N. Staffs M.C. Silverstone Meeting (October 8th)

The last of the Club Silverstones concluded very pleasantly on October 8th, when the N. Staffs M.C. ran 12 races over the short club circuit. The first was a 750/1,172 Formula seven-lapper, and although Macdowel, who won at 65.63 m.p.h. in his Lotus, pursued by Lambert’s non-aerodynamic Lotus, already led for the Chapman Cup, the Goodacre Trophy lay between Taylor and Rees in the 750-c.c. division. In fact, Millard led them both, winning at 63.15 m.p.h., in his neat Austin Special with divided Ford front axle, cable and rod brakes, Whitehouse special gearbox, 16-in, back tyres and a short chassis, his Austin using a 1½-in. crank, Cambridge alloy head, and two 45 deg d.d. twin S.U. carburetters. Behind, Taylor got past Rees but hit marker tubs at Becketts and finished 0.2 sec. to the bad, so that Rees appears to have this year’s 750 Formula Trophy. His car has a 1931 short chassis, Ulster engine with Cambridge head, his own inlet manifold, Arden exhaust manifold, hydraulic brakes, normal front axle and friction shock-absorbers, Ulster gearbox, 5.25 axle, 5.00-16 front and 4.25-15 back tyres. It weighs just under 7 cwt. Taylor’s car has a 1930 chassis, the ex-Whitehouse Arden Austin engine with c.i. head giving about 7 to 1 comp ratio, four-speed close-ratio box, normal front axle with two Newton telescopic dampers, hydraulic brakes, 4.7 axle and 5.00-15 front, 4.50-15 back tyres. It also weighs about 7 cwt. and both cars use 45 deg. d.d. S.U.s.

Naylor drove determinedly to win the 1½-litre sports-car seven-lapper in his Lotus-Connaught at 73.25 m.p.h. from Hewitt and Ashdown in these excellent little aerodynamic projectiles. Riley diced along behind in his normal Lotus-M.G. and Pitt’s Lotus-Consul netted a marker tub.

A 10-lap F:III race brought a stern duel between Fenning’s Staride, which spun at Woodcote, and Taylor’s Cooper’ which Moor’s Wasp passed, only to overdo his last corner and lose second place by 0.4 sec. Out in front, Bridger (Kieft) won comfortably at 73.39 m.p.h. Race four, over seven laps, saw Naylor’s Lotus win again, at 72.72 m.p.h., from Goldfader’s special-bodied Frazer-Nash, Page’s Lotus taking the 1,100-c.c. class at 72.36 m.p.h.

The 10-lap Formule Libre race was won by McMillan (who had forsaken Barb for D-type Jaguar) at 76.39 m.p.h., Horace Richards coasting home second in the H.A.R. He had gone to 7,200 r.p.m., 400 over the limit, and his Riley engine had discreetly broken a rod without shedding oil. Naylor chalked up a third. The unlimited sports-car seven-lap scratch race saw McMillan win again, from Stevens’ Vermin DB3 Aston Martin, Naylor again third. The last-named then got into a Porsche and convincingly won the Production Car Handicap at 64.34 m.p.h. from Wayne’s Triumph TR2 and Miss Morton’s Austin-Healey, a promising lady driver. Wadsworth’s Fiat TV was smart but swamped, Fowler had a real go in his old-school Aston Martin, Needham’s modern KG. Magnette saloon rolled excessively, and Bryant’s DB2/4 got past Angela Brown’s sister car. The Vintage and P.V.T. Handicap produced some dubiously hacked-about machinery, amongst which Freedman had fun in a likeable Vernon-Crossley and Sinus laid a smoke-screen in his Riley. Eminson won impeccably in his smart G.P. Bugatti, at 69.33 m.p.h., from Walker’s 4½ Bentley and McDonald’s scratch 4½ ditto. Nicholson’s unspoilt 4½ Bentley made sounds like a blown gasket on both its appearance – all right, we know they have integral heads! Richards crashed his 24 Riley at Copse.

The 10-lap Racing Car Handicap was won by the McMillan sports Jaguar (but it did have a streamlined headrest) at 76.3 m.p.h. with Lord Ebury coming through well to second place, both from scratch, Bridger’s Kieft right on his tail. The next seven-lap handicap was a handicapper’s dream, the first three finishing within 2.6 seconds. Ebdon won at 61.64 m.p.h. in Macdowel’s Lotus, but the Rees/ Millard battle waxed furious behind, only inches separating their Austins at times.

Ashdown’s Lotus disposed of Liddell’s Buckler 90 by a prodigious drive in a similar race, at 73.31 m.p.h., Bloxham’s Lotus-M.G. completing a Buckler-lined Lotus sandwich. Sim’s ex-Willis B.M.W. retired.

To conclude a good meeting. Nunn drove his Frazer-Nash T.T. Replica brilliantly, sliding corners with front wheels flopping in typical chain-gang style, to win the last seven-lap handicap convincingly, at 63.71 m.p.h., McMillan second, from scratch, Trimble’s Austin-Healey third. Miss Morton again drove well, and Symondson’s 57S Bugatti beat Lord Ebury’s 3½ Bentley and Burton’s 4½ Bentley. Two DB Aston Martins tried to have an accident, Bryant’s leading Bloxham’s and Sidney’s.

A good meeting, well run, with sane commentators and a clever handicapper — but the charming young lady who gave me a marked. up programme minus two results is to report to my study immediately! — W. B.