FEATURE : PARTING SHOT
Ron Overend was instrumental in keeping Mallory Park open
We remember
Sadly , we have lost a number of people from our sport over the winter months and we pay tribute to each and every one of them for their contribution to motor sport .
We recorded the sad loss of our former chief scrutineer Dallas Smith in the last issue of Historic Racing and we are pleased to report that he received a first class tribute with a well-attended funeral in January .
Andy Dee-Crowne gave a eulogy on behalf of the Club and it was acknowledged
Dallas Smith that Dallas was the longest serving motorsport UK licence scrutineer . He will be sadly missed .
From the world of race organisation and marshalling we also lost another
Roy Hunt racing his 500cc F3 Martin fine scrutineer . David Baxter , also known for his role with the race organising team for the Sutton Coldfield and North Birmingham Automobile Club ( SUNBAC ).
John Watt , one of the senior marshals in the country , sadly died during January at the age of 90 . John was a major force in marshalling particularly in the North Midlands and North West and was a regular official at Oulton Park and Donington Park , supported by his wife Audrey . More recently , he was a respected Motorsport UK steward and his loss is particularly relevant to the HSCC as his daughter Alison is married to photographer Jeff
Bloxham . We send our condolences to all of them .
Ron Overend was one of the key people responsible for rescuing Mallory Park when it faced closure in the late 1980s . Ron made a huge contribution to the sport notably through the Midland centre of the BRSCC and , with his wife Edwina , was a very popular member of the Mallory Park team for many years .
Originally competition manager at the BARC , John Wickham went on to have a glittering career as a team manager and team owner at the top of the sport . Sadly , he lost his battle with motor neurone disease in January .
Journalist Andy Hallbery , a former editor at Autosport and a respected freelancer , passed away at the tragically young age of 56 after a short illness . Roy Hunt , a leading figure in 500cc Formula 3 racing , and an active racer as recently as autumn 2022 , has also died this winter in his early 80s .
Wiet Huidekoper , who died recenty , was a gifted race car designer who started his mainstream career designing Formula Ford Royales in the early 1980s and went on to work at the very top of the sport . The Christmas period brought the tragic news that American rally driver and showman Ken Block had lost his life in a tragic snowmobile accident .
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Finally Roy Pierpoint , an all-rounder from the 1960s in particular in sports and saloon cars , died recently aged 93 . We remember all of them and send condolences to families and friends affected by these sad losses .