BP 200 Vaal River South Africa 1975

[Ozzie]

Bill Badsey leading the field. Jimbo McConnell, Lanham Love, Jack Tanner, Richard & Irwin Sterne, Monty Tolken.

[Steve Pinson]

Bill Badsey leading the field. Jimbo McConnell, Lanham Love, Jack Tanner, Richard & Irwin Sterne, Monty Tolken.

I new Bill Badsey well had him as a co driver in 1978 for the Paris 6hr race he came back from South Africa to the UK around 1976 because they wanted to conscript his son into the army?.I can remember him running for OMC in Europe in one of the World championship races around 1975 he flew his boat and broke his back nobody new how serious this was but he signed himself out of hospital and had to buy 4 seat places to rest his stretcher on to fly back to South Africa. 6 months later he was back racing in europe then moved to the UK but only stayed a couple of years.He drove Cougar boats most of the time he had a few of them?

[Ozzie]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the reply.
I have a bit more info here ( with a few bits to come still)
http://billbadsey.mpresence.net/
If you or anyone else has photo's of Bill I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.

[Ozzie]

Hi Steve,

I meant to ask you how he was to race with etc?
Thanks.

[Steve Pinson]

[QUOTE=Ozzie;133801]Hi Steve,

I meant to ask you how he was to race with etc?
Thanks.[/QUOTE
You must remember these were the exciting days of the factory wars Mercury and Omc` so we all had a great time with a lot of rivalry between camps faster engines coming out all the time rough races and sprint races everyone drove flat out rough or smooth very exciting memories for me and all the other drivers not many left around now.
I got on very well with Bill we had a lot in common we spent time together when he was testing at the OMC factory in Brugge Belgium and shared many races with him in Europe and the UK.I can tell you that Chris Appelbee who raced hydros was one of his very best friends i do not know if he is still around but I have found a email address [email]chris@applebee.co.uk.Let me know how you get on?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I would like to hear from Chris Applebee as well. Last I heard he was doing precision crankshafts.

In 1976 I broke the UIM Kilo OD record of South African Dino Candiotes as well as the U.S. record of my friend Jerry Waldman. I don't remember the year because I quit racing, but Chris Applebee was the one who broke my UIM OD record, and Sean McKean my U.S. record. Both are friends. Sean's could have been a UIM record if he did the proper paperwork and application.

I was only around Chris Applebee and Douglas "PiP" Willey( a fellow Brittish racer) a few times, but we had lots of laughs and it seemed like we had known each other forever.

[Ozzie]

Attachment 54968

[Ozzie]

Attachment 54969

[Steve Pinson]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the reply.
I have a bit more info here ( with a few bits to come still)
http://billbadsey.mpresence.net/
If you or anyone else has photo's of Bill I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.

Hi Ozzie this is the only picture i have of Bill Badsey it was taken at the 1978 Paris 6hr race?[ATTACH]55102 Bill is standing on the left of the picture?