VSCC: Shelsley Walsh

Hulbert trims his own pre-war record

Mac Hulbert kept up his mastery of Shelsley Walsh by breaking his own pre-war car record during the VSCC visit to the Worcestershire venue. Aboard ERA R4D, Hulbert stormed the 1000-yard hill on his first run to slice a third of a second from his year-old 34.05sec mark.

Hulbert knew that a sub-34sec climb was within reach. “With the two halves of the best runs, it can be done,” he said after practice. Sure enough, having blasted through the speed trap at 89mph, he stopped the clocks at 33.71sec after an inch-perfect climb.

A red flag delay on the startline took the impetus out of Hulbert’s next run, but his work was done and he received a rapturous reception from the bumper crowd. “A wonderful day at a great hill,” said the hero of the day.

Also setting a new class record was Charles Dean, who led the chase of Hulbert in his Bugatti T51. His best of 35.11sec was a new vintage record. Just adrift of Dean was James Baxter (Frazer Nash single-seater), who broke his own record for racing cars over 3000cc, leaving it at 35.2sec.

Michael Fitzmaurice’s brave handling of his s/c Austin Seven Special pared three-tenths of a second from his seven-year-old 1100cc racing car record. David Barker’s 1918 Piccard-Pictet was a clear winner in the Edwardian class and Dick Smith (Frazer Nash Super Sport) won the 1500cc racing car division.