SMRC Meeting on 27th April 2008

Results from the meeting are available for download at www.mylaps.com and on the SMART Timing website. The Championship tables will shortly be updated to reflect the results from this meeting. A selection of photos from the meeting are also available for viewing.

A Tribute to David Leslie, Honorary SMRC Member

1953 – 2008

View Picture Tribute

A true Scottish racing driver of international renown sadly died in a plane crash on March 30th. The honorary SMRC club member had been a multi-kart champion before racing a wide variety of cars. He had success in single seaters including many race wins in Formula Ford and Formula Ford 2000. In 1980 he had 11 victories from 15 races in Formula Atlantic, before going on to race in F3. David then moved to Le Mans Sportscars and latterly Touring Cars. He was a regular driver for Ecurie Ecosse in the 80s and 90s with their C2 cars and Cavalier, and spent 13 years in BTCC winning 9 races. He came 2nd in that championship in 1999 driving a Nissan Primera. David raced in Scotland when the BTCC came north, but he also supported club motorsport. He raced at SMRC meetings with his own Formula Ford and as a guest in the Scottish Mini Cooper Cup. He was still actively racing and won his final race this year in Britcar on March 22nd. David also worked as a commentator on WTCC for Eurosport. Meanwhile, David Leslie Racing (run by David and his father) nurtured talent in Formula Ford for many years. A regular guest at the club awards ceremony he was easy going and very approachable. He leaves wife Jane and two sons. The club will pay tribute to him on April 27th at Knockhill.

Personal Tributes;

Allan McNish, President SMRC
"David Leslie meant an awful lot to everyone in the McNish household. David was unique, a one-off and we’ll miss him desperately - not to mention motorsport in general and Scottish motorsport specifically.

"David had been involved in my career every since it started. He was from Dumfries, we were born in the same hospital. David’s father, David Snr, lives about a mile from my father Bert. When David began racing, my father was actually helping him by going along to some races.

"I went along to a few of his Formula Ford races in 1977 when I was seven. There are plenty of stories of when David beating some bloke called Nigel Mansell and he won the British title. In that year, David won 30 races – 30 races in one season – and the championship. In FF2000 he won 15 races and another title which nowadays is unheard of. His talent was very, very obvious. But at the age of seven and eight, he really inspired me to want to follow him.

"When I was 11-years-old and wanted to start karting, it was David and his father who took me to that first race. In fact they took me to get my first kart, overalls and stand, everything that I needed. They got me going. He started the Allan McNish desire and the Allan McNish career.

"When I progressed into Formula Ford it was a natural progression that I’d do it with their help. David Snr was effectively the engineer and young David was my driver coach. Between them they put me on the career path – without them I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t have been able to take forward the career that I have. They went on and did the same for David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti and many others, at the same time as David having such a strong driving career of his own finishing second in the World Sportscar C2 Championship, 2nd at Le Mans and many BTCC wins on his way to runner up in the 1999 (Touring Car) Championship to name just a few.

"In many respects David was an unsung hero in Scottish Motorsports and gave a lot more to our sport than he took out. He did a heck of a lot and got on with the job in a quiet manner.

"I was proud to know a true gentleman.

Dario Franchitti
"When I was growing up my Dad talked a lot about David and what a great driver he was and how he had the talent to go all the way but never the opportunity. I got to see David's talents firsthand watching him driving the Ecurie Ecosse Cavalier and other touring cars in the BTCC. Typical David that he went out and won what was to be his last race!

"I was lucky enough to Drive for David Leslie Racing in 1991 and the advice along with the example that David and Father David set was in my opinion the best schooling any driver could have. At last year's SMRC (awards ceremony) David, Jane, Allan Mcnish and a few of us were able to sit down after the dinner and catch up over a whisky, I was able to thank David for everything he'd done for me. I'm glad I did. I can't think of anybody who had a greater love of the sport than David, a really good man and I'm going to miss him. My thoughts right now are with Jane and the boys, David, Joy and the rest of the family.

