Ex-stock car racer and haulage firm owner Ray Leigh dies

Ray Leigh, who ran Howley-based Ray Leigh Transport for more than 30 years until the company was wounded up in 1999, passed away on January 4 after a lengthy battle with dementia.

The great-granddad was well-known in the stock car circuit, having raced between the 1960s and 1980s.

He would also proudly showcase his fleet of lorries at exhibitions across the country and later moved to the USA, where he worked as a chauffeur in Las Vegas, before returning home to the UK in 2017.

Now a celebration of his life is being planned at the Rope and Anchor pub in Woolston.

This will see a host of vintage vehicles on display, including a replica of Ray’s last race car – in which some of his ashes are set to be sealed in the chassis.

Son Shaun, from Woolston, said: “He couldn’t really recognise me anymore by the end.

“It was no way to live, but that’s dementia for you. It was expected, but it’s still sad when it happens.

“He was absolutely loved in the town.

"You'll always find someone who knows him from years back, because he was a character.

“Everyone has been messaging me saying they loved my dad and that they had some great times with him, and that he was a good driver but a top man as well. He had this cracking personality and people just fell for him.

Ray after flipping his car during a race

“He carried on being involved in the stock car scene until around 2013. He used to come back once a year, and everyone would know him.

“It’s a very family-orientated community.

“His trucks would have put a lot of trucks today to shame, they were absolutely stunning.”

The event will take place on a date to be fixed in March.