VSCC Ladies' Race continues a long tradition

The Vintage Sports-Car Club’s 2009 fixture list includes race meetings at Oulton Park, Mallory Park and Donington circuits, with a ladies’ race at the last named venue. This reminds me of how cautious the Brooklands authorities were over such a race, in spite of the sensible driving of the girls in other clubs’ events. But by 1929 the BARC finally did provide such a race, albeit with more modest prize money than it offered for male drivers. It was won by Mrs Scott in a Delage.

A V Ebblewhite, who had a London musical instruments business, spent most of his time so very expertly handicapping all manner of contests, not only motor and aeroplane ones, and now the new races for the girls set him fresh calculations.

In 1932 the BARC held an all-girls handicap race. This was won by dirt-track racer Fay Taylour in a Talbot 105 ahead of Paddy Naish’s supercharged Salmson. By 1933 the ladies were judged safe on the Mountain Circuit; a five-lap contest was won by Rita Don in Freddie Dixon’s Riley.

In 1934 there was a Ladies’ Handicap, won by Doreen Evans. Fay Taylour, in a borrowed Monza Alfa Romeo, finished in second place ahead of Mrs Elsie Wisdom in an Alpine Talbot. However, Fay did not stop after the end of the race, ignoring all flag signals either because she wanted to make sure she had won or in order to attract maximum press coverage. A marshal had to stand in front of her car to stop her. The BARC was not amused, excluding and fining her.