Merry Christmas Guys and Gals not long now!

[BillShipton]

As a lifelong fan of obscure televised motor sports, Murray Walker was a god to me as a child. Whether he was commentating on motocross, autocross, rallycross or F1, he never disappointed. Yes, he made some spectacular mistakes (especially towards the end) but his chief ability was to make prophecies that completely failed to come true as in

"All he has to do now is avoid Mann's Bank which he....does NOT do. Keith Ripp in all sorts of trouble." (Mini crashes into mudbank and overturns about 10 times on final coner at Lydden.

or

"XXX has a cunning series of slots cut into the windscreen and he has a theory that they improve visibility in the mud - what am I saying? what am I saying?"

(Car goes blindly off course through and advert hoarding into another mudbank - so perfectly timed they played it three times that afternoon on Grandstand)

For a while the Murray Walker Appreciation Society sold teeshirts featuring one of his most famous utterances..."Unless I am very much mistaken - and I am very much mistaken..."

A God, indeed.

Mind you, I am also a fan of Charlie Cox who used to do the Bathurst 500 and the British Touring Car Championships when they were on BBC. His tabloid style wasn't like Murray's but anyone who describe the Ford team as "the Awesome Foursome in the Cosworth cuties" gets my vote. Sid Waddell, you're not close!

[wamram]

Bill!!! not only a splosher but a motorsport fan as well so am i i always go to Donnington a few miles down the road from me when the BTCC visits or standing in the freezing rain in Sherwood Forest to get a look at the Rallying when that makes a visit aswell.

wamram

[andy250]

Well shit me!!!

I didint have you down as motorsport man, rallying was my thing until the crash!!! in a mk2 escort of all things, had a few flings at autocross as well in me time.

Anybody who knows about Bathhurst knows that was hell of a circuit to drive esp at the top end of the circuit when your going over the tops.

Had a few tricky moments at lodge in me time as well, at sunny Oulton Park, not too far away from me. Also the practice area for learning me ashpaly rallying was Three sister nr Wigan.

Small world.

regards

Andy

[BillShipton]

I don't got to many meetings sadly but have watched motor sport on telly since I was about five. The four times a year Grandtstand had rallycross from Lydden or World of Sport had it from Cadwell Park or Brands Hatch were stay-in days for me alright. Good to see some of the names from those days still going - Will Gollop for instance.

I go back to the days of 'saloon car racing' and touring cars in their various different classes and competitions somehow aren't the same as a battered Cortina taking on a myriad of minis but I'm still hooked. As for rallying...not a lot of that round here, but I still have the photos I took when I was a kid the year the RAC Rally started from Heathrow (down the road from me at the time). It was the year Timo Makinen and Rauno Altenan won the Monte Carlo rally in a Mini Cooper S. Yes...the old sort.

Must go, Matron brings the tea round about this time....

[andy250]

jeeps you know yer stuff the mini cooper was in the 70's followed by the fiat Arbarth. Have a cracking set of touring car vids from the 80's with Andy Rouse, Kurt Luby (had an office nr me for a while!!) Frank Synter, John Clenald (mad scot always shacking his fist.) Mike Smith (do you remember that) before he crashed the helicopter!!!!

regards

Andy

[muckypup]

Great to see some other motorsport and Murray Walker fans here. I'm a big fan too, I've been to Donnington Park a few times and I live pretty close to Oulton Park now so I get down there for the Touring cars etc when I can.

Did one of those driving days there in a Formula Audi car (small single seater) too which was wicked.

Cant beat Murray Walker, some of my fav quotes were:

"I know it's an old cliche, but you can cut the atmosphere with a cricket stump"

"The young Ralf Schumacher has been upstaged by the teenager Jenson Button. Who is twenty."

"This is lap 26 which, unless I'm very much mistaken, is halfway through this 58-lap race"

His autobiography is worth a read too, he had a pretty interesting life (not compared to Bill obviously )

[BillShipton]

Hi

I enjoy the touring cars, especially the older arsy drivers like John Clelland and the MG team before they had any sponsorship (and after MG deserted them) who'd do anything to get up in front! The works teams are a bit flashy for my taste.

Other great Murrayisms...

"As they reach the top of the ridge, if you look under the cars you can see the skirts which are no longer there..."

"I'm stopping my startwatch now..."

and

"The scoring in rallysprint is simple. Twelve points for the fastest, 10 points for the second fastest, nine for the next fastest, down to 1 point for the slowest fastest."