Dickie Stoop

Flight Lieutenant James Richard Stoop was an amateur driver of considerable standing for many years. His first race was the supporting Formula 3 event at the Daily Express Silverstone in 1948, when he drove the GS1 to eighth place. He acquired Charlie Smith's CFS for 1950, finishing second in a heat at Brough in April and fourth at Goodwood in May. Over the next 20 years he campaigned many types of car, but remained faithful for most of his racing to Frazer-Nash. He competed at Le Mans no fewer than 10 times: in 1950 he was 9th overall and won the 2 litre class, in 1951 he was 19th and in 1955 he was 10th. In 1958 he drove the works space frame AC into 8th place, again winning his class. He also took part in long-distance racing at Spa, Rouen, Montlhéry and elsewhere, and in 1964 was 3rd overall in the Rand 3 hours co-driving Peter Sutcliffe’s E-type.

He performed prolifically in club racing, not only in Frazer-Nashes but also in Triumphs, Healeys, a D-type Jaguar and a Lotus 11. He also drove a Formula 2 Cooper in the late ‘50s, and with the passing of Frazer-Nash he transferred his loyalties to Porsche. His successive Type 356 Carreras, registered YOU 4 and 5 HOT, brought him a number of wins; having been co-victor in the 1959 Autosport Championship with the Sebring Frazer-Nash, he won the Autosport 3 hours at Snetterton the following year in YOU 4 after a tremendous battle with Chris Summers’ Elite, won his class in 1961, and then won the 2-litre division of the championship in 1962 and 1963. He also had a few races with an RS60 Porsche Spyder, and in 1964 drove a 904. More recently he had concentrated on club production sports car racing with his silver 911S Porsche, also registered YOU 4; this car was a frequent class winner.

Dickie was only 47 when he suffered a fatal heart attack at the wheel during a club race at Croft in May 1968.

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