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BUCKLERS LEAD -- OTHERS FOLLOW |
  
K.R.E. Prince was entered for this meeting
in a Buckler/Greeves. Who knows any more?
We have had a letter from
Kel Prince! Thank you Kel.
Hello
there, I am the KRE Prince who drove in the Drag
Festival at Blackbush, by invitation!
I think they were tickled by the cheek of it.
Event was UK versus US-the Americans were and perhaps
still are the quarter mile kings.
I was initially rejected by a jobsworth of a scrutineer
on the ground that the Buckler was not a dragster-it
couldn't be because it hadn't got a 1/4 inch steel plate
round the clutch.
The front engined dragsters of the day did have as the
drivers legs straddled the clutch which often
disintegrated on take off.
I appealed to the chief steward who, to the chagrin of
the scrutineer, allowed me to compete.
The event was a knockout and I drew the 4wd formula
2(?)Ferguson driven by that years hill climb champion
(his name escapes me). At half distance I was ahead and
preparing to wave victoriously to the crowd when he
roared by reaching about 180mph(?) at the end of the
quarter to my 90ish.I've no records of the event and so
my memories are there to be challenged.
I also raced the Buckler in kart events but the reason
for the sprinting was that I aspired to breaking the
world 250cc kilometre and mile standing start record
which were so old they were there for the taking.
Trouble was that the Greeves was a road racing engine
and had a close ratio box with a high first that
destroyed clutches at every start.
Bert Greeves promised me a lower bottom gear but such
was their small production capacity that it turned up
over a year later and by then I'd turned to other
things-I still have that bottom gear!.
Sorry to have gone on so but I do get carried away with
all these old memories.
If anyone wants any further info contact Kel
here
Interestingly, Kel was
racing against another Buckler owner, Peter Westbury in
the Ferguson and also Major Paddy Gold who had an
interest in the Buckler company.
Does anyone know any more on this subject?
email with
details please.
A supplementary
programme for the 1964 1st British
International Drag Festival at Blackbushe
Thanks to Pete Huggins
_small.jpg) Brief history of a Buckler Go Kart/dragster
Many thanks to Pete
Huggins here
This is not Pete's. Who
ran this?
 Midas TOUCH gets a fast push.
It looks like she's wearing an AKS body in this photo.
Very nearly found... check out
update
Mistral Drag Racer. Is this a Buckler? what engine? anyone know? please contact
us here
Early Drag Racing at the Brighton Speed Trials
click here to read more about
this fantastic car...
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