Peterborough M.C. Silverstone Meeting (Sept. 19th)

Peterborough M.C. officials had a very busy day, because they had a programme comprising two half-hour high-speed trials and races totalling 82 laps. In the second trial a TC M.G. rolled over at Copse and the event had to be abandoned after 20 minutes to enable the ambulance to cross the track, the driver having received chest injuries. Then a competitor came out too late to the start in one of the races, so the obliging officials ran it again for his benefit. They even wanted to run the trial off again but mercifully the Stewards refused. We certainly had a long day’s racing!

The vintage event was won easily by French’s lightly-handicapped Austin Seven “Simplicity,” which was driven by Mallock, only the officials hadn’t noticed. This was fine, except that “Simplicity” isn’t vintage. Purcell’s very smart “Brooklands” Riley Nine, which gave Mallock 15 sec., was second. The saloon-car handicap was nearly won by Epstein’s A35 van but Jones’ very hot Ford Prefect got by coming down to Woodcote a lap from home, only to be passed by Barnes’ Alta-head 918-c.c. Morris Minor tourer with drop bonnet, Wright’s Ford, Davy’s A35 and Mansfield’s A35 van. Epps’ Aston Martin DB3 trailed its spare-wheel container.

So many 1,500-c.c. sports cars wanted to race that they had three events, the first won by Summers’ Arden, the second very easily by Barton’s lightly-handicapped Lotus-Climax, the third by Breakell’s Lotus in a bunched finish.

A race for over-1,501-c.c. sports cars brought out several Healey Silverstones (which reminds one how quickly cars “date”). Hancock’s won, by grace of a Jaguar engine, from Spence’s A.C.-Bristol, Bekaert’s Lister third. Coundley, in his immaculate D-type Jaguar, demonstrated how understeer changes to oversteer if you turn on the power in a corner.

The 500-c.c. cars were next treated to a 12-lap race, which eliminated eleven of them. Foreman drove his Cooper IX very nicely and was never challenged but Fenning and Luke scrapped for second place until the latter fell back. Holloway rolled back out of harm’s way after a Woodcote spin.

Keens’ Lotus Eleven led all the way to win the 1,250-c.c. sports-car scratch race, which was followed by a really exciting 15-lap Formule Libre racing-car scratch race full of sports cars. Parkes led for five laps in the Fry, before a return of gearbox trouble, which had necessitated spares being flown from Porsche in Germany, caused his retirement, when the lead passed to Bekaert’s Lister-Jaguar, which, lamps alight, won from Twisk’s F.2 Cooper, the number of which was 201, indicating the staggering entry of 200 cars. W. F. Moss (Lister) beat Mould’s Lister to third place.

Two sports-car scratch races, run together, produced victories for Breakell and Milne’s H.W.M.-Jaguar. The Motor Sport race, handicapped by Bulmer, then got away with a full field, the Centro-European Racing Team’s single-cam Lotus-Climax driven by Barton winning from Lackington’s 1½-litre B.M.C.-engined Lotus with Alexander head; Bekaert was third. The meeting concluded with 750 and 1,172 Formula races, Mallock in “Simplicity” winning the first from Cross and Hockney, Hart’s impressive Terrier Mk. II the latter, well ahead of Wershat’s Lola and Bennett’s Ford Special. Four cars then contested re-run race ten, giving the Bekaert Lister a hollow victory. — W. B.

All the Winners:

Race 1: A. Mallock (Austin Seven) 63.22 m.p.h.

Race 2: G. Barnes (Morris Minor) 59.49 m.p.h.

Race 3: C. Summers (Arden) 68.78 m.p.h.

Race 3a: J. Barton (Lotus) 73.87 m.p.h.

Race 3b: G. Breakell (Lotus) 78.31 m.p.h.

Race 4: A. Hancock (Healey) 73.65 m.p.h.

Race 5: S. Foreman (Cooper IX) 74.79 m.p.h.

Race 6: L. Keens (Lotus) 78.91 m.p.h.

Race 7 (Formule Libre): J. Bekaert 82.03 m.p.h.

Race 8: G. Breakell (Lotus) 79.24 m.p.h.

Motor Sport Handicap: J. Barton (Lotus) 77.10 m.p.h.

Race 10: R. Milne (H.W.M.-Jaguar) 79.52 m.p.h.

Race 10a: J. Bekaert (Lister) 81.21 m.p.h.

750 Formula Race: A. Mallock (Austin Seven) 64.04 m.p.h.

1,172 Formula Race: R. Hart (Terrier Mk. II) 74.14 m.p.h.