About Motorsport Retro

Motorsport Retro is a celebration of Motorsport from the 1950s to the recent past.

Our content entertains and informs with a unique collection of stories, videos and images covering Formula 1 to Motocross.

Enjoy.

The Motorsport Retro FAQ

Who are you and where are you based?

My name is Rich Fowler and I live in Sydney, Australia, with my wife and two children. I have lived in Australia all my life. I live near the beach, which is great if you like surfing, but I prefer motor racing.  It certainly makes for a long drive to the racetrack. You can contact me at rich@motorsportretro.com

What do you race?

I race anything on two or four wheels. I currently campaign a recently restored 1984 Kawasaki KX250 in Vintage Motorcross events. I ride a 1985 Honda TLR 200 twinshock in Trials and when I can, I pilot a rather special 1970 Porsche 911 in sprints, track days and the Targa Tasmania. I spend a lot of time in my garage tinkering on bikes with my mates. My collection includes a1983 Suzuki RM125, a 1998 Yamaha YZ400F, a 2008 Yamaha WR450, a Scorpa SY250 and my sons OSET 12.5 electric bike. I love to sample as much machinery as possible and through the site I hope to be able to try some other disciplines and share the experience on Motorsport Retro

What is your background?

My motorsport addiction began when I first rode a dirtbike at  four years old. I rode mini bikes and won a few state and national championships, finished school then kicked off a career in media. My first real job was at Autosport Magazine in the ad sales department. From there  I went on to work for Motor, Auto Action, Australian Motorcycle News. Along the way I  met guys like Henry Hope-Frost and Darryl Flack who now contribute to Motorsport Retro.

I quit the media business and sold my car to go Formula Ford racing at 22. Like most young drivers I dreamed of being a professional racer and being World Champion. The highlight of my career was winning the opening round of the 1996 Australian Formula Ford Championship and racing against guys like Mark Webber, Marcos Ambrose, Garth Tander, Jason Bright, Jason Bargwanna and Todd Kelly. Between them these guys have won six Grand Prix, three V8 Supercar Championships and four Bathurst 1000s.

By 1997 I had run our of money, desire and talent and my short racing career was over. I then found myself in the digital advertising business at the start of the internet boom in 1998. I worked with some very clever and inspirational people like advertising superstars Jason Scott andDavid Jones at places like Euro RSCG, NetX  and One Digital. My most recent stint in the ad game was as business director for Publicis Mojo (Publicis Digital) back in 2008. I was proud to work on some great campaigns during my time in digital advertising. Not much of it is still live these days, but I did learn a lot working for global brands like Dell, HP, Virgin, HSBC, Mother, Lion Nathan, Toyota, Hyundai and Wild Turkey to name a few.

Read Rich’s stories here

Who are the other writers and contributors?

Henry Hope-Frost

 

If it moves and makes a noise, it gets my vote. That just about sums up my lifelong, all-encompassing passion for motorsport and its history. With a former BMC engineer and amateur racer/rally driver for a father it’s hardly a surprise. In fact, my great grandparents were regular visitors to Brooklands, so the seeds of my interest were sown long ago. School was a waste of time – as long as I could devour Autosport each week, I was happy. That the world’s oldest and best-known motorsporting weekly became my vocation – and remains so – is particularly poignant. Growing up in a house once occupied by original magazine benefactor and Connaught Grand Prix driver Dennis Poore seemed to help!

For the past 16 years I have been fortunate to contribute to many leading print and on-line media, and to join the television, radio and public address broadcast/commentary teams at international and national race and rally events around the world.

Read Henry’s stories here

Don Cox

Don Cox had his first taste of motorcycling as pillion on the family’s sole motorised transport, his father’s Velocette. In his early teens, he read everything he could find on bike and car racing in the local library, and has been an avid researcher ever since.

Inspired by the 1976 Australian TT at Laverton and Australian GP at Bathurst, he wrote his first motorcycle-racing story for his uni newspaper. A fellow student saw that and suggested he write for REVS Motorcycle News – and he did.

