51 MO SMITH

Mo was an Essex-based driver who travelled far and wide during a racing career in F1 stock cars that spanned 18 years from 1972 to 1990. He was generally acknowledged as one of the true stars of the South at a time when most of the drivers came from the North and Midlands.

His first venture on to the ovals was in a F2 in 1970 and it turned out to be an eventful debut. Contact with a marker barrel caused the car to roll and his seat belt release jammed, bringing the race to a halt so he could be freed. During two seasons with the F2s he rose to yellow grade, retiring at the end of the 1971 season as the immediate future for the formula appeared problematical.

Mo turned to F1s and ventured out at Cadwell Park in 1972 in a 348 cubic inch Chevy powered ex-226 Brian Maynard car. It was ideal while he gained valuable experience but a blown engine during the season prompted the purchase of a car with a pedigree. It had previously been driven by 7 Darkie Wright, 1 Chick Woodroffe and 252 Dave Chisholm and took Mo to yellow grade.

Over subsequent years Mo drove a variety of cars that were always immaculately prepared despite the fact he was a budget racer. Restricted finances and long journeys to stadia hindered him competing on equal terms with the top drivers. If my research is correct he achieved blue grade in 1974 and red grade in 1979. For the majority of his racing career he was always near the top of the blue grade or at the bottom end of the red grade. But his skill and determination behind the wheel often led to him upsetting the form book and made him a firm terrace favourite. Clearly he raced to compete and that was his enjoyment. If success came his way, that was a bonus.

Mo won 10 Finals during his career - 2 in 1977, 2 in 1979, 1 in 1981, 2 in 1982, 1 in 1984, 1 in 1985 and 1 in 1987. His best finishes in World Finals were 10th in 1985 at Bradford and he went one better in 1986 at Coventry finishing 9th.

The model below is of Mo's 1987 car:

Mo Smith was one of those entertaining drivers who form the true backbone of the sport. For reasons already stated, he could not hope to compete week in week out with the top drivers but on his day he made sure they knew he was in the race and he made them work to maintain their reputations. Always great to watch!

His son, Nick clearly inherited his father's passion and skill for the sport and took over the number 51 in 2001. During a brief period of three years he won 6 Finals.

 

175 & 281 ROB PEARCE

One of the most popular drivers to emerge from the Midlands, Rob commenced his racing career in 1980 with the number 281 in an ex 261 Johnny Goodhall car powered by a Buick engine that had seen better days. In fact it was the car that the late 'Gimpy' Goodhall drove during his famous 'Gimpy for Gold' campaign in the late 70s and the chassis had been built by 396 Doug Cronshaw.

Rob quickly endeared himself to race fans with his no nonsense approach to racing. There were mixed results in those early days but Rob persevered and always gave value for money.

It was 1983 when he finally achieved star grade, albeit briefly. By now the Buick engine was powering a new chassis, somewhat straighter than the old one!

Rob and his team built a new car for the 1984 season complete with a big block Chevy engine. At the opening meeting at Crewe, driving from blue grade, the car experienced clutch problems and the gremlins were still in evidence at Coventry at the beginning of April. Rob needed a place in the Consolation heat to qualify for the Final but then it all came together and he won his maiden Final ahead of 53 John Lund, who did all he could to catch the 281 machine. Rob was soon back to star grade and never really looked back.

In 1985 he changed his racing number to 175 to match the number plate 175 FLY on the transporter purchased from ex driver and superstar, Glyndwr Pursey.

Between 1984 and 1997, Rob recorded 20 Final victories. He was a real entertainer - aggressive, feisty and no respecter of reputations. He raced to win or exit a race while trying his hardest to do so, often taking somebody else to the fence in the process!

The model below is Rob's 1987 car sponsored by Westport Steel and signwritten in old English font:

 

According to my research, Rob finally made it to the Superstar grade for one month in July 1998 behind 515 Frankie Wainman Jnr, 53 John Lund and 391 Andy Smith. He recorded numerous race wins that season but no Finals and subsequently faded from the racing scene.

But older fans will never forget the contribution Rob made to so many races. I for one was always delighted to see his name on the programme and know that action was guaranteed!

324 & 12 NIGEL MELLOR

It is fair to say that Wakefield based Nigel Mellor never really made a big impression as a driver. He raced under number 324 from 1970 to 1975 and as number 12 from 1978 to 1980. His highest grading was blue achieved in 1978.

However, his lasting contribution to the sport of F1 stock car racing was through his trade as a motor body repairer and paint sprayer. He is a craftsman par excellence and his skill in panel beating aluminium into superb aerodynamically shaped bodywork for a stock car is lengendary in stock car circles. Many a driver has been proud to race a car with bodywork crafted by Nigel - 229 John Hillam, 272 Dave Hodgson and 154 Brian Powles to name but some.

The model below is Nigel's own car from season 1979:

 

 In an era when the rules changed and fans were bemoaning the demise of stock bodied cars and the appearance of some so-called sheds on wheels, Nigel Mellor showed what could be achieved by a skilled craftsman. He raised the standards of car presentation and gave visual pleasure to stock car fans. Long may his invaluable contribution to F1 stock car racing be remembered. 

351 'TRAVELLIN' SAM OSTLE

Sam's racing career spanned the years between 1969 and 1983. His first meeting was in November 1969 at Aycliffe, County Durham in a Chrysler powered car purchased from another driver and he qualified for the Final.

He made steady progress and was upgraded to yellow in 1970 and blue in 1971 by which time he was using a Pontiac engine.

In 1973 he was driving a car purchased from 250 Gerald Taylor that was Ford powered and in it he qualified for the World Semi Final at Long Eaton. Unfortunately the semi race was run in very wet conditions and it ruined Sam's race.

1975 was the year he purchased a proven winning car from 318 Dave Fox and the power unit was a 454 cubic inch Chevroklet. It all came together at Oxford Stadium in August of that year when he won his one and only Final finishing ahead of 229 John Hillam, 2 Willie Harrison, 154 Brian Powles and 252 Dave Chisholm He went on to gain a coveted red roof as a star grade driver.

Race fans up and down the country took Sam to their hearts for his willingness to talk to them in the pits and his persistent efforts out on track week in week out, His readiness to travel the length and breadth of the country to race from his home in Cumbria gained him the nickname 'Travellin' Sam and it was also a reference to his business as a haulage contractor because he made many of the long distance haulage trips himself.

The model below was Sam's 1979 car notable for the metallic blue paintwork: