andersonracing.org.uk - My Experience  

I started racing in sprints and hill climbs, firstly in a modified Austin Healy Mk2, I quickly realised it was an expensive pastime, and as a 17 year old TV and electronics apprentice my budget was very limited.

I went on to race a Clan Crusader and Marcos 3L GT. I progressed to Sports 2000 driving the one and only Rawlson, racing in the CK tools S2000 series and the more enjoyable Thundersports race series. When a good Neil Brown or Nelson engine was around £2500 I spent £800, well, I got what I paid for, except I didn't realise it until I bought a Shrike........with a Nelson power plant.

At the same time I was racing in Sports 2000 I competed in the then Pirelli Ferrari Maranello Challenge, it was in a 308 GTB. It was the so called light weight (1240kg) fibreglass 1977 to be replaced in '78 with a steel body. I also raced it in The Aston Martin Owners Intermarque which also included AC, Jaguar and Porsche. I enjoyed many outings in some 4 and 6 hour races. Some weekends I had four races.

Around 1985 I had become a full time instructor. One of my first jobs was for the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School driving my own Sports 2000 giving passenger rides. Working on track days for Manufactures which were more popular than they are today, it was an instructors bread and butter, there was also a lot fewer instructors then too.

I think my first paid instructor job was at Donington Park, in I think 1978 or '79, the cars were Dolomite Sprints and TR7's, some 34 years later I'm Donington Parks senior instructor.

It was the Nurburgring that really made me think I was in with the best of them and have been lucky enough to have competed in many VLN 4 and 6 hour races, but the 24 hour races are the eye opener and I have been privileged to have competed in 6 of them, may be not in the fastest machinery class but we had some success and a whole heap of fun, finishing 5 out of 6.

I have been instructing at the Ring for many years, initially for Wheeltorque and lately RMA and too many individuals to name.

Happy track days - Stuart Anderson.