Alastair Pugh
100 Year Old Drivers (well 86 actually)
100 Year Old Drivers (well 86 actually)
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On the 15th July 2015 a televison programme aired in the UK called "100 Year Old Drivers", essentially showing that age is no barrier to successful driving and the enjoyment of mortoring. One of those featured was Channel Air Bridge to BCal's Alastair Pugh.
After the show I contacted Alastair and he kindly provided a write-up of the events around the show. (It was filmed in March/April 2015).
I have liberated a screen capture of the 5 minute segment featuring Alastair so folks can watch it here.....it follows below Alastair's notes.
After the show I contacted Alastair and he kindly provided a write-up of the events around the show. (It was filmed in March/April 2015).
I have liberated a screen capture of the 5 minute segment featuring Alastair so folks can watch it here.....it follows below Alastair's notes.
From Alastair:
The request to participate in the TV programme “100 Year Old Drivers Ride Again” came out of the blue. It was probably the recommendation of the Vintage Sports Car Club, in whose events I have been competing since about 1950 and so have become possibly the oldest driver still racing. However age 100 is still a great many years ahead!
All my motor sport has been concerned with pre-war cars, in particular Frazer Nashes. They are simple enough to maintain in a home workshop, though the ratio of maintenance hours to road or track hours is pretty high for an 83 year-old car, let alone for an 86-year old mechanic! The cars shown in the programme are a chain-drive 1932 TT Replica Frazer Nash (green car). This is confusingly a replica-only of the car raced in the Tourist Trophy the previous year; and a right-hand drive Frazer Nash BMW 328 made by BMW in Germany in 1939 (white car).
One of the reasons I have continued with motor sport is that, during my airline days, time pressures put considerable constraints on motorsport activity, so full scope only came after retirement (at 80). I have been fortunate to find younger co-drivers for various events, all of whom challenge me by driving very well indeed! One of these is my namesake, Alistair Pugh who, as a school project, came to visit me in BCAL when he was 11 years old. We kept in touch as his career developed and at 40 he is a firm friend.
For the five minutes or so of the clip, four full days were spent filming by a crew of up to five. They were courteous and professional. The team included the producer, cameramen, sound engineers and a busy assistant/ organiser. They filmed at my house, during a whole morning on local roads and at Curborough sprint circuit, so literally hours of footage had to be condensed for the programme. The consensus seems to be that the outcome provided rather enjoyable entertainment.
The request to participate in the TV programme “100 Year Old Drivers Ride Again” came out of the blue. It was probably the recommendation of the Vintage Sports Car Club, in whose events I have been competing since about 1950 and so have become possibly the oldest driver still racing. However age 100 is still a great many years ahead!
All my motor sport has been concerned with pre-war cars, in particular Frazer Nashes. They are simple enough to maintain in a home workshop, though the ratio of maintenance hours to road or track hours is pretty high for an 83 year-old car, let alone for an 86-year old mechanic! The cars shown in the programme are a chain-drive 1932 TT Replica Frazer Nash (green car). This is confusingly a replica-only of the car raced in the Tourist Trophy the previous year; and a right-hand drive Frazer Nash BMW 328 made by BMW in Germany in 1939 (white car).
One of the reasons I have continued with motor sport is that, during my airline days, time pressures put considerable constraints on motorsport activity, so full scope only came after retirement (at 80). I have been fortunate to find younger co-drivers for various events, all of whom challenge me by driving very well indeed! One of these is my namesake, Alistair Pugh who, as a school project, came to visit me in BCAL when he was 11 years old. We kept in touch as his career developed and at 40 he is a firm friend.
For the five minutes or so of the clip, four full days were spent filming by a crew of up to five. They were courteous and professional. The team included the producer, cameramen, sound engineers and a busy assistant/ organiser. They filmed at my house, during a whole morning on local roads and at Curborough sprint circuit, so literally hours of footage had to be condensed for the programme. The consensus seems to be that the outcome provided rather enjoyable entertainment.
Or it can be viewed here too http://youtu.be/YNM050ejKws