NOTICE OF DEATH - ROBERT HADLINGTON (1941 - 2024)
With great regret we must inform Members of the death of Robert ‘Bob’ Hadlington on Thursday 8th August from heart failure. He was 83 years of age and had been an Associate (Mechanic) Member since 1978.
Bob’s career in motor racing embraced the 1960s, beginning with the Midland Racing Partnership with drivers including Richard Attwood, John Rhodes, Bill Bradley, David Baker and Jeremy Cottrell. Together with Phil Derbyshire, a fellow member of the Dudley & District Car Club, Bob began as an unpaid ‘helper’, endearing himself to the team by sourcing from his employers, a distribution company in Brierley Hill, temperature gauges, which the MRP’s Formula Junior Coopers were consuming at a fearsome rate, for £3 per pump less than the Cooper Car Company saw fit to charge.
Bob’s other recorded contribution to MRP’s racing efforts, which were becoming increasingly professional by the year, was the pit-signalling traffic light system. With drivers having difficulty reading their pit signals from among the overcrowded pit lanes, Bob armed himself with a five-foot-long broom handle and three large cardboard blobs in red, yellow and green. With three laps of a race remaining, the MRP drivers would be shown the red blob on the end of the broom handle, yellow a lap later and finally green to signify the last lap.
In 1962 Bob was tempted to become a full-time race engineer by an offer from Cosworth to join the leading Formula Junior engine builder full time. This also gave Rob the opportunity to become race mechanic for Cosworth employee Brian Hart who was both a very clever engine builder/developer and a very quick race driver. Moving on from Cosworth in 1964 Bob joined Ian Walker Racing which was running a Lotus Elan 26R ‘Gold Bug’ and the Lotus 30 for Jimmy Clark when the reigning World Champion was available.
When both the Type 30 and his new Elan Le Mans Coupe were destroyed in accidents mid-season, Ian Walker pulled the plug on any further racing in 1964, and Bob moved to Alan Mann Racing which was then at the peak of its powers. In 1965 Bob was a member of the Alan Mann Racing team which, with Sir John Whitmore as lead driver, secured the European Touring Car Championship for Ford. It was not all about the Mk 1 Lotus Cortina, however, Alan Mann’s contract with the Blue Oval also embracing Mustangs, Falcons, Cobras and GT40s with drivers including Peter Procter, Frank Gardner, Jack Sears and Bo Lungfeldt. Bob had the opportunity, ability and experience to turn his hand to any of these Fords, in particular spending a large amount of time in 1966 working on the GT40.
In later years Bob moved away from motor sport into the world of powerboats and also held a Nissan franchise in Stafford. However, through his membership of the BRDC he retained an interest in the sport.
Bob’s wife Monica passed away 10 years ago. The BRDC offers its deepest condolences to their daughter Liz and grandson Tom. A funeral for Robert will be held at 3.30pm on Friday 6 September at Cannock Chase Crematorium, Norton Road, Heath Hayes, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 3HJ. Members are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to a charity which has a personal connection to Robert's family. Please CLICK HERE to access the charity's Just Giving page.
