Below is an evocative photo of work being done in the paddock at Brands Hatch on Boxing Day 1959. On the left is Les Redmond who was the designer and constructor of the Moorland race cars and the early Gemini race cars. Les went on to design many sports and single seater cars and should have more recognition for his work. On the right is Derek (Del) Taylor who was Les' nephew and he worked as a young gaffer at The Chequered Flag race team.
Del came out to NZ last year to catch up with the first Gemini Mk2 car built that had a great race history in the UK, Sebring, Cuba and El Salvador. Nigel Russell and I found it in Texas three years ago and bought it back to NZ and passed it onto Mike Sexton who has just about completed a superb restoration.
The photo below is particularly significant as it shows the first ever Ford Cosworth engine used in competition. The engine was put into the team bosses (Graham Warner) car but it threw a flywheel in practice and the engine was transferred to the works Lotus 18.
This race at Brands on Boxing Day 1959 was very significant as it was :
- the first race for a Ford Cosworth engine
- the first race for a rear engine Lotus
- the first single seater race for Jim Clark
- the first outing for a Lola single seater (a car I now have)
Not bad for one race.