Half-Litre C.C. Silverstone Meeting (August 23rd)
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Some 70 air-cooled and one water-cooled 500-c.c, cars roused the echoes at the B.R.D.C. circuit. The Junior Race over 10 laps was a victory for I. L. Bueb’s Iota-J.A.P. wich won, but only just, at 69.13 m.p.h. from R. K. Tyrrell’s Cooper-Norton and V. J. Firrn’s J.B.S.-J.A.P. Don Truman met trouble early on, but his Cooper-Norton resumed far back. The Senior Race over the same distance was a sure victory for D. Parker in his Kieft-Norton. He averaged 71.38 m.p.h. in fending off S. Lewis-Evans’ Cooper-Norton which was second and W. Webb’s Kieft-Norton, third. Alas, Wicken had an accident in his Cooper and went to hospital in a shocked state.
The big race of the day – all were over the Short Club circuit – was the 100-mile Yorke Trophy contest with £100 first prize. Two heats decided the runners, K. W. Smith bringing his Smith 500 home winner of the first, at 70.37 m.p.h., pursued by Gerard’s Cooper and A. W. Richards’ Cooper. Don Parker took the second heat at 70.37 m.p.h. from Webb and S. Lewis-Evans, to the tune of 71.68 m.p.h.
The final was very intriguing. Parker led at first, the pace rousing, but he spun at Beckett’s, allowing S. Lewis-Evans’ Cooper and many others to pass the Kieft. But the little man was streets faster than his rivals and was soon second, and in the lead again as Lewis-Evans’ Cooper shed a back wheel. Again Parker spun, letting Webb, Coombs’ Cooper and Gerard’s Cooper lead him. Coombs took the lead at the refuel, smartly done. Webbs’ Kieft blew up, then Parker’s did likewise and the closing stages were enlivened by Gerard closing on Coombs, yet, perhaps troubled by a locking brake, unable to catch the unruffled redhead. Coombs won at 70.23 m.p.h., and was very modest about it. Gerard, watched by his father, drove in a deserving runner-up, and Headland’s Arnott-Norton, thanks to steady lappery, was third. The Emeryson sometimes ran straight on at Beckett’s when not displaying its understeer cornering, and another oversteerer was Labrum’s Labrani which gave its pilot a hectic ride. Retired cars were littered round the circuit, but Truman’s Cooper was fourth and Rippon’s Cooper sixth.