Cortinas, 8-litre Marinas and a fair few Elans: On The Road – July '22

Summer is now in full stride, as is Simon Arron, as he takes in everything from drag racing at Santa Pod to Daimlers attacking the Prescott Hill Climb

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Everybody should give up smoking, except perhaps at Santa Pod- Willys driver Richard Warburton lights up

Everybody should give up smoking, except perhaps at Santa Pod- Willys driver Richard Warburton lights up

Simon Arron

Historic Racing Drivers Club

Lydden Hill, July 3

This year’s British Grand Prix proved to be a gripping contest, but 140 miles towards France there was an appetising alternative with lovely cars and none of the booing that rather flies in the face of Formula 1’s ‘We Race As One’ motif.

Now an established part of the race calendar, ‘Historics on the Hill’ featured three sets of cars, each of which appeared on the circuit four times (free practice, qualifying and two races). It started at 10.30am and was all over before 4pm (in time, as it transpired, to catch the final stages of the delayed British GP on the radio and, in my case, be home before the start of the Mid-Ohio IndyCar race).

Not the perfect Sunday, perhaps, but pretty close.

In addition to the racing, the event features classic car displays – an element that really took off this year. It was hard to walk more than a few metres without tripping over a Jensen Interceptor, or a Mini Clubman estate.

Ding Boston (Riley 1.5) and Charlie Hand (Austin A540) adopt similar angles of attack through Paddock Bend. Boston placed sixth on aggregate in the Jack Sears Trophy

Ding Boston (Riley 1.5) and Charlie Hand (Austin A540) adopt similar angles of attack through Paddock Bend. Boston placed sixth on aggregate in the Jack Sears Trophy

Simon Arron

And although there were grids of ‘only’ 13, 15 and 16, that is more than enough to create a spectacle at a circuit so short. As celebrated essayist and playwright Samuel Johnson might have observed, had anything more advanced than Cugnot’s steam tractor been invented during the 18th century, “When a man is tired of seeing a Ford Anglia on opposite lock, he is tired of life…”

Highlights included some stirring racing between Pete Chambers (Lotus Cortina) and Nathan Heathcote (Mini), who won a Jack Sears Trophy race apiece, though Chambers took victory on aggregate. Chambers also won both Dunlop Allstars races – despite having to overcome a 10sec penalty in the first for starting out of position. His closest challenger, again, was Heathcote.

While they both contested four races, Ben Colburn planned to do all six in Mini Cooper S, Alfa Giulia Sprint GT and Lenham Sprite GT respectively. He took a brace of podiums in both Mini (third overall) and Alfa (second), but retired from the first Allstars race after sticking the Lenham on pole and didn’t subsequently reappear.

A remainder, that, of the days when the sport’s leading drivers would take a similar approach to complement their F1 commitments…

 

Dragstalgia

Santa Pod, July 8

Nostalgia Superstock rivals Lee Chiles (Plymouth Valiant) and Chris Goodale (Camaro) take off – quite literally so in the case of the former

Nostalgia Superstock rivals Lee Chiles (Plymouth Valiant) and Chris Goodale (Camaro) take off – quite literally so in the case of the former

Simon Arron

Racing cars on open trailers always generate a warm feeling – in me, at least – for they are a throwback to what I used to see when cycling along the A49 in the general direction of Oulton Park, an hors d’oeuvre for the feast that was about to be served.

Such was my first taste of Dragstalgia 2022, something long, wide, low-slung and American, heading north along the M1 towards a destination that could only be the same as my own. Drag racing has plenty of gargantuan haulers in its upper stratosphere, but for many the old ways are the best (and quite possibly only) option.

From the archive

Once you have conquered various narrow lanes to reach it, Santa Pod is far more welcoming than its no-frills appearance might suggest. Gate staff and officials are friendly, the press cabin contains a bottomless coffee well and also, on a scorching day such as this, provided vats of sun cream for those such as me who’d forgotten to bring any hair.

The paddock bristles with camaraderie and the sights therein are ever a pleasing shade of bonkers. Is that an Austin Marina van? Of course. With a supercharged 8.8-litre V8? Well, what else would you use? Makes you wonder why British Leyland never thought of it in period…

This was the first day of three at the strip’s annual retrospective (think Goodwood Revival, but in a straight line) and for the most part operated a RWYB (Run What Ya Brung) format, with cars lining up randomly before formal class-by-class competition began during the afternoon.

It would have been lovely to hang around for the duration but, as is nowadays inevitable, there was a fixture clash and I had to settle for one day of sensory overload.

If you haven’t yet been to Santa Pod, you should. If you can’t decide which meeting to attend, this isn’t a bad place to start. It’s a corner of Northamptonshire that feels forever like 1967, particularly on weekends such as this.

 

Historic Sports Car Club

Brands Hatch, July 9-10

By recent standards this had a decent entry for an HSCC meeting, at about 250 cars. Fact is, though, that not so many years ago the total would have been closer to 450. The biggest question concerns the Historic Touring Car Championship, which seems to have suffered some sort of meteorite strike at its heart.

