Mad About Cars

In the history of NASCAR, one of the names that is conveniently forgotten by the sport is that of 1980s ace Tim Richmond. The Ohio driver’s flamboyant ‘playboy’ lifestyle was one the rising sport was keen to disassociate itself with, and when he tragically succumbed to AIDS in 1989, it seemed he was conveniently forgotten about, by all but his legion of fans, who continue to keep his memory alive.

From the moment he was born, Richmond’s background was very much different to the traditional NASCAR values. Growing up in a wealthy family, with expensive tastes, his lifestyle was very different to traditional ‘working class’ drivers such as Richard Petty.

Competing in sprint car races in his early twenties, Richmond’s talent came to the fore, and he was offered a drive in the 1980 Indianapolis 500, where he finished ninth despite running out of fuel (and was memorably given a lift to victory lane by race winner Johnny Rutherford)

Soon after, he switched to NASCAR, and during the 1980s established himself as a consistent midfield runner, breaking into the top ten runners in 1983. By 1985 he was seen as one of the sport’s rising stars, and legendary car owner Rick Hendrick built an all-new team around Richmond in 1986. Despite Richmond and crew chief Harry Hyde suffering from initial differences of opinion, the two gelled, and Richmond took seven victories in 1986, finishing third in the Winston Cup.

However, by the end of the season, he was suffering from ill health, at which stage he was diagnosed with AIDS, then a little known condition. With official press releases stating he was suffering from double pneumonia, Richmond regained his fitness in 1987 to win two races on his comeback. However his health would soon deteriorate and NASCAR prevented him from driving, leading to Richmond’s resignation from the Hendrick team.

Richmond attempted to take part in the 1988 season, but was subjected to a drugs test by NASCAR, which he failed. Richmond stated he had taken no illegal substances, and it later transpired the only drugs recorded were over the counter medicines. NASCAR refused to let Richmond drive without surrendering his medical records, and shunned by the organising body, and many within the sport, he retired to Florida where he finally succumbed to the disease in August 1989.

When Richmond’s story became public knowledge, many of his fans were livid with NASCAR’s stance over the driver, a resentment that still bears true with many fans to this day. On another note, the smash-hit box office movie Days of Thunder was loosely based on Richmond’s career, with the character Cole Trickle (played by Tom Cruise) being inspired by Richmond.

With the widely publicised economic slowdown making times tough for even the largest car manufacturers, the Jaguar Land Rover group has become the latest company to press for government support, with reports that the JLR is group is seeking a £1bn financial ‘bail-out’ from the UK government.

Only a few months following the purchase of the two marques from Ford, and despite huge amounts of money and manpower being invested by the parent company Tata, sales of the two marques have been hit badly, particular of Land Rover vehicles, which have nose-dived sharply during 2008.

With the Jaguar Land Rover group being smaller than many of its prestige rivals, and the large, oil burning engine ranges being hard hit by fuel increases and EU targets on carbon emissions, it is believed that the company hopes the ‘bail-out’ will enable the company to improve its liquidity in the automotive supply chain, and enable the development of more environmentally-friendly vehicles to shape the company’s future, as the group looks to keep up with its rivals including manufacturers such as BMW, who have helped pioneer new green technology.

The news will re-ignite debates on the future of the group, and how it can adapt to meet the needs of the car buyer of the future, and whether it is correct to bail-out such companies in the event of such a slowdown. However, at the forefront of both the Jaguar Land Rover group, and surely of the UK government, is that a repeat of the catastrophic end of MG Rover in 2005 must be avoided at all reasonable cost.

For those looking to experience the thrills of driving a Formula One car, many companies offer the ultimate thrill of learning to drive a fully-fledged Formula One car. But for those who want the ultimate Formula One experience, several specialist companies offer actual Formula One cars of the past, available for the public to buy.

Whilst historic Formula One cars often come up for auction or are available to purchase with a price tag to suit (generally well in excess of £500,000), many of the rather insignificant cars from Formula One’s recent past are available to purchase from specialist traders. And for cars involved in a multi-million pound sport, many of the purchase prices seem surprisingly low.

Quite often cars are sold as tailor made packages, for those looking to buy a decorative showpiece, show cars (cars generally for display only, minus the internals) can be bought for around £10,000, with rolling chassis (generally minus the engine) are available for around £35-£40,000. Examples of this include a 1994 Pacific F1 car, along with Ivan Capelli’s 1989 Leyton House. Engines can be bought for a variety of budgets; a Judd engine can be bought for around £20,000, with top-spec Cosworth engines available for around £60,000.

