The Eight Clubs at Silverstone

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THE Eight Clubs’ Organisation held a very successful Silverstone Race Meeting on June 2nd, ably organised by Barclay-Inglis. Two One-hour High-Speed Trials and ten races over the sensible distance of five laps were held, the races being for groups of cars of approximately equal performance instead of given sizes of cars, like the 75, 90, 100-m.p.h. and Lightning Handicaps of Brooklands memory. The only exception was an Austin Seven scratch race, which Chapman’s beautifully-made Lotus would have won had it not started on three cylinders and retired when in the lead on lap four. This let Jeffery win, in spite of axle judder.

The High-Speed Trials had been great fun, Nancy Binns in a hard-used XK120 Jaguar having a grand tussle with Wood’s sister car. Some of the Jaguars boiled, Anderson’s had snatching brakes, and Maitland’s retired. A. J. A. Stokes put up a very fast drive indeed in a Healey “Silverstone” with extra air scoops in its bonnet. J. E. Manfield, too, went splendidly in his “Mille Miglia” Frazer-Nash, and the cornering of T. J. Brooks’ Dyna-Panhard and Carefoot’s Lancia Aprilia was wheel-lifting in the extreme. An early casualty was the R.B.W., with detached steering. Jane’s Lancia boiled and sounded tired, and Chandler’s Lea-Francis spun at Stowe corner.

In the first of the mixed scratch races Yeats, nearly falling out as the door opened, cornered valiantly in his Ford Ten-engined FIAT 500 coupe, back axle dancing wildly as he braked, but eventually the repaired R.B.W., in spite of front axle tramp, came through to win. A handicap followed, which M. P. Anthony’s unexpectedly quick s.v. S.S.90 won by a big margin. In the following handicap Smith’s M.G.-Ford did its best for three laps, but Orr-Ewing’s “4 1/2” Bentley caught it at Stowe, closely followed by Mason’s “4 1/2” Bentley, which then went into the lead, Goodhew’s lowered “Le Mans” 4 1/2-litre Lagonda separating the Bentleys on the run-in. Anthony then made a determined effort to win the next, scratch, race, but couldn’t hold off Page’s Allard. J. C. C. Cavendish’s 2-litre Aston-Martin pipped Orr-Ewing by keeping close in at Stowe.

An exciting handicap came next, Gibbs’ Riley leading for two laps, to be passed by Croysdill’s neat Lamgia, in turn passed by Allen-Asquith’s Healey “Silverstone.” Cocker’s Riley then won another handicap from Pratt’s Rover, and Goodhew’s Lagonda, very masterfully, a scratch race from Asquith’s Healey. Howorth displayed his Boreham form in the last scratch race, leading all the way from Peacock’s “Le Mans” Fraser-Nash and Willis’ B.M.W. Manfield’s Fraser-Nash went into Stowe fast, troubled by a locking brake.

So to the Handicap for the Motor Sport Trophy, which was a sternly-fought contest. Margulies, having gone away to have a broken wing-stay welded on his very sporting Talbot “105” two-seater-a sort of replica of a team car-drove determinedly and took the lead on the last lap, putting himself very comfortably in the lead on points. Walker led for three laps by dint of a good start, in his 2-litre Lagonda, but had terrible front axle judder, ending in a tub-eliminating thing at Stowe and stopped for a long time after driving across the course. lie finally resumed at speed, but too late. That let Cocker’s Riley in, only to be passed by Antltoity’s S.S.90, which Margulies and Keen’s “Le Mans” H.R.G. caught on the last lap. This race was run with obvious determination, and Asquith’s Healey twice rotated at Stowe. It is understood that entry fees, and perhaps a bit over, will be returned to competitors at this meeting-good show, Eight Clubs!