Things seemed pretty bleak when only 15 cars turned up here for a short-circuit meeting in April, but at the time of writing that figure has since been beaten only once (18, Donington Park) and there have been single-figure entries at Silverstone and Cadwell. This was a fresh nadir, though, with only three cars turning out at one of the HSCC’s higher-profile meetings; at the corresponding fixture in 2020, there had been 39…

John Burton shows no sign of slowing down in his 81st year. The Chevron B26 driver held Warren Briggs’s McLaren M8E at bay in the opening Thundersports race, but missed the second (which Briggs won after coming through from the back of the grid)

John Burton shows no sign of slowing down in his 81st year. The Chevron B26 driver held Warren Briggs’s McLaren M8E at bay in the opening Thundersports race, but missed the second (which Briggs won after coming through from the back of the grid)

Simon Arron

There was still much to relish, though, among the cars that materialised – Daniel Pyett’s persistence with an open-face helmet gives his F2 Tecno as good a period look as any in the sport – and there were also some nice human interest stories.

Runner-up in the European Two-Litre Sports Car Championship in both 1972 and 1973, driving Chevron B21 and B23 respectively, John Burton won the opening race of the weekend (Thundersports) in a B26. Fact: he turns 81 in November. Charles Barter isn’t far behind in the age stakes and took his Datsun 240Z to victory in the ’70s Road Sports race that followed…

Burton would have been a good bet for Thundersports part two, too, but for a bout of food poisoning that precluded his participation. Warren Briggs (McLaren M8E) had been Burton’s closest challenger in the opener, until gear linkage problems struck; he came through from the back of the field to win.

Having missed practice because his car wasn’t ready, Michael Lyons (Eagle FA74) charged through the field to win the opening Aurora XL race. Double F2 winner Martin Stretton is the shadow beyond

Having missed practice because his car wasn’t ready, Michael Lyons (Eagle FA74) charged through the field to win the opening Aurora XL race. Double F2 winner Martin Stretton is the shadow beyond

Historic F2 cars are particularly well suited to Brands: they sound the part, drip with purpose and look absolutely lovely sweeping between the ancient woodlands that embrace the grand prix loop. Martin Stretton picked up a brace of wins in his 2.0-litre March 712, but was pushed hard by the newer 782s of Matthews Watts and Wrigley. Watts worked his way to the front in the second race, but retired as a result of overheating.

Some fabulous cars, then, in an equally fabulous setting – and yet there were relatively few people there to watch.

As big a mystery, that, as the black hole into which so many Lotus Cortinas seem to have vanished…

 

MotorSport Vision Racing

Snetterton, July 17

The Andy Newall:Rhea Sauter Austin A30 leads Matt Green (BMC Australia Austin Lancer) and James Colburn (Standard Vanguard) during the Jack Sears Trophy. All three failed to finish

The Andy Newall/Rhea Sauter Austin A30 leads Matt Green (BMC Australia Austin Lancer) and James Colburn (Standard Vanguard) during the Jack Sears Trophy. All three failed to finish

Simon Arron

Another weekend, another historic race meeting with compromised potential – and perhaps another sign that the calendar can’t presently sustain as much retrospective racing as folk are keen to organise.

New for this season, the Snetterton Historic 200 set out to celebrate the one-time bomber base’s competitive heritage – and the principle was sound, ditto the decision to use the 200 version of the track, which is closest in spirit to the version of Snett that operated from 1974-2010. The extended 300 is fine for such as the British GT Championship, but a little too long for club racing – particularly when safety cars are deployed, which nowadays seems to happen as soon as somebody sneezes.

It was a fine idea that attracted some splendid cars, but not in sufficient number to make the paddock look busy (though the Historic Racing Drivers Club’s grids were appropriately strong and provided the event’s backbone). It was a reasonable starting point, though, for what will hopefully become a strong annual staple.

It drew in some illustrious names, too. Triple Le Mans class winner Darren Turner was present, sharing Julian Lupton’s 1930 Aston Martin for the simple reason that he enjoys driving it – no matter that it was one of the slowest cars in the pre-war field. British Touring Car Championship title contender Josh Cook was even busier, co-driving Peter Hallford’s Boss Mustang in the MRL Touring Car Challenge races and winning the Jack Sears Trophy alongside Lotus Cortina owner Mike Gardiner.

One of the weekend’s star performances came in the JST courtesy of Aimee Watts, who threw around her Mini with the kind of gusto that has always been her father Patrick’s trademark. She finished fourth, beaten only by a trio of Cortinas – to her dad’s great satisfaction. He had initially been slated to share the drive, but was instead quite happy to watch, advise and make endless cups of tea.

