Crystal Palace "full version" 1971 British Saloon Car Championship

The 1971 British Saloon Car Championship racing at the Crystal Palace circuit.

[@juergenpaton5004]

Here I am watching a race that happened over 50 years ago....and it still is epic today.

[@MrMccurley]

Given the video technology of that time, whatever crew filmed and edited this race footage were masters of the art. ABC Wide World of Sports couldn't have done better.

[@darren2514fv]

This is BBC

[@mattmattmatt131313]

I counted only 5-6 cameras all together. Every shot is a bit different. Every shot so dynamic.

[@texleeger8973]

@@darren2514fv He's praising the BBC production by comparing it to the old and famous for its racing coverage Wide World of Sports. Jim McKay, we fondly remember ye.

[@andredeketeleastutecomplex]

Back when BBC meant something.

[@victormildew1717]

No silencers, Castrol R40 oil fumes filling the air, proper racing !

[@paulnicholls8683]

Castrol R40. Mmm

[@barrycuda3769]

I love that castor oil smell. Iv'e wondered for years if race cars back then put some castor oil in with the petrol ?. I know they used it in the crankcase, but surely the smell didn't come from the slight amount that gets past the piston rings?

[@sahhull]

Theres more racing in one lap of this than a whole season of F1

[@TastyChevelle]

I was surprised to hear Murray Walker as early as 1971! What a treasure.

[@LB1973]

He started as a commentator in 1948, after driving a tank in WW2, Dude is 96 in a couple of weeks!

[@barryotoole6990]

Murray a true legend and drivers had respect for him. He sounded like he was driving when he was commentating got into it 100%

[@LB1973]

@@barryotoole6990 have. he thankfully isn't confined to history yet

[@littlewol2620]

@@LB1973 i didnt even realise he did it in the 40's, i knew he was doing motorbikes and such in the 50s. thanks for the information

[@blxtothis]

LB1973 well said, he was mainly a motorcycle enthusiast in his early days, not many people realise that he had a parallel career as a renowned Advertising professional.

[@kevcall]

Still one of the most thrilling saloon car races I remember. Sure this was the reason many of us yearned for an RS1600 back then. Interestingly enough, Mike Crabtree, despite winning that race in such an amazing fashion was I think demoted to second place, penalised for a jump start. Watch at 0'57 ("a real blazer of a start").. seems extremely harsh to me!

[@UKbrownSkinBoy]

I'm 43, lived near there growing up and didn't realise until today that there was a racng circuit at Crystal Palace!!

[@simonvancoevorden295]

RIP Gerry Marshall ! Him & my old boss Roger Clark were world champions at beer drinking. Two great characters.

[@rasapleckaitiene6283]

0

[@briancox8264]

Absolutely brilliant. And just as I remember it. So many thanks for this. I used to go regularly as a lad with my Mum and Dad and later as a teenager. I must admit I had begun to doubt my memory - tight, twisty circuit, surrounded by concrete walls, ford galaxies dicing with Minis and Cortinas. Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Jochem Rindt, Jackie Ickx etc. all turning up for a weekend meet. It was a great place to watch really exciting racing. One random memory - a formula three meet I think - in the stretch coming down out of the trees, which was actually at the bottom of many peoples gardens , a pet dog ran across the circuit wrote off the car, and nearly killed a driver. Sadly the dog was killed. A bit different from where we are today.

[@thenandnow111]

A 2.5litre in a Vauxhall Viva, my word. I remember putting a V8 in a Ford Anglia, didn't last long. Brilliant racing, what a noise. Music to my ears.

[@sataneatcheese6243]

I've not been this far on the edge of my seat since my days as a child watching 90s touring car!

[@garrywitcomb2334]

This is some fantastic footage,I've watched this so many times,it never gets old . .,. Love it !!!!! 😆😆

[@lovejago]

LOLO now thats some of the best racing iv seen in my 48 years of motorsports !!!!! in the top 20 for sure!!

