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Steve Piggins - a tribute by
Richard Neil
Steve was a good friend. He raced
in the Grand Prix Midgets from 1993 to 2001 winning many races
and making a lot of friends. I was pleased to have seen him
take third place in his Midgets debut in the London Championship
at Wimbledon Stadium.
Steve gave a lot more than he ever
took from people and will be sorely missed and long remembered
by everyone who knew him.
1977: Circuit racing in
the B-Sport Clubmans Championship sharing a Mk18 Mallock.
1985 - 1992: Karting. Competed
successfully in 125 National, 250 National and 125 Open classes.
Numerous race wins.
1993: Moved into Grand
Prix Midgets with a BMC powered car. Scored third place on his
debut in the London Championship at Wimbledon (right). One race
win in the National Series. 3rd in the National Championship,
3rd in the London Championship. 8th place overall in the National
Series.
1994: Limited race programme.
Built, raced and developed converted Van Diemen Formula Ford
chassis with VW power. One race win and 13th place overall in
the National Series.
1995: Full season of racing
and further development with the Van Diemen. Competed in the
Autosport International Show at the National Exhibition Centre.
One race win during the National Series. 6th in the British
Championship, 2nd in the National Championship, 5th in the World
Championship (2nd in class). 4th place overall in the National
Series.
1996: Second full season
of racing with the Van Diemen. One race win during the National
Series. 3rd in the European Championship (1st British 1300cc
car), 2nd in the National Championship. 3rd place overall in
the National Series.
1997: Continuing with
the Van Diemen, Steve again took third place in the '97 European
Championship and was the first British specification car home.
He then finsihed 7th in the '97 Points Championship. 1999 proved
to be his best season to date with three race wins including
the British Championship.
2000: Steve sold his Van
Diemen to Gary Piper and set about switching to front engine
Midgets, rebuilding a Dastle Mk18 chassis. Steve took two race
wins with the smart Peugeot powered car during a limited programme
in the 2000 season and returned to victory lane again with the
car in 2001 as he fought for front engine honours.
Tribute from the Sayell Racing website
The Grand Prix Midget fraternity received a double blow in
one weekend when two of their drivers lost their lives in the
space of two days. Anthony Brewer from West Sussex lost his
battle with cancer on Friday 31st August 2001 and Steve Piggins
lost his life on Saturday 1st September as a result of injuries
received in a road accident, on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Club remembered them both just 24 hours later at an emotionally
charged June Cochrane Memorial meeting at Alwalton Raceway,
Peterborough on Sunday holding a minute silence immediately
prior to their first race.
Steve Piggins joined the
formula in 1993 having come from a Karting background where
he had had numerous wins between 1985 and 1992. Steve took 3rd
place in the London Championship at his first ever Midget meeting,
having bought a Gordon Pooley designed and built rear engined
BMC car. By the end of his first season he had already had a
race win and had also finished 3rd in the National Championship
and 8th overall in the National Points Series.
He took time out in 1994
to convert a Van Diemen Formula Ford chassis to Midget spec
fitting a Mack Daghorn VW engine in the rear taking a race win
in the new car before the season ended. 1995 saw him take runner
up place in the National Championship finishing 4th overall
and he was again runner up in the National Championship in 1995.
1996 and 1997 saw 3rd places in the European Championship when
on both occasions his was the first 1300cc car home. Steve took
an active role on the Club’s technical committee helping out
with scutineering and advising other drivers and chairing the
committee on occasions and in 2000 he took on the role of Club
Chairman. Steve regularly assisted a number of drivers to repair
and maintain their cars as well as using his precision engineering
skills to manufacture parts for a great many other drivers.
1999 saw Steve finally achieve a title win taking the British
Championship in style and two other race wins finishing 3rd
in the series.
Very much the engineer Steve
wanted yet another challenge and spent much of 2000 building
up a Mk 18 Dastle with a Peugeot engine making only a limited
number of race meetings. A new paint job this year saw Steve
heading up the Best Presented Car Competition and on track Steve
finished 3rd in the Southern Championship, runner up in the
British Championship and was lying 6th overall when his season
came to such a tragic end.
When Steve needed to choose a recipient for the 2000 Chairman’s
Award he gave not one but 5 awards being anxious not to miss
anyone out. Steve’s loss will be felt right across the formula
not just as a willing helper to so many and a hard working club
volunteer but as a loyal and very dear friend Steve's memory
has been kept very much with us by his partner Nicki Rickett
who has competed in the 2002 season in Steve's car.
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