Historic Racing News podcast

Derek Bell tells Paul Tarsey about the time he drove the glorious Harrods-liveried McLaren at Le Mans with his son Justin and Jaguar winner Andy Wallace. Continuing our Le Mans theme, Robin Donovan chats to Paul Jurd about his days in a variety of C2 machines before hitting the big time racing a Kremer Porsche 962/K8 to fourth place with Derek Bell and Jurgen Lassig. Mark Raffauf is in conversation with Jim Roller about the turbulent but hugely exciting, years of sportscar racing in the USA in the 1990s under his IMSA organisation. Our studio guest is Neil Smith who digs deep into the history of TWR and those wonderful Silk Cut Jaguars.

If it's May it must be the Indianapolis 500 and we take an in depth look at the race from the earliest event in 1911 right up to the present day. We also talk to Guy Loveridge about 1950s Grand Prix driver Peter Collins who, with his American wife Louise, were the glamour couple of the race circuits of the world. When he won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1958 in a works Ferrari he had the world at his feet but three weeks later, he was killed in an accident at the Nurburgring Nordschleife during the German Grand Prix. We hear all about Peter and Louise and their life together.

Eddie Jordan has been labelled as a ‘maverick' and a ‘showman' but behind all the brouhaha was a very astute businessman who loved his racing. We take a look at the ‘man behind the mask' in our tribute to Eddie who died last month. We also look at EJ the racing driver and also what happened to the team after he sold it on. Goodwood Members Meeting takes place later in April and we highlight some of the things to look out for.

Jim Roller has taken in some Florida sunshine as he visits Brian Redman's Targa 66. He talks to Bill Auberlen, Scott George and Brad Kettler about this unique event and the cars they run there. Paul Tarsey and Paul Jurd discuss the success of Race Retro and Simon Owen from Scalextric talks to Joe Bradley about the new season's cars from the world's leading slot car manufacturer.

Motorsport legend Brian Redman talks to Jim Roller and previews the 2025 edition of his ‘Targa 66'. Paul Jurd looks back to the first-ever Daytona 500, which was more dramatic than any Hollywood movie could have come up with and Paul Tarsey leads a somewhat off-the-wall discussion about the Ecclestone Collection.

Joe Hale, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, tells Jim Roller about the sale of some vehicles from the museum's collection. The first car to go under the hammer will be the ex-Fangio and ex-Moss Mercedes W196 Streamliner with an expected sale of $50 Million! Paul Jurd reviews the career of Giancarlo Baghetti who won his first-ever Grand Prix, and asks why the comparative unknown got a factory Ferrari drive.

We complete our conversation with Derek Warwick. We talk more about his Formula One career and his stellar sportscar drives which brought him a World Championship and a win at Le Mans. Regular contributor Les Thacker tells us about Derek's early days in the Toleman Formula Two team which led to the amazing exploits in Grand Prix racing, all under Les's BP Motorsport banner. We also hear from John Mayhead who talks about ‘Goldie' Gardener who was perhaps the least known, but in some ways the most successful record breakers of the '30s 40s and who was still breaking LSRs in the 1960s.

Derek Warwick remembers his times in the junior formulae, also as a Le Mans winner and right up to date as a Driver Steward at Formula One races around the world. Goodwood TT winner, Mike Whitaker, gives Paul Jurd the lowdown on seven years of trying to get his TVR onto the top of the charts and Bob Evans recalls his career which saw him driving in Formula One for BRM and Lotus. His views on some of the 1970s team managers is worth a listen on its own!

Paul Tarsey talks to one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, Sir Jackie Stewart about racing, both now and then. Jim Roller hears from George Levy about his book about Jim Hall and his Chaparal cars and Nick Whale brings interesting thoughts on the current auction scene.

It is a bit of a different show this time around. Our broadcast colleague and producer Jim Roller is marooned in the basement of his home in North Carolina dealing with the recent devastation caused by Storm Helene. Consequently we are unable to bring you the intended podcast but instead Paul Jurd and Paul Tarsey sat down and reminisced about the racetracks of the UK mainland. Amongst their memories, Tarsey remembers his first ever motor sport outing to see the Silver Arrows demonstrated by Peter Collins and Tony Brooks at Oulton Park and PJ recalls Thruxton in the 1960s.

Motorsport legend Dick Bennetts talks about everything from being Ayrton Senna's team owner before the Brazilian superstar got to Formula One to running Nigel Mansell in a Ford Mondeo. Derek Drinkwater met up with Jim Roller at Watkins Glen and they talked about Derek's epic coast-to-coast-and-back-again trip across the USA in his Cadillac Le Monstre, and Joe Bradley investigates the best and worst books about Ayrton Senna.

Richard Petty is on the show this month!  ‘The King' tells Paul Tarsey about his NASCAR career, the highs and lows of being the leading stock car driver of his generation as well as a team owner. He brought over that incredible Plymouth Superbird from 1970 and his son Kyle drove that up the Goodwood Hill. Martin Warner brings us up to date on plans for the wonderful Shere Hill Climb which will take place on 1st September near Guildford in the Surrey Hills, plus auction news from Jim Roller and Paul Jurd's reflections of this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Peter Stevens talks about his amazing career as a designer of road cars, supercars and much more, including the Group C derived Jaguar XJR15 and the notorious one-make series for these cars which supported 3 Grands Prix in 1991 and had a $1million prize fund. Plus Derek Drinkwater, who raced his Cadillac ‘Le Monstre' re-creation at Daytona last November and then drove it (towing a caravan!) all the way across the USA to Laguna Seca in California.

The team takes a look back to Monaco Historique and Nick Padmore talks Paul Tarsey about how he he raced two of Colin Chapman's famous JPS Lotus cars at this year's event. He also explains some of the unique challenges which Monaco can pose and how he was invited to take Zak Brown and Adrian Newey on a track walk, the day before the action started, to explain to them both where Monaco's most treacherous spots await the unwary. Zak was racing the ex-Alan Jones Williams FW07 and Adrian was racing his GLTL Lotus 49 over the weekend. Monaco is not just about the racing and Jim Roller discusses the three high-profile auctions which took place over the same weekend in the principality, especially looking at the sale of Jody Scheckter's collection. Paul Jurd has been reading Peter Higham's latest book in his ‘Grand Prix Cars, Car by car' series which covers the decade 2000 to 2009.

May 1st marks the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna's death and the HRN team talk about the legendary Brazilian and the legacy he left. The team play a Senna-themed round of their gameshow ‘Corridors of Power' when they look for Ayrton's greatest-ever Monaco Grand Prix. Nick Whale joins the team once again and this time talks about when is a historic racing car genuine and when is it just a new car with an old chassis plate!

Jim Roller talks to Ray Evernham about his full and varied career from the early days as a driver in ‘modifieds' through his big break with the International Race of Champions (IROC) team, to his career defining role as one of the greatest-ever NASCAR crew chiefs. Bruce Jones, Peter Snowdon and Nick Padmore discuss the recent Goodwood Members Meeting and Joe Bradley looks back at the life of journalist and writer Michael Cotton.

Joe Bradley, Jim Roller, Paul Jurdand Damien Smith discuss ‘My Favourite BTCC Car'. The choices are wide ranging and Paul Tarsey is faced with some are pretty surprising ideas. Goodwood has asked for our help about what becomes of the famous Tyrrell Shed recently installed at the Motor Circuit and we have a look around the Goodwood Members Meeting test day. Gordon Shedden tells us about some of the cars he is now driving and just why he loves historic racing.

The team talks to Alan Brewer from the Goodwood Road Racing Club about the upcoming Members Meeting and John Pearson from Equipe Classic Racing tells us about their very ambitious 2024 calendar which includes historic F2 cars for the first time. Jim Roller, Paul Jurd, Joe Bradley and Paul Tarsey look into the surprising news that Felipe Massa is suing the FIA because he was ‘robbed' of the 2008 World Championship and then discuss the surprisingly long history of the Australian Grand Prix. 

The team look back on the life of Hugh Chamberlain, who died at the end of February. They also share personal memories and stories about a man described as ‘one of the last great characters of motorsport'. Nick Whale, boss of Iconic Auctioneers, talks about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes on simply to stage the auctions for which his company is famous and Corridors of Power this time is about the inventions of Lotus founder Colin Chapman.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: THIS SHOW WAS RECORDED ON MONDAY 19th FEBRUARY. DURING THIS SHOW WE TALK EXTENSIVELY ABOUT RACE RETRO WHICH WAS DUE TO TAKE PLACE 23-25TH FEBRUARY. DUE TO HEAVY ON-SITE FLOODING RACE RETRO HAS BEEN CANCELLED. On the show Jim Roller looks at the very buoyant auction scene and Paul Tarsey reviews the Retromobile event in Paris. Paul Jurd has a delve into upcoming events. In the wake of Lewis Hamilton's defection to Ferrari, Joe Bradley leads a discussion about other champions who have done the same thing (including Nigel Mansell), with varying success.

On a packed programme we hear from Tim Foster who is the man behind much of the resurgence in interest in those fire-breathing Group B rally cars of the mid 1980s which we are looking forward to seeing at Race Retro on 23rd, 24th and 25th February. As usual host Paul Tarsey is joined by the regular Historic Racing News Radio Show team, Jim Roller, Joe Bradley and Paul Jurd who will all, as usual, not hold back on thoughts and opinions. The theme for Corridors of Power is called “My Favourite Motorsport story”. Donald Campbell's nephew Don Wales tells us about the controversy that has blown up since the wreck of his water speed record breaking Bluebird K7 was raised from the bed of Lake Coniston in Cumbria. There is now a bitter dispute involving family members, the local museum and the man who raised the boat from the depths.

Damien Smith talks about his new book which covers the highs and lows of the Benetton F1 team and tells a few good stories in the process. The HRN team of Joe Bradley, Jim Roller, Paul Jurd and Peter Snowdon talk to Paul Tarsey about their views on the news and Jim makes a poignant tribute to his friend, Porsche kingpin Herbert Linge, who died earlier this month. Plus discussion of the latest ‘Ferrari' film.

Our first show of 2024 is, as usual, full of chat and witty banter (well we think it's witty anyway!). Jim Roller talks to Patrick Peter about the many historic events that Peter Auto will be running in 2024 and Jim also discusses with Nick Padmore, amongst other things, driving a Formula One car in the rain round Monaco. Corridors of Power asks which was Ayrton Senna's greatest race? Not only do Roller and Padmore have their say but Paul Jurd and Peter Snowdon state their cases as well. As usual Paul Tarsey struggles to keep everyone under control.

Jim Roller, Joe Bradley and Paul Jurd wrap up the year in fine style: Everyone talks about their favourite posts which have appeared on the HRN Facebook page and we look at some of the comments and gauge the thoughts of at least some of the one million people who see our posts each month. And finally Paul Tarsey uses the brilliant book new ‘100 Years of Legends'  to test the team on their knowledge of the history of Le Mans. You will be surprised by the result!

Corridors of Power' this month sees the panel chosing their favourite motorsport movie. There were rather more to chose from than we originally thought and there are some real turkeys as well as the good ones! Joe Bradley, Jim Roller and Paul Jurd don't hold back in their praise of the their favourites and criticism of the not-so-good. Also Rob Cull and John Pearson tell the guys about their ultra-successful Equipe Classic Racing and their plans for 2024, including an all-Elan race at Silverstone. Paul Tarsey also looks at his choice for the top ten books to go on his Christmas list.

In our show at the beginning of November, Jim Roller discussed his memories of the 1983 Daytona 24 Hours when, mid race, A.J.Foyt jumped into a Porsche 935 he had never even sat in before and went on to win! This time round, Joe Bradley talks to Kevin Jeannette who was crew chief on the car and we hear the ‘untold story'. Serge Vanbockryck discusses his new book on the TWR Porsche which gave Tom Kristensen his first Le Mans win and Paul Jurd looks at the upcoming events in the world of historic motorsport.

It's time for the ‘Classic 24 Hours at Daytona' on 4th and 5th November and the team is taking an in-depth look at the Florida venue. Paul Tarsey talks to Derek Drinkwater who has created a toolroom copy of the 1950 Cadillac ‘Le Monstre' which he will be racing this weekend and then driving from Florida to California in the Le Mans behemoth. John Kirkpatrick was responsible for the phenomenal success of the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School in the 80s, 90s and beyond and he tells about the invasion of talent that arrived on his doorstep from South America. To complete the Daytona flavour, Jim Roller, Joe Bradley and Paul Jurd will be choosing their favourite Daytona 24 Hours in Corridors of Power.

Two legends of British national motorsport join Paul Tarsey and the team.

There has been a lot of sales activity with race cars crossing the block on both sides of the pond and Jim Roller catches up with all the auction news from the USA and the UK. Paul Tarsey chats to ‘the greatest auctioneer of classic cars in the world', Charlie Ross just before his latest sale for Gooding and Company at Hampton Court Palace in London. Corridors of Power this month is an unusual one; the panellists, Jim Roller, Joe Bradley and Paul Jurd, were asked to name their favourite Cosworth DFV powered car. Not the best, or the most groundbreaking or even the most successful, just their favourite. There are obviously lots of Formula One cars on everyone's list but also sports racers other single seaters and even the odd modified saloon!  

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!

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! 

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.

Joe Bradley, Jim Roller and Peter Snowdon look for the ‘Greatest Sports Car Drivers of the 1970s'. Redman, Ickx, Follmer, Haywood, Pescarolo and Elford plus many more get discussed as well as some of the great races like not only Le Mans and Daytona but the Targa Florio and Sebring too. Paul Jurd and Paul Tarsey look at the calendar for the next few weeks and Scott Stringfellow talks to Joe Bradley about over forty years in motor sport.

Joe Bradley and Jim Roller talk about HSR's annual springtime trip to Road Atlanta for “The Mitty” (pictured) and inevitably reminisce about fun times at the beautiful Georgia racetrack. Jim also talks about the auction scene and he and Paul Tarsey take a look at Bonhams recent Goodwood Members Meeting sale.

It's time for the Goodwood Members Meeting and we talk to the General Manager of the Goodwood Road Racing Club about a packed weekend. Paul Tarsey talks to Gordon Murray about his early career at Brabham and McLaren and how Gordon invented the ‘strategic pit stop'. Paul Jurd looks at what's on during April and Jim Roller provides a heartfelt tribute to the late Lady Susie Moss. Peter Snowdon joins the team for Corridors of Power this time round, their subject for discussion is ‘The greatest-ever all-round driver'.

The Racer's Concours is the unofficial name of ‘The Amelia' and Jim Roller and Paul Tarsey took a trip to Florida to see what was happening. Tarsey took a detour on the way and talked to George Levy at the Motorsport Hall of Fame of America in Daytona and then met with Jim to visit the auctions at Amelia before the concours itself. Hans Wurl from Gooding and Co gives us a peek behind the curtain and talks about the world of high quality auctions and Kevin Jeannette talks about a secret passion in a vehicle which isn't a Porsche!

The Historic Racing News Radio Show is back on the road, this time at Race Retro. The show is very much aimed at the club racing historic competitor and we will talk to friends we met at the show. Paul Jurd looks at events happening around the world in March and Jim Roller previews the first big auction weekend of the year when The Amelia opens its doors. Four separate auctions are being held on Amelia Island over the weekend which is traditionally known as the “Racer's Concours” because of the huge number of race cars on display.

Paul Tarsey dons his beret to be your guide around the Parisian extravaganza that is Retromobile. The annual show features some of the most valuable cars in the world which are for sale, plus jaw-dropping displays. Paul talks to some of the major players in the marketplace such as William I'Anson, Florent Moulin from Art & Revs and Eliot Artignan from Osenat auctioneers. Plus exciting news from David Hinton about plans for Historic NASCAR in his HSR calendar and a look at the on-site Artcurial auction too. Joe Bradley talks to Simon Owen about the amazing new range of cars from Scalextric, including (Joe is delighted to see) a Brabham Fan Car!  

Lee Masters talks about the upcoming Race Retro show where a full-on exhibition is outside action including a full-on rally stage exhibition. And in Corridors of Power, who from the world of motor sport would you choose to sit next to on a long-haul flight? Paul Jurd, Jim Roller and Nick Padmore fight for their choices.

Warren Hughes talks to Joe Bradley about his early days in Formula Ford and Paul Truswell tells us about his love for the Formula Ford Festival. Paul Jurd digs out the history of the formula and discusses the earliest days back in 1967 with Paul Tarsey. There's news from the Roger Albert Clark rally and from Classic Sports Car Club, and Ian Wagstaff talks about his new book Audi R8-405

Donald Campbell died on 4th January 1967 trying to break the World Water Speed Record. His nephew Don Wales explains what happened on that fateful day and why Campbell made some fundamental errors. Rob Cull and John Pearson talk about their innovative and very successful series running under the Equipe Racing banner and Jim Roller brings us up to date on the latest from the world of auctions. Plus, who is the ‘Greatest F1 Team Manager'? Paul Tarsey hosts.

Formula Ford has launched the careers of some of the greatest champions in our sport. In this episode the team takes a look at why the formula has been so successful, right up to the present day. We talk to Jeremy Shaw about his ‘Team USA' initiative, James Beckett who, amongst many other things, started and runs the Walter Hayes Trophy and Rick Shortle tells us what it was like racing against, and beating, people like Johnny Dumfries, Damon Hill, Mark Blundell, Andy Wallace and Derek Warwick. Jim Roller also looks at some interesting auction results which have ended to 2022 season with some big surprises.

Paul Jurd reminisces about those cold, and sometimes snowy, Boxing Day race meetings; Joe Bradley talks about his trip to the Classic 24 Hours at Daytona and a man in a red suit pays an unexpected visit too!

This episode is all about books and the tales they tell. Crispian Besley talks about his new book ‘Driven to Crime' which investigates the seedier side of the motor sport world, and world-renowned author Doug Nye talks to Paul Tarsey about everything from why Mike Hawthorn wasn't universally popular in his home town to the tale of the Italian lunch that brought about the Goodwood Festival of Speed. In a full length, exclusive, interview, Doug also explains his thoughts on Vanwall and their rivals at BRM. Since the runaway success of Jon Saltinstall's biography of Niki Lauda the author has been researching and writing a new volume about Jacky Ickx, Unusually, Saltinstall was able to rely on the wholehearted support of Ickx himself, creating a full and in-depth look at the life of the great Belgian driver. Jon Saltinstall explains why he so much enjoyed his time with Jacky too. Paul Jurd revisits a couple of books by Tim Beavis and Guy Loveridge featuring photographs from the racetracks of the 1960s and '70s and wallows in the nostalgia from those times.