TH THRIE OF DRLL RACI AG SEE P NG AG E 28
THE
MAGAZINE FOR BRITISH MOTOR SPORT
YOUR CALL
COULD FEWER TECH REGS IMPROVE SAFETY? LEADING LADIES
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE BWRDC
AUTUMN 2012
PLUS
I S YOUR HISTORIC CAR ELIGIBLE? T HE LATEST IN TYRE TECH B ECOMING A SCRUTINEER
SIR FRANK WILLIAMS Still racing at 70, by Peter Windsor
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this issue
Contents 05 Forum
COVER
06 Action replay
Northern Ireland’s first ever Festival of Speed
Sir Frank Williams; feature on p22
09 Briefing
All the lastest motor sport news
THE THRILL OF DRAG RACING SEE PAGE
MAGAZINE FOR
THE
YOUR CALL
COULD FEWER TECH REGS ? IMPROVE SAFETY LEADING LADIES
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE BWRDC
BRITISH MOTOR
SPORT
22
This issue’s postbag
ON THE
28
17 Opinion
AUTUMN 2012
Everybody’s talking about it... the success of British motor sport
PLUS
IS YOUR HISTORIC CAR ELIGIBLE? THE LATEST IN TYRE TECH BECOMING A SCRUTINEER
21 Talking heads
Would fewer regulations lead to greater safety?
SIR FRANK WILLIAMS by Peter Still racing at 70,
Windsor
10/08/2012 16:44
001
1 Cover Final 6.8.2012.indd
22 Cover story
28
46 Buyers’ guide
Peter Windsor gives us his assessment of the legend that is Sir Frank Williams
Car cleaning products reviewed
49 Historic cars
Making sure they are eligible for competition
28 Drag racing
How beginner Simon Arron got on watching an FIA event
53 Techno file
The tyres they are a-changing
35 Beginners’ rallying
Dan Prosser’s attempt at rallying didn’t go according to plan
57 Ask the experts
53
How to secure sponsorship
61 National court
36 Women in motor sport The BWRDC celebrates 50 years
66 Simon says
43 Role play Frank Williams is – and always has been – one of the sport’s greatest procurers of sponsorship... but he is at his best when his back’s against the wall.
Simon Arron reflects on Sir Frank Williams’ unique approach
How to be a scrutineer 36
CONTRIBUTORS
New products on the market this autumn, p46
William Neill The Renault MSA Young Motorsport Photographer of the Year winner keeps an eye firmly on motor sport. He shot the image for Action Replay.
Peter Windsor Legendary Formula 1 journalist Peter Windsor can give us a rare insight into Frank Williams: he used to work with him.
Simon Arron Freelance Formula 1 writer and former editor Simon Arron is best known for his brilliantly funny driver ratings in Motorsport News.
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org
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EDITOR’S LETTER
✪ STAR LETTER THE SIM THING Much is made in the media and in paddocks countrywide about how expensive motor sport has become. Couple this with the apparent reluctance for companies to fork out the cash in sponsorship and one could certainly see why our sport can be considered inaccessible to many. But what if there was another area of grassroots motor sport that allowed participants to race in professionally run series but for a fraction of the cost? Many young drivers make a point of mentioning how they use race simulators to hone their skills in the off season or to get a basic idea of a new circuit. It has been my experience that many budding racers like to take part in organised events online in order to develop their racecraft before going to real circuits. But can sim racers ever really make it on the real racetrack?
Sir Frank Williams may have been one of the
most recognisable faces in the paddock at this summer’s Santander British Grand Prix, but how much do we really know about the man himself? The story of his highs and lows has been written before, but few have offered the insight that his friend and colleague Peter Windsor does on page 22. I’ll wager you won’t read a better article all year. The Williams’ F1 founder hasn’t been the only subject of birthday celebrations recently as the British Women Racing Drivers’ club have notched up 50 years of championing females in our sport. We thought it was a great excuse to get two leading ladies together to talk about the issue of women in racing (see page 36). We’d love to know your opinions and motor sport experiences, too. Write in to msa@thinkpublishing. co.uk and let us know. We’d also love your suggestions for topics to cover in the Gear section. In this issue we ask, how do I make my historic car eligible? We also unravel the latest in tyre technology, and cast our eyes over products to keep your car in tip-top condition. Let us know what you’d like our experts to investigate for the Winter issue. Until then, happy competition…
YOUR THOUGHTS!
NATIONAL MOTORSPORT
WEEK We want to know your opinion on which In the last MSA magazine you motor sport issues MSA asked about how companies magazine should cover. celebrated National Motorsport Email us at msa@ Week. Our client Zircotec created thinkpublishing. co.uk an offer in celebration. It gave away £200 of its ZircoFlex heat shield material every day via a Facebook competition. In addition it took all of its Competition staff to the British Grand Prix so they winners could see where much of its product Mrs Rachel ends up. For many it was the first time Waterhouse, from they had seen an F1 car. Peterborough, won Nick Bailey, Director, Propel a pair of tickets to the Silverstone Technology Ltd
Gemma Briggs, Editor
Classic, powered by the AA. Our star letter winner Matt Hunter, see above, wins a pair of tickets to a Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round.
EDITOR
Gemma Briggs PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF MSA BY: THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE MOTOR SPORTS ASSOCIATION (MSA)
Well, to a degree this question has already been answered. The success of the GT Academy proves that there is a wealth of talent as yet largely untapped by the industry. So perhaps the Buttons and Hamiltons of the future are currently sat tuning, testing and racing their simulated creations online waiting to be discovered. The recognition of The Online Racing Association by the MSA is surely a nod that sim racing has a place in motor sport in these costly times. When participation in an MSA-recognised series can cost as little as £200 inclusive of all equipment, who wouldn’t be interested? I agree that sim racing can never recreate the real feeling of throwing a car through a corner at 100mph. But as a grounding to develop racecraft and a basic understanding of race car dynamics, sim racing is a great foundation. Matt Hunter, TORA President
Think The Pall Mall Deposit 124-128 Barlby Road London W10 6BL Tel: 020 8962 3020 www.thinkpublishing.co.uk
TALKING HEADS, SUMMER ISSUE You asked: do Championships come down hard enough on offenders, or are there too many rules? Well, I’m going to sit on the fence! If a driver deliberately does a dangerous move to put another
car off the track, I’ll say yes! He should be disqualified and receive a race ban. But if it’s a spilt-second decision like a driver drives up the inside with the front wheels locked up and when he gets there the door is closed and he puts someone off – well, it should be dealt with. Lately, as a marshal, I like the idea of punishing drivers for not lifting under yellow flags, as I’ve been under those conditions, and if drivers obey them we could do a lot more under yellows without putting the safety car out. I feel that drivers today are so young, with thousands of pounds of sponsorship on their shoulders. With so many race series they are trying to stand out as they don’t know where the next budget is coming from, so they do make split-second decisions. I do agree with ex-race driver’s stewards, but we need to think it through a bit more! Gavin Howell, via email
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THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MSA. EQUALLY, THE INCLUSION OF ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS MAGAZINE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT OF THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES CONCERNED BY THE MSA.
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org
5
DATA BURST
WHEN: 28 April WHERE: Maze Long Kesh, Lisburn EVENT: Festival of Speed (NI) CAR: Subaru Impreza WRC
NEILLPICS.CO.UK
Northern Ireland’s first Festival of Speed event (not to be confused with Goodwood’s event of the same name) brought a riot of cars, bikes and planes to the site of the former Maze prison earlier this year. The one-day celebration of all things fast and furious included rounds of the Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) Autotest Championship and Irish Junior Rally Challenge. Kevin Barrett (pictured here) claimed honours in the Rally Super Special. The six-stage event was run by the Ulster Automobile Club and featured 12 classes, from clubman and Group ‘N’ to pre-December 2010 WRC and historic cars. The rally included a Super Special Stage using the crossover bridge from 2007’s WRC Rally Ireland event at Stormont, allowing spectators to enjoy two cars going head to head.
6 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
action replay
Kevin Barrett steers his Subaru Impreza WRC past the former prison’s H block, over 50 years since the last motor sport outing was held here
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org
7
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news
IN THIS
ISSUE:
Wales Rally GB; F1 at Westminster; British Grand Prix
Briefing
A WEEK TO REMEMBER NMW
Celebrating the success of the motor sport industry
As Silverstone’s chequered flag fell on 8 July, it brought to an end not just a great British Grand Prix but a fantastic week of events comprising National Motorsport Week 2012. Kicking off with a record crowd of 185,000 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the second, revamped NMW was organised by the MSA and the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA). It once again brought the sport into public focus while offering something special for existing participants. Official NMW spokesman David Coulthard championed the initiative on the Today programme, Radio 1, Five Live, BBC Radio Scotland and numerous regional BBC stations. “The British Grand Prix ends National Motorsport Week in the UK and it’s worth reminding
ourselves of what a special industry this is and how proud we should be of it,” he said. “This is a £6bn industry in the UK. Motor sport supports nearly 40,000 fulland part-time jobs, while eight of the 12 F1 teams are UK-based.” All eight of those F1 teams lent their support once again, running competitions for factory tours, signed F1 components and even opportunities to join race teams. M-Sport and RML also opened their doors, while Silverstone offered 50 per cent off certain Silverstone Experiences throughout the week, and Croft Circuit ran charity passenger rides in competition cars. urn to page 15 to find out T how the grass roots supported NMW 2012
JEFF BLOXHAM/LAT
Celebrations at the Goodwood Festival of Speed kicked the week off
5,000
The total number of man-days’ training delivered annually by the MSA to its volunteer officials across the UK
TAKING THE SPORT TO THE TOP PUBLIC AFFAIRS F1 and DTM star David Coulthard headed to the House of Commons in July to watch the MSA put MPs through their paces on an F1 simulator as part of the governing body’s vital public affairs work. The MSA engages with politicians to champion the cause of motor sport and push forward initiatives such as the closed-road motor sport campaign, which will require legislation amendment. The governing body already has strong relationships with the relevant Secretaries of State and used this event to give a wider section of backbench MPs a better understanding of the sport. A total of 52 MPs dropped by throughout the day, during which they discussed British motor sport with MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton before setting their times. Not even Coulthard could match Conservative MP and motor sport enthusiast Alec Shelbrooke’s best lap of 1m49.2s (pictured above). “I had a great time. We had a simulator set up and MPs took turns driving a lap of Silverstone,” said Coulthard. “I have to confess a few of them beat my time!”
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org
9
WALES RALLY GB SET TO BE ANOTHER SHOW-STOPPER RALLY
Plans are in place for the best Wales Rally GB yet
Wales Rally GB is set to cap a fantastic summer of sport in the UK when it kicks off on 13 September with a ceremonial start on the seafront in Llandudno. The start is preceded on 12 September by a Qualifying Stage at Likes Land Rover Walters Arena. The rally moves down to the classic Hafren, Sweet Lamb and Myherin tests on Friday, before taking in the Epynt military range on Saturday, when it visits the Celtic Manor resort
before service in Cardiff. On the final day the crews will visit Port Talbot, Rheola and Walters Arena before the official finishing ceremony in Cardiff Bay. “In such a pivotal year for Britain and its role as a venue for world-class sport, it’s a real privilege to be able to take Wales Rally GB to the Celtic for the first time, as well as returning to Neath for the Likes Land Rover at Walters Arena stages,” said Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of the MSA’s commercial subsidiary
International Motor Sports (IMS), which organises the event. “We are also delighted that we are able to grow the national element of the event, supporting our vision to see Wales Rally GB reach as many as possible.” Tickets are available from www. walesrallygb.com or 0844 847 2251. The postal cut-off date for UK-based ticket buyers is 4 September, after which fans will need to collect their tickets from either Llandudno or Cardiff.
The WRC’s annual visit is the jewel in the crown of British rallying
The Strength of Experience Tel: +44 (0) 1952 582825 Fax: +44 (0) 1952 582821
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15/02/2012 15:45
news
BRITISH GP SHINES DESPITE RECORD RAINFALL
F1 A deluge of rain over the Santander British Grand Prix weekend may have soaked campsites and caused travel disruption, but it failed to dampen the spirits of the 125,000 fans who witnessed UK resident Mark Webber win F1’s oldest event for the second time. An enthralling race brought the curtain down on another terrific BGP weekend for the MSA, which organises the event through its commercial subsidiary, International Motor Sports (IMS). Once again the governing body was pleased to welcome parliamentarians to Silverstone, including three Secretaries of State: Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke MP, Justice Secretary; Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport; and Rt Hon Michael Moore MP, Secretary of State for Scotland. MSA Chief Executive, Colin Hilton, said: “As with all governing bodies, our public affairs activity is vital in ensuring we are involved in discussions that affect our sport. This year we have had issues regarding forestry access and Fans shelter from apprenticeships, the rain at Silverstone while we continue (below). to push for a review Jenson Button receives the of the Road Traffic Hawthorn Act to enable closedMemorial Trophy (right) road motor sport.
