VSCC Donington Park: The Bill Phillips Trophy

Sunday 9th July was a very busy day for sports with F1 at Silverstone, test cricket at Leeds and of course tennis at Wimbledon all vying for attention. Perhaps even more importantly, it was only seven days after the Le Mans Classic in which numerous ODM regulars – cars and drivers – were fully occupied and, by the way, doing rather well. So although some of the grids for the nine races at Donington might have been a bit smaller than usual, including even the ODM grid, it was actually quite an achievement to gather 20 of the best cars in VSCC racing together as peak holiday season approached.

The Bill Philips Trophy Race was second on the afternoon’s schedule but, as usual, occupied the opening session of practice and qualifying. Clive Fidgeon had already withdrawn his Frazer Nash TT Rep but Max Sowerby, fresh from participating in a Talbot AV105 one-two on scratch in the pre-war Plateau at the Centenary Le Mans Classic, made up with a late entry in his Talbot Lago T23. Ian Standing, having single-handedly driven his borrowed works Riley TT Sprite to a remarkable second place on Index of Performance at Le Mans – and 8th on scratch – suffered huge disappointment when his own Riley Brooklands lost its oil pressure on the first lap of practice at Donington and had to be withdrawn. Adam Moody was also forced to withdraw his Riley Sprite with the carbs spitting back but not before he had set fifth fastest time overall. A failed condenser stopped Andrew Morland’s MG PA on its first lap but with help from Hamish McNinch he was able to get going and complete qualification in the light cars’ session which must have been – err, interesting!

On the brighter side, Christopher Mann was rewarded for his heroic efforts the day before to get both the cars he was racing to Donington – he always drives his cars to the circuits from his London home – by putting his Alfa Romeo 8C Monza on pole ahead of his Cadwell adversary Sue Darbyshire’s Morgan Super Aero. Max Sowerby and Mark Brett, back with the Ballamy-Ford (LMB) V8 after missing Cadwell, were on row 2 and Nigel Dowding (Riley Brooklands) had row 3 to himself after Adam Moody’s withdrawal. Edward Bradley (Aston Martin Ulster) was seventh fastest followed by the Frazer Nashes of Jonathan Fenning, Wilf Cawley and David Johnson. The eighteen-car grid was completed in warm, dry conditions, by the two MGs of Hamish McNinch and Andrew Morland.

Although a basic lap chart of the 15-minute race might give the impression of a procession, that was far from the case and there was plenty of close racing throughout the field. Christopher Mann took control at the front alright and the blue Alfa was never headed but Sue Darbyshire’s little Morgan and Max Sowerby’s Talbot Lago with the biggest engine in the field were never far behind and by the time they crossed the finishing line, the three leaders were covered by just 1.7 seconds. In fourth place, Mark Brett was having his work cut out to fend off the attentions of Jonathan Fenning’s Frazer Nash Emeryson which he managed to do by just 1.3 seconds; Mark was also the winner on handicap.

The two red cars of Nigel Dowding (Riley Brooklands) and Edward Bradley (Aston Martin Ulster) were also locked together in the early laps of the race, the Riley getting the better of the Aston on lap three and opening up a gap of a few seconds before the Edward closed up again as the race progressed. Nigel crossed the line with just 0.16s in hand to take seventh place overall and win the 1100cc class while ahead of him, Jo Blakeney-Edwards took sixth after a comparatively lonely race in her Frazer Nash Super Sports. David Johnson’s similar car completed the unlapped runners in ninth overall while David Saxl’s Roesch Talbot 105 successfully resisted Andy Newbound’s Frazer Nash Ulster 100’s attentions to take tenth. David Ozanne, another just back from Le Mans, brought his Aston Martin Speed Ulster home in twelfth place ahead of the duelling MGs of Andrew Morland and Hamish McNinch who had swapped positions in Andrew’s favour on lap five but remained in each other’s company to the end.

When it was all over, John Guyatt was on hand to present the awards and it was good to have John’s blue Talbot Lago surrounded by the other ODM cars in front of the marquee in the paddock and to see the fine spread of food and refreshments being enjoyed by drivers and friends inside. Peter McFadyen

VSCC Cadwell Park 2023: The Melville and Goeghean Trophies Race

For their second race meeting of 2023, the VSCC moved to the most northerly venue on the annual itinerary, the scenic and challenging Cadwell Park just south of Louth in Lincolnshire. Although unavoidably absent himself, Ian Standing had whipped in a good number of ODM competitors for the second round of this year’s ODM Awards competition, the Melville and Geoghegan Trophies race. With no 500s at Cadwell this time, the ODM race reverted to its favoured position in the programme, the opening race of the afternoon and therefore first practice and qualifying session in the morning.

Sue Darbyshire was clearly on form and in seven laps brought her times down to an eventual 2m 02.02s, over 1.6 seconds faster than her best last year and good enough for pole position. Exactly 2 seconds adrift and joining Sue on the front row was Christopher Mann who this year had brought his dual-blue Alfa Romeo 8C Monza, so nearly the victor at Silverstone in April. Clive Fidgeon (Frazer Nash TT Replica) headed the second row with the first of the under 1100cc cars, Nigel Dowding’s Riley Brooklands, alongside while Edward Bradley’s Ulster, the first of five Aston Martins on the grid, had James Potter’s Riley Brooklands for company on the third row. A less fortunate Riley Brooklands driver was John Reeve who didn’t manage a full lap in qualifying and would retire from the race after a single tour. Henry Day was also having problems in his Alvis 12/50 but would complete his 3-lap minimum qualification in the second session so he could start the race from the back of the grid.

With all the qualifying sessions completed expeditiously, race time was brought forward by 15 minutes and it was the Alfa Romeo which, with more power and crucially twice as many driven wheels, that got the better of the Morgan to lead the field into the first corner, Coppice. For the next eight laps, Christopher would maintain his advantage with the gap to Sue hovering around four seconds plus or minus a bit as, from the fourth lap, they caught up with the tail-enders and sought a safe way past. Although places did not change, fortunes did and it was always a tense race, a feature ably reflected by the commentary duo led by John Staveley.

Clive Fidgeon’s Frazer Nash held a secure but increasingly isolated third place throughout, pursued initially by fellow Chain-Ganger Jo Blakeney-Edwards in her ‘Nash Super Sports. William Lake (Aston Martin Speed Model), having started from row four, was making up time and after taking fifth place from Edward Bradley, was closing on Jo, depriving her of fourth place on lap 5, the two staying entertainingly close thereafter to the flag.

Nigel Dowding looked set for another class win until he pulled off at Charlie’s on lap three with an unwilling engine which had, he guessed, burnt either a plug or perhaps even a piston. This left James Potter who wasn’t far behind at the time to pick up the class win and a handy few ODM points. Finishing in eighth place, one down on Potter, was Max Sowerby in his black Talbot Lago T23 who likewise won his class, the over 3000cc section, despite not always having the best luck of the draw when it came to lapping slower cars.

Nicholas Morley’s Lagonda LG45 was an unfortunate retirement after five laps during which he had kept very close company with Jonathan Lupton’s Aston Martin Team Car which followed Richard Lake’s Aston 15/98 home in tenth place just ahead of the first two MGs, Tim Sharp’s PB and Andrew Morland’s PA. Thomas Ozanne’s Aston Martin Speed Ulster finished 13th ahead of the other two MGs, Richard Holdsworth’s PB and Hamish McNinch’s PA and Henry Day who brought his Alvis successfully to the flag after his eventful qualifying.

With only two weeks to wait, it’s on to Donington Park for the next round of the 2023 Owner Driver Mechanic Awards. Peter McFadyen

VSCC Silverstone Spring Start 2023: The Fox and Nicholl Trophy

The VSCC Spring Start was back in its correct place in the calendar as the Club’s opening race meeting of the year. The ODM race over 15 minutes for the Fox & Nicholl Trophy attracted a good 30-car entry which included a welcome influx of Bentleys, some spurred on by the need to gather race licence signatures in time for the Le Mans Classic at the end of June. Also joining the usual suspects was Hagen Kranz who brought his Riley Brooklands over from Europe to swell the up to 1100cc ranks.

Practice began on time at 09:00 with the track dry but the sky overcast and Christopher Mann was fast from the outset taking his Alfa Romeo 8C Monza round in 1:21.00 on his very first timed lap which he lowered to 1:18.05 two laps later to secure pole position. A couple more laps to ensure he had recorded the mandatory minimum and he returned to the paddock to await the race which was to be the first of the afternoon. Rob Beebee, meanwhile, worked his Frazer Nash TT Rep steadily down from an initial 1:27.42 to a tenth and final tour in 1:19.11 to join Christopher on the front row. Third fastest and heading the second row was another TT Rep, that of Clive Fidgeon who was not far behind with a very consistent set of lap times, the 11th and fastest of which was completed in 1:19.78.

Completing the second row would be Adam Moody (Riley TT Sprite) and then it was the remarkable Sue Darbyshire (Morgan Super Aero) happily well on the mend from her accident incurred in another dangerous sport – gardening. Max Sowerby’s Talbot Lago T23 was first of the over 3-litre cars in sixth place and Edward Bradley’s Aston Martin Ulster led the fourth row alongside Mark Brett (Ballamy-Ford (LMB) V8 Special). Destined to spend their race in very close company starting side by side from the fifth row were the Riley Brooklands duo of Nigel Dowding and Ian Standing, just 0.2s separating them with Nigel just ahead on 1:25.77. Fastest of the Bentley Boys was Duncan Wiltshire in his 3-Litre who recorded a best of 1:29.19.

Hagen Kranz recorded a very respectable 1:37.44 on his first visit to Silverstone but Mark Hayward was having a difficult time with the FWD Alvis and failed to complete a lap. But he’s a good chap and knows his way around Silverstone so he was allowed to start the race from the back of the grid.

Racing began immediately following the last practice session with the first of two races put on by the Classic and Modern Motorsport Club but the first VSCC race of the year and, importantly, the opening round of this year’s Owner Driver Mechanic Awards came after what seemed quite a long break for lunch. From the start, Christopher Mann and Rob Beebee were straight into what would be a race-long battle for the lead, the blue Alfa leading across the line at the end of lap one but with the Frazer Nash hardly any distance at all behind it. On lap 3, the Nash was ahead and next time around they had already begun to lap the tail-enders. From there on, they continued to trade positions, first one and then the other making the most of tiny advantages gained as they worked their way through traffic. Clive Fidgeon held a relatively secure third place, the gaps ahead of him and behind gradually opening out as the race progressed.

Sue Darbyshire maintained her fifth position from the grid the single driven wheel of the Morgan perhaps not ideal for making the fastest of standing starts but, with the first lap under her belt, she moved ahead of Adam Moody’s Riley and proceeded to secure her fourth place which was also third in the 1101-1500cc class. Max Sowerby also maintained his grid position for the opening two laps before sadly raising an arm as he came round Luffield and pulling the black Talbot Lago onto the grass to retire. Edward Bradley was doing a sterling job keeping his 1½ litre Aston in very close company with Mark Brett in the Ballamy Ford but the bigger car always seemed to get by through Woodcote in time to lead across the line and slowly but surely a gap opened up between them with Mark going on to take sixth place and win the over 3 litre class.

Meanwhile the battle for the overall lead continued as fiercely as ever, the Alfa leading as they crossed the line to complete 10 laps, this time separated by the just-lapped Brooklands Rileys of Dowding and Standing, Ian still glued to the tail of Nigel’s car as he had been all race, the pair leading the 1100cc class. A lap later, Christopher was ahead of Rob by about a second but, as they went into their twelfth and final lap, they were about to lap a group of five cars for the second time. Somehow, somewhere around this lap, Beebee’s Nash managed to close the gap and squeeze by Mann’s Alfa to take the chequered flag by just 0.19 sec and win a very exciting race.

The quintet who followed the winners cross the line, albeit two laps down, and who had also been keeping the spectators entertained throughout, consisted of Richard Pilkington (Alfa Romeo 1750 GS Zagato), David Saxl (Roesch Talbot  AV105), Jonathan Lupton (Aston Martin), Nicholas Morley (Lagonda LG45) and Vivian Bush (Bentley 3 Litre), a truly varied group of cars illustrating part of the reason for ODM’s popularity. Peter McFadyen

VSCC Mallory Park 2022: The Mallory Mug

The final race of the VSCC calendar was eagerly anticipated as four of our protagonists vied for the 2022 ODM award. Sue Darbyshire (Morgan Super Aero) had been on the podium on each of the four preceding races: the programme note predicted a close race to include Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford V8), Max Sowerby (Talbot-Lago T23) and Adam Moody (Riley TT Sprite Replica), Mark having accumulated two podium places, Max and Adam one each.

The grid lined up with Mark on pole alongside Sue, with Adam and Edward Bradley (Aston Martin Ulster) on the second row and Max on the third. As anticipated, Mark made his usual ‘rocket-propelled start’ and Adam also passed Sue, the trio followed closely by Edward and Max. Sue carried great speed through Gerard’s and passed Adam on Stebbe straight, closed on Mark at the Esses and taking a wide line around Shaw’s hairpin, passed Mark at the exit; she was not to be challenged for the remainder of the race.

At the end of lap one Sue was followed by Mark, Adam, Edward and Max across the line followed by Jo Blakeney-Edwards and David Johnson (both in Frazer Nash Super Sports), with Barry Foster (MG Montlhery) in a close group. The race proceeded in the same order up to lap four, when the front runners first came to lap the slower part of the field. Here and on several successive laps, Sue was able to pass on Kirby straight before the braking point for Gerard’s, leaving the rest of the front runners with more difficult manoeuvres. By lap five Max had sped up, passing Edward and Adam to move into third position. Your reporter noted that Max’s new tyres were clearly being well scrubbed-in under the pressure of competition!

In the midfield there was little change of position throughout, the final order resolved by lap six when Chris Cadman (MG Montlhery) passed Dennis Johnson (Frazer Nash Colmore). There was momentary excitement on lap seven as Trevor Swete (Invicta S Type) entertained the spectators with a well-held slide at the exit of Devil’s Elbow, though maintaining his position in the process.  

In the final laps Max kept Mark under pressure, closing close enough, had he wanted, to put tyre marks on the rear of the Ballamy. Mark held on impressively, as he had done when Adam had challenged earlier in the race. However on lap 9 the backmarkers were making life difficult for the leaders and Mark was baulked, leaving Max to take advantage and pass him. On the following lap, in a reversal of fortune, Max chose the wrong position in the pack and Mark managed to repass, running wide but keeping two wheels safely inside the white line. Max held on to finish 0.3sec behind Mark, with Adam 1.1sec behind Max. Sue had maintained a 4sec lead ahead of Mark to take the chequered flag.

Our spectators were unanimous that this had been a brilliant race with anything possible in the battle for second and third places. Fourteen marques of car were represented in the race and there was excitement throughout the field, with close racing in several separate groupings of car and some classic David and Goliath combinations (Trevor Swete, Barry Foster and William Way (Austin 7 Ulster), Andrew Morland (MG PA), Andy Baker (Riley Brooklands) and Nicholas Morley (Lagonda LG45)), epitomising the ethos of the Owner Driver Mechanic series and demonstrating the success of the formula.

Sue was awarded the Mallory Mug and also the ODM trophy, with Max taking second place in the aggregate award and Adam third. Mark had driven superbly through the season, but having missed Silverstone was out of contention, despite a final tally of three podiums. Ian Standing

Oulton Park Gold Cup 2022: The Egerton Cup / Bill Phillips Trophy

The Egerton Trophy race at the Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting was round four of the Owner Driver Mechanic series and featured a small but very select group that included four of the main protagonists from this year’s series: Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford, Adam Moody’s Riley Sprite, Max Sowerby’s Talbot Lago and myself with the Morgan. We seem to have been locked together at every event so far and it has been largely down to the circuit and the backmarkers to determine who has come out on top. Having come in lately to the ODM series I have to say that I have enjoyed racing against these guys this season more than any other recently; they are fast and safe and I would trust them all implicitly….I do hope they see me in the same way!

Practice was problematic for me, the car dropping onto one cylinder frequently then cutting back onto two, and I felt that fuel starvation was the issue. I came into the pit lane and George was able to wind up the fuel pressure and we got most of a lap in before the chequered flag, with more of it on two cylinders than one. Luckily I came out of the pit lane right behind Max and followed him round, which was a good gauge to our performance.

Overnight we (I say we, but I really mean George) changed a few more things on the carburation and we started the race with no great confidence of having solved the issues. If you watch the rear facing footage that Mark has posted on you tube from his car you will see that he engaged his rocket boosters off the line, I have never seen a car jump away so quickly, he left us all standing. The Morgan, having only two speeds, is geared for 60-70mph in bottom gear at Oulton and this does not lend itself to a quick getaway. However once it picks up we are good to go and I chased first Max then Adam round the first lap, and was lucky enough to take the lead from Mark by diving up the inside at Lodge, the classic block pass overtake. I then started praying that the fuel gremlins would not return. There was some loss of performance on the long fast corners but we held the lead until the chequered flag so I was really delighted to win the race. It was just a shame that we didn’t get a podium celebration and even more of a shame that more of the ODM crowd didn’t support it. There were a lot of spectators at the event, including a lot of people who don’t normally see vintage cars racing. Many of them told us that they didn’t know cars like ours still raced at all so it was a good shop window for our series. Sue Darbyshire

Oulton Park is a five hour drive each way for us but worth every mile; a great circuit for our cars and for spectators and fun to watch the HSCC races. There was a huge and enthusiastic crowd.

 We missed a good few regulars, so this time it was a case for our V8 grunt vs. thoroughbred handling. Sue got past me on the first lap and despite my best efforts she just pulled away. Around mid-race the gap closed and naturally I assumed this was due to my innate superior skill. Of course it wasn’t, she had a fuel problem, but my burst of ego got me into a hairy moment at Lodge corner, closely followed by another one at Old Hall. Whoops, calm down, Adam Moody was right behind but safely held off to the line. Mark Brett

This sunny July Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting marked the one year anniversary of my acquiring the Riley TT Sprite Rep from Josh Sharp. After resolving a few technical issues, the car and I are getting to know each other nicely.  I arrived on Saturday afternoon to the sound of magnificent historic racers circulating on the track. It had been 25 years since my last visit to Oulton Park; the circuit was unchanged but the paddock was quite different. Qualifying was warm and dry and I managed a lap time that placed me on the front row, next to Mark Brett who had gone 0.765 seconds faster. With Sue and Max on the row behind, this was going to be close! 

What followed on Sunday was an exciting race where Mark got to the first corner first and then we settled into a furious dice to the flag, whilst Sue, her engine now on song, disappeared into the distance and a well-deserved win.  I took third, close behind Mark at the flag and 8 seconds behind the winner. My first VSCC podium! I also managed to secure fastest lap. Adam Moody

Oulton Park, wonderful and worth the M5 and M6 toils! I arrived with warnings of paddock chaos ringing in my ears, but not so bad; found a space and soon the other vultures (aka VSCC Racers) gathered to make a feast of the weekend. Practice seemed to go well, until afterwards Ian Standing told me via his smart phone grid plan etc. (what’s wrong with those nice bits of foolscap papery stuff with printing on) that I was near the front with some hairy stuff behind me.

Assembled and gridded, chatted with fellow drivers and then off to the merry go round! I had a mile of V12 in front almost filling my own grid box, and would have made a very good lifeboat hanging from the rear! Lights and off, soon passed by hairy monsters, one of which decided to go grass mowing after Cascades, but soon settled  into a rhythm fending off a Riley and trying to catch a Lagonda. Missed my chance when it went wide at Esses, but no harm to all concerned, though annoyingly passed by a Morgan. Discovered later that he had spent the night changing engines (the 3 litre one went in under cover of darkness) so well driven Sir! A good race with lots of action, all good mannered, just waiting for Mallory now! Barry Foster

VSCC Silverstone 2022: The Fox and Nicholl Trophy

Our 2022 Spring Start having been held at Cadwell Park, Silverstone was moved to July on anything but a spring day, with proper summer weather and corresponding temperatures in the lead-up to record breaking highs. However our cars appeared to be coping well and there was no great evidence of overheating as the meeting progressed. We were delighted to see John Guyatt for the afternoon, fittingly arriving in his splendid red Alfa Romeo GTC, transforming the ODM environs into a facsimile of the Italian Riviera.

The programme had omitted Sue Darbyshire and Andy Baker, misleading our Fox and Nicholl Trophy commentary writer into an erroneous prediction, Sue proving to be a key figure both in the race and in the results. Andy bravely appeared for two laps, but had to retire with engine problems.

 Ross Keeling in the Delahaye 135MS had taken pole position, with Christopher Mann in the Alfa 8C Monza alongside. Adam Moody in the Riley TT Sprite replica and Sue Darbyshire in the Morgan Super Aero sat on the second row, Max Sowerby in the Talbot Lago T23 and Clive Fidgeon in the Frazer Nash Boulogne on the third.

As the leaders first passed your scribe at Brooklands, Keeling held the lead from Mann with Derbyshire ahead of Moody and Sowerby, closely followed by Fidgeon and Jo Blakeney-Edwards in the Frazer Nash Super Sports. Trevor Swete in the Invicta S Type had already passed Nigel Dowding in the Riley Brooklands and those positions were maintained throughout the race, Swete going on to finish three seconds ahead.

