Pete Briggs Part 2

Part two continues Pete’s story with the Honda Civic championship, into the Honda CRX series then in 1991 set up a new team in Formula 3. He was then approached by Adrian Reynard to run their F3 team with Gil de Ferran. Then it was into F3000 but without a driver! But it was turned round when Tom Kristensen came on board, finally coming to an end in 1998 when he sold out to Paul Stoddart.

Download the recording here.

After the obligatory cup of coffee, here's Pete digging into some old book or other

Pete Briggs Part 1

Pete Briggs started off 1968 helping out around the workshop of the Winkelmann Racing Formula 2 team. Gradually working his way up to through 1969 and by a roundabout way into Formula 1 in 1970 with the fledgling March Racing team. 1971 was in Formula 2 followed by a switch to the Matchbox Team Surtees F2 team. Then it was back to Formula 1 with March in 1973 before returning again to Team Surtees in 1976 all the way to the teams demise in 1979. In 1980 he bought a Honda road car dealer franchise from John Surtees.

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Just after our recording session, me on the left and Briggsy on the right.

Eammon Fullalove

This interview features metal guru Eammon ‘Chalkie’ Fullalove, from his start as a delivery boy with a butchers shop in his native Ireland, to his move to Britain and getting a job with Team Lotus in 1965. We follow him through seeing his first race car (the Lotus 38, no less), organising the Lotus F1 truck, his work on the 1966 and 1967 Indycars, his first visit to a race meeting, Indy 1967, to do which he had to forge his date of birth on his passport! Follow him through that year’s disastrous Indy and then 1968 and 1969. He moved to the McLaren Indy team in 1970 and then worked in the US for years plying his trade with several Indycar teams, including AJ Foyt’s.

Download the recording here.

Our recording session in the 'Shed Of All Knowledge', that's me on the left and Chalkie on the right.

Beaky Sims Part 2

Part 2 starts with a quick look at 1972 but then we dive back into the late 60's and his experiences with Jim Clark and Jochen Rindt, then it's on to 1971 with March Racing but in F5000 in the States with Skip Barber. Beaky then moved to Hesketh Racing in 1974, so we finish up with a few stories of James Hunt.

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At our recording session, Beaky on the left and me on the right.

Beaky Sims Part 1

In this exclusive interview you’ll learn how Beaky started, his entry into racing with a friends’ Formula Junior car, his interview at Team Lotus and subsequent work with the Lotus Cortinas, Formula 2 and then Formula 1 cars at the time of the teams’ greatest success, including working with legends like Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Mario Andretti.

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At our recording session, Beaky on the left and me on the right.

Pete Kerr Part 3

Part 3 :
1972 through to 1978 and his work with March then on to Shadow and finally into R&D with Arrows.

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Monaco 1970 and Pete Kerr (right) tends the STP March 701 of Chris Amon. Chris retired the car after 60 laps with broken suspension.

Pete Kerr Part 2

Part 2 :
Is 1969 to 1971 and takes us through his time with Jochen Rindt and the F2 Brabhams at Winklelmann, the 1970 and into Formula 1 with the fledgling March team.

Download the recording here.

Monaco 1970 and Pete Kerr (right) tends the STP March 701 of Chris Amon. Chris retired the car after 60 laps with broken suspension.

Pete Kerr Part 1

Part 1 ;
1950 to 1968 takes us through Pete’s early interests growing up in his native New Zealand, getting involved with saloon car racing, Lotus Cortinas, his move to the UK and working for the Winkelmann Racing team in Formula 2.

Download the recording here.

Monaco 1970 and Pete Kerr (right) tends the STP March 701 of Chris Amon. Chris retired the car after 60 laps with broken suspension.

Cedric Selzer

Here you’ll hear Cedric tell us how his interest in all things automotive started growing up in South Africa, his move to the UK in 1961 and his start as a race mechanic (although he knew nothing of race cars) with Ian Raby, his move to Team Lotus (first race with them in Formula 1 was Spa 1961 and the Lotus 21’s), in 1962 he was mechanic on Trevor Taylor’s car, in '63 he moved over to be main mechanic for Jim Clark, his short F1 career finished in 1964!

Download the recording here.

Bob Dance

In this interview you’ll hear how Bob started at Rootes Group in 1950, how he got his first start with Lotus ten years later, how he moved on to constructing gearboxes at Cheshunt, on to the Lotus Cortinas, the Indy team and finally being elevated to Chief Mechanic in the traumatic, World Championship-winning year in Formula 1 of 1968.

Download the recording here.

Bob Dance (left) in the Brands Hatch pitlane with driver Elio de Angelis.

Welcome to the Mechanic's Gallon!

Over the coming months I aim to bring you recordings of pitlane habituees ranging from people who were in at the start of the sport right through to much more recent times.

Formula 1
Formula One
Motorsport
Colin Chapman
Team Lotus
March Racing
Shadow Racing
Motorsport Memories
Formula 2
Brabham
Hesketh Racing
Lotus 25
John Player Special
March 701