More about VSCC Cadwell
The two main races at the VSCC Race Meeting held at that most attractive setting of Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire last August are reported in the colour-section of this issue. But this was the first time VSCC members had raced there, and it was such an enjoyable and memorable occasion that the rest of the programme must not be neglected. It began with a 5-lap Scratch Race for vintage and p.v.t. cars in which the luckless (or careless?) Dods led by a huge margin in his smart AC Special for four laps and then ran out of petrol! Nickalls’ Lagonda Rapier lasted two laps in second place and then became disarranged, it was thought with ignition problems, leaving Clinkard’s 12/70 Alvis Special to win the first-ever VSCC Cadwell event. Garfitt’s Type 319 Frazer Nash-BMW was second, and Cann’s 2-litre Aston Martin third. Joseland had a nice “Chain-Gang” battle at a more sober pace against Hamilton-Gould. Some drivers were protected by touring windscreens, like Poynter in his Lea. Francis, and some elected, or were obliged, to just tour the course, such as Winn in Miss Scouller’s Riley Gamecock. Fountain’s :930 Riley 9 won a special award for bettering his handicap by a bigger amount than any other driver of a car of this popular make and size.
Bernard Kain had no real difficulty in winning the John Holland Trophy race, contested from scratch over eight laps of the picturesque Cadwell course, in his Type 35B Bugatti, although chased by Harvey Hine’s formidable Bentley, which tied for best lap, at 66.94 m.p.h., with Kain. Ian Preston’s Type 35B Bugatti managed to come home third, although smoking and coughing. Farquhar’s Riley 9 took the up-to-1,100-c.c. prize. Next we were treated to a mixed 5-lap Handicap, in which Garfitt excelled himself by adding victory to his previous second place. Whale in the ex-Derek Dent Frazer Nash caused some excitement by slipstreaming DuIfy’s 3 1/2-litre Alvis-powered Riley down to the finish and then swerving snakely round it, to snatch a close second place. After this the Spero and Voiturette trophies Race seemed dull in comparison but probably was by no means so for the competitors, of whom Farquhar’s well-known long-tailed Riley 9 led from the start to the finish of the eight scratch laps, and Fletcher-Jones passed Dodd’s Brooklands Riley 9 on the inside at one of the many and interesting corners, to bring his Lagonda Rapier into second place, only to have it expire, unfortunately with a hole in its crankcase, after six laps. So the Riley won all on its lonesome, with the other Riley eventually claiming second place, and Barbet’s noisy version finishing third, a Riley 9 walkover in the 50th Anniversary of this famous Riley model. The winner lapped at 63.68 m.p.h., Kirby’s yellow Austin 7 took the Voiturette Trophy and the handicap. section of this race went to Ward’s lowered Chummy Austin, which appears to be driven from the back seat, which is perhaps to be regarded as more moral than a driver occupying that bench with the car stationary. Musselwhite’s replica MG EX 120 was a non-runner, having been picked-off the outside bank at the Hairpin alien the ‘second race, a front spring mounting-bolt having sheared. Driver unhurt and needlessly apologetic.
For a change we had a 4-lap mixed Handicap, which Roger Howard won neatly in his 1928 Amilcar, leading from lap 2 but stopping just beyond the finish as a rear tyre was deflating. Dods had found some petrol for the AC and, making fastest lap at 60.45 m.p.h., took second place in a close finish, as he passed Stephens’ Lancia Lambda tin the inside as they raced for the flag. The Lancia Was another which ran with its big windsers erect. In spite of a dog-owner refusing to recognise that motor racing was for the moment more important than canine-rights and holding up the Allcorners’ race for 15 minutes, things were not too far behind when the last two races were called. The first Was a 5-lap mixed (vintage/p.v.t. scratch event, winch was a sort of Specials-Procession, Clifford’s V8 3-litre Riley, on which much hard work had recently been completed, leading Cook’s 1 1/2-litre Riley and Hall’s replica 4 1/2-litre Lagonda team-car in that sequence. The second was the concluding 4-lapper, a handicap, which Ghosh won in his 30/98 from Hine in his Bentley. Hall again coming in third, ahead of Pat March’s 1 1/2-litre ERA. Altogether a splendid meeting. which will probably be repeated in 1977.
The Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy Contest worked out rather welt, because all the cars placed were of types well-known at the Track, even if, “Romulus” apart, it cannot be established that they actually competed there. It seems that the VSCC will use Cadwell Park again next year, even though Donington Park, where they had intended to close their 1976 season, is expected to open next March. Cadwell is a splendid circuit, with the cars in view on the two straights which are in close proximity, a line up-hill section, while the bends near the hairpin and that corner itself are rather akin to the “snake” at Chobham, where some of the modern cars tested by us are taken, especially when sampled from the fast-driven, under-steering BMW 2500 used by Cadwell’s efficient Chief Course Marshal.
W.B.
V-E-V Miscellany:—Bill Meredith-Owen has found another Arab and one of the rare 4 1/2-litre 1914 GP Delage cars is undergoing restoration in Australia. Information is sought about a 1935/6 Frazer Nash Falcon with 2-litre BMW engine, which has been in storage for many years. The present state of the Vauxhall Register shows a total of 293 pre-war Vauxhall cars, of which 146 are 30/98s, the latter sub-divided as 115 OE types, 30 E-types, and a solitary TT specimen. The industrious Registrar, John Price, of 22a, Leyland Road, Lee Green, London, SE 12, would be glad to hear of any omissions.
Brooklands Books have published a new title in their reprint series, covering Packard ears from 1920 to 1942. At the Rover Works Gala last August the best pre-war entrant was judged to he W. A. Holmes’ 1938 Rover Ten, the best pre-war Austin R. Clayton’s 1929 Burnham Sixteen, while the Distance Award went to A. Nye’s Austin Nippy which travelled 195 miles to attend. S. M. Webb’s 1926 Bean won the rarity prize, Coventry Museum’s 7-litre o.h.c. Maudslay the Trade class. The