it was BBC actually, 100 Great Sporting Moments.
No other ranking, no discussions, just the "moment". An Escort, by the way not a Viva was the UK car.
The point about this race was the two cars, although they were ahead of the rest of the field, there literally was nothing to chose between them. The Mustang (I'm not sure it was not a Ford Galaxy as well by the way) was way faster that Escort is a straight line, but absolutly useless going round corners. As a result the leadership changed several times each lap. In fact I've never seen a car race leadership change as often.
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I remember that one. It was a Mk1 Escort, couldn't say about the American car, though I tend to think it was a Galaxy as you suggest. One of them (the Escort ?) had his right turn indicator going all the way round. I couldn't decide if it was oversight or just darned cheeky ! :-)
How do we gang up and get BBC to repeat it ?
John
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Yes it was a Ford galaxy (and no thats not a people carrier all you young whiper snappers) they were popular in touring cars of the day,
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Galaxie, I thought.
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Good afternoon Mr Pedant, Of course I thnk you are right.
Were they not Aussie beasts?
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Crystal Palace was such a tight circuit that it used to be very difficult overtaking anywhere.It closed around 1973.
I went there regularly and I saw Jochen Rindt and Jackie Stewart competing.
A favourite memory is of the final bend in IIRC a Formula Ford race when three cars approached the bend and third place decided it was now or never , dived in and took first and second off allowing the guy in fourth through to win. I wish I could remember the driver names but it is getting on for 35 years ago.
It caused the best punch up I have ever seen outside the boxing ring.
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A quick google shows my memory was not as good as I thought , it was a F3 race but this was the incident I saw, I should have remembered at least one of the names.....
From a history of the Crystal Palace track.
'The final event in October was immortalised by the BBC when the Formula 3 final was won by Dave Walkers Lotus, but this was overshadowed by James Hunt climbing from his car and knocking out Dave Morgan in the middle of the track after a last corner incident. Dave Morgan was later found guilty of reckless driving by the RAC, and was fined and banned, while everyone knows what happened to James Hunt.'
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A quick google shows my memory was not as good as I thought , it was a F3 race but this was the incident I saw, I should have remembered at least one of the names.....
I see what you mean. Dave Morgan is a household name! ;)
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Jack Sears I think it was drove the Galaxie. Brands, c.1966
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I think you are right on all points SP - I was hoping someone would come along to correct me.
Closest saloon car race I saw was at Thruxton in about 1976.
3litre Capri versus Dolomite Sprint, the lead changed every lap for the whole race, the Crapi faster on the straights, the Dolomite quicker round the bends. Two very well known drivers. Racking my brains to remember............Chris Craft & Doc Murphy? No, they were the Ford Anglia guys who beat the mk2 Jags in the sixties.
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Lets see who was about then. too early For Rob Gravet or Andy Rouse?
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Was it Tom Walkinshaw in the Crapi and.............?
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Andy Rouse in the Dolomite!
Got there in the end.
Now where's my Horlicks......
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YEH - RF gets half a point - That was from memory too, no googling there!. If there was any close racing or door handle banging going on in the 70's 80's and early 90's then Andy Rouse was always there or there abouts. Did he not start driving the Sierra XR4i with the chip cutter wings later?
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Remember Gerry Marshall? Sat next to him on a flight to the Isle of Man when I was timekeeping in the 1976 Manx Tophy Rally. He was making a film for Castrol, or something, and managed to roll his Firenza, ending up across the road with the bonnet and boot on top of the hedges and the roof hanging above the road. The night before, he had approached a courting couple in Douglas, tapped the man on the shoulder and asked "Excuse me, what time does scrutineering start?"
Roger Clarke won, of course. Despite rolling his car on the first stage. I remember Cahal Curley in his mis-firing 911 (4mpg!) and Billy Coleman in his Escort sideways for most of the (90% tarmac) rally.
Ah, memories!
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