Obituary

Sidney Offord

Former BARC chief executive Sidney Offord died recently, after a short illness. He was 74.

Sid was a familiar figure to British racegoers, and continued to frequent the BARC’s Thruxton HQ and other venues even after deteriorating eyesight forced him to step down from his position within the organisation. Indeed, only a few days before he died he was out and about at the BARC’s 80th anniversary sprint meeting at Goodwood.

He took over as the BARC’s chief executive in 1973, and one year later pre-empted the club’s move to Thruxton. He maintained this role until his health forced a rethink in 1989.

A forthright man, Sid was always ready to launch a Force Nine verbal assault if he disagreed with something you’d written. To his credit, he was always prepared to listen to the opposing viewpoint with a smile, particularly if it was delivered with even a fraction of his own passion.

Above all else, he’ll be remembered as a committed enthusiast of long-standing, and we extend our sympathies to his widow Pam, son Warwick, daughter Hilary and all of his many friends and associates within the sport.