David Coulthard
"I spoke with Father David Leslie in the days following the terrible news of the crash and we were recalling all the good times we had all spent together socially and at the race track.

"He was amazingly together all things considered, calm as always and proudly recounting how young David had won his last race in the wet, “he was always brilliant in the wet” he told me and there was an immense pride in his voice.

"He had apparently also been told that he would be driving for Jaguar in the GT championship which would have made him very happy. Young David was a racer, full stop, but throughout the rocky road that he endured throughout his career he was also a fantastic developer of cars, and helped myself amongst others make the transition from karts to cars.

"We spent the whole winter of '88 testing at every track in the UK in preparation for my first car season in 89. Regularly David would jump in my car and check it was set correctly, or to show me the lines through some of the more challenging corners.

"As a team we won 22 out of the 32 races we entered that season, and that created the foundations of my journey to Formula One. It is with deep regret that I never took the time to really explain to young David just how much he meant to me and how fundamental his guidance was to my career.

"Death is an inevitable part of life, but it doesn’t make dealing with the loss of a friend any easier and my heart goes out to all those family’s who lost loved ones in the accident.

"I am proud to have known him.

SMRC Meeting on 30th March 2008

Results from the meeting are available for download at www.mylaps.com and on the SMART Timing website. The Championship tables have also been updated to reflect the results from the meeting and can be downlaoded from the 2008 Championship Tables section of the website. A selection of photos from the meeting are also available for viewing.

Marino Franchitti: ALMS Driver of the Day

Marino
Speedtv.com 'Drive of the Race' Award : Marino Franchitti

Speedtv.com have chosen to honour the greatest drive in each of the ALMS races in the 2008 season with the “American Le Mans Series Drive of the Race Award”. The first recipient of this newly created Award is Marino Franchitti for his outstanding performance at the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida race which was held at the famous Sebring International Raceway on Saturday, 15th March.

Marino, together with his co-drivers at Dyson Racing, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Lally, finished 2nd overall and 2nd in class. To read the release in full, and enjoy the quotes given by “the voice” of Radio Le Mans, John Hindhaugh, who brings all the ALMS races to life for those not fortunate enough to see them live, please visit:

www.speedtv.com/article/alms-speedtvcom-sebring-drive-of-the-race-award-marino-franchitti/ or the ALMS website: www.americanlemans.com/home/ALMSHome.aspx

 

2008 Provisional Television Schedule

The SMRC has re-negotiated the television package this year with all rounds being shown on Motors TV badged as 'Scottish MINI Cooper Cup' and 'Scottish Motor Racing'. Motors have provided the provisional timetable for the programmes as follows:

Scottish MRC Classic Sports and Saloons - New Web Pages

The Scottish MRC Classic Sports and Saloons are proud to unveil their new web pages designed to keep competitors and fans up-to-date with the Championship. The site can be accessed at classics.smrc-uk.com and will be updated regularly. Please check back regularly for further news and additions.

Competitors: 2008 Entry Forms available

The SMRC's entry forms for the 2008 season are now available at the following links. Entry forms for other rounds will be posted online when they become available.

The Standing Regs for all of the club's classes are also available for download:

The DDMC have provided the following Supplementary Regs and entry forms for their meeting at Croft on the 17th and 18th May. The Scottish MRC Mini Cooper Cup are also invited to the event, but entrants for this series are to contact Vic Covey to enter.

2008 SMRC Regulations

The following regulations for the 2008 season are available for download:

The BRSCC's Ford Fiesta regulations are also available as these cars are eligible to race alongside the Scottish MRC XR2s in the 2008 season.


SMRC Photo Gallery

A new photo gallery for the website has been developed. As well as including some of Jim Moir's photos from the 2006 season, the hope is that others will contribute some of their own snaps from time to time. The club is also committed to helping drivers publicise their efforts, possibly in an effort to gather sponsorship, so photos of cars and drivers along with a personal profile are welcome for addition to the site.

Photo Galleries:

All images are Copyright Jim Moir - contact Jim on 0131 552 8817 for copies and further photos.