“We use the British Grand Prix as an opportunity to spend time with politicians and demonstrate the value of the sport and its related industry to the UK. We were delighted that three Secretaries of State were able to join us and each of them left with a better understanding of the sport.” The MSA also took the opportunity to present Jenson Button with the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the highestplaced British or Commonwealth driver in the previous year’s F1 world championship. The MSA extends its sincere thanks to the event’s 1,000 volunteer officials, whose skill and enthusiasm shone through as always. A free prize draw is held annually to reward one loyal marshal for their efforts. This year’s winner was Lynn Sencicle, a course incident marshal on Hangar Straight, who wins a trip to a European grand prix of her choice next year.
MY MOTOR SPORT BMSAD
A Q&A with David Butler MBE, chairman of the British Motorsport Association for the Disabled Can you tell us about your accident and how you got involved in motor sport?
When I was 11 I went for a picnic at Ivinghoe Beacon, a beauty spot that previously had been a wartime range. I saw on a fence what looked like a rusty tin can but which turned out to be an unexploded mortar. I picked it up but it was so heavy that I dropped it; the explosion was heard seven miles away. Having a picnic at the same time were a doctor and his wife, a nurse, who’d both seen active service in the war. They heard it go off, went into action and saved me, though I lost my left hand and both legs. It changed my life but, to be honest, made it more exciting and challenging. When I was recovering from skin grafting my uncle Frank, a Daily Express reporter, popped me in a wheelchair and took me to Silverstone for the 1957 Daily Express Formula 1 meeting. He had a press pass of course, so we got in just about everywhere and I met Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn. I was hooked for life. When did you start competing?
I got my first car, a Singer Gazelle, aged 17. Jack Brabham modified it for me and I did nearly 100 events in it, though at the time I couldn’t do wheel-to-wheel events; it took me exactly 30 years before the rules were changed and I was granted a race licence. I’ve now done over 600 events, including 110 races. How have you been involved with the MSA?
The MSA approached me in 1991 and asked me to set up the first motor sport assessment centre for disabled drivers. The MSA also invited me to join the Medical Panel, which I’ve been part of for 12 years now. I assess all disabled drivers, timing them to make sure they can extract themselves from a car quickly enough in the event of an accident – it’s part of the process for getting their MSA licence. I’ve tried to achieve fairness for disabled people and provided they can meet the safety criteria, then they are given the same chance as everyone to take part in all motor sport. You recently carried the Olympic torch through your hometown, Hemel Hempstead. How was it?
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org
GALERON/LAT
It was very emotional but thoroughly enjoyable. I’m going to keep my torch, so you won’t see it on eBay!
11
news
GARETH ROBERTS, 1987-2012 The MSA was shocked and saddened to hear of promising young rally co-driver Gareth Roberts’ fatal accident on the Targa FlorioRally Internazionale Di Sicilia in June. MSA Board member Mike Broad said: “When we were preparing for the first intake of the MSA Rally Academy, Phil Mills and I received the co-drivers’ application forms. One stood out: Gareth Roberts. I remember thinking it was nigh on perfect and that if the lad was as good as it said, then he was sure to have a great future. “Brought up on road rallies around southwest Wales, he had already competed on many stage rallies, including Wales Rally GB, when I met him. He was the perfect size and weight for a co-driver, his thirst for rallying was immense, his mechanical knowledge was brilliant and his character superb; he was always smiling, yet he had the determination of a winner. “He teamed up with Craig Breen in February 2009 and they proved to be a formidable combination. I was fortunate to work with Gareth in 2011 and it became one
NEW AWARD UP FOR GRABS
AWARDS The MSA has established a new Environmental Award to recognise an individual or MSA club’s commitment to environmental responsibility. For more details email allan. dean-lewis@msauk.org in time to submit an entry by 1 October.
CALLING SCRIBBLERS AND SNAPPERS
of the most enjoyable and rewarding years I have had in the sport. All my thoughts are with the Roberts family, Craig and his many friends around the world.”
TOP OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEAM UK
LAT
MSA ACADEMY A busy few weeks for Team UK have encompassed on-track training with one of the world’s foremost driver coaches, a visit to the British Grand Prix paddock and a stint at Silverstone’s Porsche Performance Centre.
NEWS IN BRIEF
The driver training was by Rob Wilson, who has worked with the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Mikko Hirvonen. The national squad then enjoyed exclusive meetings with Pirelli, Mercedes and Williams at Silverstone, before undertaking three days of workshops and fitness training at Porsche, where they met Mark Webber. “The time I spent with Rob Wilson at Bruntingthorpe was invaluable,” said Formula Renault BARC frontrunner Josh Webster (left). “His theories are genius; they can be quite different to what you would normally do but they clearly work, as I was lapping four seconds quicker by the end. We then had a great time at the grand prix, followed a week later by another great residential session at Porsche.”
AWARDS Those wishing to enter this year’s Renault/MSA Young Journalist & Photographer of the Year Awards have until 1 November to request an application form from media@ msauk.org and submit their entries. Open to amateurs or professionals aged 25 or under on 1 January 2012.
CLUB AND MARSHAL AWARDS OPEN
AWARDS Clubs wishing to be considered for the JLT/MSA Club of the Year Award should inform their regional associations, which must submit nominations by 1 October. Clubs are also asked to submit nominations for the MSA Marshal of the Year Award.
AUTOLEGENDS SUPPORTS WIM
EVENTS Women in motor sport will be a key theme of this year’s Chelsea AutoLegends (2 September), which has teamed up with the British Women Racing Drivers Club.
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CLUB FOCUS
LAT
SOUTH HAMS MOTOR CLUB Giving people what they want pays dividends
CLUBBING TOGETHER FOR NMW Established: 1965 Based: South Hams, Devon Membership: 270+ Website: www. shmc.co.uk
Proving that interest in grass roots club motor sport is still as strong as ever, South Hams Motor Club has recently set a membership record of 270, having doubled its size over the last three years thanks to “giving competitors what they want”. So says Roger Gillard, who has been a member for almost as long as there has been a club. “We have competitors at heart; one of our founder members, Mike Rowe, taught me a lot about how to look after people within the club and we’ve carried that philosophy on. That’s why people travel from far and wide to compete in our events. We always put competitors first.” Club chairman Paul Watts, a member since 1975, believes the frequency and cost of SHMC’s events are keys to its popularity. “We put on great little events that don’t cost the Earth, at least one a month and everyone goes home smiling!” he says. “The last stage rally we organised had a capacity 90-car entry and many crews had travelled more than 200 miles to take part because of the value we offer.”
The club has also embraced new media, with press officer Andrew Bulpin maintaining a slick website and presences across social media such as Twitter and Facebook. “Content is king, and keeping the website up to date with event news, regulations and entry lists really does generate excitement among competitors and, importantly, marshals,” says Bulpin. “Technology has moved on at great speed, so a decent website with full content management should be within any club’s budget. Meanwhile integrating Facebook and Twitter allows the club to communicate effectively with members between issues of Chequered Flag, our club magazine.” Those interested in joining South Hams MC should call Roger Gillard on 01548 550529 or visit www.shmc.co.uk for more details.
CALLING ALL CLUBS! Send your news to media@msauk.org and it could appear in MSA magazine.
NMW For the second year running Go Motorsport’s Club Development Officer, Richard Egger, encouraged motor clubs across the country to get behind National Motorsport Week in an effort to bring new blood into the sport at grass roots level. Egger began by spreading the word among the MSA’s database of almost 750 clubs. He then liaised directly with many of the pro-active clubs wanting to use the week-long national celebration of motor sport to attract newcomers and boost memberships. “Clubs can gain a lot from engaging with NMW,” said Egger. “Proof of this is the fact that when I chased up those who got involved in 2011 a significant number said, ‘It’s already in hand; we’re doing an improved version of last year.’ The potential benefits are more than just new members: clubs can get those who have drifted away to return, increase second-generation participation, and encourage the existing membership to shout out the message, ‘You can get involved.’” Club activities arranged for NMW ranged from taster events and competition car displays to a marshalling recruitment stand at the British Grand Prix. The MSA thanks those who took part and urges all clubs to pencil National Motorsport Week into their 2013 diaries.
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opinion
BRITISH MOTOR SPORT BACKED AT THE TOP LEVEL From the Prime Minister to small, local car clubs, everyone is singing the praises of British motor sport, says Colin Hilton David Cameron told Sky Sports viewers how important motor sport is to this country and how the nation should take great pride in our motor sporting achievements; the following day the MSA was joined at Silverstone by three Cabinet Ministers and a number of Members of Parliament; the day after that, Vince Cable underlined how the industry brings great revenues into the UK economy. We must be doing something right! It has certainly been a while since a British Prime Minister volunteered to speak up on behalf of motor sport, but it is perhaps indicative of the esteem in which our sport and its industry are now held, both at home and abroad. Important people are starting to take notice, not just of Formula 1, but of all the areas around the world in which our drivers and teams are Silverstone, Northamptonshire, delivering home-grown success. England 8th July 2012 It is particularly satisfying that Lewis Hamilton, McLaren MP4-27 even in the face of Euro 2012, Mercedes. Olympic expectation and Murray Radio 4, the Chris Moyles Show on mania, UK motor sport was able Radio 1, and several major regional to cut through with some of its key messages BBC stations including Radio Scotland and during National Motorsport Week. Radio London to spread the word about Beginning at Goodwood with the Festival of National Motorsport Week. Speed and wrapping up with a dramatic Meanwhile, each of the UK-based Formula British Grand Prix, National Motorsport 1 teams expressed their support for the week, Week provides an ideal opportunity to shine contributing a dazzling array of money-can’tthe spotlight on our sport, allowing us to buy prizes to allow people to get closer to the
ANDREW FERRARO/LAT
Important people are starting to take notice of all the areas around the world in which our drivers and teams are delivering home-grown success showcase what we are doing in the other 51 weeks of the year. This year we took a Formula 1 simulator into the House of Commons. The competition on the day was to see who could set the fastest time around a virtual Silverstone, but the event was really designed to take the motor sport message to a new group of MPs. With more than 50 turning up to register their interest in, and support for, the sport, the day was a great success. We were also delighted that David Coulthard was able to join us at Westminster to present the prizes to the winning MPs at the end of the day. The following morning David was interviewed on the Today programme on
sport. From factory tours to the chance to become part of the team for the day, every team embraced the concept and has promised to do even more next year. But of course National Motorsport Week is not just about MPs and Formula 1. Up and down the country, motor clubs have been busy using the attention generated by the week to assist in the promotion of their own club. The relationship between the top of the sport and the grass roots is not always an easy one, but the two really do depend on one another for future success. At a local level it is perhaps easier to see exactly what motor sport can bring to people.
In essence, we offer ‘fun on four wheels’ in a safe, controlled and regulated environment – the challenge is to get the message out far and wide to those who would like to partake. This was perfectly demonstrated by South of Scotland Car Club, who offered more than 20 youngsters a taste of motor club action by taking part in an autotest at Tesco in Lockerbie. The event drew a crowd of around 250 interested onlookers, largely thanks to features in the The Sun and Daily Express which generated further local press interest. Also in Scotland, the GoMotorsport@ Kames event was an open invitation to locals, which included groups from the Women’s Institute, golf club, pipe band, boys brigade and Muirkirk Enterprise Group. In total, 72 locals signed on to have a spin round the track with a member of East Ayrshire Car Club, and many took away forms to join the club. Inevitably, the nation’s attention will now turn away from our sport and the papers will be full of the Olympics, before football returns to dominate the agenda. But British motor sport will continue to do what it is doing; we will strive to increase participation levels, to support our teams and drivers, and to continue to lead the world both on and off the track. It is encouraging for us all that others are starting to take notice. Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org
17
national motorsport week
NMW IN PICTURES
The best of NMW 2012 from up and down the country
Motor sport may be about competition, but there’s one week of the year when people from all branches of the sport – whether official, competitor or volunteer – get together in pursuit of a common goal. National Motorsport Week is a chance for everyone to shout about the sport they love, be they marshals at the British Grand Prix or event organisers at Croft Circuit. This year saw the biggest and best NMW yet, so congratulations and thanks to everyone who was involved. The message that motor sport is one of Britain’s greatest pastimes has even reached the Prime Minister, David Cameron (see Opinion, p17). So get thinking now about how to make the most of NMW 2013.
Above: The MSA visits Parliament. Below: an open day at Ford’s WRC base, M-Sport, in Cockermouth, Cumbria. Bottom: racing car enthusiasts at the Croft Circuit event
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talking heads
DO FEWER TECHNICAL REGULATIONS LEAD TO GREATER SAFETY?
