British Stock-Car Racing in the 1950s-1970s
(Home)
Juniors / F2s
Seniors / F1s
in the Sixties
More Seniors / F1s
in the Sixties
The Seventies
The Early Days
Some Replicas and Restos
Automotive Oddments
Some Hot Rods
Early British Drag Racing
Links

 

Welcome all to David Kipling's Home Page

Important: Thanks to the constant and generous help of Rick Young's phenomenal experience and memory.

"BriSCA" Stock-Car Racing in Britain, 1950s-1970s
for fans of REAL racing in the golden age

and

 British drag-racing and hot-rodding, 1960s-1970s

This introductory home-page section explains what's in my site and why; and it's here that I've included photos of stock-car badges, stickers, programmes, audio files, books, and so on..
Scan through looking for the UPDATE labels for recent additions.

No-holds-barred racing by real 'characters':

 

Over 300 photos of British stock-cars

"Shield of honour":  if you were good enough to qualify into the stock car World Final, you received this shield.  This one was presented to superstar Fred Mitchell, # 38, who went into the '63 world final as defending (1962) world champion.  This beautiful memento passed to Fred's long-time race mechanic Pete Schafer, who has now generously entrusted it to me, in memory of Fred.  

UPDATE January 2008: Pete Schafer, master mechanic (the great Pete Tucker called him a "wizard"), friend to everyone, and loyal to Fred Mitchell and his family for many years, passed away at his home in Washington State, USA, in early 2007.  Pete was a gent of the old school, but with that characteristic sense of practical joking that was everywhere in stock-car racing in those days.  Pete loved this little tale, which I will pass on here as a way of winking "thank you" to Pete and his generation.  Fred Mitchell and Pete were working on the #38 car in Fred's workshop, and they called for some help from a chap who had dropped in, a farm worker who was wearing big steel-toed boots.  Fred was welding some steel plate onto the car, and he said to "Ah, just the bloke we need — Stand up on this, will you, to hold it in place", and also "But stand still and shut your eyes because of the sparks!"  You can guess the next bit: Fred took a little piece of scrap and tack-welded the man's boots to the #38 chassis …

A classic track program, from 1960

 

[programme from Andrew Lively]

plus plus plus:

1960s-1970s British drag-racing and hot-rodding 

 

 

Do you have a vintage stocks or drags photo or story you'd like to contribute? E-mail me


This is not a personal home page. I set it up to share a specialized topic for a few people world-wide: BriSCA "Stock-car racing" as the phrase has applied in Britain since 1954. This is a nostalgia page about a rough-'n'-ready form of motor sport that has too often been misunderstood or looked down on. British stock-car racing thrives today in a sophisticated and higher-tech way, but this web site is dedicated especially to the racers who entertained us in the 1960's and 70's.  I started with a collection of old snapshots I'd kept in a shoe box;  but over the years, many kind people have sent me their stories and their own photos. Ex-racer Dick [now 'Rick'] Young has been especially helpful with pictures and stories. This website is now a collective and communal celebration on the part of fans who, like me, admired the early era of stock-car racing and drag racing.  Some of them are or were racers;  some are the sons and even grandsons of racers featured here.  It has been wonderful to hear from you good folks over the years.  Keep 'em coming! 

You'll need a acouple of hours to go through this pictorial history.  Click on those headings at the top and bottom of the pages, and you'll find a ton of stories and technical facts, plus my opinions, and most photos are a link to click on.   

I know very little about computers, and can barely work this machine, so no comments, please.

