Fressingfield Oily Rag Club

Newsletter

April 2019

FORC:“A loose affiliation of motor sport

enthusiasts”.

May-Day Meeting PreviewFrank Dernie at FORC Wednesday 1st May

It turned out to be just a coincidence that the careers in Formula 1 of ourMarch and May guest speakers rather neatly dovetailed.

Mike Pilbeam, our March guest worked through the 1960's with BRM andLotus before moving to set up his own business in the mid -'70's.

Our May-Day guest, Frank Dernie, arrived on the Formula 1 scene in 1976having developed racing car geometry software while studying engineering atImperial College, London. His ideas were discovered by the Hesketh Team,leading to contributing to the design of the final Hesketh Grand Prix car the308E.

Hesketh having folded, Frank moved to Frank Williams Racing Cars, stayingon with Patrick (now Sir Patrick) Head at Williams Grand Prix Engineering for10 years having a major hand in the design of the FW06 onwards. The driversof course included Alan Jones, Carlos Reuteman, Keke Rosberg, Nigel Manselland Nelson Piquet!

The move to Technical Director at Team Lotus under Colin Chapmanfollowed, then Ligier, and Benetton, working for Ross Brawn at the verybeginning of Michael Schumacher’s career. There is of course much more -Arrows with Damon Hill, and back to Williams, as well as Indy with Lola.....

That should be enough to wet your appetites for another fascinating eveningwith an excellent guest speaker.

Booking is open so off to the website with you and get that booking in! Do itnow!

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The View from the Editorial Desk

You wouldn't think I've been doing this job for over eighteen years wouldyou? Yes I hear you say: 'He looks far too young for that!' If so I suggest youvisit a certain High Street purveyor of low cost spectacles.

The fact is I still get a buzz out of what we do at FORC, never more than thistime of year when, hopefully, our programme is getting settled. Nothing, ofcourse, stays the same year on year, witness we have no guest speakerevening in the whole of April but two in May! The May meetings give us theopportunity to display a car or two outside the community centre. You neverknow what you might be confronted with when you arrive!

I received a very nice note from Mike Pilbeam, our March guest, thismorning. Now don't let the swede swell up but the gist was how much heenjoyed his visit and...'what a very enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeablebunch FORC members are'! A mantra of mine is 'Our best ambassador is ourlast guest speaker' it does count for the future. Thank you all for yoursupport.

It is barely eight weeks to our refreshed and extended Legion Rally.Please make sure you have Saturday 1st June heavily highlighted in yourdiaries. The entry for the Speed Street Paddock is steadily building but I'malways keen to accommodate more competition cars and bikes....so if youknow any non FORC member with an appropriate machine please put themin touch.

The new website is bedding down well – thanks Dave. Please rememberthat you can already book your entries for the PWR on Sunday 30 th June andour exclusive FORC Snetterton Track Evening on Tuesday 13th August. As wedon’t have a meeting this month make up for lack of FORC by getting thoseentries in now!

Safe and enjoyable Oily Ragging

Steve

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Jim Russell 28th May1920 – 30th. March 2019

Just as we were compiling this FORC Newsletter we received the sad newsof the passing of Jim Russell. Jim, as many of you will remember, was ourguest speaker in November 2005.

A native of Downham Market, Jim opened a garage after RAF service in WW2.It was not until 1952 that he was introduced to racing, at Snetterton, and wassoon out at the wheel of a 500cc Cooper-JAP. He soon tasted success in 500ccFormula 3 and subsequently Formula 2 and sportscars almost all the time inCoopers but with outings in a Formula 1 Maserati 250F too. He won 64 F3races, eleven F2, and six sportscar races. His driving career was cut short by afiery night time accident, not of his making, during the 1959 Le Mans 24Hours Race.

