On and off the road with Simon Arron – September 2022

Our man on the historic and club scene has had to take his foot off the accelerator – for now – but that's allowed more time to delve into the archives

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Automotive diversity: Vernon Moore’s Bentley leads Andrew Cox’s Falcon-bodied Triumph TR3 and Simon Jefferies’ Aston Martin DB MkIII during the FiSCar race

Simon Arron

It’s an odd feeling, not waking up at daft o’clock on a weekend morning, showering, making a packed lunch with one hand while preparing camera kit with the other, then vanishing who knows where. I have been known to set off for one venue, but change my mind en route and end up at another (Loton Park, for instance, when the original target had been Goodwood).

“Turns out I have photos of an event I’d forgotten ever existed…”

But now, for the first time in a long while during an active racing season, the car keys remained on their hook for two consecutive weekends. I’d been awaiting a hernia operation for some while (the problem doubtless caused by standing at weird angles on trackside banks while saddled with Nikon heft) and the time for common sense had arrived.

I’d heard many tales of prolonged recovery periods, so I’m not sure whether I’m simply weird or my nervous system is shot, but either way the whole thing was painless and I felt fit enough to resume within a few days.

Felt, but didn’t…

This short break was a handy opportunity to catch up with other projects. Over the past couple of years I have acquired various slices of photographic archive, complete with copyright, to complement my own. Some negatives are from agencies long since dissolved, but the provenance of most is a mystery. Scanning is not the work of a moment, likewise cleaning up scratches or restoring some depth to faded negatives – and the more you acquire, the greater the backlog. But this was an opportunity to catch up (slightly, at least) and it’s amazing what you find.

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The industrial Merseyside landscape in 1973, with serial race winners Dave Millington (Vauxhall Firenza) and Tony Sugden (Escort) duelling through Country Corner at Aintree

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Rallycross at an army barracks? Who knew? Tony Brant, Derek Scarrow and Trevor Smith bounce across the one-off Deepcut course in 1981

One film – marked as ‘Brands Hatch rallycross’ – was clearly nothing of the sort. I consulted discipline guru Tim Whittington, who swiftly confirmed the shots were taken at Deepcut Barracks, Surrey, which hosted a one-off rallycross weekend in June 1981. Turns out I have photos of an event I’d forgotten ever existed…

Most of the stuff is from the southern end of Britain – Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Castle Combe, Gurston Down and so on – but one unmarked film turned out to be from the original version of Croft, somewhere I never frequented, while another is an Aintree club meeting from 1973 (a couple of years before my first visit, though many of the cars were reassuringly familiar).

When circumstance dictates, motor sport in two dimensions seems a therapeutic alternative to the real thing.

 

MSVR Ford Power Live

Brands Hatch, September 18

Fords

Fords as far as the eye can see, with the Zakspeed cars of Neil Jessop (Mk2) and Mike Thurley (Mk1) to the fore

Simon Arron

Short drive, an easy circuit to circumnavigate without a great deal of effort… Brands Hatch seemed a logical restarting point, but also felt a bit weird. There were lengthy queues outside the circuit an hour before the action started – yet inside the spectator banks seemed fairly quiet throughout the day.

It’s probably the first time I’ve been to a racing event where there was significantly more interest in events off the track (massed ranks of Fords in assorted states of tune) than anything happening on it, even though that also involved lots of Fords. There was some wonderful racing going on 80 miles down the road at Goodwood, but the Revival Meeting doesn’t cater for Escorts or Capris…

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Most races had strong entries – and there was some fabulous racing. My favourite car, though – one I hadn’t previously seen – was Steve Goldsmith’s ultra-quick Anglia 105E, which looked as though it had stepped straight from the pages of Motor Sport circa 1968, though it was immaculately presented in a way racing cars rarely were in those days.

It was nice to see a strong Formula Ford 1600 field (Rory Smith won twice) – and to witness Drew Cameron emerge unscathed after flipping his Van Diemen at Clearways. He was able to walk unaided to the adjacent medical centre for a check-up.
Sports 2000 cars don’t look much like those I watched in the category’s very first race at Oulton Park in April 1977 (though there is still a class for older cars), but they are hugely impressive to watch; in the second race, Michael Gibbins beat fellow MCR driver Joshua Law by just 0.051sec.

The only downside? Throughout the afternoon, a minority of Focus ST owners seemed to think it mandatory to leave the venue in a flurry of revs and exhaust crackle. Point one, if you want to drive like that, track days are a better option than the A20. Point two, if your primary purpose is to make some noise, ditch the Focus and see if you can find an Escort BDA.

They sound much better…

 

Autumn Classic

Castle Combe, September 24

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Ecurie Classic winner Lee Atkins (TVR Grantura) chases Tom Smith’s Jaguar E-type. The pair fought entertainingly until the Jaguar was forced to retire

Simon Arron

Why can’t the M4 ever be normal? On my previous visit to Castle Combe, a huge section was restricted to 20mph on both carriageways, without obvious cause. This time, resurfacing work dictated a significant diversion through the Lego-like architecture of central Reading – something of a contrast to the bucolic world beyond.

Once it had reopened beyond Junction 12, the M4 still couldn’t help itself: at one point I was passed by a Hyundai Matrix whose driver seemed to think the Bonneville Salt Flats had been relocated to Berkshire.

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The Mk3 Capris of Ludovic Lindsay and Neil Merry sandwich the Mk2 of John Spiers through Quarry. Lindsay eventually caught long-time leader Graham Scarborough to take victory

Simon Arron

Meanwhile, back to Castle Combe…

This was the 11th running of what has become a popular retro staple. There were seven races, two for the HSCC Griffiths Haig Trophy and one apiece for Ecurie Classic Racing, FiSCar ’50s Inter-Marque, 500cc F3, the GT & Sports Car Cup and – a first at this meeting – an event for Group 1 saloon cars (named in honour of local tin-top hero Vince Woodman, who died in 2021).

The entry for the latter wasn’t huge, but Quarry and Camp are two of the best corners in the country at which to appreciate cars that slide around in the manner of Ford Capris and Rover SD1s. I was looking forward to seeing David Clark’s Chevrolet Camaro tackling the high-speed sweeps, too. After a five-point turn to negotiate the hairpin between assembly area and pit lane, however, the car managed barely a lap and would not be seen again.

In its absence, however, the remaining cast put on a good show – despite patchy reliability decimating the field. Graham Scarborough (Capri) led initially from the Rover of Riorden Welby and Jack Moody. When that faltered Scarborough appeared to be in the clear, but fellow Capri driver Ludovic Lindsay was edging ever closer. The leader noticed his gearchange baulking shortly before the end – and completely lost drive shortly after Lindsay had wrested the advantage at Quarry. Scarborough was sanguine afterwards, chatting less about his own misfortune than the fact it had been an enjoyable contest.

Special mention, too, to Peter Fisk, whose production-spec Opel Commodore ran extremely last against its highly modified opposition, though he chucked it around with considerable vim. Once the race was over, he removed the numbers, turned left through the paddock gate and drove it home.

Respect.