And for those looking for their own team, around £100,000 will buy a pair of 1994 Arrows cars, complete and ready to run.

And for the ultimate Formula One thrill, budding drivers have their very own series. The EuroBOSS series takes place at circuits across Europe and is open to retired F1 cars constructed prior to December 2003, along with ex ChampCar, IRL and F3000 cars. Whilst it may not be the cheapest form of motorsport, it is still, by comparison, a cheaper way to get into Formula One, and one of the only chances for most drivers to experience Formula One competition. It is by no means an historic procession either, racing is fast and competitive, with EuroBOSS cars having set many track records, including the record at the Brands Hatch ‘Indy’ circuit, 38.032, set by Scott Mansell (no relation to Nigel) in a Benetton Judd V10.

For race fans, the series allows them the chance to experience the sights and sounds from Formula One’s not so distant past, and unlike present-day Formula One, the EuroBOSS series allows fans to access the paddock and look at the historic cars close hand, being a true part of the action.

However, Bruno’s life would be changed dramatically following Ayrton’s tragic death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. After the tragedy, Senna was discouraged against a career in motorsport, however in his adolescent years his passion for driving remained undiminished, and ten years after the tragedy Senna was given an example of his late uncle’s 1986 Lotus Formula One car, and after driving the car for some display laps at the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, his career kick-started into life.

Like his uncle, Senna relocated to the UK. He competed in a handful of Formula BMW races in 2005, before a full season of Formula 3 in 2006 saw him finish third in the series despite a heavy accident at Snetterton.

Senna was not keen to hang around in Formula 3 for long, being aware that even at the young age of 22, he was at risk of being overlooked by younger drivers for the Formula One grid.

A move to the GP2 series in 2007 saw him finish eighth in 2007, before finishing second in 2008. He has won three GP2 races, including a win at the Monaco GP2 event, at the circuit where his uncle was so dominant.

With a family heritage so famous, Senna has been forced to deal with a lot of publicity and media coverage. Other drivers, such as Jacques Villeneuve (who practically refused to talk about his late father Gilles) found this type of coverage difficult to deal with, however Bruno has stated that he finds it natural, and has been a good preparation for his future career.

Senna is currently working with the Honda team to help develop the new car, and the team will be eager to determine how well he fits in with the team. The prospect of a Senna returning to the Formula One grid is certainly tantalising, especially if he were to be a rival to Lewis Hamilton, who idolised Ayrton Senna, and whose style is very similar to Ayrton in terms of his natural ability and his strong will to win.

In his lifetime, Steve McQueen was an avid petrol head, not only being a keen enthusiast of both cars and motorcycles, but also a very accomplished competitor as well. His passion for cars and bikes was shown in many of his movies, and his 1968 crime thriller ‘Bullitt’ is just such an example.

Although the film is not strictly a motoring film, it is probably best remembered for the Ford Mustang driven by McQueen, and the extended car-chase mid way through the film, where Lieutenant Frank Bullitt (McQueen) chases two hit-men through the streets of downtown San Francisco.

In the film, Bullitt, along with his team, is assigned to look after a key witness, being held under police protection prior to a Senate meeting. The witness is due to give evidence in order to assist a Senator bringing down a powerful Mafia crime ring. However, when the witness is apparently shot by hitmen, Bullitt looks into the case and later finds the true witness had conned the Senator, paying another man to take his place. The end of the movie sees a final shootout, as Bullitt confronts the witness at San Francisco airport, about to flee the country.

The most famous scene is the car-chase in the middle of the movie, as the hit men chase Bullitt, before he turns the table and chases them instead, with the two hit men being forced into a fatal accident when they career off the road into a ‘gas’ station. Two 1968 Ford Mustangs were used in the filming, with the hit men’s vehicle being a Dodge Charger. Whilst McQueen wished to do most of the driving sequences himself, friend, stuntman and famed motorcycle racer Bud Ekins also assisted.

At almost 10 minutes long, the chase, and the San Francisco backdrop, is one of the most iconic in history, coupled with the superb soundtrack of the American muscle cars along with superb camera footage. In the forty years since the film’s original release, it has gone on to become a cultural landmark.