Menston’s Stuart Butterfield, who won the British Trial and Rally Drivers’ Association Gold Star Trophy for sporting car trials three times, has died aged 63.
Butterfield was a self-employed vehicle bodywork specialist, operating from a farm workshop in Hawksworth village for more than 30 years.
Following his older brothers Keith and Tony into sporting car trials in the 1970s, Stuart later built his own model of competition car – the SRB, based on the original designs of Sheffield expert Lol Hurt. Butterfield went on to build seven SRB cars for other drivers, some of which are still in competitive use.
In early 2007, Stuart acquired, in a state of dereliction, the original Hurt car and spent all that summer restoring and rebuilding it to its original competition standard.
Despite his break of almost ten years from serious competition, Butterfield and his untested car won on its debut at a trial near Tong Village that November.
He leaves a wife, Margaret, and three sons from his previous marriage.
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