USELESS INFORMATION

[beowulf]

Good Morning
Yesterday a customer in the shop asked me if I knew who Lazarus Fingleston was? I do now do you. Dave McKinney excluded as hen knows everything.

[John McKechnie]

Real name was Alfred Lazarus Fingleston , raced as Les Leston, drove Connaught. Cooper, 1956-57

[beowulf]

Very good. He raced a Lotus with a famous registration number,What was it?

[ERC]

DAD10 - Red Lotus Elite with a modified nose.

[John McKechnie]

Very good ERC- now what musical instrument did he play?

[rf84]

Drums. He played in a number of bands including the Clay Pigeons with another well known racer Johnny Claes.
What is it with drummers and racing cars-Nick Mason, Phil Rudd (drummer for AC/DC) to name a couple.

[John McKechnie]

John Bonham- Led Zepplin, dragsters

[stubuchanan]

Les died in May 2012 aged 91. His father changed the family name from Fingleston to Leston in 1927, so his drumming exploits would have been under this name. A search of the internet show plenty of references on motor racing sites to his playing with Jonny Claes' Clay Pigeons, Bert Ambrose's band, George Shearing etc, but I couldn't find any reference to him on any Jazz sites relating to those bands. Just Urban Legend, perhaps?

Also apparently took part in street fights in London's East End in Jewish gangs against the 'Black Shirts' of Sir Oswald Moseley's British Nazi Party.(? more legend)

But a useful driver in 1950's top runner in 500 cc Formula 3, drove sports cars for Aston-Martin and F1 'driver-for hire' for BRM and Connaught.

Stu Buchanan

[ERC]

Let us not forget his accessory empire, as many of us bought our first, two piece Proban race suits from him and I think I also bought a headscarf for a girlfriend, some "go faster" bits for the Mini plus three ties and various other bits and pieces over several years!

[beowulf]

A Mini with a woodrim Les Leston steering wheel and racing rear vision mirror was always much faster than a standard Mini, especially if the hub caps had been taken off. Did the headscarf work or should you have bought some "go faster" bits for her?
There was another driver who raced an early Lotus seven very successfully, it was for sale recently he had some music connection I think.
The name has slipped from my memory.

[ERC]

Did the headscarf work or should you have bought some "go faster" bits for her?

Nah! We were both part of the UK's first ever experimental, combined Scout & Guide Group in 1964. A 100% platonic relationship - remember them? Couldn't afford my first car (a Minivan) until I was 21 either...

[beowulf]

A Mini with a woodrim Les Leston steering wheel and racing rear vision mirror was always much faster than a standard Mini, especially if the hub caps had been taken off. Did the headscarf work or should you have bought some "go faster" bits for her?
There was another driver who raced an early Lotus seven very successfully, it was for sale recently he had some music connection I think.
The name has slipped from my memory.

The singer I am thinking off raced a Lotus 6 and then a Dino Ferrari. He recorded a song called "Saudade". A tribute to Ayrton Senna.
Jaques Villeneuve also was a musician of some note.

[rf84]

Chris Rea

[ged]

ah yes but who was Harvey Mushman and what were his most noted moments in motor sports

[GD66]

ISDT 1964 and Sebring 1970

[beowulf]

ISDT 1964 and Sebring 1970

A pretty good finish at Le Mans too. In spite of carrying a dirty big camera.
A really interesting web site on Mr Mushmann I never knew it before. Did Paul Newman race under a nom de plume?

[David McKinney]

Dave McKinney excluded as he knows everything.

But forgets a lot - such as who Fingleston was

[beowulf]

Don't we all.

[ERC]

Yes!

Give us another Beowulf. I know nothing about the older Kiwi stuff, which is well represented on this website, but growing up in the UK, I devoured Motoring News and Motorsport from the day I started work, at the age of 16, earning the princely wage of 4 pounds 50 pence a week (about $9 a week in today's money). My parents took my wage, refunded my travel and work meal expenses and gave me back 25% of what was left... By the time i'd paid out for the mags, you'll realise why I had no money spare to take out young ladies on dates! However, I read every word in Motorsport including most of the ads, when you could buy a Riley Monaco or Kestrel for about 10 quid, or a vintage Bentley for 750....

[beowulf]

OK ERC, A Formula Pacific driver, raced extensively in Europe up to F1. A guitarist with a well known band. Sought after coach for F1 drivers. Born in Auckland in 1952. Name please and for an extra point the name of his band?