[Andre40]

Hi John Stone, Malcolm M, Graham (GTA Racing) and Lynn Larsen,

Thank you for your friendly, interesting and thought provoking responses.

You’ve no doubt gathered that my proposed series is motivated by a nostalgic desire to see re-born 1950s/1960s grids and I have to admit also due to some frustration, also re-born, at unfinished business in the 1960s! As I said when the wheel came round many years later with CAV I got thinking again.

I’ll reply to you each of you in turn:

John Stone,

Costs and fees involved at this early stage, difficult to tell. There is now a mixed bag sports car formula running at Killarney, ie Lotus Seven replicas, Cobra replicas, Porsche 911s (originals not replicas) and others. Some of the guys are actually racing for relatively little money. There’s also a CAV GT40 in Gulf colours and after some sorting out problems this car is now flying.

Tell me more about your GT40 cd as there could also be a good market here. Thanks for offering to mention ISRRA on it.

Malcolm M,

As Competition Secretary to the GTD40s Car Club you know all about being in the hot seat!

I agree ISRRA implementation, if ever (!), would probably be more like a minefield as opposed to interesting!!

On second thoughts you’re right one rarely if ever saw Lotus Sevens on a typical 1960s grid with GT40s, P4s, Lola T70s, etc. In the local formula mentioned above and other previous mixed bag sports car races in this country drivers of larger cars often complained about not being able to see Chapman’s diminutive missiles.

I’ll reply to your comment about ‘partially in existence here in the UK already’ to Graham below. We might have a solution on our hands.

Yes, I know what you mean about rules, rivalries and how the competitive spirit will always be there with some people. Always been there and will never go away!

I like your comment about the organisers loving your cars at their events and how the public love to see these big engined cars in action. Isn’t it strange how certain eras are magic and can never be replicated, ie the 18th century era of Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart classical music, the 1960s era of the Beatles and pop music. Like wise the GT40 era has also etched itself into a special section of the history books. The current Audis at the new clinical Le Mans with the old Esses gone, not a patch on the good old 1960s!

I know what you mean about the stand at the Autosport show and the proposed GT40 formula. Proposed by a young fellow whose surname begins with ‘M’. CAV did a posting denying any association and I was wondering where all the cars were coming from. I subsequently heard of a fairy godmother who specialises in GT40s. She waves her red, blue and white wand and race-ready, turn-key GT40s fall from the skies …. also in any colour of choice! The proposed ISRRA ain’t in that league!

In addition to the ISRRA idea I’ll continue to motivate the inclusion of the ‘rivet for rivet’ new GT40 MK11 in the historic section. Also the Lola T70 if we can pull that one off. The advantage of these cars is that if they’re damaged in accidents you’re not damaging history. Owners of originals are understandably not madly enthusiastic about copies of their precious cars but my argument is that with the best will in the world a replica can never be a challenge to an original. The replicas can run with a great ‘R’ attached to the race number so that there can be no confusion. Remember the Marilyn Monroe replica who wished Stirling Moss Happy Birthday at the 1999 Goodwood Revival meeting. She ain’t no threat to the original!

Graham,

Congratulations on the Gulf sponsorship! Looks as if the Gulf management has also been affected by this nostalgic bug. If they’re going on a new marketing drive do they have a fabulous history – a marketing man’s dream. Just imagine launching a brand new oil with an unknown name!

I’ll be watching your GT40 and 917 with great interest.

When one casts one’s bread upon the waters things often pop up, like your Sports Racing and GTSeries. You’ve done it and you have the rules even if there are disputes. What do you say to my abandoning the ISRRA idea and linking up with you guys and promoting an identical series, starting in Cape Town. As mentioned above we already have a similar type of race series, in its infancy, in Cape Town. If you in the UK and we in SA work hard at promoting this series as the guinea pigs the series could then spread to other countries. I gather that your series is a mixed bag of replicas and originals.

You mention costs. Motor racing as never been ‘cheap’ and is in fact becoming more expensive. However, your series should hopefully make it more affordable than competing in any of the current modern formulae. I presume that when you quote 75,000 pounds you are including the cost of the 917 but only the running costs of the already paid for GT40.

Lynn Larsen,

Thanks for your good wishes. I’m pleased that there’s someone else out there who likes the idea.

With regard to ‘bigoted against them’ problem is so many kits and cars have been badly built in the past and some members of the industry have actually shot themselves in the foot by their lack of professionalism. One of the main problems has been the absence of detailed build manuals, something I emphasised in an earlier posting.

Since the introduction of SVA in the UK some really super cars are now being built there. If the likes of Superformance, CAV, RF and others continue to build and market safe, high quality cars prejudice will eventually disappear. Some of you may remember how the world laughed at poor quality Japanese products when that country entered Western markets in the late 1950s. Do people laugh at Japanese products today? Of course not, because Japan today produces cars and products of the best quality in the world which goes to prove that with hard work, effort and marketing perceptions can be changed.

Thanks again guys!

Best wishes
Andre 40