YES
LAT
Gus Lewis, legal and government affairs manager, Royal Yachting Association
The general position of the Royal Yachting Association is that regulation of an activity does not of itself necessarily enhance safety. Nor does it prevent inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour. We believe that knowledge, skills and experience rather than regulation are the foundations upon which personal safety and responsibility are built. “This principle underpins the RYA’s work in promoting safe and responsible seamanship through maintaining and progressing the standard and availability of training courses and qualifications, developing pragmatic standards for safety equipment, and publishing
educational material covering a wide range of issues. “However, clearly some rules and regulations are a necessary part of competitive sport in order to promote fair competition. There may also be specific Peter Riches, technical circumstances in which director, Dunlop MSA technical regulations British Touring Car demonstrably improve safety, Championship such as mandating the wearing of crash helmets in motor sport. “The RYA oversees the I don’t believe fewer measurement of international regulations would make classes of racing powerboats motor sport safer. I don’t believe and national classes of racing cars would be as safe because sailing boats in order to verify designers don’t always see compliance with the safety as a priority and applicable class rules. being in line with “This being the performance WHAT DO case, where benefits. YOU THINK? regulations are “For a Do the rules prevent serious proportionate, conscientious injury? Or is staying safe born targeted, designer, out of skill and experience? Let us know what you think enforceable and compliance with a about the sport’s future at likely to be rollcage structural msa@thinkpublishing. effective, then in our test, for example, co.uk view they can assist could mean that the the managing of safety, so designer designs to a we do not unequivocally minimum standard because he support the proposition that has to pass the test, rather than fewer technical regulations what he thought, which could lead to greater safety.” be very strong. But that’s not
NO
the case with every designer. People have been killed in the past in cars that weren’t strong enough, which suggests that increased regulation works. “You have to set a minimum standard. I don’t think teams would worry about things like side protection if it wasn’t mandated by someone. It’s their job to find performance, it’s the regulations’ job to improve safety. There is also much more research done by the FIA Institute and the ASNs into safety than there was in the past. “A lot of competitors don’t understand why we do it, but 20 years ago the rules weren’t so stringent and there were more serious injuries. People think there’s too much regulation until someone close to them gets hurt. “Having fewer technical regs would also increase costs because no rules means free! “Free means no limits on technology, materials and design. Half of the tech regs are designed to stop spending money – tyre limits, a common fuel – because otherwise costs would spiral.”
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 21
sir frank williams
A FRANK ASSESSMENT
LAT
As the motor sport legend turns 70, friend and colleague Peter Windsor reflects on a remarkable career It was one of those regular Frank chats, born of a thinning pit lane and a dispersing Canadian crowd. Frank, in wheelchair, wearing customary V-necked, dark blue pullover, grey trousers, black Rosettis. Frank, a study in concentration, eyeing a Toro Rosso, a few yards from where he sat. “How’s it going, Frank? All good?” “All wonderful, thanks Pete. Just looking at the TR there. Wonder why they’re struggling…” “Indeed. No telling who’s going to be quick. One race to the next.” Silence. A Frank silence. Says a thousand words. As in: “You may be right. You may be wrong. No point in speculating. Just get on with it. Things to do, job lists to tick.” “Do you need anything?” I ask, noticing that Frank’s PA has for the moment disappeared to the back of the garage. “No. Fine thanks. Just enjoying the sunshine.” Ah. The sunshine. A memory filters through. Buenos Aires, 1979. The same sun is glowing hot, dominating an azure sky. And Frank is in the forecourt of the Sheraton, sweat pouring from his tender English skin. Wearing a singlet, short shorts and Nikes, he is alternately jogging and then stretching, jogging then stretching. “Frank! How far? How far you run?” It is Carlos Reutemann, king of Argentina, who speaks. “Just a short one today. Eight-miler. Lovely there, down by the docks. Saw Ken and Nora on the way…” I look down at Frank, whose attention has now turned to the Lewis Hamilton McLaren being pushed down the pit lane towards Parc Ferme. Again his is a face of contemplation. It is Austria, 1985 and we’re setting off for a run in the mountain foothills. It’s Saturday night. A brief shower has passed. The air is clear. “Must sign Nelson this weekend,” he says, breathing easily as he picks up the pace. “Talk to him tomorrow. Ask him to come to the caravan when he gets a moment.” “I spoke to him this morning,” I say, gasping 22 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
a little. “He’s fed up at Brabham. He’s definitely ready to move.” A spurt from a nearby wheelgun – the prelude to a Force India pit stop practice – jolts me back. “How’s the sponsorship going, Frank?” I ask, intrigued as I am by the after-affects of Pastor Maldonado’s win in Barcelona and the general ongoing pace of the Williams FW34-Renault, as exemplified recently at Valencia. Frank again peers into the middle distance that, over the years, has become his friend and support. “I think it’s looking pretty good,” he says, choosing each word with care. “Spent a lot of time in the Middle East recently. It’s not the old days. You don’t wait for their response. You provide a service. That’s what it’s all about. We’ve put a lot of effort into the base in Qatar. We provide a service and from that things may grow. That’s the way now. Sponsorship is changing, Peter. We have to maximise every part of the company – maximise what we can do. I love this new aspect of the business. Fascinating…” I concede (to myself) that I am impressed. McLaren appear to be the world leader in (another F1-coined word!) Applied Technology – in leveraging F1 expertise to generate income or product from other industries while simultaneously opening doors to new sponsors (Lucozade, via GlaxoSmithKline being a classic case in point) – but Williams F1, to my eye, lies a strong second in this new race. There’s the flywheel KERS technology Williams Hybrid supplied to the Le Manswinning Audi team; there’s the WilliamsJaguar CX75 hybrid Supercar programme; there’s the partnership with Kinetic Storage Systems for the development of low-carbon mass transit rail and grid networks; there’s the Williams Technology Centre in Qatar, and its association with Silatech, the employment-generating company owned by the region’s royal family; there’s the deal with the Canadian-based multi-national, Hatch, to
supply F1 technology for mining, metal processing, energy and transportation; there’s the Qatar simulator deal with Mowasalat; there’s the partnership between Williams Hybrid and Go-Ahead to develop flywheel energy storing applications for buses; there’s the award-winning Williams Conference Centre and Museum at Grove, Oxfordshire, and the afore-mentioned, similarly-impressive, facility in Qatar (venue of the global Tedx Summit in April); and there are the nice little touches like the “The Williams Story” topiary – the silhouette of car and pit personnel that won a Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show eight days after Pastor’s win in Spain. All busy, diverse stuff – most of which arose from 2010-11, when Williams were in a racing slump. It is a reminder that Frank always seems to be at his most creative, and at his most industrious, when things appear not to be moving along well. We’d win the British GP but on Monday Frank would walk into the Race Shop with a face like thunder: “What are those vans doing, parked in the truck bay?” “Just the mini-vans, Frank, about to go back to the rental company.” “I don’t care. Get them moved. Now.” On a bad Monday, however – the day after the race you’d want to forget – Frank would be a different man: “How’s the wife? How’s the dog? Anything you need?” And so there lies the real truth about Frank Williams. He is – and always has been – one of the sport’s greatest procurers of sponsorship… but he is at his best when his back’s against the wall. He is a born charmer, a quick-thinking, fast-moving salesman of the highest order. A ducker-and-diver who learnt how to survive when survival was the only game in town. When I first befriended Frank, in 1972, and Henri Pescarolo was consuming Frank’s March chassis at about the rate that Frank devoured his pre-run Digestive biscuits,
Clockwise from left: Williams and Patrick Head overlook their driver, Alan Jones, at the 1981 Brazilian Grand Prix; Williams talks with Piers Courage at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix – Courage would later have a fatal accident in his DeTomaso 505 Ford in the race; Williams and Alan Jones at the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix
Frank’s life was only about raising the money. A quick deal here, a local deal there. No time to chat. No time to think. Frank, fluent in Italian and pretty good in most other tongues, would force himself to deliver; there was no alternative. It was what he had to do. Already, of course, there was plenty of road dust. He had worked his way up from Formula 3, first as a driver (who won an F3 race!) and then as a team owner. He bought an F1-spec Brabham for his dear friend, Piers Courage, to race in the 1969 Tasman Series and then fitted the same car with a full 3-litre engine for the 1969 F1 season. Piers had delivered with second places at Monaco and Watkins Glen but was killed the following June when Frank’s DeTomaso lurched out of control on the quick corners at Zandvoort. Frank picked himself up. He kept at it. He swapped the DeTomaso for a March in 1971 and 1972. In 1973–74 he built his own car, with designer John Clarke, but again the battle was uneven. The money was right on the edge. A million balls floated in the air. Frank merged with an Austro-Canadian millionaire named Walter Wolf. And then Wolf fired Frank. Out in the cold, in early 1977, Frank was at minus zero. 24 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
Frank had never been more motivated. I spoke to him in the lobby of the Sao Paolo Hilton that year, when Frank’s eyes shone: “I’m starting again. I’ve found a great space by Didcot rail station – lots of council subsidy. Patrick Neve. You know him? Pretty good. Some sponsorship there from Belium. A March. European races only. Some of the old lads will be joining me. And I’ve got a new engineer. Patrick Head. Designed the Scott F2 car. And I’m going to call the company ‘Williams Grand Prix Engineering’. Engineering’s the thing. That’s what it’s all about. May even call our first car the PH-something…” Patrick Head, a Wolf employee with engineering ambitions of his own, liked Frank’s style. The new team would be 80 per cent Frank, 20 per cent Patrick. Patrick’s conservatism defined the nomenclature, though, and thus the car was born: the FW06 was in 1978 both simple and “non-ground effect”. It had great traction, however; it was light for strength; and it was easy to set-up and to run. A new era was born.
Frank asked me to a meeting at the Steering Wheel Club (then in Curzon Street, Mayfair) early in 1978. Amongst the signed photographs and car badges, sitting there near the bar, I stared at the array of famous wheels: Jim Clark’s from Aintree, 1962; Fangio’s from the 1957 Maserati 250F; Mike Hawthorn’s from the 1958 Ferrari. “I saw Peter Collins win the British GP in ’58,” said Frank, sipping his Rose’s lime as he walked over to examine the four-spoke wheel. “Hitch-hiked down from Scotland, where I was at boarding school. Loved it. Loved it. Never wanted to do anything else after that.” “Anyway. Enough of that. Haven’t got a lot of time to dwell on the past, so let’s get started: it’s a whole new world out there,” said Frank, ordering sandwiches for us both. “The Middle East. That’s the new market. That’s where the money’s going to come from. And we’re going to be first in line. Point is, the Arabs don’t have a clue about F1. We’re going to have to educate them. I’ve got a list here of all the big magazines and news
A quick deal here, a local deal there. No time to chat. No time to think. Frank would force himself to deliver; there was no alternative. It was what he had to do
sir frank williams
agencies in Saudi Arabia. I’d like you to write press releases about the team and what we’re doing – you know, all the gen – before and after each race. We’re going to give them the chance to be ‘the Best in the West’ but it’s only going to happen if we keep giving them the story. Now. Let’s start this afternoon. I’m leaving for Jeddah tomorrow, and…” Frank did raise his Middle Eastern money. He stayed in Jeddah long enough to learn some Arabic; and, as a clincher, he famously painted an FW06 in Saudi Arabian/Albilad Airlines colours, parked it outside the Dorchester, chatted up a traffic warden for long enough to make a quick phone call from the lobby – and waved to his Saudi prince from the road below. Deal done. The Patrick Head Williams FW07s were dazzlingly fast in 1979, 1980 and 1981, winning the team two Constructors’ and one Drivers’ title. Keke Rosberg followed that with another WDC 1982 with the FW08. Frank Williams had made it. He was there. Time to de-construct. Frank was also a man – the man – who would not give in to compromise. He had befriended TAG’s Mansour Ojjeh in the course of his Middle Eastern campaign but remained stiff-lipped and dignified when McLaren’s
Nelson Piquet and teammate Nigel Mansell (both driving Williams FW11B Hondas) lead Ayrton Senna into Curva Expo at the start, Jerez, 1987
Ron Dennis began overtly to court Ojjeh. Ron had plans for a new Porsche F1 turbo engine but needed an investor. Ojjeh was his target. The project was attractive because the Porsche engine would not only race but also power helicopters for commercial sale. (Yes, seriously.) Ron asked Frank if he would like to “share” the Porsche programme with McLaren and TAG. Frank refused – and thus effectively lost the sports’ single biggest investor in the history of multi-million dollar contracts. And, along the way, Frank dialled himself out of at least two or three additional World Championships. (The TAG Porsche-powered helicopters, however, never materialised. Instead, Ojjeh bought the Canadian Canadair aircraft company and, then, Heuer watches.) History would be repeated in 1987, when Nelson Piquet successfully persuaded Honda to provide engine power to Camel Lotus for 1988. Honda offered Frank a new deal for 1988 on the proviso that one of the drivers would be Satoru Nakajima. Frank, who had taken Honda from the back of the grid to the front, rejected the offer out of hand. “No one tells me who to put in my cars!” he said, minutes after the meeting. And thus
switched to Judd engines. More Championships lost. But dignity retained. Another FW truism. When I joined Frank full-time in 1985 as Manager of Sponsorship and Public Affairs, Frank’s first instruction was disarmingly poignant: “One rule here, Peter. We never, ever approach the sponsors or investors of any of our rivals. We’ll only go after new companies or sponsors who have been in the sport and pulled out for whatever reason.” When the road accident occurred, in March, 1986, there shone the same dignity. For there he was, lying in that French field, blood shrouding his head, his legs and arms immovable. “Right,” he said calmly. “If anything happens to me tell Patrick that all the existing sponsorship deals have been signed for the year and that Honda have an option with us for 1987. Nelson is signed for 1987 but Nigel’s on a two-way option. Oh yes. And I was raised as a Catholic. If necessary, I’d like the last rites.” The wall was never higher, his back less effective. And so he recovered… and grew stronger… Pain? Inconvenience? Regrets? Frank had no time for them. Still doesn’t. Too busy thinking about the next race or the next Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 25
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sir frank williams deal. He made his first public race appearance at the British Grand Prix in 1986 – and he was back regularly, a familiar part of the F1 scene, a few months after that. And many have been the adventures, for Frank loves it all – risky or otherwise. The IndyCar project, based around the FW07, is best forgotten. The four-wheel-drive Williams Metro rally car was not in its own way an FW10. The Le Mans BMW project was impressive – and gave inadvertent birth to what is today the Conference Centre. The Williams-Renault BTCC programme was both spectacular and successful. As were the Williams-badged Renault road cars. And Frank has floated a minority side of the company: who would have thought…? In F1, Williams’ success dovetailed with Frank’s desire not to relinquish control and the corresponding goals of various engine suppliers to take control. A Ron Dennis, perhaps, would have found a happy medium – as he did/does with Mercedes. Frank successively lost Honda, BMW and Toyota engines because Williams is always going to be Williams so long as he, Frank, can answer a phone call or set up a meeting. Thus the Williams performance slumps. Thus Frank’s dignity.
