BULLETIN BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB DRIVERS’ RACING BRITISH THE OF BULLETIN Volume 28 No 3 • AUTUMN 2007 OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB Volume 28 No 3 3 No 28 Volume • AUTUMN 2007 AUTUMN 2 BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 3 THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB President in Chief HRH The Duke of Kent KG President Volume 28 No 3 • AUTUMN 2007 Damon Hill OBE Chairman CONTENTS Robert Brooks Directors 06 PRESIDENT’s LETTER 32 AROUND THE CLOCK Lord Beaverbrook 10 Damon Hill The BRDC Bulletin reports from Le Mans Ross Hyett Jackie Oliver Stuart Rolt 08 CHAIRMAN’s LETTER 35 SILVERSTONE CLASSIC Ian Titchmarsh Derek Warwick Robert Brooks Historic racing takes centre stage at Nick Whale ‘The Home of British Motor Racing’ Club Secretary 09 nEWS FROM YOUR CIRCUIT Stuart Pringle Tel: 01327 850926 The latest from the offices of SCL 38 vIEW FROM THE COMMENTARY BOX email: [email protected] Rob Barff recalls the Grand Prix weekend Assistant Club Secretary 10 FORMULA ONE REVIEW James Beckett Tel: 01327 850925 Peter Windsor writes for the Bulletin 40 BLAST FROM THE PAST email: [email protected] 16 Peter Windsor casts his mind back to PA to Club Secretary 16 RACING MEMBERS 1987 and Mansell versus Piquet Becky Simm Tel: 01327 850922 BRDC Members have been on-track email: [email protected] around the world 42 MEETING MEMBERS BRDC Bulletin Editorial Board The Club Secretary chats with James Beckett (Ed), Ian Titchmarsh, Stuart Pringle 20 2007 BRDC SILVER STAR Dr David Cranston BRDC Silverstone Circuit Plato leads the way Towcester Northants 44 OBITUARIES NN12 8TN 21 2007 BRDC GOLD STAR Sponsorship and advertising Franchitti and Hamilton battle it out 47 BECKETT’S CORNER Please contact Michaela Reeeves 26 The Assistant Secretary’s regular Tel: 01423 851150 email: [email protected] 20 BRDC HISTORIC SPORTSCARS observations on motorsport Opening round report © 2007 The British Racing Drivers’ Club. All rights in and relating to this publication are expressly reserved. Nothing in this publication 48 SECRETARy’s leTTER may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission from the BRDC. The views expressed in Bulletin are not 22 BRDC HISTORIC SPORTSCAR necessarily those of the editor, the BRDC or the publishers. CHAMPIONSHIP 49 MEMBER NEWS DesIGN Graeme Dodd is the man to beat What are we up to Damion Chew PRODUced BY 24 FATHER & SON 50 CLUB And REGIONAL EVEntS Barker Brooks Media Ltd Our regular feature on Club dynasties What’s on, when and where Barker Brooks House 4 Greengate, Cardale Park 32 continues with Jack and David Sears Harrogate HG3 1GY Tel: 01423 851150 26 RISING STARS Front Cover: Martin Short, BRDC Rising Star Stuart Hall and Joao Barbosa email: [email protected] achieved a magnificent 4th overall at Le Mans in the Rollcentre Racing www.barkerbrooks.co.uk An update on the activities of the Club’s Pescarolo Judd. (Photo by Jakob Ebrey) young hot shots Inside Front Cover: The Red Arrows over Silverstone – Grand Prix www.brdc.co.uk 30 MIKE CONWAY time again. (Photo by Jakob Ebrey) The reigning F3 champion is going well in GP2 BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 3 3 Racing advert resize Aug 07.qxp 10/08/2007 11:28 Page 1 BDO Stoy Hayward are proud to support Britain's Young Drivers with the BRDC For further details on how we can help drive your busines forward please contact Bob Butler on 0121 352 6200 or alternatively visit our web site on www.bdo.co.uk Global Firm of the Year 2006 WINNER Employer of the Year 2005 4 BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 3 BDO Stoy Hayward LLP and BDO Stoy Hayward Belfast are both authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority to conduct investment business. Racing advert resize Aug 07.qxp 10/08/2007 11:28 Page 1 BDO Stoy Hayward are proud to support Britain's Young Drivers with the BRDC For further details on how we can help drive your busines forward please contact Bob Butler on 0121 352 6200 or alternatively visit our web site on www.bdo.co.uk Global Firm of the Year 2006 WINNER Employer of the Year 2005 BDO Stoy Hayward LLP and BDO Stoy Hayward Belfast are both authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority to conduct investment business. BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 3 5 DAMON HILL OBE PRESIDEnt’S LEttER elcome once again to the new-look BRDC last month. I think this experience has shown that if Previous page (left) Donington Park 2nd October 1937. Bernd Rosemeyer takes the chequered flag Bulletin! Three issues in and still going we act together we can achieve