Veteran to classic -- VSCC

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VSCC Nidderdale Rally

The winner of this event, held on May 4th, was P Cattle (Riley) who was awarded the Northern Weekend Jug. With three nonstarters, 47 drivers and navigators competed. First-class Awards were won by M Clarke (A7), K Burnett (Alvis), and G Tomlin (Alvis). Second-class Awards went to B Sudjic (Hotchkiss), F Hyland (Alvis), P Blakeney-Edwards (Frazer Nash) and A Lupton (Lea-Francis), and Third-class Awards to N Doodsworth (Alvis), P Glover (Alvis), F Moore (Rallton) and A Costigan (Riley). The best newcomer was judged to be C Naish (6-1/2-litre Bentley) and the best novice driver P Wignell (Sunbeam). — WB

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VSCC Wiscombe Speed Hill-Climb

The annual VSCC visit to the delightfully situated Wiscombe Park hillclimb took place on May 12th. Vintage cars were in fine fettle, breaking four class-records and two pre-war class records were also broken. FTD was made by Mayman in ERA R4D, in 46.11 sec, breaking Martin Morris’s old record by 0.17 sec, and Julian Majzub set a new vintage record in his Bugatti in 47.92 sec, 0.37 sec quicker than that held previously by Cardy’s Bugatti. The small sports-car class was won by Bukin’s A7, a 1929/32 Special declared as 790 cc, with a time of 63.38 sec, the vintage section going to Leith’s hybrid A7 (57.75 sec). Dunn’s 1-1/2-litre Riley Special was quickest in the Sports-Cars-up-to-1500cc class, with a record breaking climb in 50.73 sec after his second run had apparently been mis-timed (anyway, he broke the class record on his first ascent), and Selwyn-Smith’s Frazer Nash, with 53.91 sec was best vintage runner, with two consistent climbs. The Delahaye driven by Heelis headed the up to 3-litre sports-car class (56.55) sec and J Giles set a fresh vintage record in the Frazer Nash, in 52.31 sec. Fastest big sports car was Anne Shoosmith’s 4-1/2-litre Bentley (61.52 sec). She broke the GN-Ford’s old record by 0.83 sec and beat all the post-vintage (but pre-war) cars in her class.

Mallya in the ex-Arnold-Forster 5-litre 1912 Bugatti took the Edwardian section with a fine run in 60.46 sec, fastest in a class of five as well as the handicap win. Vintage cars scored again in the 1100cc racing car class, in which no-one was faster than Lake’s Amilcar-Riley (53.70 sec) a fine show against nine A7s; even Barry Clarke’s couldn’t better 58.54 sec, but it would have probably been different if the Hardy Special hadn’t retired on both its runs. The Harker Special clocked 64.87 sec. Ricketts in Sally Marsh’s ERA R1B was victor of the 1-1/2-litre racing car section (47.85 sec), the best vintage car being Caroline’s impressive Morgan 3-wheeler (51.65 sec) although it failed to complete its second run. Finally, Mayman and Majzub were successful overall with record-smashing runs. — WB

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Our report of the VSCC Curborough speed-trials gave provisional results, but there is no change, except that Roger Collings’s 8-litre Bentley Special won the big sports-car class, not Walker’s GN-Ford as stated. Bruce Spollon’s ERA had a bad day, as although it got within 2.37 sec of Guy Smith’s FTD with the Alvis-Frazer Nash in practice, in the event it was 18.31 sec in arrears of Smith’s 37.93 sec after expiring on its first run. — WB