Lea-Francis Owners' Club

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By Matt James, Assistant Editor

The article and photographs appear with the kind permission of Motosport News
and may not be reproduced without their express permission.

Delaney, 94, is an avid reader of Motorsport News and the UK's oldest competition licence holder remembers when the paper, and a number of other publications, first began to make a regular appearance on the news stands.

"We used to get the Autocar and Motor, and all the drivers would get a copy as soon as they came out. And then there were the magazines that were dedicated to motor racing, and Motoring News became one of those. Everybody read it to find out the latest gossip, and I still don't miss an issue. It covers such a broad range of motor racing that there is always something in there which is of interest."

Delaney races the same 1½ litre Lea-Francis in which he made his debut at Brooklands in 1930. While his outings are restricted these days and he only regularly races at Donington Park and Silverstone, he has been a regular front-runner and took the spoils at an event earlier this season.

It was a hobby that had surrounded the young Delaney from an early age, but one he was ushered into rather than chose.

"My father, Terry, was a keen racing driver during the pioneering days of motor racing and he raced a de Dietrich and then a Bugatti." says Delaney: "He actually took part in the Paris to Madrid race in 1903. He was running quite well until one of the wooden wheels collapsed due to the ruts and the car flipped over somewhere near Bordeaux. He and his mechanic were thrown clear and they were very lucky not to be hurt."

Delaney Senior was the managing director of Lea Francis and sourced a car for his offspring to use when he reached 19 years old.

"I was quite surprised when my dad decided I should have a go, and he bought me the 1928 TT-winning supercharged Lea-Francis Hyper which had been used by Kaye Don. I was quite taken aback by it all, but I thought I would give it a crack because he really wanted to see how I would get on."

His first event under the watchful eye of his father was at Brooklands, and he finished in third place. That opened the floodgates, and just a year later he was in his first international event - the Irish Grand Prix at Phoenix Park in Dublin.

Delaney rocked the establishment by leading for more than 200 miles against a fleet of MGs in the up to 1.5-litre race, before dirt in the carburettor made its way to the car's supercharger. Despite the disappointment, Delaney stuck with the car and has used it ever since. He has seen decades come and go, but is enjoying his competition as much today as ever.

"The car has always suited me well, and we have improved it year after year," he adds. "I wouldn't think of racing anything else. It is a wonderful car and it has been very good to me and I have had so little to spend on upkeep. It just runs and runs, and I wouldn't have had the money to upgrade anyhow."

"I couldn't pick out a particular decade as a highlight." he explains. "I just love racing and winning. I am not quite as fast as I used to be, but once I sniff a win, the feeling is just as exhilarating as it has always been."

One of the most enjoyable tracks for the young Delaney was the Mountain circuit at Brooklands, a shortened version of the full oval. "It was great fun and a very challenging circuit," he recalls. "I also remember going around the track sitting alongside Sammy Davis, when he drove a Lea-Francis, as a mechanic. He was writing an article for a magazine and I hitched a ride. It was a great experience --and I learned quite a lot from him."

The truncated version of the circuit was in stark contrast to the flat-out blast around the country's first permanent road course. Another event, in 1933, gave Tom the chance to upset the establishment again: "It was the Canada Trophy and I had managed to get into the lead. I was gradually being caught over the closing stages by a works Alvis driven by Frank Hallam. I had spoken to the designer of my car before the race and he told me I couldn't go over 4,700rpm. When the Alvis caught me, I waited until he was alongside with about five laps to go and then sped up to see how fast I would have to go to keep the lead. It was nearly 5,000rpm. I couldn't risk the engine, because I was paying for all the running costs myself, so I had to settle for second -- and that has been the story of my career really. I have probably won much less than I should have - about 10 times - but I always had a lot of second and third places."

Crowds have waxed and waned over the last eight decades, but Delaney believes the buzz of motor racing remains as strong as it was in the 1930s, even if the backbone of the sport - the privateers like Tom - have been marginalised since he began.

"You know I think manufacturers have a lot to answer for even if you go back through the decades," he explains. "As soon as works teams became all important, it moved the sport away from the privateers a little bit. Once they realised that you could get some good publicity by doing well in motor racing, the factory teams would always get special bits for their car and it meant the customer cars would always be a little bit behind."

"One thing is different... the older cars go faster now than they did in their heyday. It is down to improvements in fuel and tyres and the Tarmac, but it is very strange."

His success continues, and there is no sign of retirement on the horizon for Delaney "The main difference I have noticed over the years is the level of success I have had has been gradually diminishing. I now race just for the fun of it. My doctor has told me that as long as I keep racing and the adrenaline keeps flowing, then that helps to keep me young. Can't be bad. Can it?"
 

© Haymarket Magazines 2005 Motorsport News