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Questioning Their Skill
7 May 1974
Skippers, Oxford Road, Burnley
On display, the Ford Escort car driven by Vic Preston into 9th place in the last East African Safari rally. A previously unpublished image.
Top international racing drivers - in both the circuit and the rally fields - converged on Burnley's Oxford Road on Tuesday evening, 7th May 1974, to indulge in yet another test of their skills... answering a barrage of questions put to them by keen local motor sport enthusiasts. The event was the Ford Rally Sport Road Show, paying its first visit to Burnley at the sales showroom of Skipper's who organised the event.
Various sponsors - Dunlop, Shell, Yardley, Motorcraft, etc - gave away prizes to those knowledgeable enough to fill in the correct answers to a stiff motor sport questionnaire. Some extremely "hairy" rally sport machinery was also on view, including the Ford Escort car driven by Vic Preston into 9th place in the last East African Safari rally. Only 16 cars finished in the event. Other powerful Fords on view included the Mexico and RS 2000 Escorts and the RS3100 Capri. Mr John Day, Managing director of Skipper's welcomed the visitors. Local but internationally famous, Brian Redman - now making a considerable impact in formula One racing - was among members of the forum. Other forum members included Adrian Boyd, a top flight rally driver, Jeremy Ferguson, Dunlop's competition manager; and Gavin Frew, another seasoned competition manager. Various motor sport "gadgetry" were on view, from satin smooth circuit racing tyres to sophisticated rally instruments.
