Well I never

[Ken Mason]

I was talking to Rhiannon, a colleague at work today. Her partner Dan is a member of the Jordan family who make very popular cereal and museli bars in the UK.

She was saying that Dan's grandfather John Jordan used to own and race a GT40. So I Googled him and found one record of him racing his GT40 at Snetterton in 1968, in a formula libre race. And blow me down if I didn't realise that my Dad had taken me to that meeting....

Rhiannon says John told her when he sold the GT40 the cheque he got for it bounced! There is another record of him racing a McLaren M6B. I must get to talk to him!

She would love it if anyone has got any pictures of John Jordan racing his GT40. Don't know what the chassis number was.

 

[Ken Mason]

Found this: Ford GT 40 chassis #P/1038 was delivered to the Essex Wire Corp. on 1-4-66..After changing hands a couple of times it was bought in 1967 by John Jordan of Bedfordshire England.In the four years between 1967 and 1970 he raced it no less than 97 times.In that time he finished in the top three on 72 occasions.He won 28 races outright,took 13 class wins and only failed to finish 3 times.A very top effort for a privateer part time racer!!At the end of the 1970 season he sold the car to a John Bailey.

John Jordan sounds quite a guy... her's another story I found on the web:

But he had another string to his bow and this was his aeroplane. He was a well known pilot and would often fly to the circuit in his old Biplane. There were a few summer evenings after the racing when John (occasionally after a challenge from someone in the bar) would jump into his plane and perform an improptu flying display.

This sometimes didn't go down too well with the authorities and it occasionally landed him in trouble. Stories circulated of his exploits. (I don't know how many were true). One was flying under the Daily Express bridge at Silverstone, which was ok, but he took down a few telegraph cables on the other side. Another was when he took someone up for the first time. The plane had no seat belts for a passenger so as they were about start a loop he was told to brace himself and put his feet under the bar on the floor!

 

[Harry Hudson]

I remember a story, from around that time, about a guy who used to drop flour bombs from his plane as he buzzed his fellow Racers in the Paddock. It sounds like it could have been John.

P.S. I like their Cereal Bars too, a very tasty snack.

Tom

 

[Paul Munday]

I may well have been at the same formula libre race at Snetterton in 1968. I took a very short 16mm film and tried to attach a copy but it was rejected as no security token (?) I could retry to attach this with some asistance if anyone is interested. I did manage to attach a couple of stills taken from the film.
I was allowed onto track as an "assistant" track marshall and got quiter close to the cars and even hitched a ride around the track in the BMW safety car between races. Security was not very tight in those times but it all turned out fine.
(N.B. The film is marked "The Early 70's..." but that was a mistake).

 

[Ken Mason]

That's great Paul thanks for those. Talking to John Jordan's grandson the other day he said the GT40 was eventually sold for a minute sum, less than two grand I believe!