BOREHAM

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BOREHAM

BOREHAM circuit, near Chelmsford, where racing is organised by the young but flourishing West Essex C.C. under George Matthews, is very much in the news at the moment. With Silverstone panting its final gasps, Boreham could well become Britain’s No. 1 circuit next year. Its sponsors have money and the sense to listen to suggestions. The circuit is very fast—Rolt’s Delage lapped at 90 m.p.h. in practice. It is near the more thickly populated parts of London, readily accessible by wide roads. Aeroplanes are allowed to land there, and Press cars to motor to the corners via the runways. A minimum of red tape is kept there and on June 80th pressmen were told that they alone were allowed to be killed if they so desired! Like other ex-airfield circuits Boreham is a bit flat and featureless and races do not yet happen punctually, as they do at Goodwood. Nor are fall facilities available, as at the Sussex circuit. But undeniably Boreham has possibilities ; 50,000 enjoyed the June races, children playing happily on the runways (there was even some sand about) and girls sun-bathing in sun-tops while they watched, and sometimes even discussed, the racing. The first heat of the Formula HI race Peter Collins’ J.B.S. led from Ecelestone’s Cooper and Dryden’s J.B.S. Frost spun his J.B.S. at the notorious Railway

Corner. Brown in the Ecurie Richmond Cooper led Heat 2 exceedingly comfortably from Watkins’ Emeryson and Brise’s Cooper. This time Fenning’s Cooper spun and the bonnet of R. Brown’s Cooper flew open.

A sports car race followed, in which Hawthorn’s ii-litre Riley, which has gone absolutely impeccably this season, did so again, Jim Mayers’ Lester-M.G. unable to make any impression on it ; Ruddock’s Meadows-H.R.G. was third. The Lamgia, Dargue’s M.G. and Coleman’s M.G. had varying degrees of sickness and Constable’s M.G. seemed to need re-boring.

Tony Crook’s Frazer-Nash ran away with the next sports car race, Heap’s old Marendaz Six leaving the fray early, Heath’s blown 1,087-c.c. M.G. smothering its engine with oil, but Stokes’ “Silverstone” Healey cornering fast and holding second place firmly after two of the ten laps, what time Spiller and Kemp-Place duelled for third place in their Healeys. The Final of Formula III was exciting, Alan Brown leading for six laps with ” Curly’s ” J.B.S. glued to the Cooper’s tail. Then Alan overdid it at Railway, mowing down rows of marker cans but amid cheers contriving not to stop. Brandon took up the chase and waved wildly at Dryden when he saw a tyre

deflating on the J.B.S.—alas, ” Carly ” had found a nail. So Brandon won, Brown closing up on him by the finish, with Ecelestone’s Cooper third. Thomas’ Cooper coasted in, R. Brown’s engine cooked a plug lead and Watkins’ Emeryson had a simply tremendous incident amongst the straw-bales at Railway, happily without casualty.

Perhaps the tarmac was getting sticky, but some truly hair-raising skids occurred during the big sports car race, Macgregor’s old ” beetleback ” Alvis, said to have a 4-litre engine, sliding at Railway and neatly laying a mudguard -on the course, and Boshier’s XK 120 Jaguar spinning, also at Railway, so that Rolt in Rob Walker’s DB II Aston-Martin had to act exceedingly quickly ! Crook had led for three laps in his Frazer-Nash, then by a great effort Howorth’s potent XK 120 Jaguar had got by. Two laps later Crook repassed on the inside at Railway Corner, but next time round Howorth was ahead again. Great stuff ! Then, two laps from the finish the hard-pressed Howorth had an immense series of slides, tracing fantastic patterns in the tar at Railway, and it was Crook’s race, Leslie Allard third, beating Watkin’s Allard. In the racing car scratch race which followed, ‘McAlpine in the nionoposto Connaught gradually closed with Merrick’s 1,182-e.e. Cooper but, missing his Continued on page 882