FEATURE : VICE CHAIRMAN
Frank Lyons in an F2 Chevron
Lyons takes Vice-Chairman role
Following a members ’ vote , the Club has a new Vice Chairman in Frank Lyons , who takes over the role from Charles Barter . The Club is indeed fortunate to have such experienced and able individuals prepared to take on key roles .
Working with Chairman Roger Bevan and CEO Andy Dee Crowne , Charles has been , and continues to be , a huge asset to the HSCC . He is an active racer and is the man who should take much of the credit for building and maintaining 70s Road Sports into one of the Club ’ s most enduringly successful championships . Charles , known for his business in the watercress industry and based in rural Dorset , has a long history in the sport and was a very successful hillclimber before he made the switch to racing . He competed on the hills in a variety of cars , including Special Saloon Hillman Imps and single seater Deltas and was widely regarded for his work in the development of the fledgling Hillclimb and Sprint Association .
When he decided to go racing , Charles found the Datsun 240Z once owned by his near neighbour Win Percy and gradually the car was developed into a winner . Charles has enjoyed many successes with the car over 20 years , including winning the title in 2001 and again in 2017 . Ironically , the last couple of seasons have been beset by problems , but there is little doubt that he will be a title contender once more in 2021 .
As well as being championship chairman for 70s Road Sports , he took on the role of Club Vice Chairman and brought his experience and knowledge to the Club to help guide it through changing times and times of growth . Everyone is hugely grateful to Charles for his work on behalf of the HSCC , which we are delighted to report will continue as he guides 70s Road Sports into what is set to be another runaway successfully season .
Equally , Frank Lyons needs little introduction to most . He has been a key figure in historic racing for more than two decades and has raced in Historic
Formula Ford , Historic Formula 2 , the Aurora Trophy in Formula 5000s and Historic Formula 1 as well as various sports cars , including a Lola T70 Mk3B .
This is very much a family sport for Frank who is often joined on the grid by his wife Judy . Their son Michael is one of the sport ’ s leading contenders and has raced extensively in modern single seaters and GT cars , as well as in various cars from the family ’ s collection of historic single seaters . Few drivers can match Michael ’ s pace in powerful historic single seaters .
Frank returns to a key role within the Club and will bring years of knowledge and experience to the position . We welcome Frank and we say a huge thank you to Charles . We are indeed fortunate that such individuals are willing to commit their time and energy to helping the Club maintain and develop its position within historic motor sport .
Charles Barter leading the 70s Road Sports pack
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