In the quiet period since the last round of the Welsh
Championship, there was time for some holidays which coincided
with a few sunny days and I had a chance to catch up with Tim
Davies, one of the founding members of the WRDA.
Tim dominated
Formula Ford 2000 (the Formula Renault of it's day) in the early 1980's, and won the first major
championship, the 1983 British Formula Ford 2000 Championship, for
Adrian Reynard, and in doing so became only the 2nd Welshman to
win a British title. (the other was Jack Lewis way back in the
1950s).
Tim is doing well with his garage business at Felin Fach in
between Lampter & Aberaeron and has returned to racing in
Historic Racing with a classis Mk1 Lotus Cortina, alongside
several other names from the past, Neil Brown & Richard Dutton,
both of whom have links to todays crop of Welsh racers.
Back
in 1985
Tim moved up with Reynard into Formula 3, driving for the
Swallow Team run by financier Tim Sparkes. However despite
leading several races and getting on the podium several times,
Tim was unceremoniously dumped by Sparkes just before the
British Grand Prix, but then linked with Dutton's team for the
event. Famously Sparkes then bet Dutton £200 that his driver,
would finish in front of Tim. In the event Tim did the business
and Sparkes had to hand over the £200 to Dutton! I took a
photo of it at the time but I cant find it a present. Tim's F3 career,
from 1985 to 1987, shows that although he lead
several races and achieved several podium places, a win eluded
him. However it was during that period of 1983 to 1987 that he formed links with engine builder
Neil Brown, and team owner Richard Dutton. Coming more up to
date Neil Brown supplied the engines for modern day WRDA members
and Welsh racers Hywel Lloyd and Andy Meyrick during the early
part of their F3 careers, and Richard Dutton runs the Fortec
team which supplies the Formula Renault car for Seb Morris!
Back
in 1985
Tim moved up with Reynard into Formula 3, driving for the
Swallow Team run by financier Tim Sparkes. However despite
leading several races and getting on the podium several times,
Tim was unceremoniously dumped by Sparkes just before the
British Grand Prix, but then linked with Dutton's team for the
event. Famously Sparkes then bet Dutton £200 that his driver,
would finish in front of Tim. In the event Tim did the business
and Sparkes had to hand over the £200 to Dutton! I took a
photo of it at the time but I cant find it a present. Tim's F3 career,
from 1985 to 1987, shows that although he lead
several races and achieved several podium places, a win eluded
him. However it was during that period of 1983 to 1987 that he formed links with engine builder
Neil Brown, and team owner Richard Dutton. Coming more up to
date Neil Brown supplied the engines for modern day WRDA members
and Welsh racers Hywel Lloyd and Andy Meyrick during the early
part of their F3 careers, and Richard Dutton runs the Fortec
team which supplies the Formula Renault car for Seb Morris!