Musicians and Movie Stars involved in Motorsport.

I`ve always been interested in how some of the rich and famous have and still do enjoy their motorsport. Some that are no longer with us, such as country singer Marty Robbins with his Nascar racing in the `60s,`70s and early `80s. Actor Paul Newman both as a racer and team owner, to name a couple. Then the current batch such as Pink Floyds Nick Mason, `Mr Bean' Rowan Atkinson, both very much involved in Historic racing in the US and the UK. There are several more as well, but it would be interesting to know if any Roaring Season readers have seen them racing or been involved with any of these guys in their motorsport as a hobby.

Just off the top of my head, I saw Nick Mason in a Ferrari 250GTO, BRM V16, and Maserati Birdcage at Silverstone in the 1990s, and also Simon Draper in an Aston Martin DBR4 at the same event. Draper wasn't actually a musician, but he started Virgin Music with Richard Branson etc back in the early '70s. I think Draper and Branson are cousins?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3v5XH91Q_8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZxUH33e_Xc

Led Zeps John Bonham was a big car nut http://phscollectorcarworld.blogspot...-zeppelin.html

In NZ we had Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis (better known as Phillip Rudd-drummer for AC/DC). He raced a Ford GT40 and had a big crash at Manfeild when a rear upright broke. The car was repaired and went back the UK with Ted Rollinson.
Slim Borgudd (drummer for ABBA) raced F1.

AC- DC frontman Brian Johnson drives a Lola T70

My favourite jazz musician, Chris Barber is still leading the UK's best jazz band after 59 years!!! He had the first customer Lotus Elite and raced in the UK and even toured Germany in it, en route to racing it at the Nurburgring! He clocked up a phenomenal mileage in that car. He then bought the Lotus 47s and ran as an entrant for two or three well known drivers, including Sir John Whitmore, John Hine, Dave Brodie etc.

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A regular at most European F1 GPs, it is amazing how often the band were playing not too far from the GP!

He has just sold off his De Salle's but at 83 (last week) still drives a Brabus Mercedes, though according to the ex road manager (who used to race a Healey Sprite), maybe he shouldn't... He is also great pals with Bernie and Jackie Stewart.

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Talk to him before or after a concert and he'll talk motorsport non-stop. The Elite still survives and I think the Lotus 47 might even be in Oz.

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Originally Posted by rf84

In NZ we had Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis (better known as Phillip Rudd-drummer for AC/DC). He raced a Ford GT40 and had a big crash at Manfeild when a rear upright broke. The car was repaired and went back the UK with Ted Rollinson.
Slim Borgudd (drummer for ABBA) raced F1.

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His kid was entered at the v8 meeting at puke last week

One bumped to to mark Knofler at donnington running ( and bending) his masarati 300s

Chris rea was tangled up with david piper, driving his ferraris

James Garner is another that springs to mind, oh and i guess steve mcqueen and james dean

NZ country musician, Brendan Dugan.

Quite a lot of the UK's radio DJ's in the 1970's got into motorsport when commercial radio was to the forefront, sponsoring race meetings - Noel Edmonds being one who took it further than most.

"So, what are you going to do with the rest of your life?": "I'm going to be a jockey."
Not a musco or Movie star but should get a mention here
photo courtesy Speedway Archives

Didn't Chris Rea have that gorgeous 1961 shark nose Ferrari replica built? (No originals survive as the factory destroyed them all.)

Early news frontman Dougal Stevenson had a nasty crash at Manfeild i think,put him off air for a while.

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Originally Posted by ERC

Didn't Chris Rea have that gorgeous 1961 shark nose Ferrari replica built? (No originals survive as the factory destroyed them all.)

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yes he did. i saw it with phil hill at goodwood, but hav nt heard of the car since

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Originally Posted by ERC

NZ country musician, Brendan Dugan.

Quite a lot of the UK's radio DJ's in the 1970's got into motorsport when commercial radio was to the forefront, sponsoring race meetings - Noel Edmonds being one who took it further than most.