[@stenovitz]

"thanks" is so little a word for uploading!

[@TeamBombersportsUK]

It's almost a shame these days that so many series go for unanimous engine packages, like ALL having 2.0L 4-cylinder engines (BTCC) or ALL having 5.0L V8s (V8 Supercars). I'd love to see a return of this kind of racing, where performance is balanced to equalise cars with different engines and sizes and drivetrains. GT3 is proving it can be done - everything from turbo V6s to V12s race in that! I think in BTCC currently, twisty tracks like Brands Hatch and Knockhill would balance out the faster tracks like Silverstone and Thruxton (Snetterton is kinda a mix of both now with the redesign) so it would be fun to see Civics vs Jaguar XFRs or something!

[@chrisjordan4187]

Hi, I used to say the same as you till I watched modern day clubmans run by the BRSCC, this was at Brands Hatch. Yes there were the one make series but there was such a variety and big and small all racing together, just like in the 50's 60's and early 70's

[@thejudge-kv2jk]

All about cost reduction mate. But I agree.

[@plottwist1733]

They're all FWD (Barring the BMW's) in the BTCC nowadays too. It's looking like BMW are going to be switching to FWD soon as well.

[@rossbrumby1957]

Bring back production car racing at Bathurst and give us something we can identify with.

[@Johnnywhamo]

People standing on the apex of corners with no barriers in front of them lol. Ah the 70's gotta love it.

[@KenMac-ui2vb]

I remember back in High School in Detroit we'd skip and go to MIS to watch the NASCAR qualifying. We would climb on the fence in Turn One and watch Petty's Daytona Super Bird and the rest go flying inches from our faces at 200 beans. Man it was so cool. Those days are way over.

[@areyouundoingthatorwhat9181]

I have an old book of formula racing photographs,many of the pictures taken from the very edge of the track, the photographer inches away from cars hurtling past them,you can see other photographers in some of the frames where their suit jackets etc. are affected by the air movement they are that close. Rally fans like a bit of peril😁.

[@mariolindsay8267]

One of the best races ever shown on TV, Gerry went on to WIN the race as Mike Crabtree jumped the start, which was explained fully by Dickie Davies at 5pm that day during the football results. Amazing racing at such a small circuit. Myself and my brother were Gerry Marshall / DTV fans all our life, so much so that we have written a book called Vauxhall in Motorsport, recording the history from 1904 to the present day. The Lindsay twins.

[@Pod6168]

This video makes me smile! Reminds me of SCCA racing from the early 1970s.

[@gummigalosch]

What a race......WHAT a race :-) Damn it. What a car that was......the Ford Escort and here driven by Crabtree... 1.6 ltr Ford RS against the 5.7 ltr Chev Camaro....and the others 2,5 ltr Vauxhall....and 3 ltr V8 Escort :-) What a race......what a car.....what a driver. And the Ford RS wins....it WON that race. What a race....what a race :-)

[@racketman2u]

was that a Camaro? I thought it was a small aircraft carrier.

[@johncarl5505]

@@racketman2u The real boss is the Mustang that started last and finished third.

[@TheOneandOnlyGodHydra]

I can imagine I'll be watching this many, many times over. Just an absolutely amazing race

[@dinsdaleseven1627]

Wow. Classic small and nimble vs big and powerful.

[@dougauzene8389]

The Timeless Murray Walker...

[@barryotoole6990]

Great race bumper to bumper yet clean racing... REAL RACERS

[@RattusWonkler]

FANTASTIC archive footage. Just discovered this after spending the weekend at my sons new place right on the edge of the park and his garden backs onto the top of the old circuit. Great Murray walker commentary too. Cracking video. Cheers!

[@joeymills3410]

Walker, Marshall, Crabtree? Unreal racing... such a beautiful singing noise!!!!!

