ALEX CLACHER, who died on May 1, was a local motorsporting stalwart especially in the North East.

He rode trials bikes, appearing on the cover of the for the Scott Trial programme for 1961. With Bill Hocking's help, he was able to move into motocross or ‘scrambling’ as it was then known.

He began car racing with the first of his legendary Imps which was written off in a pile-up on the start line at Oulton Park. I got to know him while he was waiting for the second car, an ex-Reg Hargraves Imp which arrived in 1971. In the four years he owned it, he brought his lap times round Croft down by about eight seconds. The 1000cc saloon class featured some legendary battles between himself, Andy Barton and the late Sedric Bell.

Later in that period he travelled to more distant circuits setting half a dozen lap records, from Brands Hatch to Croft. Some of these were circuits he was visiting for the first time. He was known as a smooth, very fast driver and quick to learn a new circuit.

He took as much in developing the car as in driving it and all the work was done in his garage at home apart from any machining which he hadn’t the facilities for.

Usually entered in the race programmes as ‘AJ’, many will know him from his heating and plumbing engineer company that he started in 1961 on High Northgate in Darlington. However, pressure of time to run his business eventually forced him to give up racing and the car was sold. In recent years, he acquired a Rover 2000 in which he competed in historic trials and rallies.

Locally, he will probably be remembered mainly for those epic battles round Croft in the 1000cc saloon car races. A great sportsman and a true friend, Alex would have been eighty later this year but lost his battle with pancreatic cancer and died at his home in Croft. He will be sadly missed by those who knew him, To his daughter Julie, his partner Catherine and his ex-wife Angeline we extend our sympathy.

TONY TODD