Obituaries

Patsy Burt

Patsy Burt, who died in October aged 73,competed at the highest level in speed events, culminating in taking the RAC National Sprint championship. She amassed 151 ladies’ awards, but was more interested in beating the men on equal terms, and garnered 172 class trophies and no fewer than 42 outright wins, not only in sprints and hill climbs but also in rallies and on circuits. After her first rally in 1953, in a Jowett Jupiter, she became a works driver for BMC, Triumph and Ford, before turning to speed events.

She was successful in F2 and Bobtail Coopers, and ran a Porsche RS60 for a whole season of the European Mountain Championship, but performed most famously in her Traco-Oldsmobile-engined 1966 McLaren M3A single-seater, the oldest remaining McLaren, which brought her sprint title. Her cars, prepared by her husband Bob Smith, always carried her trademark powder-blue livery.

Tony Charnell

Tow Charnell, one of Britain’s stalwart spotscar racers of the 1970s, lost his battle with cancer recently and passed away aged 63.

Having been a top contender in the British Sportscar Championship through the mid-70s, Chamell went on to race at Le Mans for the works Chevron team. He crashed out in 1978 – “We found him in a field, sitting the bare tub, unscratched but very annoyed,” said long-time friend and co-driver Robin Smith but a year later shared a B36 with Smith and Richard Jones to win the 2-litre class. Tony is survived by his wife Corinne, his daughter Samantha and his sons Duncan and Nick .Marcus Pye