Ian Buddery recently took over the role of Q&R Category Manager for both sports and racing cars, kindly offering his time, skill and passion as caretaker of this evocative historic racing category. Read on for an introduction, thanks to Ian.
Thanks to Ian Buddery
This is my first report since taking up the Q&R Category Manager role, so forgive me if it’s short on news and long on partly-informed ideas! I have yet to complete the task of reaching out to all Q&R competitors, but when that’s happened I’ll do my best to represent their best interests.
I’ve been advised to explain my background, in order to have some level of credibility in this job.
Like most of you, I’ve been irrational about cars and motorsport for as long as I can remember, from hanging off the fencing at the back of Sandown, which was a short pushbike ride from home, to competing in my first forest rally as an 18 year old, during which I all but wrote off my hire-purchase MG Midget, going through a fence at a t-junction and hitting the only tree in the paddock. I blamed the navigator of course… No helmets, no roll cage – those were the days!
I did lots of rallying and car club track days over the years, but no actual racing until I found myself the co-owner of a Penske Indy car in 2007. My sincere advice is never accept free alcohol at a Pebble Beach auction!
Discovering that our new purchase was a restoration project, we bought a Lola T700 to cannibalise for parts. Eventually realising that this car was too good and too rare to break up, I got my circuit license and recommissioned it, my first meeting being at Eastern Creek in Jan 2010.
It took me a while, but I eventually got the hang of preparing and driving the Lola. I then thought that buying a newer car that was 10% faster in the day would take 10% off my lap times (I can hear you all laughing now). Enter my current car, a 1986 March86C. Unfortunately it was 20% harder to manage than the ground effect Lola and my times went backwards, so another learning curve began.
But oh how I love the racing and how I kick myself for not finding it 20 years sooner! I also enjoy the history of my car, a 2 time Indy 500 entrant, and work hard to preserve its patina and keep it correct. This hobby includes all the enjoyment of preserving a classic car, with all the excitement of racing one.
So on to what I hope to achieve as category manager. First and foremost, I will work to encourage the largest possible grids, so that meeting organisers always include us. Next, I’d like to encourage camaraderie and interaction amongst us all; keep other club members informed of what’s happening amongst Q&R competitors; and finally encourage new people to buy suitable cars and join the ranks.
So I need your help, please email me at qr@hsrca.com whenever you buy or sell car, rebuild or repair one you already own, or have any interesting experience to share.
I’m still working on building a complete database of Q&R drivers, so please send me an email with your contact details and the Q&R car(s) that you run.
Regards,
Ian Buddery