ERA back in action

Three years after Donald Day’s horrific fiery crash at Silverstone, ERA R14B returned to the circuit rebuilt to pristine condition for April’s VSCC season-opener, with Goff Tidball at the wheel. Built in 1938 for Johnny Wakefield, the gallant old car finished third behind the Maserati 4CLTs of Ascari and Villoresi in the 1948 RAC GP at Silverstone with Reg Parnell up, and has been owned and raced by Day since 1958.

Despite losing his left arm in the 1995 accident, Day was back in the cockpit of the machine his wife calls ‘The Mistress’ for last month’s sprints at Cornbury Park and Curbororugh, to the delight of the vintage racing fraternity.

Another ERA at VSCC Silverstone was the 1939 E-type GP1, restored by Duncan Ricketts. Alas, gearbox failure in practice prevented it from starting its first race since 1950. MP