EXCLUSIVE by ADAM LAZZARI A LEGEND of motorsport who died of a heart attack at the age of 44 was fittingly remembered at a funeral last Friday. Former stock car European champion Clive Grief died in his home in Burnt House Road, Turves in the early hours

EXCLUSIVE by ADAM LAZZARI

A LEGEND of motorsport who died of a heart attack at the age of 44 was fittingly remembered at a funeral last Friday.

Former stock car European champion Clive Grief died in his home in Burnt House Road, Turves in the early hours of March 9.

Just hours earlier he had watched his 19-year-old son, Luke, who finished third in the stock car world championships last year, win two races at a meeting in Mildenhall.

Mr Grief's coffin was mounted on to the truck that he used to drive for work with his vehicle dismantling business Wisbech Breakers, along with several of the trophies he won during his career.

The truck was driven to Elm Church for the funeral.

Six stock racing cars, owned by friends, were towed behind the truck, on the way to the church.

Mr Grief's widow, Charmaine, 37, said: "Clive's death is such a shock to everyone who knew him because he always appeared to be in such good health.

"I've had so many kind messages and cards since his death.

"It's very comforting to know that other people are missing him and that he has had such an impact on so many people's lives."

Mr Grief also had a 14-year-old daughter, called Jodie.

He was originally from Spalding and lived for a period in Wisbech.

Neil Hurst, who had been friends with Mr Grief since attending the Queen's School, Wisbech with him, said: "Clive was a very talented driver and incredibly nice man. He would do anything to help anyone and he always remained down to earth.

"Stock car racing at the level Clive raced at could be very rough and hard and it takes a lot of character and bravery to do it.

"Clive stopped racing for the last two years of his life to spend more time supporting his son Luke, who also has an exceptional talent.

"Clive got just as much pleasure out of watching his son race as he did racing himself and I know he would have been very excited and proud to see Luke do so well in Mildenhall on the night he died.

"I just hope Luke can bounce back from this and continue to race - he could become a world champion."

Clive Grief won more than 100 trophies in his racing career that started in 1973.

He was crowned 1,300 stock car European champion in 1997, English and Gold Roof Champion in 2001 and Points Champion in 1995.

He moved up to two litre stock car racing and qualified for the European Championships in 2004.

• A video of part of the funeral procession can be seen at www.cambstimes24.co.uk and www.wisbechstandard24.co.uk