Russell Spence

{{short description|British racing driver (born 1960)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Russell Spence | image = | image_size = | caption = | nationality = {{flagicon|GBR}} British | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|01|03|df=y}} | birth_place = Bradford, Yorkshire, UK | death_date = | death_place = | retired = | relatives = | last_series = British Touring Car Championship | years_active = 1999 | teams = Arena International | starts = 12 | wins = 0 | poles = 0 | fastest_laps = 0 | best_finish = 18th | year = 1999 | prev_series = | prev_series_years = | titles = | title_years = | awards = | award_years = }} '''Russell James Spence''' (born 3 January 1960 in Bradford, Yorkshire) is a British racing driver. He now runs a construction business in London. In 2011, Spence was jailed for 13 months for his part in a fraud scam involving a chain of car washes.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/criminal-network-is-brought-to-justice-after-six-years-of-fraud-1-4028973| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161021000859/http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/criminal-network-is-brought-to-justice-after-six-years-of-fraud-1-4028973| archive-date = 2016-10-21| title = Criminal network is brought to justice after six years of fraud - Yorkshire Post}} </ref>

==Early career== Spence first started in Hill climb events and moved into single seater racing in 1981 when he entered Formula Three. After a single Formula Three race, in the 1981 British Grand Prix support race, finishing 27th, Spence dropped back to the junior ranks for the next season. In 1982, he was champion in the Donington Park Formula Ford 1600. His good form continued in 1983, winning the EFDA Townsend Thorsen European Formula Ford 2000 Championship. During 1983, he returned to Formula Three with Eddie Jordan Racing for a one-off outing in the European Championship.<ref name="driverdb">{{cite web|url=http://www.driverdb.com/drivers/russell-spence/career/|title=Russell Spence career statistics at Driver Database {{pipe}} Motorsport|publisher=driverdb.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="driverdb2">{{cite web|url=http://www.driverdb.com/standings/320-1983/|title=Formula Ford 2000 Europe formula-ford-2000-europe 1983 {{pipe}} Motorsport|publisher=driverdb.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref>

==Formula Three== In 1984, Spence signed for Mint Engineering – Warmastyle Racing, for his first full season off British Formula Three, in their Ralt-Volkswagen RT3/84. By only the fourth round, his experience of racing in Europe paid dividends, by winning the Grote Prijs van Zolder, at Zolder. In a season dominated by Johnny Dumfries, Spence scored two more wins, with back-to-back races at Donington Park and Oulton Park. Although he was Dumfries closest rival for the title, Spence was pipped third place by Allen Berg.

Spence stayed in British Formula Three, in 1985 for another crack at the title with PMC Motorsport, abroad a Reynard-Volkswagen 853. He had a brilliant start to the season, winning four of the first six races, two at Thruxton, one at Silverstone as well as retaining the Grote Prijs van Zolder. By the mid-season break he led the standing by five points from Andy Wallace. However, the Reynard's early season advantage had vanished, as the Ralt RT30 came on strong, winning all the remaining rounds. During this period, his team, PMC Motorsport folded, leaving him to quickly build another team, now using a Ralt RT30. Despite this, he was only two points adrift of the championship lead going into the final two rounds. With a DNF in at Zandvoort, and an 11th place at Silverstone, this saw Spence drop to third in the end-of-year standings.<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="formula2">{{cite web|url=http://formula2.net/F384_IndexGB.htm|title=Formula 3 1984 - Race Index - Great Britain|publisher=formula2.net|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="formula2a">{{cite web|url=http://formula2.net/F385_IndexGB.htm|title=F385_IndexGB|accessdate=25 January 2014}} {{dead link|date=January 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="oldracingcars">{{cite web|url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/uk/1984/|title=British Formula 3 1984 « OldRacingCars.com|publisher=oldracingcars.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="oldracingcars2">{{cite web|url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/uk/1985/|title=British Formula 3 1985 « OldRacingCars.com|publisher=oldracingcars.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref>

==Formula 3000==

Spence got a drive in the second year of the International Formula 3000 Series in 1986. This was very much thought of as the proving ground for drivers who wished to get a drive in Formula One, after replacing Formula Two. Driving for Eddie Jordan Racing part way of the season before switching to Onyx Racing, his first season was an unsuccessful one, with a best place finish of sixth at the Birmingham Superprix. In 1987, he drove for Murray Taylor Racing. After a poor start, he had a strong finish to the year, with two podiums in the final two races. A second place at Le Mans followed by a third-place finish at Jarama, saw him finish the season in tenth place.

