CRASH FAILS TO DE RAIL JACKSON’ S BID FOR VICTORY
Lincoln’s Cameron Jackson had only raced a Ssangyong pick-up on his local circuit prior to the Historic Sports Car Club’s annual Wolds Trophy event, but a straightforward Formula Junior double presaged Sunday’s Historic FF1600 victory and put him top of the table as the fourth winner in as many rounds.
That was extremely fortuitous, for Jackson, leading, missed a gear at Charlie’s on lap three and Saturday winner Nelson Rowe, essaying to pass, was launched into a roll. Rowe’s Crossle ended up inverted, its engine bay on fire, but escaped serious injury in the race stopper ( see Racing News).
Jackson, his Lola’s suspension tweaked, and Callum Grant, who had bravely stopped to help, took the restart and finished a subdued 1-2. Richard Tarling, third behind Rowe and Grant (Merlyn MK20A) on Saturday – when Nelson seized the advantage “rather rudely” from Callum onto the Mountain – retired when his Jamun’s throttle jammed open.
Ed Thurston, 18, sidelined by driveshaft UJ failure on day one, won Sunday’s qualifying heat from 12th on the grid, then came through from net 14th to a superb third in his Elden Mk8. Ben Mitchell (Merlyn Mk20), joint points leader with Tarling after Donington, spun from third almost to the back at Park on lap one but recovered brilliantly to fourth, carving his way back onto Thurston’s tail at the chequer.
Saturday’s repechage featured period Formula Fordsters Glenn Eagling (Lotus 61MX) and Tim Brise (Merlyn Mk20), plus Stuart Kestenbaum (Crossle 16F), a class devotee since the early ’80s, at its sharp end. Following a full-course caution period, Brian Morris (Lola T202) ambushed Eagling to score a precious first win.
With clutch issues hampering FJ debutant Michael O’brien (Lotus 22), Cameron Jackson dominated the 10th Barry Westmoreland Trophy rear-engined races in his Tulip Stable Brabham BT2. Champion Peter de la Roche chased them on day one in Pat Barford’s drum-braked Lola Mk3, but clutch failure stopped it on Sunday, letting in Dundee’s Jonathan Fyda (U2 Mk3).
Avowed Cadwell lover Jonathan Lewis blitzed Saturday’s Historic Touring Car race from pole in his Snetterton Speed Shop Cooper S. Having chased the tyre-smoking Mini the previous day, Rick Belcher was uncatchable on Sunday, but a 10-second jump-start penalty dropped the twolitre Cortina Lotus to fifth, handing victory to the overjoyed but disbelieving Roger Stanford (Cortina), who had battled all the way to shade Bob Bullen (Anglia), the spectacular Lewis and Adrian Oliver (Hillman Imp).
Defending champion John Davison was hurtling to an Historic Road Sports double when a broken throttle cable halted his Lotus Elan on the last lap. Morgan +8 stalwart Richard Plant thus claimed Sunday victory in the model’s 50th anniversary year. Kevin Kivlochan growled his sister car from the back to second, its glove box having fallen out on Saturday, breaking the fuel pump lead connector. Having arrived level atop the table with Davison and ‘Keki,’ Dick Coffey (Turner) moved ahead with a perfect class score.
When Jonathon Hughes missed a gear, buzzing his Merlyn’s engine while disputing the lead on Saturday, Jon Milicevic repeated 2017’s Justin Haler Trophy Historic F3 double in his pristine Brabham B21B. Paul Waine brought his gorgeous ex-claudio Francisci de Sanctis home second ahead of Swiss returnee Christoph Widmer (BT18A), who dug deep for second ahead of Mike Scott (BT28) on Sunday.
Back where Historic FF2000 debuted in 2007, a superb Pinto pack demonstrated the top value class’ strength. Following a disastrous Donington, Benn Simms dominated in the absence of double champion Andy Park, who was getting married in Cumbria, twice beating the determined Ian Pearson (Royale RP30). The unrelated Stuart Pearson (Lola T580) and Dave Margetts (Dulon MP21) shared early class honours.
Mark Charteris repeated his Classic Clubmans victory over David Wale and debutant Adrian Holey (in Mallock Racing’s hire car) despite his fire extinguisher discharging in race two. Having shadowed B-sport rival Barry Webb throughout Sunday’s opener, Clive Wood had given his old rival the slip in the sequel when a broken exhaust burned his plug leads.
Former Haggispeed Clubmans and Classic F3 racer Steve Collier won both Sprite Midget races, making it four on the trot, with David Weston close behind after challenger David Morrison’s engine failed in the opener. Drama unfolded in Class E standout Pippa Cow’s wake at the start of the event finale when Ian Burgin tagged series sponsor Robin Lackford and ricocheted into Bruce Carter’s car, sending it into a 720 degree spin. Ed Easton, unsighted, clobbered it.
With most of the globe consumed by royal fever over the weekend, onlookers would have thought that round two of the VSCC Formula Vintage would have been a safe haven from any mention of royalty or royal weddings.
But royalty of a very different kind was being celebrated some 200 miles north of Windsor at Oulton Park.
Adorned in the legendary azure and navy livery made famous by the tale of the Bugatti Queen, Christopher Mann’s show-stealing Alfa Romeo Monza took victory in the Standard & Modified Prewar Sports Cars – in the process becoming the 2018 winner of the Bill Phillips Trophy.
On a grid of almost 30 cars from motor racing’s golden era including Frazer Nashes, Rileys, Talbots and dozens more – all with their own histories and stories – it was Mann’s race-winning Alfa that had the most poignant story to tell.
The Bugatti Queen colours were in homage to Helle Nice, the early 20th century French grand prix racer who was among the first female drivers to race in the sport.
She raced the same model of Alfa as on the Oulton Park grid, and despite never winning, held her own against the greats of her time until her near-fatal crash in the 1936 Sao Paolo Grand Prix, after which she was never quite the same.
It was perhaps the spirit of the French driver then that willed Mann’s Alfa past second place finisher Edward Williams on the line to steal the race win right at the last. Williams’ Frazer Nash had looked comfortable out in front for much of the race, and rightly so. Boasting a racing pedigree dating back until the early 1930s, the TT Replica was the second produced in 1932, had raced and finished second at Brooklands, participated in the inaugural race at Donington Park, and even formed part of the 1934 South African Grand Prix grid.
According to owner Charles Gillett, who also owns the Cooper famously pushed over the line by Jack Brabham at the US Grand Prix at Sebring in 1959, all major components are still original, but it couldn’t quite fight to the end as Mann’s Alfa rushed passed, narrowly crossing the line ahead. Williams admitted he did nothing wrong, but joked that the Alfa seemed to have had a sudden burst of an extra 100bhp.
“I always prefer being the chaser rather than being the chased,” said Mann.
“I think he [Williams] was trying to put me off but I managed to stay close enough, despite the backmarkers and fought to the end.
“This is what it’s all about, showing these cars in all their worth and having a great time doing it.”
Mann seemed to be having such a great time he didn’t even get a chance to celebrate on the podium, instead driving straight through the paddock to form part of the following race for Vintage & Pre-1961 racing cars, in which he finished seventh.
Following the racing, it became a much more domestic affair as Mann faced the small matter of negotiating 2018’s roads on his drive home in the Pre-war era car. But if the public were to behave as they had for royalty that day, it would have been a breeze for the Alfa and its regal Bugatti Queen livery.