B.R.S.C.C. BRANDS HATCH

B.R.S.C.C. BRANDS HATCH (October 1st)

The B.R.S.C.C. National Race Meeting at Brands Hatch saw some excellent racing mixed with some uninteresting stuff. The best, race of the day came in the last event when the rock-and-roll brigade took to the track. The Jaguars romped away as usual but further down the field the Austin Sevens and Mini-Minors got thoroughly mixed up and a bunch of live cars, including Vic Elford, Christabel Carlisle, Steve McQueen, M. H. Clare and D. K. Lall, all harried Alan Fraser’s Sunbeam Rapier unmercifully for most of the to-lap race. Christabel led for much of the time, harried at first by American film actor Steve McQueen, over here on location, but he later succumbed to Vic Elford’s Mini, who then went on to take Miss Carlisle. However, all five usually came round together and, being unwilling to give way, everyone kept .station through the corners, which gave sonic exciting moments, ‘especially at Paddock Bend. Eventually Fraser tired of being overtaken both on the inside and the outside at South Bank Bend and let all live through, with Elford taking fifth place from Miss Carlisle. In frOnt Mike Parkes won easily from Dodds and Woodruffe, all being Jaguar mounted, with Lewis a lonely fourth in his Riley The commentator was beside himself with excitement at the Mini-dice and commanded Elford, Miss Carlisle and McQueen to (–1ount the rostrum alongside a bewildered Mike Parkes, who had no idea what was happening behind him. Much kissing ensued, ‘mainly directed at the fair Miss Carlisle and the whole troupe did a

lap of honour to the traditional horn-tooting from the ‘customers at Britain’s only ” Drive-in Race Track ” !

‘The first event in it crowded programme was for the John Davy Formula Junior Championship, which Bill Moss looked to have in his pocket, but after leading team-mate Mike Parkes in the other works Gemini for 12 laps he dropped out with no oil pressure. Parkes wa s then passed by Dennis Taylor, who had been lying handy for such eventualities in his rear-engined Lola, but Parkes re-passed and went On to win. Peter Procter, who seems to be able to drive anything quickly, from Sunbeams in rallies to old Lotuses and newer Alexis F.J. cars in races, held a comfortable third until the orange Alexis suddenly shot up the bank at Bottom Bend and was abandoned, although after the race it was-driven back to the Paddock. This gave Peter Ashdown third place in the Superspeed Lotus.

Much was expected front 19-year-old Chris Ashmore in the G.T. race as he was driving someone else’s Ferrari Berlinetta but Mike Parkes, who had won all the .sprint races he had entered that week-end, was in no mood to be beaten and. despite starting from the third row in the Equipe Endeavour ti-type Jaguar, he soon pushed past the opposition and on the first lap was second, behind Leston’s Elite and well in the lead on lap two. Meanwhile Ashmore had gone onto the grass at Paddock in the usual firsl-lap pushing and shoving and received a puncture which quickly stopped the black Ferrari. Whitmore moved up to third place in jazz-band leader Chris Barber’s Elite and the two Elitesfinished not all that far behind the Jaguar. The main event of the day, the Lewis-Evans Trophy for FA cars, saw a few newish cars opposed by a collection of old F.2 Coopers and Lotuses. The newest and most potent car was undoubtedly Tony Marsh’s II•R.M.-Climax and this duly won-gning away, as the liorSe-raeing types say. Mike Spence drove hard in his EmerySOn-Climax or second place but made no impression on the winner while third man Tim Parnell was well back in his Lotus. Ilugh Diblcy held a comfortable fourth place in Isis Formula Junior Lola fitted with a mixed-up Anglia 6)1(1 Classic engine until it seized a Wheel bearing, but no doubt it stayed

together long enough to give Bronalley some ideas.

Jimmy Blunter won the sports-car race in his 2-litre Cooper Monaco only to find afterwards that he had been disqualified for being push-started before the race. This gate the race to Pierpoint’s Lotus 2-litre Fifteen model from BoshierJones’ I vita. Laurie Keen’s I .ola and Gordon I,ec in his early Lister-Jaguar, which had plenty of power hut could not catch the little Lolas in the corncrS.—M. L. T.