Martin Brundle joins the show this time round to talk about his days working for ‘Uncle Ken’ and the Tyrrell Racing Organisation. He talks about the trials and tribulations of the permanently underfunded team and the accidents which nearly ended his career. Richard Jenkins has written a new book about the complete story of Tyrrell from the early days in Formula Three right up to the sale to British American Tobacco. He tells Paul Tarsey some of the lesser known stories from the early days in Formula One with Jackie Stewart right through to the other hugely talented drivers who raced various Tyrrells over the years. ‘Baron’ Tarsey is joined by Jim Roller and Joe Bradley to look back on one of the best-loved teams that Grand Prix racing has ever seen!
Historic Racing News
The team discusses the drivers who succeeded in Grand Prix racing when they didn’t have the best car. Whether it was a 1960s BRM or virtually any of the grid from 1989 or most of the Ferrari cars which Gilles Villeneuve drove, debate will be forceful and the Corridors of Power trophy will, as always be hard fought. Jim Roller takes a look at the Monterey car week and Paul Jurd and Joe Bradley await the Goodwood Revival which starts in a couple of days time. Rick Shortle tells us about his days as circuit manager at Snetterton and tells some tales he couldn’t have done at the time! Paul Tarsey hosts the show and expresses the occasional opinion too.
The first test day for the Goodwood Revival has already taken place and there were some amazing cars being shaken down, including Saif Assam’s glorious Shelby Cobra. We also talk to Rory Butcher about the differences between racing his Toyota in the BTCC and peddaling a 1960s short wheelbase Porsche around Goodwood. Artist Andrew Kitson has made a study of the history of Snetterton, the Norfolk circuit which started life as a USAF bomber base in WW2 and he tells us about the history of the place. Jim Roller and Paul Tarsey discuss the time they have spent together, with both of them in the UK for a rare opportunity to share some interesting motorsport experiences. They also investigate the happenings at Monterey Car Week and look at the Pebble Beach auctions.
The Shere Hill Climb in England’s leafy Surrey happens on Sunday 3rd September and boss Martin Warner talks about what to expect. Corridors of Power discusses the most groundbreaking Lotus F1 cars of all time. On the panel this time are Nick Padmore, Jim Roller and Paul Jurd.
The HRN team have lots to talk about (don’t they always?). Paul Jurd is back from a weekend at Zandvoort and compares notes with Jim Roller and Paul Tarsey who were there in June. Joe Bradley is enthusiastic about his recent trip to Estoril in Portugal and the whole team talks about the Goodwood Festival of Speed which happened last weekend, including that scary moment when a wheel went into the crowd, thankfully without serious injury. The boys also talk about the ridiculous Special Saloons of the 1980s which saw fibreglass lookalike bodies from everyday saloon cars covering out and out race cars. The ‘Chimp’ was a favourite, a 2 litre Chevron made to look like a Hillman Imp!Â
It’s the British Grand Prix this weekend and the team takes a look at the history of the great event. Starting with pre-war races at Brooklands and Donington through Aintree, Brands Hatch and of course Silverstone. Jim Roller, Paul Jurd and Joe Bradley are the panellists on ‘Corridors of Power’ this month and each of them puts forward their own nomination for ‘The Most Memorable British Grand Prix’. Host Paul Tarsey has to pick a winner.
Paul Tarsey talks to Alexander Hesketh about those heady times in the 1970s when he put together the ‘dream team’ of James Hunt, ‘Bubbles’ Horsley and Harvey Postlethwaite to challenge the established teams at the very front of Grand Prix racing, from the high point of winning the Dutch Grand Prix to the heartache of closing the doors at the end of 1975.
With much talk of the Le Mans centenary we take a chance to look back at that first-ever race. There was no official winner declared in those early days, it was a car’s performance over three consecutive years which counted, and the original racetrack was more like a gravel rally stage than a race circuit. You can hear why a last minute change of heart by W.O. Bentley changed the course of his eponymous brand forever.
Paul Jurd and Paul Tarsey are in the UK and at Le Mans are the full team of contestants. Regulars Joe Bradley, Jim Roller and Peter Snowdon are joined by ‘the voice of Radio Le Mans’ John Hindhaugh. Their challenge is to choose any car, any driver and any circuit layout since 1923. The difficult bit is that they each need to be from a different era!
Jim Roller talks about some of the fabulous cars coming to market at Le Mans next month and also the Ferrari 312PB which is going under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s in Italy this weekend with an estimate of $14-18,000,000! Paul Jurd talks about the 1962 accident at Goodwood which cut short the frontline career of Stirling Moss. To this day the accident is unexplained, Moss had no memory of what happened, and PJ, Jim Roller and Paul Tarsey discuss the “what might have been” scenario. Lara Platman has spent years researching the lives of the hardy pre-war female racing drivers. Creating successful careers in what was very much a man’s world brought about some amazing stories, which Lara shares with the team.