Renault have been a constant – but on Frank’s terms, not Renault’s. Frank lived with the whole Mecachrome/Flavio thing – despite having produced the most sophisticated grand prix car of all time (the Williams FW14B-Renault) – and his reward, if you like, was a new Renault contract for 2012. Today, Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd (the company still exists) lives in a Grove pharmaceutical factory past which Frank used to drive every morning en route to Didcot. He enquired about it; he researched it; he bought it. And he developed it – with wind tunnels, the Conference Centre (nee BMW Le Mans plant), a gym, an expanded production core and a larger race shop. The architecture, though, is still seventies pharmaceutical. Sir Norman Foster (and Ron!) would drop their jaws in awe. Yet from it has emerged a winner in 2012… Sam Michael has come and gone. Against the flow, and with Adam Parr’s encouragement, Frank contracted the unloved but industrious Mike Coughlin: things had been down for Mike, so the next phase, as Frank knew, would be up. Patrick, at last beginning to unwind, moved across to Hybrid. Coughlin hired the excellent but neglected Dr Mark Gillan; and, with Mark, came Jason Clockwise from above right: Sir Frank turns 70; Maldonado celebrates as he crosses the line in Barcelona, May 2012; Nelson Piquet stands on the wall that launched Frank’s rented Ford Sierra into the field beyond; Peter Windsor and Williams share a joke in 1984
Somerville, the aerodynamicist for whom Sam Michael had not been able to find room. Three key people, all at a lower ebb. Frank well knew/ knows the position, and the potential… “It’s still all about people,” said Frank, at last being wheeled back through the Canadian garage towards his office. “It’s about people who are hungry. We’ve found that with Mike and this team today. I found it with Patrick in 1977. We found it with Alan Jones in 1979 and with Nigel in 1985.” Ups and downs. Recovering from the downs. Working towards the ups. Construct. Deconstruct. Be self-critical. Never give up. The man in the wheelchair – knighted for his services to his industry – thus prepares for yet another race.
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 27
INTO THE
DRAGONS’ DEN
LARA PLATMAN
Simon Arron has tasted some of motor sport’s more extreme circumstances, but how would the drag racing rookie fare spectating at an ear-splitting FIA event? The earthquake? I felt its tremors in the slipstream of the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji. The tornado? I was caught in its vortex at Pau, France, 20 years beforehand, while preparing to cover a round of the FIA Formula 3000 Championship. Monsoons? They’re 10 a penny and happen during many a grand prix, particularly in Malaysia. A plague of frogs? That happened during another F3000 meeting, at Enna-Pergusa, Sicily, in 1996: every so often, thousands of tiny amphibians would emerge from the adjacent lake to invade the circuit,
28 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
although many ended up in two-dimensional form, compressed into the tread of an Avon slick. Oh, and I’ve witnessed an avalanche, too, although that occurred during a skiing holiday rather than a race meeting. Such are the extremes to which I’ve been exposed during almost three decades of plodding around the globe, usually in pursuit of racing cars. I’d always felt, though, that the most remarkable physical experience occurred annually in Monaco, where the privilege of a trackside tabard allows one to stand in the tunnel as cars flash by at almost
santa pod
Santa Pod proved to be louder than Monaco for drag racing rookie Arron
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 29
santa pod
180mph, shielded by three-tier guardrails but almost as close to my knees as your eyes are to this page. Aural protection is essential, but your eardrums still rattle, the ground quivers gently and you are completely consumed by the echo of a V8’s shrill bark, its intensity refreshed every few seconds as another car passes. I have recently learned, however, that this is little more than a high-pitched squeak. Blame drag racing. Andy Frost’s Vauxhall Victor (top) is a I’d long been aware of the concept, having become record-breaker – and a crowd favourite familiar through obsessive dissection of car-tuning magazines as a lad (when I could access performance only via the miracle of a Vindec Speedster bike and its three gears). I even attempted to build one of a Revell’s 1/16-scale top-fuel dragsters – a Clive Skilton car, if memory serves – but found it to be the most fiendishly complex plastic kit of all time. The end product looked nothing like the illustration on the box and my youthful spirit wilted – although that doesn’t explain why the sport and I didn’t make physical acquaintance for another 40-odd years. For that, I can cite only circumstance. First used in the mid 1960s, Santa Pod is – like many British motor sport venues – a converted airfield, although this one has morphed into the world’s most famous drag strip outside the sport’s American home. The silence is almost absolute when I arrive for the opening round of the 2012 FIA European Drag Racing Championship, but the sense of anticipation is tangible. The hub of the action is three days away, yet campsites are beginning to fill – a 30,000 crowd is anticipated – and gentle Bedfordshire birdsong mingles with the murmur of excitable kids wanting Dad to buy something from one of the many stalls already primed to trade. Today is supposed be an opportunity for drivers in some of the
Santa Pod, a converted airfield, has morphed into the world’s most famous drag strip outside America 30 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
support categories to practise, but for now their hopes have been stifled by persistent drizzle. Rain and drag racing are not complementary: the Santa Pod track surface is frequently sprayed with glue to provide useful purchase, but any alien liquids – oil and water, principally – are guaranteed to stop play for as long as it takes to clear them. Unlike many forms of motor sport, drag racing has been blessed with remarkable regulatory stability. The premier top-fuel class has stuck to the same formula – 8.2-litre engines running on a blend of 90 per cent nitromethane, 10 per cent methanol – for the past 30 years. Performances have evolved... I was going to write gently, but that’s too weak a word, so let’s plump for incrementally. When the current rules were first mandated, the quickest cars could cover a standing quarter-mile in 5.63s with a terminal velocity of 250mph. By 2006 those figures had been improved to 4.47s and 337mph, but top-fuel racers are now limited to covering 1,000 feet, 320 fewer than a full quarter-mile. This was introduced as a safety measure, to provide more room for deceleration, but America’s fastest drivers still cross the finishing line at 330-odd mph. The advent of telemetry has added greater science to the performance equation in recent years, but familiar technology has not bred complacency and the Santa Pod paddock is a hive of fine-tuning. Anita Mäkelä won the FIA top-fuel title in 2000 and has been a leading competitor for many years. She’s accustomed to big
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santa pod A GUIDE TO UK DRAG VENUES Santa Pod, Northamptonshire (www.santapod.co.uk ): the UK’s top drag-racing venue, home to FIA events. Shakespeare County, Warwickshire (www. shakespearecountyraceway.com): the ‘home of sportsman drag racing’ hosts a heady roster of meetings. Crail Raceway, Fife (www. crailraceway.co.uk): Scotland’s leading drag racing strip, built on an old RAF base. North Weald, Essex (www. northwealdairfield.org): dubbed ‘London’s drag strip’, it hosts open events. York Raceway, North Yorkshire (www.yorkraceway.org.uk): serving drag racing fans in the North of England with a great calendar of events.
Two departing dragsters create the biggest wall of sound to which I’ve ever been subjected; accurate analogy is impossible
numbers in everyday life, too: when not running a cutting-edge dragster, she and husband Tommi Haapenen operate a farm that hatches up to 200,000 chickens per week. “I love the teamwork in drag racing,” she says. “Everybody works together to make sure things are absolutely perfect. We change clutch, pistons, heads and rods before every run and bring five or six engine blocks to every event. You’re only on the track for a few seconds each day, so there’s no margin for error. The challenge is making sure every detail is right for that short period of time.” Wolverhampton driver Andy Frost competes in the Pro Modified class, in a 1972 Vauxhall Victor VX4/90 that has been ever more extravagantly modified over the years. “Some people think drag racing is all about running in a straight line,” he says, “but there’s quite a lot of steering to do when you put about 3,000bhp [yes, three noughts, you read that correctly] through a car with a relatively short wheelbase.” Frost has a successful weekend at the Pod, setting new records for the world’s most accelerative street-legal car
[yes, you read that correctly, too] and culminating in a 6.592s/220.09mph run during the meeting’s final day. The VX4/90 is insured for limited road use, which requires only the fitment of different tyres and wheels from those used at Santa Pod. “I don’t let the turbos spool up when I drive it in public,” Frost says. “That way I have only 700bhp and it’s really quite docile.” Cars such as Frost’s underline part of drag racing’s core appeal. There was a time, over 40 years ago, when one-make circuit racing was an engaging novelty, but its constant spread has stripped the sport of much diversity. There is very little homogenous about Santa Pod: the Former champion motorbikes have two wheels, plus stabiliser bar, and Anita Mäkelä (top) is the headline dragsters are conceptually similar, but one of top-fuel drag racing’s leading stars some 1960s saloons are slung so low you can barely see the wheels, while others are jacked to the kind of height more usually associated with apartment blocks. All that and Ford Cortina Mk1 estates with 8.8-litre engines that trigger wheelies as they leave the line... And so to the moment of truth, an appointment with the starting gantry: photographer Dom Romney suggests we stand in the centre, between two departing dragsters that create the biggest wall of sound to which I’ve ever been subjected. Accurate analogy is almost impossible, but it might sound vaguely similar if you allowed the Red Arrows in through your front door, down the hallway and out via the cat flap. Dom then informs me that these were top-methanol cars, “the baby ones”. When their top-fuel counterparts set off a few minutes later, I duck. It’s not fear, but an involuntary reflex triggered by sensory overload. And in America, I’m told, they’re a tad louder still. The Monaco tunnel might be a wonderful thing, but was little more than a falsetto warm-up for these rich baritone depths. I will be back. Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 33
budget rallying
Dan stares disconsolately at the engine of his BMW, which spectacularly failed its MOT
BEST LAID PLANS
DREW GIBSON
Dan Prosser should have driven his BMW 325i in anger by now. But an MOT got in the way… This article should be an account of my very first rally. Fellow motoring writer Chris Harris and I had entered the Mid-Summer Caerwent Rally, a tricky singlevenue event in South Wales. All that we had to do was coax our trusty BMW 325i through an MOT. As it transpired, “rusty” would have been a more appropriate description… A couple of weeks earlier, Chris and I had taken the BMW up to Phil Price’s Rally School in mid-Wales to give it a workout. Neither of us had driven it in anger yet, so it was with much excitement that we loaded the car onto a borrowed trailer, hitched it up to Chris’ old Range Rover – which, like a wealthy distant relative, refuses to die – and set off for Powys. That’s a gross over-simplification of what was actually a bruising ordeal. Firstly, Chris had inadvertently burst two of the trailer’s tyres the previous evening when he struck a rock in the middle of the road. Then the Range Rover wouldn’t start the next morning; when it eventually did start, the cooling system chewed
through fuses at such a rate that we had to borrow spares from the rally car. Nevertheless, we soon got running and began to make progress until the Range Rover refused to restart once again after a fuel stop. We burst another trailer tyre on the journey to Powys and upon arrival, the BMW took an age to fire into life. It’s amazing how the sensation of power oversteer, the clatter of gravel hitting the underbody protection and the sound of a straight-six at full song can wash away the stresses of a taxing journey. I had been rather intimidated by the old BMW; the awkward driving position, the huge steering wheel a quarter turn off-centre and the near total lack of headroom once my bonce was squeezed into a stinking helmet all made for a rather unsettling environment. That’s to say nothing of the notorious drops that line much of the venue’s tracks. I don’t mind saying I was bricking it. Like the stresses of the journey, however, those anxieties simply drifted away once I was up and running. I have very little gravel
driving experience to speak of, but the sensation of the car moving around beneath me was immediately familiar; a weekend on a frozen lake really was the best preparation. Yet another punctured trailer tyre on the way home couldn’t dampen our soaring spirits and eager anticipation for the start of our rallying adventure in Caerwent. A spectacular MOT failure a couple of weeks later absolutely did, though. The list ran on to two pages. It included the standard lights and tyre indiscretions, alongside a handful of much more troubling issues such as a rusty hole through the front bulkhead. We’ll get a ticket on it eventually. What made this MOT failure all the more galling was that I’d cancelled two nights in Paris with my beloved in order to make the appointment. Budget rallying remains a sore subject in our household. So that’s my first taste of clubman motor sport; I bet you’ve all got a story to better it!
