Neil Lampshire (737)/ Mike Lampshire (137)

The beginning....

When Neil Lampshire (737) made his debut on Easter Monday 1994, it was the culmination of a life long dream. For years an avid spectator at the Westcountry tracks, he and his brother Mike (137) bite the bullet and started to put together plans for an assualt on the tracks of the westcountry!

Colin Higman was one of the first people to help to Cornish Brothers to start there ball rolling. The crux of the chassis was built on the Isle of Wight, (at the time Mike's base) in late Septemebr 1993, and the young Jonny Hoare was told by Neil, whilst going up to the Crewe WF, that a stock car was being built.

The finishing touches to the chassis were made at the workshops of brother in law Steve Hoare, and that Easter Saturday, a trailer was borrowed of Darren Hardy (ex 699) and an impromptu test was set for Davidstow Airfield. A Smeatharpe-esque track was set out, and after much grass cutting, spinning and a telling off from a local resident complaining about hillclimbers, it was due as a success....

It was then time to load the car up... and head to Newton Abbot

1994

So the season begun for Neil at Newton Abbot - it was Easter Monday, the car lovingly painted and polished and ready for action. Now those who remember Newton night meetings meant one thing- no practice! So out Neil went with no practice, never driven on a track before, and straight into racing. Practice Day, pah what's that! Placeless and damageless, the car returned to the pits to race another day. And that was Mike's debut. Unlike Neil, he had the chance to get some practice in, and was rewarded with a hit from John Marquand (489), a love tap some might say, but the cars first battle scar, and 8th place in the consolation. Mike took to the racing bug much quicker and more succesfully than Neil, and certainly grew to like Newton Abbot.
It wasn't until June that major results started coming the cars way. In the opening midweek Newton, the opening heat got away with Mike and 1300cc screamer Toni Burrows (848) leadin the way in heat one. Until a yellow flag came out, normally you'd think race over, but somehow, the lapscorer/steward/starter hadn't noticed that the pair of c graders had caught up with the last cars, and were in fact half a lap ahead when the green was dropped. Needless to say 1st and 2nd was given to Burrows and Lampshire, and the car was starting to fly. The following weekend it was off to Bristol for the C Grade Cavalcade meeting, a meeting only for white tops, a good idea in principle but sadly not backed up by attending drivers. It turned out to be a blessing for Neil - who picked up a trophy in the consolation following home then then 766 Adam Hooper. In the final, the car wasn't going so bad, but in the grand national, Lampy started on pole and never looked back, even passing final winner 414 Mark Veall in the opening couple of laps! As the laps went past, my mother lost all control of her senses screaming and flapping her arms about everywhere, shouting "come on Neil" at every corner (I wonder who else is like that, don't know who he could be). The chequered was dropped and 737 had got its first win. Mendips Commentator at the time Rob Hughes (yes, Mr Hughes on Twos to us all) proclaimed the car to be an immaculate Higman cop, and that it would be one to watch!
Howvere the victory gave Neil a new found confidence, however it was Mike who was picking up the points at Newton Abbot, Neil still hadn't broken his point scoring duck, until the end of July, when Neil boyed on by the influx of foriegn white tops trying to still the Ł100 white top bonus on most westcountry finals, put in a performance that got him points off the mark. 17 and 3/4 laps later of the GN - Neil led, only to be taken out, last corner style, by that youthful tearaway... Roy Goodman!