far more than if we for the last time. Just under four months later he lost his life in a record attempt strong, and what’s more, starting to grow become inflexible. The running of the Club needs quite for Auto Union on the Frankfurt-Darmstadt autobahn. In just three years of rac- W ing cars, the astonishingly talented German driver won 10 Grands Prix. His very into a collectable series. It is an excellent way to get to a different attitude from that required to race. (Therein, first car race was in 1935 at Avus in one of the 6-litre V16-cylinder 600 bhp Auto know the lives and work of the membership, and in the perhaps, lies the source of many of our problems.) Union C-types which he raced for the rest of his life. In the second, in the Eifel GP on the Nurburgring nordschleife he finished second to Rudolf Caracciola’s same way that the Club continues to evolve, the Bulletin However, together I believe we can win many ‘off track’ Mercedes-Benz W25 by just 1.9 seconds. He was a truly unique phenomenon. reflects and records the changing world of motorsport. battles, which may make it possible for the BRDC Without change, the process of life dries up. The thing to have more of an active role in the wider world of I love about motor racing is that it is always evolving, motorsport. always changing: the pace is driven by the competitive As Winston Churchill was reputed to have said: spirit that burns so fiercely in the souls of those who ‘Democracy is the worst sort of government but it’s the love to race. It is that spirit which also makes the issues best we have.’ that face the Club year on year hotly debated by the A special thanks to all those involved in the process Members, and none more so than the proposals to of assessing the Master Plan. We eagerly look forward to develop Silverstone. developments! The most recent phase, which has lasted well over a year, and which relates to this debate, has concluded in a democratic and pragmatic agreement to permit the board to progress with asset management plans, which will liberate funds to improve the facilities at the Damon in the FF1600 (right) circuit. This was a tough test for the Club, which drove it Where it all began for our President. The Woodcote chicane with catch fencing (remember that?) and the Silverstone Racing Club clubhouse in the background. (some might say) to the very edge of the abyss. However, Said Autosport: “The emergence of Damon Hill was one of the most pleasurable it pulled through magnificently with the decision to Damon Hill OBE aspects of the season”. With the Ricoh Van Diemen RF85 Damon soon emerged as a Silverstone winner in the 1985 season, pipping Johnny Herbert in the back the resolution to permit sale of land at the EGM President, BRDC final round of the Esso Formula Ford Championship by just 0.01 secs in a classic Silverstone-type finish. 6 BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 3 DAMON HILL OBE BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 3 7 ROBERT BROOKS CHAIRman’S LEttER o begin my report I really must take this Most encouragingly, our younger Members and our that the Porsche project is well underway. The site has opportunity to thank Stuart Rolt for his Rising Stars are making significant waves in numerous now been cleared and – ahead of schedule – Porsche T outstanding contribution to our Club as its Championships throughout the UK, America and have recently confirmed that the construction phase has Chairman over these past three years – through times Europe. At least six of our Rising Stars look likely to win begun. This will, without doubt, produce a new state-of- which have been deeply complex and troubled. All of the Championships in which they are competing this the-art facility leading its class. I know that Silverstone us on your elected board also join in expressing our year, with several others still in with a chance. Holdings are very much looking forward to developing gratitude that he has agreed to stay with us as a Director. This wave of on-track successes by so many of our their partnership with Porsche in coming years. We wish Now – above all as a lifelong motor racing enthusiast fellow Members surely reflects a most positive light upon them every success with this important development. – I am very proud to report that no fewer than four of our our Club – and one which, I am sure, each of us would As ever, there is still much to be done over the coming fellow Members are currently well placed in every one of like to see shining even more brightly in coming years. months – and no doubt protracted and sensitive the principal global Championship series.