As the race progressed to the fourth lap, Keeling still held the lead from Mann with Darbyshire pulling ahead of Moody, who in turn held Sowerby at bay. Behind that group Fidgeon led from Blakeney-Edwards, the two together for the entire race and never far apart. Mann made a successful move on Keeling on lap 5 and pulled away, the other positions remaining constant until lap seven when Keeling spun at Luffield, smelling petrol and suspecting a competitor’s leaking filler cap. This let Darbyshire and Moody through, Keeling taking two laps to regain his second place. The following lap Sowerby spun at the same place, but retook the track without losing position.

As Mann took the apex of Brooklands on lap eight, Swete and Guy Northam in the Bentley 4.5 were abreast, and as the three cars attempted to take the same corner Northam went four wheels off, skillfully regaining the track without losing place. There were no further thrills and spills in the Luffield complex and Mann took the flag followed by Keeling and Derbyshire. Moody was fourth followed by Sowerby, Fidgeon profiting by Sowerby’s spin to finish a mere 1.2 seconds behind.

There were remarkably few midfield battles with only Swete, Nicholas Morley in the Lagonda LG45 and Andy Cawley in the Frazer Nash Super Sports making places from their grid positions. Barry Foster in the MG Montlhery ran in his own space for most of the race, the anticipated dice with Baker over within one lap. A father and daughter exhibition of Richard and Alex Pilkington in similar Alfa Romeo 1750s also failed to materialise when Richard’s car failed after two laps. Sadly Richard Wiseman’s Delage DIS and Henry Day’s Alvis 12/50 also failed on track, two properly standard and modified sports cars, the likes of which are to be encouraged in the ODM awards. Other casualties on the day were John Reeve in the Riley Brooklands in practice and Tim Wadsworth’s Lagonda 2 litre, which unfortunately failed on the way to the circuit.

Our mixed formula once again provided exciting racing, if not unpredictable results. We hope for a good and representative turnout at the Gold Cup meeting to be held at Oulton Park later in the month. Ian Standing

VSCC Donington Park 2022: The Redgate Mug

Flaming June, who graced us with her presence at the start of the Jubilee weekend had departed, and our competitors were faced with persistent rain and cold temperatures throughout the day. Nevertheless our collective delight at returning to Donington Park was much evident, and we were pleased to be following once again in the wheel tracks of so many racing greats on this important pre-war GP circuit.

Our ever-popular cars were lined up for a grid walk in the lunch break and many of the spectators braved the rain and came to look and talk to the drivers ahead of the first race. The programme notes had predicted strong showings from Cadwell’s recent protagonists and sure enough, Christopher Mann in pole with the Alfa Monza and Max Sowerby in the Talbot-Lago T23 closed out the front row, with Mark Brett in the Ballamy-Ford V8 and Sue Darbyshire in the Morgan Super Aero on the second. As the grid left for the green flag lap we were surprised to find Trevor Swete in the Invicta S Type lurking at the rear of the grid, as his transponder had not been operating during practice. Both he and Simon Jackson in the MG PB appeared to have had the same problem, neither allocated a lap time. Jonathan Lupton in the Aston LM Team car was given a practice time, but started from the pit lane behind the other cars.

As the red lights went off, Mann and Sowerby romped away with Mann first into Redgate, closely followed by Darbyshire, Brett and Jeremy Flann in the Frazer Nash Super Sports. At the completion of laps one and two those positions remained constant with the exception of Sowerby, who had slid onto the gravel at the chicane and emerged in fifth position; Swete had already powered through to the midfield. As the two leaders passed the start line for lap three followed by Jeremy Flann, Edward Bradley in the Aston Martin Ulster and Nigel Dowding in the Riley Brooklands, the race was red flagged and the cars returned slowly to the grid. Mann and Darbyshire circulated slowly and passed the stationary cars to take their place at the front.  Donington Park is trialling light boards to supplement flag signals, and these were well-used for the racing this weekend. They appeared highly effective in the poor conditions and were clearly visible for the entire length of the circuit.

 The only thing visible from the stands was a tractor with sweeper attachment clearing the gravel from the chicane; however the arrival of an ambulance heading to the unseen lower part of the track signified another problem. Simon Jackson had had an incident with his MG PB and was taken to hospital in Derby, suffering broken ribs but walking and in good spirits; we wish him a speedy recovery.

After a long wait there was renewed activity amongst the marshals and to our surprise, the grid was reformed to the original start positions, Swete ignominiously pushed back to the rear. Mark Morgan in the Frazer Nash Shelsley had already taken the opportunity to retire and the grid departed for a second green flag lap.

Some 10 minutes over the allotted time, the red lights went off again and Mann took a lead he was not to forfeit for the entire race. Sowerby made a slower start this time and was behind Darbyshire and Brett at Redgate, with Flann and Bradley in hot pursuit. As the race progressed for a full 15 minutes the field spread out, but Darbyshire maintained a close and constant distance behind Mann leaving Sowerby, Brett, Flann and Jo Blakeney-Edwards in the Frazer Nash Super Sports to jostle for third, fourth and fifth positions. Jeremy Flann emerged in third place three-quarters through and in a late move, Blakeney-Edwards passed Brett to take the charge to Sowerby, but finished in fifth some 6 seconds behind. In the mid-field there was close racing between Bradley, Dowding and Stamm in the Aston Martin 2 Litre Speed who finished seventh, eighth and ninth respectively. Simon Edwards’ early challenge ended in his retirement with the Morgan Aero Supersports and Swete came from the back to finish exactly half-way through the field.

Andy Baker in his diminutive Riley Brooklands survived pressure from Hugh Apthorp in the 4.5 Bentley blower and David Saxl in the Talbot AV105 to finish 15th; Christopher Edmondson in the MG C Type similarly holding off Nicholas Morley in the Lagonda LG45. Once again the brilliance of this formula with cars in four classes of engine size competing with one another on track produced exciting racing and some very interesting results, cubic capacity no guarantee of success and the differences in size, chassis, number of wheels, handling and brakes all demonstrable from no fewer than fourteen manufacturers. Ian Standing

VSCC Spring Start Cadwell Park 2022: The Melville and Geoghegan Trophies

Thanks to His Grace the Duke of Richmond, an unfortunate clash of dates forced the club to seek an alternative date for the Spring Start meeting traditionally held at Silverstone, which could not offer an alternative date in April. A vacant slot for the Easter Saturday was available at Cadwell Park a week later than the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, usually calendared in March, which had thrown a spanner in the works.

Nevertheless there was a good overall entry spread over 12 races, ours incorporating the Melville and Geoghegan Trophies for Standard and Modified Sports-Cars, which we endeavour to encourage and support. The genius of this ODM group gives opportunities for cars of varying engine size and performance to compete with and against each other across the board, so that there is the possibility of silverware and accolades across the spectrum of original and mildly modified road-going sports cars, with aggregate class winners at the end of the season.

The Club was favoured with brilliant warm sunshine (which ironically Goodwood did not enjoy) in the upland wolds of North Lincolnshire, so we all benefitted in other ways to enjoy the challenges of this attractive circuit venue. With our event being the second on the card, practice was an early session and the outcome was very much to the form book as predicted in the programme preface, to be contested from the front between Sue Darbyshire in her Morgan Super Aero, Max Sowerby favouring his ex-John Black Talbot-Lago T23, Adam Moody in his newly-acquired Riley TT Sprite, Mark Brett’s very familiar Ballamy-Ford V8 Special. Adam Moody achieved pole position (2:00.76) from Brett (2:02.67) with Darbyshire third fastest (2:03.82) and Sowerby alongside (2:05.65). The faster upper midfield runners included the Aston Martin duo of Richard Lake’s 15/98 Speed Model and Edward Bradley’s Ulster, matched against the Frazer-Nash pairing of Jeremy Flann and Charles Pither in Ulster variants.

Brett made a powerful start, taking the lead which he never relinquished, but hotly pursued throughout by the very evenly matched trio of the two front rows of the grid. On the initial lap the order was therefore Brett ahead from Sowerby, Darbyshire and Moody, followed by Lake’s Aston and Flann’s ‘Nash, then Bradley’s A-M Ulster and Nigel Dowding’s very rapid Riley Brooklands who in turn had Simon Edwards chasing along in his Morgan Aero Sport. The midfield runners comprised John Guyatt (Le Patron) in his familiar pale blue Talbot-Lago and Christopher Mann with his delectable Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio, the oldest car in the race; whilst further on down the field more individual battles were being formulated between varying sized machinery but of similar capability trying to match each other, amongst which was newcomer Christ Townsend in his first race outing with his lock-down acquisition of a beautifully prepared Bugatti T37A, unusually presented in dark racing-green.

As the race progressed Moody’s TT Sprite had taken up second place pursuit of the flying Ballamy Ford, with Sowerby and Darbyshire swapping places, so that the outcome was excitingly unpredictable giving the crowd excellent entertainment as the rest of the field spread out with their individual battles continuing. Sadly the anticipated contest between the two evenly matched Riley Brooklands did not materialise due to Ian Standing having to non-start due to mechanical problems following practice. The rapid-pace of the leading cars remained unabated as the race wore on and as they caught the tail enders it created new tension in threading their way through the various mini battles which saw further place swapping between them all, made all the more heightened from my viewpoint between the mountain and the hairpin with its narrow twisting and undulating track to be negotiated at high speed, with the result that on the very last lap coming up past the paddock clubhouse Brett was leading by a safe margin, but the other three in such close proximity disappearing out of sight until reappearing from behind the trees to cheers from the crowd, as along the finishing straight Sue Darbyshire had somehow managed to snatch second place in a truly tight dash to the line from Max Sowerby and Adam Moody finishing fourth, who had the consolation of setting fastest lap at 2.01:16, slightly slower than his pole setting time. Congratulations to Mark Brett on his inaugural ODM win!

5th place went to Jeremy Flann in his ‘Nash, holding off from the Feltham-challengers Lake and Bradley respectively 6th & 7th whilst Nigel Dowding came home in 8th ahead of the hard charging Simon Edwards in his Morgan Aero Supersports. Tenth place went to ‘Le Patron’ John Guyatt who had a race-long tussle just keeping ahead of Christopher Mann in the Targa Florio Alfa. Andrew Morland was the fastest of the small engine class of MGs in 13th overall, nicely ahead of F-N pairing of Andy Cawley (Supersports) and Adam Gentilli (TT Rep) whilst Charles Pither’s Ulster variant had gone off-song and dropped back. Stalwart Hamish McNinch in his MG PA finally got the better of Chris Townsend’s T37A, ahead of the final group of finishers.

Lesley Macalpine’s presence was missed immeasurably due to illness and John was sent home with unanimous best wishes for her speedy recovery. Thanks are due to all members who helped and assisted with setting up of the marquee, and those who generously provided comestibles for all to enjoy during the day, especially to Rebecca Smith for her wonderful home baked sausage rolls and three large boxes of delectable chocolate crispy Easter-egg nests, which surely would have merited a hand-shake from GBBO supremo Paul Hollywood, clearly hugely popular with the ODM fraternity in the rapid manner of their disappearance!  Colin Warrington

VSCC Castle Combe Classic

Hats off to all our competitors (and the high-spirited gang of Frazer Nashes camped alongside us) for an entertaining and exciting finale to the 2021 Season in less-than-ideal conditions – which required hats to be very firmly on! 

Challenging might best describe the Castle Combe Meeting. It was a challenge to ensure that one’s car was still fit and well after the recent flurry of motoring events – and quite a number cried off sick, injured or broken. It was a challenge to find enough fuel to get there as forecourts in many parts of the country ran dry (John Reeve succumbed to this obstacle); and a challenge to securely erect 2 marquees with 40mph overnight winds forecast (which fortunately didn’t materialize). It was certainly a challenge to race in the progressively wetter conditions … and to finish well in the principal challenge of the day, namely the ODM Trophy and Awards, which would be decided by the result of the Castle Combe race. With two of the main Trophy contenders absent, (Ian Standing at 60 points, broken, and Nigel Dowding at 67 points, at Spa) Max Sowerby’s Talbot Lago at 60 points was in a strong position, but he could still be beaten by Simon Blakeney-Edwards at 57 points and/or Clive Fidgeon at 54 points. These two Frazer Nashes, however, faced very stiff competition within their class, both from the two very quick Riley TT Sprites of Tim Kneller and Adam Moody and the two further Nashes of Jeremy Flann and Goodwood-winning driver Eddie Williams. So … the ODM challenge was on!

Practice commenced shortly after the rain began falling in earnest, and the two Frazer Nashes of Simon Blakeney-Edwards and Clive Fidgeon (which seem to enjoy a damp track!) recorded the two fastest lap times.  Unfortunately though, Clive’s Bolougne II returned to the paddock with an exhaust pipe broken too close to the manifold to be repaired in situ, so he was knocked out of the contest, and Tim Kneller (Riley TT Sprite rep) was elevated to 2nd place on the start-grid behind Simon on Pole. Another casualty of Practice was the Frazer Nash Nurburg driven by Eddie Williams, which blew a head gasket. A more faint-hearted racer might have decided that their day was done, but to his credit, Eddie, aided by other Nash spanners, changed the gasket in the pouring rain just in time for the race.

The cars roared off the start-line enveloped in a cloud of spray and it was not until they reached Camp (the last corner) that it became apparent that Jeremy Flann (Frazer Nash 3-seat Tourer) had made a sensational start from the 5th Row to snatch the lead on the opening lap. Pole-man Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) won it back on the second lap, while Tim Kneller (Riley TT Sprite rep), lying in 3rd position, looked this way and that for a way past Flann. Adam Moody, a newcomer to Castle Combe in the other Riley TT Sprite, overtook Ewan Cameron’s 1100cc Morgan Aero Supersport to challenge Oliver Llewellyn’s 4½ litre Bentley for 4th. A mere 4½ seconds separated these 5 cars until Tim Keller overtook Jeremy Flann at Tower and the two front-runners stretched out a lead as they battled for supremacy, the leader Simon Blakeney-Edwards showing more straight line speed while Kneller threatened in the corners. Eddie Williams, still belching smoke from residual oil in the exhaust of the Frazer Nash Nurburg, passed Max Sowerby (Talbot Lago T120) to chase down Ewan Cameron’s Morgan and take 6th. After a brief attempt at a comeback, Ewan slowed considerably, shortly to retire with a broken inlet manifold. Eddie Williams (Frazer Nash Nurburg) then managed to outmanœuver Oliver Llewellyn’s Bentley, despite having little extra pace (their best lap times, both achieved on Lap 5, were comparable). Adam Moody (Riley TT Sprite) recorded the race’s 3rd fastest lap-time and had been pursuing the front-runners when he came to an abrupt halt on lap 8 …he had run out of petrol! (Perhaps he hadn’t factored in the demands of a longer-than-usual practice session and 20 minute race?).

Some distance behind the spray emanating from this front group (and the Nurburg’s smog!), Max Sowerby (Talbot Lago T120) and Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford V8) found some relatively clear air, racing round in close order and eventually coming home 5½ seconds apart in 6th and 7th. ODM newcomer Adrian Moore in the supercharged F Type led the MG contingent, having overtaken Barry Foster’s MG Montlhery and Edward Bradley’s Aston Martin Ulster to finish a commendable 8th. Andrew Morland also gained ground in his MG PA, enjoying a very close race with Edward Bradley, eventually finishing less than 3 seconds ahead in 9th with the Aston Martin Ulster 10th. Tim Sharp (MG PB) and Mark Hayward (Alvis 12/75 FWD) both spent several laps dicing with and ultimately overtaking John Guyatt (Talbot Lago T150C), who was risking nothing, intent only on crossing the finish-line for the first time this season (which he did!). Tim Sharp and Mark Hayward finished a few seconds apart in 11th and 12th, while the two MG Montlherys of Barry Foster and David Cooksey were separated by a few seconds some distance behind John. It was wonderful to see Nick Lees back on our grid in his splendidly original (ex - Monte Carlo) Riley Sprite, keeping company with Martin Nash (Frazer Nash SS), who finished on his coat-tails 1¾ seconds adrift.

The race-leaders, Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) and Tim Kneller (Riley TT Sprite) entertained us with a fiercely competitive duel. It wasn’t long before Tim had wrenched the lead from Simon, but Simon wasn’t giving in, never letting Tim out of his sight. At times Kneller seemed unbeatable, but Blakeney-Edwards kept up the pressure. With 2 or 3 laps to run, Simon stepped up the pace and got his Nash alongside the Riley in the Esses; he then went on to record the fastest time of the race on his penultimate lap, finally overtaking Kneller to claim victory. Tim Kneller crossed the line just over a second later to take 2nd place in the Riley TT Sprite rep. Jeremy Flann held onto 3rd place in his Frazer Nash SS 3-seater after Adam Moody’s fuel crisis eliminated his Riley TT Sprite. Eddie Williams (Frazer Nash Nurburg) did well to finish 4th (still smoking!) 4 secs ahead of Oliver Llewellyn (Bentley 4½ litre) in 5th.

It was an impressive race, the competence and perseverance of our drivers in the face of all the day’s challenges matched only by the steadfast attention of the spectators. To my amazement, rows of multi-coloured brollies lined the banking as far as the eye could see, the crowds braving the heavy rain to enjoy the racing throughout the afternoon.  (I’m told that some 30 car clubs were also very well supported, many sporting period costumes – they’ve got to be mad, these car enthusiasts!)

So, as our 2021 Season drew to a close, Simon Blakeney-Edwards’s spectacular victory earned him the Owner Driver Mechanic Trophy in his Frazer Nash SS, while Max Sowerby’s performance in the Talbot Lago T120 secured 2nd place overall. Commiserations to Clive Fidgeon whose misfortunes excluded him from the honours (though he did hold onto 2nd in Class).

Well done to all the prize-winners and, indeed, to everyone who has supported us during this challenging year.  We look forward to better times to come!  Lesley Macalpine

VSCC Mallory Park 2021: The Mallory Mug

Great expectations attended the Mallory Park Race Meeting: the long-awaited allocation of two races for the ODM, allowing sufficient capacity and an appropriate grid-place for all our entrants, whether fast or slow, was much anticipated. And, indeed, the new format did not disappoint.

First out were the slower cars, and what a sensational race it proved to be! Manifold MGs dominated the front of the grid with Duncan Potter (MG C Type) on pole alongside Christopher Scott-Mackirdy in his Aston Martin Le Mans; Barry Foster (MG Montlhery) and Simon Jackson (MG PB) on the second row; and Christopher Mann’s historic 1924 Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio alongside Christopher Edmondson’s MG C Type rep on Row 3. Andrew Morland’s MG PA had been destined for a front-row start but a shackle pin failure, though hastily replaced in time for the race, excluded him from the grid.

For the first two laps of the race it was impossible to discern what was going on as the tight-knit field hurtled round and round too closely grouped to unravel. One thing was clear though: the two cars from the 4th Row, Tim Sharp (MG PB) in his first-ever race and William Way (Austin 7 Ulster), out with us after a 10-year absence, had made excellent starts. By lap 3, Barry Foster (MG Montlhery), also out racing after a protracted abstention, had overtaken Christopher Scott-Mackirdy’s Aston Martin Le Mans and snatched Duncan Potter’s early lead; Tim Sharp (MG PB) had moved up into 2nd position behind him and William Way (Austin 7 Ulster) had progressed to 4th behind the Aston in 3rd. Simon Jackson (MG PB) followed, with Duncan Potter (MG C Type), Christopher Mann (Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio) and a stream of others in their wake. William Way briefly moved up into 3rd before losing his place to the Aston again and retiring on lap 6. From then on, Barry Foster steadily extended his lead to some 7 seconds, clearly finding his old form once more and taking the chequered flag in his MG Montlhery for a well-earned win. Tim Sharp made an amazing racing debut claiming 2nd place in his MG PB. Christopher Mann gradually picked off the cars ahead in the latter stages of the race to finish 3rd in the Alfa with two of his victims, Christopher Scott-Mackirdy (Aston Martin Le Mans) and Duncan Potter (MG C Type) not far behind in 4th and 5th. Simon Jackson enjoyed a good race, finishing 7th in his MG PB, as did Mark Hayward (Front Wheel Drive Alvis FD 12/75) who overtook Christopher Edmondson (MG C Type rep) early in the race to finish some way ahead of the next group of cars in 8th.

The action in the mid-field was equally exciting:  Early in the race, Dennis Johnson (Frazer Nash Colmore) made sterling progress up the field from his 9th Row start to sit on Edmondson’s tail (then lying 9th) with Chris Cadman (MG Montlhery) and Andy Baker (Riley Brooklands) in hot pursuit. For several laps they circulated in close order until Cadman, swiftly followed by Baker, overtook Johnson mid-race. In the closing laps, the pair also got the better of Christopher Edmondson (MG PB) as he sought to lap another agglomeration of cars, so finishing in 9th and 10th respectively. A few seconds adrift, David Cooksey driving the other MG Montlhery had a great race with Andy King (MG PB Cream Cracker), who had charged through from the Row behind him to lead the next group, pursued by Bill Rosten (GN 11.9 Annie) and Yushan Ng (Frazer Nash SS), both starting from the Row in front. Cooksey overtook Rosten on the start-finish straight of lap 3/4 and soon regained the place lost to King  to finish in 14th ahead of King and Rosten, while Yushan Ng was compelled to retire in the Frazer Nash SS, misfiring.