1988 was a terrible season for Spence. He drove for three different teams through the year, Team Ralt, Madgwick Motorsport and Onyx Racing, in three different cars. Despite entering all the rounds he only finished one race, with an eleventh place at Le Mans, he finished the season with no points. At the end of 1988, he retired from racing.<ref name="driverdb"/>

===Birmingham Superprix Protest===

Spence is most famous in the Formula 3000 championship for an incident that took place during the 1988 Birmingham Superprix. During the first lap, German driver Volker Weidler spun his car, blocking the circuit and causing a traffic jam of other cars behind him. With the front of the field driving away, Spence was furious that the race was not being red flagged. When the marshalls tried to push his car round, he kept his foot on the brake pedal in protest. With the car unable to be pushed and Spence not getting out, a track side crane was used to hoist his car off the track. The crane lifted the car up in the air with him still inside, waving his arms around for the marshalls to put him back down.

==Stateside==

Spence made his racing comeback in 1992, in the SCCA Toyota Atlantic Championship. Abroad a Reynard-Toyota 92H, sponsored by Virgin Airways, Spence won his first two races in the United States; at Miami and Phoenix. Adding a further victory at Watkins Glen in the sixth round, helped Spence to finish fourth in the final standing, earning him a total of US$43,625. As this series supported CART, this should have assisted Spence upwards, however 1993 brought just two drives in Toyota Atlantics, not starting one nor finishing the other. 1984 was no better. In two outings for Euromotorsport, Spence at least finished; 4th place in the Monterey Sports Car Grand Prix, at Laguna Seca and 14th in an IMSA Supercar race in Phoenix. <ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="champcarstats">{{cite web|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/atlantic/drivers/SpenceRussell.htm|title=Russell Spence|publisher=champcarstats.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="classicscars">{{cite web|url=https://www.classicscars.com/wspr/results/imsa/nf_imsa_home.html|title=International Motor Sport Association|publisher=classicscars.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref>

==BTCC== After five-year break, Spence returned to racing as an independent in the 1999 British Touring Car Championship in an ex-works Renault Laguna for Arena International. His time in the BTCC did not go well. The first part of the season was full of incidents, ending at the fifth meeting of the season at Oulton Park when he crashed the car over the catch fence at Lodge corner. After the Croft rounds, he was replaced in the team by 1991 champion Will Hoy. He ended the season eighteenth with three points.<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="teamdan">{{cite web|url=http://www.teamdan.com/archive/1999/1999race.html#btcc|title=1999 International Racing Championships|publisher=teamdan.com|accessdate=25 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090607162425/http://www.teamdan.com/archive/1999/1999race.html#btcc|archive-date=7 June 2009|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="touringcars">{{cite web|url=http://www.touringcars.net/results/1999/index.php|title=TouringCars.net » Results » BTCC » 1999|publisher=touringcars.net|accessdate=25 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404154346/http://www.touringcars.net/results/1999/index.php|archive-date=4 April 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Racing record==

