Young and old embrace vintage racing at Oulton Park festival
Connect the words ‘vintage’ and ‘car’ and you may well conjure an image of an old, oily, mostly unreliable machine. Yet apply ‘vintage’ to almost anything else and ‘old’ becomes ‘chic’, ‘oily’ becomes ‘crafted’ and reliability is a challenge to be savoured.
The Vintage Sports-car Club has recognised this and so while the cars remain true to period, the paddock is evolving. Those of an older generation are still there in abundance, but their children, who grew up spending weekends being hauled to trials and hillclimbs have stayed too – and are now bringing their family and friends.
Saturday’s Vintage Motorsport Festival drew a near COVID-19 restricted capacity crowd to Oulton Park for a busy programme of well-supported grids. There was little doubt that the 36-car-strong, 40-minute Light Car race was going to be the highlight. It was the only running this century of a race first held back in 1953, with the eligibility for entry remaining loyal to the original regulations, stating that cars and cycle-cars must be pre-1931, under 1500cc, unmodified, and deliver less than 30hp.
The most noticeable aspect throughout was the number of novice crosses on display, with a whole new generation of racers entering the sport.
Polesitters Jeremy Brewster and Dermot Johnson aboard their Salmson AL22 led the way, but soon found themselves slipping down the order, having come under pressure from Hughie Walker’s Sima-violet and the Salmson AL of Chris and Michael Hudson. Making up ground was the Morgan Super Aero of David Andrews and Iain Stewart, but time lost in the pits would later mean their challenge faded. By the three-quarters stage, the Brewster/johnson car had rediscovered its form and, with Walker out, the Salmson headed home as winner.
If horsepower was lacking with the
Light Cars, there was plenty elsewhere.
Fred Harper found he had “too much grip” at the start of the Seaman Trophies race for vintage and pre-1961 machines, leaving his Kurtis Indy-roadster momentarily stuck on the line. However, once on the tail of Tom Walker’s Amilcar, he was able to choose his moment to pass before cruising to victory and the fastest lap of the day.
Sue Darbyshire (Morgan Super Aero) was in dominant form in the Bill Philips Trophy race, leading from start to finish and heading home a chasing trio of Fraser Nash cars by almost half a minute.
Some of the best action of the day came in the ‘Specials’ race, with Tom Thornton and Dougal Cawley dicing in a tremendous duel as the former took the lead at the start, only to lose it again by the hairpin. Thornton should have eased out a gap but he hadn’t reckoned on Cawley’s stamina – the GN ‘Piglet’ being thrown relentlessly late into every corner – and the pressure eventually sent Thornton’s BMW 329/28K spinning across the track as Cawley went on to take victory. Thornton, who recovered to third, would later claim a win in the Allcomers Scratch.
Though representing a different era, the Ecurie Classic Racing Challenge assembled some familiar British favourites from the 1950s and 1960s. Jaguars were out in force as Robert Gate harnessed the grunt and agility of his E-type to work his way into the lead and then head home for an easy win.