Nicholas Bennett had driven over all the way from Ireland in his Alvis Silver Eagle (through some pretty awful weather!) to celebrate The Alvis Centenary and race with us for the first time in many years.  Starting at the back of the last group alongside another Alvis celebrant, Bennett overtook 5 cars and made a marked improvement on his practice times, not quite enough, though, to catch Andy Cawley’s Frazer Nash SS, which led the final pack from the early stages. The other Alvis, Henry Day’s Speed 20, also made up ground at the start and enjoyed a very close race with Tim Wadsworth (Lagonda 2 litre Tourer) and Vivian Bush (3 litre Bentley) before retiring on the 9th lap. Wadsworth and Bush continued to battle it out, finishing a second apart in that order. Afterwards, Vivian observed that Tim’s Lagonda took up a lot of track and was impossible to pass, to which Tim countered “well, that’s the point, isn’t it? – to stop you overtaking!” The two newcomers, John Wiseman (Frazer Nash Interceptor) and Paul Bullett, whose Chrysler 77 Roadster had last competed 50 years ago, enjoyed a close race, exchanging places several times and crossing the line 2/3rds of a second apart. Hugh Apthorp (Frazer Nash TT rep), now competing at his 2nd race meeting, drove well in the midfield until something occurred which brought him into the pits for a while. His performance in the next ODM race, however, showed a marked improvement and demonstrated that he might have been capable of a 12th place finish on his first sortie – “if only ” and all that!

The ODM Race for the faster cars was no less excellent, even though the grid was slightly depleted by the absence of Marcus Black, an eleventh-hour scratch due to total brake failure (better then than on the track!), Duncan Potter, hoping for a 2nd outing but constrained by the race timetable, and Ian Standing who sadly lost oil pressure in practice and ran the big ends, putting paid to the rest of his season. 

The grid lined up with Adam Moody on Pole (out for the first time in the Riley 12/4 TT Sprite acquired from Josh Sharp after his nail-biting win at Cadwell Park in June) alongside Sue Darbyshire in her Morgan Super Aero. As the flag dropped, Sue sped into an early lead chased by Max Sowerby, who got a blistering start from the 2nd Row in his 3 litre Talbot Lago. Moody’s Riley TT Sprite held onto 3rd place with Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford breathing down his neck in 4th and a trio of Frazer Nashes hard on their heels. The first four extended a short lead on the 2nd lap when the fastest Nash (Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ SS) momentarily strayed into the gravel at Devil’s Elbow; Jono Fenning was a whisker behind him in the Emeryson, having got the better of Clive Fidgeon’s Boulogne II at the start. The two other Morgans, (Ewan Cameron driving the smaller-engined Supersport and Iain Stewart in his Super Aero) had both started from the rear of the grid but soon zoomed through the field to threaten John Guyatt’s Talbot Lago T150C lying a short distance behind in 8th. Next came a group led by the astonishingly speedy Riley Brooklands of Nigel Dowding followed by the dueling Frazer Nash SSs of David Johnson and Hamish Monro, Fred Boothby in his MG J2 and Trevor Swete, powering forward from a poor start-position in his S-Type Invicta. Further back, John Reeve, also flying in his Riley Brooklands, had got the better of Andy Newbound’s Frazer Nash Ulster 100 and Anthony Fenwick-Wilson in the Railton LS Tourer.

By lap 4/5, it became apparent that all was not well. Sue Darbyshire, the race leader, suddenly began losing power intermittently, enabling first Max Sowerby (Talbot Lago T120), then Adam Moody (Riley TT Sprite) and Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford) to overtake before retiring her Morgan Super Aero (with a valve sticking in its guide). Likewise, John Guyatt suffered from bouts of interrupted fuel supply, thereby losing his parry with Ewan Cameron’s Morgan Aero Supersport, and further back in the field, John Reeve developed mechanical problems too; both retired early. Immediately behind the four front-runners meanwhile, Iain Stewart (Morgan Super Aero) had caught the ensuing group of Frazer Nashes, still led by Simon Blakeney-Edwards (SS) but now followed by Clive Fidgeon (Boulogne II) who had finally managed to overtake Jono Fenning’s Emeryson.  

Soon after Sue Darbyshire’s disappearance, Adam Moody (Riley TT Sprite) snatched the lead from Max Sowerby (Talbot Lago T120) and began to open up a stretch of tarmac between them. Max, harried all the while by Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford), thought he’d never catch Moody’s Sprite, but on lap 10 he rounded the Hairpin to find Moody sitting facing him on the exit. Bit between his teeth, Max charged on by in the Talbot Lago, Moody rejoined behind Brett but retired shortly after. By this time, Iain Stewart (Morgan Super Aero) had overtaken the 3 Nashes and was rapidly gaining ground on the leaders. In the closing laps, Iain Stewart overtook Brett’s Ballamy Ford to claim 2nd place just 2 seconds behind the very worthy winner, Max Sowerby in the Talbot Lago T120. Max, a relative newcomer to racing, was delighted with his first-ever race win. Iain Stewart (Morgan Super Aero) did remarkably well to finish a close 2nd after starting at the back of the grid. Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford LMB) came 3rd with Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) less than 2 seconds behind in 4th. Clive Fidgeon (Frazer Nash Boulogne II) and Jono Fenning (Frazer Nash Emeryson) finished less than a second apart in 5th and 6th. A superb race, in spite of the 5 retirements and sundry absentees!

The two-race format proved an overwhelming success, but otherwise the Great Expectations for Mallory turned into A Tale of The Unexpected! Sue Darbyshire might have been expected to win the fast race (after her runaway win at Oulton Park), challenged no doubt by Marcus Black, but neither did.  Ian Standing looked set to consolidate his almost unassailable lead for the ODM Trophy – but it was not to be (he reckons I put a hex on him with my “Murray Walker” predictions at Oulton!) Jo Blakeney-Edwards, hitherto Ian’s only credible Trophy challenger, looked set to secure a Class 2 win, but her unexpected illness put paid to that. (We wish her well for a thorough recovery and look forward to her return in due course.) On a personal note, I had expected John Guyatt, aka Le Patron, to finally start (and FINISH!) a race after his successful outing at Prescott, but no! – an errant foil seal from a Tetraboost bottle lurked in the bottom of the fuel tank, intermittently blocking the pick-up pipe and halting proceedings! Even Mallory’s customary summer-picnic weather proved unpredictable!

So, what can we expect at Castle Combe on October 2nd? Great racing, to be sure, but the outcome of the 2021 ODM Challenge is anyone’s guess. The ODM leader-board has been thrown wide open by events at Mallory, and I am definitely not going to hazard any predictions!

The annual Ppze-giving will take place at Castle Combe in the ODM marquee – do come along to cheer the winners! Martin Lee, with whom many of you will be familiar, is once again kindly donating this season’s prize for the overall winner: an original portrait of the Trophy-winning car, hand-drawn in Indian ink with airbrush colour (after the winner is known!)  We would like to thank Martin for his generosity. Lesley Macalpine

VSCC Oulton Park 2021: The Bill Phillips Trophy

The Oulton Park race meeting felt like a return to some semblance of normality at last. It was certainly sociable, albeit at a respectful distance, even though spectators were still segregated. Additional and unexpected energy was imparted by the least powerful grid in the Paddock: 40-odd light cars and their 70-odd drivers – congratulation to organisers and participants alike for such enthusiastic entertainment! The presence of many former ODM campaigners, competing in other races or supporting friends, also added to the party atmosphere and kept us good ’n’ busy in the hospitality tent!

As we prepared for early morning practice, a light drizzle and overcast skies cast doubt on the day, but it soon brightened and the track, though damp, was not greasy. Jo Blakeney-Edwards puttered straight back into the pits before completing her out-lap … her son Tommy Waterfield rushed to her aid and discovered that all her plug leads were loose, so she practiced in a later session and was therefore relegated to the back of the grid. When Tommy returned to the pit wall to enquire after Simon Blakeney-Edwards, I succumbed to a Murray Walker moment – “oh, yes” I assured him “he’s going really well” – at which point Simon sailed into the pits with a carburation problem! Fortunately, he had already completed 4 laps, recording a best time sufficient to place him 3rd on the grid, and remedial work was easily accomplished later on. Tommy then returned to ask how John Guyatt was doing, to which I merrily replied that the Talbot Lago was running properly at long last - another “Murray moment”! As John returned to the Paddock, he heard a telltale ticking and noticed the engine temperature soar, moments before the car dumped its water all over his parking spot – the head gasket had blown, so he was out of the race (again!). Ewan Cameron, test-driving Simon Edwards’ Morgan Aero Supersport (which he had rebuilt following Simon’s Silverstone debacle), passed the pit wall variously waving his hands or shaking his head, but completed the session nonetheless and subsequent paddock tinkering yielded a considerable improvement in performance. John Reeve, however, was not so fortunate in his Riley Brooklands, retiring with a pushrod problem after 5 good laps, unable to start as a result. Nigel Dowding proved extremely effective in his Riley Brooklands, earning himself a remarkable 5th place start position, two rows ahead of his nearest Class 1 rival, Ian Standing – clearly cycling the circuit the previous evening had paid off. The stand-out performance in practice, however, was Sue Darbyshire in her Morgan Super Aero, finally on song after countless mechanical failures and engine rebuilds over the past two seasons: her excellent lap times secured Pole position.

From the moment that the flag dropped, Sue was away, untouchable as she stretched her lead on the rest of the field, taking the chequered flag (and Bill Phillips Trophy) with a well-earned win. Afterwards she apologized for running away with the race (normally she would have hung back to play) but after all her recent disappointments she was so excited to be running well that she couldn’t resist getting to the end of the race as fast as she possibly could! Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) started behind Sue on the 2nd row and blasted off in her wake, likewise opening up a ¼ lap lead on the ensuing cars to finish a very commendable 2nd. 

Behind the two front-runners the competition was more intense. Clive Fidgeon (Frazer Nash Boulogne II) started on the front row alongside Sue, but was soon challenged by Jon Fenning’s Frazer Nash Emeryson, which had charged up the inside line from the 3rd row chasing Sue and Simon towards Old Hall. Clive and Jon had a really close race throughout, with Fenning finally overtaking Fidgeon mid-race to finish 3rd, a couple of seconds ahead of Clive in 4th. Jeremy Flann pursued the other Frazer Nash variants from the 2nd row of the grid in his 3-seater Tourer, but was soon overtaken by Max Sowerby’s Talbot Lago T120 steaming through from a start position 2 rows back. Max then gradually closed the gap on the dueling Nashes of Fenning and Fidgeon to finish about ½ second behind them in 5th, well ahead of Jeremy Flann in 6th. Notably, Max’s Lago recorded the 3rd fastest lap of the race (after Sue and Simon) – could it have been a podium finish with a bit more consistency, Max?

The next cluster of cars provided good spectator sport: Mark Butterworth’s enormous Lagonda V12 was slightly slower off the line than Sowerby’s more nimble Talbot alongside him, but both powered past Nigel Dowding’s comparatively diminutive Riley Brooklands, while Ian Standing’s Brooklands and Trevor Swete’s Low Chassis Invicta gave chase. As the latter dropped back, the other three continued in close order, Ian Standing overtaking Dowding mid-race only to be retaken on the next lap and eventually getting the upper hand on the last lap to finish 8th behind the V12. Afterwards Mark Butterworth joked that those little Rileys were never going to get past him – “whichever way you look at it, the Lagonda is very big!”

Ewan Cameron in the Morgan Aero Supersport made sterling progress up the field from his poor start position, soon overtaking Trevor Swete to hunt down the Lagonda-Riley trio, before dropping back again, sounding decidedly rough, to nurse the car home in 11th. The next group comprising Andy Newbound (Frazer Nash Ulster 100), Hamish Monro (this time in his splendid Vauxhall 30-98 4-seat Tourer), and Andy Baker (Riley Brooklands) enjoyed a tight race from start to finish, joined in the latter stages by Nicholas Morley, who had worked his way up from the rear of the grid in the Lagonda LG45. On the last lap, Andy Baker succumbed to the superior firepower of the Morley’s Lagonda, while Hamish Monro held him off in the Vauxhall, finishing just ½ second ahead in 13th. Hamish later confessed that it felt like he was driving an Edwardian – without any front wheel brakes – but nevertheless it was enormous fun.

Towards the rear of the field, it was good to see Mark Hayward finally finish a race in his front wheel drive Alvis after his abortive attempts at Silverstone and Cadwell; and to see Bill Rosten back with us again in “Annie”. It was also good to welcome two newcomers, Philip Parkinson (Frazer Nash Bolougne) and Hugh Apthorp (Frazer Nash TT rep), the latter acquitting himself well (and judiciously!) on his very first sortie onto a race-track.

Finally, I turn to the second installment of the Jo Blakeney-Edwards saga. Relegated to the back of the grid, Jo had much riding on this race, as hitherto she had been leading her Class and a close 2nd in the contest for the ODM Trophy. However, as she set off on the green-flag lap, a terrible rattling ensued, so she dived up the service road after Old Hall Corner and back through the Paddock to the pits, during which excursion someone spotted the cause of the racket and sprinted across to enlighten her. The loose undertray duly secured, Jo hastened to start from the pit lane just as the rest of the field roared off the line, but the Marshalls, having not seen her enter the pit lane from the circuit, needed to check her entitlement to race … ½ a lap later, Jo joined the circuit, with a lot of catching up to do! Despite circulating at speeds comparable to the frontrunners, she only managed to finish18th, but it was enough to earn her 4 crucial ODM points, enabling her to retain the lead in Class 2 (just!).

At the end of the 3rd Round, the ODM scoreboard looks somewhat different, with Ian Standing establishing an apparently unassailable lead in the challenge for the Trophy. However, there is still much to play for with two rounds still to go (Mallory on August 22nd and Castle Combe on October 2nd). As Jo Blakeney-Edwards unfortunately demonstrated and Murray Walker would have testified: there is no such thing as a foregone conclusion in motor racing! Lesley Macalpine

VSCC Cadwell Park 2021: The Geoghegan Trophy

The Cadwell Park meeting was the first event since the lockdown was eased and the ODM marquee back in action supplying food and drink. This is where yours truly, having blagged a cup of coffee, lingered too long and was press-ganged into writing this report on proceedings. How appropriate for a retired Merchant Navy officer….

A limited number of spectators were allowed at the meeting but they were prohibited from the paddock area, which was a shame, as half the fun of a VSCC meeting is wandering around looking at cars - but such are the requirements of Covid compliance. Regular announcements were made throughout the day reminding everyone about social distancing and the requirement to wear a mask or helmet when in the assembly area.

It rained during the practice sessions, the lack of adhesion causing some unplanned excursions onto the grass. Slippery conditions meant that practice lap times were considerably slower than those during the race, with nearly all drivers 10 seconds a lap quicker in the dryer conditions. There were some post -practice discussions on lowering front tyre pressures in order to counteract understeer; one driver remarked that a paddle might be of more use!

The ODM race was the first race of the day, programmed to start after the lunch break at 13:00. By this time the rain had stopped and the track was drying out, but damp patches remained under the trees at Hall Bends, Hairpin and Barn.

The cars lined up on the grid with Jonathan Sharp and Simon Blakeney-Edwards on row 1, Jo Blakeney-Edwards and Marcus Black on row 2 and Jeremy Flann and Ian Standing on row 3.

The first lap saw Simon Blakeney-Edwards in the Frazer Nash Super Sports taking the lead from Jonathan Sharp and Marcus Black; they along with the first three rows of the grid would hold the top six places throughout the race. Richard Lake in the Aston Martin Speed Model had got ahead of Andrew Morland in the MG PA to take thirteenth place; Andrew would be back out again later that day for the Triple M race. Mark Hayward in the Alvis FWD had a couple of close laps with Nicholas Morley (Lagonda LG45) before, unfortunately, retiring after lap 4.

By lap 4 Jonathan Sharp in the Riley TT Sprite replica had taken the lead and Simon Blakeney-Edwards was in second place, Marcus Black in third and Jo Blakeney-Edwards in 4th, at which point they were catching up the back markers. On lap 6 Simon Blakeney-Edwards had again taken the lead at Charlie's. It was on this lap, much to the consternation of those behind him, that Christopher Mann, having just completed the fastest lap of 2:01.21, spun the Alfa Romeo Monza so dropping him down the order.

The sun came out during lap 7, improving conditions, but the track was still damp under the trees. On the final lap, those of us watching at the Clubhouse saw Simon Blakeney-Edwards leading into Hall bends, but as they emerged into view from behind the trees on the finishing straight, Simon and Jonathan Sharp were side by side, Jonathan taking the win by a mere 0.02 seconds.

The commentators remarked that if the rest of racing was of such high quality the spectators would be in for a very good day’s motorsport – which they were indeed! Andrew Harrington

VSCC Silverstone Spring Start 2021: The Fox and Nicholl Trophy

VSCC Spring Start heralded a happy release from what seems to have been a long period of hibernation.  A wintery frost soon gave way to a bright, sunny, windless day. Track conditions were ideal and the mood in the paddock was decidedly jolly, albeit in the absence of the ODM hospitality tent. The overwhelming eagerness of ODM entrants to capitalize on our new-found freedom was certainly gratifying, although it gave the race organizers quite a headache. Apologies to all those who ended up on other grids – we hope to avert any over-subscription issue in future but meanwhile please enter early to secure your place on the ODM grid!

Attrition in Practice provided spaces for all reserves to run, though we were sorry to lose Mark Dolton, Winston Teague and Le Patron, along with Duncan Potter whose MG was injured in an earlier race. A few cars were relegated to the back of the grid, having practiced out of session, and Ross Keeling’s Delahaye 135MS started from the rear due to a late driver change. With the fastest car in practice at the back, the grid lined up with Christopher Mann’s Alfa Monza on Pole alongside veteran Fox & Nicholl Trophy winner Richard Pilkington in his historic Talbot Lago T26 SS; Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford V8) and Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) were on the 2nd row.

 At the drop of the flag, there ensued a major shuffling of the pack. By the time the cars had reached the first corner, where your hapless reporter lounged on Copse banking, the position changes were already too numerous to record. Within the first two laps, the lead had changed several times and Sue Darbyshire in the 1929 Morgan three-wheeler had nipped through the field from the 10th row to challenge the front-runners (she had encountered fuelling problems in practice). The Delahaye 135MS, in the hands of Callum Lockie, had weaved through the grid from the back, overtaking 17 cars in the first half-lap. Marcus Black (Talbot Lago T23), who also started at the rear, thought to follow him, but decided on a more cautious, though no less effective, progress through the slower cars. The other two relegated starters, Nigel Dowding in the splendidly original Riley Brooklands and Martin Nash in a Frazer Nash SS, also made good progress up the field.

By the 3rd lap, Christopher Mann (Alfa Romeo Monza) had wrested the lead from Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ brief tenure (in a Frazer Nash SS) and began to pull away from Richard Pilkington, now lying in 2nd position with the Talbot LagoT26. Callum Lockie, meanwhile, had worked his way forward to challenge Sue Darbyshire as she entered Luffield. The Delahaye, monstrous by comparison to Sue’s diminutive Morgan Super Aero, dived on the inside but respectfully held his line as Sue whizzed round the outside of the complex before having to concede defeat on the straight. Sue retired shortly afterwards when a piston picked up, but she was well-pleased, having recorded the fastest lap for a vintage car and the 4th fastest lap overall. 

It wasn’t long before the Delahaye 135 had overtaken Richard Pilkington’s Talbot Lago and held Christopher Mann’s Monza in his sights. Christopher, however, rose to the challenge and for several laps kept the Delahaye a comfortable distance behind; Pilkington maintained his 3rd position unchallenged. Meanwhile, Simon Blakeney-Edwards had retired after an electrical wire became detached and Marcus Black in the Talbot Lago T23 had worked his way through to the cluster of cars behind the front-runners, all of whom were having a grand race with each other, and moved up into 4th. In due course, the Delahaye caught the Monza and gained the lead, but, undeterred, Mann continued to give chase until, on the very last lap, he pressed too hard at Becketts and went straight on into the gravel. Although he rejoined the track and could have registered an 8th place finish, he entered the pits and was not classified.

At the end of an eventful race, Callum Lockie driving Ross Keeling’s Delahaye 135MS won decisively, carrying off The Fox & Nicholl Trophy for a Delahaye for the first time in its almost 50-year history. 

2nd place went to Richard Pilkington, patient, reliable and deceptively quick in the Talbot Lago T26 SS, 3rd was taken by Marcus Black in his Talbot Lago T23 after a sterling drive from the back of the grid. Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford) enjoyed a challenging race harassed by a bevy of Nashes, some of whom failed to finish, coming in 4th, ¾ second ahead of Jo Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) in 5th. There was tremendous racing to be seen among this group of 8 finishers, even after the additional 3 Frazer Nashes of Simon Blakeney-Edwards, Chris Chilcott and Jeremy Flann had retired (the latter’s exit was particularly alarming as he hastened to the fire-point inside Copse Corner with flames billowing beneath the cockpit). A few seconds behind Jo, Clive Fidgeon in his Frazer Nash Boulogne II (indecently nudged along the way by the Delahaye) finished a creditable 6th just ½ second ahead of Max Sowerby (Talbot Lago T120) in 7th, both drivers significantly improving upon their best practice times. A few seconds behind them, Mark Butterworth (V12 Lagonda) and Nick Pellett (Talbot 105 Fox & Nicholl Team Car) had a spirited race, crossing the line ¼ second apart in 8th and 9th, with Nick winning the handicap prize. Hard on their heels, Ian Standing (Riley Brooklands) and Chris Ball (Invicta S Type) sped home in 10th and 11th with just a whisker between them.

