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Santa Pod for the First Time
It all started for me early one Sunday morning 27th May 1973, when I drove into the Market Cross car park in Malmesbury and found all my friends in their cars and Pete Fitch in his Zephyr Six powered Thames Van. They had been deciding what they would do that day. They had just made the decision and were setting off, I didn't know where. I just had time to turn around my pale green Ford "Angle Box" and tag on the end of the convoy.
Three hours and one hundred miles later I found myself at the entrance to Santa Pod, shocked at the entrance price of £3, half a week's
wages
were soon parted with, for a nice shiny program, as I finally made the decision to go in with the others, having come so far and not having a clue how to get back on my own. Along the old 1940's airfield concrete perimeter track we made our way towards an unholy racket of strange engine noises emanating from behind a huge grassy mound, through what resembled a mine field, known to us as the elephant traps, a road in need of great repair. So here began many years of pleasure with thanks to Peter William Fitch known to all as
'George', whose decision it was to go that day. This was my first meeting with George having previously only known his two younger
brothers with whom I had attended school.
Chopper Fitch
I can't remember much now about that first race meeting only that I was so impressed I went to every meeting I could get to for about the next five years. On returning home from the second meeting, July's International with American visitors, I immediately spray painted with aerosols, across the driver's side door of my Ford Anglia in drop shadow lettering, the words
"Funny Car", as these were the most exciting class of racing car or motorcycle to be seen at Santa Pod that day.
Visiting Santa Pod, with their own dragsters were
Paula Murphy and
Don Schumacher from the United States who had just introduced us all to
A.A. / F.C. (
funny car
) class of dragsters,
later these cars were purchased by
Nobby Hill's
Houndog Team and the Santa Pod team, whose driver was the late
Allan Herridge.
Walkin' The Dog
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Previous to this
Roland Pratt of Tetbury was I think the first European Funny Car constructor having just returned from his fact finding tour to the USA but his
"Hillbillies" (
Cadenham Service's Vauxhall VX 4 / 90 )
was not yet quite equal to the real thing due to a less expensive engine.
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Click here to see Roland Pratt's 'Hillbillies' at Santa Pod Raceway 1975
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Roland constructed chassis for other teams
(
Dave Stone
) as well as his own and the glass fibre
bodies
were built by
Pat Cuss
from Westbury in Wiltshire.
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The journey to
Podington Airfield became so regular that the route was known like the back of one's hand. In those days we took a route as the crow flies, village to village town to town no main roads, hardly a roundabout or traffic light. Nowadays it's all new roads, roundabouts, traffic lights and
Milton Keynes thrown in for good measure, having still only been on the drawing board in those days. Our straight line route is now sadly a thing of the past.
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On many occasions between meetings we could be found emulating our heroes with drag racing up
Malmesbury High Street.
Denis and I would line up our cars side by side outside the International Stores on the Zebra crossing carefully placing our rear wheels on the white stripes. Then with a loud squeal we would roar up towards the
Market cross. The only way to win though was to brake last, then around we went again. Lined up on the crossing I looked behind to the right, checking my tyres were in the correct position for leaving black lines, only to see
P.C. Lloyd stood in the doorway of International Stores. After a stern warning we quietly drove away. Later that evening having just lined up on the crossing I heard a voice saying, "Stupid boy Forward", P.C. Lloyd in the right place at the right time again ! Yes a few days later P.C. Lloyd was there yet again to greet us, "This is your final warning" said Police Constable Pete Lloyd.
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We now progressed to
"Burn Outs".
We would squirt Fairy Liquid in front and over a rear tyre to prevent the wheel gripping then rev up the engine, drop the clutch and use the left foot to brake just enough to hold the car still, while one back wheel with lubricant, would spin producing large amounts of white smoke. Then creeping slowly forward we would leave a black streak of burnt rubber and melted tarmac as long as possible. We even carried around an old tyre and wheel, quickly changed especially for the occasion, which usually took place near the gravel lay-by on the Brokenborough road.
I became famous amongst my friends, when one night a shortage of washing up liquid meant the only alternative I cold find to hand in my shed was a large can of Mushroom Paint. For many years, when bumping into past
(Shaped Cloud Operatives) friends, they would greet me with, "Have you done any 'Mushroom Paint Burn Outs' lately".
Pete Fitch had a convenient hole in the floor of his van just prior to the back wheel and when he collected his brother from
Chippenham College, John Chamberlain would pour water onto the tyre leaving a large cloud of beautifully smelling burnt rubber drifting across the college car park, whilst
Denis would dive through the sliding side door into the van as it pulled away, much to the amusement of the equally sensible, on looking gobsmacked students.
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Our adolescent pranks began to fade out, when one Saturday morning
Denis had just demonstrated to the passing shoppers around the Market cross area, what is now known as a doughnut. This is where the rear wheels move around in a circle, the front wheels being the centre point, achieved by excess use of power producing rubber smelling white clouds. Only
Denis was on his motor bike and not to be out done I quickly followed with a static burn out in my Angle box recently decorated all over with Kerry Gold Irish butter stickers found in Fine Fare's rubbish bin. On checking my mirror for the right quantity of white smoke I caught a glimpse of a man in a blue uniform stood arms folded observing me from the Tolsey Gate, entrance to the Abbey, on the other side of the Market Cross car park. yes you've guessed ! P.C. Lloyd. When I pulled up outside my house Pete was close behind to issue me with a ticket and the Court found me guilty of causing excess noise with a motor vehicle whilst emitting white smoke from the rear wheels in a public place, for good measure I was awarded a £40 fine. David Forward
Stunt Men
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