Joe Tandy
Encyclopedia
Joseph Tandy was a British
racing
driver and team owner.
Memorial Trophy towards the end of the season. He also forayed into the TVR Tuscan
Challenge by the end of 2004.
ship, Tandy began working as a technician for Jonathan Palmer
's Palmersport corporate driving days concern. His engineering acumen elevated him to chief mechanic by the age of 22, while his racing career continued to go from strength to strength. This allowed him to test a Formula Palmer Audi
car at Palmer's Bedford Autodrome
, where he set a new lap record of 1:04.2 for the 1.8-mile West Circuit, breaking Justin Wilson's long established record from 1998. This gave him an incentive to sell his 70 bhp Mini and move up into the 350 bhp single-seaters.
Tandy had an impressive season in the championship, eventually winning the title on countback ahead of David Epton. Tandy and Epton had both finished on 284 points, but Tandy won the title thanks to six wins compared to Epton's four. This championship-winning campaign earned him one of the six nominations for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award
.
had been struggling with his Ray car lacking upgrades, but Joe decided to buy a similar chassis and run Nick for the rest of the campaign. The success was immediate, as Nick won first time out at Thruxton
, and added another win at the championship finale at Castle Combe
, as he finished runner-up in the championship standings. An on-the-road win at the 2006 Formula Ford Festival
would have capped an amazing year for JTR, however Nick was penalised for a safety car misdemeanour, dropping him to fifth.
The Tandys then expanded the team to three cars in 2007, with Nick, Freddie Hunt (son of Formula One
world champion James Hunt
) and Daniel Murray driving the Ray machines. Nick won six races en route to third in the championship, twelve points behind runner-up James Nash. After their Formula Ford Festival win was taken away the year before, Nick won the race in 2007, after Callum MacLeod
was given a two-second time penalty for braking severely while leading under the safety car.
To aid with his brother's rise through the motorsport ranks, Joe bought a Mygale
Formula Three
chassis for a campaign in the British Formula Three Championship
. He also moved his Formula Ford team onto the French company's chassis. Tandy managed to turn the Mygale into a regular frontrunner, railing against the established Dallara
hordes with a small operation and a meagre budget. Despite missing the rounds in Bucharest
, Nick managed to finish ninth overall in the championship, with three podiums coming at Spa
, Silverstone
and Donington
. In Formula Ford, despite not achieving any wins, Matt Hamilton finished as JTR's best driver with sixth overall.
2009 saw new chassis again for both the Formula Three team and the Formula Ford team, as JTR became the de facto lead team for Mygale in both series, as Ultimate Motorsport pulled out of Formula Three before the start of the 2009 season
. Nick started in fine form with a double podium at the season-opening rounds at Oulton Park
, and just eighteen days after his brother's death, took the team's first win at Rockingham
. Meanwhile in Formula Fords, Josef Newgarden and Liroy Stuart were signed to campaign the cars, with Newgarden winning the third round of the championship, again at Oulton Park. The team will continue running, despite Joe's death.
towards Bedford
, when a collision between the BMW and a box van occurred at around 12:25 local time
, at the junction of the A428
and the A5134 roads just outside Bromham
. Tandy died at the scene, while his future brother-in-law was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital
in Cambridge
before succumbing to serious head injuries sustained in the crash. The van driver suffered minor injuries in the accident. The van driver was cleared of all charges at court and it was found that Tandy had been driving a car with a faulty braking system at nearly twice the speed limit for that stretch of road while nearly 2 times over the drink drive limit.
Tandy's former boss Jonathan Palmer described him as "an extraordinary person who had achieved an enormous amount in his tragically short life. I have no doubt he was destined to go on to do increasingly great things in motorsport and could quite likely have been running one of the leading Formula One teams in the years ahead." SRO, which runs the British Formula Three Championship and also the British GT Championship
also released a statement describing Tandy as "an extremely popular guy and the paddock will be a poorer place without him and his great sense of humour. He was a credit to his family, his team and to motorsport in general and they have all lost a very fine young man." The director of the British Formula Ford Championship, Sam Roach, also added that "Joe was a talented, winning racer himself before he started JTR, and his enthusiasm and passion for the sport shone through everything he did. Everyone involved in Formula Ford in the UK feels his loss, none more so than me and my colleagues at RacingLine and Ford. Joe's family and friends have our deepest sympathies."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
driver and team owner.