Some way behind, another quartet of cars enjoyed close competition: David Johnson’s Frazer Nash SS, Christopher Scott-Mackirdy’s Aston Martin Le Mans and the 2 Riley Brooklands of John Reeve and Nigel Dowding.  The first 3 crossed the line with ½ second between them and Nigel, who had done exceptionally well to finish 15th after starting 38th on the grid, came in close behind. A misdemeanour in practice, however, cost Christopher Scott-Mackirdy 2 places in the final results, pushing him down to 16th after a 5-second penalty was added. Further action could be seen throughout the other half of the field, and with 29 finishers there was much for the spectator to relish – had any been present! The meeting was limited to participants only, but, all being well, spectators will be permitted once again at Cadwell.

In addition to the capacity entry in Race 6, the ODM also had overflow entrants running in 3 other races.Their results, based on average lap speeds, have been incorporated into the ODM scoreboard. The 2 Invictas of Ned Harris and Trevor Swete (high chassis and low chassis respectively) raced with the Racing Cars (“a bit daunting” as they included Pre-1961 machines) as well as the fast handicap. The 2 MG PB Cream Crackers of Richard Frankel and Andy King raced in the slower handicap along with Clive Temple’s Riley Brooklands and Vivian Bush’s 3 litre Bentley. Robert Blakemore (Aston Martin Speed) had a tremendous race in the Allcomers Scratch, just pipping Mark Brett (on a 2nd outing in the Ballamy Ford) by 0.18 seconds. Mark said it was the hardest race he’d run, while Blakemore’s impressive result propelled him to the top of the ODM scoreboard in Class 3. Newcomer Alex Jones (in the ex-Bradford Riley Brooklands), David Cooksey (MG Montlhery) and Scott Hughes also ran, the latter sadly retiring mid-race in his Riley Brooklands.

Our commiserations to those who suffered mechanical failures, in particular Simon Edwards whose Morgan lost a valve-head on the line, and others with valve problems, split hoses, loose wires and so forth. We hope you are all up and running in time to join us again soon.

Historical footnote:  The Fox & Nicholl Trophy Race, launched shortly after Arthur Fox’s death to commemorate the remarkable achievements of their racing partnership in the late 1920’s and ‘30’s, is open to pre-war sports cars over 2950cc (or 2213cc if supercharged) in recognition of the pair’s most notable successes campaigning Roesch Talbots.  The Trophy itself, an Art Deco onyx-faced mantle-clock, was originally awarded to A.W. Fox’s Lagonda after the 1936 BRDC 5OO Miles Race. It was pleasing therefore to see Nick Pellett’s Talbot 105 Team Car on the grid along with several Lagondas, including two 2 litre models (Bob Nicholl’s example was the first car the pair ever raced back in 1927), a splendid twin-cam Sunbeam, three Bentleys and indeed all the cars and drivers, whether long-standing ODM competitors, occasional participants or racers new to our grid. We look forward to seeing you out again as Spring turns to Summer and the racing season resumes in earnest. Lesley Macalpine

VSCC Mallory Park 23rd August 2020: The Mallory Mug

Back on track! Racing resumed at last, albeit at a rather different kind of meeting. A lot of hard work had gone into making the Mallory Race Meeting happen, for which we must all be grateful. In particular, the Grid and Marque Co-ordinators had done well to muster some splendid grids: a formidable line-up of Frazer Nashes, stretching half-way down the paddock, an array of Austins, an ever-gregarious gang of MGs and an impressive field of pre- and post-war racing cars. The ODM grid was slightly depleted due to the loss of 3 Bentleys and Christopher Mann’s Monza (last seen belching black smoke from under the bonnet), all casualties of the previous day’s BDC meeting at Silverstone. Sue Darbyshire had a doubly disappointing weekend, having broken her Morgan Super Aero at Silverstone and fetched the other Morgan for Mallory, only to break the crank on the first lap of practice – better luck next time out, Sue!

We were pleased, however, to welcome one Silverstone-surviving Bentley to our grid – the well-campaigned 3-litre tourer of Vivian Bush, as well as Nigel Dowding’s rustically original steel-bodied Riley Brooklands, Josh White’s Austin 7 Ulster, Jeremy Flann in a Frazer Nash 3-Seat Tourer and Scott Hughes in another Riley Brooklands.

The day started in a remarkably relaxed manner – no queueing for signing-on and pushing cars up to scrutineering (all online); no dash to set up the hospitality tent (novel for me!). Even the paddock seemed more spacious with spectators confined to the outside slopes, so parking and unloading was a breeze.

Perhaps it was all a little too laid back for one competitor, who was caught rather unprepared when the cars headed out for first practice and hit the barriers at the Esses, causing the session to be red-flagged after two laps. Although the session was shortened, the ODM grid positions were set according to first practice times. Consequently, the line-up was rather jumbled with some smaller cars from a later session ahead of several faster cars that had been unable to put in a flying lap. Josh Sharp (Riley TT Sprite rep), who had failed to register a time altogether, started from the back of the grid. Jo Blakeney-Edwards took pride of place in pole position, having recorded a practice time 2 seconds faster than her nearest rival Simon. Behind the two Frazer Nash SSs, Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford loomed large on the 2nd row. An interesting race was in prospect. Then, as the cars waited in assembly, a sharp shower turned the track into a skating rink and the prospect became even more interesting …

The rain persisted as the flag dropped. Simon Blakeney-Edwards got the better start taking the outside line into Gerard’s. Jo, close enough to challenge, mistakenly opted for the inside line, hit lying water and struggled for control as the rear end zigzagged violently, narrowly missing the grass. She lost position to Mark Brett, who powered off in pursuit of Simon, and by degrees these two opened up a discernable lead. Jo fought back valiantly and was recovering lost ground before having to retire mid-race (I didn’t discover what was amiss – like bees to a honey-pot, a swarm of Nash lads headfirst in the cockpit was all that could be seen of her Nash in the paddock afterwards).

Further back, there was plenty of action: Josh Sharp blasted through the field from the rear; likewise Chris Chilcott (Frazer Nash Fast Tourer), whose terrible practice had placed him on the 11th row. Iain Stewart buzzed through the field from the 8th row in his Morgan Super Aero, hampered by a sticking brake which, when applied on the approach to Hairpin, wouldn’t release until the start-finish line. He had worked his way up into 4th place before his clutch & flywheel assembly detached itself from the crank on the penultimate lap. (Fortunately the magneto prevented it from departing altogether). 

As the race progressed, Simon Blakeney-Edwards held the lead in his Frazer Nash SS some 5 or 6 seconds ahead of Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford. It soon became clear that neither could improve upon the other – they were circulating at exactly the same pace, albeit that Simon could drive round Gerard’s faster and Mark could gain ground through the twisty sections from the Esses to Devils Elbow. It all changed, however, in the last 5 minutes. Josh Sharp had zipped through the field in the Riley TT Sprite and, with the Ballamy Ford now in his sights, put in his fastest lap (more than 2 seconds faster than Simon and Mark). Brett was powerless to hold Josh off as the Riley galloped onward in pursuit of the Nash … but the chequered flag waved just in time for Simon – one lap more and it could have been a different result! Simon Blakeney-Edwards drove an excellent race to win in the Frazer Nash SS just 1.67 seconds ahead of Josh Sharp in 2nd. Mark Brett had to settle for 3rd in the Ballamy Ford, while Chris Chilcott, who, like Josh, had come through from the back of the grid in his Frazer Nash Fast Tourer, finished a well-earned 4th.

Behind the front-runners, Jono Fenning in the Frazer Nash Emeryson and Jeremy Flann (Frazer Nash 3-Seat Tourer) both ran a good race, gaining several places to finish 5th and 6th respectively. One of their conquests, Winston Teague, was to be seen wagging wildly through Devil’s Elbow in his Frazer Nash Falcon as he fought to hold onto his advantageous start position – he finally came in 8th.

In the midfield, Max Sowerby (3-litre Talbot Lago) powered off the line straight past the two MGs of Andrew Morland and Fred Boothby, subsequently picking off the two Riley Brooklands of John Reeve and Ian Standing and a couple of other cars before succumbing to the increasingly slippery surface in the later stages of the race. Ian Standing in his more sure-footed Brooklands retook Max to finish 9th ahead of the Talbot Lago in 11th and John Reeve’s Brooklands in 12th. The superior road-holding of Mark Hayward’s Front-Wheel Drive Alvis was another stand-out performer, overtaking Anthony Fenwick-Wilson’s Railton, the two MGs and John Guyatt’s Talbot Lago to finish 13th almost 8 seconds ahead of the Railton in 14th. Fenwick-Wilson, whose Railton handled remarkably well the wet, had also made good progress earlier on, passing the MGs and John Reeve’s Brooklands, before a resurgent Reeve retook him and bounded home at ever-increasing speed seemingly oblivious of any deteriorating track adhesion. 

John Guyatt made a number of drivers very happy by conceding places as fast as you like – having started alongside Max’s Talbot Lago in his own 4-litre version and, like Max, overtaken the two MGs, he then progressed steadily back through the field, unable to put down power without spinning his wheels. He was relieved to have finally mended the engine after three unsuccessful rebuilds last season, but subsequently discovered that a minor adjustment to his rear springs made the car handle abominably as it rode on the bump-stops of its shock absorbers.

The two MGs of Andrew Morland (PA) and Fred Boothby (J2) enjoyed an interesting race: having initially been gobbled up by faster cars from the aborted first practice session, they settled in nicely with Fred gradually pulling away from Andrew … until Fred spun at the hairpin. Much to everyone’s alarm, Fred ended up on the apex facing the oncoming traffic. His manoeuvre cost him 4 places and allowed Andrew Morland to finish 14th, one second behind Fenwick-Wilson’s Railton. One and a half seconds behind Morland’s MG PA came John Guyatt’s Talbot Lago, cruising round in 4th gear, followed by the two closely-matched Riley Brooklands of Nigel Dowding (7/100ths of a second behind John) and Scott Hughes (less than a second adrift). The rest of the field made it safely home in the less-than-ideal conditions with Martin Nash (Frazer Nash SS) making a marked improvement on his very circumspect practice time. All in all, a challenging race well run by all!

Afterwards, Simon Blakeney-Edwards jokingly enquired whether his success meant that he had won the ODM Trophy this year. Ah! A bit tricky when it’s an Aggregate Trophy and sadly, Mallory was the one and only Race Meeting of the official VSCC season. I can, however, give you the Class placements:

Class 1 (Under 1100cc) 1st: Ian Standing (Riley Brooklands) 2nd: John Reeve (Riley Brooklands) 3rd: Andrew Morland (MG PA)

Class 2 (1101-1500cc): 1st: Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) 2nd: Josh Sharp (Riley TT Sprite rep) 3rd: Chris Chilcott (Frazer Nash Fast Tourer)

Class 3 (1501-3000cc): 1st: Max Sowerby (Talbot Lago T120) 2nd:Mark Hayward (Alvis FD 12/75 FWD) 3rd: Vivian Bush (Bentley 3-litre)

Class 4 (over 3 litre): 1st: Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford (LMB) V8) 2nd: Anthony Fenwick-Wilson (Railton LS Tourer) 3rd: John Guyatt (Talbot Lago T150C)

AND I can also tell all you enthusiastic ODM racers that we still have one more race meeting on the calendar: The Castle Combe Autumn Classic on Sunday, 4th October. As many of you will know from past occasions, this is a fun end-of-season event.  This year Castle Combe is celebrating its 70th Anniversary, so we expect it to be as good, if not better, than ever.  Full details and entries via the VSCC Competition Department.  Lesley Macalpine

VSCC Brands Hatch 24th August 2019

For those traveling to Brands Hatch on Friday, the trials of the Bank Holiday traffic evaporated soon after arrival … the scenic circuit basked in glorious sunshine; cold beer was already on tap in the welcome shade of the MG encampment (well done, the Potters!); a quiz ’n’ chips evening and the Triple M barbecue beckoned; and an optimistic holiday spirit prevailed.

An action-packed Saturday lay in store. This being the VSCC’s first visit to Brands Hatch, a number of competitors took advantage of the morning’s sprint meeting to explore the track unimpeded. (The MG boys of course, as Brands Hatch regulars, needed no such introduction, being well acquainted with the ‘Big Dipper’ character of the Indy circuit.) The Race Meeting, including practice, was then compressed into the afternoon, which presented a bit of a challenge to those encountering mechanical glitches, or indeed, struggling to cool the engine sufficiently between sessions. It was, after all, yet another day of record-breaking temperatures (roll on global warming – keep running those old cars and we won’t need to jet off to the sun … and thereby do even greater environmental damage!). 

The upshot was 3 non-starters: Jerome Fack, over-heating and understandably unwilling to risk damaging his brother’s Railton (one of two original cars still remaining); Anthony Fenwick-Wilson, ‘tinkering about with electrical bits and bobs, you know, condensers and things’ – technical information supplied by Diana! – an issue resolved in time for a later race; and John Guyatt, disappointed to find that his repaired head would still not hold water during the sprint. Christopher Mann almost missed the start following much frantic troubleshooting after a poor practice, in consequence of which a wing-stay broke and it being irreparable in so little time, he was permitted to race with 3 wings on his wagon.

So, a grid of thirty cars lined up for the first race of the day and the last race of the ODM’s 2019 season. Eddie Williams was on Pole in Charlie Gillett’s Frazer Nash SS alongside Andy Bush in his Riley TT Sprite rep with Tim Kneller’s similar Riley and Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford behind them. Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ SS Nash and Christopher Mann’s Monza were on the third row. It promised to be a stunning start as they sprinted to Paddock Hill Bend, plunged down the hill on the exit, up Hailwoods to Druids hairpin, down a remarkably steep descent to a sharp left-hand Graham Hill bend and into the Cooper Straight, all with room to drift but barely enough for three abreast.  

What ensued was thrilling indeed. Clive Temple (Riley Brooklands) lost his clutch on the green flag lap, thereby scuppering his chances of winning 1st prize in ODM Class 1. Then, no sooner had the grid formed up than they were off. Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford V8) made a scorching start from the 2nd row with Christopher Mann’s 8c Alfa Romeo in his wake, both challenging the leader, Eddie Williams (Frazer Nash SS) into Paddock Hill Bend. The two Riley Sprites of Andy Bush and Tim Kneller followed, having been relegated to 4th and 5th positions, with the two Frazer Nashes of Simon & Jo Blakeney-Edwards and Simon Edwards’ Morgan Aero Supersport in pursuit. So much for there being insufficient space for three abreast! The rest of the field roared past in like fashion. Trevor Swete (Invicta S-Type) spun, without incident, on the exit of Druids and one lap later Freddie Smith did exactly the same thing in the beautiful Delahaye 135S, parking neatly and harmlessly on the inside of the hairpin until it was safe to return to the pits (he was overheating already). Eddie Williams nearly lost it in the same spot later on – he suspected a spillage of engine coolant – but he hung onto his car and the lead and went on to win decisively in a well-run race.

Behind him, Christopher Mann’s three-winged Monza soon overtook Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford to finish a secure second, ensuring victory in ODM Class 4 and giving him enough points to come 3rd overall in the contest for the ODM Trophy (narrowly missing 2nd owing to the two Class 4 non-starters). Tim Kneller (Riley TT Sprite rep) got the better of Andy Bush’s similar Sprite and overtook Mark Brett to finish 3rd, a couple of seconds ahead of Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ Frazer Nash SS. Tim’s performance gave him dominance in Class 2 and earned him the ODM Trophy for the second year running. Simon Blakeney-Edwards, finding ever more speed as the race progressed, saw off his wife’s Nash, passed Bush and Brett and was still gaining ground on Kneller as the race ended. He reckons that with one more lap he would have caught Tim, but as it was he had to settle for 4th place, the handicap prize, and a close 4th in ODM Class 2. Mark Brett meanwhile, who seemed unable to sustain his early pace in the Ballamy Ford, overtook Andy Bush to finish 5th in the race, which earned him 2nd in ODM Class 4. Andy Bush, whose increasingly wild driving in the Riley TT Sprite gave cause for concern, came in 6th.  (When Andy returned to the paddock, he discovered that he had a slow puncture and that just 6lb pressure remained in his tyre!). Jo Blakeney-Edwards, despite clocking an identical best time to Simon in the morning’s Sprint, showed less pace than the other two Frazer Nash SSs. She drove a commendable race, always considerate when lapping the rest of the field – from Lap 3 or 4 onwards! – and finished the race in 7th, insufficient to retain her ODM Class lead, but good enough to come 2nd in Class 2 and 2nd overall to Tim Kneller for the ODM Trophy.

In the midfield, there followed a splendid contest for 8th place between Edward Bradley in the Aston Martin Ulster and Ian Standing in the Riley Brooklands. Simon Edwards in the Morgan Aero Supersport had initially been in the mix, but he lost all his gears on Lap 3, which denied him the chance of gaining an ODM Award in the Under 1100cc Class. Edward and Ian went on to have a nail-biting race, finally won by Ian Standing with a margin of about half a second. This result (and Clive Temple’s demise) gave Ian Standing’s Riley Brooklands a surprise win in Class 1.

Trevor Swete recovered from his earlier antics to finish 10th in the Invicta S-Type, having gained ground on Ralf Emmerling (Riley Brooklands) and Paul Carter, who went very well on the tight track in his big Bentley 4½. John Reeve (Riley Brooklands) challenged the Bentley following Trevor’s excursion, but had to settle for 13th place in the end, which earned him enough ODM points for 3rd in Class 1, completing a clean sweep for Riley Brooklands. Behind Reeve, Duncan Potter had a tremendous race in his MG Montlhery, the handling of the little MG and his familiarity with the rollercoaster circuit clearly paying off. He started on the 11th row of the grid, overtaking John Polson’s smokey Talbot 105, Nick Rossi’s 6c Alfa and Andrew Morland’s MG L1 Tourer before going head-to-head with Simon Jackson’s supercharged MG PB, a contest he eventually won by three hundredths of a second. Nick Rossi (Alfa Romeo 1750 GS) enjoyed a good race with these three MGs, getting ever faster as he learnt the best lines. He ultimately finished three tenths of a second behind Andrew Morland, but ahead of his Class 3 rival, John Polson, whose Talbot AV 105, I’m told, is due an engine rebuild. The result gave Nick the Class 3 win with John taking 2nd in Class. Behind Polson, the other 6c Alfa, in the hands of Alex Pilkington, had a close race with two other MGs, Hamish McNinch (MG PA) and Chris Cadman in his Montlhery. Hamish retired on lap 10 (overheating?) and Chris eventually beat Alex by just over a second. Nevertheless, Alex Pilkington’s result was enough to give her 3rd in Class 3 – a good day for Alfas with three ODM Class Awards across the board.

In fact, a good day for everyone really! The Brands Hatch race provided a spectacular finale to the ODM season – thoroughly enjoyed by appreciative crowds, who are afforded a superb view of the action from every vantage point. Even at this late stage, it was great to see new faces (Henry Hichens and Paul Carter) and returning friends (Stuart Rose and Ralf Emmerling) joining the grid.

So, congratulations to all: the winners and runners-up, the drivers and mechanics, and everyone else who has made 2019 such a sensational season for the ODM! Lesley Macalpine

VSCC Cadwell Park 27th July 2019: The The Geoghegan Trophy

We enjoyed a tremendous day’s racing at Cadwell, despite an abrupt end to the Saharan heatwave taking many by surprise. A sudden downpour at 8am sent those sporting shorts and sandals scurrying for more suitable attire, but the mizzle that persisted for much of the day did little to dampen spirits. Yes, the track was wet, but the deluge had been short-lived and reports after practice suggested that ‘it wasn’t as bad as it looked’. Indeed, Jo Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) clocked a remarkably quick lap time to take pole position, some 2 seconds faster than her nearest rivals, Andrew Mitchell (HRG), who lined up alongside her, and Christopher Mann (Alfa Romeo Monza), behind her on the 2nd row of the grid alongside Tim Kneller in the Riley TT Sprite rep.

 A spectacular start saw a dramatic reshuffle of the first 3 rows of the grid before they had even reached the first corner. Mark Brett powered through from the 3rd row to take the lead in the Ballamy Ford V8; Andrew Mitchell (HRG) outgunned Jo Blakeney-Edwards’ Frazer Nash on the start line, but was then simultaneously overtaken by both cars from the 2nd row; Christopher Mann, who found the Cadwell track too narrow for 3 abreast and had to take to the grass in the Monza, and Tim Kneller, who pressed home his advantage in the Riley Sprite and chased Brett’s Ballamy up the hill to Charlies. Within half a lap, Tim Kneller had snatched the lead from Mark Brett, and soon afterwards Christopher Mann also overtook the Ballamy Ford to move into 2nd position and pursue Tim’s Riley. Jo Blakeney-Edwards, meanwhile, lying in 5th place with husband Simon’s Frazer Nash SS behind her, retook Andrew Mitchell in the HRG and hunted down 3rd place runner, Mark Brett. Simon Blakeney-Edwards, hard on Jo’s heels, mirrored her manoeuvres and no sooner had they both overtaken Mark Brett than Andrew Mitchell then relegated the Ford to 6th place – all four runners circulating in a tight pack with very little tarmac between them. There then followed an epic battle between the two husband-and-wife Frazer Nash SSs, now lying in 3rd and 4th. It wasn’t long before Simon Blakeney-Edwards, after trying this way and that, managed to get past Jo and move up into 3rd place, thereafter extending his lead to comfortably win the Geoghegan Trophy for the fastest under 1500cc Vintage car. (Jo later complained of ‘horrible understeer’, which was clearly evident as she drove up The Mountain and into the Hall Bends – not helpful on a damp surface!). Andrew Mitchell (HRG), however, couldn’t quite find the pace to profit from Jo’s handling difficulties and had to settle for 5th, finishing just a quarter of second behind her, while Mark Brett in the Ballamy Ford finished 6th, some 30 or 40 yards behind Andrew.

