Wiscombe Park (April 6/7th)

Opening the Wiscombe Park Hill-Climb on April 6/7th was a two-day event organised by the Aston Martin Owners’ Club. The Saturday was devoted solely to Club members with pre-war Aston Martins opening the proceedings with a close battle for first place being waged between Tony Riseley (1932 International) and Derrick Edwards (1935 Ulster); the decision finally going to Edwards by a tenth of a second. A class for production models, up to and including DB3, followed, the ex-team DB3 of Alan Edwards being uncatchable with a climb in 56.15 sec. for the 1,000-yd. hill. The Cherry Price Trophy for sports/racing Aston Martins was convincingly won by her husband Nigel driving a DB3S in 50.82 sec. from Clive Aston’s ex-Sgoninia car.

The Racing-Car Class was rather poorly supported, competition for Patsy Burt’s Cooper-Climax coming from the venerable 1.5-litre supercharged Alta shared by the Majors Lambton and Chichester, Miss Burt clocking 49.38 sec. to record f.t.d. Martin Morris (Frazer Nash Le Mans) took the “other makes” prize and Brian Hetreed (Aston Martin DB4GT) the class for current Aston Martins.

The following day was an invitation meeting in which many of the previous day’s competitors took part. The honour of f.t.d. went to Peter Westbury’s Felday-Daimler (2.5-litres, supercharged), making its first competition appearance with a time of 46.82 sec. Ian McLaughin’s1,100-c.c. Cooper-J.A.P. made second best time with 47.39 from David Good’s 1.5-litre Cooper-Climax, which has now been supercharged. Tony Marsh non-started with his new Marsh Hill-Climb Special, having suffered transmission trouble at the B.O.C. Test day the previous afternoon. John Coundley’s D-type Jaguar beat the Aston Martins in the sports/racing class, Nigel Price bending his DB3S rather badly in an attempt to get under the 50-sec. mark, fortunately without personal injury. The next Wiscombe Park Meeting is the R.A.C. Championship event on May 19th.