Joe Tandy died following a road traffic accident on May 13th at the tragically early age of 26. He was the team boss and guiding light behind Joe Tandy Racing (JTR), which runs teams in British Formula 3 and British Formula Ford.
I found that it took a couple of days for the news to sink in, because it was so shocking and so unexpected. I had come to know, to like and to respect Joe very much during the course of last season, when I met him for the first time as he entered British Formula 3 with JTR, running an unfashionable Mygale with his brother Nick at the wheel. It was actually the prototype chassis and no doubt Joe had done a deal, because there was not much money about and it all went into the racing. By the end of the season Nick and JTR were regular contenders for podiums, despite Carlin Motorsport seemingly having found an edge over the other Dallara teams with their four cars. But the Tandys had earned earn the respect and admiration of the entire British F3 paddock for turning an unfancied car into a regular frontrunner, battling against the established Dallara hordes with a small operation and a meagre budget – driven by little more than fierce intellect, a straight-talking attitude and a shared passion for the sport.
2009 started well with a pair of podiums at Oulton Park. Silverstone was not as successful as the team struggled to get the car dialled in to the circuit, but they succeeded in the end as witnessed by a new lap record in race 2 to go with the one Nick had established in the first race of the season at Oulton Park. At the time of writing he lies second in the Series points table behind the much-fancied Red Bull-backed, Daniel Ricciardo, who is being run by last year’s champions, Carlin Motorsport.
Remarkably, Nick was testing at Rockingham on the Monday after Joe’s death, the family having made it clear that both teams would continue because that is what Joe would have wanted. That day started quietly, as one might expect, but by the end of it, in the last session on a drying track, Nick was flying and set the fastest time of the session on his last lap. Nick and JTR will be racing at Rockingham this coming weekend, backed by a tidal wave of popular support.
Joe and I never had time for long conversations, because he seemed always to be so busy, but he was invariably polite and helpful. He was a friend of mine on Facebook and the posts that have been made on there since his death are remarkable. It’s clear that what I saw of Joe was just the tip of the iceberg. He was an extraordinary man in many ways, wise beyond his years and yet with an irrepressible sense of humour. Some of the posts are from people with whom he went to school and he was obviously something of a prankster, but never in a nasty or malicious way. People remember him for the laughter and the fun he brought into their lives. There is also a separate group page formed in his memory and at the time of writing that has over 1,350 members, with numerous more posts and photos, all showing their respect and affection for Joe.
For full tributes to Joe and details of his own racing career and how JTR came to be formed and progress have a look at this one from autosport.com: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75300 and this one from his old boss at PalmerSport, Jonathan Palmer: http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/news/article.asp?NewsID=4694
The funeral is next Monday, June 1st, at Pavenham, Joe’s home village near Bedford. I shall be unable to be there because I have long had a heavy day’s work planned, but Joe would understand that. My thoughts and prayers will be with his parents, Joe and Marilyn, his brother Nick, his fiancée, Sophie, their families and all his friends. Rest in peace, Joe; your memory will long remain and be an inspiration to many. There could be no better role model.
This postscript is being added in the early hours of June 1st. Over the weekend now ended, JTR and Nick Tandy raced at Rockingham. Nick qualified 3rd and 5th for the two races and then, in race 1 profited from a first lap collision between the two leaders to take the lead himself and hold it unchallenged to win by over 8 seconds. It was the first F3 win for both him and the team and the perfect tribute to his late brother. It brought universal pleasure to the British F3 paddock and may well be remembered as the most popular ever. I can think of none to better it.
In race 2 it was Nick’s turn to get involved in a first lap collision and he had to pit for a new nose-cone. Trying to fight back through the field he spun whilst trying to overtake a back-marker, but continued to race on, setting the fastest lap in the process and receiving the Sunoco Driver of the Day Award for his efforts. The Tandy spirit is alive and well, just as Joe would have wanted it to be.