While this drama was playing out, another epic battle raged between the two frontrunners:  Tim Kneller led in the Riley Sprite but Christopher Mann in the 8c Alfa Romeo was relentless in pursuit, sometimes three car-lengths behind, sometimes barely one. Tim had the advantage through the twists and turns; Christopher had more power up hills and down straights. Two laps before the end of the race as the leaders approached the rear of the field and started to lap the slower cars, it seemed improbable that the larger Monza would be able to weave through traffic on Cadwell’s narrow track with anything like the agility of the Riley, but (hats off to the rearguard and everyone’s good driving!) Christopher did. Amazingly, the two cars reappeared from hidden sections of the circuit within just a few yards of each other. As they disappeared into the woods through Hall Bends towards Hairpin for the last time, it was anybody’s guess as to how they would emerge onto the finishing straight … In a thrilling dénouement, Christopher Mann shot out of Barn, drew alongside Kneller and outsprinted him for the line, taking the chequered flag and winning the race by 19 hundredths of a second.

The race was no less eventful further down the field. Circulating together for the entire race, James Potter (Riley Brooklands) took the lead from Ian Standing’s similarly paced Brooklands on the final lap, eventually finishing in 7th place some 7 seconds ahead of Ian in 8th. Jonathan Fenning made impressive progress through the midfield to finish 9th in the Frazer Nash Emeryson ahead of Clive Fidgeon’s Frazer Nash Boulogne II and John Reeve’s Riley Brooklands. The two MGs of Fred Boothby (J2) and Duncan Potter (Montlhery Midget) enjoyed a close race, finishing 1¼ seconds apart in 12th and 13th place.  Further back, Clive Temple (Riley Brooklands) had a sterling drive, overtaking Chris Cadman’s MG Montlhery Midget and subsequently Nick Rossi’s Alfa Romeo 1750, which he beat to the line by just ⅓ second.

 It was such a riveting race with so many changes of position that, to give justice to the action, your reporter really should have recorded the (excellent!) race commentary as an aide-memoire. The spectators were on tenterhooks from start to finish, straining on tiptoes in their excitement, and further first class racing throughout the afternoon turned an otherwise damp and dreary day into a very pleasurable day’s motorsport. Lesley McAlpine

VSCC Donington Park 29th June 2019: The Redgate Mug

What a wonderful turnout! It is always good to see the usual suspects, but it is particularly pleasing to see the return of competitors from seasons past – James Potter in his Riley Brooklands (back after two years traveling) and Roger Buxton, this time driving his S-Type Invicta – as well as a host of familiar faces rejoining us for the first time this season: Andrew Mitchell in the HRG, John Polson (Talbot), Andy Bush (Riley TT Sprite), John Briggs (Aston), Edward Harvey (Densham Riley Imp)  and a trio of MGs, Andrew Harrington, David Cooksey and Hamish McNinch (racing at last, rather than officiating!)  It was also good to welcome 3 new drivers – Adam Smith (Frazer Nash SS), Andrew Long (MG K Type) and Adrian Montague (Talbot 90), although the latter had to return home before the start of the day’s play. The Boss, his oiliness John Guyatt, was still car-less (mired in an engine rebuild after a valve head broke off at Silverstone) and Fred Boothby (MG) was also absent, after a four-pillar lift came down on his foot – we wish him a speedy recovery.

After much deliberation, Tom Waterfield chose to forego the revelries at Glastonbury in the hope of repeating last season’s spectacular Donington win (driving Simon Blakeney-Edward’s Frazer Nash SS) and persuaded Eddie Williams to give him a run for his money in Charlie Gillett’s SS Nash. The two youngsters did not disappoint: Eddie qualified 2 seconds a lap faster than Tom to take Pole position with Tom beside him on the front row. Christopher Mann in the Monza started from the 2nd row alongside Tim Kneller (Riley TT Sprite rep). The 3rd row should have held Andrew Mitchell in the HRG and Marcus Black (Talbot Lago T23) but both had to pull out – Andrew with an untraceable oil leak at the rear of the engine and Marcus with a broken foot, having run over it while pushing the car in the pitlane.  (Our sympathies, Marcus … and will you guys please mind where you leave your feet!) There were a couple of other non-starters after Practice: Edward Bradley, whose Aston Martin Ulster should have lined up alongside that of John Briggs, and Ian Standing, who’d spent Friday evening fixing fuel leaks but had still failed to recover lost performance, only to find later it was due to a leaking inlet gasket.

Nevertheless, it was an impressive grid that roared off the line at the start of the race, with Eddie Williams pulling away to establish a comfortable lead ahead of Tom Waterfield, and Christopher Mann’s Monza staying in touch with the two leading Nashes. The three frontrunners gradually drew away from Tim Kneller’s Riley Sprite, who in turn pulled away from Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford in 5th place. Andy Bush in the other Riley TT Sprite rep was not far behind with Jonathan Fenning (Frazer Nash Emeryson) in pursuit. Fenning eventually overtook Bush to finish 6th, less than a second ahead of Bush and only 1½ seconds behind Mark Brett, who was thrilled to have recorded his best-ever Donington race time.  

Some way back, Simon Edwards hurtled round at full bore in the little Morgan Aero Supersports, chased hard by Adam Smith in his Frazer Nash SS, until the latter pulled into the pits (overheating, I think.)  Edwards (with no water to boil!) finished in 8th place, a full lap ahead of his nearest rival in the under 1100cc Class, and winning the Handicap award.

Midway through the race, there was a spate of early retirements, from both the midfield and the rear of the grid. It was a blisteringly hot sunny day and track temperatures were probably in the 40’s. Most of these cars were overheating and, discretion being the better part of valour, drivers decided to stop their car before the car stopped them. Mark Hayward (front-wheel drive Alvis), however, had to head for the pits due to a sticking needle valve, a problem clearly still unresolved after Silverstone. 

The retirement of Smith’s Nash and Trevor Swete’s Invicta removed John Briggs’ two main rivals, giving him 9th place in his Aston Martin Ulster, and some way back, the fastest of the Riley Brooklands, in the hands of James Potter, also retired. Behind him, a spirited race involving several changes in position ended with Nick Rossi (Alfa Romeo 1750) finishing 10th, David Johnson (Frazer Nash SS) 11th, Richard Reay-Smith (Lagonda LG 45) 12th and Christopher Scott-Mackirdy (Aston Martin Le Mans)13th, all a few seconds apart. Andrew Morland (MG L1; gallery below right), John Polson (Talbot 105) and Hamish McNinch (gallery below left) had a good race together (until McNinch’s MG PA retired), having overtaken Edward Harvey’s Riley Densham Imp, which was then hotly pursued by Clive Temple in his Riley Brooklands. Next came the two evenly matched K-type MGs, Andrew Long’s Magnette holding his lead from Teifion Salisbury’s K3, which had started two rows back, outpaced Tim Wadsworth 2 litre Lagonda and, like Tim, overtaken Roger Buxton’s Invicta. Buxton went on to have a good race with David Cooksey’s MG Montlhery, which didn’t quite have the pace to catch him.

As the race leaders began threading their way through the back of the pack for a second time, it appeared that the result was a foregone conclusion, but we were in for a thrilling finish! On the last lap, puffs of dark grey smoke could be seen emanating from Tom Waterfield’s Nash on right hand bends (of which there are many) and Christopher Mann’s Monza, always in contention, crept a little closer … The chequered flag came out for Eddie Williams; Tom Waterfield swung into the chicane, lost power in a puff of smoke, and Mann in a perfectly positioned Monza seized his chance, powering past into the home straight to pip Tom to the post by half a second. (Half a gallon of petrol sloshing around in the bottom of the Frazer Nash’s tank was not quite enough to reach the fuel pickup on right-handers!)

Eddie Williams drove an exemplary race in Gillett’s Frazer Nash SS to win the Redgate Mug; Christopher Mann demonstrated the benefit of experience to take 2nd place in his Monza; and Tom Waterfield, who had also driven extremely well in Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ Frazer Nash SS, had to settle for 3rd, all due to a silly mistake! (Don’t worry, Tommy, lots of experienced drivers have done it too, but I’ll mention no names!). Lesley Macalpine, with photographs by Peter McFadyen

VSCC Oulton Park 18th May 2019: Bill Philips Trophy

The Oulton Park International Circuit of 2.7 miles saw the largest grid of the day for the 45th Bill Philips Race. A misty morning, with light rain forecast, welcomed the ODM pre-war Sports Cars.  Despite using the full International Circuit, practice was very busy as 34 entrants took to the track, standard cars and specials, making it very easy to get baulked. After practice there were a few light hearted complaints, mutterings and a suggestion that the ODM should go back to the early days of Grand Prix racing in the 1920s when a ballot was taken for start places!

The reigning Bill Philips Trophy Champion, Christopher Mann, only managed to secure 4th place on the grid. The front row was seized by Tim Kneller and Jonathan Sharp in their Riley TT Sprite replicas; Simon Edwards’ Morgan Aero was two places ahead of Mark Butterworth's Lagonda V12, wondering if that would be enough. Simon Jackson's MG PB was just ahead of Clive Temple in the Riley Brooklands who was having oil pressure worries, and a reluctant 3rd gear.

There were some terminal retirements from practice, David Lamb's immaculate Brooklands with low oil pressure and Andrew Morland's MG L1 at Britten’s, where two years ago his 'P' Type ran its bearings: this time the L1 had a sheared camshaft keyway. 

The afternoon weather forecast was uncertain, with a possibility of rain. Jo Blakeney-Edwards decided that her somewhat worn rear tyres could be a problem, and fitted a new set, however the weather was dry for what was to be a thrilling race start. Into the first corner, Old Hall, Christopher Mann's Alfa Monza already led from the second row of the grid. Jonathan Sharp's Riley was swamped, now in 4th place, Jo Blakeney-Edwards' Frazer Nash in 3rd and Mark Butterworth's Lagonda V12 managed to get ahead of Simon Edwards’ Morgan. The first six cars spread out into very close duos making three separate races to entertain the spectators throughout the race.

Ian Standing's Riley Brooklands had a slow start, but overtook enough cars to finish 10th, where he had started on the grid (image below right). Barry Foster's MG Montlhery was out-dragged at the start by Simon Blakeney-Edwards in the four and a half litre Invicta Sports Tourer. Barry spent the entire race trying to pass, but the straight line speed of the Invicta was just too much, despite the MG being two seconds a lap quicker on a clear track.

At the front Kneller was hounding Mann, his Riley closing up on the corners only to be left behind on the straights (image above left).  At the Shell Oil corner they were nose to tail, but by Britten’s chicane Mann was 80 yds. ahead. On lap 2 Sharp's Riley took 3rd place from Jo's Frazer Nash; on lap 3 Jo was ahead again, but on lap 4 Sharp got past when the Frazer Nash lost its third gear chain. Despite this, on lap 6 Jo was in 3rd place and held it to the finish, her fastest lap completed with a missing gear! Trevor Swete's Invicta had been in 8th place, but on lap 3 it stopped. He eventually got it going again, only to retire.

On the last lap the front runners caught up with the Foster / Simon Blakeney-Edwards battle at Britten's chicane (image below left). Barry let Kneller past, but Simon's Invicta was already on the racing line; Kneller sensibly went straight on to the chicane escape road rather than risk a 'coming together'. Afterwards he admitted that he was never going to get past the Monza, but enjoyed the close racing and so did the spectators.

The other race long battle between the Lagonda V12 and the Morgan 3 wheeler (image above right) finished with the big shark just ahead of its pilot fish! The crowd had been entertained by close racing right down to the last two, Teifion Salisbury's MG crossing the line 0.73 seconds ahead of Norman Pemberton's Talbot. Andrew Morland, with photographs by Peter McFadyen

VSCC Silverstone 13th April 2019: Fox and Nicholl Trophy

A long-awaited spring return to Silverstone for the 2019 Formula Vintage first round found competitors scrambling for space in the busiest paddock seen for decades. A magnificent VSCC programme including the Centenary Bentley race featuring a Le Mans start resulted in some crowding, but great spectating and eight ERAs in race 4. Unusual and welcome treats, both. Not to be outdone, the ODM grid should have been full at 40 cars, but was beset by pre-event failures including that of our Patron, who returned from practice, locomotive-like, issuing steam from his exhaust. A noble band led by Simon Blakeney-Edwards removed the cylinder head whilst John drove home for a replacement gasket, only to find upon his return that a valve head had broken off and exited through the exhaust port, cracking the head in the process; an unhappy retirement from a provisional seventh place.  

A grid of 33 cars assembled for the Fox and Nicholl Trophy before lunch, with the Bentley 4.5 of Oliver Llewellyn on pole, marginally ahead of serial winner Richard Pilkington in his Talbot T26 SS. As the leaders approached Brooklands, Pilkington had already taken the lead, followed by Marcus Black in the Talbot-Lago T23 and Llewellyn a close third. Neil Twyman in the Alfa Romeo Monza in fourth led briefly from Theo Hunt in the Frazer Nash BMW 328, Twyman catching a slide but recovering for Luffield as the remainder of the pack approached. Mark Brett in the Ballamy Ford and Jo Blakeney Edwards in the Frazer Nash SS stayed in contention, but the leaders eased slowly ahead as the race progressed.

By Lap 3, Hunt had moved into fourth place followed by Brett, Hunt demonstrating impossible rear wheel camber angles on perfect cornering lines. Twyman had dropped into fifth, closely pursued by Blakeney Edwards who eventually took the lead on lap 5. Jo had consistently passed round the outside of Twyman at Copse, fending off down to Becketts, where the Nash would fall out of gear and be overtaken on the exit, the process repeated for several laps. The same gear issue had allowed Jon Fenning and Hamish Monro (also Frazer Nash mounted) to pass Jo at one point, but she also managed to re-take and finished in seventh place. Twyman clearly had a problem, slowing throughout the remainder of the race to finish in twentieth place. Richard Reay-Smith in the Lagonda LG45 entertained the crowd in the BRDC stand with an impressive ‘off’ at Brooklands on lap 4 which he recovered, but losing places in the process to Trevor Swete in the Invicta S Type and David Ozanne in the Aston Martin Ulster.

Llewelyn passed Black on lap 7, but was closely pursued until lap 8 when, making better progress through the back markers, he was able to pull away for the remainder of the race. Pilkington led to the finish ahead of Llewellyn in second, Black in third and Hunt in fourth place. Owing to misplacement in practice, Ross Keeling in the Delahaye 135MS had started at the rear from the pit lane, but worked his way impressively through the grid and by lap 10 had overtaken Brett to move into fifth place, which he held to the flag. Lower down the field, the Riley Brooklands of Clive Temple and Andy Baker had traded places several times, Temple taking twenty second place at the finish. Split by a faster car, the Brooklands models were marked respectively 1 and regrettably for Baker, 2 laps behind. Commiserations also to Emma Potter, who had a puncture and failed to finish on her very first race meeting; Duncan’s car preparation will clearly need to improve!  

The tenth anniversary of the Owner Driver Mechanic Awards was of course marked in 2018: however Fred and Anne Boothby, having noticed a serious omission, kindly brought along a splendid anniversary cake! Peter McFadyen was also on hand to sign copies of his commemorative book ‘Owner Driver Mechanic Awards, The First Ten Years’. Our thanks to them and to all who contributed food, drinks and their valuable time to help at the ODM marquee on that fresh but bright spring day.  Ian Standing

Castle Combe Autumn Classic 6th October 2018; VSCC Race

VSCC Snetterton 23rd September: Seaman and Flockhart Trophies

VSCC Mallory Park 11th August 2018: Bob Gerard Memorial Trophies

VSCC Cadwell Park 22nd July 2018: Shuttleworth and Nuffield Trophies

VSCC Donington Park 24th June 2018: Historic Festival

VSCC Oulton Park 19th May 2018: Bill Philips Trophy and ODM race

It felt like a Bank Holiday, even though it was one of the two weekends in May that wasn’t – lousy traffic (wherever you were heading), surprisingly hot sunny weather, and a relaxed holiday mood in the paddock (except for Hamish McNinch, who was hot and bothered with too many hats on!). The tone of the meeting may also have been influenced by the Royal Wedding, in honour of which the bunting was out and Annie Boursot had baked a magnificent tiered cake complete with royal icing and decorative white roses (I’m not telling you who tried to eat the real rosebuds rather than the sugar ones … eh up petal, should have gone to Specsavers!). And so, to the racing.

A grid of 29 cars lined up for the Bill Philips Trophy Race behind Eddie Williams on Pole. A last minute substitution saw Eddie driving an alternative Nash from Gillett’s stable, the very historic, genuine Frazer Nash TT, which Charlie insisted was much slower than the SS … not that we noticed! An exuberant start saw the first 4 cars, Williams, Kneller, Chilcott and Mann, hurtle towards Old Hall Corner, none giving ground (so braking too late) and each taking an excursion onto the grass (without incident) before resuming their race on track. Eddie Williams (Frazer Nash TT) pulled away, pursued by Christopher Mann in the Alfa Romeo Monza, who had relegated Tim Kneller (Riley Sprite TT rep) to 3rd place. Chris Chilcott in the Frazer Nash Fast Tourer dropped back, clearly in trouble, and was overtaken by about half the field before retiring on Lap 4, overheating due to a cracked block. As the race progressed, the two frontrunners stretched out a significant lead, Eddie driving extraordinarily well in the ‘slow’ TT Nash to stay ahead of Mann’s Monza. On the final sector of the last lap, Christopher closed the gap at Lodge, catapulted out of Deer Leap and blasted past Williams about 40 yards before the line, stealing the win by a margin of 0.42 seconds.

Behind the front three, Andrew Mitchell (HRG), Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford) and the ensuing cars made a more prudent start. Andrew drove a competent race, as always, but the HRG didn’t appear to be running as well as usual and couldn’t keep pace with Kneller’s Riley Sprite TT rep, which retained 3rd, while Andrew held 4th. Jo Blakeney-Edwards’ (Frazer Nash SS) stormed through from the 5th row of the grid ahead of Andy Bush (back after a lengthy rebuild in his Riley TT Sprite rep), overtaking Josh Sharp (Riley TT Sprite) and hubby, Simon, in another SS Nash. Jo then hunted down and finally passed Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford) to finish 5th, delighted after all the mechanical glitches and disappointments of last season. Mark, one second behind her, came in 6th and dashed off to tinker before our next race. Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) and Josh Sharp (Riley Sprite) finished 4 seconds apart in 7th and 8th. Iain Stewart (Morgan Super Aero), starting on the 8th row of the grid after a slow qualifying, saw off Briggs, Standing, Monro, Edwards and Swete before overtaking Andy Bush (Riley TT Sprite rep) to finish 10th, with Bush 11th. Simon Edwards in the 1089cc Morgan Aero Supersports made a valiant effort to beat the 4.5 litre S Type Invicta of Trevor Swete, but despite them both recording identical best lap times of 2.31.01, Swete finished 2 seconds ahead in 11th with Edwards 12th (Goliath wins!)

Midfield, John Briggs (Aston Martin Ulster) and John Guyatt (Talbot Lago T150C),  both of whom had been cautious in qualifying, had a close race squeezing past Hamish Monro (Frazer Nash SS) and Ian Standing (Riley Brooklands), who were also jockeying for supremacy throughout. After swapping places a couple of times, the Talbot Lago finally swung past the Aston on the home straight, finishing 13th, a mere ⅓ of a second ahead of Briggs in 14th with Monro a couple of seconds behind in 15th, half a second ahead of Standing in 16th.

Barry Foster (MG Montlhery), also below par in practice, forged ahead in the race, overtaking John Reeve and Clive Temple (both in Riley Brooklands), and then getting past the faster High Chassis Invicta of Ned Harris to finish 3 seconds behind Steven Pryke in the Frazer Nash TT rep (17th) with Ned 2 seconds behind in 19th and Clive a couple of seconds behind him in 20th. John Reeve (Riley Brooklands), who unfortunately had to pull off at Silverstone when his (new) oil filter split, seemed to be struggling for performance at Oulton, losing his contest with Andrew Morland’s MG L1 Tourer by 3 seconds. Norman Pemberton (Talbot 95/105), staging a comeback after a season’s absence, was making good progress until his door flew open allowing Tim Wadsworth (Lagonda 2 litre Tourer) to pip him to the post with one second in hand (Norman had rather more in his hands – a steering wheel in one and a passenger door in the other!).  Oulton Park also saw the welcome return of Sarah Foster in the MG TB (after a year out, devoted to duller things); she had a good race with Annie Boursot, eventually beating her by just 1½ seconds.

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The second ODM race, assembled at short notice, saw one of the main contenders, Eddie Williams, scratch  (Gillett’s hastily prepared TT Nash had certainly been put through its paces in the Bill Philips), but Anthony Fenwick-Wilson’s Railton, a non-starter in Race 1 due to overheating (that’s overheating with an ‘h’!), did join us for Race 2. Chris Chilcott, having done what he could to overcome his engine’s frailties between races, also decided to give it a go and take up his spot on the grid.

