Magpie Drag Racing!!!

Steve Chapman · Post by **Steve Chapman** » Sun Mar 30, 08 4:38 pm

Anyone remember Magpie in the 70,s (i was a Blue Peter man myself) , on Youtube, tap in magpie drag racing. Some great footage.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sun Mar 30, 08 6:23 pm

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Sun Mar 30, 08 7:41 pm

Nice

That's another keeper.

Yes, I remember that geezer from Magpie (remember the girl better, Jenny IIRC

), even though I too was a Blue Peter man.

Good report actually, he did a pretty good job and didn't ask a lot of stupid questions!
I like the comment about the price of Nitro - who would have thought we'd nearly be paying that for petrol by now.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Sun Mar 30, 08 7:55 pm

Jenny on Magpie!!! Strokabletastic mate, although ITV was frowned upon in our house and I was a Blue Peter boy (Lesley Judd, strokable, but not as much!) Actually, I think I'm thinking of Sally James

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Mar 30, 08 8:43 pm

MrNorm wrote: Yes, I remember that geezer from Magpie

He gave me and my first wife a lift home once.

Was that the "Money Hungry" Camaro I saw there towards the end?

AllKiller · Post by **AllKiller** » Sun Mar 30, 08 8:44 pm

What about when Maggie Philbin had a go in a Top Fueler.....think they thought better of it, and made excuses to stop her killing herself....wonder if thats on there ?

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sun Mar 30, 08 8:50 pm

Yes that's Tony Dickson in "Money Hungry", the other Camaro is "Black Magic", which later became "Madness", mate of mine owned that for a good few years. Yes I remember the Maggie Philbin debacle, Sylvia Hauser was involved in that, she had a few choice words to say about it....

mopar_mark · Post by **mopar_mark** » Sun Mar 30, 08 10:50 pm

Also early footage of Liquidator, nice mopar powered Pop. Used to know Pete Goddard fairly well when he owned it.

I remember one time at the Pod, Pete screwed his shift up & some how hit reverse at around 100mph, I thought the engine had seized at the time, when the whole car locked up

Pete quickly popped car into neutral and coasted accross the line.
The amazing thing was that the box was fine

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Sun Mar 30, 08 10:56 pm

Yes I remember the Philbin bit as well. The programme was about bringing some science to Drag Racing, it was Dennis Priddles car and they did a lot of computer analysis etc, decided the chassis flexed too much, that he didn't need a rear wing etc. As a later-to-be Engineering student it really caught my imagination, Priddle was pretty much a hero as far as I was concerned, and he did an interview in Custom Car where he made some very big claims about the numbers he would soon be running - much quicker than the Yanks at the time.
Ultimately the 'improved' car was less stable and made some violent moves which if Maggie had been driving would of led to a crash. I learnt quite a lot by that, partly that Top Fuel dragsters are not just about science but they are a bit of a black art as well!!

Philbin had earlier run an 8 sec run in a Fueller during training, which was feeble even then - that is when it became clear she was not up to the job!!!

Jenny Hanley....

Ian Z · Post by **Ian Z** » Sun Mar 30, 08 11:10 pm

I preferred the girl before Jenny joined.

Cant think of her name, had dark hair. Unless I am thinking of some other programme. I'll get me tablets.

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Sun Mar 30, 08 11:19 pm

Ian Z wrote:I preferred the girl before Jenny joined.
Cant think of her name, had dark hair. Unless I am thinking of some other programme. I'll get me tablets.

http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/magpie.htm
Susan Stranks?

(No Way!!!)

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Mar 31, 08 12:06 am

What was the name of the girl from Top Gear who went down the strip as a passenger in the blue Rover 800 drag car ?

Was it Beki Adam ?

That was just about the best advert for drag racing I have ever seen.

When she got out of the car she was gob smacked.

Remember Jeremy Clarkson went to York for Top Gear. He took Pentti Aricola's (I think) Syclone. I remember he killed the guy with the twin turbo 454 'Vette, until it blew past him like he was going backwards.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Mar 31, 08 8:20 am

Spotted the "Black Magic" Camaro in the first few scenes. Wow havent seen that for a very long time. must have been around about the same time as the "Streetfighter" Camaro. Or was it the same car with a differant graffix job?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Mar 31, 08 9:00 am

Nice clip, love the old footage.

And Jenny. . . . . improved my childhood no end

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Mon Mar 31, 08 9:04 am

Terry Gibbs "Black Magic" became "Madness", A mate of mine owned it after Ashley Troop had quit racing it. He sold it about 8 years ago to another local guy who does little more than Bananarama!, same guy that had Naughty Alan's RT Charger tucked away for many years. You are not likely to see it again until he sells it. Don't know what became of "Streetfighter".