Don began race reporting in 1977, so he met key players including Valentino Rossi’s race engineer Jeremy Burgess when they were racing. In 1979, he made his version of the Grand Tour, taking in the Daytona 200, the Isle of Man TT and five GPs.

He co-authored Australian Motorcycle Heroes 1949-89 with Will Hagon and wrote The Aussies And 2NZ Blokes in 1997.

A third book, Circus Life: Australian Motorcycle Racers In Europe In The 1950s, is in production.

Read Don’s stories here

Andy Hallbery

Born in London, Andy went to his first Grand Prix in 1974 aged seven. That was at Brands Hatch. Using the twinkle in his eye, he persuaded his parents that the next three summer holidays should evolve around Grands Prix. So it was that age eight he went to Zolder, age nine Zandvoort, and age 10 Hockenheim. It’s fairly clear that the bug had already bitten. After leaving school, he spent two brilliant summers travelling Europe with friends and camping at as many Grands Prix as possible.

There had to come a point where money needed to be earned rather than spent, and on his final day of college doing reprographics, design and journalism (which was spent largely reading Autosport), a job as editorial assistant was advertised in the magazine. He got the job, and six years later, became editor. There’s nothing like being paid to do a hobby.

Since then he has edited the Official Grand Prix programmes for Formula 1, books for West McLaren, magazines for Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, Toyota and countless other F1 and touring car special projects, as well as being editor of Autosport and ITV-F1 websites.

In 2001, he move to California to edit America’s premier motorpsort title, RACER, and was also editor of the CART Champ Car website. Finally, after 22 wonderful years with Haymarket, he went freelance, eventually moving back to the UK, most recently as editor and contributor to the Official FIA World Touring Car Championship and Intercontinental Rally Challenge Yearbooks, as well as some exciting new book projects – and of course has a wealth of stories ready for Motorsport Retro!

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images.

Eric Johnson

A veteran of the Los Angeles ad wars a youngster, in 1998 Eric ultimately left the storyboards and copywriting behind to help start the motocross magazine Racer X Illustrated with visionary Davey Coombs. In the next years, they would grow Racer X before Johnson left to perform project work in motor racing and action sports. Now, he serves as the Global Communications Director of Monster Energy while maintaining the role of Senior Contributor with his comrades at Racer X. Johnson lives in Laguna Niguel, California with wife Julie and daughters Natasha (10) and Eleanor (6).

Read Eric’s stories here

Graham Dalley

 

I’ve been taking photographs since I was 8 years old, the first time I combined motor racing was back in 1983 when I hitch hiked to Brands Hatch for the Formula One Grand Prix of Europe, this was my ‘field of dreams’ moment, I realised this was where I wanted to be.

I made my first foray trackside in 1994 after taking a portfolio to the offices of Autosport, where they must have liked something, as I received media passes for the 1994 Formula Ford Festival. I’ve been going trackside since then and have photographed more or less every racing series you can think of from Formula Ford to F1, Touring cars to trucks and super karts to Super Bikes.

My favourite venues are Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Goodwood, each of which present a different challenge photographically. Influences on my style of work include Rainer W Schlegelmilch the Master F1 Photographer. I also greatly admire the work of Bernard Asset, Pascal Rondeau, Jeff Bloxham, Darren Heath and Bernard Cahier.

Read Graham’s stories here

Nick Garton

Nick Garton has been a PR, journalist, author, photographer, broadcaster, team manager and championship manager through 20 years in motor sport – often simultaneously.  He has covered touring cars, F1 and World Rally Championship for national newspapers and magazines in the UK, France, Italy, Finland, Russia, USA, Australia, Japan and Middle East and written two best-selling books on the sport.

His greatest claim to fame is the rapturous applause given by more than 20,000 people on the 1996 RAC Rally – when the marshals mistook him for Stig Blomqvist and sent his car over the ramp in third place.

His favourite places to be are Maranello, Monza and the Cote d’Azur – unless it’s sunny at Goodwood. Don’t ask him what his favourite cars are unless you’ve a week to spare, but his biggest heroes are former BMC and Ford team manager Stuart Turner, Sir Stirling Moss and Jean Alesi.

Read Nick’s stories here