Yet again, there was a rather exuberant start, with Tim Kneller on pole almost jumping the lights in his Riley Sprite and an over-enthusiastic Tom Waterfield, racing with us for the first time in Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ Frazer Nash SS, gunning it a split second too soon. Tom passed Tim and flew off into the lead with Kneller’s Riley chasing hard. Andrew Mitchell (HRG) and Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford) followed in 3rd and 4th, both a little off-song, and slightly off the pace, despite inter-race fettling (…is it fuelling? is it cooling? … what on earth is it?!). As Waterfield and Kneller pulled away from the pack, Waterfield’s Nash gradually extended its lead over the Riley, gaining a 6 second advantage by the end of the race. However, this was 4 seconds too few to overcome his 10 second jump start penalty, so Tim Kneller took 1st with Tom Waterfield 2nd … but Tim graciously handed an elated Tommy the winner’s champagne on the podium. There is no doubt that, bar his start-line misdemeanor (lesson learned!), Tommy drove extremely well, recording the fastest lap of the race, 5 hundredths of a second faster than Eddie Williams’s Best Lap in the first race! Simon Blakeney-Edwards, who had raced the same Frazer Nash Super Sport in the first race, complained of feeling old and slow ( … but it is hardly surprising that Simon should be rather more circumspect, when he has invested so much time and effort into rebuilding the car).

Iain Stewart (Morgan Super Aero), again starting way down the grid, left Ian standing (terrible pun!) in the Riley Brooklands and passed Simon Edwards (Morgan Aero Supersports) and Trevor Swete (Invicta S Type) on his way up the field.  Stewart then overtook a retreating Chris Chilcott (nursing his Frazer Nash not-so-Fast Tourer around to finish 6th) before snapping at the heels of Brett’s Ballamy Ford. Mark’s big V8 was having none of it, though, and held 4th place by a whisker, Stewart’s Morgan crossing the line 0.42 seconds behind in 5th. The other close contest was between Clive Temple (Riley Brooklands) and Barry Foster (MG Montlhery), who started a row behind on the grid.  Barry overtook Clive to finish one second ahead, but Temple’s Brooklands put up a spirited defence and ran considerably faster in the second race. Ned Harris (High Chassis Invicta), who had been beaten by Barry Foster in the first race, also made a marked improvement in the second race, reversing the result this time around. All in all, two excellent races … with two fine young Frazer Nash drivers stealing much of the glory!         Lesley McAlpine

VSCC Silverstone 21st and 22nd April 2018: Fox and Nichol Trophy and ODM race

What a glorious start to the ODM’s 10th Season!  Silverstone was sunny, sociable and host to some sensational motorsport.  With two excellent grids, one on each day, it was a pleasure to welcome a number of new European competitors as well as an impressive contingent of Aston Martins among the 18 marques represented.

Much to the delight of ‘Le Patron’, Saturday’s Fox and Nichol Trophy Race roared off the line led by two Talbot Lagos. (John Guyatt, sadly, was unable to complete the quartet of Lagos in the field, having lost all drive just prior to practice). As the lights turned green, Marcus Black in the T23 snatched the lead from Pole-man Richard Pilkington (T26 SS), but Richard retook him on lap 2 and, harried by Marcus all the while, retained first position to win the race with a slim margin.  Conspicuous to the spectator was the difference in the two driving styles (perhaps also occasioned by the comparative capabilities of the two cars?), with Richard appearing to be calmly enjoying a Saturday sortie and Marcus sawing at the wheel to extract every last ounce of performance.  Although the Fox & Nichol Trophy frequently adorns Pilkington’s mantelpiece, it was a well-deserved win and a happy return to Silverstone for Richard after his tribulations last season.

Chris Chilcott’s Frazer Nash lived up to its name (Fast Tourer) and hurtled round to finish a comfortable 3rd despite being outpaced by the two cars behind him on best lap times.  The evenly matched Delahaye of Ross Keeling and HRG of Andrew Mitchell ran a close race, finishing 4th and 5th.  Chris Ball ran very well to finish 6th in the Invicta S Type, challenged throughout by the 1½ litre Aston Martin Ulster in the exceptionally adept hands of Richard Bradley, who finished just 1½ seconds adrift in 7th. (Despite being a Le Mans Team works driver, Richard apparently really enjoys racing his father’s old Aston with us amateurs because it is so hands-on; rather than relying on modern telemetry, he has to feel the car, read the road and make entirely independent judgements – quite a different challenge and a lot of fun, he says!)  Bradley finished 8 seconds ahead of the two following Astons of John Briggs (8th) and David Ozanne (9th).

Further down the field, Simon Edwards (Morgan Super Aero) lead from Ian Standing (Riley Brooklands) and Christopher Lunn (Talbot 105) and the three of them had a great race, finishing seconds apart in 10th, 11th & 12th. Simon King (Morgan 4/4 Le Mans) got past Clive Temple’s Riley Brooklands and, as they both diced with Andrew Baker in his Brooklands, came in 16th behind Andrew at 15th, with Clive close behind.  Simon Jackson (MG PB) found an additional 3 seconds a lap on his practice times to advance 5 places and parry with fellow MG driver Duncan Potter in the Midget; they finished less than ½ second apart in 19th & 20th with Chris Guest (4½ litre Bentley), also in the mix, coming in close behind in 21st. Geoffrey Delaney (Lea Francis Hyper) overtook Alex Pilkington’s 6c Alfa Romeo and both made good progress up the field, Delaney extending his lead to come within sight of Guest’s Bentley and Alex having a close race with David Lamb (Riley Brooklands) hard on her heels.

Trevor Swete (Invicta S Type) started from the rear of the grid after trouble in practice, but worked his way up from 31st to 13th place at the flag, while Chris Cadman (MG Midget) had to start from the pit lane due to assembly issues, but sadly had no chance of catching the field.  Max Sowerby on his debut outing in the 3 litre Talbot Lago had an eventful day: he overheated badly in practice and, not being a mechanic, enlisted the assistance of our wonderful marquee provider, Jerome Fack, (and others) to rebuild his water pump with spares rapidly garnered from John Guyatt’s workshop (fortunately relatively nearby!) in time for the race. He ran well, circulating in the mêlée behind the first three Astons, until the final lap when a horrible noise and power loss left him limping for the line in 18th. Despite the damage being terminal (some butchers have attacked the engine of late!) Max was still smiling: elated at finishing his first race, delighted by the helpfulness of our gang, and thrilled by the whole ODM experience.

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While Saturday’s race was dominated by Talbot Lagos, Sunday’s race was dominated by Nashes. Eddie Williams, driving Gillett’s very quick Frazer Nash SS, led the field away from pole and Chris Chilcott, starting from the third row in his Fast Tourer, quickly passed Monro, Kneller and Brett to chase down the leader. Williams was well in command until he missed a gear, giving Chilcott a chance. They had a great race to the finish, Williams the undoubted victor 3 seconds ahead of Chilcott. 

Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford), who had been absent on Saturday, stole a march on Tim Kneller (Riley TT Sprite rep) to finish 3rd with Tim (who had run out of petrol in Saturday’s race) in 4th.  Richard Bradley (Aston Martin Ulster) ran another stellar race, tussling with Hamish Monro (Frazer Nash SS) who had started ahead of him, bettering his Saturday race times and beating Monro to take 5th. Trevor Swete (Invicta S Type), having less traffic to contend with than on Saturday, also improved his race times to gain 7th place.  

David Ozanne (Aston Martin Ulster) made up ground after a slow qualifying, overtaking Guyatt and Standing to finish 8th ahead of Simon Edwards (Morgan Aero SS), as he had on Saturday. John Guyatt at the helm of his other Talbot Lago T150C (this one having forward motion!) had a great race with Ian Standing in the Riley Brooklands, John powering ahead down the straights and Ian seizing the advantage through the corners. On the last lap, Ian went round the outside at Luffield, holding enough speed to pass the chequered flag before John could get level with him, or so they both thought, until they saw the race results … John 5 hundredths of a second ahead in 10th place! (Could it be that the timing line is further down the start-finish straight than either expected?).

Three further epic battles played out down the field:  Barry Foster (MG Montlhery) and Andrew Baker (Riley Brooklands) fighting for 14th place –  Barry the victor by 3 tenths of a second;  just behind them, Duncan Potter (MG Midget) and Clive Temple (Riley Brooklands) fighting for 16th –  Clive’s accidental selection of 1st gear on the straight set him back enough to lose the contest;  and finally, David Cooksey in the third MG Montlhery vying for 19th position with Marian Stoch in his Aston Martin 15/98 –  Marian learning the circuit fast on his first visit from Poland but not quite catching the seasoned driver, David.  What great racing, from the front of the field to the back!

Commiserations to all those who suffered disappointment due to mechanical misfortunes great and small, and congratulations to all those ‘Mechanics’ who succeeded in getting their cars back on the track to play with us. As we well know, the task does not get any easier as spares and skills become scarcer over time.

And while on the subject of congratulations, a few more are in order:   

First of all, well done to Cyril Hancock for overcoming so many obstacles to get both his Fiat and himself out racing with us. Cyril drove impeccably and enjoyed his races, but sadly, the day’s pleasures were dampened when he dropped a valve on the drive home, only to be abandoned by the AA at the roadside, in an open car, on a cold, dark night after a long and tiring day for 5 hours!  As you can imagine, it took a while for him to recover from the experience, but, undaunted, he aims to repair the Fiat in time for Donington. Secondly, huge congratulations to Sue Darbyshire of Morgan Super Aero fame for winning the Driver of the Year Award last season (by popular vote, in case you didn’t know, of her fellow competitors). A well-deserved win, and the first time a female driver has ever won it! And finally, our congratulations to John and Rebecca Polson on the birth of their son Jack, who arrived six weeks early (in time to spectate at Silverstone.        Lesley McAlpine

Castle Combe Autumn Classic 7th October 2017; VSCC Race

It felt like a horribly early start, getting up in the dark for the aptly-named Autumn Classic at Castle Combe … actually it was no earlier than usual, just later in the year!  The morning mizzle lent a distinctly autumnal feel and made the ODM marquee (enclosed on all sides with indoor seating) particularly welcome as a cosy refuge.  As the day brightened, the Classic element of the meeting became apparent: the GT & Sports Car Cup Race sported an impressive array of genuine Pre-1966 & Pre’63 Endurance cars; there was a good turnout of ’50s Sports Cars in the Inter-Marque Challenge as well as single marque car clubs, Formula Juniors and F3 500s. The only pity was that (with the exception of the vintage Astons) none of these grids displayed their cars in the paddock as admirably as we did … clearly, you’ve been well-trained

Shortly after the lunchtime Classic Cavalcade, our grid formed up to open the day’s racing with Frazer Nashes dominating the front row (Patrick Blakeney-Edwards on pole alongside Eddie Williams in Charlie Gillett’s very quick SS). Tim Kneller, who had qualified extremely well in the wet, was lined up behind them in the Riley Sprite along with Mark Gillies, driving the Aston Martin Monoposto (currently bodied as a 2-seater sports car). 

As the flag dropped, Eddie jumped the start (again, naughty boy!) but nevertheless failed to get the jump on Patrick, who powered away from him to lead the pack into Folly. Mark Gillies, finding more grip on the drying track and a little more pace than Kneller’s Sprite, moved into 3rd place ahead of Tim, with Theo Hunt in the Frazer Nash TT rep and Sue Darbyshire (Morgan Super Aero) following. Jo Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) had qualified well, starting alongside Trevor Swete (Invicta S Type) and ahead of Richard Bradley (Aston Martin Ulster) and husband Simon (in another Nash), but she soon slipped back, plagued yet again by engine trouble (‘always a different problem … so frustrating!’ – fuelling difficulties finally forced her to retire on lap 8.) Richard Bradley caused some amusement before the race when he cautiously asked whether Simon and Jo ‘were getting along OK?’ – the reason for his curious enquiry was revealed by the grid sheet … Richard was sandwiched between them! He was assured that all was well, the B-Es were getting on fine (before the race) … afterwards, who knows?! John Guyatt made a spectacular start, capitalizing on the Talbot Lago’s considerable torque and quick-changing pre-selector to gain 6 or 7 places from the 8th row, only to lose most of them within half a lap as his enigmatic engine problem returned. (We share your frustration, Jo!) 

On the last corner of Lap 1, Trevor Swete appeared to suffer an excess of enthusiasm, careering off across the wet grass before thumping broadside into the tyre wall.  The safety car was deployed for a couple of laps while the Invicta was retrieved, during which time Eddie Williams came in for his 10 second stop-start penalty and the field bunched up. On the restart, Mark Gillies incurred a 30 second penalty, much to his annoyance, for accelerating before the Start Line Green Flag. (He maintains that he was duped by some tactical driving!) However, it was a long race (20 minutes), so plenty of full-speed running time still remained. 

Lap by lap, Patrick Blakeney-Edwards in the Frazer Nash SS extended his lead to take the chequered flag. Eddie Williams, trying hard to make up for lost time, came in 5sec behind in 2nd place. Some distance behind, Gillies finished in 3rd position, but was demoted to 5th place with the addition of his time penalty, giving Tim Kneller 3rd place on the podium.  Sue Darbyshire ran a remarkably good race in the Morgan Super Aero, finishing in 4th just 5 seconds behind Kneller, despite the fact that Tim’s Riley Sprite had a top speed advantage worth about 2½ seconds a lap … which goes to demonstrate the value of  consistency! Simon Blakeney-Edwards was delighted to finish 8th, a couple of seconds behind Lewis’s more powerful Alvis Special and a smidgeon ahead of Bradley’s Aston.  Yet again, Richard Bradley, clearly a very talented young driver, ran an outstanding race in his father’s standard 1500cc Ulster, seriously outpacing the other two Aston Martin Ulsters to finish 9th. Christopher Mann put in a strong performance in the Alfa Romeo RL Targo Florio to take 11th place, apparently no worse for wear after his ordeal (involving banditry and battery) just prior to departure for Castle Combe and a misfiring magneto on the drive down (replaced in the wee small hours, before practice). Not far behind the Alfa, the two Aston Martin Ulsters of David Ozanne and John Briggs had a great race, finishing within half a second of each other, David’s 1900cc engine just giving him the edge in the end. Then came John Polson in the Talbot AV 105, who overtook Guyatt’s struggling Talbot Lago and held his position to finish a couple of seconds ahead, while Barry Foster, determinedly dicing with the larger Lago in his little MG Montlhery, was eventually outgunned on the finishing straight. Behind this trio, there were a series of duels: Mac Hulbert (Alvis Silver Eagle) finished a couple of seconds ahead of David Cooksey in the MG Montlhery; Roger Tushingham in the K3-lookalike MG N type beat Malcolm Barrington (Frazer Nash TT rep) by just 0.3 seconds; Yushan Ng (Frazer Nash Ganger Hartley Spl) came in less than 2 seconds ahead of Stephen Curtis (driving the Talbot 105 in his swansong race – we’ve enjoyed having you with us, Stephen!); and Tim Wadsworth (2 litre Lagonda) crossed the line about 20 metres ahead of Mark Reece (MG J4).  Only Hamish McNinch in his pale blue MG PA circulated in solitary splendour!

The post-race prize-giving, attended by a crowd of supporters and non-competing members, appeared rather grander than the occasion demanded, as we took the opportunity to present the remainder of the 2017 ODM Annual Awards along with the trinkets for Castle Combe ODM Class winners:

Class 1:    Barry Foster                                    MG Montlhery

Class 2:    Patrick Blakeney-Edwards             Frazer Nash SS    (Overall Winner)

Class 3:    David Ozanne                                Aston Martin Ulster

Class 4:    Christopher Mann                           Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio

Our thanks and congratulations go to everyone (including the invited specials) for a good clean race and an enjoyable day in Wiltshire. With autumn now firmly established and the race season run, it’s time (for some of us, at least!) to ferret out those gremlins. There is much to look forward to in next year’s Race Calendar, and we would all like to enjoy it to the full.   

Lesley McAlpine

VSCC Snetterton 17th September 2017: Seaman Memorial Trophies

In motor-racing, as in life, there is no such thing as ‘a sure thing’.

In the same way that a sudden downpour at lunchtime dashed all hopes of a dry racetrack after a fine bright morning, so Andrew Mitchell’s seemingly unassailable lead on the ODM Scoreboard was scuppered by engine failure in practice.  With notable absences among other Award contenders (Tim Kneller on a 3-line whip for Carol’s birthday and Mark Brett’s car requiring major engineering after his Mallory mishap), the way was wide open for surprise wins throughout the Classes.  The 2017 Results would be decided at Snetterton … and the race was on!

Richard Bradley (Aston Martin Ulster) was in pole position after an aston-ishingly quick practice but retired with gearbox problems on the warm-up lap, leaving Mike Preston to lead the field away in his Type 35B Bugatti.  Sue Darbyshire, starting from the 2nd row of the grid in her Morgan Super Aero, soon overtook Mike Preston, hotly pursued by Iain Stewart’s Super Aero, rapidly advancing from the 4th row.  The two Morgans kept the Bugatti firmly behind them as they battled for supremacy; Sue retained the lead until the latter stages of the race but Iain finally prevailed, taking the chequered flag by a smidgen – just 0.19 seconds.  Mike Preston, finding no way past the three wheelers, finished 3rd after recording the fastest lap of the race on lap 7.

Behind the leaders, the action was no less exciting. Simon Edwards in the 1089cc Morgan had qualified extremely well and, starting from the 2nd row, enjoyed a close race with Simon Blakeney-Edwards and Trevor Swete.  However the superior power of Simon’s Frazer Nash SS and the S-Type Invicta ultimately won the day, so the Morgan finished in 6th place behind them.  The finishing positions of all three proved crucial, earning each of them prizes by close of play.

John Guyatt (Talbot Lago T150) gained two places at the start, briefly getting ahead of Blakeney-Edward’s Nash and Swete’s Invicta, only to lose them again as he struggled for grip in the corners.  As they pulled away, Christopher Mann’s Alfa Romeo RL Targo Florio powered past him displaying no such handling difficulties, an impressive performance (especially considering that it is a 1923 car!) which earned him 7th place at the finish. Guyatt continued to steam down the straights and tiptoe round the tricky bits, alternately losing and regaining places with both David Johnson’s Frazer Nash and John Polson’s Talbot 105, before finally conceding defeat to David’s Nash in the closing laps. Stephen Pryke (Frazer Nash TT rep) finished in 11th position, hard on the heels of John Polson in 10th.

There was a tremendous race between the next three cars, all in the under 1100cc Class: Barry Foster in his ‘thank-goodness-he’s-got-it-running-at-last’ MG Montlhery, Andrew Baker in the fastest (on this occasion!) of the 5 Riley Brooklands and Duncan Potter in his ‘I-can’t-imagine-how he-fits-in-it’ MG Midget.  In the end, Barry succeeded in finishing just 1.73 seconds ahead of Andrew, who beat Duncan by the merest fraction – once again 0.19 seconds.  Ian Standing had been circulating at the rear of this group until an unexpected spin set him back behind fellow Brooklands driver John Reeve (yes, it WAS greasy out there; it wasn’t just John Guyatt who noticed!). Ian spent the remainder of the race chasing Reeve down, eventually passing him on the final corner, only to lose out at the finishing line … all bar a few feet, or 0.11 seconds according to the transponders. 

All in all, Snetterton provided a thrilling finish to an eventful season. The race result catapulted the Morgans to prominence: Iain Stewart winning this round on his ODM debut; Sue Darbyshire finishing a very close 2nd, good enough to leapfrog to equal 2nd in Class II (with Tim Kneller, Riley Sprite rep) and joint 3rd Overall in the 2017 ODM Challenge.  Simon Edwards in the 1089cc Morgan achieved a remarkable 6th place in the Snetterton race ahead of all his classmates, earning himself not only a 1st Class Award among the Under 1100ccs but the ODM Trophy for the Overall Winner too!

In Class I, John Reeve’s consistent performance in the Riley Brooklands rewarded him with a 2nd Class Award and Duncan Potter, last year’s Trophy Winner, did well to complete a total mid-season MG rebuild and still take the 3rd Class Award (‘mechanic’ points very definitely earned!).

In Class II (1101cc – 1500cc), Andrew Mitchell deservedly retained the lead and won a 1st Class Award, despite the HRG’s misfortune at Snetterton, coming 2nd Overall, just 6 points behind Simon Edwards. Sue Darbyshire and Tim Kneller shared the 2nd Class Award, coming 3rd Overall, while 3rd in Class was garnered by Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) after finally overcoming his early season engine problems to improve his ranking (more well-earned ‘mechanic’ points!)

In Class III (1501cc – 3000cc), John Polson (Talbot AV 105) gathered just enough points at Snetterton to equal David Ozanne’s total in the Aston Martin Ulster and share the top spot, 1st in Class; Tim Wadsworth (Lagonda 2 Litre) gained a creditable 2nd Class Award through sheer perseverance; and Nick Rossi (Alfa Romeo 1750 GS) was 3rd in Class.

In Class IV (Over 3 litre), Trevor Swete’s strong race result at Snetterton in the Invicta S Type enabled him to pip Mark Brett to the post and win the 1st Class Award ahead of the Ballamy Ford, 2nd in Class. Mark Butterworth (Lagonda V12) and Richard Pilkington (Talbot Lago T26) shared the 3rd Class Award.

Our grateful thanks go to Tom Hardman for providing the splendid prizes for the Class winners … and for hanging on at Snetterton in order to present them, even though he was itching to get home to mend his own broken car.  

Finally, the winner of the ‘Golden Oldie’ Award was Norman Pemberton, who has been a staunch supporter of the ODM from the outset and who never missed a single ODM race until his recent golfing goof interrupted his long motor racing career.  He says that he’ll be back to race with us in his trusty Talbot next season and insists that he’s ‘NOT OLD!’  Yes, we know, Norman, but the Award is in recognition of your loyal sportsmanship over many years.     Lesley McAlpine

VSCC Mallory Park 12th August 2017: The Mallory Mug

As a reminder of times past, Tim Wadsworth brought the programme from his first-ever race meeting … at Mallory Park in May 1960.  That’s 57 years ago, in case you are thinking ‘that’s not so long ago; I remember the Sixties!’  Well done, Tim, that’s good going … 57 years of racing!  Do I sense some vying for the Golden Oldies Award?

