Hot rod racers from the 70’s old clip (Barry Lee)

[rallycross]

Another great clip from Thames tv put on you tube - a little program about Hot Rod oval racers.

What made me laugh was how well spoken they are - not what you’d find in today’s grid!

https://youtu.be/leXOyJEQq8Y

[The Wookie]

It's funny, my Great Uncle Peter Stone was a Hot Rods racer and knew Barry really well apparently. I believe that side of my family were all involved in Burton Power back in the day.

Despite that I was never exposed to any of the hot rods or racing scene as a child and there were no links going back, it was actually some of my Dad's completely unrelated business contacts that brought me into Motorsport, in fact the first time I ever went to a UK circuit was to see David B and Motorbase in the earlier days running Cainey and the Britnell brothers in TVR Tuscans!

Anyway, I was interested and I managed to dig up an old standings sheet online last night:

http://ovaltrackclassic.blogspot.com/1977/06/hot-r...

Some familiar names on there, Mick Collard, George Polley, Joe Tandy, etc...

Seems amazing that apart from my Mum (whose side of the family it was) buying me toy cars as a kid there was no direct family influence to me being a petrolhead and subsequently a racer, yet I'd end up racing against the next generations of my family's historic rivals! In fact it's not uncommon for my old man to be having a chat with Dave Mountain of Mountune who supply our engines on a race weekend about Barry and my Uncle Peter

I know it's all coincidence but sometimes makes you wonder about fate!

Edited by The Wookie on Tuesday 13th August 08:49

[hoffman66]

Interesting topic and a rare one.

Oddly a lot of people invovled in things like BTCC are linked to Hot Rod racing int he recent and distant past, the Simpson crew certainly, Carl Boardley, the Collard family, Ian Mckellar in Gt racing, Colin White in all sorts of stuff.

[stevemcs]

I'm sure Barry Lee did the drive safe tour at our school in an XR4i ... it would have been mid 80's

[andy97]

Barry is still around, and still a character. Sometimes can be found instructing on super car experience days.

[covboy]

andy97 said:

Barry is still around, and still a character. Sometimes can be found instructing on super car experience days.

He was guest speaker at our Motor Club dinner a few years back. He was asked to say grace before the start of the meal - "Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub"

[Mr Tidy]

covboy said:

He was asked to say grace before the start of the meal - "Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub"

Brilliant!

Hot Rods in the 70s were fantastic with Barry Lee, Mick Collard and others from that era.

A mate of mine raced Hot Rods with Robert Collard in the 90s and it was loads of fun - although Rob is now in BTCC! Good luck to him anyway!

[pitboard]

Barry Lee was a good all rounder. No slouch in a rally car.

[Drawweight]

Loving the old Cowdenbeath results and seeing the old names.

My family used to go every Sunday.

I raced saloons for a couple of years with not a lot of success but good memories.

[aeropilot]

pitboard said:

Barry Lee was a good all rounder. No slouch in a rally car.

Or a rallycross car, which is where the Leapy Lee nickname came from IIRC?

Did a few Paris-Daker as well later on, and truck racing as well.

Started off as a Speedway rider too.