The only personal information you get is that I teach technical and business writing at the BC Institute of Technology Canada, and that I grew up in Brixworth (rural Northamptonshire UK) The farm field where I herded the cattle is now occupied by Indy-and-Grand Prix-winning ILMOR / Mercedes Racing Engines.  I also lived in Birmingham , North London,  Redhill (Surrey), Bristol, the South of France, Vancouver BC, Canada (1978 to date). If anything you see here makes sense or revives memories, say "Hi" on spratton@hotmail.com

Summer 2004, and here I am happy to be back at Brandon Stadium for the first time since 1966, beside Andy Smith's and Tony Smith's cars:

scooby  andy
cater

-- and that's me showing off after some passenger "hot laps" on the Silverstone GP circuit in 2007 --- an experience I'll never forget, and if I lived permanently in England I'd go bankrupt in a year to pay for more/more/more of this, because it's SO addictive. Many outfits sell track time at different locations, but this was Silverstone Circuit itself, and they had several professional racers on hand (I reckon they were hanging around the office, looking for any opportunity to get some practice in!)   My driver was Charlie Hollings, a serious F3 competitor, and his brief instructions were along the lines of  "hang on very tight and keep away from my controls!"  Simply being a passenger was physically draining; this was a full-race Caterham R400, and it felt like being shot out of a cannon onto a toboggan run.
 
Tunes from the tracks

Speakers on: Remember the Rinkydink theme they played over the Tannoy?  

Also the outrageous Nut Rocker by "Bee Bumble and the Stingers", which occasionally played at Brafield. (No. 1 in 1962, a take-off of Tchaikovsky's NUTCRACKER, and for years played at Southampton ice rink.)

If you followed the Bangers, you know thist well:  MARCH OF THE MODS, by the Joe Loss Orchestra. Thanks for this to London banger racer Ian Snoad, who was and is the number one George Ansell fan and stays in touch with George.  Ian says he basically "grew up at Harringay Stadium".  

 How about the Spedeworth favourite, I WAS KAISER BILL'S BATMAN by Whistling Jack Smith?  (A YouTube clip of it  from 1967 -- poor Jack works hard to keep audience interest with just his whistle and his medals.)

I just came across this Banger Tunes website and will let you enjoy finding and listening to the 36 tunes on it, including  "Stock Car Racing is Magic".
OOPS, APRIL 2009 THAT BANGER SITE APPEARS TO BE "DEAD". So click on this link to YouTube for the song!


BBC Radio Goes in to Stock Car History

February 2009: Out of the blue, I was contacted by Radio Northampton, who were doing a series of pieces about local heroes, and who had evidently come across my website.  They wanted to hear about Aubrey Leighton #42, so here is a 13-minute to-and-fro between myself and the excellent interviewer John Griff on his afternoon show of Thursday 19th February 2009.  This audio file may also be on Radio Northampton's website.  Like most people, I hated hearing my own voice when it's recorded.  

Books, Badges, and Programmes

Terrific DVD: Les Cotton has available a DVD (see sleeve image) of wild stock-car action from the 'real' Belle Vue in 1986, the new Belle Vue in 2004, and Sheffield in 1987: get in touch with Les:  stoxdvds@googlemail.com

The Ultimate Books: Between them, Keith Barber and Malc Aylott have given us the last word in stock-car histories.  If you see these (eg at Keith's stall?) anywhere, dish out the dosh.  Here's one.  Here's the other.  They cost a few quid, but you'd spend the same on a bad night at the pub.  To keep myself honest, I have refrained from 'stealing' from these books for my site, as that would not be fair.

Another "Ultimate" stock-car book: Who drove #304?  What years did Chippie Weston drive? Where was Karl Grossman from?  Well, how do you sort it all out, especially when over the years, #21 has been assigned to fourteen different drivers.  Put your hands together (and in your wallet) for Mike Greenwood, who with son John Greenwood and Granville Holmes, has issued the updated and improved 2008 3rd edition [click on it:] of

STOCK CAR DRIVERS: an index of registered UK Formula One stock car drivers
and their racing numbers 1957-2007.

You can get it from Photostox, 17 Willingham Close, Sothall, Sheffield, S20 2PD, or contact  mike@photostox.demon.co.uk

Remember a driver's name?  This book has over 2,000 surnames in A-Z order.  Remember a number?  Same thing in numerical order, all with the driver's full name, home town, and years racing.

