Special Awards
Nigel Pack
Lifetime Acheivement Award
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In recent years
many of you here will have been witness to, Nigel’s unbounded enthusiasm for
auto testing into which he has drawn in his sister and their wider family. I
am sure many of you owe him a debt of gratitude for his advice or skills at
fixing stuff that breaks. The whole motor racing fraternity owe him for
introducing a much needed official orange suited marshal in Wendy.
But how many
know or can remember how far back it goes or how deeply involved he has
been.
As far as I can
recall Nigel has been involved in MGCC Lincolnshire and motorsport for nye
on 50 years.
I think it
started in the late 60s, half a mile from Nigel’s family home, EJ Lefley the
MG & BMC dealer (where Nigel started work) were re-shelling the Bos family
MGB for the second time in 3 months, the car had just come back from the
Tulip rally in the Alps very bent and was due back out to Portugal for the
TAP rally within a month. Nigel subsequently kept that car running all
through the 70s and early 80s through many East Kirkby, Tour of Lincs &
California Cup auto tests. How many diffs did you replace?
The Silverstone auto test attracted over 300 entries in those days and Nigel
soon bought and entered in his own blaze MGB, KCH…… usually winning his
class, “…was it or ’76 or ’77 when you were first part of the Lincs
Centre team to bring home the California Cup or BMC trophy?
During this time
Nigel also built two TC MGs (one of which found its way into the National
Motor Museum) two MG Midgets and was the sole service crew on National
rallies with some ex works Triumph rally cars, all in his unpaid free time ,
just for the love of it.
Nigel’s first B
started out immaculate and was displayed at the Petwood House Concours in
1975 but it had a tough time, not only did it get a twisted chassis from
bouncing off the old runway in Twyford Woods but it bore the scars from many
a Production Car Trial in the quarries of Blackborough End, not to mention
the rigours of highly competitive auto-testing. The Tour of Lincs in those
days attracted entries from all over the country, “How many times did you
win it Nigel?”
He still went to
work in it, he had to, it was his only car, until the early 80s when he
bought an auto test Midget complete with LSD, what more could a man want?
After campaigning it with much success this was passed to Adam Cunnington
who raced it with Nigel’s ongoing support with further success, support he
had previously given to Paul Campling racing in the BCV8 Championship.
33 years on
Nigel still helps keep Adams Midgets racing. Indeed last summer Nigel was
again instrumental in the success of the Bos / Cunnington racing exploits in
the highlight competitive Citroen C1 Endurance Racing Series, not forgetting
us in the Suffolk Blues team with Steve Hall et al.
I am sure many
many people are in debt to Nigel’s generosity and many more have been
witness to it, for me it goes beyond that, he taught me trust, when he
taught me to drive his MGB flat out when was 9 years old and forgiveness
when I promptly drove into it in a Canon trials car.
Nigel you are a
true gentleman with a deep and enduring passion for MGs and motorsport.
Nobody could be more worthy of a lifetime award from a club which is the
“Marque of Friendship”
Words By Conrad
Bos
1969 - left school & started work at Lefleys garage in Holbeach as a trainee
mechanic.
.He has had numerous successes at Silverstone in the California Cup Auto
tests winning both the California Cup & BMC trophies with obviously great
team mates over the years. Entering in a Midget 935 KAO & also his MGB LCH
230K.
Finally
Paul Campling
1983- Paul was racing in his MGB in Zolda when Nigel was needed to repair
the clutch master cylinder. He had to drive 150 kilometres to get
spares + parts for other competitors. Then back at the ferry in Zeebrugge
Nigel had to sort out the brake pad which Paul had put in the wrong way
causing a queue & frustrated port workers!
Trust is what springs to mind, as his first gift to me when he taught me to
drive his MGB flat out when I was just 10 years old.
His second was forgiveness when I promptly drove into the side of his MGB in
the Canon trials car.
Ena wanted to say: