VSCC July Silverstone Races

VSCC July Silverstone Races

THE VINTAGE SCC has a way with the weather and for its second 1985 Silverstone races, the Mike Hawthorn Memorial Trophy Meeting, it chose a marvellous summer day. Nine races were divided between an entry of 187 and good interesting racing resulted. The afternoon opened, after a Parade of modern Maseratis, with the six-lap Scratch race incorporating the Bill Phillips Trophy, which Chris Drake secured for the second year running with his Maserati 8C. It took the lead from lap 2. Sparrowhawk’s 4.3 Alvis was second, Grist’s Alfa Romeo third. That was followed by a five-lap Handicap, won by Rides in the Riley Wagtail Special, which came up on the last lap to lead Baker’s Riley Special and Cooksey’s Mont1h6ry MG Midget home. The Boulogne Trophy Race, over ten laps from scratch, was a foregone conclusion, with Tim Llewelyn driving the 3/8-litre Bentley magnificently, to win for the fourth time. Also as expected, he lapped his charming wife, in the “Bluebelle” Bentley of a mere 41/2 litres, around half distance. Ron Footitt in the AC/GN was second for four laps, then retired with a broken rocker. He towed the car away behind an Escort RS2000, intent on fitting a new rocker for Shelsley Walsh on the Sunday. Even the addition of two-cwt of weight over the o/s back wheel of Morley’s 24-litre Bentley-Napier, and its new 7.00 x 20 Dunlop back tyres. were insufficient to catch the flying blue Bentley, although Peter drove his monster magnificently, to hold off third-place man Russell in the sleek 8-litre Bentley, which got very close to the aero-engined car in the closing laps and finished 2.7 sec behind it, Llewellyn having

won by just 1.2 sec, after making fastest lap. Arnold-Forster got the Bequet-Delage in fourth, another aero-engined car but of half the size of Morley’s, ahead of A. G. Smith’s

Frazer Nash, and Tom Threlfall kept the McDowell Dirt Racer in front of a determined Harper in the Morgan three-wheeler, with Williamson eighth in the 101/2-litre Delage. Tim took the Russ-Turner Trophy as well as the

Boulogne. As an interlude prior to the Maserati race there was a five-lap Handicap, with Edwardian and light-car runners, such is VSCC impartiality. The latter were less numerous than was once the case but Corner had his 1914 TT Sunbeam out again among the Edwardians and easily displaced Tony Jones’ 60 hp Napier, Miss Collings in the Zust tourer and Roger Collings who for once retired in the 60 hp Mercedes; but the Napier took the Trophy on handicap. The race proper went to Drewitt’s Riley Special, from Thompson’s 3/41/2 Bentley and

Poynter’s Lea-Francis. The ten-lap Maserati Scratch race, with separate trophies for pre-war and post-war

cars, was an interesting innovation, even if not all the 16 entries emanated from Modena! There were only two drivers really racing, namely Willie Green in Anthony Bamford’s somewhat composite 250F and Neil Corner in the very original ex-Fangio / Behra lightweight 250F he owns jointly with his enthusiastic wife Freda. Corner was in front by a narrow margin for the first two laps but on lap 3 Green had overtaken hint, until, at Woodcote, Neil repassed, only to lock up his wheels and nearly “collect” the other Maserati, which then retook the lead. This in-fighting went on for some time, to the enormous excitement of the spec…, for whose benefit it may have been developed, but from lap 7 Green thought enough was enough and he began to ptill away from Corner, to win by 1.6 sec or quite a comfortable distance, having made quickest lap, at 91.45 mph. In a sort of separate race Nick Mason held the lead to his lightweight 250F with replica chassis, Alan Cottam in his 250F with Came… Millar chassis behind him until Thwaites the ex-Stan Jones 250F, also with a Cameron Millar replica chassis, passed Cottarn on lap 7, while behind the Cottam 250F ca.! Brace Halford, having a drive in MaY…. s 250F, the hind of car Bruce was racing . GPs in the 1950s, this one an ex-v..0. Behra / Moss car. It was marvellous to sec all these 20.5 racing together, and Colbourne’s 6Cm finishing seventh to take the pre-war troPhY, ahead of Margulies in the 4CL, the Hon. A’ experiment may be repeated. . • • V8 450S Fellowes in the big 420 bhp Maserati, David Black in his 8CIVI and Felton in his 4CL. Only Chris Mann, !..1 the very original 1954 250F that Salvadon to drive, was in trouble, appearing b: asking for an accident to happen but in fa ts suffering from oil on the back tyres. It all so interesting that one feels this VS’ Hardly had the bout of Maserati excitement died down that we had the ten lay Scratch race to watch. David Black had no difficulty in pulling it off, as in 1984, in the P3 Alfa Romeo, driving it as calmly as ever, but after a bad start in the Hon Pat Lindsay’s ERA-Delage, Corner came up strongly, displacing Felton in his Alfa Romeo, a sort of hopeful “P3” confection, by half-distance, to finish 5.5 Moods behind the winning P3, a nice result, as Lindsay was in hospital and this should have cheered hint up. Felton was third. Mason in ERA R1OB fourth, P. Mann MB fifth, Sweet’s twin-cam MG KN s„i.th, and Mayman in the ex-Raymond Nays’ ERA R4D seventh, ahead of Classic

R2A. After Fidler’s Lagonda Rapier singlesea, ter had won a five-lap Handicap from uno’s Riley Falcon Special and another Lagonda Rapier driven by Fletcher-Jones, tj, e field lined up for the 15-lap Hawthorn Nemorial Trophy Scratch race, Corner’s unfortunately being a non-starter use of gearbox problems in practice. The star of the race was Anthony Mayman,

who got the Halford Lotus 16 well and truly into the lead after a lap and was never caught, winning by 6.3 sec from the Obrist (non-original) Dino Ferrari 246 driven by de Cadenet, Chris Mann’s Lotus 16 with that curiously “flat” exhaust note, taking third place, although sounding rough in the later stages. It was good to see Merrick out again in the Vanwall after his Donington prang, and he did well to keep it in fifth place, leading a sort of “second front” ahead of the 250Fs of Mason, C. Mayman and Cottam, whose exhaust began to puff smoke, for Willie Green in the Bamford 250F had joined the more ambitious group ahead, in fourth position. The only incident was when Roberts’ F2 Frazer Nash and Mark Gillies’ Treen Riley spun at Woodcote. A very enjoyable meeting closed with another fivelap handicap, won by Dowle’s DerbyBentley Special from the Fidler Rapier and Guyatt’s Talbot 150, the last-named aided by triple SUs and on this warm day, an electric fan in front of its radiator. Moffatt drove Wall’s Bugatti in the first race, then flew his Carrie-Was biplane to a vintage aeroplane rally — versatile enthusiasm!

— W.B.

— RESULTS Bonin,. Trophy Race: 1. T. C. 1_Jewellyn Its’p

Bonin,. Trophy Race: 1. T. C. 1_Jewellyn Its’p 2, F Morley iBentley•Namer); 3… J.R….der). Maserati Race: 1, M W. Green (250F1. 89.41 mph: 2, E. N. Corner :.2501, 3, N. B. Meson (2501, Allcomets’ Scratch Race: I. 97. D. A. Black (Alfa Romeo) 84.43 mph, 2, E. N Corner (ERA.Delescl, 3. R. Felton (Alfa Romeo, Haswhom Trophy Race: 1, A Mayman (Lotus, 91.23 mph: 2. A. de Colenet (Ferrari, 3, C. A. Mann iLonis, Slt-lap Scratch Race:C. Drake (Maseru. 75.19 mph

F. lap Handicap: C. Rides 67.53 mph.

Fwe Handicap: R. H. Drewitt (Riley). 63.48 mph. F.,414P!!(.14,40: a• H. FldIr CLagonda1,69.34 mph.

Zsete=gttredal;: A. dekC;atiCOen:i6170.262 mph. Driver of the Meet.: A Maymen. Leader. to date in the 1985 MOTOR SPORT Oltooklands Memorial Trophy Contest: T C Llewellyn (Bentley), 88 E=y7Elgs :7scrrri:11 ‘TWAT gni:

25th.

VSCC at Cadwell Park does not seem

ALTHOUGH the VSCC does not seem quite sure on which date its final race meeting of 1985 will be held, we can assure you that this will take place at Cadwell Park on Sunday August 25th. The big race, the Williams Trophy contest, will be for twoseater GP cars, which implies a Bugatti / Alfa Romeo battle, and the usual supporting races will be run over the Lincolnshire circuit which is well suited to good vintagecar racing, and the MOTOR SPORT Trophy and cash prizes will be presented to the winners at the end of the day.