Syd McDonald – a name most within Drag Racing will know but less well known among the wider public. Syd is one of many people who work tirelessly behind the scenes and are vital for the successful running of events.
Syd started his working life at British European Airways (BEA) in 1960, continuing after BEA and BOAC were merged in 1974 to create British Airways. Given his later drag racing involvement, it was good fortune to find himself working with Brian Taylor who had begun there two years earlier.
Syd’s first interest was motorcycle sidecar racing. A neighbour, Wilf Barry, drag raced at Santa Pod and, in 1968, Syd and a mate went along for a look and ended up attending every meeting that year.
The following year Syd entered his Cortina GT, equipped with an Allard big-valve head, in the Production class and in 1971 won the Nationals racing in the class ‘Saloons up to 1500cc’. So many cars were entered that Dave Watts, the Race Director, split the class in two with the winner of each class advancing to the final in which Syd scored his one and only race win.
He also spectated at his first Blackbushe Drag Race in 1971, where Brian Taylor was doing the commentary. Syd didn’t even know that Brian commentated at Drag Races until then.
“…he was the perfect man for the job”
During his racing career Syd met Erica Bartlett who told him the British Drag Racing & Hot Rod Association was looking for a new Race Director. Dave Watts was going to work for Santa Pod Raceway, and one couldn’t work for the promoter and also be Race Director for the organising club. Syd spoke to Dave who said if Syd was interested, he should follow him around for six months and they would then let him know. He did this and at a BDR&HRA committee meeting in 1972 Dave Watts said, ‘he was the perfect man for the job’. Syd had not marshalled or done any other job at the track before then. It was definitely a case of in at the deep end, but he mastered the role.
Syd, during his time as Race Director could often be seen dashing up and down the paddock & fire-up road on his trusty mobile ‘Race Control’ moped.
Syd’s last year as race Director was 1977. He was working shifts then and couldn’t manage all the dates in the ’78 calendar. It was suggested that someone else might share some of the dates, but Syd didn’t think that would work. Also, his son was born in 1976, and he thought he should spend more time at home. John Ledster took over from Syd as Race Director.
In 2004 Syd’s son said he wanted to go to Santa Pod to see what it was like, so they went to The Main Event. Syd decided that to do it properly, they should take the caravan and stay all four days. He had just retired from work.
In 2005 Syd visited The Main Event and the European Finals. He got to know Carole Ismail who made him a club steward for the organising club, the Santa Pod Racers Club, and he has been a club steward ever since. He missed the past two seasons, unable to drive owing to cataract operations, but intends to return.
Following the Hall of Fame’s launch in 2006, Syd connected again with Stuart Bradbury and Brian Taylor. He accompanied Brian on trips to Pomona and Gainesville, when the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing was promoting Brian’s book, Crazy Horses.
Both Brian and Syd enjoyed free air miles from their time at BA. Syd’s job throughout his work at BEA/BA was as Licensed Engineer approved by the CAA.
Through Brian, Syd became involved with the Allard Chrysler Action Group and its restoration of Sydney Allard’s dragster. The car was housed for three years in Andy Robinson’s workshop and the group spent many Sundays working there with free use of Andy’s facilities – even when Andy wasn’t around. Syd always took bread pudding for the gang and did much running around gathering parts. In 2013 they fired up the car for the first time but found the crank was damaged. Then the sump was damaged getting the car into the workshop at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum. Rob Loaring offered help repairing the engine (free of charge) and it was successfully fired up at last in 2019, with further fire-ups at Dragstalgia and, in 2024, at the launch of Burnout!, a Beaulieu event commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the British International Drag Festival. Syd took charge of the fire-up, alongside Chris Eames and the National Motor Museum’s chief engineer, Doug Hill.
“Who is that old guy?”
Syd has become a familiar figure at Santa Pod while cycling around the pits handing out his home-baked truffles. “Who is that old guy?” younger racers often ask. It is a pleasure to tell them he was the Race Director before many of them were born and he has been coming to Santa Pod since the late 1960s. Though no longer a Santa Pod regular at every event, he still watches races here and in the USA on the internet.
Syd (circled) was a member of The Allard Action Group (ACAG), a specialist team formed to restore the 1961 Allard Chrysler dragster – Europe’s first dragster – built by Sydney Allard. Led by Brian Taylor (left), the group restored the historic car, known as “Ally,” and ensured its preservation for future displays. Also shown in the photo are Andy Robinson (fifth from left) and Stuart Bradbury (sixth from left). Although not pictured, Rob Loaring, as noted above, also played a major role in the restoration.
Bread pudding and truffles give a hint of where Syd’s activities now lie. Aided by his wife Carol, he has been a key member of the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame’s support team, providing not only food and drink to sustain our Members during their autograph sessions but also to our volunteers working long days at Dragstalgia.
It is for his long, behind-scenes service as Race Director, club steward, onetime race driver and, yes, provider of food and drink when it is most needed, that Syd McDonald is hereby inducted into Membership of the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.
Profile by Phil Cottingham