An account of the practice sessions will be found on pages 465-6. It is suggested that these pages be digested before this race report.
So the RAC 500cc National Race and International Grand Prix at Silverstone have come and gone! What a day it was. A perfect sunset on the Friday evening gave way to a beautiful day on October 2nd, and at an early hour streams of vehicles flowed along the admirably policed and sign-posted routes to the new course. Soon the two grandstands were packed with humanity and people mingled on the track with the mechanics preparing cars for the races. Hundreds of club members were briefed as marshals, Dennis May functioned an efficient news bulletin Press service, Antone dispensed music, and, apart from a shortage of flapping flags, we had all the atmosphere of a big Continental Grand Prix.
Opposite the line of pits the grandstands flanked the road, where the cars would come up a slope from Abbey Curve under the foot bridge and roar past and away to Woodcote Corner. News began to filter through. Strang had changed his gearbox, ‘Bira’ had had an all-night session on his new 4CTL/48 Maserati, while Fry, having three times sheared the drive to the rotary valve of his 500-c.c. car had bought a JAP engine from John Cooper and hastily installed that.