===Career highlights=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" |- ! Season ! Series ! Position ! Car ! Team |- | 1981 | Marlboro British Formula 3 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/> | NC | Magnum-Toyota 813 | Mike O'Brien |- | 1982 | Pace British Formula Ford 2000 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/> | NC | Van Diemen-Ford RF82 | |- | | '''Donington Park Formula Ford 1600 Championship '''<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="btccpages">{{cite web|url=http://www.btccpages.com/drivers/Russell-Spence/|title=Russell Spence - Driver Profile - BTCCPages.com|author=BTCCPages.com|publisher=btccpages.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''1st''' | '''Van Diemen-Ford RF82''' | |- | 1983 | nowrap| '''EFDA Townsend Thorsen Formula Ford 2000 Championship '''<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="btccpages"/><ref>http://www.driversdb.com/standing/320-1983/ {{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''1st''' | '''Reynard-Ford 83SF''' | |- | | European Formula 3 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/> | NC | Ralt-Toyota RT3 | Eddie Jordan Racing |- | 1984 | Marlboro British Formula 3 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="formula2b">{{cite web|url=http://www.formula2.net/F384_Tables.htm|title=Formula 3 1984 - Championship Tables|publisher=formula2.net|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> |style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd | Ralt-Volkswagen RT3 | Mint Engineering – Warmastyle Racing |- | | European Formula 3 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/> | 12th | Ralt-Volkswagen RT3 | Mint Engineering – Warmastyle Racing |- | 1985 | Marlboro British Formula 3 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="btccpages"/><ref name="driverdb3">{{cite web|url=http://driverdb.com/standings/16-1985/|title=Formula 3 Britain formula-3-britain 1985 {{pipe}} Motorsport|publisher=driverdb.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> |style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd | Reynard-Volkswagen 853 Ralt-Volkswagen RT30 | PMC Warmastyle Racing Team Warmastyle Ltd. |- | 1986 | FIA International Formula 3000 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="btccpages"/> | 24th | March-Cosworth 86B | Eddie Jordan Racing Onyx Race Engineering |- | 1987 | FIA Intercontinental Formula 3000 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="btccpages"/><ref name="speedsport-magazine">{{cite web|url=https://www.speedsport-magazine.com/race-driver-database/biography/russell-spence~912.html|title=Russell Spence: Racedriver biography - career and success|publisher=speedsport-magazine.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> | 10th | March-Cosworth 87B | Murray Taylor Racing |- | | Lucas British Formula 3 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/> | NC | Reynard-Volkswagen 873 | Swallow Racing |- | 1988 | FIA International Formula 3000 Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="speedsport-magazine"/> | NC | Ralt-Judd RT22 Reynard-Cosworth 88D March-Cosworth 88B | Ralt Racing Madgwick Motorsport Onyx Race Engineering |- | 1992 | SCCA Toyota Atlantic Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="champcarstats"/><ref name="btccpages"/><ref name="speedsport-magazine"/><ref name="autocourse">{{cite web|url=https://www.autocourse.ca/archive/usa/fatlantic/1992-fatlantic.htm|title=archive/usa/fatlantic/1992-fatlantic|accessdate=25 January 2014}} {{dead link|date=January 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | 4th | Reynard-Toyota 92H | Steadi Systems/Virgin Airways |- | 1993 | Player's Toyota Atlantic Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="champcarstats"/> | 50th | Reynard-Toyota 93H | |- | 1994 | Exxon World Sports Cars Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="classicscars2">{{cite web|url=https://www.classicscars.com/wspr/results/imsa/tableimsa.html#1994WSC |title=IMSA Exxon World Sports Car Championship |publisher=classicscars.com|accessdate=3 April 2014}}</ref><ref name="racingsportscars">{{cite web|url=http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/archive/Russell-Spence-GB.html|title=Russell Spence (GB) - Complete Archive - Racing Sports Cars|publisher=racingsportscars.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> | 40th | Ferrari 333 SP |Euromotorsport |- | | Bridgestone Supercar Championship<ref name="racingsportscars"/><ref name="classicscars3">{{cite web|url=https://www.classicscars.com/wspr/results/imsa/tableimsasc.html#1994- |title=IMSA Bridgestone Supercar Championship |publisher=classicscars.com|accessdate=3 April 2014}}</ref> | NC | Ferrari 348 |Euromotorsport |- | 1999 | Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship<ref name="driverdb"/><ref name="btccpages"/> | 18th | Renault Laguna |Arena International |- |}

===International Race Victories===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:left" ! Date ! Event ! Circuit ! Entrant ! Car – Engine |- |colspan=5| '''1984''' |- | 15/04/84 | British Formula 3 Championship Rd.4 | Zolder | Mint Engineering – Warmastyle Racing | Ralt-Volkswagen RT30 |- | 08/07/84 | British Formula 3 Championship Rd.10 | Donington Park | Mint Engineering / Warmastyle Racing | Ralt-Volkswagen RT30 |- | 18/08/84 | British Formula 3 Championship Rd.11 | Oulton Park | Mint Engineering / Warmastyle Racing | Ralt-Volkswagen RT30 |- |- |colspan=5| '''1985''' |- | 10/03/85 | British Formula 3 Championship Rd.2 | Thruxton | PMC Warmastyle Racing | Reynard-Volkswagen 853 |- | 24/03/85 | British Formula 3 Championship Rd.3 | Silverstone | PMC Warmastyle Racing | Reynard-Volkswagen 853 |- | 08/04/85 | British Formula 3 Championship Rd.4 | Thruxton | PMC Warmastyle Racing | Reynard-Volkswagen 853 |- | 21/04/85 | British Formula 3 Championship Rd.6 | Zolder | PMC Warmastyle Racing | Reynard-Volkswagen 853 |- |colspan=5| '''1992''' |- | 22/03/92 | Toyota Atlantic Championship Rd.1 | Miami | | Reynard-Toyota Motorsport GmbH 92H |- | 04/04/92 | Toyota Atlantic Championship Rd.2 | Phoenix | | Reynard-Toyota Motorsport GmbH 92H |- | 27/06/92 | Toyota Atlantic Championship Rd.6 | Watkins Glen | | Reynard-Toyota Motorsport GmbH 92H |- | colspan=5|<ref name="formula2c">{{cite web|url=http://formula2.net/F384_IndexGB.html|title=F384_IndexGB|accessdate=25 January 2014}} {{dead link|date=January 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/uk1985/|title=British Formula 3 1985 season review and full race results}}</ref><ref name="champcarstats2">{{cite web|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/atlantic/year/1992.htm|title=1992 SCCA Toyota Atlantic Championship|publisher=champcarstats.com|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> |- |}

