A roaring summer of vintage racing

After a month’s rest from racing, there’s no better way to get back into the motoring stride than to jump straight in at the deep end, which is exactly what I did across a very busy July.

Things got started at Shelsley Walsh, followed by the annual Vintage Sports-Car Club race meeting at Silverstone, where I had the Parker GN and my Cooper T53 in action. Sadly, my race day got off to a bad start when the Parker propshaft broke in qualifying.

My race day was saved by a terrific Pre-66 Racing Cars race, where I did battle with a couple of very quick drivers: Harry Painter in his BT16 F2 Brabham, and Michael O’Brien in his Brabham BT6 Formula Junior. My 2.5-litre Cooper was more powerful on the straights but the lighter BT16 and BT6 had better cornering and brakes (not to mention younger drivers!), which made it a superb cat-and-mouse fight all the way to the line. I won it by a whisker! What a fantastic new one-day format for owners of Pre-66 racing cars. The VSCC intends to continue with this popular grid next year, so please think about joining in.

My day got off to a bad start when the Parker propshaft broke

Then it was on to the Oulton Park Gold Cup, which is one of my favourite events, but it troubled me this year. The Gold Cup is a phenomenally good event, indeed the HGPCA grid was so oversubscribed that to allow the reserves to start the race, all competitors signed an agreement for over 32 cars to compete. The race was full-on, and close throughout: following two changes of leader in the last lap it was won by Charlie Martin.

The circuit is well suited to our vintage racing cars and the VSCC bought two grids, for up to 32 starters in each. I was disappointed with only 15 cars competing in our Owner Driver Mechanic race, and 16 competing in our Allcomers Scratch Race. This has several knock-on effects: firstly, the racing is never as good with less cars; and second, it puts the club at great financial risk. I know we’re living in a financially challenging world right now, but the club has enjoyed healthy grids at other meetings, yet for some reason support was lacking at the Gold Cup. That begs the question of whether it’s worth the club joining the Gold Cup next year. It would be a huge shame to not compete at events of this magnitude. The VSCC needs the support of its members to make it happen.

Regardless, when racing did get underway my repaired Parker GN ran well in the Range Corner Trophy, allowing me to enjoy a scrap with eventual winner Tom Walker in the Amilcar Hispano Special and Dougal Cawley’s GN/Ford Piglet, which I beat to second.

Coming up next is the VSCC’s super-busy Prescott Hill Climb – at which my son Ben will be taking the reins to compete in my Parker GN – then VSCC at Mallory Park, which has me studiously rebuilding a gearbox for the Type 53. Then, looming over all that is the Silverstone Classic. I’m hoping to have both Coopers out there, plus the Parker GN (if I can secure an entry for the Legends race!). Best get back to those spanners. It feels good to be out and about again…

Next month: Prescott Hill Climb, Mallory Park and the Silverstone Classic