The Early Days

Bob Pooley Villiers Kart Racing Team started in the 1970’s when Motor racing was starting to become a sport where working class people who had always had a keen interest in the sport could get out onto the racetrack & have some fun.

There were many different race classes at that time which included 125cc, 250cc & the class that he raced 210cc.  The year which Bob started racing was the year that Nigel Mansell left the 210cc class & went on to win many Formula 1 races, Drivers & Constructors championships with BMW Williams.

During the 1970-1990’s BPV Racing was extremely successful, both on the track & as an engineering side of the sport.  Bob was a very busy man in those years, he worked as an engineer in an oil refinery, a husband & father to 3 young girls, raced karts & made engines for other competitors.

In the late 80’s early 90’s the Superkart class that he raced, had a grid of approximately 160 drivers from all ages.  There would be 2 practices, 3-4 heats & depending on how many drivers there was on the race day, 2 finals.  In 1982 BPV Racing had an exceptionally good year.  During this racing season there was 90 competitors entered in the 210cc class & at the end of the season Bob finished 5^th which included a win at Three Sisters circuit in Wigan, Lancashire.  During his racing time Bob was awarded over 30 trophies, which included a win at Three Sisters circuit in Wigan, Lancashire all of which were placed in the garage next to the engine oil !!

From this time on Bob raced & made engines for many drivers, 1 of which was Steve Jones.  Steve won many races with Bob’s engines & in 1985 Steve was leading in the British Grand Prix for 7 out of the 8 lap race, but then a driver error caused Steve to finish 2^nd.

Towards the late 1980’s Bob’s prioritise changed & he decided to retire from racing.  He sold his Kart & focused on his family & career & in 1991, he was employed by General Motors, Vauxhall, as a Process Engineer Co-ordinator.