By “NOS”

Hey! You simply cannot believe what I found a couple of days ago! How did you guess, it was the 25^th February 1950 “Official Programme” for the South African Championships and Rand Trophy, held at Grand Central “(Pretoria Road)”. 

It cost 1’6 , and the cover page sponsor? Good Humor Ice Cream. Well that got my mind moving and I thought of Jackie Pretorius driving the Walls Ice Cream Formula 5000 Lola. What are the chances of Ola sponsoring a car today I wonder? 

While on the subject of sponsors, other sponsors advertising in this Official Programme were Speedy Engineering, Photo Agencies, advertising roll and cine film made by Fiat! Kelly Tyres, who of the older persuasion can forget their steam radio ads? McPhail – they were coal merchants, delivered door to door. Redex Oil & Petrol Additive, from Collins Motor Spares; and notably one of the few still standing Castrol! 

I love this “Official Programme” thing, I really never knew that there was so much money to be made in the printing of race programmes that there was some bloke running about selling “unofficial” programmes!  Anyone out there ever seem a bootleg programme? I didn’t even see one at Indianapolis, where there were 250,000 people!  

Just to add to the fun I found another programme- this one was “ Official Souvenir Programme” so it was a lot more expensive 2’6 and God Bless it, it is copyright reserved, so I hope for my sake the copyright has lapsed or I might be in big trouble! This programme was for the Easter Motor Races of the 6^th April 1953, “held over the Alexandra Circuit, Pietermaritzburg”! Guess what, one of the feature races was a side car event, wish I had a scanner so I could reproduce the picture! There was a lovely picture of the PMB town hall on the cover, what else? As for the advertising Prest-o-lite batteries, oh one still in existence, Valvoline – “the original Pennsylvania Oil” ; Shimwell Bros. importers of Triumph  and Enfield Motor cycles, (and I think original Honda importers) also dealing in arms and ammunition, Fishing Tackle, toys and Coleman accessories; McDonalds Feeds & Seeds; Smallridge new and used furniture Shop; Ferodo, brake & Clutches from G. North & Sons; Oxenham’s Bread; Rondi’s Ice cream; Ultra Light car racing Crash Helmets from Herbert Johnson, New Bond St.; Foss & Shaw Hardware Paint and Glass Merchants; O.A. Crouch – Storage, Packing and Removals anywhere in the Union; Voller’s sign Works – Sign and Glass writers; and so the list goes on. 

It is interesting to note the diversity of advertisers, the names that are gone and forgotten and those that are still there. Which is the point of this comment, spread your wings when looking for a sponsor, there are opportunities all over the place.

What ever happened to side car racing in SA? It is still quite popular overseas, but seems to have died an unnatural death here. Anyone remember the ones that came here with the sports cars, or was it the trucks? They were awesome, and really trick in their design. People complain about there being too many classes of motor racing, I complain about the “sterotypicallity (my own word!)” of it all! 

A note for the Shelby Canamers – I regret to have to say this but the public fighting in the class is going to see to its demise. You all need to shut up, stand together and support decisions made in public. The ONLY place for dissent and argument is in the meetings. No one has the right to undermine those decisions once made. Ask yourselves “Why are there cars not running in the series? Why are there so few new drivers?” No not lack of money – lack of motivation; motivation to get onto the track, motivation to get sponsorship, and why? Because there is no satisfaction, we have to make this class a good place to be, and for different people it will be different things, but stupid bickering and back biting will only bring us all down. We have always worked together to fix problems, we have done it internally because we have the talent and ability within the class to do it. As long as there is constructive criticism no one minds, however maverick behaviour is costing this class big time. I am disappointed that the changes agreed to last year have not happened; they were small but effective steps. We need to focus and deliver! 

Where are the?

1. New roll bars
2. Exhaust Heat shields
3. Bodies
4. Gear shift mechanism

I hate to quote other people as I would rather be the oracle! But as my old friend Johnny Clegg says “If you are standing still you are actually going backwards” 

Set your goals and FOCUS guys!