PODCAST · sports
The Mechanic's Gallon
by Gary Critcher
I came upon the phrase ‘the mechanic’s gallon’ a while ago. Teams in the 60’s were trying to save weight and make the car as light as possible, inc. putting as much fuel in the car at the start of the race so that it lasted JUST to the end. This generally worked but a few times ran out of fuel with a few laps to go. So unbeknownst to Colin Chapman, the mechanics when fuelling the car would add an extra gallon, just to make sure it was enough, hence the ‘mechanic’s gallon’!
Episodes
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Chris Hessey - recorded October 2025
Download the audio here - coming soon on YouTube - 62 mins. Our guest this time is Chris Hessey who had a thirty year career in Formula One. Chris is unusual in that he never worked in the lower formulae, he jumped straight into Grand Prix racing from being a master mechanic in a garage. We go…
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Peter Warr of Lotus
Download the audio here, also on the YouTube Channel Here is an excerpt from the interview we filmed with Peter Warr for my Lotus 72 documentary. These are the pieces where he's not talking about the 72! Peter (or PEW as he was known) was the Team Lotus Team Manager as well as at Walter Wolf...
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Beaky Sims tells us what it was like to work on the revolutionary gas turbine Lotus 56B
Download the audio here, also on the YouTube channel. Reine Wisell pictured in the 56B in the Silverstone pitlane at the 1971 British GP. Picture courtesy of the Supercharged Collection.
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John Miles explaining the principles of anti-squat and anti-dive suspension pioneered on the Lotus 72
Download the audio here, also on the YouTube channel. Beaky Sims pictured with John Miles in the Lotus 64 at the 1969 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Picture courtesy of the Supercharged Collection
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Dave Brodie, recorded in April 2016
Download the audio here, also on the YouTube channel I met the Brode just twice, the first time was to film this interview (April 2016) for my Lotus 72 documentary. The connection to that was that he was Ronnie Peterson's best friend, and indeed, at his wedding to Barbro was not only his…
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Peter Burns, part 2 of 2, recorded 23rd January 2023
Download part 2 of the audio here Gary continues his interview with Peter, you can watch the whole conversation on YouTube.
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Peter Burns, part 1 of 2, recorded 23rd January 2023
Download part 1 of the audio here Our guest this time is Peter Burns, who, although not on the front line in the pitlane, still wracked up 35 years in motorsport. After being involved with the organisation of the inaugural Dubai Grand Prix in 1983, he then worked for McLaren in Formula One, being...
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Ron Tauranac
Another interview from our archive, this time with the late Brabham and Ralt designer Ron Tauranac. Notoriously reticent to be interviewed, I heard from him after I sent him a copy of the interview, he said he wished he had said more! Ron is interviewed by my friend Alan Morgan. Audio podcast is...
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Robin Day, part 3 of 3
In part 3 Robin tells us what it was like to work for Bernie, working on the BT55 then on to Leyton House March in 1987. Then it was a move to Indycar but still with March, back to the F3000s then lastly six months at Pacific Grand Prix in 1993. All three parts of the interview are also on…
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Robin Day, part 2 of 3
Part 2 continues with the McLaren move to Woking and the extra workload courtesy of Mr. de Cesaris. Then it was testing with Niki Lauda, the drivers strike at Kyalami, switching to Brabham then back to McLaren then another return to Brabham and running Stirling Moss in the car at Brands Hatch.…
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Robin Day, Part 1 of 3
Our guest this time is Robin, a 15 year F1 veteran. Robin was born in Uganda and was brought up in Kenya. Straight after his apprenticeship with British Leyland he decided to build and sell his own motorbike. In 1978 he was poached by McLaren. He worked on the first MP4 and with driver Andrea de...
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Ed Taylor, part 3 of 3
Part 3 sees Ed back in F1 running the Yamaha Engines truck for Brabham and then Jordan. It was into Historic F1 with BMTR tyres and finally he teamed up with European Minardi running their two-seater F1 cars. Podcast can be downloaded here, watch the interview on YouTube
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Ed Taylor, part 2 of 3
This part sees Ed working at Leyton House March running with Judd engines. He tells how the truckies made a little extra money at the end of the season, how he finished with Leyton House and then back into F3000 with Bromley Motorsport. Podcast can be downloaded here, watch the interview on YouTube.
