Classic and Competition Car January 2012 by Simon Wright

& c i s s Cla Competition Car Issue 16

VSCC Winter Driving tests

Britcar Brands Hatch

Boxing Day Meet The Moat House Inn

www.classicandcompetitioncar.com

January 2012

CONTENTS

News Page 4

Midland Breakfast meeting Page 10

Archive Photo Page 14

Tasman Rd2 Page 15

VSCC Winter test P 18

Classic Motorshow P22

Britcar Brands Hatch Page 25

Midland Boxing day meet Page 29

Plum Pudding meeting Mallory Park Page 34

thinking about preparing your cars for the new season. Let us know how you are getting on with your preparations. Show season Well, with the winter still being upon us, it’s show time here in the UK. The Autosport International promises to be a great start for the Motorsport fan EDITORIAL to the 2012 season. Covering everything from Formula 1 Grand Welcome to the latest issue Prix right down to grass root You will notice that we have a level Karting and Grass Track new look for the new year. We racing, the show has something hope that you like it. We still aim for everyone. to bring you our best coverage of Then in February we have Race historic motor sport within the retro, the must see show for UK, along side our coverage of Historic fans like us. Race Retro sports car, GT and touring cars, is always a bit special, as besides plus we hope to cover more on the static shows in the nice warm the classic car scene as well. If halls, they also have a live action you are organising an event in rally stage. Although the tarmac 2012 or have any interesting news stage is not timed competitively, please let us know at it does not stop the owners of simonwright57@hotmail.com these Group B power houses NEW YEAR from really giving a great show to the public. Definitely a show to Now that the festive season is get the heart pumping. behind us, many of you will be To Subscribe for free and be notified when the next issue is published please click here. To check out our web site with additional photos please click here Front Cover Reg Price driving a Ford Model T at the VSCC Winter Driving Tests (c) Pete Austin. Porsche and Ginetta battle at Brands Hatch during the Britcar Final (c) Mick Herring. Boxing Day line up at The Moat House Inn, Kings Coughton (c) Simon Wright All content is copyright classicandcompetitioncar.com unless otherwise stated. All photographs are copyright the original photographer and may not be used for commercial purposes unless by prior approval of the original copyright holder. We try to ensure accurate and truthful reporting but if you spot an error, please contact us and we verify and correct accordingly. We do not organise any events which are mentioned and we are not responsible if the event does not take place or is cancelled. Please contact the event organiser before making a long trip.

Calendar January 14th-15th Autosport International Show NEC Near Birmingham, England February 24-26th Race Retro Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, England February 25th VSCC Pomeroy Trophy Silverstone, Near Northampton, England We do not organise any events and are not responsible for the events listed above. Before visiting an event, check with the organisers to ensure the event is still taking place. We cannot be held responsible for any events which are cancelled or wrongly listed.

Contributors PETE AUSTIN Pete is the man for Historic racing, with an extensive archive of black and white images covering the last few decades of motor racing in Britain. MICK HERRING Mick’s first love is GT racing, though Historic GT, especially Lola T70’s are a particular favourite. JANET WRIGHT Janet has been taking photos for many years but her real speciality is video work.

Classic and Competition Car is published by simonwrightphotos.com High View Drive, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 8HT E-mail simonwright57@hotmail.com Tel 07905 435973

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 3

NEWS

SMITH BACK TO LEAD MSC F5000 FIELD AT HAMPTON DOWNS MEETINGS New Zealand racing veteran Ken Smith will be back to race at the two New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing meetings at the Hampton Downs circuit in January as part of the Tasman Revival series. Smith, who turned 70 this year, broke a bone in his left foot in an accident in the second race at the second round of the 2011/12 MSC series at

Manfeild in November but is already off crutches and expects to lose the moon boot he has been wearing since then just after Christmas. The Lola T332 which Smith and long-time crew chief Barry Miller had only finished re-building the week before the opening round of this season's MSC series, was written off in the accident so Smith will revert to the later model Lola T430 he has used to win the past three MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series for the remainder of the 2011/12 season. In all his 54 consecutive seasons of national level motor racing in this country Smith has only had three, what he terms 'serious' accidents, and the one at Manfeild was the first in which he broke a bone. Despite that he and Miller are working on rebuilding the T332 and Smith will drive not one but two cars - the T430 Formula 5000 and a Formula Pacific Swift DB4 - at the two Hampton Downs meetings. "And I'll tell you what," he said this week. "I can't wait. I'm itching to get back behind the wheel." Photo Credit: Fast Company/Alex Mitchell

AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL SHOW TO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF FORMULA 3 The Autosport International racing Car Show at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) will have a display of historic Formula 3 cars displayed by the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC) on Stand 6700. This is to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Formula 3, one of the most important junior categories in the career of many aspiring Grand Prix Drivers. The club is hoping to assemble a spectacular display of cars associated with famous Grand Prix drivers. The Autosport show is open to the public on the 14th and 15th January 2012. See www.autosport-international.com for more information.

