulletin of the British Racing Drivers' Club | Volume 30 No. 3
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BULLETIN BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB DRIVERS’ RACING BRITISH THE OF BULLETIN Volume 30 No 3 • AUTUMN 2009 OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB Volume 30 No 3 3 No 30 Volume • AUTUMN 2009 AUTUMN Stirling Moss, Monsanto, 23 August 1959 BULLETIN THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB Volume 30 No 3 • AUTUMN 2009 OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB President in Chief HRH The Duke of Kent KG Volume 30 No 3 • AUTUMN 2009 President Damon Hill OBE CONTENTS Chairman Robert Brooks 04 PRESIDENT’S LETTER 48 ARMCHAIR COMMENT Damon Hill Truck racing produced many tales in the 1980s Directors 16 Ross Hyett Jackie Oliver 09 NEWS FROM YOUR CIRCUIT 52 IN THE AIR Stuart Rolt The latest news from Silverstone Circuits Ltd The World Aerobatic Championships came to Silverstone Ian Titchmarsh Derek Warwick Nick Whale 10 BUTTON PUSHED 54 ROAD TEST Jenson Button’s Formula 1 lead is shrinking The new McLaren P11 Club Secretary Stuart Pringle Tel: 01327 850926 email: [email protected] 16 GLOBE-TROTTING 56 OBITUARIES Members are winning all over the world! Remembering deceased Members and friends PA to Club Secretary Becky Simm Tel: 01327 850922 email: [email protected] 18 GOLD RUSH 61 SECRETARY’S LETTER 30 The BRDC Gold Star Stuart Pringle BRDC Bulletin Editorial Board Ian Titchmarsh, Stuart Pringle, David Addison 19 SILVER DREAM RACERS 62 TELLING THE STORY Editor The BRDC Silver Star In-depth captions to the archive images David Addison Photography 22 STAR GAZING 64 BETWEEN THE COVERS LAT, Jakob Ebrey, BRDC Archive, Peter McFadyen The BRDC Rising Stars are achieving encouraging results The latest book reviews BRDC Silverstone Circuit 24 FIT CLUB 66 FROM THE ARCHIVE Towcester The BRDC Superstars have been training hard... More nuggets have come to light! Northants NN12 8TN 26 EIGHTY NOT OUT 68 MEMBER NEWS Sponsorship and advertising 32 Sir Stirling Moss OBE is 80 this year A round up of other activity Leon Ward Tel: 01423 851150 email: [email protected] 30 BRITISH GRAND PRIX 70 WHAT’S ON © 2009 The British Racing Drivers’ Club. All rights in and relating to Photographic memories of the weekend Club and regional events this publication are expressly reserved. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission from the 32 I CAN’T GET NO SLEEP Front cover BRDC. The views expressed in Bulletin are not necessarily those of the The Le Mans 24 Hours produced a dramatic race editor, the BRDC or the publishers. Mark Webber is fi nally set to be a Grand Prix winner. Starting from pole position at the Nurburgring for the German Grand Prix, Mark makes a Design 34 SO NEAR BUT... sluggish getaway and is challenged by Rubens Barrichello on the run to Damion Chew Ginetta made its Le Mans debut and was looking good until turn one. Mark defends but contact is made and the stewards rule that a Produced by Sunday morning drive-through penalty should be served as a punishment. Mark’s groan is Barker Brooks Media Ltd almost audible as it seems his chance of a maiden win is slipping away, Barker Brooks House 54 38 TEACHER AND PUPIL but this is to be the drive of his career. Mark storms back into contention 4 Greengate, Cardale Park Harrogate What does driver training actually mean? and dominates the race to crush the opposition and give Red Bull its third HG3 1GY win of the season. (Photo LAT) Tel: 01423 851150 40 LIFE AND TIMES email: [email protected] National racing legend David Brodie Back Cover www.barkerbrooks.co.uk Jamie Green secures a second Norisring DTM win in a row and his fi rst in a 44 UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT year-old Mercedes. Running third with four laps to go, Jamie chips his way to the front passing the Mercedes of Bruno Spengler and Timo Scheider’s www.brdc.co.uk BTCC ace Colin Turkington Audi with a lap to go. (Photo LAT) BRDC Bulletin Vol 30 No 3 3 DAMON HILL OBE PRESIDENT’S LETTER ear Fellow Member, Welcome to the end-of-summer BRDC Bulletin. democratically elected Board. It is an imperfect world, and Hockenheim, 27 July 1990 D As the racing seasons in all categories come we are no exception, but we keep trying. Now you see him, now you don’t. Blink and you would have missed Damon’s participation in the Formula 3000 to their climaxes, the challenge of driving on the limit I’m sure I have said this before, but if the BRDC is in the championship race preceding the German Grand Prix. In the becomes just that little more meaningful. For some, they circuit business, then we should be ambitious to create