Monoposto 1981 - A (Circuit Racing) Virgin is Seduced at Castle Combe

Tony Cotton gives a snapshot of a race in 1981 which had a big effect on him.

I'm not sure the extent to which we're allowed personal reminiscences but I hope the editor and our reader will indulge me if I write about the first Monoposto meeting I attended, nearly 20 years before I actually took part. On Bank Holiday Monday 25 May 1981 I drove my Volvo 343 with a hillclimbing friend to see my first ever circuit race, assuming you don't count bikes at Perton or sand racing in Guernsey. The idea was that having been introduced to the joys of motorsport by push starting a Cooper JAP at Curborough I could see what spectating was like at a club meeting.

I can remember the walk round the paddock and the impression the Mono cars made on me . By comparison with the Formula Fords present they seemed, to a raw novice, to be far more sophisticated and, dare I say it, glamorous. I particularly remember a very pretty Ralt RT1, which would then have been just about the last allowable word in F3 technology. That's a little bit odd because there isn't one in my programme’s entry list so perhaps memory fails. As damp practice began, one of the 2 34 car grids (yes – 68 cars) for BRSCC pre-74 FF set off, and I learnt an early lesson: don't be overenthusiastic early in the practice session because one of the drivers looked just a bit foolish as he spun coming out of the Combe assembly area onto the track. I still think of him every time I leave that gate.

1981 was the first year that the Formula Ford spec engines had been admissible as a “B” class in Mono alongside the full race 1600 pushrods. Interestingly, in what is basically the current 1600 class, I recall that the overwhelming majority ran wings. The entry for the race is given below, and it's good to see some current and recent past members in the list. As they haven't bribed me enough to not mention them, note David Dudley, who was leading the A Class championship in the GRD 374, a very youthful David Cox in his first seasin in a Formula Ford engined Ensign LNF3, and RT3 stalwart Francis Phillips in his Supernova. Other names to note were Tony Broster, shortly to found the competing TF3 series, and Godfrey Hall, the Coventry BMW dealer who was later (1983, I think) to build the Lynx RT3-clone which he raced in British F3. He also raced in BTCC. Tony Broster was the Mono record holder at 1:02.9, which compared with an FF1600 of 1:07.2, FF2000 of 1:03.7 and outright (Peter Gethin shared with Howden Ganley in a McLaren M10 Chevrolet F5000 at 56.6. Those Mono A's were quick cars. Richard Mallock, son of constructor Arthur and brother of touring car builder Ray, was in one of his Dad's U2's, an FF engined Mark 9. I'm sure I will be corrected by those infinitely more knowledgeable than me if I suggest this may have been the last front engined car in Mono? David Dudley's nephew Peter Venn took time out of his accountancy studies to race his ex-DD March 708M, and current Championship Steward Julian Pratt was competing in his Lola 342, as was my predecessor as treasurer, Peter Healey, in a Dastle Mk11. Finally, a Supervee using the VW flat-4 1600 was an unusual entry by Chris Winter.

Going on the basis of car names I recognise, there are just 5 homebuilt cars in class A out of 18, a reduction from 1975 (dealt with by Nigel Bland last year), when more than half were non-commercial. There were no homebrews in the B Class.

Sadly, I'm not a great record keeper and I didn't write down the results, but I hope you enjoy the pictures.

One of the good things about old programmes isn't just the race you're interested in but the surrounding parts. For example, leading light of Mono in the early days, Frank Tiedeman, was racing his Lotus 22 in the separate Formula Junior race, also sponsored by our good friends at Varley Batteries. Another Mono connection in that race was Roy Drew, father of Tiga Mono racer Mark.

Elsewhere in the program, Hartwells proudly announced the availability of Mini Metros, the last great hope of British Leyland, and the circuit offered 3 laps in a Racing Saloon (bet it was an Escort) and 5 laps in an FF1600 for £30. Happy days.

Tony Cotton

* Ace Mono team manager and ex-Shelsley Record Holder Richard Brown also had a Lyncar. Except that one had a DFV. Peter Venn later raced the Broster model.

Terry Mills, March 742-B and David Cox (Revoray-Ensign LNF3). I've had this slide for 27 years and didn't know it was our chairman.Tony Broster in the pretty Lyncar FA001* - an Atlantic car.

Dave Chambers, Chamox (see 1970's piece - where is it now??)Robert Eyers Genie Mk13, which I believe was a glass fibre monocoque.Mallock single seater driven by Arthur Mallock in the Varley Batteries Formula Junior race.Not much changes at Castle Combe - or does it?