Ministox
Tandy started his racing career unusually in short oval Ministox machinery in 1994. However by the end of 1998, Tandy had won 45 races, with 60 other podium placings as he became both British and World Ministox champion, as well as being a three-time East Anglian Ministox champion. He continued in this level of motorsport in 1999, winning another 28 races to become British champion for the second time.Mini Sevens
After a year off in 2000, Tandy took up circuit racing by moving into the Mini Seven Challenge in 2001. He competed in four seasons in the championship, picking up ten podiums, including three wins, all coming in 2004. He also won the Walter HayesWalter Hayes
Walter Hayes CBE was an English journalist, and later public relations executive for Ford.Hayes was key in developing Ford's Formula One program, by signing Jackie Stewart and funding the building of the Cosworth DFV V8 Formula One racing engine; and the creation of the Premier Automotive Group...
Memorial Trophy towards the end of the season. He also forayed into the TVR Tuscan
TVR Tuscan
-Engine:Five different inline six engine options were offered to customers. Four of these were variants of the 4.0 L Speed Six making different amounts of power and torque, depending on the trim level selected...
Challenge by the end of 2004.
Formula Palmer Audi
After finishing college and completing an engineering apprenticeEngineering apprentice
An engineering apprenticeship is an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering. A typical example is the apprenticeships formerly available at the BTH and EEC at Rugby in England...
ship, Tandy began working as a technician for Jonathan Palmer
Jonathan Palmer
Dr. Jonathan Charles Palmer is an entrepreneur and former racing driver from England. Educated at Brighton College, he won the 1981 British Formula Three Championship and the 1983 European Formula Two Championship. He participated in 87 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on September 25, 1983...
's Palmersport corporate driving days concern. His engineering acumen elevated him to chief mechanic by the age of 22, while his racing career continued to go from strength to strength. This allowed him to test a Formula Palmer Audi
Formula Palmer Audi
Formula Palmer Audi, officially abbreviated to FPA, and sometimes informally abbreviated to Palmer Audi, was a one-make class of open wheel Formula racing founded in 1998 by former Formula One driver, Jonathan Palmer. It was based in the United Kingdom , and was organised and operated by MotorSport...
car at Palmer's Bedford Autodrome
Bedford Autodrome
Bedford Autodrome is based just north of Bedford, England, in the village of Thurleigh. It is owned by former Formula One driver Jonathan Palmer.-The autodrome:...
, where he set a new lap record of 1:04.2 for the 1.8-mile West Circuit, breaking Justin Wilson's long established record from 1998. This gave him an incentive to sell his 70 bhp Mini and move up into the 350 bhp single-seaters.
Tandy had an impressive season in the championship, eventually winning the title on countback ahead of David Epton. Tandy and Epton had both finished on 284 points, but Tandy won the title thanks to six wins compared to Epton's four. This championship-winning campaign earned him one of the six nominations for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award
McLaren Autosport BRDC Award
The McLaren Autosport BRDC Award is an award set up in 1989 to reward and recognise young racing drivers from the UK. As its names suggest, the award is backed by Formula One team McLaren, motorsport magazine Autosport, and the British Racing Drivers' Club...
.
Joe Tandy Racing
Tandy's racing career somewhat stalled after that, before creating Joe Tandy Racing in mid-2006. Brother NickNick Tandy
Nick Tandy is a professional British racecar driver.-Ministox:Tandy followed brother Joe's route on the motor racing ladder, by starting out as an eleven-year-old in short oval Ministox machinery, in 1996. Immediate success came to him, as he won the Midland region of Ministox...
had been struggling with his Ray car lacking upgrades, but Joe decided to buy a similar chassis and run Nick for the rest of the campaign. The success was immediate, as Nick won first time out at Thruxton
Thruxton Circuit
Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....
, and added another win at the championship finale at Castle Combe
Castle Combe Circuit
Castle Combe Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Wiltshire, England, approximately from Bristol. The circuit used to be the perimeter track of a World War II airfield, and opened to racing in 1950.- History :...
, as he finished runner-up in the championship standings. An on-the-road win at the 2006 Formula Ford Festival
Formula Ford Festival
The Formula Ford Festival is an annual meeting of Ford powered single seat racing cars which is held at the end of the British racing season, at the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in the county of Kent, in Southern England...
would have capped an amazing year for JTR, however Nick was penalised for a safety car misdemeanour, dropping him to fifth.
The Tandys then expanded the team to three cars in 2007, with Nick, Freddie Hunt (son of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
world champion James Hunt
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...
