B.R. & S.C.C. Brands Hatch Meeting (July 10th)

On Sunday, July 10th, the British Racing and Sports Car Club held another race meeting for Formula III racing cars and sports cars. The weather was fine and all the well-known drivers arrived to take part in the clay’s events.

The Sporting Record Trophy race started the ball rolling. This consisted of the traditional three heats with first and second finals and a consolation final. In Heat 1 the honours fell to Ivor Bueb in a Cooper with Norton engine; Heat 2 went to Tyrell which was somewhat of a change to the usual run of victors. This was a very close race, for Russell was a serious contestant and the two were running neck and neck for several laps until Tyrell pulled past to take the lead. Heat 3 saw Wicken, S. Lewis-Evans and Taylor finish in that order, and Wicken’s speed was 70.90 m.p.h., a very creditable race which he well deserved since his driving was of the highest calibre and he had been hurling the little Cooper round the bends almost to the limit of its cornering ability. Don Parker had gearbox trouble in this race near Druids Hill Bend and had to retire. P. A. Taylor also stopped but restarted again. The second final of race one saw Raby, Jones and Cowley as the “Principal Boys,” with Manning in a Staride as runner-up, Jones and Cowley had quite a battle together. R. E. D. Harrison and R. T. Leaman retired and R. Hett overtuned after Paddock Bend with considerable damage to his Emeryson but little to himself. Final order in this race was Cowley, Jones and Manning with the winner’s speed 69.32 m.p.h. The first final was led off by S. Lewis-Evans, in which position he remained throughout the race gaining on the others lap by lap. Wicken, Bueb and Taylor were in the running for second place, but Taylor dropped back leaving Wicken to take second and Bueb third place; 71.60 m.p.h. was the winner’s speed.

The consolation final resulted in an easy win for Don Parker in the Kieft, by lap two he had established a steady lead with Bridger in another Kieft following him. P. A. Luke in a Cooper was doing well until he spun round at Druids Hill Bend and lost time. Third position was occupied by Eccles in a Staride. The 12-lap 1,200-c.c. sports-car race was one of the best races of the day; emphasis was on the comparison of Cooper-Climax and Lotus-Climax cars. The opening laps saw Russell in the Cooper followed by Chapman in the Lotus. Bueb also came upon the scene and fought with Chapman who kept the pace until Bueb squeezed through on the last lap; J. J. Richards in a Lotus (1,098 c.c.) was cornering very fast and showed himself to be master of his machine. R. L. Manwaring in the Elva was motoring rapidly until water-pump trouble became apparent and Gammon in a Cooper-Climax also had to retire with damaged water pipe. Russell was the eventual winner with Chapman a close second showing the almost equal performances of these two types of cars, the Lotus having better brakes than the Coopers, but the latter had a little more “steam” on the straights. The 1,500-c.c. sports-car race was a 12-lap event in which Ivor Bueb started off in the lead in the Cooper-Climax, but, later on he was overtaken by Russell who eventually received the chequered flag first with Bueb second and Gammon third. Manwaring in the Elva was still having trouble with an overheated engine as in the last race, the 1,200-c.c. sports-car event. R. D. Jennings in a Cooper-M.G. retired after going rather slowly round the track a number of times. M. Traugott’s Lester-M.G. seemed to be smoking badly and Bicknell in the blue and yellow Revis-Borgward spun round coming out of Paddock Bend and motored along quite happily for some time in reverse before turning round and proceeding normally.

The last race for sports cars was the over 1,900 c.c. 12-lap event in which Salvadori and Scott-Brown took part. Scott-Brown required little persuading to make him stay in front, however, and he kept the lead for the entire race and gained on his nearest opponent, Salvadori, on each lap. A. E. Brown in a Cooper-Aston did well to come in third, and P. R. Crabb who was driving the new Tojeiro well had the misfortune to leave the track near Kidney Bend; Anthony in the Lotus-Bristol had to retire. Race two, the 10-lap event for J.A.P.-engined cars, went to Manning in a Staride at 67.21 m.p.h.

Events were terminated when the victors received their wreaths and went round, the circuit on a lap of honour. — I. G.