The Clubmans Register Forum
With great sadness we report that Mike McDermott died yesterday (Tuesday 2nd December). Our deepest sympathies go to Marilyn and his family. More news to follow.
That is very sad news. Mike was one of Clubmans' real characters and intellects.
Very sad news indeed. Mike was one of the first people to welcome me to the world of Clubmans back in '92. Over the years I enjoyed many conversations and discussions with him and always learned something new.
We are all privileged to have had Mike in our midst for so many years making a massive contribution to all that we do. He was an object lesson in dealing with difficult issues (technical and regs!) with good humour (often irreverent), consideration and always informed. We'll miss that smile! I wonder, irreverently, whether he has need of cockpit adjustable dampers wherever he is now??!!
Very sad news. He was a real gentleman, A great engineer that thought outside the box. An inspiration, totally committed right up to the last race. The tracks and the slopes will not be the same without him
A great loss, I always had Mike down as a creaking gate and somehow expected him to go on forever. He will be much missed by both Louis and myself. Tony.
Mike was always approachable, a real character. Many people used his free programme "Wishbone". Someone should post a obituary in the Autosport Nostalgia Forum?
Memories of Mike:
Age, 73. Started racing in 1981 in FF1600 at Brands Hatch where Senna won and he was a proud second to last! Soon after he bought and raced his first Mallock.
Following early retirement in 1993 as a Physicist at Astra Zeneca, he designed and built Clubmans cars, working both on his own "Rage" with his friend Mike Evans as driver, and with Mallock Sports. Richard Mallock quotes that "He replaced Arthur in my life". Mike died 21 years to the day after Arthur.
Mike also wrote many instructive articles for RaceTech Magazine and is remembered by his editor Ian Bamsey as being "a great guy and very, very clever". Up until his untimely death he was an active designer, builder, and mechanic for Michelle Hayward. Mike donated his body to Manchester Medical School, and his family are following Mike's long-known wishes that he did not want a funeral or memorial service.
The Clubmans fraternity send their condolences to his widow, Marilyn, and children.
Click the email here for address details if you wish to write to the family.
Chris Hart
December 4th 2014
For Mike:
"Do not go gentle into that good night"
Dylan Thomas, 1914 - 1953
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Very sad to hear the news of Mike's passing. Although I never got to know him well, I always enjoyed chatting with him at Clubmans events. He was especially supportive during my tenure as Chairman, something I was extremely grateful for.
Given Mike's premature departure on the eve of our 50th celebrations, perhaps we could consider dedicating one of our races to his memory- hopefully at a track that had special meaning for him?
You will be missed by very many, Mike, but never forgotten.
That sounds like a good idea Steve
Oulton Park perhaps?
A splendid idea - Oulton it is, consider it done. (Sorry Michael, I know you wouldn't approve, but we need to do this).
News today (6th December) is that Michael died from a catastrophic heart failure, in his garage, with some Mallock parts on top of him from the fall.
Marilyn has read our Forum comments and sends her thanks. She approves of an Oulton memorial and would like to attend.
I have spoken with Marilyn over the weekend and she has confirmed that there will be no funeral or remberance service. Typical of Mike he has left a set of instructions for Marilyn to follow, so she is doing as instructed. I totally agree with dedicating a race to Mike’s memory, I believe we all feel he desrves a proper send off.
So sad that Mike has gone. He was a giant in the paddock for me because his advice was always well-considered and perfectly based in engineering. He had the knack of making the issues easier to understand. Until he sat me down and knocked my head about I had not sussed that you cannot change the forward-rearward balance of a car by adjusting the corner weights on the springs, nor the left-right balance. Ahh... science. In 2004 he calculated and designed the re-triangulation of my Mallock Mk26 for Mallock Sports; the lightweight chassis had been rather flexible but he increased rotational stiffness by 35%. Massive! The car became a race winner for me and for others thereafter. I had the greatest respect for the cars he designed and built for Mike Evans and I do hope their development and their racing continues.
Susie and I got to know over a period of 10 years the champion skier Mike McDermott. He was among the most endearing and interesting people you could ever hope to share a day in the mountains or a chalet evening with. His contributions to Burns Night celebrations, spontaneous sketches with a couple of friends, and reciting shaggy dog stories or poems in a variety of accents were all breath-stoppingly hilarious. On the mountain he continued to ski after his heart problems started and he was running on a pace-maker... Mike and Michelle and others shepherded him around the blackest of pistes but his enthusiasm and doggedness were total. This was a lovely way to get to know a different man to the boiler-suited engineer of the Clubmans paddock. As he recounted to us the pharmaceutical advice he had to give to hospital staff about his heart condition (yes, patient telling the doctors what to do) I can imagine their bemused but respectful faces.
My respect and love for him will continue for years after his passing.
Marcus, What wonderful eulogy about an exceptionally bright and friendly man.
Nothing was ever to much trouble, always full of enthusiasm, ,invention and with the clubmans spirit at heart!
What a huge shame he will not be with the Clubmans Formula for the fiftieth celebrations
On a personal note he always sent me an E-mail of congratulations when he saw we had triumphed over more powerful and expensive machinery.
A true gentleman and racer, never to be forgotten, it was a real privilege and pleasure to have known you ........
Mark and James Charteris
