Reg Parnell was one of the great characters of pre and post-war motor racing in Britain. He raced mainly as a privateer from his Highfields Garage business in Derby but was on occasions to be seen in works cars such as Aston Martin. It was not easy to compete on the continent in the aftermath of the second World War as it was not permitted to take currency abroad and racing anywhere was and still is an expensive business. Most of the people who helped to shape what was to become the British domination of the sport in the 60's had to resort to some fairly imaginative means of being where the action was and had they not done so, the glorious successes of Vanwall, B.R.M., Lotus etc might never have come about. Reg did compete quite frequently abroad and kept the flag flying for this country, often the only British entrant.

With this background, it is hardly surprising that his son, Tim has also had a life in and around the world of motor racing. I spoke to him recently at the Autosports Show and the conversation went something like this…..

Q. You were born into a motor sporting environment. What are your early recollections of this and how much did they shape your eventual life in the sport?

A. I remember vividly being taken to Brooklands and my parents telling me to hide under the rug because they couldn't afford the ticket for me. This was of course a bit of a game to amuse a small child, but fun anyway. It was always good fun at the meetings because my Father was a popular, affable character and we always seemed to be surrounded by friends.

Q, Did you find in your early efforts to compete that the family connection helped or otherwise?

A. No, I don't think that my name helped me a great deal. Two people who helped me enormously at this time were Alan Smith who had been my Father's mechanic and went on to run an excellent tuning shop in Derby and Jim Dawson.
I owe them both a great deal for the practical and moral support they gave at that time.

Q. Having given up your aspirations to drive, you pursued a career in the management of the sport. In your opinion, would it have been easier in the 60's than today to make one's way in racing?

A. Yes, it is harder these days for one reason. Sponsorship, much more is needed and it is not easy to come by. More drivers are in the sport competing for whatever is available.

Q. What period of your time in and around management have you enjoyed the most?

A. 1966 to 1975 with B.R.M. (He was Team Manager for the Bourne Formula One team). Also my early days in Formula 2.

Q. Is there any career that you would have been happy to take up other than Motor Sport ?

A. No, I can't think of anything else that could have given me the satisfaction that this sport has although I have always been very interested in Football and am a Director of Derby County F.C., so that might have been an alternative had I not been so happy with my lot.

Q. What are your views on the sport as a whole in Britain at the moment. i.e. the nuturing of young talent, accessibility of motor sport to wide sections of the public etc.?

A. Well, as a Director of the British Racing Drivers' Club, I do have a lot of interest in the Rising Stars that the Club promotes, this is a great help to young drivers and I would hope that the Club would always be looking to the future as far as encouraging new talent is concerned.

Q. If you were asked for your advice to an aspiring young driver trying to break into the sport, what would it be?

A. Karting is in my opinion the first step on the ladder these days, it is a relatively cheap way of competing and getting noticed.

Q. There has been a lot of controversy regarding the Grand Prix being held at Silverstone and indeed the future of the British Grand Prix at all. Have you any views that you would care to outline on this?

A. Yes, I have very strong views. The U.K., leads the World in racing car construction. Most Grand Prix teams are based in the U.K., Ferrari Engineers are British. Silverstone should be and will be a centre of excellence for the sport. Over 60 million pounds has been invested in it's development. Of course it should host a Grand Prix.

Q. In your time in Formula One, who was your favourite driver and why?

A. Without a doubt Graham Hill. A real man's man, he was the only driver to achieve the triple crown of F1 World Champion (Twice), Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 hours. He brought B.R.M., their single World Constructors Championship and was the best ambassador for the sport that it ever had. No one knew how to party like he did after the race.
Any further comments that you would like to add?

Yes, a few words about my good friend Bernie Ecclestone who has made the F1 World Championship the Worldwide concern that it now is with millions of well informed viewers tuned into every Grand Prix. He has brought enormous amounts of money into the sport benefiting all branches of it.