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Ed Taylor, part 1 of 3
This week we speak to Ed Taylor whose first job in motor racing was in F1 with tyre supplier Goodyear. He tells us what was put into the tyres instead of air, what it was like when he attended his first tyre test at Silverstone, setting up the stillborn Benetton Trussadi project and when that...
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Doug Garner
Today we chat with Gold Leaf Team Lotus mechanic Doug Garner who tells us about how he got started working for Lotus Cars before being poached by the race team next door to work on his first race car, the type 56 Indycar. After Indy 1968 he moved on to the F3 team to work on the 41X with John…
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Pete Briggs Part 1
Pete Briggs started off 1968 helping out around the workshop of the Winkelmann Racing Formula 2 team. Gradually working his way up to through 1969 and by a roundabout way into Formula 1 in 1970 with the fledgling March Racing team. 1971 was in Formula 2 followed by a switch to the Matchbox Team...
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Eammon Fullalove
This interview features metal guru Eammon ‘Chalkie’ Fullalove, from his start as a delivery boy with a butchers shop in his native Ireland, to his move to Britain and getting a job with Team Lotus in 1965. We follow him through seeing his first race car (the Lotus 38, no less), organising the…
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Beaky Sims Part 2
Part 2 starts with a quick look at 1972 but then we dive back into the late 60's and his experiences with Jim Clark and Jochen Rindt, then it's on to 1971 with March Racing but in F5000 in the States with Skip Barber. Beaky then moved to Hesketh Racing in 1974, so we finish up with a few stories…
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Beaky Sims Part 1
In this exclusive interview you’ll learn how Beaky started, his entry into racing with a friends’ Formula Junior car, his interview at Team Lotus and subsequent work with the Lotus Cortinas, Formula 2 and then Formula 1 cars at the time of the teams’ greatest success, including working with…
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Pete Kerr Part 3
Part 3 : 1972 through to 1978 and his work with March then on to Shadow and finally into R&D with Arrows. Download the recording here Monaco 1970 and Pete Kerr (right) tends the STP March 701 of Chris Amon. Chris retired the car after 60 laps with broken suspension.
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Pete Kerr Part 2
Part 2 : Is 1969 to 1971 and takes us through his time with Jochen Rindt and the F2 Brabhams at Winklelmann, the 1970 and into Formula 1 with the fledgling March team. Download the recording here. Monaco 1970 and Pete Kerr (right) tends the STP March 701 of Chris Amon. Chris retired the car after...
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Pete Kerr Part 1
Part 1 ; 1950 to 1968 takes us through Pete’s early interests growing up in his native New Zealand, getting involved with saloon car racing, Lotus Cortinas, his move to the UK and working for the Winkelmann Racing team in Formula 2. Download the recording here. Monaco 1970 and Pete Kerr (right)...
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Cedric Selzer
Here you’ll hear Cedric tell us how his interest in all things automotive started growing up in South Africa, his move to the UK in 1961 and his start as a race mechanic (although he knew nothing of race cars) with Ian Raby, his move to Team Lotus (first race with them in Formula 1 was Spa 1961…
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Bob Dance
In this interview you’ll hear how Bob started at Rootes Group in 1950, how he got his first start with Lotus ten years later, how he moved on to constructing gearboxes at Cheshunt, on to the Lotus Cortinas, the Indy team and finally being elevated to Chief Mechanic in the traumatic, World...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
I came upon the phrase ‘the mechanic’s gallon’ a while ago. Teams in the 60’s were trying to save weight and make the car as light as possible, inc. putting as much fuel in the car at the start of the race so that it lasted JUST to the end. This generally worked but a few times ran out of fuel with a few laps to go. So unbeknownst to Colin Chapman, the mechanics when fuelling the car would add an extra gallon, just to make sure it was enough, hence the ‘mechanic’s gallon’!
HOSTED BY
Gary Critcher
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Mechanic's Gallon have?
The Mechanic's Gallon currently has 25 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Mechanic's Gallon about?
I came upon the phrase ‘the mechanic’s gallon’ a while ago. Teams in the 60’s were trying to save weight and make the car as light as possible, inc. putting as much fuel in the car at the start of the race so that it lasted JUST to the end. This generally worked but a few times ran out of fuel with...
How often does The Mechanic's Gallon release new episodes?
The Mechanic's Gallon has 25 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Mechanic's Gallon?
You can listen to The Mechanic's Gallon on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Mechanic's Gallon?
The Mechanic's Gallon is created and hosted by Gary Critcher.
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