THE SELF INTERVIEW No. 10

 

Name: Steve Medhurst

Occupation: Ducking and Diving!
 
 

1. When did you join 7Oaks? …………..  Can’t remember exactly, but I think about 1986, following a 10 or so year stint with Borough 19.
2. What or who inspired you to try motorsport?………Scalextrix, watching Rallycross on Saturday afternoon TV and seeing a display by B19 in a Bexleyheath shop window.
3. What was your first competition car and why? ……. A bright yellow 850cc mini. It was all I had and regularly broke usually on the way to work.
4. Brief History to date…………….  Started with the mini on PCT’s and grass (I’ll never forget that!!) I eventually bought a Mk2 RS2000 specifically for sprinting and hillclimbs, which was also our day to day car, and eventually into racing via a conversation with Tim Dodwell at Goodwood who persuaded a number of sprint competitors to try his new Road Saloon formula. I turned up at a very wet Brands Hatch with a Standard Production Sprint Car with Steve Pattinson among others, and placed it 5th on the grid from 30 cars finishing 7th in the first Duckhams Road Saloon race. This series eventually turned into the Toyo Tyres series and many similar series came out of this idea. Many other cars were raced and sprinted, including a 3000 Capri, and a series of FWD Escorts, and finally the ex-Dee Knight Suzuki Swift which has served me well for the last 10 years or so.
I have been on the committee at 7Oaks since 1988 when Mike Bedwell volunteered me, eventually taking over the speed duties from Chris Judge, and developing the Bristol Street Motors championship into it’s current form. I have taken on many forms of marshalling and official positions at meetings form Secretary to Steward, and my greatest pleasure came from finding the venue at Crystal Palace and setting up the event alongside Neil BJ.
Like many others I found many of the rules within the local speed series a bit strange and locked into the past, so I got involved with changing these alongside the other speed co-ordinators. My greater need to compete outside of the local events, and address the poor and bias rules contained in the Blue Book eventually led me onto the MSA Speed Committee for 3 years, and I think that the results of this involvement are now starting to come through. (The wheels turn very slow in the MSA)
I’ve never won anything of note, but I enjoy driving fast and the competitive nature of the sport. Unfortunately I lacked the 2 things required for success, money and talent!
5. Most extravagant bit of kit for the competition car……..Apart from the Paddy Hopkirk “heel & toe” throttle pedal extension for the mini, I tried a set of BF Goodrich racing tyres on my RS1600 Escort. These were the current “hot” tyre at the time.
6. Did it work?... Yes and No. They certainly worked and the car stuck like glue, unfortunately the car did not have enough power to overcome the level of grip. I changed the tyres back after 1 practice to some Bridgestones I had been using and instantly went 1.5 secs a lap faster at Lydden.
7. Favourite Venue/track ……  Any proper race track really, but I did enjoy Bouley Bay, Loton Park and Harewood
8. Worst Venue……………..  Airfield sprint courses, no matter how long, and probably Pestolozzi.
9. Worst accident……………..  I wrote off my RS1600 at Quarry Corner Castle Coombe during a Road Saloon race. I started 5th on the grid, was running at 3rd place with second fastest lap when I hit the bump halfway around the corner which sent me into the tyres. There was no gravel trap which would probably have stopped me.
10. Best Motorsport car ever……. Too many to list but probably any F1 turbo era prior to pop off valves and fuel restrictions. Many had in excess of 1000 BHP in qualifying.
11. Best Driver ever………….         James Hunt (Emotional), Jackie Stewart (Smooth), Nigel Mansell (Balls Out), Roger Clarke (Committed).

The Acorn : December Edition