Brands Hatch 1967

[Pete]

Now on Youtube is this race from Brands, first round of the Saloon Car Championship 1967, which some may have on an old video.Not sure if it's on DVD ?

Look out for Steve Neal's Arden car, Handley, Rhodes, Gordon Spice (Surf Blue Downton car up at the front) Chris Montague's Alexander car chased by Barrie Williams in the McKechnie Mini who pulls off with a poached motor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVIv_uOw ... re=related

Pete

[guru_1071]

thats awsome

its good to see that even 40 years ago a blue mini dragging a chrome arch strip along behind it was a strong look!

[alexdenevers]

Excellent stuff !

Anybody knows the story behind this impressive Cortina ?

[almondgreen]

Fantastic..........

[guru_1071]

alex

there was quite a few 'fraud' cortinas fitted with v8's etc.

the most famous one belonged to doc merfield

its not a 'period' modification that seems popular with the lotus cortina boys nowadays though.....

[LMM76C]

I was at the RoC meeting. One of the last F1 races before the DFV appeared. BSCC championship round was also unusual. Not unusual in that a Cooper S actually won the 1300 class instead of burning up the tyres and then watching as the Superspeed Anglias drove past...
Unusual in that the Mk2 Lotus Cortina was yet to be homologated (to run in Gp5 in the BSCC a car had to first be homologated in Gp2) and Team Lotus' old Mk1s were dragged out again before being sold to Brian Robinson. There was a discussion elsewhere as to whether they used the FVA at that round (conclusion was that it only appeared with the MK2).

[Pete]

I think you're right Rich that does look like Doc Merfield's monster Cortina.

I think I've also spotted a certain Mac Ross in the Brands '67 race in his distinctive gold Mini, he campaigned that car for a number of years until it gradually became a bit of a shed. You can also just see 'COE', the by then ex Broadspeed car in that race if you squint . I told Barrie Whizz about him appearing in that film quite a while ago and he reckons he's not seen it and can't remember the race either.

Looking at those races it just shows you with motorsport success is often the case of being in the right car at the right time. In Gordon Spice's case he just never managed to be in the right car, and Whizz similar but he's made up for it in spades since hasn't he ?!

[tomkidd]

Very cool. That Cortina is minging...

What was the difference in spec between the earlier minis and the ones racing against the daft looking cortina?

[Broadspeed]

Hi, I think you will find that the Cortina is that of Terry Sanger.

[alexdenevers]

Thanks for your answer Rich !

Hi, I think you will find that the Cortina is that of Terry Sanger.

I think you're right, it seems Doc Merfield Fraud Cortina ran from 1964 to 66 with a Coventry Godiva F1 V8, and in 67 it was another Cortina that belong to Terry Sanger, fitted with a 427 Ford.. It must has been complete madness to drive such a beast !

[LMM76C]

What was the difference in spec between the earlier minis and the ones racing against the daft looking cortina?

The first race is British Saloon Car Championship, run to FIA Appendix J Group5, in general terms Group2 homologated cars with no bumpers and alternative cylinder heads. At the time Gp5 did not allow other lightening beyond what was allowed in Gp2 (option alloy panels etc.).
The later race is a "clubbie", few regulations in comparison. Not sure if that category was called "Special Saloons" then (the category that later degenerated into sports racing car chassis with plastic replica saloon bodies).

[Pete]

I think they were already called Special Saloons by then within the Osram Championship. Mike Caulton had BRT build a rear engined Mini for the same races but it was burnt out when their workshops caught fire.

Going back to the first clip, the gold Mini that Mac Ross was pedalling got rolled and was bought ,rebuilt and raced a few times by a young James Hunt, there's a great photo of it in his Biography.

By the way Alex, how do you do a 'screen grab' like that from Youtube ?