[@lauriecooper8194]

Thanks so much for posting this. I've got the original on VHS somewhere & I never tire of watching this race. What superb cars - and drivers.

[@klaseronen7535]

I saw my first touring car races in Finland in the 1970s when I was a kid. Watching races like these it is painfully obvious that the peak of racing has been passed a long time ago. Less technical means more pure racing.

[@karpabla]

Pretty epic race! Apart from that, lots of interesting details in this video. Cars, track, marshals, public, ... all of it is so lively and fresh that , in comparison, today 'sophisticated' races (not only F1) looks lifeless and robotic. The thing we have a lot better today is TV production and info, although this video in particular is very well filmed.

[@Speedfreely]

this was a treat for my insomnia tonight! how nuts are those people lining the edges of the track??!!! was there a lack of common sense back then? holy carp!

[@secretsquirrel5439]

They had more common sense back then than they do now. People have to be told where they're allowed to stand now.

[@bubsbarney3340]

V8 5.7 Chevy, Vauxhall 2.5, and a RS1600 and a few minis and a mustang thrown in for good measure and Murray Walker commentating makes a perfect recipe for a great race.

[@racketman2u]

not to mention a rear-engined Escort!

[@russefrance4869]

The circuit was a ten minute walk from where I lived and I was a 16 year-old spectator somewhere there in amongst the North Tower crowd.

[@adamsmithelec]

Crystal Palace is my local park. As much as I love it now, I would loved it even more back in the day when you could watch these cars thundering around it!

[@turboslag]

Now this is motor racing! Never saw the race at the time so I was waiting for the Camaro to make a mistake due to the Escort pressure, and he made two! Brilliant, really brilliant stuff!

[@timwaldock1313]

My dad was one of builders of Gerry's cars for DTV so having just seen this brings back good memories. Geŕry & Dad unfortunately not with us but Gerry was a fantastic driver and character.

[@martingoldfire]

It took me 3 days to finish this, because I had to go every time I began watching. Thankfully the racing was so intense that I kept trying until the checkered flag, great racing!

[@moonhogg]

Fantastic stuff! Strange hearing "Marshall was trying one of the new Firenzas yesterday" - new!! How old does that make me feel?

[@Ogma3bandcamp]

I'm a simple guy, I hear Murray Walker and I hit like.

[@satelite383]

This is the second best race I have ever seen. Number one is Arnoux vs Villeneuve 1979 F1 Dijon prenois. Martin Thomas did an outstanding job in the heavy rumbling Camaro, guess tires gave up at the end.

[@donalfinn4205]

Brilliant racing. All car racing should be like this!👍☘️

[@CD513]

Ohhh my... Good God... Thee Greatest clip I might have ever seen

[@tattymagoo]

That is proper racing!

[@tommysmith5479]

I had no idea that there used to be a race track at Crystal Palace. You certainly wouldn't think that if you walk around there. Next time I'm there, I'll keep an eye out for tell-tale signs.

[@leftpastsaturn67]

Superb footage... thanks for the upload.

[@shanemolloy2824]

Loving it 5L V8 rooooaaarrrr ! Thank you so much, great race!! The one and only Murray "He not only smokes cigars he practically eats them!" 😆 classic Murray! Xx

[@liamgross7217]

I thought it was Murray, the footage feels very old, the call not so much.

[@andyvondeluxe6851]

I had a Viva GT and first generation SS Camaro and loved them both. A win, win for me!

[@fourutubez7294]

I grew up watching motorsport like this with my dad, mostly on tv, and I still love it to this day. It's important to remember that no one bothered to save all the boring races so the selected highlights paste a prettier picture than it really was.

[@davidupham7046]

What a great film, fantastic, those were the days. I was at the International Car Race Meeting on Monday June 3rd 1963 I was 19 then. Jim Clark was racing also Graham Hill and Roy Salvadori, I still have the program for that day.

[@Rio-by1eh]

One of the best races I have watched wow****

[@johnevans6474]

I can remember watching the original race!

