Motorsport: Norman's life in the fast lane
Ask any Formula One fan to name their all-time favourite drivers and the list is sure to include the likes of Ayrton Senna, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Graham Hill, Jimmy Clark and Emerson Fittipaldi.
But to Norman Greenway, of Scole, these are not just stars he admired on the television screen or was transfixed by at the race track, these are legends he interviewed, shared commentary boxes with and socialised alongside.
"They were different, they were just the lads," said the former BBC radio commentator.
"It's not like today, they weren't surrounded by minders. It was not just with me, it was everybody. It was so open.
"There was no side to them; no 'I'm a big deal'. Graham Hill was a real character."
Hill's name raises a particular chuckle from Greenway.
Immediately he recalls motor clubs' presentation nights where Formula One stars, like Hill, were more than happy to take part in the night's cabaret.
In the midst of Beatlemania in the 1960s, Hill, Clark, Les Leston and Peter Jopp, were transformed into John, Paul, George and Ringo, with the help of some mop top wigs created by Greenway's wife Barbara.
And when the theme was Miss Motor Racing World, Hill, Stewart and Moss donned bikinis and swim suits, with pictures from the night making the national newspapers.
When pushed to give a favourite, he opts for the two-time Formula One champion Clark.
Greenway said: "He was the most modest, shy and retiring Formula One champion you'll ever meet and he was brilliant. He's the only world champion I met, and I knew a few, who said 'can I buy you a drink?'. Such a nice guy."
Greenway was born in South Wales and brought up in Gloucestershire, before he served in the Royal Air Force for four-and-a-half-years during the Second World War. After moving to London, his first trip to watch motor racing was at Crystal Palace in 1955 and he was instantly hooked.
Greenway was used to announcing and singing in dance bands and was not fazed by the chance to commentate on a hill climb race at Stapleford Abbotts.
After his first appearance, he was asked to commentate at a circuit that he would later become very familiar with, Snetterton.
His encyclopedic knowledge instant recalls it was August 1, 1958, and he was doing the hairpin bend for the 750 Motorclub.
"I knew I was terrible," said Greenway.
"Suddenly there was a whole host of cars coming towards me and I didn't know what to do. Later on I realised that you have got to learn the colours – you don't go on numbers because you can't see them half the time. I thought that was it – I've blown it."
But he had not because he was asked to do the next meeting and became a first reserve at Goodwood.
He was quickly promoted though when Stirling Moss had a terrible crash at the track and one of the commentators let his mouth runaway with him.
"The golden rule is you don't talk about crashes," said Greenway.
"You only say something if you see the driver get out of the car and walk away and you say he's all right. If there is anything doubtful, you don't mention it.
"He kept on, 'he's opened his eyes I think, I think he's moving'. I was thinking ‘what the hell is he doing?’, he was very experienced.
“When he was finished, I got back into the paddock and the secretary came up to me and said ‘can you do all our meetings from now on? because he will never work here again’.”
Greenway started a 16-year stint commentating at Brands Hatch in 1966 and two years later it looked liked he had got his big break when he was called to an audition with BBC television at Silverstone.
He found out he would be commentating on a Bentley drivers’ meeting and admits he did not know anything about the class.
Rather than risk missing the chance of a lifetime by asking for a different race or feigning illness, he went ahead with the commentary.
“It was the biggest mistake of my life,” said Greenway.
“It turned out they wanted me to do the first few laps of a Bentley handicap race and handicap races only come to life in the last lap.
“Suddenly they said, ‘alright Norman, we’ve got to wrap now, they want to go back to London’.
“I knew that I had blown it. I found out afterwards that a friend of mine was up for the job as well but he had a lot more experience anyway and he got the job; his name was Murray Walker.”
Greenway is not bitter though and admits that the lifestyle of travelling around the globe to commentate on Grands Prix is not the ideal lifestyle for a happily married man with five children.
After working in the motor trade in London, he moved to Bury St Edmunds to run a petrol station in 1968 for ten years, before going into PR and commentating full-time.
He did get to work for the BBC when he commentated on Formula One for Radio Two through the 1970s and the start of the 1980s. Just like Martin Brundle does now on television, Greenway used to enjoy interviewing drivers in the pits and in those days he was allowed to interview them minutes before the off. In the case of Jo Siffert at Brands Hatch in 1971, he was the last person to speak to him alive, as the Swiss driver crashed in the second lap of the race and was killed.
While that brings back a sad memory, it was this form of trackside broadcast that brought Greenway his favourite moment in motor racing two years later at Silverstone. Brazilian two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who he knew well, came into the pits at the same time that the race was stopped and he was declared the winner.
Greenway said: “Peter Jones said I wonder if Norman Greenway knows where Emerson is?’.
“I said, and I’ve got it on tape, ‘I know where he is, he’s got his arm round me’. So I walked him back and interviewed him all the way back to the start line for the presentation.”
Greenway’s time at the BBC came to an end in the early 1980s but he continued his track commentary and for the final ten years he returned to where it had all started in the 1950s, at Snetterton, until he retired in 1989.
A firm favourite at the Norfolk track, he laughs that there has not been a full-time regular commentator there since.
His last, one-off commentary, was at Goodwood at 1999 but he still is as enthusiastic as ever about motor sport. Greenway wrote ‘The Jim Russell Story’, for whom he did PR for his racing school for more than 20 years and contributes articles to motorsport magazines.
He still watches the Grands Prix religiously and enjoys comparing notes with his 13-year-old grandson, Sam, after qualifying and races. Although he admits today’s stars are not as accessible as the ones he rubbed shoulders with during the golden age of Formula One that he commentated on, he remains an avid fan.
Greenway said: “It’s been great watching Lewis Hamilton.
“He’s one in million. He could definitely be an all-time great.
“He’s up against (Felipe) Massa but I think Lewis could have the edge.”
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Thursday 02 September 2010
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