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actually they held the radio one road show at some race meetings with some of the pop bands of the day present often doing a concert later Chaos ensued when they had the Bay city Rollers at 1 meeting!
The Radio one DJ then had a race with some musicians Cozzy Powell the drummer was top dog Mike Smith DJ was already racing and later went onto to do BTCC with sierra rs500 Noel edmonds once owned 2 GT40 cars in his early days later he was involved with a LM team

Chris Rea had a very basic shark nose replica built
The best car is the Belgians car built by Jim Stokes workshop -stunning i dropped off a lotus 24 there at end of the working day and Jim showed me round his shop and then the ferrari and explained the 40000 photographs they acquired to pour over so they could build 100% replica
i stood at the back of the car looked forward and said to him there is one thing on this car that must REALLY pish you off!!
he said yup that FIA LED rain light is an issue they would not let me fit the Lucas light lens !

Apart from Nick Mason running his Lola T290 Hu22 at LM for many years
Steve O'Rourke the bands manager raced cars had many LM entry with his own team EMKA
also Dave Gilmour had a go too
Jay Leno David Letterman have car collections and Indy car race team investment

Shane Lynch from Boyzone raced British GT
Spice girls brother has been in BTCC last few seasons now pit lane commentator
Atomic Kitten sponsored BTCC MG team 1 season

Denny Lane of Wings sponsored Dave Coyne in 1981 FF2000

In Japan there was a pop Band sponsored the team Ralf Schumacher raced for in 95
another F3000 team owner is japanese film/ tv actor

Val Musetti was film stunt man (italian job) and raced F2 F5000 F1 cars in UK events

And rock band Starz sponsorship of Brett Riley's F3 March in '78 or '79.

I guess it was relatively easy to siphon some money out of the mega bucks floating around the recording industry at that time. Don't see Starz or their ilk doing reunion concerts today.

When I started this thread I mentioned country singer Marty Robbins who was also a very good part time Nascar driver. His preference of car was Dodge. At the Talledega Superspeedway in 1972, Robbins stunned the top guns and the crowd by running near the front all race. After the race, Robbins was going to be awarded the `Rookie of the Race' award when he told officials he couldn`t accept the award. His reason, the previous night he removed the restrictor plate between the carb and inlet manifold, which effectively gave him 15 miles per hour more than the others. He told them he just wanted to know what it was like to run up the front and he had achieved that. In todays dog eat dog world such honesty in competition no longer exists.

I love stories like that!

Pre war, there were plenty of musicians racing at all levels. Older poms might remember the "Billy Cotton Band Show" (he introduced pianist Russ Conway to TV) on radio and TV.

Bill drove an ERA and once upon a time, I think we had his driver's armband from a Donington meeting.

I think that Brian Lister (of Lister Jaguar fame) was also a jazz drummer.

And how could we forget our Bruno !

Yeah, I met him at levels when he was team owner of an nzv8 team, definitely a petrolhead

Johnny Claes made himself a name as a Jazz trumpeter in London . He competed in 23 World Championship Grand Prix starts from 1950 to 1955

INXS have sponsored several cars .The last, I think, was with Dick Johnson in the 2004 V8 Supercar Championship.
I can also vouch that Steve Gilpin and the rest of the guys from Misex were also motorsport crazy. They hired 5 Nascars during a tour of the U.S.. I think I may have a photo somewhere.

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Originally Posted by driftwood

actually they held the radio one road show at some race meetings with some of the pop bands of the day present often doing a concert later Chaos ensued when they had the Bay city Rollers at 1 meeting!
The Radio one DJ then had a race with some musicians Cozzy Powell the drummer was top dog Mike Smith DJ was already racing and later went onto to do BTCC with sierra rs500 Noel edmonds once owned 2 GT40 cars in his early days later he was involved with a LM team

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Cozy Powell had a large car collection. He had a fatal accident in his SAAB 900 while he was talking to his girlfriend on the mobile phone at over 100mph ..

George Harrison

Did James 'Pete Aron' Garner get mentioned?

Rob Wilson has done it all!

http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88401
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rc...45512109,d.aGc

http://www.grandprairie.co.uk/

Wrote a bit about hot rods up Auckland way some time ago

James Dean at the Santa Barbara airport course, His last race.

Rob Wilson in Canada last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyr2okX-kQw