B.O.C. PRESCOTT

B.O.C. PRESCOTT

The Bugatti Owners’ Club’s 22nd National Open Hill-Climb at Prescott on September loth saw Marsh again breaking records, this time with his Et Lotus in a time of 50.70 sec., thus smashing David Boshier-Jones’ record for the hill by o.26 sec. The first runs were undertaken in dry weather and every class: record was lowered, hut by the time the second runs commenced the weather had deteriorated into steady rainfall and only Marsh’s Lotus could get below the 6o sec. mark on the drenched hill.

Opening the climb was George Eyston, who ascended the hill in an immaculate Type 37 Bugatti, and following behind came ” Lofty ” England in a Jaguar E-type.

Early in the proceedings the Marsh Lotus stirred things up with a new record ascent in 50.76 sec., and other records to fall included the up-to-1,600-c.c. sports-car class, where Ray Fielding in his rear-engined Emeryson-Climax ascended in 50.70 sec. The larger sports-car class went as a gift to Josh Randles in a new recOrd time of 53.36 sec. and Phill Scragg’s Lister-Jaguar broke the over-3,000-c.c. record with a time of 53.32-5ec. Tommy Norton with his 1,2oo-c.c. supercharged COVentry-Climaxengined Lotus Eighteen was pushed into second place in the up-to-1,soo-c.c. racing-car class by Reg Phillip’s Fairley Special, which recorded a new ‘record of 51.52 sec.

Parker continued his Brighton winning theme by taking class and record for the overti-litre racing-car class with his ILK.Jaguar, with Horton in his well-kept .G.P. Connaught second and Berry in the E.R.A. R4D gaining third place. Daghorn with the ex-Boshier-Joncs’ 1,100-c.c. Cooper-J.A.P. easily beat Good and Gaskell (both Cooper-J.A.P.$) in the over-50o-c.c. racing-car class.

Some fine Bugattis appeared in the Bugatti Handicap, Zeuner (Brescia) taking the class with 54.78 sec. net from Bailey (Type 46) and Perkins (Type 35B). The E.R.A.s of .Chapman and Hull were both faster than Major Lambton’s supercharged 11-litre Alta in the Ilistoric Racing Car class.

The Championship runs saw Marsh again having things his own way by two tine runs in 57.07 sec. and 57.45 sec. on the wet road, with only Berry in the twin-tyred ERA. getting anything near with 63.8.8 sec. and Good making 64.15 to gain third place with enough points to assure him of the R.A.C. Hill-Climb Championship for 1961, and Marsh’s win gave him an additional to points in the aggregate to bring him up to second place overall, ahead of Mike Elation (Cooper-J.A.P.).—E. W.