Steve French. Speed week 2013
After a year working in Australia, he returned to the UK and became a professional spectator. He found time to marry and collect a daughter, Alice, start a business and get divorced before taking to the track once again, in 1992.
Steve is an electronics specialist and works in the telecommunications industry. There are many machines with 2 or 4 wheels in the drag racing pits, which have benefited from Steve's attention. When the team need to find him, the usual technique is to ask around until we find out who is having problems with their electric's, then make a beeline for their pitbay.
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Gordon Smith (9-10-1952 to 27-08-2015)
Norwich, Norfolk
Gordon's first meeting was as a spectator at the Santa Pod Big Go coincidentally also in 1974.
He is the only member of the team still living in Norwich from where all the team originate. His first job as crew was with Andy on The Dart for a couple of meetings in 1979. Later he spent a year working on the Jigsaw Mustang comp altered, Mo Blackburns car, before joining Steve on the spectator bank, a position they occupied for several years.
Strictly a non-biker, Gordon was the original crewman for Steve's then unnamed comp bike and was also Steve's sounding board for ideas during the development of the the control systems for the fuel injection system. Gordon is the team's chief record keeper, starter, clutch man etc, etc.
Despite his time working with the competition motorcycles, he is still at a loss when it comes to riding motorbikes (even the pit bikes). Gordon is employed in the printing industry.
On the 27th August Gordon lost his battle with cancer.
God speed Gordon you will be missed
French Injection Racing Team
Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
After his spectating initiation period that started in November 1974, Steve rode his Suzuki GS1000 called Parallel Lines in the Street Bike class 1978-80 achieving a best of 11.87 seconds. He was also responsible for the paintwork on the Dart Comp Altered raced by Andy Muir in the 80's.
The body from the Dart now resides on the GB-Racing's altered "Escape from Reality" with new paint.
Gordon Smith RIP.
Glasgow, Scotland
After the standard period of spectating beginning in 1974, Andy started racing in the late seventies in a Jaguar powered Model T comp altered called The Dart, a car originally built by Norm Wheeldon and also driven by Tim Claxton.
Andy originally shared the driving duties with his two partners Simon & Martin until he became the sole driver. He drove the car to a best of 11.6 seconds at 127 mph. The starter motor from The Dart is still in use - it is the one used by French Injection. Andy went back to occasional spectating after this car was sold until Steve came back to the track in 1992.Since then he has worked with both Steve's & Chris's bikes and is to be found on the startline either with a starter motor or a video camera. It was Andy's video footage that proved the original French Injection was past it's best in Steve's hands.
Alice's first visit to the track was in 92 to see her dad race. She has been a regular attendee but not at all the meetings. She got her first go on a moped aged 9. She tried Shaun Branch's bike but the pegs were too far away.
Now aged 29 she lives in Australia and misses the rain and cold and her dad.
Gordon Smith