On the whole, Mallory was a relaxed and sociable meeting, attended by many old friends and former ODM racers, although competitors encountering miscellaneous inconveniences like detached fixtures and fittings might beg to differ!  It was good to see Ross Keeling back in the Delahaye, accompanied by his father Les, on the road to recovery, and an enthusiastic new ODM supporter, his 6-year old daughter.  Also, it was a welcome return for Andy Cawley in his very standard 1925 Frazer Nash, by his own admission now universally known as ‘Dougal’s Dad’; Barry Foster, who, unlike at Zandvoort, appeared with a running MG (at last!); and Norman Pemberton, who practiced but was not permitted to race owing to a footwear infringement. A couple of Aston Martins were also absent owing to a mix-up with dates over an AMOC Meeting clash, so in the event all the reserves made the ODM grid.

As the flag dropped, a capacity grid of 30 cars roared off the line, led by Tim Kneller on Pole in his Riley Sprite alongside Mark Brett in the Ballamy Ford, and followed by Sue Darbyshire (Morgan Super Aero) and Jo Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) on the second row. The view from the Paddock Tower was splendid, but it was still difficult to catch all the action as the cars streamed around the track, jostling for position in many hard-fought contests.

After his resounding success at Zandvoort, Simon Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash SS) disappointed, succumbing to engine problems on the first lap; his wife Jo, having shown early promise, succumbed similarly a couple of laps later.  Shortly afterwards, Ian Standing (Riley Brooklands) retired with a broken throttle linkage, but not before he had put in a flying lap with his ‘cooking’ engine, all the while avoiding any entanglement with a gang of cars including the track-consuming and occasionally grass-cutting Railton of Anthony Fenwick-Wilson.

At the front, Tim Kneller retained the lead, steadily threading his way through the back markers with relative ease. Sue Darbyshire hugged his rear corner, ready to capitalize on any error, but, despite recording the fastest lap of the race, got no opportunity to overtake.  Half a second behind them, Mark Brett was looking and sounding purposeful in 3rd place when, on lap 9, it became apparent to us, if not to him, that something was amiss with the Ballamy front suspension. Before a warning flag could be deployed, Mark entered the Esses and a rear wheel pulled straight through its studs and flew off into the greenery… fortunately, car and driver were otherwise undamaged.  However, the race was then red-flagged, because of the danger posed by the immobilised Ford.

As a result, Tim Kneller won the race, although he felt rather let down at not having taken the chequered flag. Just half a second behind him, Sue Darbyshire came in 2nd, pleased to have laid the ghost of Mallory past. Robert Moore was delighted to finish 3rd in Charlie Gillett’s very quick Frazer Nash SS, which he had only driven briefly for the first time on the previous Wednesday. He had been circulating with the two closely matched cars of Hamish Monro (Frazer Nash SS) and Trevor Swete (S Type Invicta) which had drifted into each other at the hairpin on Lap 8, interlocking wheels and ending both their races shortly before the red flag … bruised cars and egos, no doubt, but no misdemeanors apparently. This incident gave John Guyatt a 4th place finish, with which he was well-pleased after starting on the 7th row of the grid (owing to a detached plug lead in practice!). He had stormed past several cars before settling back to enjoy a really close race with Simon Edwards in the smaller-engined Morgan Super Aero. Simon did well to come in 5th ahead of Ross Keeling’s Delahaye 135MS (6th) and David Ozanne’s Aston Martin Ulster (7th), both of which had proved capable of faster lap times.

The ensuing 10 cars formed three highly competitive groups, the first brought home by Barry Foster (MG Q Type) in 8th place ahead of David Johnson’s Frazer Nash SS (9th) and Fred Boothby (MG J2) in 10th. Fred was somewhat indignant: ‘all that fuss and noise and misfiring this morning, and then Barry goes and beats me!’  After a troublesome practice, Barry had started the race from the 9th row of the grid, overtaken Andy Baker, who’d made a bad start, and Anthony Fenwick-Wilson before passing Fred and David.  In the next group, Duncan Potter, dwarfed by two larger cars in his little MG Midget, did well to finish just half a second behind Mac Hulbert in the Alvis Silver Eagle. The third group comprised three Brooklands Rileys and Simon Jackson’s Cream Cracker: John Reeve prevailed, although Simon recorded a faster best lap.

So, as we go into the final round of the ODM challenge at Snetterton on September 17th, Simon Edwards (Morgan) leads class 1, Andrew Mitchell (HRG) leads class 2, David Ozanne (Aston Martin) leads class 3 and Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford) class 4. Andrew Mitchell leads overall, but with Tim Kneller (presently second in class 2) in close contention: all to play for in the final round at Snetterton.               Lesley McAlpine

VSCC Cadwell Park 23rd July 2017: The Geoghegan Trophy

After my last race report from Cadwell Park, I was confident that I had done badly enough to ensure that I wouldn't be invited to do it again. At least, that was my plan. But, as every racing driver knows, confidence is usually misplaced and so I had taken extra precautions to avoid both John and Lesley this year, sacrificing the usual sumptuous lunches and tea provided by Lesley and her excellent team of helpers at Silverstone and Oulton Park.

But this plan had failed to take account of the Set 3 excursion to Zandvoort earlier in the month. I found myself in a closed paddock for 2 days where the only source of sustenance (apart from a terrific BBQ provided by the MG gang and their Dutch friends) was Lesley’s tent. I have often wondered how she does it at the race venues in UK, bountiful plates of infinite variety and drinks of every sort being provided throughout. Apparently it involves cooking sessions, during the week preceding the event, that take far longer than the car preparation of even the most fastidious Set 3 driver. But how on earth she and her redoubtable colleague Jackie, managed it in the middle of Holland really is beyond me.

Nevertheless I took great care not to engage in any sort of prolonged conversation with Lesley throughout the weekend. And I was sure that I had once more dodged the bullet when all she asked me to do at the end of the meeting was to take some water containers, a table and the ODM flag back to UK (they had travelled out in John Everett’s trailer, but he was now indisposed following his unfortunate accident) and ‘if you can possibly manage it, deliver them to Cadwell’.

Knowing that Lesley is fair in sharing out the more onerous ODM duties, I reckoned that this would provide my tick in the box for Cadwell. But just to be sure, I also liaised with the MG Car Club, who had a race meeting at the venue the day before us, and ensured that the space for the ODM marquee was clear in plenty of time. And, as the rain arrived on Saturday evening, I was on hand to make sure she had all she needed (including the table, flag and water containers, which turned out to be weights for holding the tent down) before explaining that I had other responsibilities. ‘Not a problem,’ she replied, ‘I’ve all the help I need and I’m SO grateful to you for getting the stuff here – I don't know what I’d have done without you’.

Slightly thrown by this completely undeserved praise (Lesley can get anything done regardless of whether anyone helps her or not) I fell face first, slap bang into the trap. ‘Well, don't hesitate to ask if there’s anything I can do to help tomorrow’ I heard myself say before it occurred to me to say anything else. The slightest glint appeared in her eye. ‘Would you do the Set 3 race report for me then?’ she immediately asked, adding ‘You did it so brilliantly last time.’

Not just hook, line and sinker. I had been hit with lock, stock and barrel together with Pip, Squeak and Wilfred…. anyone who read last year’s report will know just how little I know about our cars and how poor I am at describing any race. Particularly when I can only see about 10% of the action. But there I was again. Stitched up like a kipper (Incidentally, I’ve never understood this phrase – who stitches up kippers? Is there such a trade as a kipper stitcher?)

Promising myself that I would re-read the manual on evasion tactics, in the meantime I decided that I would make a greater effort to prepare myself for the race reporter’s duties in the hope of delivering something a little more detailed, descriptive and accurate than on the last occasion. After all, I had the whole of lunchtime on Sunday to prepare and I pride myself in being able to gather information quickly and accurately when required.

Who was that chap who said that pride commeth before a fall? Whoever it was has obviously been mechanic for a racing driver. Because I spent the whole time between the end of Practice 6 and the final call to the assembly area for the Set 3 Race fashioning a replacement clutch stop from the contents of my spares box, and those of most of the folk parked in the immediate area, of Annie Boursot’s MG in the paddock. Remember what I said about the average Set 3 competitor’s race preparation?

So I missed my assembly area walk. I had no list of runners and riders. And I was wheezing like a punctured barrage balloon as I breathlessly took my seat in the Mountain stand to watch the fun. So what follows may or may not reflect what did or didn't happen over the ensuing 20 minutes….

I actually saw the start this time. And Mitchell’s red HRG was, predictably, in the lead from a Frazer Nash as the field accelerated up the hill and out of my sight. Now my narrative of events was entirely in the hands of the commentary team until such time as the cars would appear rounding the left-hander before the mountain. But there was a failure in the commentary communications and nothing was forthcoming from whoever was stationed at the high end of the course. So little information, indeed, that the remaining commentators at the start line were forced to fall back on what I believe is known in the trade as ‘filling in’. Accordingly, I can tell you of nothing which happened in the race for the next 50 or so seconds. But I can report that it was a Mr Malcolm Dodd’s birthday and we spectators, having nothing better to do, wished him well and many more of them. But we swiftly forgot all about him and his birthday as the leaders appeared, already locked in close combat.

Just as the field completed the first lap Williams in his Frazer Nash took the lead from Mitchell, a position he was to hold throughout the ensuing 6 laps. Mark Brett in the Bellamy Fordson (I suspect it is E93W based….) followed and it was a surprise to see John Gillett, (who had travelled all the way from Australia to drive his very correct ex-Bira MG K3)  in 4th place closely followed by Sue Derbyshire in the Morgan (what else?), Jo Blakeney-Edwards in her Fraser-Nash Super Sports (which is now apparently settling down and beginning to show its true potential), Josh Sharp in his pretty Riley TT Sprite, Richard Lake in the Aston Martin and our patron John Guyatt in the Talbot, all chasing one another with real intent. How lucky we are to have such a variety of cars and drivers in one race.

As lap 3 started it was apparent that not all was well as the pace began to slow and some cars began to take rather unusual lines. The reason became clear only later when the drivers realised that a line of oil was appearing all around the track. I’m not here to cast aspersions, but the general opinion was that one of the Frazer Nashes was responsible. Perhaps the owner should consult Lesley before Mallory and find out how many hours she is expecting to dedicate to cooking; then he should add at least one to that figure and allocate the time to trying to ensure it doesn't happen again.

It was good to see Freddie Smith out in the Delahaye, particularly because, as a relative newcomer to racing, it was clear that he driving steadily and smoothly and using his mirrors assiduously. As the race progressed he could be seen mixing it with a variety of other cars who will, I predict, not be able to keep up with him when he is able to use the car to its full potential, but for now he is a good example to all novice drivers and a welcome addition to the field. And the fact that he managed to just keep ahead of Ian Standing in his rejuvenated Brooklands Riley is evidence enough that he is learning fast.

As the race unfolded, oil notwithstanding, a number of little ‘races within the race’ began to materialise and these kept the crowd well entertained. The aforementioned Smith in the Delahaye was keeping Fred Boothby (who is celebrating his 50th year in motor racing), in his much smaller MG, at bay but finally succumbed on the 5th lap, Boothby’s experience showing as he passed on the exit of Mountain. I also noticed David Lamb, hotly pursued by Keith Piper in his Aston, take the perfect line though the Mountain and esses, his car and driving looking immaculate as ever.

As the leader came past for the final time on the way to the flag, he slid the car beautifully round the corner before looking very light as he crested the Mountain, every inch a thoroughly deserved race winner and, I assume, winner of the Geoghegan Trophy.

I’m planning to be in Australia next year, Lesley…               Hamish McNinch

Zandvoort, Netherlands 8th & 9th July 2017: British Race Festival 

The ODM series travelled to Zandvoort in the Netherlands to take part in the 2017 British Race Festival, a celebration of British cars both competitive and on show. We were thoughtfully sited together with the Dutch VSCC, whose members arrived in a variety of pre-war cars to take part in parade laps over the weekend. We found several old friends amongst their number, with much to bind our interest in the weekend’s varied activities.

The Zandvoort Circuit has changed little during the last 50 years, although it used to host the Dutch Grand Prix until substantial changes were requested, funds for which were not made available. The circuit retains its undulating form, flowing through the sand dunes for 2.5 miles; one competitor remarked that he had learned all the corners by the end of practice, but wondered why they appeared in the wrong order each lap…………….

Scrutineering commenced on Friday with the cars agreed to be in fine form and thoroughly prepared. An unusual focus on competitors’ clothing caught some unawares; after one pair of FIA certified socks with distinctive oil stains had circulated the scrutineering bay three times, nonconforming drivers were persuaded to withdraw to the circuit shop, where a good day’s trading ensued.

After an impressive thunderstorm on Friday night, the weekend proper arrived in full summer form, with no sign of standing water following the torrential rain. Qualifying took place with only minor mechanical issues becoming apparent; John Everett resolved an annoying misfire by replacing a coil and Roland Woodtli, with the support of the Riley contingent, made adjustments to the ignition timing of his Brooklands.

The first race saw Simon Blakeney-Edwards in the Frazer Nash lead into the banked Tarzan curve, closely tracked by Mark Brett in the Ballamy Ford and John Guyatt, in his outwardly well-behaved Talbot Lago, in close company. The first few positions were maintained in the second lap but by the third, Guyatt (having carried out a tyre adhesion test in the back country) slipped back down the field, being replaced in third position by Paul Waine in his Frazer Nash. 

On this lap and just over 13 minutes into the race, cars only appeared spasmodically on the home straight, being brought to a halt by the red flag at the start line.  There was then a terminal delay whilst a racing incident at S-Bocht was dealt with and John Everett was taken to hospital with what transpired to be several broken ribs. John arrived back home before VSCC Cadwell Park and, of course, we all send him our sincere wishes for a speedy recovery and return to the ODM fold.

The eight lap race on Sunday was, as may be expected, a more slightly more subdued affair but with some exciting racing seen throughout the pack. The leading trio of Blakeney-Edwards, Brett and Waine pulled steadily away from the MG P Type of Thys De Groot, maintaining these positions to the flag, Brett losing by just 0.04sec. They were followed for a large part of the race by Andy Baker driving determinedly in the Brooklands Riley, the errant handling of Guyatt’s Talbot Lago ceding a power advantage until Andy was overtaken on the final lap. Further back we were entertained by close formation displays from Duncan Potter and Fred Boothby (MG Montlhery Midget / MG J2) and at the back of the field by Hamish McNinch and David Furnell (MG PA / Austin 7), Hamish following Blakeney-Edwards’ example and winning the place from David by a gnat’s whisker at a mere 0.02sec! Mid-field the Bentley TT of Richard Frankel stayed just ahead of the Alfa Romeo RL Targa of Christopher Mann, which was driven heroically from and back to London following the event. 

From top left: Blakeney-Edwards, Brett, Waine, De Groot, Baker, Guyatt, Frankel, Mann, Potter, Boothby, Polson and Lees: Circuit Zandvoort

Nick Upton, who had travelled to commentate for the ODM, kindly presented a hilarious prize giving accompanied characteristically by two charming young ladies, apparently his daughters / sisters / nieces – take your choice! Simon Blakeney- Edwards and Andy Baker were jointly presented the inaugural ODM ‘Brexit Cup’ by John Guyatt, class winners’ awards going to Andy Baker, John Polson (Talbot AV105) and Mark Brett. 

This was the first venture abroad for the ODM and, with the exception of John Everett’s accident, can only be considered a highly successful affair; let’s hope we are invited back again in future.           Richard George

VSCC Oulton Park 10th June 2017: The Bill Phillips Trophy

Mechanical misdemeanors took their toll at Oulton Park, as they had at Silverstone. Let’s hope this will not be an enduring theme this season, especially with so many meetings yet to come and Zandvoort, which features two longer-duration races, next on the calendar. 

After a wet practice, we were blessed with a dry race. Eddie Williams, driving Charlie Gillett’s reliably well-prepared Frazer Nash Super Sport, shot off from pole position to build an unassailable lead – a little too quickly, it seems, because a 10-second jump start penalty demoted him to 2nd place in the final results.  Andrew Mitchell, after a problematic practice, advanced from 5th on the grid to finish 2nd in the HRG and, though he hadn’t the pace to catch the Nash, he was promoted to 1st as a result of Eddie’s error, winning the Bill Phillips Trophy for the fourth time. Tim Kneller (Riley Sprite) ran a good race, but was disappointed to finish 3rd behind his Class rival Mitchell after having outgunned him in qualifying and started with high hopes from the front row of the grid. 

John Guyatt in the Talbot Lago gained several places at the start, overtaking Trevor Swete in the S Type Invicta and Mark Butterworth’s Lagonda, before the big V12 roared past him again and carried on to overtake Simon Blakeney-Edwards’ Frazer Nash. John held onto 6th place, constantly harried by Swete’s Invicta and Josh Sharp’s Riley Sprite until the last lap, when, slowing behind a drifting backmarker, he allowed the other two past. Trevor and Josh were delighted to finish 6th & 7th, beating John’s Talbot for the first time ever! Local man Mark Butterworth, driving one of three Lagondas in the race, finished 4th in the green V12, while Nigel Hall, also on home turf, went very well to finish 10th, narrowly beating fellow LG45 driver Richard Reay-Smith, whose monumental spin mid-race occupied a great deal of track, to the consternation of those in his wake! 

Ian Standing, driving Jo Collins’ agile silver Riley Brooklands (his own still residing in the workshop), was unable to capitalize on his excellent start position, lost time avoiding the spinning Lagonda, then almost pulled up with engine trouble before recovering to lead the under 1100cc cars home. Behind Ian, Freddie Smith in the beautiful Delahaye 135 had given himself a lot to do after a sensibly cautious practice placed him near the back of the grid. He managed to make up nine places, but couldn’t quite catch the similarly-paced 4-seater Morgan of Simon King, who came in 13th, the second fastest of the under 1100cc cars.

Quite a number of runners complained of power loss during the race. Some finished, like Andrew Morland (MG PA): ‘got a rattle; not sure if it’s top end or bottom’ – unfortunately, it turned out to be two big ends. Others failed to finish: Anthony Fenwick-Wilson in the Railton (clutch); Simon Edwards in the Morgan Aero (mysterious malfunction, later remedied by George Darbyshire); Andy Baker (Riley Brooklands) and Jo Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash), both plagued by the post-rebuild gremlins that had troubled them at Silverstone. It was particularly disappointing for Birthday Girl Jo, who had qualified 1.59 seconds faster than husband (and rival!) Simon to earn a place alongside him on the second row of the start grid.

John Polson was ‘really enjoying himself’ when loud popping and banging put an end to his race, throwing his family into a pit-lane panic. John had driven the Talbot up from Suffolk the day before and was due to drive onward to the Isle of Islay the next day for a short break in Scotland with Rebecca … fortunately it was an easily fixed fueling issue! Another notable achievement in terms of reliable road mileage (and a welcome addition to the ODM grid!) came from Christopher Mann, who drove up from central London in his glorious 1924 Targo Florio Alfa on Saturday morning, competed with verve, and then drove the 93 year-old vehicle back down to London the same evening.

Shame on those Southerners who deem Oulton Park too far to go!  And I hardly dare mention the example he sets our self-proclaimed ‘Mechanics’…!                        Lesley Mc Alpine

VSCC Silverstone 22nd April 2017: The Fox and Nichol Trophy and ODM Race

The ODM’s ninth season got off to a flying start at Silverstone with many old faces amongst a number of new.  We were delighted to welcome veteran VSCC racer Alastair Pugh in his long-cherished BMW 328 as well as Freddie Smith and Ross Keeling, both driving Delahayes, who join a growing band of sons, daughters and grandsons slipping into their father’s car seats.  Edward Bradley observed (with some chagrin!) that his son Richard had bettered his lap times - but then Richard didn’t have to worry about the Aston’s repairs, seen to by Bank of Dad.  It was laughingly suggested that the contribution of Dads should be recognized with a variant of an ODM Award; the OBE, ‘Owner Banker Engineers’.

Yet again the ODM entry was over-capacity, so the faster Fox & Nicholl Trophy cars (over 2950cc) were in Race 1 with Set 4 and others, while the bulk of the grid ran in Race 3. 

In Race 1, Richard Pilkington (Talbot Lago T26 SS) used his age and experience to advantage, winning The Fox & Nicholl once again and seeing off whipper-snapper Marcus Black (son of Richard) who had briefly stolen ahead during the race and recorded a faster lap time in the T23 Talbot Lago.  Mark Brett (Ballamy Ford) was always in contention, finally finishing one second behind Marcus.  After missing an entire season due to engine problems, John Guyatt, aka Le Patron, was pleased to be back on the track even if he wasn’t quite in the groove.  Narrowly avoiding Ross Keeling’s monumental spin (occasioned by a mechanical issue) had cost him a few places and thereafter his Talbot Lago T150C couldn’t quite keep up with his old playmates.  Further down the field, Richard Reay-Smith (Lagonda LG45), Trevor Swete (S Type Invicta) and Anthony Fenwick-Wilson (Railton) had a close race, starting together on the grid.  The Lagonda eventually prevailed although the Invicta showed more pace.

