FEATURE : DADS AND LADS
Glenn Eagling ( Lotus 61 )
Glenn and Daniel Eagling Various single-seaters
Glenn : Age : 66 Lives : Thetford
Daniel : Age : 40 Lives : Norwich
Glenn Eagling says : “ Our kids were forced to go to race meetings when they were babies . We also have twin girls . We bought a
Clubmans car and Daniel followed me into racing as soon as he could . He ’ s made a full time career and business out of it .
“ It ’ s very difficult to say how it works . Being the father and son you just have that bond . But it doesn ’ t always work . So fathers and sons , just as in life , have moments but when you ’ re working with somebody 10 hours a day , six days a week , it does get a little bit fraught at times .
“ But the passion for both of us is the same thing and always has been , so that ’ s a common bond . He was my boy , as such , and now I ’ m his boy . I do what I ’ m told to do !
“ He ’ s a talented racer and engineer and that ’ s his strength in that he can drive the cars , he can set them up and he understands the mechanics . He can then help the drivers by relating to what they ’ re saying . Because he ’ s been there and done it .
“ When he started with the Formula 3000 teams , obviously , he learned the professional way of doing things from the basics of cleaning the truck up to being a number one mechanic on Juan- Pablo Montoya ’ s car . You learn that background and then you can bring that in and do it at the level we ’ re at now .
“ We ’ ve talked about getting rid of one or two of my things and racing something together but I really don ’ t know . I think that could be quite fraught !”
Mike and Matt Wrigley Historic F2 and others
Mike Wrigley ( Jaguar E-type )
54
Mike : Age : 68 Lives : Ashbourne
Matt : Age : 26 Lives : Ashbourne
Matt Wrigley says : “ Dad was actually away racing abroad when I was born . I think he was in Germany at the Nurburgring when I was born six weeks early . The Oldtimer is always around my birthday . He stopped racing at maybe 30 to concentrate on work . And then came back
to do Historic F1 .
“ I took me quite a while to follow him into racing as dad never really properly exposed me to racing for quite a while . I did a bit in an Austin A35 and I did a bit in a little off road racing buggy . Then I ended up in Historic Formula Ford and Ian Fernihough , who ’ s a family friend , used to take me racing .
“ I think when you go away racing with
Matt Wrigley ( March 782 ) your dad and sharing the cars we both enjoy that . We work together as well so we spend a lot of time together . So coming away and having a drink and racing together makes it easier away from the pressure of work .
“ At Donington in his E-type we we ’ re on exactly the same pace . One session he was quicker than me then I was quicker in the next one . Sometimes he does something and I think ‘ my God ’, I thought we ’ d got it . He keeps you on your toes and I think that ’ s what he ’ s doing it for .
“ Sometimes we do argue but I think that for a father and son we get on pretty well , and to be fair , we do spend a hell of a lot of time together . Last year dad just started to enjoy watching me race rather than him doing the racing . I think he ’ s enjoying it more than ever watching me race .
“ We ’ ve also got a little Elva and a Chevron B19 . Dad tells me we need to sell some cars and then he buys more . We have got quite a few now but we do try and use them all !”