Racing driver. Born Gerald (Gerry) Dallas Royston Marshall, the son of a building merchant. After being displaced from the wartime bombing in London, he was brought up in Cambridgeshire, and began an interest in machinery. He started racing a 1000cc Mini at Snetterton in 1964 and won his first race. He was a big man in two senses of the word, very stout and with an infectious character. His forceful driving style made him extremely popular with the fans. During the 1970s he began racing the Vauxhall Viva and Firenza cars and scored 51 victories between 1971 and 1974 as well as two-time winner of the Forward Trust Saloon Car Championship. In 1975 he raced 'Baby Bertha', a 5 litre-engined Firenza, constructed from the remains of 'Big Bertha', his written-off Vauxhall Ventora. With 'Baby Bertha', he won the 1975 & 1976 Tricentrol Super Saloon Championships. He received serious back injuries when he somersaulted his Triumph Dolomite Sprint in 1979, which affected his mobility outside the car but seems to have no effect on his winning style. Had he been born a few years earlier, when a driver's physical bulk made no difference in the Ferraris and Maseratis of their day, he would have been an exceptional driver in Grand Prix racing. His time finally came to a close whilst testing a Chevrolet Camaro at Silverstone. He slid off into the gravel, in front of the BRDC suite where he had spent many a happy hour at the bar. After 623 victories in a forty year career, it was closing time.
Racing driver. Born Gerald (Gerry) Dallas Royston Marshall, the son of a building merchant. After being displaced from the wartime bombing in London, he was brought up in Cambridgeshire, and began an interest in machinery. He started racing a 1000cc Mini at Snetterton in 1964 and won his first race. He was a big man in two senses of the word, very stout and with an infectious character. His forceful driving style made him extremely popular with the fans. During the 1970s he began racing the Vauxhall Viva and Firenza cars and scored 51 victories between 1971 and 1974 as well as two-time winner of the Forward Trust Saloon Car Championship. In 1975 he raced 'Baby Bertha', a 5 litre-engined Firenza, constructed from the remains of 'Big Bertha', his written-off Vauxhall Ventora. With 'Baby Bertha', he won the 1975 & 1976 Tricentrol Super Saloon Championships. He received serious back injuries when he somersaulted his Triumph Dolomite Sprint in 1979, which affected his mobility outside the car but seems to have no effect on his winning style. Had he been born a few years earlier, when a driver's physical bulk made no difference in the Ferraris and Maseratis of their day, he would have been an exceptional driver in Grand Prix racing. His time finally came to a close whilst testing a Chevrolet Camaro at Silverstone. He slid off into the gravel, in front of the BRDC suite where he had spent many a happy hour at the bar. After 623 victories in a forty year career, it was closing time.
Inscription
Gerald Dallas Royston Marshall
21st April 2005
Aged 63 Years
An Entertainer to the Very Last
'Carpe Diem'
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