===Complete International Formula 3000 results=== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%" ! Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engine ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}} ! Pts |- |rowspan=2| 1986 ! nowrap| Eddie Jordan Racing !rowspan=2 nowrap| March 86B !rowspan=2| Cosworth |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 18† |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| VAL DNQ |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PAU Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SPA 15 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| IMO Ret |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| MUG DNQ |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PER Ret | | | | !rowspan=2| 23rd !rowspan=2| 0.5 |- ! nowrap| Onyx Race Engineering | | | | | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ÖST 11 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BIR 6 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BUG 10 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| JAR Ret |- |rowspan=2| 1987 ! nowrap| Murray Taylor Racing !rowspan=2 nowrap| March 87B !rowspan=2| Cosworth |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| VAL Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SPA 9 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PAU Ret |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| DON DNQ |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PER Ret | | | | | !rowspan=2| 10th !rowspan=2| 10 |- ! nowrap| Mountleigh Motorsport | | | | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRH 7 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BIR 8 |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| IMO DNQ |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| BUG 2 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| JAR 3 |- |rowspan=3| 1988 ! nowrap| Team Ralt ! nowrap| Ralt RT22 ! Judd |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| JER Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| VAL Ret | | | | | | | | | !rowspan=3| NC !rowspan=3| 0 |- ! nowrap| Madgwick International ! nowrap| Reynard 88D ! Cosworth | | |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PAU Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| MNZ DNQ |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| PER DNS |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BIR Ret | | | |- ! nowrap| Onyx Racing ! nowrap| March 88B ! Cosworth | | | | | | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BUG 11 |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| ZOL DNQ |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DIJ Ret |}

===Complete British Touring Car Championship results=== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position - 1 point awarded all races) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) (<nowiki>*</nowiki> signifies that driver lead feature race for at least one lap - 1 point awarded) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%" ! Year ! Team ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! 18 ! 19 ! 20 ! 21 ! 22 ! 23 ! 24 ! 25 ! 26 ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}} ! Pts |- | 1999 ! nowrap| Arena International ! nowrap| Renault Laguna |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON 1 15 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DON 2 8 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL 1 Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL 2 Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| THR 1 13 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| THR 2 14 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRH 1 11 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH 2 Ret |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| OUL 1 DNS |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| OUL 2 DNS |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON 1 14 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DON 2 Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| CRO 1 15 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| CRO 2 11 | SNE 1 | SNE 2 | THR 1 | THR 2 | KNO 1 | KNO 2 | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | OUL 1 | OUL 2 | SIL 1 | SIL 2 ! 18th ! 3 |}

==References==

{{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box|before= {{flagicon|Brazil}} Ayrton Senna|title=EFDA Townsend Thorsen FF2000 championship|years=1983|after={{flagicon|Brazil}} Maurício Gugelmin}} {{s-end}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110716071226/http://www.btcc.net/html/history_standings.php?season_id=42 BTCC.net Official 1999 standings.] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061126010020/http://www.btccpages.com/driv/spencerussell.php BTCC Pages Profile.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Russell}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:English racing drivers Category:British Formula Three Championship drivers Category:International Formula 3000 drivers Category:Atlantic Championship drivers Category:British Touring Car Championship drivers Category:English fraudsters Category:Arena Motorsport drivers Category:EuroInternational drivers Category:Sportspeople from Bradford Category:Racing drivers from Yorkshire Category:British sportspeople convicted of crimes Category:20th-century English sportsmen