RETRO RACING
“I WAS AWARE OF CHRISTOPHER WARD AND I LIKED ITS ETHOS AS THEY HAVE CUT OUT ALL THE NONSENSE THAT COSTS MONEY IN FINE WATCHES, JUST AS WE HAVE DONE THE SAME IN MOTOR RACING.”
Somewhat more exotic are European thoroughbreds like FIAT and Alfa Romeo, which made the Giuiletta Sprint Speciale from 1956. “It looks like a spaceship,” say Thurgood.
24-HOUR ENDURANCE RACING The logo of the HRDC carries the number 24 and it is Julius Thurgood’s express intention to establish a 24-hour endurance race within the club’s series. Its races currently last 30 or 45 minutes. “Major league endurance races would bring a completely different dynamic to our racing. It would allow more than one driver to share a car and the costs of the car. It would remind me of my early days of racing when, wet behind the ears in 1980, I competed in an MGB in the inaugural Willhire 24-Hour race at Snetterton in Norfolk. It was the UK’s first 24- hour race.”
HRDC AND A SPECIAL EDITION C11
If – or more likely, when – Thurgood gets the endurance race established, the three or four drivers in each team will be able to keep tabs on the passing time thanks to a rather handsome HRDC special edition watch made for the club by Christopher Ward. Based around a C11 model, it has a luminous dial for night driving, the club logo, a matt black case and a punched black leather-over-red strap that echoes a driving wheel cover. Thurgood admits to being a bit of a watch buff, owning at least 10 models, with a 1969 Omega Speedmaster Professional Mark II as his usual day watch. “I was aware of Christopher Ward and I liked its ethos as they have cut out all the nonsense that costs money in fine watches, just like we have done the same in motor racing,” says Thurgood. “There was an obvious synergy between the two companies and when we met, we pretty much designed the watch there and then.”
It would be appropriate for the HRDC’s 24- hour race to be run at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, which is renowned for its fast, hilly and twisting track. Exemplary driver skill is needed to deal with the Eau Rogue and Blanchimont corners, which must be taken flat out to maximise the straights that follow them. “Spa is our only non-British meeting,” Thurgood enthuses. “It’s the greatest circuit in the world. It’s such a thrill to travel round it. Spa’s a destination for petrol heads and we Brits are the ultimate historic racing enthusiasts. Even at an international meeting at Spa or in Germany, Brits will comprise at least 65% of the participants.” To the outsider, the idea of taking a beautifully preserved regular 50-year-old car or a racing legend worth £250,000 seems slightly perplexing, but Julius Thurgood stresses the code of the HRDC is as old-fashioned as its imagery. “Remember that our members come by invitation only. Everyone on that track respects that a man’s car is his pride and joy. Even though they are racing together at a fag paper’s distance apart, the last thing anyone wants to do is to cause an accident and the circuit stewards regularly remark on how safe our drivers are.
“Inexperience causes accidents. There is a
high standard of skill among our members, who include ex-champions from all walks of motorsports, and they are always ready to assist less experienced drivers. It’s that sort of club.”
HRDC RACING CALENDAR 2012 Castle Coombe Snetterton Spa
9 April 5-6 May
Donington Park Lydden Hill Mallory Park
15-17 June 28 July
18 August 7 October
Orderline 0844 875 1515 C11 HRDCI £399.00 19
C11 HRDCI Limited Edition Features • Swiss made • 316L Stainless steel with pvd finish • 13 Jewel Swiss quartz movement • Split-seconds/stopwatch functions • Screw-in back plate
• Anti-reflective museum grade sapphire
• Adjustable Italian leather strap
• Hand polished case with unique engraved serial number
• Luminous hands and indexes
• Water resistant to 10atm Technical
•Diameter: 42mm •Height: 10.7mm •Weight: 102g •Calibre: Ronda 5030.D •Strap: Leather Strap – width 22mm
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