MONOPOSTO AND FORMULA JUNIOR RACING IN 1959 AND 1960

Former member David Taylor has sent us a few tales of the early days of Monoposto and racing what was essentially a Monoposto car in Formula Junior. Going up against the contemporary Lotuses, Coopers and other factory teams would be a bit like running a home built car in F3 today - very brave, and only for the skilled and committed.

David would love to hear from anybody who remembers his cars, or knows anything of their subsequent history. To prevent spam, any emails will be passed on if you email here or you can leave a telephone message with Simon on the usual contact number, or email Simon.

TAYLOR SPECIAL 1959 I designed and built the above Monoposto/ Formula junior car in 1959. I had a lock up garage off Ladbrook Road London where our group gathered, and helped. Our group was Clive Pusey, Mike Wesson, Mike Trackman, Twig Wood. This photo was taken at Brands Hatch at the end of the racing season. That is me in the car Clive Pusey in the white overalls, and the Chap who I had sold the car to. The car complied with the Monoposto Formula/ FJ as promoted by Frank Tiedeman.	I used a BMC engine mated to a VW gearbox which worked well. The VW gearbox had a low first gear which helped getting off the line fast. From memory I raced it at, Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Silverstone, Mallory Park, and other venues. It had quite good roadholding, and was reasonably competitive. I can not remember my race results. The photo above was taken at Silverstone on the grid. See Elva FJ on right. This was the first factory built FJ car I had come across at the time. I never saw the car after I sold it at the end of 1959, and would be interested in any news on its fate.
EVAD FJ 1960
After I sold the rear engined Taylor Special I designed and built the above FJ car seen with me driving it at the Nurburgring . The Maserati 250 F was a real racing car it looked and sounded right and was successful. I designed the above car as a small version with wire wheels big finned brakes etc. The name Is Dave spelt backwards hence EVAD. It was great fun to drive being controllable in a four wheel drift on fast corners. The engine was a105E Ford unit which we modified with help from a friend John Young of Anglia racing fame. The engine was never competitive against the Cosworth units but very reliable never failed to finish a race including the above which from memory was 20 laps of 7.7 km around the Eifel circuit. I raced the car at Brands Hatch , Snetterton, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Goodwood, Regio- Calibria In Southern Italy, Salerno, and Nurburgring.	The Evad under construction early in 1960. I used the front brakes off a Lotus 10. the space frame and suspension was my design and construction. It took about three months to build the car with help from Clive Pusey and Mike Wesson. Racing the Evad at Cadwell Park. 1960
Goodwood 1960, before the FJ race. L/R . Self, Clive Pusey, Liz, and Clives Mother. Note on right Clive raced a Yimkin FJ , which was quite good but not a front runner. I sold the Evad FJ at the end of 1960 as a bare chassis / body unit, as I used the engine /gearbox diff unit etc for my next car. I wonder what happened to it!	SOME RACE RESULTS. March 27th SNETTERTON. M.R.C. SPRING CUP. 15th out of 28 entries fastest lap 2’05.4” 127.6 kph. BRANDS HATCH EASTER TROPHY. 5th out of 12 entries fastest lap 1’08.6” .120 kph. I remember Bernie Eccleston was entered in this event. April 30th SILVERSTONE 10th out of 14 entrants. August 1st CADWELL PARK . 4th out of 10 entrants. August 20th B.A..R.C. FJ CHAMPIONSHIP GOODWOOD. 18th out of 38 entrants. Fastest lap 1’46.4”. 133kph August 28th REGGIO CALABRIA ITALY. 12th out of 26 entrants fastest lap 1,43.8”. 120 kph. October 20th EIFELPOLKA-RENNEN NURBURING. 9th out of 25 entrants fastest lap 3’48.3” 129.3 kph. Note:7.747 km per lap 20 laps 156 km.

RACING IN FORMULA JUNIOR IN 1960.

Formula Junior was previewed in 1959 and I built and raced the Taylor special which complied with the initial guide lines as promoted by Frank Tiedemann of the Monoposto register. He named his house Peak Revs and was also involved with the 1172 cars and 750 Club.

In 1960 I designed and built the Evad Formula Junior FJ car which I raced at many events in England and the Continent.(note: Evad is Dave spelt backwards).

