Inside Revolution: Dave Lucas’ Long Service Award
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Dave Lucas was born into a bike mad household, his father Reg competed in trials, finishing in sixth place on the Scottish Six-Day Trial, one year. Dave joined Hagley & District Light Car Club during the early 1960s and went on to form the Monarch Motor Club. Monarch ran 12-car Rallies and Road Rallies and supported other clubs as marshals for both road and Stage Rallies.
Dave competed in his first stage rally in 1969, in a Vauxhall Viva GT, at the 432 Club’s ‘Rally of the Tests’. This was in the snow, in January with the first stage down a canal towpath with no barriers…
In 1973, he competed on the RAC Rally starting at car 165. He was co-driver for Ian Beveridge in a 1300 Escort Sport. They finished in the top 50 and second overall in class, just behind Shekar Mehta in his works Datsun. On the 1974 RAC, he drove his Volkswagen Beetle 1302 S (co-driven by Dennis Abbott) and finished 77th overall from a starting number of 179. Altogether, Dave took part on 15 RAC Rallies as either driver or co-driver.
Dave has been very involved in West Midlands Motorsport for over 50 years and has been a member of BTRDA, Owen MC, and then joined the HCRC in the late 1980s taking part in the first historic Rally Britannia on Epynt in 1982. He has also competed in the 24-hour Le Mans race back in the early 1990s.
Over the years Dave has competed in virtually every form of motorsport – both in cars and on motorbikes. These include Rallies – night and stage, Autocross, Rallycross, Car trials, Drag Racing, Bike Trials, Speedway and Steward for Speed Records.
As well as being a National and International Steward for the FIA, FIM, the RACMSA and now Motorsport UK, Dave is also a Motorsport UK trainer and is a past Chair of the Clerks and Steward Committee. After an event that was not carried out according to the guidelines in the Yearbook, with properties on the route being visited to ensure they knew the event was taking place, and some serious meetings with the police, Dave became the first Route Liaison Officer (RLO) for the then Motorsport Association, and almost 50 years later, he still fulfils this role for Motorsport UK.
Within Motorsport UK, Dave Lucas is recognised as a ‘general fixer’ for any difficult event or situation. Between 1986 and 1990, he organised many events, including the International Birmingham Super Prix, which included negotiating with Bernie Ecclestone. As a result of their lunchtime meeting, Bernie was satisfied and made sure that others in the racing community supported the event to make it happen.
Congratulations Dave Lucas on your Motorsport UK Long Service Award, which is richly deserved.
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