 

Bugatti Owners’ Club

Prescott, July 23

Paint it black- Peter Baker’s distinctive Daimler Conquest threads its way between the trees en route to the Prescott Esses

Paint it black- Peter Baker’s distinctive Daimler Conquest threads its way between the trees en route to the Prescott Esses

Simon Arron

Even when my car pretty much knows its own way to a venue, I still keep the Waze navigation app primed because it is quick to spot potential delays and plot a route around them. Sometimes, too, it throws up a pleasant surprise, such as advising me to turn right off the A40 long before Cheltenham, the cue for a glorious drive through sheep-fringed lanes with the occasional small deer thrown in.

It was an uplifting approach to one of the nation’s most photogenic venues, a bright start to the day that would soon be embellished by a fine paddock café breakfast consumed on a sun-dappled terrace. The motor sport that followed was a marvellous bonus…

This was a low-key event – the BOC didn’t conjure a fancy title, but simply called it ‘Club Meeting’ – and therein lay much of its charm. The paddock was quiet by Prescott standards, but still bristled with interesting (and occasionally exquisite) cars. Elans might be a popular choice in the Paul Matty Lotus Hillclimb Championship, but it also featured a raft of beautifully prepared 59 and 69 F2/F3 cars (as well as the series sponsor’s 35). Three-times British sprint champion Rodney Eyles was out in his Alfa Romeo 4C, a car not often associated with competition, and, at the opposite end of the aerodynamic spectrum, Peter Baker was spectacular to watch in his 1954 Daimler Conquest.

Rarely has competitive diversity been so elegantly encapsulated.

 

Gold Cup

Oulton Park, July 29-30

Ryan Morgan’s Panhard Junior Roadster certainly wasn’t the quickest car at Oulton Park, but it was among the most engaging

Ryan Morgan’s Panhard Junior Roadster certainly wasn’t the quickest car at Oulton Park, but it was among the most engaging

Simon Arron

Yes, this was a three-day meeting, rather than just two as suggested above, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

In recent years the Gold Cup has felt increasingly like an HSCC clubbie, despite the fluctuating presence of such as the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association, or Historic F2. In collaboration with the HSCC, circuit owner MSV thus sketched out a plan to bring together something that better reflected the pedigree of the event’s title.

The HGPCA produced a full field of 1953-1964 grand prix cars to contest the Historic Gold Cup (won by Charlie Martin, Cooper T53) and there were also strong representations from the host club (Historic F2, Formula Junior) and invitees such as the CSCC (a superb 30-car field of special saloons/modsports) and the HRDC (38 entries for the Jack Sears Trophy). Masters Racing Legends and the VSCC were also on board, so it was a sort of greatest hits package for the world of historic racing – and most of the feedback I heard was extremely positive. I have since seen social media comments that a Formula Ford race would have been welcome, but then last year people complained there were too many of those!

From the archive

A balance needs to be struck, but this felt like a significant step in the right direction.

The HSCC’s Aurora XL field was small but produced one of the best races I saw, an absorbing duel between the Chevrons of Neil Glover (F5000 B37) and Mike Bletsoe-Brown (F2 B27) until the former’s clutch expired and left the latter to take victory.

Unfortunately, though, I didn’t see quite as many of the races as I’d hoped…

I’d last camped at Oulton in 1979 – and decided it might be time to do so again, along with my mate Phil (who’d likewise been involved 43 years beforehand) and our mutual pal Shirley. Two tents, a couple of Campingaz stoves, wine, beer, chicken curry ingredients… what could possibly go wrong?

Back in the day, there was no such thing as formal camping: you just arrived with your tent, pitched it wherever you fancied and got on with your weekend. Nobody questioned anything – not even in 1977, when we walked a lap of the circuit in the evening and found almost a complete front section from Guy Edwards’s March 75A, which he’d crashed during testing. We took it back to the tent and, as nobody asked for it back, it was subsequently broken up and shared; my section lived in a bedroom wardrobe until my mum inexplicably chucked it out…

Things have since become a little more structured, with a bespoke camping area behind Old Hall Corner containing temporary toilet/shower blocks, ample running water and all other essentials (but no March nosecones). It turned out to be boisterous but civilised, a very pleasant way to start what promised to be an absorbing weekend.

No smoke without tyres- the TVR Griffith of Peter Thompson and Mark Hales approaches the crest at Deer Leap

No smoke without tyres- the TVR Griffith of Peter Thompson and Mark Hales approaches the crest at Deer Leap

Simon Arron

And then, at 7.45 on Saturday morning, I fainted. I’d just crossed the bridge over the pit straight and was heading towards the paddock when I began to feel light-headed. I considered lying down as a possible counter-measure, but was involuntarily on the deck before I’d had chance to take the law of gravity into my own hands.

If things such as this are to happen, I’ve always felt it best they should do so at a racing circuit. Five minutes later I was in the care of the excellent medical staff – they thought dehydration the most likely cause – to have various cuts and abrasions treated. A bigger concern, though, was the rising level of pain around my rib cage. Cracks? Bruises? Either way, carrying cameras was going to be a no-no – as I proved when I returned trackside during the afternoon and made things worse.

Idiocy has always come naturally…

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