) and Daniel Murray driving the Ray machines. Nick won six races en route to third in the championship, twelve points behind runner-up James Nash. After their Formula Ford Festival win was taken away the year before, Nick won the race in 2007, after Callum MacLeod
Callum MacLeod
Callum MacLeod is a professional British race car driver who drove in the 2009 and 2010 European F3 Open Championship seasons, and currently drives in the 2011 GP3 Series season.-Racing career highlights:...
was given a two-second time penalty for braking severely while leading under the safety car.
To aid with his brother's rise through the motorsport ranks, Joe bought a Mygale
Mygale
Mygale is a French racing car constructor and contractor that specialises in the production of single seater chassis for use in formula racing. The company was established in 1989 by Bertrand Decoster and its factory is based in Magny Cours....
Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
chassis for a campaign in the British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
. He also moved his Formula Ford team onto the French company's chassis. Tandy managed to turn the Mygale into a regular frontrunner, railing against the established Dallara
Dallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
hordes with a small operation and a meagre budget. Despite missing the rounds in Bucharest
Bucharest Ring
The Bucharest Ring is a street circuit in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest.Designed by famed track designer Hermann Tilke, the circuit is in the city centre, and has the Palace of the Parliament in its infield....
, Nick managed to finish ninth overall in the championship, with three podiums coming at Spa
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...
, Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
and Donington
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
. In Formula Ford, despite not achieving any wins, Matt Hamilton finished as JTR's best driver with sixth overall.
2009 saw new chassis again for both the Formula Three team and the Formula Ford team, as JTR became the de facto lead team for Mygale in both series, as Ultimate Motorsport pulled out of Formula Three before the start of the 2009 season
2009 British Formula Three season
The 2009 British Formula Three season was the 59th British Formula Three Championship season. It began on 13 April at Oulton Park's Easter Monday meeting and ended on 20 September at Brands Hatch after 20 rounds in four different countries...
. Nick started in fine form with a double podium at the season-opening rounds at Oulton Park
Oulton Park
Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...
, and just eighteen days after his brother's death, took the team's first win at Rockingham
Rockingham Motor Speedway
Rockingham is the UK's most modern motorsport venue and Europe's fastest racing circuit, hosting corporate driving days, driver training, conferencing & exhibitions, vehicle manufacturing events, track days, testing, driving experiences and motorsport...
. Meanwhile in Formula Fords, Josef Newgarden and Liroy Stuart were signed to campaign the cars, with Newgarden winning the third round of the championship, again at Oulton Park. The team will continue running, despite Joe's death.
Death
Tandy was travelling with his fiancée Sophie Temple's brother, Luke Temple, in his BMW 5 SeriesBMW 5 Series
The BMW 5 Series is a mid-size / executive car manufactured by BMW since 1972. The car, now in its sixth generation, is sold in sedan and touring body styles....
towards Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, when a collision between the BMW and a box van occurred at around 12:25 local time
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
, at the junction of the A428
A428 road
The A428 road is a major road in central and eastern England. It connects the cities of Coventry and Cambridge by way of the county towns of Northampton and Bedford.-Coventry - Northampton:...
and the A5134 roads just outside Bromham
Bromham, Bedfordshire
Bromham is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, west of the town of Bedford. It is within commuting distance to London via Bedford railway station.-Notable features:...
. Tandy died at the scene, while his future brother-in-law was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital in Cambridge, England, with strong links to the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1766 on Trumpington Street with £4,500 from the will of Dr John Addenbrooke, a fellow of St Catharine's College...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
before succumbing to serious head injuries sustained in the crash. The van driver suffered minor injuries in the accident. The van driver was cleared of all charges at court and it was found that Tandy had been driving a car with a faulty braking system at nearly twice the speed limit for that stretch of road while nearly 2 times over the drink drive limit.
Tandy's former boss Jonathan Palmer described him as "an extraordinary person who had achieved an enormous amount in his tragically short life. I have no doubt he was destined to go on to do increasingly great things in motorsport and could quite likely have been running one of the leading Formula One teams in the years ahead." SRO, which runs the British Formula Three Championship and also the British GT Championship
British GT Championship
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a sports car racing series currently based in the United Kingdom, although they have had select races outside of Britain in the past few years. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and for its first two seasons was called the...
also released a statement describing Tandy as "an extremely popular guy and the paddock will be a poorer place without him and his great sense of humour. He was a credit to his family, his team and to motorsport in general and they have all lost a very fine young man." The director of the British Formula Ford Championship, Sam Roach, also added that "Joe was a talented, winning racer himself before he started JTR, and his enthusiasm and passion for the sport shone through everything he did. Everyone involved in Formula Ford in the UK feels his loss, none more so than me and my colleagues at RacingLine and Ford. Joe's family and friends have our deepest sympathies."