UPDATE    SEPTEMBER 2008: Another book:  Andrew Weltch is a long-time writer / journalist / announcer who has with Richard Neil, published several oval-track books.  Here are the covers of four of them, and you can order them direct from his website.  Backtracks.   Hot Rods.  Superstox.  F2s in Devon and Cornwall.

http://www.ovaltrack.co.uk/andyweltch.htm

 

UPDATE   May 2009:  New magazine on the block:  if you're visiting this website 'cos you appreciate "the good old days", then you should think about Oval Track Classic magazine.  The first issue came out in Spring 2009, from YBA Publications, the folks who brought you Short Circuit Magazine.  Here's their first cover: 

oval cover

They have many veteran racers on hand with their stories and photos from all the short circuit formulae, for instance Dave Willis at Aldershot, doing what those cars did so well!  The mag covers present-day revival / heritage cars and racing, as well as fascinating archival material going back up to 50 years.

Oval Track Classic is at:  www.ovaltrackclassic.co.uk  

Where are your stickers and badges now?

 Badges and stickers you may recognize:

"Chizzy" supporters collected this one. BSCDA Membership, then ("worn with pride") their coveted driver's patch.  Aye lad, the North knows how to race, at Aycliffe.  Next: Belle Vue, what a disgrace that the authorities let it be demolished, an unforgivable bit of "development" .   How's about Lincolnshire's  Cadwell Park? Don't forget Kings Lynn    Next: Coventry's badge ("Brandon" if you're old ---).  Down to Notts, where Long Eaton put on great shows. South a bit to Leicester.  In Northants, Brafield printed a rather weird image of a "stock-car", but it brought the crowds in.  Down south, Harringay Stadium's badge. Here is the rare Brands Hatch acknowledgement of stock car racing.  Next, Weymouth's sticker.  Further still, the Mendip, where the lovely Bristol track sits in an old reservoir depression on the very top of the hills. Down west we go to St. Austell. [stickers courtesy of Dick Young's collection] 

 An early Brafield Stadium sticker, courtesy of Chris "Totter" Holmes, Jock Lloyd 131's long time mechanic.

 
 

Stock Car Programmes

To start with,here are 12 programme covers scanned for us by Trevor Richings, all early 1960's, and an early one from Ken Mason.  I will leave you to read the exact dates from the covers.  This brings back memories:

Brafield 1963;  Belle Vue 1963;  

Hednesford 1963;  Leicester WF Qualifying Round1963;  

Matcham's Park 1964;  Norwich, 1963;  

Plymouth 1963; Southampton 1963;  

Staines 1958 from Ken Mason;  Swindon F2 Junior WF 1964;  

West Ham WF 1965;  White City 1962.

update February 2009:  Brian Clements, long-time veteran F2 fan, sent these scans of a  Walthamstow Whitsun 1965 programme: a then-traditional "mixed meet" of Juniors and Seniors, with star drivers like Dougie Wardropper, Chick Woodroffe, etc, racing both formulas. Here is the (June 7th) programme cover.  Here are the first two races, showing winners and placemen.  Here are the third and fourth races, and the trophy race, again with results added.   More of Brian's histororic programmes can be seen in the Junior F2 section of my site.

Also from Brian, this programme from Plymouth's Pennycross Stadium, 1965.   The pages include a comprehensive list of South West drivers, details of the (notoriously rough) team races, and the regular heats.   And the advert for the Plymouth Stock Car Association. 

Pennycross Stadium ran from 1928 to 1972, with greyhounds, speedway, and stock-cars.  I just uncovered a photo of a poster from one of the rock concerts there --- anyone in 1969 shake their long hair and bell-bottoms to FLEETWOOD MAC and "THE HERD"?  Two old aerial photos of Pennycross:  one, and two.

Stories / Heroes / Photos /Criticisms???
E-mail me and I'll reply from my 'real' e-mail (to avoid spam).

 

 

 

(Home)

 

Juniors / F2s

Seniors / F1s
in the Sixties

More Seniors / F1s
in the Sixties

The Seventies

 The Early Days
Some Replicas and Restos Automotive Oddments Some Hot Rods Early British Drag Racing

Links