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Post by mikael on Jan 30, 2019 12:59:56 GMT
Coming across the homepage of the Danish track "Ring Djursland" (in Mid-Jutland, not so far from Denmark's second-largest city Aarhus) I was reminded of the category called "Sports 2000", which was basically a Formula Ford 2000 car with prototype (LMP) bodywork. It was a real hit in Denmark in the early/mid 1980's, as they looked like real sports car prototypes. They were a bit smallish maybe, but large enough - and fast enough - for Danish circuits. I wonder how they were received in other parts of the World? Were they just as popular?
Sports 2000 on "Ring Djursland" in 1984.
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Post by mikael on Jan 30, 2019 13:11:31 GMT
Just found out that Sports 2000 is actually not obsolete, but continues to thrive in many countries. That was good "news" to me who, I have to admit, appears to be quite a bit non-up-to-date ...
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Post by René on Jan 30, 2019 16:50:45 GMT
Mikael, I remember these cars. In the late 70s, early to mid 80's we had the so-called Paasraces (Easter races) at Zandvoort and Sports 2000 was always a spectacular class to watch. I think I also saw a race before the F1 Grand Prix once.  |
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Post by Carl on Jan 30, 2019 17:31:46 GMT
Sports 2000 is alive and well in Sports Car Club of America amateur racing.  |
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Post by charleselan on Jan 30, 2019 18:24:00 GMT
What a smashing new thread Mikael, I have seen many Sports 2000 races over the years I attended race meetings but have little recall of any sadly. It was very popular in the UK and Europe, a great breeding ground for prospective sports car drivers in the bigger categories.
I am sure Jamie will know a fair bit about this, much more than me. Did the likes of Ian Taylor and Jeremy Rossiter do well in these cars?
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Post by mikael on Jan 14, 2020 2:31:45 GMT
Tom Belsø in a Lola T330 Formula 5000 in 1973.   At Brands Hatch (1973) |
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Post by chrisb on Jan 14, 2020 7:18:24 GMT
what wonderful photo's really encapsulates all that it once was,
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Post by charleselan on Jan 14, 2020 12:57:02 GMT
What nostalgic and brilliant pictures, thank you Mikael. Not sure if the paddock/marshalling area photo at the top is Brands Hatch as it looks far too flat for Brands; could it be Oulton Park or Mallory Park. Just loved those F5000 monsters, Tom Belso's Lola T332 in the foreground of course and the two red VDS Chevrons of Teddy Pilette and Pete Gethin in the background. Also what more could one wish for with that lovely looking blonde lady in the white flares, so early 1970's . Tom's Lola in Shell sponsorship along with Radio Luxembourg, hence the race number of 208 which was the radio wave band it was broadcast on. For us guys of a certain age in the UK this was one of the best outlets for music throughout the 1960's and early 1970's. Aways broadcast in the evenings with that unique fluctuating sound quality especially found on the must have transistorised radio glued to ones ear. Goodness that sounds so archaic in these high tech times, but would we rather have them than now.............. |
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Post by chrisb on Jan 15, 2020 8:58:40 GMT
the top photo reminds me more of Oulton, but it seems a strange place to put the cars, oh for a similar series right now, stand alone just full of grunt and no subtlety - my kind of cars
ah Radio Luxembourg, such sweet memories, listening to Paranoid, and wondering if we were, having to move the radio or the ariel when the signal broke up, fond [if rather vague] memories
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Post by charleselan on Jan 15, 2020 12:53:57 GMT
On closer inspection I have it incorrect about the red No. 11 car for it isn't Pete Gethin in a VDS Chevron; it is in fact the excellent Bob Evans in Alan McKechnies Trojan T101. I would say that it is the 1973 European Championship year in which Teddy Pilette won the series. Having done a bit of detailed research it would appear that Gijs van Lennep was driving the second yellow Shell/Radio Luxembourg Lola partly obscured by Tom's sister car. There were two race meetings at Oulton Park that year and three at Mallory Park. Following Chris' comment above i am minded to agree that the most likely venue for the photo in question is Oulton Park. Here is a first lap, first corner shot fro Oulton Park probably the same meeting with the very brave Ian Ashley leading from Tony Dean blue Chevron and Pete Gethin in the black & yellow Chevron. A lot of good names in the this photo and when one checks out the drivers who took part during that season it is pretty formidable.  |
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Post by chrisb on Jan 16, 2020 9:38:01 GMT
grass edges, bulky menacing cars, lots of noise, tight and busy grids, great drivers and more grunt than cars could handle wonder why they were so popular...
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Post by charleselan on Jan 17, 2020 13:09:25 GMT
A proper race circuit in the truest sense. I have only been to Oulton Park twice; the first occasion to see a stage of the 1977 RAC Rally and the second a memorable two days of BTCC racing when at its peak. A wonderful track but somewhat out of the way from where I used to live in the Uk, as was Snetterton which I only ever attended once; also BTCC related.
Amazing to see the size of the crowd in this photo, completely packed on the grass trackside embankments, only BSB gets close these days from what I can see.
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Post by chrisb on Jan 18, 2020 8:24:16 GMT
one of the most memorable days at Oulton was one Gold Cup about 7 years ago, when the le Mans winning Bentley was demonstrated followed by JYS in his Tyrell 001 - brilliant, they used to have the F5000's in the race but that seems to have dropped not, I have been to a number of races there but my last experience is one of Oulton becoming too successful for its own capacity, Dr Palmer has done a brilliant job but it is too popular now for the BSB and I am reluctant to go again
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Post by charleselan on Jan 18, 2020 13:17:02 GMT
Yes Chris, Dr Palmer is doing a fine job all around and I hear that there are some major workings going on at Brands Hatch at present as they move things back to make some corners safer, sadly no chance of the GP returning there as it appears the powers that be are more interested in the Middle East and Far. Apparently Saudi is now working on getting a GP with a new venue designed by Alex Wurth, not going down well on social media unsurprisingly due to the feelings about that destination and its regime.
Crowd wise I would seem that BSB has replaced the great spectator attendances that used to happen at the BTCC/F3 meetings of the 1980/early 90's, let alone the huge amounts of people that went to various meetings back in the 1950/60/70's. As you mention the BSB at Oulton seems to attract large crowds, almost uncomfortably so.
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Post by chrisb on Jan 19, 2020 16:00:44 GMT
Yes I looked at the alterations to Brands, In fact Dr John publicly asked the crowd how he could improve Graham Hill's bend not sure what the responses were, it is sad that there is little chance of another GP at Brands, I have lost count how many GP's I saw there and other F1 races, the Race of Champions was such a great race - vague memories of Danny Sullivan one year in a Tyrell? gosh I was the original ginger whinger Mancurian - bless her, such memories...
So, if the conflict in the Middle East gets worse, Qatar which is quite close to the borders of these troubled places and Saudi as well, surely the risks would outweigh the $?
the saloon car series still draws massive crowds but it is one event I avoid now, but the BSB at Oulton just got silly, it is ok at Donnington because it is a spread out circuit with many entrances and Silverstone because it has developed its parking, the MotoGP is also very popular at Silverstone and I need to decide shortly if I am going this year
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