Ex Derek Warwick Chevron F3 car

Donington 2012 dates Donington Park has released its provisional events calendar for the 2012 season, with its usual mix of 2 and 4 wheeled events during the year. With 30 events listed, the season starts on March 17/18th with the HSCC championships opening event. Some of the car high-lights are the MSA BTCC round 14/15th April, Donington's Historic Festival 5/6th May, the European Le Mans series 14/15th July, the British F3/GT meeting 29/30th September, the Masters Historic Racing Championships finals meeting 13/14th October and the Britcar Endurance championship to close off the season on November 3rd. For full details see www.donington-park.co.uk

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 4

SILVERSTONE CLASSIC

their 15 million members, plus there are plans to allow AA members the chance to drive some of the latest model cars round the Silverstone in-field Stowe circuit. for

The organisers of the Silverstone Classic have announced a multi-year partnership with the AA. The Worlds largest classic motor racing festival will run from the 20th to the 22nd of July 2012. The event covers the entire spectrum of motor racing - Grand Prix, Le mans, GT, sports and Touring cars covering 7 decades of circuit racing History. As usual at the the Classic, there will be major music entertainment, featuring in 2012 Adam Ant and Mike and the Mechanics. The partnership with the AA will allow special offers and discounted tickets to all of MARTINI TROPHY AND SUPERSPORTS COMBINE FOR 2012

The Martini Trophy and the International Supersports Cup will join forces in 2012 to form an even stronger series for 2 litre sports racing cars. Organised by the HSCC, the

new Martini Trophy with Supersports will consist of a 5 double race events. The new series will remain for 2 litre sports racing cars built prior to the end of 1978 and closed cockpit cars such as the Chevron B8 and B16 will

be eligible to compete. The provisional calendar is April 14/15 Hockenheim (Jim Clark Memorial) Germany May 19/20 Silverstone International Trophy June 30/July 1 Brands Hatch Super Prix August 26/27 Oulton Park Gold Cup October 6/7 Dijon France. For the Hockenheim race only, Can-Am cars and big engined sports cars will be eligible to race. see www.hscc.org.uk

HSCC WINS CLUB OF THE YEAR

The Historic Sports Car Club won the club of the year award at the inaugural International Historic Motoring Awards held in London in mid November beating off the likes of the Aston Martin Owners Club, the Bentley Drivers Club, and the Royal Automobile Club amongst others. CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 5

DONINGTON HISTORIC FESTIVAL

The Donington Historic Festival is back on the 5th and 6th of May 2012 for its 2nd running and promises to be a weekend to remember. The mighty Group C Le Mans cars top the bill again, with Historic Formula 2 offering single seater action. For close racing, the Jaguar E-Type challenge and the Touring cars (Pre-66 and 1966-85) should be the ones to watch. Another

interesting event will be the Historic Kart meeting which will be held on a specially laid out circuit on the Melbourne Loop. Interest from all around the World for this event should ensure a great entry for this World class race meeting within the Historic Festival. for more information see www.doningtonhistoric.com

VSCC 2012 RACE SEASON FINALISED

The Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC) has announced its race programme for 2012. Unfortunately its famous See Red meeting originally scheduled for Donington

12 months but plan to return in 2013 with a 2 day festival. However, the rest of their season follows the theme ‘Best of British’. The 5 race meetings cover the Midlands, South Wales, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. The season starts at Silverstone in April for the traditional Spring Start meeting which is also supported by the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association (HGPCA) for a pre-66 GP car race. June sees the annual visit to Park has had to be postCadwell Park in Lincolnshire, poned for a year due to an a favourite circuit for the past unfortunate date clash with a 36 years. The 500 Owners recently announced Historic Association will add a race Festival at Zandvoort in Hol- for period F3 cars and a land. It was felt that a lot of Morgan 3 wheeler race is British competitors would also on the schedule. The want to take part in both feature race will be the 60th meetings, so the VSCC derunning of the Spero Trophy cided to cancel See Red for

for small capacity Pre-war cars. The Welsh speed weekend in July at Pembrey is a double header with a sprint being held on the Saturday and the race meeting on the Sunday. The Bob Gerard Memorial Trophy race meeting at Mallory park is in August, while September sees a visit to the new Snetterton circuit in September for the Seaman Memorial Trophies to finish the racing season. The Hillclimb and Sprint calendar have also been finalised, starting at the Pomeroy trophy at Silverstone on the 25th February for the 60th anniversary of this event. The first hill climb is at Wiscombe Park in May. For more info visit the Club website www.vscc.co.uk

