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Booth, Ken
Ken started racing in 1960 at Oulton Park, driving a TVR. Over the next 8 years he competed regularly, driving a variety of cars. He retired at the end of the ’68 season, and did not race again for another 7 years. On his return, he concentrated on historic events driving a Lotus 11, Lotus Elite, TVR, Elva and the Cooper T52 seen here. For the 1980 season, Ken concentrated on the Coup d’ Europe FIA Championship, driving his rare Elva Courier Spyder to all the events. Only one of the races was held in the UK, all the other being in Europe, Ken clocked-up over 5000 miles in the Elva, traveling to circuits that year. His tally of 4 wins and 2, 2nds brought him 3rd overall and 1st in class.

Booth, Warren
Warren had been a long time competitor in hill climbs and sprints, driving a Mini Jem and Minisprint GT prior to his first circuit race in 1975, driving a Ford Escort V6 at Longbridge.He moved to single-seater for ’76, buying the Scott S1 which was designed by Patrick Head. Warren carried out most of the development work on the car, and the resulting reliability gave Warren overall victory in the 1976 and 78 Lancashire MRC Libre Championship, the 1977 Nottingham SCC Libre Championship, and runner-up award in the 1978 Northern Libre Championship. He moved on to the Aurora AFX Championship for 1980, driving a long wheelbase Chevron B48 Hart 420R.

Blades, John (Johnnie)
Johnnie was a butcher from North Shield who had an extraordinary racing career and drove for quite a few works teams.

Cliffe, Fred
Fred competed in Rallies and Autocrosses between 1965 and 69, and then hillclimbs until 1976, taking 5 class records. 1976 also saw his first circuit race at Silverstone. In 1977 he won his class in NSCC’s Dick Protheroe Modsports Series and gained a second overall in the BRSCC Northern Modsports Championship, the following year, 1978, he won his class in the same championships.

Hall, Ian
Ian started competing in 1965 in Autotests, sprints and hillclimbs. His first race was at Castle Comb in his road going Austin Healey Sprite. In 1967 he won the Austin Healey Championships in the same car. In 1969 he built a Group 3, Mk4 Sprite and finished 4th in the Nurburgring 500km against stiff opposition. During 1970 he converted a MkI Sprite to Group 6 Regs and won his class and set fastest lap in the Mugello 500km.Over the next few years he developed the MkI Sprite, making it one of the fastest in Modsports, winning his class (3rd overall) in the STP Modsports Championship. In 1973 he acquired the works Mini Jem, abandoning the unreliable 1275cc, blown engine for a more reliable 1143cc unit. With this he won his class in the 1975 BARC Championship and took overall victory in the 1976 Championship. A Davrian MK7A with a 1400cc Mini engine was built for racing in the 1979 season’s Modsport and GT events, bringing him the 1980 BRSCC Championship. By 1982, the car had become uncompetitive against opposition with more exotic and powerful engines and Ian retired from circuit racing - going back to hill climbing and sprinting. Ian took up racing again some years later, returning to Croft in July 2005, after a 29 year absence. He competed in the K&N Performance Filters Sports Saloon Championships in a Darrian T98 9TR 5200cc V8; he won both races and left a comfortable leader in the championship
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Harper, Ron
Ron started racing in the Triumph Spitfire he still races today (2005). The car featured in this web site was a later version with an elaborate aerodynamic package and a slightly larger, 1208cc, engine which put the car firmly into the next, more competitive class alongside Sprites and Midgets. Ron moved to Formula Libre for a time with the ex-Paul Gibson Chevron B40 fitted with a Hart 420R engine. He competed in one Formula two race at Monza, having to combine the trip with a family holiday to reduce expenses. Ron Harper was still racing this Spitfires today, 2004, its 30th birthday, with an extremely fast, 1600cc Cosworth BDA engined fitted.

Ward, Richard
Richard had his first competition experience in 1964 competing in Sprints and Autocrosses driving an MG T-type. He started circuit racing in 1973 with the 1300cc Modsports MG Midget . Richard raced this car until 1976 when he bought an 1800cc Lotus Elan. This car was built around one of the first Lotus Elan chassis, dating to 1964, the home built engine was 1800cc, and in Richard’s words ‘Very smokey’. He was second in class in the 1976, BRSCC Modsports Championships and took the Mallory Club Circuit record. 1980 saw him winning his class in the BRSCC Modsports Championship

Walker, Derek
Derek first race was at Oulton Park, in 1961 driving an MG special. From then on he designed and built all of his own car, these projects were names Ladybird and by 1980 he was competing in Ladybird 14, a spaceframe, Cosworth FVD engined Skoda. His first five efforts were Formula 1172 sports cars, 1966 and ‘67 saw two, 1 litre-Clubman cars being built. Next, in 1968, came Ladybird 8, a front-engine Formula Ford, followed in 1969 by a mid-engine car. Back to Clubman racing for 1970, and for the 1971 season, a very special, Ford-engined, spaceframe, Fait 850 Sports. Due to the cancellation of a new saloon formula in 1977, Derek’s Escort, Ladybird 13, was abandoned and work started on the spaceframe Escort BDE. The main feature of this car was a transaxle at the rear, distributing the weight more evenly, front to rear. He is still racing today (2006) in historic races driving a Terrier MKIV, Formula Junior.
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