Race 3 was certainly eventful and it was hard to keep up with all the action.  Andrew Mitchell started in pole position and finished first in the HRG.  (It was good to see his father Peter in much improved health.)  Andrew, however, did not have a runaway lead: Tim Kneller advanced from the 3rd row of the grid to battle it out with fellow Riley Sprite owner Andy Bush.  When they both sought to lap John Polson (Talbot 105) on the approach to Maggots, Andy came off worst (injured car, driver unhurt). Tim went on to finish a close 2nd behind Mitchell, recording the fastest lap of the race.  Behind him, Simon Blakeney-Edwards vanquished Phil Champion in the clash of the Nashes, finishing 3rd and 4th in a good clean contest.  A trio of Aston Martin Ulsters followed, led by Richard Bradley (OBE to Dad Edward?) and pursued by Ralf Emmerling’s speedy and reliable Riley Brooklands. A number of contenders in this part of the field retired due to mechanical failures, including Ian Standing’s exceptionally quick Brooklands, and, sadly, Alastair Pugh in his very fast BMW, which had been circulating among the front-runners until lap 7. 

There was tremendous racing to be seen in the middle of the field with Nick Rossi (Alfa 1750) coming home ahead of the first group after much lively competition with Peter Bradfield’s Invicta, Chloe Mason in LM18, John Polson’s Talbot, Freddie Smith’s Delahaye and Duncan Potter’s MG Monthlery. The second group was led home by Fred Boothby who progressed steadily through the field in his MG J2, overtaking Roger Buxton’s 1750 Alfa, John Everett’s Austin 7, Geoffrey Delaney’s Hyper and Simon Jackson’s MG PB.

We were treated to some excellent sport over the Silverstone weekend, despite abundant retirements, both in practice and during the races.  (Never mind any thoughts of aging drivers for they are all as young as they think they are; we must remember that most of our cars are now octogenarians and sure to be a bit troublesome!)  Commiserations to all who suffered with mechanical problems – we hope to see you back on track soon! Congratulations to all the finishers for their spirited drives.

All this talk of the passing years and aging cars makes me wonder if it was no accident that the Trophy selected by the old racing garage of Fox & Nicholl is a mantle-clock!                        Lesley Mc Alpine

VSCC Silverstone 23rd April 2016: The Fox and Nichol Trophy and ODM Race

On a cold, windy but, thankfully, rain-free day, it was a pleasure to welcome so many new faces to the strong contingent of ODM stalwarts racing in Set 3.  No fewer than 21 different marques (of various models) were represented among the 56 entries – surely a record?

To accommodate the massive entry, the ODM grid was divided between two races with the Fox & Nicholl’s (over 3 litre) cars and faster smaller-capacity cars racing alongside Set 4 (where the Standard and Modifieds proved worthy adversaries amongst the Specials!).  Sam Stretton was flying in the 2 litre Alta, holding onto to 2nd place overall (1st ODM) amid the jockeying front-running Specials.  Mike Preston won the Fox & Nicholl’s in his 35B, thereby becoming an early leader on the ODM scoreboard.  Behind him, Jonathon Turner in the glorious 8C Triumph put in a strong performance ahead of Nick Ball, driving his father’s Low Chassis Invicta, who finished a few hundredths of a second in front of Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford.  Further down the field, Richard Wilson in the rare and beautiful Squire ran a close race with Christopher Lunn in the Talbot 105, both just beaten by Paul Chase-Gardener’s Aston 15/98, who thus topped the ODM scoreboard in the 1501cc – 3000cc Class.  Fuelling problems put Norman Pemberton out of the race and prevented a distracted Trevor Swete (in one of the three S Type Invictas) from starting … I’ll say no more!

The morning practice session had seen a number of retirements due to start-of-season mechanical troubles, but nevertheless an impressive field roared off the line for the second ODM race led by Jo Blakeney-Edwards (driving husband Simon’s Frazer Nash), hotly pursued by Mark Groves and Phil Champion (both in Nashes) and Andy Bush in the Riley TT rep.  Groves briefly took the lead as Blakeney-Edwards lost pace under yellow flags, but Jo soon regained it closely followed by Bush from Champion and Groves; Bush then lost second place to Champion as his car slowed with an impending piston failure that put him out of the race.  Jo Blakeney-Edwards held the lead to the end with Phil Champion (top of the 1101cc – 1500cc Class on ODM points) and Mark Groves completing a Frazer Nash 1-2-3.  

Adrian van der Kroft, one of several overseas competitors, found impressive speed in the Morgan 4/4 to take 4th place, comfortably holding off Ralf Emmerling, who had worked his way from the back of the grid to finish a creditable 5th in his Riley Brooklands just ahead of Chloe Mason in the Aston Ulster LM 18.  Behind them, Nick Rossi, in the fastest of the three 6C Alfas, saw off another Aston Martin Ulster (driven by John Briggs) but was pipped to the post by Fred Boothby’s J2 by a mere 10 hundredths of a second.  Duncan Potter, finishing 10th in his MG Midget, gained just enough ODM points (15) to take the lead in the Under 1100cc Class ahead of Adrian (with 14) and Ralf (13).  Further down the field, equally close contests were played out by ODM veterans Cyril Hancock in the Fiat Balilla and Keith Piper in the Aston Martin International, who finished just 8/100ths apart, and regular rivals Tim Wadsworth (2 litre Lagonda) and Alex Pilkington in her 1750 Alfa.

All in all, it was an entertaining day’s racing, enjoyed by old hands, new faces and enthusiastic novices; spectators such as myself; and the frequenter of the ODM hospitality tent who admitted 'this is what I really come for – the racing is just what I do in-between!' … I’ll mention no names!

VSCC Oulton Park 21st May 2016; The Bill Phillips Trophy

A very wet morning left competitors looking for grip in practice, but a brisk wind dried the 2.692 mile International Circuit for the afternoon’s race.  As the flag dropped, Mike Preston’s Bugatti T35B stormed into the lead from the second row, overtaking pole-man Andrew Mitchell in the 1½ litre HRG and Sue Darbyshire, always a slower starter with only one driven wheel in the Morgan Super Aero. 

By the second lap, the three leaders had pulled away with little between them, followed by Mark Butterworth in the Lagonda V12 in 4th, Trevor Swete in the Invicta S Type in 5th and the two evenly matched Frazer Nashes of Simon Blakeney-Edwards and Mark Groves in hot pursuit.  Mark Brett in the Ballamy Ford had already charged through the field into 8th from 16th on the grid after 'a terrible, terrible practice'.  A consistent Hamish Monro held 9th in the Frazer Nash SS and Andy Bush recorded his fastest lap in the Riley TT rep to climb to 10th place from a start position of 20th, before losing pace due to a misfire.  David Johnson followed in the Frazer Nash Colmore with James Potter, lead driver of 5 Brooklands Rileys, steadily pulling away from Mark Dolton in the MG PB.  Newcomer Edward Williams in the Austin 7 Ulster retired with a suspected slipping clutch, (which Coca-Cola, hastily gleaned from the hospitality tent, had failed to remedy … I believe the problem lay elsewhere!).

As the race developed, Mitchell made a convincing pass into Old Hall to take 2nd place from Sue Darbyshire 'baulked by backmarkers'; Brett worked his way up to 5th but couldn’t find a way past Butterworth’s vast V12 despite circulating faster; Blakeney-Edwards and Groves exchanged places a couple of times eventually finishing 6th and 7th; Potter overtook Bush and Fred Boothby in the MG J2 to finish 10th; Nick Rossi (Alfa 1750) tailed by John Briggs (Aston Martin Ulster) made sterling progress up the field, narrowly beating Duncan Potter in the MG Midget; and Andy Baker steadily advanced through the pack at the back to finish at the head of the other Brooklands Rileys.

Mike Preston was the undisputed winner, leading from start to finish and adding the Bill Phillips Trophy to the Fox & Nicholl’s bagged at April Silverstone.  This cements his lead on the ODM scoreboard as frontrunner in the Over 3 Litre Class.  James Potter gained most points in the Under 1100cc Class, propelling him into 2nd place on Aggregate behind Duncan Potter, with Andy Baker a close 3rd.  In the 1101cc – 1500cc Class, Andrew Mitchell took the honours, placing him 3rd on Aggregate behind close rivals Simon Blakeney-Edwards and Mark Groves.  Nick Rossi’s achievement moves him to the top of the 1501cc – 3000cc Class.

From a wet start to a fine finish, the International Circuit at Oulton Park proved to be a challenging and rewarding experience.  Well done to all … and particular congratulations go to two veteran ODM enthusiasts, Cyril Hancock and Norman Pemberton, who were cheered into the hospitality tent after finishing 1st and 2nd in the All-Comer’s Handicap later in the day. 

VSCC Cadwell Park 25th July 2016; The Geoghegan Trophy

One of the (many) unwritten rules of the ODM series is that when John Guyatt asks you to do something you can usually find a way of palming it off on someone else. But if Lesley says ‘Jump’, the only sensible response is ‘Of course. How high?’ So it was that I found myself given the task of reporting on the Set 3 race at Cadwell.

Now my experience of reporting motor racing is limited to my usual reply to enquiries at the end of the race: ‘Where did you come?’ – ‘Dunno – somewhere near the back’. So I asked Lesley for some guidance. ‘Oh its easy,’ came the reply, ‘you know all the people and the cars so just describe what you see.’ It was at that point (far too late) that I realised, not for the first time, that someone had far more confidence in my knowledge and ability that was, strictly speaking, justified. Still, I had built a reasonably successful military career on this basis, so it was too late to worry. The truth is that I recognize about half of the Set 3 drivers and can remember the names of about 10% of them on a good day. And the cars I divide into 3 groups: MGs, not MGs and The Bellamy Ford.

Things got worse when I had a look at 2 previous reports – clearly written by someone who not only knew about the cars and drivers but had also managed to fathom out what was going on throughout the race and had recorded it accurately.

One tip Lesley had passed on was to go to the assembly area and chat to the competitors. I was somewhat nervous of this idea because anyone who attempts to talk to me in the Assembly area gets short shrift. But Anthony Fenwick-Wilson was happy to share the fact that his car had arrived late because the transporter had broken down, his computer had packed up the previous day and both he and his wife’s mobile phones had gone on the blink – safe to say he wasn't optimistic about finishing. I told him not to worry as I had already drafted my race report and had him down for a podium…. which proved to be extraordinarily prescient as he did indeed mount the podium later in the day, although not in this race. Then the signal to saddle up was given and my first, and possibly last, grid walk ended, having interviewed 4% of the competitors. And, sadly, there was no sign of the Bellamy-Ford, thus reducing my options for accurate car recognition still further.

So it was that I installed myself in the stand at the top of The Mountain and sat poised with my pencil and notebook, hoping I could do better in the actual race. On the warm-up lap, Black Minor in the Talbot-Lago sadly pulled off back to the paddock. Or so I thought…

Much to my surprise, I was just able to see the start line and note that Mahany, on pole in a ‘not MG’ was jumped by Williams in the Nash and Preston in the Bugatti, with Mitchell (in another ‘not MG’) in hot pursuit.  And then they all disappeared from view up Coppice. Or so I thought….

About 10 seconds after the last car disappeared from view another one stormed off the line in hot pursuit. It was the Talbot-Lago. I could only surmise that it had returned to the assembly area, rather than the paddock, and had been allowed to start from there. Interesting.

As the main race arrived at the top of The Mountain, Mahany had pulled up to second and was now engaged in what was to be a 3 lap battle to re-take the lead. Behind the leading group the remainder of the field streamed by in quick succession, causing the commentator to remark that it resembled ‘the last lap of a good handicap’. He was right. The middle of the field was, and remained, extremely tight throughout the race and presented a fine spectacle – proving once again that Cadwell is well suited to our cars and stimulates close racing even among cars (and drivers) of such varied performance. I noticed that the Talbot-Lago had again left the circuit on the paddock return road and I wondered whether Black had decided, from his previous experience, that the route through the assembly area was actually quicker than going up The Mountain. Would he do this on every lap? Sadly, this turned out not to be the case and we had seen the last of him. Further back, Cadman in an MG went past Lamb in ‘Mephistopheles’ as they crested the Mountain and set off in pursuit of Hancock in the Fiat.

As they came round on Lap 2 the order of the leading pack was much the same except that Groves in the Nash had moved up from 7th to 6th as a result of Bush’s withdrawal and Briggs in the Aston had gained a couple of places.

The next lap saw Mahany make his move. Having presumably exhausted all the available options for overtaking Williams on the track, he decided to try the grass route and popped out at the top of the rise in a lead he was to hold for the rest of the race, his only apparent difficulty being getting past Runnels-Moss in the Vauxhall on the last lap. Behind Mahany and Preston in the Bugatti, Lake, Groves and Waine, in that order, were locked in a close fight, which was destined to continue throughout the race, with Groves eventually succeeding in getting past to take 5th.

Everybody else seemed to be happily engaged in their own races, with special mention of Simon Edwards in the Morgan who worked his way up the field to 12th with a typical spirited Morgan drive. Mahany both won and just pipped Edwards in the Nash to fastest lap by a single hundredth of a second. The commentators also awarded Mahany with the Geoghegan Trophy, but of course WE knew that his HRG is far too modern for that. Most appropriately it went to Williams in the Nash. Duncan Potter took the handicap award in an MG….

Lesley had also advised me to come and listen to the competitors after the race because ‘that’s where the best stories are’. But I had races of my own to contest. As I headed back to the paddock my fellow spectators in the stand were very appreciative of the spectacle presented to them, one remarking ‘That was the sort of race I came to see’. Me too.             Hamish McNinch

VSCC Pembrey 21st August 2016; The Seaman Memorial Trophies

For those who ventured to the Wild West, weather-torn Wales afforded challenges and amusement in equal measure.  Hurricane-force winds and squally rain on Friday night proved too much for many campers – most wisely decamped to local hostelries or took refuge in their cars.  Louise and Mike Preston, however, displayed admirable resilience and slept in their tent nonetheless … ‘we could weigh it down quite nicely’ Louise giggled.  (She enjoyed sharing a drive in Mike’s Bugatti at Saturday’s Sprint Meeting – naturally NOT beating the boss, who won his class).

In view of the weather, the ODM marquee also remained safely under wraps until the winds abated on Sunday’s Race Day … but it furnished a welcome refuge from the rain, which returned later.  The morning practice was dry but saw two unfortunate retirements: Richard Bradford’s Riley ‘making a horrible noise’ (again!) and Sue Darbyshire’s Morgan, suffering from oil starvation (all the more disappointing because of the supreme effort she and George had made to join our grid after the ‘racing’ Morgan developed an elusive problem during Saturday’s Team Race).  Also absent was Andrew Baker’s Brooklands, which brother James had wisely retired from the Team Race before the oil pressure declined to critical.

Nevertheless, a grid of 20 roared off to open Sunday’s Race Programme with Tim Kneller on pole. Tim’s Riley Sprite circulated exceptionally quickly (‘well, that’s the idea, isn’t it?’) and led the race from start to finish. Mike Preston jumped a row at the start to move into 2nd place, which he held to the end in his Type 35B, ahead of Mark Brett’s Ballamy Ford in 3rd.  Behind the front-runners, the well-matched Nashes of Mark Groves and Simon Blakeney-Edwards entertained us constantly (how many times did they overtake each other? – ‘about a hundred!’ thought Mark).  Hot on their heels, Ian Standing kept looking for an opportunity to nip past in his Brooklands Riley… although he couldn’t find a gap, he said that it was the best race he’d ever had with the VSCC.  At the rear of this group, Duncan Potter hurtled round in his little MG Midget, increasing in speed as his fuel load diminished. Further contests played out down the field: Fred Boothby gaining ground in the MG J2 and Keith Piper in the Aston Martin International pipping the P-Type Lea Francis of David Johnson by a whisker. Andrew Morland had an unexpected spin in his MG PA just after the last corner of the penultimate lap and limped over the line behind the finishers. We wondered why he had spun when the track provided such good (all-weather!) grip; he’d had a puncture.

As always, the Welsh Speed Weekend was an unforgettable experience … and before you remark how far away Pembrey is, spare a thought for John Everett, who lives even further west and still regularly brings his Austin 7 all the way to England’s most easterly circuits in order to race with us!

VSCC Mallory Park 24th September 2016; The Bob Gerard Memorial Trophy

In a fitting end to the VSCC ODM season, the sun shone on Mallory Park as the competitors took to the grid for what would prove to be a thrilling finale. Andrew Mitchell put his highly successful HRG on pole position closely followed by Marcus Black’s Talbot Lago. The second row of the grid was occupied by Mark Brett in the Ballamy Ford and Simon Blakeney-Edwards in the Frazer Nash.

As the flag fell, Mitchell was overcome and it was Black that took an early lead, closely followed by Blakeney-Edwards, and the positions held true for several laps. Mitchell made several attempts to regain his place and finally managed to overtake on the approach to the infamous Shaw’s Hairpin. Meanwhile back in the pack, regular competitors were having a difficult time, including David Lamb in the Riley Brooklands, who first suffered a misfire caused by a water leak and then a spin owing to the same problem. MG regular Mark Dolton was forced to retire after a fellow competitor’s car doused him with petrol.

An undoubted highlight was Steve Smith’s giant Hotchkiss AM80, which entertained the crowd keeping up with much smaller and more nimble cars, and certainly gave many a thrill watching him negotiate the hairpin. He eventually finished two places ahead of his qualifying position.

Back at the front the race was all about the HRG which pulled out a comfortable lead, eventually taking the win. Black and Brett were hot on his heels, determined not to let Mitchell have it all his own way, and enjoying excellent battles whilst giving chase to the fleeing red machine.

Blakeney-Edwards proved the nimble Frazer Nash was more than a match for Smith’s Hotchkiss and the pair finished fourth and fifth respectively. Mark Groves in the other Frazer Nash followed them home in sixth, with Ralf Emmerling finishing seventh just pipping fellow Riley Brooklands driver Ian Standing to the flag. 

An acquaintance approached Hamish McNinch after the flag, enthusing about our race ‘…..and that grey car’ he said ‘what was it, the Blimey Ford?’ As it’s the only car other than an MG that Hamish recognises, we hope he was able to put the fellow right!

At the conclusion of racing, Lesley applied herself with usual self-possession to calculate the final results in the 2016 ODM Awards. First overall was Duncan Potter in the MG Montlhery Midget, second Mark Groves in the Frazer Nash Emeryson and third Mike Preston in the Bugatti Type 35B. John and Lesley opened the Awards Ceremony with a special ‘Golden Oldie’ trophy presented to Fiat New Balilla veteran Cyril Hancock, who is looking forward to presenting it to another competitor in 2017. Duncan received the coveted ODM trophy from last year’s winner Andrew Mitchell to popular acclaim, marking another consistent performance in the competitive under 1100cc class.                      Claire Furnell

Castle Combe Autumn Classic 1st October 2016; VSCC Race

The Castle Combe Autumn Classic provides an end of term celebration for the VSCC, indeed a showcase of our racing spirit, the variety of historic vehicles and racing for fun in itself.

Qualifying was endured in the rain by all with the exception of course of Owlet, who excelled under the skilled guidance of Patrick Blakeney-Edwards to secure pole position with, as ever, a broad grin. Sam Stretton took second place in the immensely sharp Alta Sports, followed by the ever competitive Mark Gillies and Andrew Mitchell, respectively in the Aston Martin Monoposto and the Meadows 1.5 HRG. Simon Diffey had secured an invitation to drive the team Aston Martin Ulster, expertly fettled by the Bertelli magicians, and put the car in fifth position.

An excellent lunch was, as ever, provided by John Guyatt and Lesley under the marquee of the Owner Driver Mechanics banner, hospitality given with warmth, a vast variety of delicious cheeses, biscuits, meats and an endless supply of hot drinks.  It also made a welcome shelter when the odd but substantial autumn splashes concentrated their water power onto the circuit.

Owlet's wishes for a wet race failed to materialise; strong sunshine enabled the power of the Alta, under the guidance of Stretton, to beat the pack to secure first place, recording a best lap of 1.30.92.

Mark Brett in the Ballamy Ford accelerated sharply from eighth place on the grid, obtaining sufficient grip to place him into fourth position, held momentarily until the power of Gillies and Diffey collected second and third places to secure their original grid positions.  Owlet was wagging his two rear eyes at the opposition, but by the end of the first circuit was in third place, surrounded by the two Astons; Stretton by then was enjoying his own race ahead.

The race was for 20 minutes’ duration, during which we saw Diffey pit momentarily to alter settings, Barry Foster (MG) stop to water both car and driver, and one retirement from Yushan Ng (Frazer Nash). This was most unfortunately before the race began, which was extremely disappointing as he had secured seventh place on the grid; as ever, a broad smile from this young gentleman and enormous resilience.  Other non-classified drivers were David Cooksey in the Bean on lap 9 and Barry Foster in the MG 18/80 on lap 8.

Stretton was circulating swiftly to the point where he lapped a number of cars, recording a best lap of 71.61mph. Owlet and Mark Brett enjoyed a short battle; this clearly encouraged Owlet to attack Andrew Mitchell, the difference being only 1.88 seconds at the end.  Maybe an extra lap would have altered the results? Simon Edwards was the only Morgan Aero, but as ever produced a fast lap of 62.56mph, securing eighth place.

As ever, the variety of VSCC of cars including the Lagonda of Richard Reay-Smith and the two MGs of Hamish McNinch and Chris Cadman presented high quality of racing to end for us the VSCC race season - now to the Winter Trials!            Nick Upton