Old racers

[Steelrat]

I recently sent an e-mail to a friend of mine saying that he really should go to Brands in August as this years BTCC is looking to be one of the best. In his reply he mentioned something that may be of interest to some:

"I was watching British Superbikes at Oulton Park over the weekend, which was fun because I've both driven a Maserati 3200GTs round that circuit and been driven round it in a Ferrari F40 and 512M by an ex BTCC driver! I'm not sure if he ever won the championship - his name is Vince Woodman, he drove for BMW and Vauxhall, and it was he apparently who brought John Cleland into the Vauxhall team, to give you some kind of timeline.

Vince looks like everyone's favourite granddad these days - until he gets into a car - and then it really is astonishing to be driven round a track with someone of that level of skill. Very very impressive - especially when it was peeing down and he controlled a tail-happy Ferrari to the extent that he was still cornering and braking way in excess of anything I'd ever attempt in the dry! There were other owners and tutors on the circuit of course but Vince - when I was his passenger at least - was pissing past everyone else irrespective of car or conditions."

Now, I do vaguely remember Vince as he used to drive a Capri and I think a Lotus Cortina. And I'm pretty sure I remember him tussling (on the track) with Gerry Marshall at Brands back in '76 ...

Anyway, I suppose the point of this message is "where are they now?". Anyone else have a tale of encountering ex-racers?

P

[The mad monk]

Well,I'm on here!
and you can see me in the paddock at all BTCC events.....
Vince is a great bloke,racing his Cologne capri shortly which has been totally restored by Roger King(who owns the Kelvin Burt Porky)or whats left of it.
There are loads of us still around,just keep a fairly low profile.
CH

[Big Boonster]

Low profile thats down to your height isn't it........ha, Boonie

[Big Boonster]

and another thing, got pickie of Vince driving his Escort following my brother in his Mini at Silverstone, circa 1970'ish. This was the time of the Tricentol and Hepolite Glacier Special Saloon Car Championships, with the likes of Richard Longman (until his crash), he then put Jonathon Buncombe in his "works" car. Then of course it was the time of Big Gerry and I remember watching at Thruxton with Gerry, in his first Viva, JB in his Mini and big bro, driving his Vitbe sponsored Mini. Commentator getting all excited as they circulated as one, one lap it was Buncombe, Marshall, Boon then he made the classic line "this time its Freeman, Hardy and Willis (for you young ones that's a shoe shop, not a series of racers..!), ah them were the days when they managed to race without bashing each other off despite some very very close racing

[Ed]

who is mad monk? chris Hodgets?

[Big Boonster]

who else would/could it be?

[kmchow]

You could keep an eye on

http://www.closeratio.com/asp/defaul...mageField.y=13

http://www.motorsportads.co.uk/race-cars/historic.htm

[Jimmy Magnusson]

who is mad monk? chris Hodgets?

I was under the impression that Lee Brookes was a member on the forum, but I can't recall if it's mad monk.

[Alfa Fan]

madmonk is Chris Hodgetts, hence he signs his posts CH, and posts about Matt Jackson (who he coaches) and his son Stefan a lot!

[AlexD]

I'm guessing that's the same Hodgetts who raced that blue Marcos at Le Mans in 1995?