Hannen fodder

The traditional June Silverstone VSCC meeting was the penultimate event to be held on the old club circuit, prior to the various F1-instigated revisions, and featured an all-ERA (or ERA-engined) race to commemorate the Bourne marques 60th anniversary.

The opening event, for the Bill Phillips Trophy proved some consolation for Martin Stretton. Having suffered an engine failure at the wheel of Simon Bull’s 4CM Maserati in practice, he recovered from a poor start in Terry Cohn’s Alfa Monza to beat Bob Burrell’s Bentley-Royce. Bob Gilbert’s Bentley closed on Burrell to challenge at Woodcote on the last lap, Burrell just getting the verdict.

Some 10 ERAs and four ERA-engined relations contested their marque race. John Harper in R4D led briefly from Duncan Ricketts (R1B) and David Morris (R1 1B), but Ricketts was soon ahead and held off a strong challenge from Harper to the finish. Ludovic Lindsay, hampered by lack of first gear in ‘Remus’, took three laps to displace Morris before the latter retired in a trail of oil. Lindsay finished well clear of Sir John Venables-Llewellyn (R4A) and John Ure (R1 2B, Hanuman II).

In the absence of the Birdcage Maseratis, the Hawthorn International Trophy was destined to become a D-Type Jaguar benefit. Frank Sytner took the lead from Gary Pearson on the second lap and thereafter came under no pressure. Soames Langton (Lister-Chevrolet) squeezed Pearson down to third, and held second until the last lap When Pearson reclaimed a Jaguar one-two. The Hawthorn Memorial Trophy produced a memorable scrap between Rick Hall (Connaught C), Peter Hannen (250F Piccolo), Amschel Rothschild (P25 BRM) and Ludovic Lindsay (250F Maserati), with Hall and Hannen exchanging the lead. It was resolved at Brooklands one lap from home when Hannen and Hall came upon a backmarker. The leaders touched, and the following Lindsay hit the lapped runner. Hannen recovered to take the flag from the Vanwall of John Harper, Rothschild and Hall.

Tim Llewellyn had sights set on a sixth Boulogne Trophy with his 3/8-litre Bentley and for eight of the 10 laps he followed the script; then a plume of smoke foretold his retirement, handing the race to Alex Boswell’s Bequet Delage (after Mac Hulbert had been forced to retire his Alvis). Peter Hannen crowned his most successful day’s racing by taking a flag-to-flag win in the Hawthorn Spanish Trophy with a rare outing in his Maserati 6CM. Harper, with R4D, pressed him hard, however, before falling oil pressure called a halt to his progress, whereafter Duncan Ricketts took up the chase, but too far adrift to offer a challenge. Ludovic Lindsay had worked Remus up to third after a slow start, but any chance of second was lost with a spin at Becketts on the last lap. Venables-Llewellyn claimed fourth from Paul Jaye (Alta) and Douglas Jamieson (Maserati 6CM). The remaining short scratch races went to John Seber (Wolseley Hornet) and Phil Walker (MG K3), whilst Jo Waterfield (Frazer Nash), Mac Hulbert (Alvis Silver Eagle) and Rob Pollock (AC Unicorn Special) claimed the five-lap handicaps. A S D C