The Vintage Sports-Car Club proudly dates back to 1934, but more recent initiatives that will fortify it long into the future bookended Saturday’s Bob Gerard Memorial Trophy race meeting at Mallory Park brilliantly.
Tom Waterfield’s talent and versatility remind vintagents of the brightest period rising stars. His Young Drivers victory in a Frazer Nash Super Sports was consummate, but the closing Longstone Tyres Light Car race provided the afternoon’s best entertainment.
Waterfield saw off William Elbourn (Riley 12/4 Special) and James Painter (MG Kayne) once the highly-strung Morgan trikes of Finley Hope-Cameron and Hamish Cameron-Eveleigh had retired from the event’s opener. Harry Leston – grandson of Les, graduating to dad Nick’s lusty Lovell Elkhart Sprint Racer – joined the squabble between Harry Irving (Alvis Special) and Rebecca Smith (MG-Ford ‘Mord’) for fourth, but Smith regained fifth from Leston on the line.
A sensational Light Car lead duel between William and Harry Irving (1924 1100cc Senechal T52) and Harry Colledge/Eddie Williams (1929 Austin 7 Chummy) featured the advantage swinging back and forth, but the French cyclecar prevailed by 2.63 seconds after 40 minutes. A lap behind, John Polson and Mark Gold swapped between 1924 Gwynne 8 Brooklands and A7 Chummy seamlessly to earn third and fourth, 0.20s apart, with Nick Hildyard/Francesca Wilton (Morgan) in a blanket finish.
David and Dennis Johnson (Chummy), Simon Barringer/Russell Hennessey (BSA three-wheeler) and Mark Palmer/Simon Frost (Salmson A13) were next home. A week after racing his 1954 Kurtis-Offy Indy roadster at Silverstone, the spectacle of Welsh giant Geraint Owen in Matthew Parkin’s battleship grey 1927 Trojan Utility attempting to slipstream Mark Walker in Tim Harrison’s 1911 De Dion Bouton will live long in the memory. As will the terrifying looking 1914 Bedelia BD2 Tandem of William and Richard Marsh, which clocked a 3m09.71s (25.62mph) best lap, against the winner’s 1m37.84s (49.67mph)!
The Light Car contest drew a fantastic entry and the humble machines were headed by the Irvings’ Senechal
Photo by: Mick Walker
A wonderful array of mainly supercharged Triple M Register MGs, honouring Cambridge tuning wizard Don Moore, entered battle with Mike Painter (MG Kayne) passing poleman Charles Goddard (PA-PB ‘Red Mist’) at the start. Proving his new engine, Swiss visitor Roland Wettstein crackled his glorious Parnell K3 single-seater – Humphrey Cuddon-Fletcher’s 1938 Donington Grand Prix entry – through to a popular victory. Dutchman Thijs Groot moved his orange P-type smartly up to fourth.
Dane Christian Pedersen dominated the Burghley Trophy Austin 7 race in his supercharged monoposto ‘Miss Green’. Richard Carter chased spiritedly, with Peter Marsh also on the lead lap after Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ car faltered. Mike Pickup (Ulster) won a super joust with Charlie Plain-Jones (Cowley Special) for class honours.
The Dick Baddiley & Edwardian Racing Trophies Handicap was the domain of Luke Roberts’ lofty Bianchi. Lewis Fox in Ivan Dutton’s Peugeot GP made up two laps on Roberts, grabbing second from Marcus Black (Sunbeam Coupe de l’Auto) and Gillian Carr (Abbott-Detroit). Recovered from its Goodwood mishap in April, and finished on race morning, Mark Walker’s Darracq 200hp thudded home 11th.
Tony Seber sizzled his Wolseley Hornet clear of Elbourn’s Riley in the Mallory Park Trophy VSCC Specials race. Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ wife Jo – still glowing from son Tom Waterfield’s success in the family Nash – fell to 10th when it stalled at the hairpin on the opening lap, but recovered splendidly to third.
Brother-in-law Patrick B-E blitzed the Boulogne Trophy race, lapping another well-developed Nash in 57.52s (84.49mph). Michael James (Riley 12/4 Cotton Special) sprang from the back to deny Julian Wilton (Cooper-Bristol) second.
Robert Beebee (Frazer Nash TT Replica) claimed the Mallory Mug and Owner-Driver-Mechanic gold, narrowly outrunning Max Sowerby (Talbot Lago T150C). Sian Slater (Riley Imp) kept her nerve to beat Mike Dowell (Riley Brooklands) by 1.58s in the Pre-War Handicap.
Beebee just kept Sowerby at bay for Mallory Mug glory
Photo by: Mick Walker
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