Tony Pond
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2016) |
MG Rover | |
Rallies | 27 |
---|---|
Championships | 0 |
Rally wins | 0 |
Podiums | 2 |
Stage wins | 37 |
Total points | 68 |
Tony Pond (23 November 1945 – 7 February 2002) was a British rally driver.
Career
His first outings in a rally car were on the then regular (in the early '60s) Saturday night road rallies in the home counties around London, driving a Mini Cooper S. Using the same car he also became successful at auto-testing – the practice of manoeuvering the car against the clock around a series of cones.
He then prepared a
At this time Ford had launched the Mexico Rally Championship, and Pond persuaded the local Ford dealer in his home town, Norman Reeves of Uxbridge, to prepare and supply a car for the Championship. He finished second overall, the reward for which was a drive in a works supported Escort RS1600 on the Scottish International Rally. He finished in the top ten, which was enough incentive for Norman Reeves to prepare and supply him with an ex-factory Escort RS1600 for a season.
Using this car he was a regular top ten finisher in the British Rally Championship, competing against and beating the likes of Jimmy McRae (Colin's father) and Russell Brookes, culminating in a third place on the Welsh International Rally in 1973, beating Tony Fall into fourth place. At this time Fall was competitions manager for the Dealer Opel Team (DOT), and the offer of a works supported drive was not long in coming.
Unfortunately, although DOT and Pond were successful with the 2 litre Opel Kadett, General Motors had taken the decision to stop selling Opels in the UK and concentrate on the Vauxhall brand, and so DOT was disbanded. In 1975 he won the Avon Tour of Britain driving a privately entered Escort RS2000 - the Tour was a mixture of special stages and race circuits, and rally drivers tended to dominate. He was very quickly approached by
Around 1979-1982 he also often visited
Pond mostly retired from Rallying at the end of 1986, however, he was retained on Austin Rover's books as a development driver, and was involved in the design and production of the MG F.
In 1988 Pond attempted to achieve the first-ever average 100 mph lap around the
Throughout his life he was also a keen motorcyclist, riding fast road bikes and trials bikes successfully.
Tony Pond succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2002 and is survived by his wife, Nikki, and son, James.[2][3][4]
Racing record
Complete IMC results
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Tony Pond | Ford Cortina Lotus
|
MON | SWE | ITA | KEN | AUT | GRE | GBR Ret |
Complete WRC results
Complete British Saloon Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)
Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | DC | Pts | Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983
|
Unipart with Daily Express | MG Metro Turbo | B | SIL | OUL | THR | BRH Ret |
THR 6 |
SIL Ret |
DON 5 |
SIL 25 |
DON 6 |
BRH Ret |
SIL 17 |
8th | 31 | 4th |
1984
|
Team Sanyo Racing with Esso | Rover Vitesse
|
D | DON 3 |
SIL 1 |
OUL 6 |
THR 2 |
THR 3 |
SIL 5 |
SNE
|
BRH | BRH | DON | SIL | NC | 0 | NC |
Source:[5]
|
Complete European Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | DC | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | Unipart with Daily Express | MG Metro Turbo | MNZ
|
VAL
|
DON | PER | MUG | BRN
|
ZEL | NUR | SAL | SPA | SIL Ret |
ZOL | NC | 0 |
1984 | Austin Rover Group | Rover Vitesse
|
MNZ
|
VAL
|
DON | PER | BRN
|
ZEL Ret |
SAL | NUR | SPA | SIL NC |
ZOL 8 |
MUG | NC | 0 |
Source:[6]
|
References
- ^ Manx Independent, page 18, 16 June 1988
- ^ "OBITUARY: Tony Pond - CARmag.co.za". CARmag.co.za. 11 February 2002.
- ^ David Williams (2 April 2002). "Obituary: Tony Pond". the Guardian.
- ^ "Tony Pond loses battle against cancer".
- ^ de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ de Jong, Frank. "The European Touring Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
External links
- Tony Pond - EWRC Profile page
- Rallybase stat page