Rain won't stop VSCC play

Victory in the Flockhart Trophy for Duncan Ricketts in his E-type ERA in some of the worst conditions imaginable was the key feature of SeeRed, the VSCC’s annual race meeting at Donington Park.

With Sunday’s programme run in torrential rain, the track was partly flooded at the Old Hairpin as run-off from the abortive Grand Prix circuit earthworks ran across the track. In conditions that would have forced the cancellation of a modern race meeting, the narrow tyres of the VSCC racers helped allow the meeting to go ahead. Mike Stripe of the VSCC paid tribute to the racers for coping with the conditions and providing an incident free day of racing.

Ricketts walked on water in the swoopy E-type to see off the challenge of Mark Gillies in ERA R3A. But the matter was finally settled on the last lap as Gillies took the lead at Redgate only to slide off at the Old Hairpin and park R3A in the gravel (above).

Taking the battle to the ERAs was the rare Bugatti T73 of Tom Dark, contesting only the car’s third ever race since it was first built in 1947. Dark was jubilant to have taken second place on his debut with the car.

The Morgan three-wheeler pack revelled in the rain as Gary Caroline topped the Vintage Racing cars, while Julian Majzub (Sadler) and Darren McWhirter (Lister Jaguar) shared the 50s Sports Car wins.

During SeeRed, Lea-Francis racer Jeremy Brewster claimed the top prize in the VSCC’s annual owner-driver-mechanic award.