The Likely Lads

The Likely Lads by Book

 remembers the drivers and personalities who inhabited the fast-paced world of Formula 3 motor racing in the heady days of the swinging sixties. Remember them? The space race was hotting up. Peace and free love spread. Paisley shirts adorned the anti-war protesters. Mini-skirts hit the high street. Bob Dylan felt like a rolling stone and Martin Luther King had a dream. London's psychedelic fashion sense was in full swing. It was a time when the world let its hair down. Literally.

In the midst of this were a group of young, aspiring racers who helped make the Formula the memorable experience it quickly became for both participant and fan alike. Huge grids were filled with these hard-charging ambitious young hopefuls who slipstreamed their way around some of the most iconic circuits both in Britain and continental Europe, all topped off with that glorious soundtrack generated by those high-pitched, high-revving 1-litre engines. They were not christened the 'Screamers' for nothing.

Motor racing in the sixties chimed perfectly with these 'times-they-are-a-changin'. Helmets and overalls were mandatory. Sponsor liveries were starting to replace national colours. Cars had evolved from cigar tubes sprouting wings to winged wedges. Radials and slicks had arrived. The racing, whilst ferociously exciting though was hugely dangerous with tragedy striking the 1-litre Formula on many occasions during its seven year incarnation.