DOWN THE PUB
MIKE WALKER
F3 returnee Age: 73 Lives: Kidderminster He made his return at the Gold Cup
“After my accident in qualifying at Cadwell Park in June, the Brabham went back to a bare chassis at Andrew Tart’s workshop as there was chassis damage. So Oulton Park at the weekend was my return to racing in one-litre F3 after a gap of 51 years. I’ve enjoyed the last five years driving for Team Bond in Formula Junior, and only scratched the car once.”
He has a Brabham BT21
“This particular BT21 left the Brabham factory about one week and one chassis number before my own car back in 1967. It was delivered new to Mike Knight at Winfield Racing. I raced against Mike in this car on many occasions during 1967 and at the end of the season Mike sold the car on. This car is chassis BT21-28 and my own car in 1967 was BT21-29. My old car went to America but it has been lost and not traced, as yet.”
He had family suppor t in the day
“My father was prepared to help me primarily, I think, to get it out of my system. He helped me get into F3 in 1966 in a BT18 and he said we could do one more year so we knew that 1967 would have to be it and we did all the international F3 races.”
It was a busy season
“We did the British Les Leston Championship plus the British Grand Prix support race and all the amazing events like Monaco, Pau, Reims, Clermont Ferrand and many others. It was a very full season and we had some good placings and I finished the season with a couple of lap records. I even pinched the champagne from under the noses of the works teams at Reims.”
He also did F3 in 1968
“So 1967 was my big season with the Brabham BT21 and 1968 was the season with the Chequered Flag Mclaren in F3. I think I can claim to be the only person to win a Formula 3 race in a Mclaren, which was at Oulton Park.”
He loves the one-litre racing car
“I definitely have a soft spot for the one-litre F3 cars. They were just so pretty and it is a treat to see the cars out. They have a very special place in my heart.”