The RAC published their blue book listing all the race events for the season. I would look through the list select events then submit my application which was usually granted as the grids were rather sparse at most events. On the continent most events paid good start money as they were mostly held yearly with local authority support. I used to select the event then send in my application with a photo of the Evad explaining it was a small version of the 250F Maserati which seemed to do the trick. I would negotiate my start money and only go to events which agreed a reasonable sum in writing.

One event which I shall never forget was at ReggioCalibria in southern Italy. I competed at the bank holiday Goodwood event, and Reggio Calibria was the following week end. Mike Wesson and I set off on the Tuesday in the Ford van with the Evad on a trailer and took turns driving. Coming down the Simplon Pass in to Italy the brakes got very hot and smoked badly. We had to drive in to the banking to help stop. Then we poured water on the brakes which was rather silly as it could have cracked the brake drums, but fortunately it did not. Then we found the brake pedal went to the floor, so we had to bleed the hydraulics before we regained any brakes.

We arrived at Reggio on Thursday evening and set up our tent in a vineyard on the outskirts of the town. Soon there was a crowd gathered around the race car all chatting excitedly. We were taken to the local café and had a good meal and too much wine ending up singing opera with our hosts. It didn’t matter what language was spoken we seemed to all understand each other. On the Friday we went to the Auto Club and registered our entry and most importantly got confirmation they would pay the agreed start money, which was so important. We met some of the other competitors who were mainly Italians, but I remember David Latchford from Brighton who raced a Dophin Fiat and some Americans with a Cooper.

David Latchford was a great chap and we got on well. He had made his living for the previous few years racing on the continent, and only returned home in the winter. During practice a steering bracket cracked on my car, and using sign language and much waving of hands I asked the marshal to point me in the direction of some gas welding equipment. One marshal conveyed to me to follow him. He jumped in to an Alfa and stormed off through the town with me following in the race car having a job to keep up.We arrived at a blacksmith and the race official and blacksmith started to chatter with waving of arms etc. They explained to me in sign language the blacksmith would need to have the steering dismantled before he could weld the bracket.
I conveyed back that I would weld the bracket if they provided the welding kit, as I had welded the whole frame during construction. By this time a crowd had collected around the race car all chattering excitedly, and when the welding bottles were wheeled out I had a job to clear the crowd so I could get to the car. The race official stepped in and shouted at the crowd, waving his arms, but they seemed to shout back and only moved back slightly. While I was welding the race official roared off in his Alfa leaving me to my fate. However the blacksmith refused any payment and gave me a bear hug offering some wine, which I refused indicating I needed to keep sober. I then set off back to the circuit driving very carefully through the traffic, with cyclists pedestrians etc creating chaos, it was fortunate I remembered the way.

The circuit from the start was along the sea front promenade for a fair distance then a sharp left in to the market place, then left, left and right back to the inner lane of the sea front, round a hair pin back to the start. When the flag dropped for heat one we all stormed off down the sea front, and when I braked for the sharp left a number of cars went past me. I thought these guys are so quick. They all went straight on in to the straw bales and the remaining cars emerged out of a cloud of dust to continue.

The second heat had a sparse grid with some very patched up cars.

The flag fell and again we stormed off down the sea front but this time they all braked early and made it around the first corner. About half distance I came around the market place to find oil all over the road with a Stanguilini ahead still running but leaving a trail of blue smoke and oil. I spun and broke the rear suspension so that was that.

That evening the organizers held a reception in the town hall and laid on drinks etc. It was all very jolly except for the endless speeches in Italian given by the various dignitaries. The following day I went down to the auto club to collect my start money.
The secretary indicated the boss was out so come back later. After the third time I was fuming but met a English chap who lived in Italy and spoke the language well. I think his name was Colin Davis. I explained what the problem was. And he said this was normal in Italy and can remember Gordini storming in with a gun to get his start money some years previous. He said leave this to me and went in to the boss’s office thrusting my letter of confirmation under his nose. There followed much shouting and waving of arms. After about ten minutes Colin said come on lets get the police and we stormed out, to be followed by the sectary indicating we should go back. We returned and the boss was smiling indicating all was now resolved, as he opened a large safe and paid out my start money which was about £500; at the time a lot of money for us, considering the Evad had cost about that to build. We all then went to the café and had a few drinks and a meal before leaving for the next event.

This gives an idea of racing in 1960 all rather amateurish but also fun.

EVAD SPORTS

David Taylor.