[@bravedan]

So can I, I was there, and have the colour transparancies to prove it!

[@alexmerelli6262]

Bringatrailer shared a clip of this. Awesome race

[@jamsstar2010]

What happened to racing? I end up watching hours of old racing because nowadays it's all a bit boring.......

[@themikeshow]

Because now the rules try to make racing closer by making the cars almost identical so none have an unfair advantage. As in the rest of life, the fun gets legislated away.

[@lowpricedpaint]

They ruin it by trying to make all the cars the same. Then they remove most of the skill, by racing around a circle track. Racing has been sterilized.

[@derJackistweg]

I stopped watching F1 years ago when races found their leaders via best box strategy! So actually when the cars are NOT running.

[@themikeshow]

derJack, Please explain in more detail.

[@mattmattmatt131313]

@@themikeshow "... the fun gets legislated away." now that's a good quote.

[@peteuk8688]

Bloody brilliant! Thanks for uploading!

[@geoffg6867]

Just shows the ability of the little Escort, they weighed about 900 kilos and had a 1600 cross flow Lotus motor. I marvelled at them in 1969 -1971, what a little beauty

[@EugVR6]

Crabtree was driving an RS1600, that's 1.6 16v cosworth engine in those and in race spec were 720kg with 220hp. The Twin cams were only pushing 190hp in those days.👍🏼

[@2175Wook]

@@EugVR6 Mike Crabtree Cortina from this race , how do you know it was 720 kg and had 220hp ? It's race spec of 720 kg, I suppose that is the minimum weight of the car as built without driver, fuel and other liquids. 1.6 litre engine, It was not turbocharged was it ? I wonder what the rev limit was on that Cortina ? I wonder how the Martin Thomas compare to Mike Crabtree car in terms of weight and power and it's rev limit ? An excellent race to watch very close, the Camaro had better acceleration down the straight, but Cortina was better in the corners. Mike Crabtree got disqualified for jumping at the start and Gerry Marshall won it in his Vauxhall Viva.

[@EugVR6]

@@2175Wook Hi, It's not a Cortina, it's a Mk1 Escort RS1600 16v by Cosworth, the mk1 Cortina used the Twincam 8V lotus head on the pre X flow 1500gt engine, the 1500 L block was modified by Lotus for its better strength but the RS1600 used the 1600cc X flow block. A friend of mine used to race in the Thunder Saloon series in an ex works Escort and when it was weighed, it tipped the scales at 720kg but it might of been 760kg, The works cars were acid dipped to lighten the bodyshell, it was a long time ago, it was powered by an 8V All steel Mass X Flow, making 198hp at 9500rpm but I digress. The RS1600's were making well over 200hp in RS1600 guise, they ran 1800cc engines and upto 2000cc in later life. The RS1600 would rev to 8000 to 9000 rpm in race tune and would be running twin 48 carbs, with roughly 200 to 230hp the later RS1800 with the 2000cc BDG engines ran 275hp at 8500rpm.

[@2175Wook]

@@EugVR6 What was your friends name that used to race an ex works Escort in the Thunder Saloon series ? Who knows I might be able to find a photo of that car on the internet.

[@EugVR6]

@@2175Wook Paul Lawrence, he raced from 1993 to 1997, there were 2 cars in Dispatchit, sponsored colours of white with red and blue stripes, one car was a wide bodied Mk2 XR2 with 190hp all steel x flow, the other was Paul's MK2 escort with the ultra wide x pack, which is the same as Nick Whitings mk2.

[@cavscout62]

Those Escorts were absolutely insane! We had the Cosworth Escorts here in the U.S. and they surprised many a Pony Car driver! I always wanted one but never could make it happen. Racing was real in the days of my youth in both cars and bikes (2 stroke 250’s and 500’s) no electronic aids for the rider/driver. Racing is nothing more than corporate corruption and favoritism on display these days and it’s a bloody shame.😎

[@LeeRestoration1275]

this race never gets old

[@leach1527]

I'd loved to have seen what the finish would have been like if Thomas hadn't overcooked it at Ramp Bend.

