Most people would understandably be thinking of slowing down as they approach their 90th birthday. But not veteran club racer Tony Skelton, instead he is going faster than ever. The remarkable Kentishman turns 90 today (18 July) and, alongside still cycling an incredible 35 miles per week on average and enjoying skiing trips, he is the second oldest of the near-10,000 race licence holders in the UK (only beaten to top spot by 91-year-old Allard pilot Jim Tiller).
Skelton has always been interested in cars and recalls listening to the Le Mans 24 Hours on the radio for “hours and hours” during his school days. “My mother used to visit her sisters at their farm and the farm was about a mile and a half up a track near Canterbury,” he continues. “When we got there, my mother deliberately left the keys in the ignition of our Hillman Minx because I'd always been interested and she knew exactly what I was up to! I used to drive up and down this very long farm track and it was a rough gravel track and that was where I learnt to steer and correct and all sorts.”