Head to http://tinyurl.com/c7rvzr4 to see the BMW in action
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 35
THE
PINK
LADIES
LARA PLATMAN
They both wear helmets with a girly colour – but for very different reasons. Lorina McLaughlin and Alice Powell chat about life as a female racing driver
36 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
BWRDC 50 Years Sitting in the grounds of a country hotel, a pot of coffee and plate of biscuits in between them, Lorina McLaughlin and Alice Powell could be mistaken for ladies who lunch. Mother and daughter, perhaps. But you’d forgive the waiter for raising a discreet eyebrow at their conversation about the previous day: Alice is recounting her first experience of an airborne crash, in the Formula 1-supporting GP3 race at Valencia, while Lorina enthuses about driving an ex-Michael Schumacher Benetton B192 in front of a crowd of 30,000 in Denmark. Such are the lives of today’s female racing drivers. This year the British Women Racing Drivers’ Club celebrates its half century (see page 41), during which time its ranks have swelled from 12 members to 150. It offers its “girls” a voice in the male-dominated world of motor sport, and Lorina and Alice are two of its most well-known competitors: the former a historic grand prix competitor hailed as the country’s most successful lady racer and the latter an up-and-coming singleseater star with ambitions to compete in F1. They’re here in the less adrenaline-fuelled climes of the Menzies Flitwick Manor Hotel, Leighton Buzzard, to chat to MSA about how motor sport treats its female competitors. We want to know how attitudes have changed over the past few decades and it transpires that the ladies have a few opinions on how the male competitor has altered, too. MSA: Lorina, what was the reaction when you started competing in the 1970s? Lorina McLaughlin (LM): There were far less female competitors than there are now. I was competing against just men and when you’re doing a championship, once they get to know you and realise you’re no pushover I never had a problem. I always found everyone to be more than friendly and helpful. It’s your attitude. If you’re horrible to people, they’re horrible back. Alice Powell (AP): I totally agree. I Lorina McLaughlin (left) and Alice get on with all the officials fine, Powell are two of the scrutineers fine. I know some motor sport’s most drivers they don’t really like well-known female competitors because of their attitude. MSA: But might people underestimate you and think, “She’s a nice lass but she’s not going to be competitive”? LM: I’m sure some people do to start with. AP: Some of the dads in cadet karting would say, “You can’t let a girl beat you.” But I’d let it go in one ear and out of the other. But we’re all drivers, just a different sex. We’re out there to do the same thing but it’s a male-dominated sport. I’m in a series [GP3] that has got three females. LM: That’s amazing, very unusual. Quite honestly, once you’re in the race it doesn’t matter whether you’re male or female. It doesn’t bother me. AP: I was speaking to a few journalists and the fact there are three females in GP3 Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 37
means there’s always going to be a “female race” – who won, and then who was the top female? It shouldn’t be like that but it is. MSA: Lorina, when you won your first race at Mallory Park, you won the “Man of the Meeting”... LM: It had never been thought of that a female would compete! Oh, you laugh about it and it was in all the comics because it was just so funny. MSA: When you’re up against that, how important is it to have the support network of the BWRDC? AP: I think it’s great. I didn’t know the amount of females in the sport and when I first went to one of the BWRDC get-togethers I was only expecting about 10 females to be there. When I turned up and there were 50/60 drivers I couldn’t believe it. It’s very helpful. There are no rivalries, we share experiences and laughs. 38 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
LM: All the women get on lots. I always want
to encourage any other drivers if they want to chat, although I wouldn’t want to force my opinions on them! MSA: Lorina, it’s probably every guy’s dream to drive a James Hunt McLaren or the other cars you race. What kind of reaction do you get from people? LM: Their minds are blown, basically. They cannot get their head around it. The fact I have a pink helmet is a bit of a giveaway but I take my helmet off and people say, “God, it’s a woman!” I love shocking people, it’s absolute fun. And I love having fun. MSA: Do you think sometimes being a female can help your career? AP: I think for media coverage, yes. With the racing I do, sometimes we don’t have the most exciting racing so there’s always something else to talk about, having three
females in the series. But on the sponsorship side, it doesn’t have much effect. I get people saying, “Oh, it must be easy for you to find sponsors.” Well, no, I don’t think it is. LM: Sometimes it can be detrimental. I had a sponsor all lined up back when I first started – a big sponsor – and then they backed out in case of anything happening to me. They were worried about the bad publicity if I got hurt. MSA: What about the engineers – do you have to work harder to win them over? AP: This is the first time in my single-seater career that I’ve worked with a male engineer. I worked with Sarah Shaw at Manor Motorsport but now I’m at Status Grand Prix with a guy called Simon Cayzer and he’s very experienced, a really nice guy. Obviously we get the in-jokes, “Oh, you drive like a girl.” But that’s part and parcel, it comes with the sport.
BWRDC 50 Years JEFF BLOXHAM/LAT
Obviously we get the in-jokes – ‘You drove like a girl’ – but that’s part and parcel, it comes with the sport McLaughlin drives a Formula One McLaren M19 at Goodwood last year; below right: Lorina Boughton – McLaughlin’s maiden name – (extreme left) at the Ladies Invitation ShellSport Escort Race at Brands Hatch, an initiative organised by John Webb’s empire for the BWRDC
LM: When I first started, I used to change my own gear ratios and stuff like that. Although I must admit, I don’t like to get my hands dirty now! If you can come back and explain what’s happening with the car they’re more than happy. MSA: What about special races for women or ladies’ trophies? Does competing in an all-female grid appeal to you? LM: It was fun in the old days. It gets pretty damn hairy. In the end it all got stopped because it got so hard racing, a lot of the cars were damaged. They drove like hooligans, the racing was so hard. It was because we were all females and no one wanted to be beaten. AP: Like a handbag fight on the track! LM: Yes, everyone used to enjoy those races. The spectators as well, it was crazy. MSA: How do you feel about when a female
driver uses their sex to raise their profile? If you Google Danica Patrick you get pictures of her Sports Illustrated shoot. Is that something you just have to do? LM: I haven’t done any of that. AP: I’m not that type of person but I think it is just what is expected because of the sport we’re in. Actually it’s any sport – just look at some of the Olympic athletes you see in bikinis. I don’t think it’s just motor sport. LM: It didn’t happen quite as much. Actually, I remember one girl, and there were pictures of her sitting by the lake at Mallory Park topless and they went in Autosport! AP: Image is important – but I don’t think you’d go that far! Even the male drivers get looked at for image – Button and Vettel and Hamilton. It’s not just females. They do the shots for Hugo Boss or TAG Heuer. MSA: Of course, one of the main
representations of women in motor sport is the grid girl... AP: I always want a grid boy! They come on the radio at the start of the race and say, “We’ve got a nice grid girl today.” And I say, “Where’s my grid boy?” LM: I had one when we did an event in Porto a couple of years ago... MSA: What was he wearing? LM: Unfortunately just ordinary clothes! AP: Motor sport is full of banter. So you get this, “Have you done your hair?” Although some of the guys I’ve raced with spend more time doing their hair than I do! LM: I think that’s changed a lot. The guys today spend a lot of time looking in the mirror. It never used to be like that. AP: I always remember that image of James Hunt sitting on the side of his car with a fag, but all that’s changed. You won’t get Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 39
CREDIT
40 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
ALASTAIR STALEY/LAT
BWRDC 50 Years HAIL MARY, THE FOUNDER OF THE BWRDC
Powell qualifiying for the 2012 GP3 Series in Valencia, before experiencing her first airborne crash
Hamilton walking onto the grid with a fag in his hand... LM: No, just his earrings! MSA: Some female competitors say they don’t want gender to be part of it and they just want to be seen as one of the boys. Is that how you feel? AP: I just want to be seen as a driver. LM: If you don’t try and promote yourself [as a female driver] there’s no hope. Now it’s so much easier for women to promote themselves – with Twitter and Facebook. We didn’t have any of that. MSA: 50 years of the BWRDC and we still haven’t had a competitive female Formula 1 driver – is that disappointing? AP: We’ve got females who have been in F1 but none of them have won a race or a championship. Every driver aims for that. I don’t think it’s disappointing, it’s just taking its time to happen. I’m sure it will at some point. MSA: What needs to happen in the next 50 years then? Alice, will you have been Formula 1 champion by the time the BWRDC is 100 years old? AP: I’d certainly like to think so! For it to happen you’ve got to be a good driver, but have the right contacts and budget. It’s so expensive. It’s expensive for GP3, then there’s GP2... it’s just very tough. It’s finding the right sponsor that can jump on the bus and come with you. For someone to get to F1 is a mixture of things – talent but also the right backing.
to drive a Formula 1 car in the 70s because you just drove flat out. Now you have to know so much, have so much knowledge. It’s so, so different. I think now you’ve got to be a really special person to get into Formula 1. You would have to be very clever as well to take in all this stuff and understand it and relate it back to the team. MSA: What keeps you competing in motor sport? Lorina, given the cars you drive, that’s probably an obvious question... LM: To be able to drive a Formula 1 car – being the ultimate you can do – is just amazing, I can’t describe it. Once you’ve driven a Formula 1 car you don’t want to drive anything else. I love it so much, I can’t see myself giving up. AP: I’m just motivated to get to Formula 1. But it’s a lot tougher to get there now. People say, “Are women strong enough to drive an F1 car?” I train at Lotus F1 so there’s the right equipment and the right people. I don’t find the GP3 car physical to drive but I’m always training for the next level up, so I’m training for GP2. I’d like to do GP3 again with Status next year, so I’m starting to try and find the money for that. MSA: Well, it’s refreshing that you both seem very happy and don’t have any grumbles about being a woman in motor sport... AP: I’m just lucky to be able to drive. I know there are so many people who would love to be in my position. LM: You make the most of what you’ve got. We’re lucky to be where we are and do what we’re doing. MSA: One final question: why do you both wear pink helmets? AP: To let people know you’re a girl, I suppose. LM: That’s not why I do it. I just like pink...
LARA PLATMAN
We’ve got females who have been in F1 but none of them have won a race or a championship. I’m sure it will happen at some point
LM: I think that it was a lot easier
It may have been the start of the swinging 60s, but 50 years ago, women were barred from joining the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC). Mary Wheeler, who began racing as a 49-year-old grandmother and widow, earned an MBE for her efforts in creating a club of their own for female competitors. The British Women Racing Drivers’ Club (BWRDC) would promote the interests of lady drivers, mentor newcomers and organise social events. Members were initially required to hold an international licence (these days a National race licence will suffice) and it organised a Ladies’ Championship and campaigned for better facilities at circuits. Fast-forward 50 years and the BRDC now boasts four female members. Yet the BWRDC still provides an active and essential voice and is represented on the MSA Race Committee, Women in Motorsport Group (WMG) and at the FIA Women & Motor Sport Commission (FIA WMC). It also hands out GoldStars Awards to up-and-coming drivers as part of the club’s long-held drive to support young female talent. For more information on the British Women Racing Drivers’ Club go to www.bwrdc.co.uk
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 41
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role play
SO YOU WANT TO BE A SCRUTINEER?
