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Race Team Mechanics.
We read about cars, drivers and engines etc. but I would like to acknowledge the ones that make it all happen.
I always hoped that I would join the ranks as I was serving my apprenticeship in NZ and although I came close I never made the grade. So here are some photos and stories from the past and please add anyone you know that has been involved in preparing a car for racing. I have an admiration for these people.
(Ken Hyndman )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 03-31-2016 at 10:13 PM.
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when the cost of changing a tyre is greater than the cost of the tyre something is drastically wrong
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After stupidly starting a flash fire at the front of my Mini Cooper tonight (quickly extinguished ) I remembered one of the greatest fears for mechanics is the risk of fuel spills and fires. These risks have been greatly reduced due to safety measures enforced after the pit fire started in the Benetton pits during the 1994 German F1 GP. Although several mechanics were burnt along with the driver Jos Verstappen they were all lucky to survive this horrific accident. Three years later Verstappen became the father to present day F1 driver Max Verstappen.
(groupdate.net photo )
( Ken Hyndman )
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Does this qualify ?
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1960. Nurburgring pits. Germany.
The dangers of the pits is shown again in this Jesse Alexander photo. Fuel spilled onto the exhaust of this Ferrari driven by Giorgio Scarlatti. I see only one mechanic and all the gentlemen in their long overcoats would have not had much protection. I think lessons were learnt here of not to have too many extra people in the pit areas. When you see the crowded stands etc. they were lucky the fire
was quickly contained.
(Jesse Alexander photo )
(Ken Hyndman )
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[QUOTE=gokiwi;52126]Does this qualify ?
Sure.
We just need more details.
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Monaco.
During the 1950s. Smoking in the pit area was a common sight.
(Jesse Alexander photo)
(Ken Hyndman )
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I came across these a while back
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Lovely man..
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This was the photo of Bob I meant to post!
Last edited by Kwaussie; 04-05-2016 at 08:04 AM.
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Administrator
Awesome thread Ken, and a great idea!
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Before the age of radio communications etc the message to a driver was with pit boards held out as the car sped by. I could never figure out how a driver could comprehend the board and still race ! I stood by a pit wall a few times and it scared the heck out of me !
These Ferrari pit crew operators seem pretty calm at Monaco in this '60s photo. Perhaps that was why they smoked cigarettes !.
(Jesse Alexander photo )
(Ken Hyndman )
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" The unsung heroes with greasy hands and no sleep."
I think this "Autosport " thread was a good description for race mechanics from former years.
1972 McLaren Team members;
Yardley-McLaren
Team Directors: Teddy Mayer and Phil Kerr
Chief Engineer: Tyler Alexander
Chief Designer: Gordon Coppuck
Chief Mechanic F1: Alistair Caldwell
F1 Mechanics to Denny Hulme: Barry Sullivan and Peter Davies
F1 Mechanics to Peter Revson: Dave Luff and Phil Sharp
F1 Mechanics T Car: Ian Griffiths and Peter Bruin
Now you need that many just to do a F1 tire change !
(They were a good bunch, dedicated,very hard workers , doing a great job of continuing on a great legacy after the loss of Bruce in 1970.)
(Ken Hyndman )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 04-04-2016 at 10:33 PM.
Reason: *
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July 13th 1973. Silverstone.
Well known Tyrrell race mechanic, Jo Ramirez, leaning over the pit railing waiting for his driver, Francois Cevert to come in after setting his best time as the pit board shows of 1 min 17.3 seconds which was good enough to place him seventh on the grid for the infamous
1973 British Grand Prix held the next day.
( Ken Hyndman photo )
Jo Ramirez went on to have a wonderful career as a race mechanic.
Sadly Francois Cevert was to lose his life in October 1973 while practicing for the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.
( Ken Hyndman )
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Semi-Pro Racer
I always liked this shot of the Ferrari pit.
The caption reads "In a few hours this heap of spare parts was to be a Ferrari that Niki Lauda could drive to victory in the 1976 South African GP" Photo G. Brinkmann
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When it comes to the mechanics, there are some notable ones we've seen over the years...
Among them would be Geoff Smedley. From Tasmania, he worked on the Aussie Miller Cooper and was a major part of getting it to Baker's Beach for the record runs with a V8 engine fitted. Then he moved on to the Youl family cars, where he prepared the immaculate John Youl Cooper.
This car grew Brabham suspension, always looked fabulous, outperformed later model cars and even came close to trouncing an International field at a very wet Lakeside International. One of the big jobs Geoff did was to cast and machine up the parts to fit a second magneto and make use of the blank spots in the head to fit twin plugs.
These were set to fire just a couple of degrees apart to ensure a more complete burn in the Climax engines.
When Boyce Youl got sick and John was forced to go back to the farm and stop racing, the workshop retained basically everything that had been used over the time, just the car and actual spares being sold off. Years later, when John died, Geoff walked into what had been his workshop there and found it just as it had been.
There were wishbone jigs hanging on the wall, chalk notes and various things still there, he was going to go back and photograph it all but didn't get around to it.
After leaving the Youls, Geoff was snaffled up by Frank Matich and helped with the development of the Lotus 19B and the Brabham, but the departure of Team Total saw him move on to the Howard & Sons Racing Team. One of his great achievements there was to design, have cast and machine to a finish a downdraught head for the Ford engines. These achieved great success, though only 14 were made before a terrible fate overcame the patterns.
A trip to South East Asia saw him once again working with the Climax FPF, this time the ex-Bartlett (etc) car as driven by Allan Grice. The team also had a bunch of Mini Coopers, Geoff oversaw the preparation, development and finish of these cars so they performed well and reliably and looked the part.
Back in Tassie these days, Geoff has recently completed restoration of a Morgan and keeps his fingers occupied working on model steam boats.
An outstanding example of the 'Racing Mechanic'...
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Thanks Ray,
That was so interesting about Geoff.
Keep those mechanic stories coming in.
(Ken H)
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