Middlebridge Racing Lola-Cosworth T90/50 he is seen here realise this just might be the last shot at a title, whilst for the best facility for the sport. There is always room for securing his third pole position in a row despite his car being “weighed more often than a baby in a maternity ward” to others, they are simply trying to impress enough to race improvement, so we either accept that challenge and quote Autosport, and an interview with race offi cials to collect again next year. Digging that little bit deeper will bring meet it head on ourselves, or, if not, then we should a US$2000 fi ne for a fl ag ence.off Triumph over adversity them closer to discovering something that perhaps they transfer it to those who are prepared to take on the risks. can only last so long, however, and as he leads the fi eld into the Nordkurve at the start of lap two, Damon spins off into didn’t know about themselves; discovering exactly what I think it would be wrong to simply hold on to the asset, retirement. It really encapsulates Damon’s season in which they are made of. Surely this is key dimension that defi nes without the sincere desire to make the best of it. The he leads fi ve of the races, has three pole positions, sets two all sport? For those who question that motor sport is a Board hopes that a deal can be made which will alleviate fastest laps and yet at the end of the year has a solitary second place, at Brands Hatch, to show for it all. ‘true’ sport, I only wish they could ride with those title all the angst which has plagued the Club for the last few (Photo LAT) challengers for a few laps. I think they might then take a years, and leave a legacy for motor sport in this country of Ian Titchmarsh diff erent view. which the BRDC can rightfully and proudly claim to have But, for all the joy of motor sport, there is also the been instrumental in creating. sadness. I am sure that I can say on behalf of all Members It seems superfl uous to add that I am as keen to see that we send our sincerest sympathies to John Surtees how the next few months evolve, as anyone. and his family. Henry Surtees’ s name will always be remembered with respect and aff ection by everyone in the BRDC. As for the business, we had a successful fi rst half of the year. The EGM result also brought a much needed boost to the confi dence of the Board and, dare I say it, to the sense of unity in the Club. I have no doubt that members want to be proud of their membership, but they are concerned about the damage to the reputation of the Damon Hill OBE Club through (I’m sure) well-intentioned criticism of the President, BRDC 4 BRDC Bulletin Vol 30 No 3 Proud supporters of historic motor racing Sponsor of Le Mans Classic; Grand Prix de Pau; Classic Endurance Racing; Gstaad Classic. A private bank unlike any other. A record of dynamic growth. Built on giving clients the service they expect and deserve. Practitioners of the craft of private banking Photo: François Veillard EFG International’s global family of private banking businesses operates in 55 locations in over 30 countries. These include London, Zurich, Geneva, Paris, Monaco, Luxembourg, Stockholm, New York, Miami, Toronto, The Bahamas, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore. www.efginternational.com Le Mans-winning Bentleys, Mount St Gardens, Mayfair, June 1929 GP2 Series Telmex Arden International Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth BRDC Clubhouse, Silverstone. © Jakob Ebrey BT Tower, London Somerset House, London. © David Morrell A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd. are proud to be a Patron of the BRDC’s exclusive Rising Stars Programme. A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd. and A.C. Special Projects Ltd. are sister companies within the "A.C. Group". John Madejski Garden, V&A Museum Park Plaza County Hotel, London The rights and ownership of all trademarks are recognised. The information contained herein is correct at the time of printing. E&OE. NEWS FROM YOUR CIRCUIT NEWS FROM SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT Much is happening to make Silverstone ready for a Grand Prix in 2010 as Richard Phillips explains. suppose I should be used to the intrigue that revolves around F1, but the surprises keep I coming! One year we are amongst the worst circuits in the world and the next we’re amongst the best. So what’s changed? Is it our ability to pull a weekend crowd of over 300,000 during a global recession when other circuits are suff ering? Perhaps it’s to do with our organisational skills and ability to put on a great show? Or it could be the fantastic support of the teams, press, drivers and fans combined.