Scrutineering requires the same now as it did in 1950: patience and a friendly smile
LAT
A thorough understanding of the Blue Book and a ready smile are both on the checklist for this paddock job If you love motor sport but don’t fancy (or are past!) competing; if you have an interest in engineering and are handy with a tape measure; if you can cope with heated conversations and keep a smile on your face – then the role of scrutineer might have been made for you. Ensuring that the safety and technical regulations for an event are complied with by all the competitors is an essential role – and it falls on a championship’s group of scrutineers to achieve it. Chris Mount has been an official MSA/RAC scroot for 40 years and is currently chief scrutineer for MSVR. He says that key to the role is remembering that entrants are customers of the organisers, which is where patience and a friendly manner come into play. “Scrutineers are trained to be as helpful as possible without allowing totally unacceptable practices to take place with vehicles or drivers’ equipment,” says Mount. “It is often difficult to tell an entrant that his car or kit is just not acceptable but guidance should always be given where possible. There
is always the need to be able to deal with entrants on a one-to-one basis and leave them feeling that they are welcome at the event.” Discretion is another vital quality, according to Mount, as difficult situations will often arise. And with less than six minutes in which to deal with a vehicle, the scrutineer must be quick, and fit enough to stay on their feet all day. It seems that having the right personal qualities is more important for this job than technical knowledge. “The ability to work as a team member and be presentable to the entrants and organisers is vital,” adds Mount. “Engineering ability is very useful but not essential. Previous experience in a competition environment can be useful but many ex-competitors fail to realise the legalistic parts of the role. Understanding the Blue Book will not come easy to some people! Some of the best scrutineers work in jobs which have very little connection with engineering.” Budding scrutineers should first contact the MSA, who will send out a trainee package which includes the names and addresses of
mentors, a trainee logbook and a training DVD. It is then down to you to request to attend events as a trainee and get signatures from mentors in your logook – a process which will take at least a year. “The candidate has to make sure that he provides accurate information about his availability and be persistent in his requests,” says Mount. “The job will not just come to him because he has asked to register as a trainee. Qualified scrutineers are appointed to events by the chief scrutineer. They should not expect to be invited to the entire events for which they put in an application to attend. Once accepted into the role, the MSA provides a series of seminars to help to supplement the training received at events.” You’ll need to put together your own kit, which will vary according to the type of scrutineering, but will include a laptop and tools. There is no payment for scrutineers, although expenses are usually covered, but the job can take you beyond our shores. Paul Klaassen scrutineers in the Super 1 karting series in the UK, as well as Euromax and the Grand Finals for Rotax. “I’m in a lucky position,” says the former karter, with 25 years of scrutineering experience. “It’s probably one of the nicest things in British karting that you have officials at meetings of the highest calibre. This year I’ve been to Spain, Belgium, France and Greece, and I have Sweden coming up.” Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 43
Swiss movement, English heart
Swiss made / 25 jewel automatic movement / 3 counter multi-function chronograph (hours, minutes and stop second) / Carbon Fibre Dial / Internal tachymeter / Diameter: 42mm / Calibre: ETA 7750
IN THIS
ISSUE:
Launch of SR1 p45 Buyer’s guide p46 Getting the right tyres p53
Gear
Radical sprints to the hills
RADICAL
The prototype-inspired SR1 is for club-level racers
Radical SR1 sportscar, £29,850 +VAT www.radicalsportscars.com Radical has created what it calls a “new entry-level rung on the sports-prototype racing ladder” with the launch of the SR1 for club motor sport and trackday use. Styled around an LMP car, with a two-seater cockpit, the latest offering from the British manufacturer is suitable for sprints, hillclimbs and club-level circuit racing. It features a 210bhp RPE-Suzuki four-cylinder engine, a six-speed sequential gearbox and a Quaife ATB differential. Designed by the team who created the SR9 LMP2 car, Radical says it incorporates the latest thinking in sports car aerodynamics. “Over the last decade, the SR range has inspired a new generation of racing and track driving enthusiasts, and the SR1 extends that engineering development to a wider audience,” said Radical co-founder Phil Abbott. “The SR1 is brilliant fun to drive and the performance is readily accessible for drivers of all abilities and ages. We’re all really excited about the SR1 and I’m certain that it will be a huge success. You only have to take a brief test drive to discover just how good the car is!”
I Just Made the Tea
Book by Di Spires with Bernard Ferguson
£17.99 www.haynes.co.uk Di Spires might not be a name you recognise, but along with husband Stuart, this tea-lady from the Midlands got to know some of Formula 1’s greatest stars during her job running motorhomes for top grand prix teams. Tales from 30 years inside F1 – which has been co-written by Cosworth’s former director of motor sport – spills the beans (or should that be PG Tips?) on everyone from Gerhard Berger to Ayrton Senna, with anecdotes aplenty. And in case you wondered how well regarded Di was, there are forewords from Michael Schumacher and Murray Walker. “No one knew the Formula 1 and World Rally scenes better than Di,” says Walker, “but if she is really going to tell us everything she knows about us, I hope she’s got a good lawyer!” Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 45
BUYER’S
GUIDE
Because you care
Looking after your competition car is about more than just fettling under the bonnet, and these products can help do the job Autoglym Super Resin Polish £10.50 for 325ml, www.autoglym.com
Best for: General polishing Value for money:
lllll Added features:
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Farécla G3
Kleers range
Paint renovation, price varies (£4 – £17), www.farecla.com
Performance-enhancing products, price varies (£6 – £75), www.kleers.com
Best for: Damaged paintwork Value for money: lllll Added features: lllll Comments: A four-step system for ridding your car of scratches and scrapes
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46 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
Sonax Colour Polish & Wax
£12.99, www.saxon-brands.com Best for: Long-lasting gloss Value for money: lllll Added features: lllll Comments: Contains Carnauba wax to cover small scratches and protect paintwork
buyer’s guide POLE POSITION Put in some elbow grease and keep your car in peak condition
WIN!
what’s hot
New products making a mark this autumn
V2 child’s helmet
www.v2sport.com Helmet manufacturer V2 have launched a new child-sized helmet for young motor sport competitors. In 2007, SNELL and the FIA introduced the CMR/CMS2007 helmet standard for children and young people under the age of 16. The standard focuses on reducing the outer shell size by around 30% to get away from young drivers having adult helmets sitting on their shoulders for racing – a dangerous situation which in itself could lead to injury in the case of an accident. V2 have been working since 2008 to bring an affordable CMR-approved helmet to the market, which after nearly five years in development it has now done with the V2 CMR. It is available in black or white direct from V2 at £169 and additional race visors are also available at £25. For more information contact V2 on 01832 293 771.
Specialised Covers Autoglym Super Resin Polish is a must for both racing and road car enthusiasts alike. Developed and manufactured in the UK, the newly formulated Super Resin Polish boasts long-lasting protection, superior water beading and an unrivalled depth of shine. For your chance to win one of five 500ml bottles of Autoglym Super Resin Polish worth £12.50, just answer the following question: Who was the first British Formula 1 world champion? For your chance to win, simply send an email with your answer, name and address to msa@thinkpublishing.co.uk Five entries will be drawn at random. Closing date for entries is 30 September 2012.
www.specialisedcovers.com Specialised Covers is launching their new website along with a new collection of art covers. The art cover range will be available in a number of pre-selected patterns that can be applied to any make and model of car. The cover is for indoor use and is made up of a polyester/lycra mix – 92% polyester and 8% lycra – which makes it a lightweight stretchy material. It weighs 280 grams and is anti-microbacterial. Prices will start from £650.
Takata racing harnesses
www.takataracing.com Takata has expanded its range of harness systems and a full line of drift, racing and show car harness systems will soon be available at UK retailers. The brand has been manufacturing racing harness systems since 1964. It is a world leader in seatbelt technology for racing and a leading supplier of seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels to OEM vehicle manufacturers. Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 47
gear
Cars competing in historic events, such as the Pirelli Historic Rally, require specific identity documents
HOW DO I…
...ENSURE MY HISTORIC CAR IS ELIGIBLE?
LAT
Historic cars can stir the wallet as much as the heart, so it’s crucial you ensure your purchase is eligible, says Ben Anderson
Historic motor sport is one of the fastest growing areas of competition anywhere in the world. It’s a branch of the sport that tends to attract wealthy individuals looking to re-live their youth – and is therefore less prone to fluctuations in economic circumstance – and it’s also a place where the car is usually the star. Because historic motor sport is all about vehicles with an established competition pedigree, they can change hands for big money; and a car’s value can sky rocket or plummet depending on the certainty of its history. Historics are thus big business in motor sport – but they are also prone to
forgery and fakery, which is why it is crucial that a competitor takes extra care to ensure their car is eligible. Here, MSA technical commissioner, John Hopwood, and secretariat to the Historic Committee, Michael Duncan, give their tips on how to ensure your car is eligible for historic motor sport.
READ THE REGS
As with most things, eligibility begins with regulations. Duncan, who works in the MSA’s technical department, says the rules are quite varied when it comes to historics. “If you want to go historic stage rallying in national events such as the MSA British
Historic Rally Championship, then you will be governed by the MSA regulations as set out in R49 of the Blue Book,” explains Duncan. “However, if you want to compete in international historic stage rallying, you will be governed by the international historic regulations found in the FIA international Sporting Code Appendix K. “There are also a number of national championships, particularly in circuit racing, that use FIA Appendix K for their base regulations. The key point is always to make sure you’re up to speed with the specific regulations for the events you want to do.” The type of event you wish to participate in will then define the sort of official papers Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 49
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05/07/2012 15:00
Rally-Master
TAG Heuer’s Professional Timing Department reissues one of the Swiss brand’s most legendary products, the famous HEUER RALLY-MASTER dashboard timer.
www.sportstimingsystems.co.uk
50 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
CREDIT
The new edition combines an 8-day precision, SwissMade, 15 jewel mechanical HEUER MASTER-TIME clock movement with sweeping second hand.
gear Much of motor sport is about development and progress but this natural drive to strive often creates clashes in the historic sense
you will need to present to the scrutineers to prove your vehicle is eligible for the event. “Different types of events require different vehicle identity documents, which generally set out the specification of the vehicle and are issued to confirm that it is of the correct specification,” says Duncan. “The main identity documents are the FIA Historic Technical Passport (HTP), which is the document required for vehicles competing in FIA international events, while the MSA Historic Rally Vehicle Identity Form (HRVIF) is the identity document for MSA national historic rally events. The FIA also has a document called the Historic Regularity Car Pass, which is for cars competing in international historic road rallies. “In the case of FIA international events, if a car is homologated it must conform to the period’s FIA homologation, with some concessions allowed as detailed in Appendix K. If a car is not homologated it will only be eligible if a car of that specification took part in an international status event in the correct period and the specification of the car will be entirely based on period evidence.”
MODS ON ROCKERS
Much of motor sport is about development and progress but this natural drive to strive often creates clashes in the historic scene. While there is no question that historic cars should be made to comply [as far as possible] with modern safety standards, the question of performance
Cars competing in international events such as the Pirelli International Rally, require specific identity documents
tweaks is more contentious. Competitors will often tussle with regulators over preserving their cars as nature intended, while also trying to improve their performance. This is a tricky balancing act that scrutineers are constantly fighting to keep in check. “The regulations that an event is run under will dictate the modifications permitted,” says Duncan. “In MSA national historic stage rallying, for example, Category Three cars must be prepared to homologated specification, which means the cars must comply with the FIA homologation papers issued for that vehicle by the FIA in their period. Category One and Two cars may be modified using period modifications as per regulation R49.5, which stipulates that only modifications used in rallying on that particular make and model in the correct period are allowed.” Duncan’s MSA colleague Hopwood, who has competed in historic racing across Europe, is fairly emphatic when it comes to the subject of modifying historic cars. “Unless specifically permitted by the regulations, the equipment must use the technology used in the period on the category of car in question,” he states. “Items frequently used that do not conform include shock absorbers, radiators and ignition systems. Period freedoms do not confer a freedom now, but permit the use of
components or technology used in period as a result of those freedoms.” What the rule makers are saying here is that you should be careful not to “spoil” your pride and joy by fitting some fancy modern-day ignition system to a car that was made and raced in the 1970s. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t update your car at all. If you can prove somebody legally did it at the time, you can do it too. “It needs to be a properly documented account from the period in question, such as period articles, photographs, specification sheets, build manuals, manufacturer publications or reference books by marque experts,” says Duncan. “What’s not acceptable is word-of-mouth accounts or third-party information.” If correct original parts become unavailable, then for MSA Historic Rallies, a panel of experts will consider approving alternative components on what Duncan describes as an “individual basis”. “[The parts] will only be approved if it can be proven that a part is completely unavailable from any source,” he adds. “Alternative parts will also only be approved if they give no performance advantage over the original.” Appendix K has a slightly different approach but exceptionally, an alternative component that originates from the period and offers no performance advantage may be authorised. Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org
51
Myfuture If you’re finishing school or college and aren’t sure of the next step – take a look at the excellent range of Motorsport courses available at Myerscough College. We have full-time Level 2 and Level 3 Diploma options for school leavers. At Higher Education level we offer a two-year Foundation Degree in Motorsports Management with the opportunity to progress to a third year BA (Hons) Motorsports Management top-up. Myerscough has an excellent range of facilities, with eight well-equipped motorsport workshops. Our fleet of racing cars is being constantly updated with new vehicles and the latest racing technology. Residential accommodation for 750 students.