Photo G.C Smith ©Leigh Trevail

Jim en route to another win at Snetterton in a 500 cc Formula 3 Cooper

All the time Jim was developing what became famous as the Jim RussellRacing Drivers School (JRRDS) first at Snetterton but subsequently in theUSA, Canada, Sweden and Japan. JRRDS was breeding ground for futurechampions: Formula 1 World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi (1972 & '74),Jacques Villeneuve (1997), both also Champions in 'Indycar', and many otherillustrious graduates. There are at least two current FORC members too!

JRRDS - Duckhams advertisement featuring JRRDS Formula Fords from 1968

In 2011 the 500 Owners Association and the HSCC asked FORC to organise anexhibition at Snetterton around a tribute 500cc F3 Race for the Jim RussellTrophy which we were delighted to do and enjoyed Jim's company for theafternoon.

The following picture shows Jim left, with Barbara Greenway, and anotherdear friend of FORC and guest speaker, the late Jack Sears, at the dedicationof the Norman Greenway Room at Snetterton. My apologies to whoever tookand supplied this picture; I hope you won't mind us publishing it.

Jim with Barbara Greenway and the late Jack Sears

There is a huge and fascinating story here including Jim's successful foray on''The Turf'. The late Norman Greenway ('Motorport Norm') book The JimRussell Story (Transport Bookman 1999, if you can find a copy, has it all.

'The Jim Russell Racing Drivers School – the Foundation of British Motor Racing' Colin Chapman

Every enthusiast of motor sport in our region should have a copy of Norman Greenway's book in their library

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Racing at Clermont-Ferrand (Charade) 2018With Colin Wright

I’ve been racing my Historic Formula Ford 2000, a Reynard SF79, for over 25years. Initially with the URS series and the 750 Motor club but for the last 10years in the Historic FF2000 Championship organised by Historic Sports CarClub (HSCC). The Historic FF2000 Association has an affinity with HVM, aFrench motor racing club and last year, 2017, we as a series joined them torace alongside Formula 3 cars in Pau in France. HVM were happy for theFF2000s to have their own race in May 2018 at Charade, if we guaranteed 25cars would compete and more than 30 of us grabbed at the chance.

The original circuit (Clermont-Ferrand) was built around the base of anextinct volcano, was over 8km in length with 48 turns and hosted the FrenchGrand Prix four times. The circuit was so sinuous that Jochen Rindtcomplained of motion sickness in the 1969 Grand Prix and wore an openhelmet – just in case. The modern circuit (named Charade) uses some of theold circuit but is not quite 4km in length and has 18 turns. The access road tothe paddock is also on part of the old circuit and gives a real feel of what itwas like.

This diagram shows the original 8km circuit and the current 4km version

The logistics of getting to Charade were somewhat complicated. A friend ofmine, Steve, was taking his truck there (with the capacity for 4 racing cars) soI bagged a place for my car with him – this meant I wouldn’t have to take mytrailer to France, could just travel down in our motorhome and could have abit of a holiday afterwards. However, the previous weekend I was racing atCadwell Park and so on the Sunday after racing I travelled to MarketHarborough with the motorhome and trailer and stayed overnight in Steve’syard. Monday was spent prepping the Reynard and then, leaving the trailer atSteve’s, I came home to Suffolk. On Tuesday, my wife Anne and I travelled toDover where we met our friends John and Kathy in a campsite in readiness foran early crossing to Calais the next day.

We needed to be in Charade for lunchtime on the Thursday for scrutineeringso did most of the long journey on the Wednesday – leaving just about 100miles for Thursday morning. The last 10 miles were most interesting, wewiggled through some ancient villages and twisted and turned, climbing everhigher until we reached Charade. It was a most magnificent sight. We weresqueezed into the paddock like sardines but it was fine – we were suppliedwith electricity for the motorhome and everyone was the same – it justrequired a bit of car shifting and manouvering when testing or qualifying.

The track is fabulous and from the central paddock you could look in anydirection and see steep inclines (and declines), sharp hairpins, sweepingbends and corners and although I’d been studying the circuit beforehand, itlooked nothing like it did on paper!