[@DeeYarEss]

Would have got back by on the finish straight. Massive speed advantage

Iconic machinery at an amazing venue and topped off with Murray Walker doing the commentary... good times!

[@reginalddavies3082]

What a race this is proper hard core racing.. Fantastic noise of the engines

[@Alex-sg9fu]

Great battle for win, schevy was very fast at straigts, but ford did it in corners.

[@MrBgb1976]

Brilliant race, wee viva put on a show

[@gothicpagan.666]

I'm guessing Mike Crabtree's escort had the 2 ltr alloy block BDG. Bill Blydenstien (sorry if i spelt it wrongly) and all his guys must of been a good engineers to get that lump of iron of a slant 4, GM unit to perform like that. And of course Gerry Marshal wringing every last ounce from every thing, tyres included. Would of been nice to see a few imps though🙄

[@nickclark6001]

Bill McGovern won that championship in 1970,71 AND 72,. In his Imp ,Where was he in that race?

[@Flozman1982]

The sound track to my childhood

[@cutterjones13]

thanks much for this video, I went to this race then and I was 9 years old. I miss the way tracks used to be more spectator friendly. Now organisers try to keep you a pretty fare distance away from the tracks (probably because the insurance rider demands it ans without insurance you have no race.) at least rallye races still let you get real stupid close to the action. Cheers mate

[@rayinnes3562]

I raced here in the 70/s great circuit great fun awesome 😎

[@mrr2880]

I'm glad I watched this, a lot more movement in the cars back in the day,, Escort driver deserved that win,,

[@ClassicCarDriver]

So sad that this doesn't happen anymore at the Palace...

[@nikbear]

Fantastic!! Thank you so much for posting ;-)

[@Panzerschrauber1]

Real Race with real Cars,that's was Racing!

[@bremCZ]

They still race improved production cars and nobody watches it.

[@MDDeGrande1994]

@Brem I do.

[@rogbrown1458]

And real drivers .

[@tonywilkes1781]

I was at the last meeting at Cristal palace, I remember the Wiggins teape Camaro , and Mike Hailwood in I think a formula two race

[@Alfa75V6]

goes to show you do not need perfect camera angles and multi million dollar budgets

[@jonathanwhite5640]

I lived 3 miles away and was just a bus ride away,on race days

[@maxneale6334]

What a weird mix of vehicles!

[@MiniOne82]

Made for some awesome racing

[@cornishrider]

Fabulous! Imagine Frank Gardeners 54.6 in a Lola T70!

[@GTarditi]

Fantastic stuff, most of the top-tier racing these days is sadly very predictable. To everyone who wants to watch racing like this in person, I recommend going to your closest track on one of their amateur racing days, it's fantastic stuff to watch.

[@JamesHolbrook-eh5sp]

Wow!! F1 has got nothing on this. Low tech but noisy and exciting close racing. I loved the live axle handling of the Camaro, Viva and Escort too.

[@kennedysingh3916]

Remind me of motor racing at Vernam Field in the 70's

[@Scratiznutz]

Now, that's racing 🏁

[@DickieDelouise]

Oooo look at that '67 Camaro and that '70 Boss Mustang!! They look huge next to those Escorts, Vauxhalls and Minis!

[@notsofrisk]

Brilliant. Just brilliant

[@derJackistweg]

Great - thanks for sharing.

[@andrewphillips4897]

Murray Walker. A real legend.

[@mmcorrie]

Murray Walker on the mic - legend!!

[@melvyncox3361]

Great days.Great racing!

[@simonlane1277]

I believe Mike Crabtree was disqualified for jumping the start so Gerry took the win. Can't stop myself watching this race !!!

