|
|
||||
|
|
  
|
Gary James. Lives in Ware Herts. Races 125 Superkart's on Long Circuits. Has had some success at National Level. This year Gary is again racing the RGR Swift Pavasi 125.
GARY JAMES – Profile Born 1957. Went to my first race meeting (Silverstone) when I was 6 months old. My father’s cousin was Tom Kirby who ran a successful motorcycle team in the 1960’s and 1970’s and supplied bikes for Mike Hailwood, Phil Read, Bill Ivy and Paddy Driver. From the age of 6 I was a regular visitor to the paddocks of Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Snetterton, Silverstone and Crystal Palace as my father was ‘employed’ as a mechanic. I have many old photos and programmes of that era and fond memories. My father’s passion was sidecar racing and from 1965 he managed and sponsored many top riders under the banner of RNJ Racing. Terry Vinicombe, George Bye, Barry Lock, Bill Cooper, Tony Harris, Roger Aldous, Andy Jackson, John Barker and Clive Stirrat have all benefited from personal funds pumped into the sport. I assisted in the funding of the team from 1979 and took up the position of team manager in 1981 when we sponsored Clive Stirrat. Major successes came from all the riders sponsored, both in the UK and Europe. At the end of 1984 my father and myself called it a day as costs within sidecar racing were starting to escalate and it was no longer possible to provide enough money to be successful. During the 20-year period we had been to several Grand Prix and European Championships visiting Assen, Spa, Le Mans, Hockenheim, Salzburgring, Zolder and many others. In 1985 I took on the part time job of secretary to the Motorcycle Racing Sponsors Association, (my father was one of the founding members) but resigned at the end of the year. In 1986 I decided that rather than spend money on other people to go racing I would spend some on myself, so I bought my first kart. A second-hand Zip 125 with air-cooled Rotax. Spent my learning years at Kimbolton and Snetterton, before buying a brand new Anderson chassis in 1990 to go long circuit racing. I can remember my first conversation on the telephone with Ian Rushforth who was full of encouragement in trying to get as many drivers as possible to taste long circuit racing. The air-cooled 125 Rotax was totally unreliable and I was forever seizing and having the motor rebuilt. In 1992 I bought a new Minarelli and started to see the chequered flag for the first time. Competed in the 1993 125 P & R championship and finished 9th despite missing two rounds.
Made a serious attack on the championship in 1994 and improved to 8th by the end of the season. Unfortunately the next 5 years saw a lack of funds, a shortage of time and a divorce, so racing was severely curtailed. Having bought a new Pavesi engine, managed to secure 8th place in the Formula 125 National championship in 2002, more by luck as a few guys dropped out along the way. Since then a racing budget has been difficult to put together, so track time has suffered. Still enjoy the buzz, even when I am writing race reports rather than being on the track. I suppose that having visited race circuits all over Europe for the past 47 years it’s in the blood and you can’t beat the smell or the noise.
|
Send mail to
with questions or comments about this web site.
|