On Friday in testing, I discovered what a demanding circuit it is: a crossbetween Cadwell Park on steroids, Spa Francorchamps and street circuitswith walls at the track edge e.g. Monaco or Pau but what an absolute delightto drive round – a wonderful experience. Saturday dawned bright and sunnyand qualifying went pretty well, with me in 6th position. The first race was onSaturday afternoon, I made a good start, had an excellent, exciting race andwas pleased with my finish of 5th.

However, the second race was to be on Sunday and the weather was atrocious.Races were delayed due to horrific thunderstorms and the track wasimpossible. Eventually the rain ceased and the track started to dry a little –but a few of our fellow drivers were obviously apprehensive about driving onthis difficult track in damp conditions and opted not to race. I decided that Iwould do the two green flag laps and see what it was like. As it happened, Iwas fairly happy with the conditions, thought that I’d be OK and decided togo for it.

As we lined up after the green flag laps there was a gap in front of me and Imade the best of the rolling start as the lights on the gantry went out. Iimmediately got into the lead and just stayed there until the end! I had onegent who was determined to catch and pass me but he got a bit overenthusiastic and managed to park himself in a gravel trap. I have won racesbefore and won wet races too but this win seemed extra special, just to beracing at Charade and under fairly difficult circumstances. It’s quiteemotional to be on the podium in first place with the National Anthemplaying.

The next day, Anne and I and our friends John and Kathy set off for a holidaytaking in the Millau Bridge and then staying for a few days in magnificentCarcassonne before wending our way back to Calais. An excellent trip washad and I’m hoping for more French races in the coming years.

Many thanks Colin for this account and pictures of your Charade odyssey and congratulations on the win.

Encore, please......Ed.

Colin, on the winners spot has a good look at his Trophy

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Your 2019 Holiday Planning Guide!

Please make sure you have these FORC dates inyour diaries!

Next event: Guest Speaker Evenings – At Stradbroke Community

Centre:

Wednesday 1st May Frank DernieWednesday 29th May Gulf Racing Retrospective

Wednesday 25th September Andy PriaulxWednesday 30th October To be confirmedWednesday 27th November Johnny MowlemWednesday 11th December Reserve date

Please remember: If unforeseen circumstances affect our plans we place announcements on the www.forc.org.uk homepage, If time allows we will contact all members by News Flash and local broadcasters (BBC Suffolk, BBC Norfolk, Park Radio). This might be weather or just a change of guest speaker.

Outdoor Events: The Legion Rally - Saturday 1st JuneThe President's Wife's Run – Sunday 30th June

– Please Book now!FORC Snetterton 300 Track Evening – Tuesday 13th August

– Please book NowThe Peter Andrews Sprint – Saturday 21st September .

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FORC Racers Update.

Snetterton's opening meeting of the 2019 season, organised by the CSCC,proved fortuitous for Fressingfield man Carl Chambers in his Peugeot 208Gti.30th.

For the first time in his racing career Carl started from Pole Position but coldtyres soon saw him back to second place, and then spinning, putting himback to sixth at the start of lap two of the 40 minute Turbo Tin Tops race.Fighting back, Carl 2018 Turbo Tin Tops Champion, chose to take hisobligatory pit stop at the earliest opportunity, a tactic which paid off when hetook the chequered flag with a clear six second gap between himself and thesecond car home.

In the following race – which was also of 40 minutes duration Ben Simond'stook a well deserved eighth overall and a first in Class E in his Caterham.

In Swinging Sixties Multiple Champion Tim Cairns, from Pole Position,finished less than a second behind the winning BMW. Tim nevertheless hadthe consolation of setting fastest lap in his faithful, much raced, AustinHealey Frog Eye Sprite.

Footnotes.

Mike Pilbeam at FORC 27th March

Despite how it looks Mike was not leading us all in the rousing FORC song!

Thank you Mike for a really interesting evening.

And Finally!

©Mike Dixon

From the 1989 Willhire 25 Hours but perhaps a sign of the times in 2019..? What car, who drove, what was their result and who owns it now?

Answer next month'.

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