The Brooklands Podcast

Recorded at his home on 5th August 2025, Karl talks with BMtv's Gareth Tarr about his chequered career in the automotive industries and as an author spanning 60 years. In this part he talks about the Porsche, Mercedes and Ferrari book collections.

The author Crispian Besley is in conversation with Harry Sherrard.

People lie, cheat, steal and even kill for a variety of reasons, one of which is to go motor racing, a particularly expensive and egotistical sport. Join author Crispian Besley as he shares salacious tales from the track as featured in his award-winning book.

‘Driven to Crime’, was the result of years of research, and it encompasses not just those who have been ‘driven to crime’ in order to pay for their sport but also characters within motor racing who have been involved in wrongdoing. From true stories of deceit and crimes of drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement, robbery, fraud, murder, and money laundering, Crispian

lifts the lid on his investigations and misdemeanours at all levels, from drivers, designers and mechanics to team owners, entrants, and sponsors.

BMtv's Gareth Tarr talks with the author John Brooks about the creation of this volume. Officially licensed with the ACO, the organisers of the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race, this authoritative book is the eighth title in Evro’s acclaimed decade-by-decade coverage of the world’s greatest motor race. As described by Motor Sport magazine, this multi-volume set covering every race since 1923 is ‘one of the modern age’s finest reference series’. Each year is exhaustively covered in magnificent photographs, a detailed and insightful commentary, and full results data. Written and photographed by an aficionado of Le Mans in the modern era, this latest instalment covering Audi’s decade of supremacy will be treasured by all enthusiasts of sports-car racing.

We welcome to Brooklands John Mayhead, award-winning author of "Goldie – the amazing story of Alfred Goldie Gardner, the world's most successful speed record driver". Despite suffering severe injuries in the First World War and ongoing disabilities, Goldie Gardner became a successful Brooklands racer between the wars. But it was his record-breaking that came to define him, driving diminutive MG based specials to a host of speed records before and after the Second World War. Of the book, one reviewer wrote "A captivating read which really transports you back to the sounds, smells and emotions of an early – and lethal – era of motorsport."

In this episode Tim Morris looks at the recent Motor Proud LGBTQ+ event at Brooklands including Stories Uncovered and the Eikon charity and in the second half a tribute to Brooklands stalwart and legend Julian Grimwade who lost his life last Saturday whilst competing at Donnington Park

Sir Ernest Shackleton became a national icon after venturing on four epic voyages of discovery to the Antarctic a century ago, including the famous HMS Endurance expedition. But after the Endurance was trapped by pack ice—and slowly succumbed to its crushing pressure—the expedition's fate, and that of its crew, looked bleak. Hundreds of miles from inhabited territory, and far from any shipping lanes, what followed is one of the greatest stories of endurance and survival ever told. The crew wouldn’t be rescued for more than a year and a half, but incredibly all 28 made it back alive.

More than a century later, the wreck of the Endurance was finally located. In March 2022, a team of scientists released stunning images of the three-masted, wooden ship where it had lodged 10,000 feet deep at the bottom of the Antarctic.

Our speaker is leading polar historian Michael Smith, who books have received wide critical acclaim and he is assisting with the development of a major international film about Shackleton.

Lois Pryce is a British motorcyclist, adventurer, author, journalist and speaker. She quit her job with the BBC, passed her motorcycle test and rode 20,000 miles from Alaska to the tip of South America on a small dirt bike. Her next expedition saw her ride the length of Africa solo from London to Cape Town via the Sahara, Congo and Angola. Then came an epic 3000 mile solo motorcycle ride around Iran – a country where women are not even allowed to ride motorcycles. Lois' resulting book, Revolutionary Ride, was named a Book of the Year by National Geographic Traveller Magazine, describing it as a "joyful, moving and stereotype-busting tale." Lois is an ebullient and highly entertaining speaker, and we welcomed her to Brooklands to hear more about her incredible adventures.

Brooklands Members Talks Host Harry Sherrard talks with Ian Flux about his life in motorsport.

Ian Flux never got biggest breaks to move him up the international motor racing ladder, but he did become one of British motorsport’s most colourful and best-loved characters, and someone who has always lived life to the full.

Fluxie has notched up nearly 50 years on track, from being a mechanic to motorcycle racing legend Giacomo Agostini to his stints in Formula 3, Thundersports and the British Touring Car Championship in a wide range of tin-tops, and his championship double in 1996 – the TVR Tuscan Challenge and the British GT Championship, driving a McLaren F1 GTR.

Fluxie tells it how it was, covering not only the highs — including five championship titles — but also the many setbacks. Along the way you’ll laugh with him about much of it, particularly the pranks, but also learn about some dark times that he has never previously divulged. Come and strap yourself in for an evening of lots of laughs!

John Tye, Concorde pilot and Brooklands volunteer talks with Alan Smith, Concorde test pilot about Alan's time working with Brian Trubshaw on 002 and Delta Golf during the 1970s.

Former land speed record holder Richard Noble returned to Brooklands to tell us about his new project, an attempt on the water speed record.

Inspired by the exploits of John Cobb and his designer Reid Railton, the Thrust team has set out to break the current WSR of 317.596mph, which was set by Australian Ken Warby back in 1978. That the record has stood for so long indicates both the danger and the difficulty involved in mounting a challenge. Since that record was set, two challengers have died in the process.

The Thrust WSH (water speed hydrofoil) team is therefore proceeding with maximum research and risk mitigation efforts. To produce a truly innovative design the team has access to advanced technologies and resources not available to earlier challengers.