Crystal Palace Racing (June 10th)
Archie Scott-Brown Drives Brilliantly to Win Unlimited Sports-Car Race at 75.50 m.p.h.
And so to the Crystal Palace on Whit Monday, June 10th, for a further programme of motor racing organised by the B.R.S.C.C.
Formula III racing cars led off at the start, the first event being the Redex Challenge Trophy Race, heat one resulting in a contest between Strange and Russell in Cooper-Nortons, with Foreman in a similar car in third place. Strange brought his Cooper home at an average speed of 73.59 m.p.h. The next heat saw Stuart Lewis-Evans and Ivor Bueb join in the fun, the former taking first place and making the fastest lap into the bargain, this being at 77.70 m.p.h. Cowley had a bit of a job to keep up but gained second place, leaving Don Parker third position.
Formula II cars came next, the same group as appeared the previous day at Brands Hatch and Roy Salvadori this time received the laurels with team mate Jack Brabham following in second place, the leader recording 78.38 m.p.h. The production sports car race started with Ian Walker’s familiar Lotus-Ford in the lead with Hudson in a 100S Healey breathing closely down his neck, Sargent in his XK120 Jaguar holding on to third position for as long as possible. In this event there were two definite groups of cars, the leading trio followed by a gap and about five cars all together. Not the least of these was the R4 Jowett which held off Shove in an MGA and closed up well on some of the others showing what an outdated car can still do. By the seventh lap of this ten lap race Ian Walker had caught the five stragglers and lapped them to come in first at 69.77 m.p.h. Hudson was second and Prior, in his rapidly repaired Lotus-Ford, third. In the up to 1,500-c.c. class Tomei, in his M.G. TD, was first, with Jennings (A.C. Bristol) second.
In the up to 2,000-c.c race for sports cars Roy Salvadori was away first, but Colin Chapman was not to be defeated again and found the right pedal to make the Lotus come in first ahead of Salvadori, leaving Crabb on the Tojeiro-Bristol to come in third.
The final of the Redex Challenge Trophy for 500s resulted in another win for Lewis-Evans, Ivor Bueb being a little out of practice on these small cars. The Cooper of D. J. Strange spun going under the Motor bridge and hit the straw bales with no injury to the driver. Ivor Bueb chased Don Parker hard but failed to gain a place.
Archie Scott-Brown took off with a flying start in the unlimited sports car race, driving the incredibly fast Lister-Jaguar which never faltered once during the entire race and recorded an average speed of 75.50 m.p.h. with a fastest lap of 75.82 m.p.h. Jim Russell and Peter Whitehead ran very close together as did most of the other competitors except Peter Mould who was a little further behind in his C-type Jaguar.
The Anerley Trophy race for 1,100-c.c. cars resulted in a dog-fight between Hall and Chapman driving team cars. At first Hall led until the sixth lap when Chapman took the lead, but by the next lap Hall was again in first place where he remained until the finish, making an 1,100-c.c. class record of 77.22 m.p.h.
Finally, came the last Formula II race when Brabham and Salvadori shot off into the lead, Brabhamt staying to finish, but not before making a new lap record of 80.19 m.p.h. for the circuit. Mackay Fraser spun on the grass on the opening lap and later in the race Salvadori lost a gear which cost him a place since he arrived third behind Wicken in another Cooper. — I. G.