[@donniesdonuts9095]

Tires, high compression and lights in the rear view mirror. Two thumbs up.

[@culcune]

I must say, watching this race, I question why we Americans seemed like we did not want our cars to handle back in the day?! I love drag racing, don't get me wrong, but to drag race AND corner is just cool! The movie 'Bullit' in '68 couldn't get people to grasp the idea that a Mustang could take corners. We were so one-track minded (literally and figuratively lol!).

[@felipesilverarrowfoxx6293]

meu pai corria em angola com um ford escort lotus mk2 igual ao da segunda posição. Esses carros são muito leves além do motor lotus twin cam que era muito bom. ele ja venceu as 6 horas de Luanda.

[@JJsOriginals]

Awesome stuff.

[@GregWallis]

SenBLOODYsational! No need for replays when you're gro gripping your seat so hard that your fingers are hurting. That's everything that F1 isn't, and more's the pity.

[@nicobas773]

A Nature and motorsport film !!!

[@andyfredericks6205]

I know it's black and white but I'm sure I saw the air turn blue inside the Chevy when he spun out! Fantastic stuff.

[@TrollingHistory]

This is the best race I've seen on film no doubt what so ever. This is real racing the cars are right on the edge always. Todays cars cruise around the track its boring. Danger makes racing fun. Exciting. We don't need to make the cars death traps but we do need them to be sliding all over the place. No driver aids that defeats the object of the game. Man and machine. We could design cars to race today that drive and feel like 70s machines but are as safe as modern cars. F1 is boring. Nascar is boring. Touring cars are to advanced. The only cool car racing today is rally and they race the clock. Unless its grass track racing. The best racing I've seen for reals. Watching my dad like a silk ghost ribbon weaving through the pack always ending top 3 always. He never got piled up. Stock car racing at Birmingham race wheels. He was arrested for dangerous driving so many times. Driving illegally police chases the lot. Stolen cars often it was the 90s. The courts sent him to prison so many times small stints the judge gave up on him. Sentenced dad to racing lol. Nothing will stop you driving will it so go drive there. Only now he had to illegally drive to get there. Plus to get to the garage in another city to work on the teams cars. It was amazing. I went with him every chance. Pulling in to the track he'd stop near the bleaches kick me out the car ide go sit on my own and just watch loving it. Then at the end he'd pull up and I jump in and we go home. With a new trophy. Most proud thing in his life I think. Definitely our best times. I could sleep soundly in his car even at 90 through the English B roads. Roller coaster roads as American step dad calls them. Im terrified in his car terrified. Tiny little car and constantly twitchy jolting us around.

[@speakfreeley4473]

is there any more TV racing footage from Crystal Palace, other than the 1969 saloon car race & the 1970 F3 race featuring James Hunt. Better still with Murray Walker commentating.

[@blxtothis]

A pity the widescreen conversion has distorted the cars to appear squat and wide. Murray Walker: “Burly Gerry Marshall” that’s one polite way of describing Gerry’s physique, I’d have said.

[@frankrowland]

When racing cars sounded like racing cars!

[@chrishay8385]

Nearest you'll get to this is the st marys cup at goodwood revival

[@stephsteph4302]

The best ever see

[@danilotresovic2072]

1600cc VS 5.7L and he goes to bumper whole race

[@markjones-vx3kp]

I went to the palace as a kid and I loved the HB vivas and recently ,until they stopped it for a cannabis festival every year apparently What a shame

[@CJUKHAC]

No replacement for displacement, eh?... Brilliant race.

[@chrisjordan4187]

I think Alan Manns supercharged Escort racing in the big class may argue that point with you?

[@izziebon]

Yes they used to say in USA “ theres no substitute for cubic inches”... quite wrong though, when up against highly tuned nimble cars with better handling. I assume the escort would have a very high compression ratio?

[@johncarl5505]

You see the Ford Mustang that started in the back? It finished third.