Roy "The Weasel" James could never get enough cash to keep his racing career alive, so the Formula 2 driver took a Hollywood-esque detour that had him as a wheelman in one of the largest heists in UK history. And when he was released from jail, Bernie Ecclestone hired him to make trophies. And it gets weirder.
The crew from XCAR highlights the strange story of James, who, after turning to a life of crime to support his racing habit, was one of the getaway drivers in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. That £2.6 million was one of the largest heists in British history, netting James around £162k and landing him in jail for a 30-year sentence.
After serving 12 years, the story goes, he tried to rekindle his racing career and eventually met up with Ecclestone. Uncle Bernie said his shot of driving again was nil, and when James said he need money, he pointed out that he was a former silversmith, so Ecclestone threw him a bone and James crafted the Race Promoter's Trophy, which was first awarded in 1975.
I won't spoil the rest of the story, so just click the video above and watch Rich and Darryl use The Weasel's tale as an excuse to flog a Jaguar XJ.