1973 F2 SUPERSTOX WORLD FINALS

WIMBLEDON WARWICK-BUILT SPACEFRAME SUPERSTOX STARTED 7TH | RESULT 1ST

Long before he thought he could be a professional driver, Warwick was a part of the competitive and tough world of stock car racing. He had many memorable moments on the short ovals, winning the British, English and European championships. But it is his victory in the 1973 world final that stands out in his mind.

“I was racing with my dad and uncle – it was always a dream for the family to win the world championship, it meant so much to all of us, everything we did that year was to win the world championship,” says Warwick, who was then 19. “And the final was winner-takes-all.

“It was a random hat pick to set the grid, which we all disagreed with – I was pulled out seventh, with legends Dave Pierce eighth, Geoff Goddard sixth and Tony May towards the back, which was good for me. Dad was mid-grid.

“I soon got by Goddard and was chased all the way by Dave and Tony, so the pressure was massive. There was an electronic leader board and dad got so nervous with 10 to 15 laps to go he just pulled in and watched from the centre – that’s how important it was to our family. Uncle Stan was in the grandstands with mum, sister and all my friends, so it was very emotional.

“Superstox was my world at the time – you were always passing cars, there were almost 40 cars at the world championship, on effectively a quarter-mile oval, so taking risks was always a part of it. I learnt a lot from building my own cars, suspension and engines, so it was a good training ground. When I went to circuit racing, I could feel the car and knew what it was doing.

“It really was the most special moment of my life.”