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**steve sde** · 6th May 2012, 17:56

Silverstone Racing School's MG Maestro 1600s -anyone know anything about 'em?

Yeah, I raced them at Silverstone between 1984 and 86, before they were replaced with the evil handling Montegos in 87. The Maestros were pretty good fun, slow, but fun. Still, 80 mph average speed around the Silverstone GP Circuit in 1985, in a standard car still fitted with a radio isnt bad, especially when they only topped out at 104 mph at the end of the Hangar straight.. I have quite a few photos from back then of the Maestros, Montegos and the MG Metro Challenge Car I raced twice in '86 sponsored by the Racing School.

**John C** · 6th May 2012, 19:40

Strike gold! Brilliant, many thanks

**steve sde** · 7th May 2012, 05:56

Silverstone Racing School's MG Maestro 1600s -anyone know anything about 'em?

Quick preview of me in one of the SRS Maestro 1600's used from '84 to 86' (this pic on the entry to the original Woodcote Chicane), along with the Montego Turbos and the 2.0 Efi's that were used by the school from 1987. Also the MG Metro Challenge car I raced in '86 as part of the School's 'Driver of the Day' award given at SRS Race meetings held 7 times per year where there were typically 2 Maestro races and 5 FF1600 races. Happy days. More pics to follow or I'll mail then to you direct John.

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**John C** · 9th May 2012, 20:42

Outstanding work -thank you!
If you look at the 'post restoration' pics on this webpage:
https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos...1328&sc=photos

you can just make out the same black roll cage in the boot window, rear seat window, and front passenger window. I've scrutinised the photos in detail, and the angles are identical; it's a match!
So this is corroboratory evidence that Goodwood rally school did indeed buy my 3 cars from Silverstone circuit, as they said. And we know that the cars came to Silverstone direct from Austin Rover Motorsport, as detailed here by former staff of ARG:
http://www.maestro.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=15915

If there are any more photos (of any of the Silverstone Maestro, Monty or Metro models), I'd love to see 'em

**steve sde** · 10th May 2012, 15:34

Will do, I'll post loads more tomorrow. NOt too many are close up, they're grid pics and on track pics taken with a very basic mid 80's camera, but takes u back....

**Oli** · 10th May 2012, 15:57

Some really great pictures there Steve, look forward to seeing some more!

**steve sde** · 11th May 2012, 05:15

SRS MAESTRO RACE NOV '84

The first Saturday of November 1984, my second Maestro race. Me on Pole giving a wave to my mother I think. Pic 2, not a bad start... Next pic me in P2 putting the leader under pressure.. Then taking the chequered flag and coming back into the pits after my first win in a Maestro.

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**steve sde** · 11th May 2012, 05:21

Maestros again in late Nov '84

Late Nov '84. Me on Pole.. And the Gent in front of my car in Pic 1 is a very nice Scotsman called Jock Dalziel who was an Instructor at the School and was also Landlord of the Green Man pub in Silverstone Village in the mid '80's. Pic 2, the front 2 rows with the guy in P2 called David Barker who won the first 4 Maestro races that year before moving on to the Saab Turbo Championship in '85 and doing quite well. Pic 3, the guy in P3 called Jeff Mills gets the drop at the start.. Next pic, I got past Jeff and then David to win!

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**steve sde** · 11th May 2012, 05:26

March 1985. Me on Pole as I liked being there

The guy next to me was called Michael Moss who raced Renault 5's as well as with the Maestros. Good close racing always, through Copse in line astern. Close but clean racing as contact was punishable by a serious shouting at by SRS Manager Gerry Corbett, followed by loss of accident damage deposit and dismissal from the School, quite rightly.

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**steve sde** · 11th May 2012, 05:35

Silverstone GP Circuit July 1985

Typically close racing on the GP Circuit where we had 1 race meeting per year with the Racing School. It's a little known fact (because apart from me no one would care

) that on the 20th July 1985, Keke Rosberg did a Qualy lap of the Silverstone GP circuit in 1,05.6 secs, the first ever 160 mph lap of Silverstone, in a Williams Honda with 1300 bhp, slicks, wings, weighing 500 kg. Seven days later I got an SRS Maestro round the GP circuit in a qualifying lap in exactly double the time, 2,11.2 the first ever 80 mph lap in a Maestro.. weighing over a tonne no doubt, standard car 100%, on road Pirelli tyres, while tuned into Desert Island Discs on the radio that was still installed!

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**steve sde** · 11th May 2012, 05:39

A couple more..

The cars standing on their noses under braking for Woodcote on the Club circuit, usually braking at about 90 yards (as they were back then) from just under 100 mph, and then as in pic 2, throwing it in and taking lots of kerb on the entry to woodcote. It's a mark of how good (even though it may have never been credited) the Maestro 1600's were in the wet, as lap times around the Club circuit were only about 1.5 secs slower in the wet than the dry.

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**steve sde** · 11th May 2012, 05:46

SRS parades

The Maestros and Monty Turbos lined up at the track entry just before the Daily Express bridge before being taken out for a 'parade' as they always were at Silverstone's BRDC organised events, so we regulars at SRS always got free tickets to the F1, World Sports Cars, Formula 3000 meetings and all Internationals, in exchange for, as in pic 3, driving a car round the track slowly in formation to demonstrate the cars and publicise the school. Last pic, Silverstone in her full mid-80's glory, with the SRS Maestros and Van Diemen RF83 Formula Ford 1600's waiting outside the Silverstone Racing Club Clubhouse which was adjacent to the SRS classroom. An excellent school, great location, and taught me a thing or two.. !!

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**steve sde** · 11th May 2012, 05:55

SRS MG Metro Challenge car 1986

My prize for winning the Silverstone Racing School Driver of the Day award in the Maestro, twice, as judged by no less than Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams and Marcus Pye of Autosport, was 2 races in the '86 MG Metro Challenge, the second of which pictured here on the Silverstone GP Circuit in June '86. I did OK, the School were pleased with me anyway, finished 12th out of the 24 starters both races and overtook a few cars after a terrible start in the GP Circuit race... Couldn't get the slicks hot and sticky on the green flag lap.... Motor racing driver's book of excuses chapter 39.....

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**steve sde** · 11th May 2012, 06:09

Me...

After 18 races in SRS Maestros and Montegos, and 2 in the Metro, including 10 wins from the 20 races, I promptly retired at the end of 1987 to concentrate on lawn mowing, car washing and pushing strollers around Tesco. In 2011 after a brief 24 year break from racing I won the Renault Clio Cup China Championship last year, winning 2 of the 10 races and finishing the rest of the races in the top 4. I have a coach who helped me out a lot last year, but most of my results can be attributed to what I learned about driving FWD Touring Cars in those SRS MG Maestros with the patience and teaching ability of the instructors/coaches/mentors at SRS back then.

Apologies for having pics of a Renault on here... But those Clio Cup cars are pretty good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i7KH9WNKrw

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