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Post by charleselan on Dec 31, 2020 17:25:53 GMT
I have just scanned through my latest copy of the digital Motorsport Magazine. Quite a good month I would have to say, the highlight on quick inspection would be the large feature on the Toleman TG280 F2 Championship winning cars and team. Both drivers Brian Henton & Derek Warwick were reunited with their old cars, both of which looked beautifully restored. Lots of interviews with former team members about those times and all conducted I believe by Chris Witty the former F2 race reporter; big question though, where is that Formula Two book that many of us were eagerly awaiting Chris? Another big feature is an interview with Bernie Ecclestone now in his 90's. Like him or loath him he has been around motor racing one hell of a long time and as ever he remains controversial. A strange guy as well for he admitted that he does not go to funerals, not even his parents, as he does not like to remember people like that. Sometimes Bernie one has to understand that respect for someone is more important but who am I to tell a 90 year old that! However there is one funeral that you cannot avoid . The interviewer brought up the subject of the return to some classic traditional tracks and how well they were received, Ecclestone somewhat predictably stated that he thought they were old and drab and not up to the standard of all those lovely new tracks he had brought about....... one word Bernie, philistine! So another good edition and well worth a read.
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Post by chrisb on Jan 1, 2021 11:37:02 GMT
I look forward to finally getting my copy, having just re-read Donaldson's book on GIlles, who apparently loathed BCE, it will be quite interesting to read
the definitive F2 book is surely overdue John, I do remember seeing the Toleman's at Thruxton and ? somewhere else, and always thought Superhen underated - possibly because of his attempts in the 72,
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Post by charleselan on Jan 1, 2021 13:37:38 GMT
Yes Chris, I also think Brian Henton was underrated, was surprised to read in the article that he was 33 years old when he won the F2 championship in the Toleman TG280. I had forgotten that originally the team had signed Steven South as number one for that season but he was sacked for doing a secret test with the F1 McLaren.
Originally Brian had been signed to drive the Newman Haas Can Am Lola but that was paused for some unknown reason and when Steven was sacked by Toleman they signed up Brian Henton. Steven South then ended up with the Can Am ride with disastrous results as the poor chap had a huge accident which resulted in him loosing part of a leg, and ended a promising career.
Something i failed to comment on in my last post was the interesting feature on a proposed F1 film that was going to be made by Steve McQueen roughly at the same time as the iconic "Grand Prix" movie. It has now emerged that all the archive material put together for this film has been discovered and is pretty interesting, it will apparently be shown on some platforms on 6th Jan 2021, I think that is correct. An interesting hypothesis put forward is that of why Jim Clark and JYS did not feature in "Grand Prix", could it have been that they had been signed up to the Steve McQueen film instead.
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Post by robmarsh on Jan 1, 2021 17:06:44 GMT
I look forward to finally getting my copy, having just re-read Donaldson's book on GIlles, who apparently loathed BCE, it will be quite interesting to read the definitive F2 book is surely overdue John, I do remember seeing the Toleman's at Thruxton and ? somewhere else, and always thought Superhen underated - possibly because of his attempts in the 72, I found my book by Donaldson on Gilles and was thinking of reading it for the third time. Donaldson also did a very good book on James Hunt which I must read again. He was a very good author I thought, very good research and a measured non-judgemental way of writing. He just seemed to disappear off the scene around 2002.
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Post by robmarsh on Jan 1, 2021 17:09:27 GMT
Yes Chris, I also think Brian Henton was underrated, was surprised to read in the article that he was 33 years old when he won the F2 championship in the Toleman TG280. I had forgotten that originally the team had signed Steven South as number one for that season but he was sacked for doing a secret test with the F1 McLaren. Originally Brian had been signed to drive the Newman Haas Can Am Lola but that was paused for some unknown reason and when Steven was sacked by Toleman they signed up Brian Henton. Steven South then ended up with the Can Am ride with disastrous results as the poor chap had a huge accident which resulted in him loosing part of a leg, and ended a promising career. Something i failed to comment on in my last post was the interesting feature on a proposed F1 film that was going to be made by Steve McQueen roughly at the same time as the iconic "Grand Prix" movie. It has now emerged that all the archive material put together for this film has been discovered and is pretty interesting, it will apparently be shown on some platforms on 6th Jan 2021, I think that is correct. An interesting hypothesis put forward is that of why Jim Clark and JYS did not feature in "Grand Prix", could it have been that they had been signed up to the Steve McQueen film instead. You are right Charles. If memory serves, DSJ actually mentioned that fact in his report on the 1966 Monaco GP or his reflections in the Monaco harbour.
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Post by mikael on Jan 2, 2021 10:39:16 GMT
Interesting that those old recordings for McQueen’s movie have been found. Just a small curious detail: some time ago, in connection with an onboard recording from Jim Clark's Lotus, we discussed how it could be that Clark's steering wheel was mounted such that, when going straight, it was not in the symmetric (neutral) position that one would expect. Now, when watching the "new" onboard recording from Stirling Moss's car, it is seen that his steering wheel is mounted in a similar way: when he goes straight, his steering wheel is "pointing" a good deal "to the right".
The "new" Stirling Moss recording.
The Jim Clark recording we have discussed earlier.
Maybe more clear in this video. The off-center "issue" is also commended here, by Peter Windsor, at around 3.11.
Direct Youtube links: Stirling Moss:
Jim Clark:
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Post by René on Jan 2, 2021 10:49:56 GMT
The off center steering looks even more extreme in Stirling's car. Great footage and looking forward to seeing more of this!
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Post by mikael on Jan 2, 2021 12:30:19 GMT
An attempt of providing an answer (but just a guess) myself: it could be that the "off-center" position of the steering wheel has no significance at all. It could be just a result of a lot of on-track experimentation with the steering geometry (changes in camber, caster, toe-in/out). When you change several of these parameters back and forth (and probably - at that time - without the use of instruments), it's easy to imagine that you could have "lost" the original neutral (and neatly symmetrical) position of the steering wheel. Probably it wouldn't bother a professional driver.
I imagine that the careful use of instruments (on-track, that is) was something that came later. Shown below are a couple of photos from the 1980's, from Alain Prost's "Competition Driving" (Hazleton Publishing, 1990).
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Post by Carl on Jan 2, 2021 17:40:13 GMT
The off center steering looks even more extreme in Stirling's car. Great footage and looking forward to seeing more of this! One possible explanation is that the drivers were more comfortable over a race distance gripping the padded rim and wanted to avoid pressing against the (possibly abrasive) metal spokes with their thumbs. Could poor design have prompted the rotation of center?
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Post by mikael on Jan 2, 2021 22:41:18 GMT
The off center steering looks even more extreme in Stirling's car. Great footage and looking forward to seeing more of this! One possible explanation is that the drivers were more comfortable over a race distance gripping the padded rim and wanted to avoid pressing against the (possibly abrasive) metal spokes with their thumbs. Could poor design have prompted the rotation of center? Carl,
that is indeed a plausible explanation. Exactly for that reason most karting drivers mounted their steering wheel "upside-down" (at least during the years around 1980 ...).
To be sure, racing drivers don't hold the steering wheel with just a delicate touch, as driving teachers tell you to do on the road, but rather with a firm grip.
Terry Fullerton 1978
Lake Speed 1978
Only very few drivers mounted their steering wheel the "right way".
P.S. I am again borrowing some of the excellent photographs from:
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