It is with sadness that the Club reports that John Blanckley passed away in early December after a long illness. He was 84 and raced two Unipower GT chassis from 1969 - 1970. The first was the Piers Forester chassis 766.2 (now owned by Gerry Hulford) at the Nürburgring 500kms in September 1969 and later along with the second cars owner, Stanley Robinson, raced the ex-Le Mans Unipower Competition GT LM chassis : UWF1007 at a number of International races in 1970. His participation in the car cumulated with its conversion to being fitted with an FVA engine, albeit very briefly, before suspension failure whilst he was driving at the Nürburgring, wrote the car off.
John's racing career started with an Austin A40 in the 1960s and finished with Interserie in the late '70s, mainly with Chevrons. He became a top Classic Rally man in the '90s, then got into vintage Rolls-Royce tours.
The Club's thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends at this time.
John on the right, next to the Stanley Robinson Unipower GT UWF1007 at the Mugello circuit in July 1970, just before the car was fitted with an FVA engine.
(Photo curtesy of Marcus Pye)
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