There are many famous sons of famous fathers in motor sport. My reasons for this particular ramble relates to my noisy retirement from motor racing a couple of years ago. I had written, “I have had a great run in motor sport since my debut in 1965, but it is time to hang up the helmet. However, I will still enjoy driving a race car around a circuit for fun. It’s just I don’t need to ‘race’ any longer.”
I was wrong. I couldn’t live without it. It is a disease. So with the help of friends such as Steve Graham (Securitas) and Kevin Fisher (CEA) and a whole bunch of enthusiasts like Peter Smith (AA Insurances), Shaun Burke (Cromwell Tools), Chris Lock, Michael Ganster (D2 Hotel), the Automotive Focus Group, Gavin Charlesworth (EBC Brakes), and a crew of Simon Roberts, John Moreton and Sergey Kolmakov; the Securitas Retro Race Team of a 1973 Mk1 Ford Escort hit the tracks this year, with myself as the driver, having lifted my helmet back off the peg.
Securitas Retro racing Escort
We proudly say we are the only Retro team in Thailand that has a Retro driver – I raced Mk1 Escorts when they were new! And it has been a great fun project.
However, when I returned home with a trophy for 4th place, my young son Evan was mightily impressed. He now thinks he might just have a go at motor racing. In the meantime I notice that he is placing his hand on mine when I go to change gears as I drive him to school. The disease is contagious.