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techno file
Here’s the rubber
TECHNO
Tyres are crucial to a car’s performance and manufacturers are constantly developing their rubber
FILE
DREW GIBSON/LAT
You may compete in a series with a prescribed tyre supplier, but that rubber is constantly evolving says Ben Anderson Anyone who’s watched Formula 1 over the past two seasons will know that all the talk has been of tyres: how to make them work, how to make them last, how to “switch them on” and how stop them “falling off a cliff”. Except in the most free of formulas, most competitors will have the specification of tyre they must use (including its tread, dimension and make) decided for them by the regulations. But that doesn’t mean tyre companies aren’t battling hard to make their products the tyres of choice for motor sport. Japanese manufacturer Yokohama supplies tyres to the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), FIA Formula 2 and the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, among others. Motor sport tyre engineer Ian Beveridge says tyre companies are constantly evolving their rubber as the legal and environmental landscape changes. “As time goes on, certain products become unavailable to us,” says Beveridge, who has worked in motor sport engineering for over 40 years. “Sometimes
it’s legislation: over the past three or four years we’ve not been allowed to use aromatic oils because they’ve been deemed carcinogenic. Polymer has become unavailable for similar reasons, so we are searching for replacements and improvements at the same time.” South Korean maker Kumho supplies tyres in Auto GP, Formula 3 in Europe and Australia, sportscars and rallying. Kumho’s European Motorsport Manager, Steve Thompson, says the rate of development depends on the series that is being supplied. “If we supply control tyres and they are developed to the point where they work well, then that’s it until such time as we need to make any improvements,” he explains. “Where we compete with other manufacturers, such as in rallying, the development is more intense because we want to beat the competition. “More and more these days, we have to have one eye on the environmental issues, so while we want tyres that give the ultimate performance, we also have to consider durability and other issues, such as fuel efficiency.”
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 53
techno file It doesn’t matter how clever your chassis engineer is, the only thing that touches the road is the tyres
KEVIN WOOD/LAT
Legislation and environmental concerns are changing the nature of today’s racing tyres
Tyres are made by mixing chemicals together in what Beveridge describes as a “huge food mixer”. The mixture is then extruded, wrapped around a casing, laid with a tread, and then cured in a mould under pressure and temperature – to get the shape and allow the chemicals to start bonding together (a process that continues once the tyre is used on a car). Beveridge says tyres will vary according to the engineering philosophy of individual manufacturers and also the access they have to certain materials and suppliers. “Part of the ‘magic’ is trying different chemicals,” Beveridge adds. “We all look at each other’s products and analyse them. It takes a lot of time and effort to explore all avenues, so there’s nothing like experience to work out what works and what doesn’t.” Tyre companies have to search for the best compromises when designing tyres for certain types of car. High downforce single-seaters and sports prototypes, for example, will require very stiff constructions that can withstand the enormous vertical loads generated on the cars at high speed. Beveridge says that varying circuit characteristics, such as bumps and corner lengths and types, also impact on an individual tyre’s make-up, because most motor sport tyres have to be designed to work across a broad spectrum of tracks in a vast array of different climates. “In open formulas, you can bring a range of compounds and constructions to each event and find the best that works in the circumstances,” explains Beveridge. “When you’ve got a mono-brand formula, like F2 or the WTCC, you have to nominate the tyre and
54 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
the drivers and teams have to get the best out of it – it changes the emphasis.” Competitors at the professional levels of motor sport will go to great lengths to understand and simulate tyre technology, but Beveridge says there is still no substitute for good old-fashioned track testing. “It’s rather less certain than many other areas of motor sport,” he says. “A lot of motor sport technology you can simulate on computers now, but there are so many variables in a tyre that trying to create a computer model is about as accurate as trying to simulate the weather!” Nevertheless, there’s still a lot to be said for making an effort to understand the “black art” of tyres as fully as possible. “It’s absolutely paramount that any competitor understands how important his tyres are, how to select the correct tyre for his application and the given conditions, and then how to use the tyre to get the best performance out of it,” says Thompson. “Part of our job is to make sure our customers have the right tyre for their car and competition, to give advice on which compounds to use for different weather, road and ambient conditions. Having done that we give advice on tyre pressures – hot and cold – and tyre tread temperatures, and we can also advise on car set-up to make the tyre work well.” “It doesn’t matter how clever your aero or chassis engineer is, the only thing that touches the road is the tyres,” adds Beveridge. “All these bright ideas have to be transmitted through the tyres, and if you can understand that better, then you can make the best judgement on what to do with the rest of your chassis and get the best out of the overall machine.”
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02/05/2012 Quarter Page.indd 11:16 1
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KEVIN WOOD/LAT
ask the experts
ASK THE EXPERTS Former Benetton F1 marketing manager and Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) founder Brian Sims on how to go about securing sponsorship I’m a motor sport competitor, battling to secure meaningful sponsorship. Can you give me some advice?
“My first piece of advice is that to be a serious competitor, you need to grab beneficial opportunities with both hands when they present themselves. “Some of your rivals have done just that recently, by attending the subsidised sponsorship training seminars that I’ve been presenting at regional venues such as Brands Hatch, Castle Combe and Oxford Brookes University. These were promoted by the MSA to all 30,000 licence holders and Ellis Clowes helped subsidise the fee to an affordable level. “Those who jumped at the chance of a day’s professional training learned many new skills that will help them improve their chances of finding much-needed sponsorship. To the surprise of those who made the effort to attend, we had vacant places on all courses and even cancelled some. What does that tell you? Perhaps that
everyone has enough sponsorship? I wonder! “We covered a lot of ground during the day-long courses and feedback has been very positive. A session that people found particularly relevant involved a word that I’m finding comes up increasingly in sponsorship meetings with business executives: ‘perception’. In other words, what businesses are telling me is that while they might be able to afford to be a motor sports sponsor, they can’t afford to be seen to be a motor sports sponsor. “Why should this be? Well, in today’s rapidly changing world, businesses are becoming increasingly concerned with the perception that the public, their shareholders and their target market have of their company. These groups ask questions such as: • Is the business environmentally aware? • Does it have an active social responsibility programme? • Is it an equal opportunities business? • Does it try to help with youth unemployment?
Securing sponsorship can mean having to deal with the issue of ‘negative perception’
“With this in mind, businesses considering sports sponsorship tend to be exceedingly cautious, particularly in the case of motor sport. “The common perception, like it or not, is that motor sport is an elitist sport and only those with money, or with parents who can subsidise them, can participate. People constantly compare it to a sport like football, where a youngster can buy a pair of boots and a ball to practise the skills necessary to play in a school, youth or community team. “We must also accept that motor sport is an easy target from an environmental aspect. Although one can argue that more fuel is used getting 80,000 spectators into Old Trafford than by competitors at a motor sport event, it’s the perception that matters. “You’ll come up against this attitude more and more, so you have two choices. Either accept that it’s going to come to the fore when you approach businesses and plan your sales strategies accordingly, or tell business people that they’re wrong, argue with them and in the process guarantee that you won’t be getting any sponsorship from them. “However, if you approach the task in a positive way, you should endeavour to create opportunities in your proposals that recognise and take these points into account. “Imagine an old-fashioned pair of Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 57
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KEVIN WOOD/LAT
ask the experts THAT’S MOTOR SPORT Anthony Davidson shares the advice that helped him to the top
need to surround yourself with supportive people such as your manager and work together the best you can. I’d also say that the work doesn’t stop out of the cockpit – a good work ethic is very important. Being in contact with the team and your engineer is vital to gaining knowledge regarding your results – good or bad – and the reasons behind them, as well as understanding the importance of general car set-up. Making sure your level of fitness is at a high enough level also takes time and discipline away from the circuit. Remember that all teams – not just the top teams – are now looking for a driver to be a complete package. The more professional you are, the better chance you’ll have of making it.
‘Take care of the present and the future will take of itself’ – as relevant today as it was back then
Anthony Davidson at Jerez, Spain in 2005
GLENN DUNBAR / LAT
scales. The prospective sponsor is loading all of the perception issues into the one side and it is close to hitting the ground. To balance the scales back in your favour, you need to put a lot of positive opportunities into the other side of the scales. These might include: • A programme offering challenged youngsters at a local college the chance to learn technical skills by working with your team at race meetings; • Including in your sponsorship fee structure a couple of bursaries at a university like Oxford Brookes, where students can get a motor sport engineering qualification; • Designing a promotion within your motor sport programme aimed at raising meaningful funds for a specific charity (ideally the company’s choice of charity); • Building in a budget for the company to plant trees at special functions organised at race meetings with local communities. “These are just a few simple examples of initiatives that might tilt those scales in your favour. To develop original ideas it’s often worth involving some friends, work colleagues or family. A brainstorming session can throw up some really innovative ways of creating entitlements that allow a business to balance the perceived negatives of your proposal. Build these ideas into your business presentation and ask the prospect which ideas he/she likes and how they could develop them further. “If you are prepared for the topic of ‘negative perception’ to be raised, you don’t have to feel so nervous. By coming up with some practical, costed ways of showing that you recognise their concerns and demonstrating that you’ve created possible solutions, you’ll stand a much better chance of gaining the respect and credibility of the people who will ultimately make the decision as to whether they move forward or turn the opportunity down.”
Businesses can be cautious about sponsoring motor sport because of environmental concerns
The best advice I was ever given was: “Take care of the present and the future will take care of itself.” This came from [former Champ Car and Indy 500 champion] Gil De Ferran when I was a young driver in Formula 1; it’s fairly self-explanatory and is still as relevant today as it was then. I really don’t think I’ve been given any bad advice in terms of driving, or if I have I’ve managed to filter it out! If I were to give any advice to young drivers looking to make it in motor sport, then I would say the importance of speed, consistency and results goes without saying. On top of that it’s important to be with the best team you can afford on the way up; cutting corners in terms of finance won’t get you the results you are looking for. You also
Brian’s new book, Sports Sponsorship: A Professional’s Guide, is available now priced at £24.99
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 59
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MOTOR SPORTS COUNCIL NATIONAL COURT SITTING TUESDAY 1 MAY 2012 Guy Spollon (Chairman) David Scott Rick Smith CASE No J2012/02 - BRITISH AUTOMOBILE RACING CLUB SOUTH EASTERN CENTRE
On 17 January 2012 applications were received by the MSA from the BARC SE Centre Series Co-ordinator to register two race series, namely the Quaife Intermarque League and the Cannons Motor Spares Tin Top Challenge. The Club was asked to provide written details of the classes for the two series. Series regulations for both the Quaife Intermarque League and the Cannons Motor Spares Tin Top Challenge were received by the MSA by e-mail on 6 February 2012. A review of the series regulations indicated a reference to “championships” and the presentation of awards to overall winners. Furthermore a simple
internet search revealed championship tables for 2011. Further enquiries by the MSA prompted a written response from the Vice Chairman of the BARC SE Centre, who conceded that they had possibly misinterpreted W.1.1.5 of the regulations. Regulation W.1.1.4 provides that a championship MUST be submitted to the MSA by the co-ordinating organisation on the prescribed form and must be approved by the MSA by the issuing of a Permit. However, Regulation W.1.1.5 provides “exceptionally championships for Autotests, any form of untimed Trial, Navigational Rallies, 12 Car Rallies, Scatters and Internal Club Challenges (unspecified events on unspecified dates) which are confined to bona fide members of the organising club are exempt from registering with the MSA”. Unfortunately the personnel at BARC SE Centre mistakenly believed that, because entrants to the races in the two series
were fully paid up members, the Club was exempt from registration with the MSA. Representatives of BARC SE Centre attended before the Court and gave evidence, conceding that: 1) They had run two championships without prior approval of the MSA. 2) They had misinterpreted the relevant regulations. The Court: 1) Accepted BARC SE Centre’s assertions that they had not sought to flout the regulations, but had incorrectly interpreted the regulations. 2) Recognised that at all material times the club personnel were acting in good faith and in the best interests of their members. 3) Noted the absence of any previous contraventions of the regulations by BARC SE Centre. The National Court, therefore, considered that a contribution of £250 towards the costs of the Hearing should be imposed. The Court urged the MSA to investigate any similar situation so to ensure that all
championships are on a level playing field and properly regulated. For the avoidance of doubt, therefore, the National Court wishes it to be noted and made known that: 1) The duty is on the organising club to ensure that all necessary permits have been granted. 2) Club and officials cannot rely on the MSA to notify them of any omissions on their part in applying for and obtaining permits. 3) It is expected that clubs organising championships will ensure that there is in existence a permit for every meeting where a championship is being run. 4) Club Race Committees must ensure that the challenging and increasingly complex work of a Race Co-ordinator is fully respected and supported and that all applications are submitted to the MSA in the correct form and within the required timescales. GUY SPOLLON CHAIRMAN
The Stewards of the meeting after holding an Enquiry and in accordance with the provisions of General Regulation C.2.6.2 imposed an immediate and maximum 30 day suspension of licence and referred the matter to the MSA. This Court finds that whilst it is entirely correct that Thomsit was advised that the provisions of C.2.6.2 preclude an Appeal being made against sentence there is nothing within the Regulations to prevent an Appeal being made against the decision the Clerk of the Course. The Court accepts that Thomsit relied upon the statement of the Clerk of the Course such that he did not seek to lodge an Appeal and that although the matter was referred to the Stewards, the hearing which ensued was not the hearing which would have ensued had Thomsit formally lodged his appeal, called his witnesses and presented his case as an Appeal. The hearing by the Stewards effectively built upon the decision of the Clerk of the Course and imposed a further penalty, this being in addition to the penalty imposed by the Clerk. By virtue of that this Court considers that the decision of the Stewards should be set aside. That results in the Clerk of the
Course’s decision remaining and for this Court to consider what further action should be taken. The penalty imposed by the Clerk was entirely within judicial guidelines issued to Clerks by MSC. Although written representations have been made to this Court to the effect that the words used by Thomsit did not amount to either abuse or threat of physical assault such matters did not fail to be considered by this Court as Mr Thomsit through his legal advisor states that he will now accept the decision of the Clerk of the Course and the penalty imposed upon him. Regard being given not only to the provisions of General Regulation C.1.1.9 but also to the requirement placed upon competitors at A.10.1.5 to “conduct themselves in a proper manner at all times and always behave in the best interests of UK Motor Sport” this Court considers the penalty imposed by the Clerk of the Course to be appropriate such that no further investigation need be taken by this Court. It is accordingly ordered that Mr. Thomsit’s competition licence be returned to him. This Decision is set down at 12.10 hours on Thursday 4 April 2012. TONY SCOTT ANDREWS CHAIRMAN
SITTING THURSDAY 5 APRIL 2012 Tony Scott Andrews (Chairman) Mike Harris Chris Mount CASE No J2012/03 Barry Thomsit
Judicial action taken at a meeting held on 11 March 2012 at Clay Pigeon Kart Club has resulted in a Decision made by the Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association to refer the matter to the National Court for Inquiry in accordance with MSA General Regulation C.9. The facts are that in parc ferme subsequent to an on-track collision between two karts, one driven by Barry Thomsit, Thomsit spoke to the other driver concerned and, on his own admission, stated that “if we are ever on track again I am going to put you through the f…… barrier.” He then turned and walked away. Although this was witnessed by a parc ferme marshal it is understood that this marshal took no further action and was not responsible for referring the matter to the Clerk of the Course. The matter was, however, the subject of a hearing before the Clerk of the Course
when Mr Thomsit accepted the words he had spoken, was considered by the Clerk to have been guilty of using abusive language and threat of physical assault, reference being made to General Regulation C.1.1.9. Thomsit was excluded from the meeting with the resultant six point penalty endorsed on his licence and fined £200. The matter which brings this before the National Court then arose in that Thomsit indicated his wish to appeal the Clerk’s decision. Thomsit’s evidence to this Inquiry is that he was told by the Clerk “you can’t appeal because I am putting it to the Stewards.” The Clerk’s own version of this conversation (as reported by telephone to the MSA pursuant to an enquiry made of him by the MSA) is that he advised Thomsit “there is no need (to appeal) because I am sending/referring you there anyway.” Notwithstanding this discrepancy in the precise words used it is accepted that they were interpreted by Thomsit such that he believed he had no right of appeal. By virtue of the provisions of General Regulation G.5.3.6 the Clerk having penalised Thomsit then “reported (Thomsit) to the Stewards of the meeting for further penalties.”
