Golden day

Sir,

May I, through your columns, thank Oulton Park on their revived Gold Cup meeting for historic cars. The track is a perfect setting for these cars, so much more appropriate than the soulless, modem, tailored-for-Formula One Silverstone, where this meeting has been held recently.

All that is needed is to bypass the chicanes that litter the run from the hairpin to Knickerbrook, and the circuit would be exactly as it was back in 1953. And surely the cars are no quicker now than they were then? A few more drivers from the ’50s and ’60s would complete the nostalgia. How about it for the circuit’s golden anniversary next year?

My most vivid memory of this track, apart from watching Archie Scott-Brown, is of sitting in a car in nearby Tarporley when Masten Gregory’s white-and-blue Ferrari 750 Monza and Carroll Shelby’s red 4.4-litre Ferrari went blasting down the main road on their way back from The Daily Herald sportscar meeting of 1955.

Seeing Frank Sytner in his open-faced helmet hustling his DB3S Aston round Lodge with armfuls of opposite lock reminded me of Peter Collins and that very successful Swiss driver, Benoit Musy.

Great days, and a great track!

I am Yours etc,

Julian Nowell, Brentford, London