VSCC Oulton Park (June 16th)

Martin Morris was the outstanding driver at this sunny Seaman Trophies Meeting, with both the Seaman Memorial trophy races. He won the Historic race in his ERA, leading from lap 2 after the Bentley-Napier had out-accelerated him. Patrick Lindsay in his ERA “Remus” was in hot pursuit and Arnold-Forster in his ERA got past the aero-engined car on lap 4. The Bentley-Napier then ran out of fuel and Waller (ERA) took fourth and Bill Morris (ERA) fifth position, which is how they finished. Martin drove Morten’s 4-1/2-litre Bentley in the Vintage race, led for two laps, them Moffatt in Wall’s Bugatti went past. On lap 5 of this ten-lap race the throttle connection fell off the Bugatti, so Hamish was much delayed and the Bentley ran on to a comfortable victory, followed by Morley’s Pacey-Hassan Bentley and Stewart’s Bentley. Moffatt had the satisfaction of fastest lap, at 79.39 m.p.h. Martin Morris having this honour in the other race, at 84.52 m.p.h.

The 12-lap Allcomers’ Scratch Race was an absolute walk-over for Corner, whose Maserati 250F won by 55.6 sec. without having to lap at more than 84.95 m.p.h. Lindsay was going magnificently in “Remus” and was about to demolish Simpson’s Cooper-Bristol when a brake grabbed. When this happened a second time at Lodge Corner, a shoe broke up and affected the steering, so he was obliged to stop. Kergan was third in Bill Morris’ ERA. In the short handicaps Dick Smith scored a long-awaited win in the Frazer Nash/GN race in his Meadows-engined Nurburg, from Guy Smith’s very fast Alvis-‘Nash and McWhir’s AC Six-powered ‘Nash from Ireland. In the race mainly for Morgan three-wheelers these made mince-meat of the four-wheeled opposition, finishing in the order: Wood, Caroline, Angell,Caroline’s 1928 model lapping at 72.03 m.p.h. It was a truly splendid sight, Harper’s 1922 Morgan lifting its inside front wheel within an ace of rolling, Tuer putting the power on early out of Lodge and Angell contriving to slide his single rear wheel. A 1937 Citroën Light 15 drophead was an unusual runner. In another race and o.h.v. DFP led a s.v. Amilcar. The first handicap was a Riley benefit, Collins’ 1930 Nine Special winning from Fleming’s 1937 1-1/2-litre, Graham’s Delage third. Newton’s 1938 1-1/2-litre HRG won the last-but-one handicap from the yellow Attenborough Special, which has a 2-litre Aston Martin engine and K3 MG back axle. Clutton went very fast in his Type 43 Bugatti, taking to the country at Old Hall corner in the thick of the traffic. An excellent afternoon’s racing was concluded when Pack’s Aston Martin-Riley kept ahead of Rogers’ not-in-the-tradition home-built sports AC and Stewart’s Bentley, in the final 4-lap handicap.

On its second appearance the Bentley-Napier, of which much had been expected, non-started with a fuel blockage and Corner’s ERA R4B was a non-runner due to surging oil pressure. Kenneth Neve’s London-Edinburgh Rolls-Royce won the Chesire Life Concours d’Elegance Trophy. – W.B.

Seaman Historic Trophy Race: M.H. Morris (ERA), 82.46 m.p.h.

Seaman Vintage Trophy Race: M.H. Morris (Bentley), 76.55 m.p.h.

Allcomers’ Scratch Race: E.N. Corner (Maserati), 83.04 m.p.h.

Leaders in Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy Contest: Llewellyn (Bentley-Napier), MacDonald (Lagonda) and Morris (ERA and Bentley), 36 points each. Next round: VSCC Silverstone Meeting, July 21st.