Inside Stock Car World Magazine UK Stock car magazine including vintage. | Page 15

“Our Unsung Heros” ...
had acquired a Cronny car so
there's the connection folks. I
went on to win the clubs coveted
gold roof two years running.

1986 was big year for me when
two school mates, the Meffen
brothers, asked me to help them
out with the engineering side of a
stock car they bought. I jumped
at the chance. The same year, I
met two guys, Peter Kuriger and
Russell Joblin who built the most
awesome stock car in just nine
days - the like I’d never seen
before. Although they live in New
Zealand, have become lifetime
friends which is typical of guys in
the stock car world.
Unfortunately Peter and Russell
only did a couple of meetings
before calling it a day. They
offered me their car and rest is
history. Aged 29, I entered my
first race with it. After visiting

NZ a year later, I was convinced
I wanted to build my own car
using their 'space frames'.

I sold my car to Garry Lenton
and after three years (a bit longer
than 9 days) I’d done it. I raced it
for three years before I managed
to write it off when I took a back
straight fence at Coventry. All I
could do was weigh it in for scrap
and thought my racing days are
over!

However, a few months later I
saw Malc Neachells old car
minus the engine on Potter snrs
farm. After a little dealing I got
the car off young James. Rule
changes meant the roll cage was
no longer legal so off it came and
my Cronny shaped car was born.
It lasted two years before H32 did
me the favour of writing it off at
NIR.

Without the distraction of a stock
car, the next two years I built my
own house. That done, what
next?

Barry Sheppard had bought three
engines to make one and for
£500 I could have the box of bits
left over. Deal done, all I needed
was a chassis. Still convinced
space frames are the future, we

Photo by: Steve Weston

built the chassis over the winter.
I used high tensile steel (50x50x3
mm box) and with a 97" wheel
base and standard British stock
car bumper. Similar to the NZ
style model B but fabricated with
no actual car body parts. The
engine is a Standardish 454 big
block with reworked cylinder
heads that Len Wolfenden
supposedly won his world title
with.

The camshaft and inlet manifold
are matched to give maximum
torque. The Carburetor is a
Holley 4 barrel 830 cfm's and has
a ratio change gear box and triple
plate clutch which made all the
difference and gave me my best
result so far - a 3rd at Coventry."
In this sport, it's not about
winning or losing. It's about
striving to be your best because
everyone gets the a chance to
take part in a sport they love and
work alongside like-minded
people who become comrades
and friends for life.

For Rob, he wanted to give a
special thank you to Darrell
Collins and his son Jamie who
have not only worked on the car
but rebuilt engines on more than
one occasion, Wayne Allen who
has been the driving force behind
him over the years and more
recently George Lund who helps
out when he can.

It goes without saying that
without sponsorship we'd all
struggle so a big thank you to
Tanker Services, Potters Skip
Hire, Alcoa, Kiltech Painting and
Decorating, B & K Services and
all the guys that chipped in this
last winter. And finally Dave the
best man, tha