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 61
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national court SITTING TUESDAY 19 JUNE 2012 Tony Scott Andrews (Chairman) Rick Smith Chris Mount CASE No J2012/04
This Investigatory Hearing, referred to the National Court by the MSA, relates to events which occurred at a kart meeting held at Teeside Aerodrome on 11 March 2012 in particular the Easykart R1 Heavyweight A Final. The court has read statements from the Clerk of the Course Mr Paul Beatty, the MSA Steward of the meeting Mr Kevin Dawson and Mr Mark Lawrence the driver of the kart numbered 6 and a competitor in the said A Final. The Court has also heard oral evidence from Mr Paul Beatty, Mr Kevin Dawson and Mr John Vigor the Promoter of the event. Although invited to provide a statement and indeed to attend this Inquiry no response has been received from Mr Terry Pack another competitor in the A Final and the driver of kart No. 21. The facts as presented to this Court are as follows: The A Final started at 16.25 and ended at about 16.40. Karts No. 6 and 21 were reported by radio to the Clerk of the Course by Post Marshals during the race as having overtaken whilst yellow flags were displayed. The Clerk of the Course did not request the attendance of the drivers after the event but merely ordered that the black flag be shown to each competitor i.e. those numbered 6 and 21. The Clerk confirmed that he regarded the showing of the black flag as effecting the exclusion of each driver. (It is noted that this is somewhat at variance with the suggestion that Mr Lawrence and also Mr Pack each be placed “at the back of the grid”.) Mr Lawrence in his written statement says that he was advised by the Chief Scrutineer in post-race parc ferme that the Clerk of the Course needed to see him. Mr Lawrence states that when he subsequently saw the Clerk of the Course he was informed that he had overtaken under yellow flags then ignored the subsequently displayed black flag and, as a result, he was to be placed in last position. He maintains he was told by the Clerk that he could appeal but that it might make matters worse for him. This is denied by the Clerk of the Course, Mr Beatty, who says that he neither saw nor spoke to Mr Lawrence after the race. Mr Lawrence proceeded to lodge an
appeal to the Stewards against the decision of the Clerk of the Course. The hearing of the appeal which commenced at 17.41 was successful as the Stewards heard evidence from one Randall who left the Stewards room (albeit some 70 minutes after the event) and returned to say that having walked towards post 4 and the finish line, considered that Mr Lawrence could not have seen the flags because he would have been blinded by the setting sun. Mr Lawrence was accordingly ordered by the Stewards to be re-instated in the results of the Final in fourth place. Unbeknown to the Stewards, however, a black flag had also been shown at virtually the same time (and it is accepted that there was no change in conditions) to Mr Pack (21). Mr Pack had presumably experienced no difficulty in seeing the black flag for he complied with it. He left the track and attended before the Clerk of the Course. Subsequent enquiries by the Clerk of the Course revealed that he should never have been shown the black flag for it had been ascertained that he had mistakenly been reported for overtaking under yellow flags. The Clerk of the Course states that in all the circumstances he instructed the Timekeeper to re-instate Mr Pack “in last position”. Perusal of the results shows that in fact Mr Pack was placed not in last position but in 23rd out of the 29 competitors and was credited with having completed the full race distance, the penultimate competitor to do so. Contrary to the assertion of the Clerk of the Course, the Timekeeper states that he was instructed by the Clerk of the Course to place Mr Pack “in the position which he had held at the time that he was shown the black flag”. Mr Pack was given a race time that placed him equidistant between the preceding and following competitor. The time and position given to Mr Pack were clearly fictitious. One further matter to note is that it was necessary for Mr Lawrence’s time in which to lodge his appeal to be extended, the difficulty for both Mr Lawrence and the Stewards being that there was no written or timed decision against which to appeal. At the conclusion of the Appeal hearing the Stewards referred this omission to the Clerk of the Course and at the Stewards’ instigation a Clerk’s decision was created retrospectively by the Clerk of the Course and receipted by Mr Lawrence. Once again the timing of the decision and the competitors’ receipt thereof were
fictitious. The conclusions of this Inquiry are that: 1) Whether or not Mr Lawrence could have seen the yellow flag displayed at post 4 by virtue of the low sun, does not remove the obligation upon him to comply with the black flag which patently was visible at the time as Mr Pack was able to see it and quite properly complied with it. 2) It follows from 1) above that Mr Lawrence should be excluded from the results for failing to comply with the black flag. 3) Mr Pack was mistakenly reported for overtaking under yellow flags and was then incorrectly shown a black flag with which, as previously stated, he complied. He was then awarded an arbitrary position in the results when, in fact, he could at the very least have been credited with the number of laps he had completed prior to complying with the black flag. 4) It follows from 3) that Mr Pack should be removed from 23rd position in the results and placed in such position as represents the number of laps he had completed prior to complying with the black flag. 5) The results are to be re-calculated and circulated accordingly together with such changes as are necessary in respect of championship points. 6) It also follows from 3) above that Mr Pack was improperly deprived of the opportunity of competing for the duration of the A Final – an opportunity to which he was entitled. In the circumstances it is considered appropriate for the organiser Kart Racing Promotions Ltd to refund in full his entry fee. 7) It is regrettable that the Stewards of the meeting did not take issue with the Clerk of the Course for the Clerk advises this Court (and this is accepted by the Steward present) that he informed all drivers at the drivers’ briefing that a black flag would be shown if they transgressed yellow flag regulations. 8) It is even more regrettable that the Stewards instigated the creation of a Clerks written decision after the hearing of the appeal even though the only reason for so doing was to complete the necessary “paper trail”. 9) The difficulties which gave rise to this Inquiry would not have arisen had the Clerk of the Course followed the basic procedural requirements of the judicial system as clearly set out in the General Regulations of the Motor Sports Association and not determined simply to exclude each and every competitor who contravened regulations relating to yellow flags by showing a black flag.
SITTING TUESDAY 29 MAY 2012 Steve Stringwell (Chairman) David Scott Chris Mount CASE No J2012/05 James Bruce
The MSC National Court convened to review a matter referred to it by the MSA for consideration of further penalty under C2.6.2. The competitor, James Bruce, had taken part in the Scottish Mini Cooper Cup Championship round held at Knockhill on 6 May 2012. Following an on-track incident for which the other driver involved, Mr Waugh, was later penalised Mr Bruce had approached Mr Waugh whilst he was driving into parc ferme and assaulted him whilst he was still in his car with his belts and helmet on. As a result Mr Waugh sustained an eye injury for which he was treated by the medical officer. The matter was considered by the Stewards on the day and they imposed an immediate 30-day suspension. In considering whether a further penalty was appropriate the Court viewed video evidence from Mr Waugh’s on-board camera and also heard from Mr Bruce, who attended the hearing and accepted full responsibility for his actions. The National Court considered that further penalty was appropriate and ordered that • Mr Bruce’s licence be suspended for a period of 12 months from today’s date. • The Court also ordered costs of £500. This decision was set down on 29 May 2012 at 11.55 hours. STEVE STRINGWELL CHAIRMAN
Autumn 2012 www.msauk.org 63
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opinion
Simon says.. Sir Frank Williams’ old-school approach commands respect, says Simon Arron
Simon Arron is a former editor of Motoring News and Motor Sport. Now a freelance F1 writer, he contributes to titles including Motorsport News and writes a blog for the Daily Telegraph’s motoring section
straight,” he says, “and every lap Alan Jones’s Shadow came through in a glorious powerslide, with the car beautifully balanced. I thought, ‘Wow, what a driver.’” The FW07 – seen He needed one of those and a deal was here in pole position at Silverstone in soon struck. Jones scored some decent 1979 – became an results with Head’s first Williams, the F1 icon FW06, but the subsequent FW07 became an F1 icon – the fastest car of its time. Jones led in Belgium, the car’s second grand prix, but electrical problems forced him out. Later, he took his first F1 pole at Silverstone and dominated the race... until water pump failure intervened. Teammate Clay Regazzoni picked up the pieces, though, and the place went ballistic in recognition of the former underdog’s coronation. There was parallel warmth in Spain earlier this year, when Pastor Maldonado scored Williams’s 114th grand prix victory... and ended a winless streak stretching back to October 2004, the longest drought in the team’s history. F1 attracts many colourful characters, some of I had a full driving licence, but doubtful whom regard it as a means to earn a fast buck (note: parents didn’t think I’d held it long enough. not an option available to writers), but Sir Frank Could I be trusted to take the maternal Renault 5 to Williams is involved because he loves it, an old-school Silverstone without trying to drive it around approach that commands respect. Silverstone? Probably not. If I wanted to watch the 1979 Tom McCullough is one of the team’s race engineers, British Grand Prix, then I’d better make my way to working this season with Bruno Senna, and was first Altrincham bus station... interviewed for a job in 2002. While awaiting an Grateful though I was that a coach transfer existed, it answer, he was offered a post by a rival team. “After limited attendance to Sunday only – and that meant that,” he says, “I basically blagged my way past missing the previous afternoon’s BMW M1 Procar race. Williams security to get in and find out whether I had More than 30 years later, that irks me still. The BMWs’ any chance of employment. I was happy about the absence couldn’t dilute the euphoria, though, as offer from elsewhere, obviously, but in reality I Williams Grand Prix Engineering entered Formula 1’s desperately wanted to work for Williams.” hall of fame. Says it all, really. For several years Frank Williams had run a grand prix team fuelled by passion rather than pence. Some fine drivers formed part of an oft-changing roster – Jacques Laffite started five Grands Prix for Williams, Tony Brise and Jacky Ickx one apiece – but there were also terminal optimists whose primary function was to contribute financial support. Such perennial struggles eventually persuaded Williams to sell a controlling stake in the team and he found himself frozen out... so did the obvious thing and started again from scratch. In 1977 Williams teamed up with engineer Patrick Head to run a one-year-old March chassis, with longer-term plans to construct their own chassis. Their first driver was Patrick Neve and they entered 11 of that season’s 17 Grands Prix. When fading oil pressure forced the Belgian to retire from the last of those, at Watkins Glen, America, Williams remained on the pit wall. “There was a right-hander before the pit
66 www.msauk.org Autumn 2012
Williams ran a grand prix team fuelled by passion rather than pence