GT & SPORTS CAR CUP DATES FOR 2012 The four race series for Pre-66 GTs and Pre-63 Sports cars of the type that raced in the World Endurance championship, will include Pre-66 cars from the Italian Historic Car Cup. The dates are 19/20th May International trophy, Silverstone, 1-3 June Coppa Intereuropa, Monza, 22-24th June Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or, Dijon and 19-21st October, Algarve Historic Festival, Portimao

two-driver endurance race series for genuine AND Pre-66 GTs & Pre-63 CLASSIC COMPETITION -cars of a type that were raced in the World Endurance Championship in Period. To include Pre-66 cars from the ‘Italian Historic Car Cup’.

CAR

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 6

SAAB DECLARED BANKRUPT

War, the company looked to diversify and began work on their first car which was unveiled in 1947. Saab has always been an innovative company, first producing 2 cylinder models, followed by 3 cylinder two stroke engines, V4 designs and Turbos. In 1958 they were the first manufacturer to fit seatbelts as standard in the GT 750. In 1963 they were the first volume manufacturer to offer diagonally split dual brake systems. In 1976 they were the first to produce a turbocharged engine with a wastegate to control boost. In 1981 they introduced the split field side mirror to reduce driver blind spots. In 1982 they had asbestos free brake pads. 1983 they introduced the 16 valve turbocharged engine and in 1985 pioneered direct ignition, eliminating the distributor and spark plug wires. There were too many innovations to list them all here. Saab was acquired in 1990 by General Motors who then sold it in 2010 to Dutch automobile manufacturer Spyker Cars N.V. After struggling through 2011, a deal was sought with a Chinese consortium to purchase the company, but this was blocked by former owners General Motors who would not transfer the licenses for patents and technology to China, so the company filed for bankruptcy and another major car manufacturer bites the dust.

The Swedish motor manufacturer Saab has been declared bankrupt after 65 years in the vehicle manufacturing business. Best known to motorsport fans for their exploits in Rallying, Erik Carlsson winning three consecutive British RAC Rallies in 1961,62 and 63, also winning the Monte Carlo rally in 1962 and 1963. Stig Blomqvist won the Swedish rally in 1971 and again in 1977 and in 1979, the first win by a turbocharged car in the Saab 99 Turbo. The works competition department was closed in 1980 after thirty years competing in rallies. Saab was originally part of Svenska Aeroplan Aktieboleget, a Swedish aircraft manufacturer which was founded in 1937 to protect Sweden's neutrality. After the second World

GOODWOOD LOTUS THEME

The chosen marque for the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012 will be Lotus which will be honoured with the ‘central feature’ located outside Goodwood House. It is 60 years since Colin Chapman founded the first Lotus company, the 50th anniversary of the Lotus Elan, 40 years since the Esprit was first unveiled and 35 years since the revolutionary Lotus 78 ground effects car competed in Grand Prix racing. The FOS takes place between 28th June and the 1st July 2012.

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 7

Dual Championship Winners Join Forces

by Mick Herring. The winners of two headline 2011 British championships will join forces to contest the 2012 European Blancpain Endurance Championship.

2011 GT Cup Championship Winning Porsche

Long time Dodge Viper driving partners and 2011 Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship victors, Craig Wilkins and Aaron Scott will unite with GT Cup Championship winner Andy Ruhan in the europewide races. Ruhan will forsake his Porsche to 2011 GT Cup Champion join the former British GT Champion- Andy Ruhan ship duo in a brand new Kingsbury Jig and Tool, GT3 Racing prepared Dodge Viper. Delivery of the new specification car is expected towards the end of January from Chrysler and Oreca. The team have consistently proved this year that the ageing Viper is still a competitive, cost-effective racing car in the right series against many newer, more expensive cars. In addition to partnering Craig, Aaron Scott has been mentor and driving coach to Andy Ruhan for several years. The championship winning Viper still has another race to contest before being rested, when it is shipped to Dubai to contest the 24 hour race there in mid-January. The trio are contesting the 2011 Britcar Champions Pro-Am Cup class of the Blancpain Endurance Championship Aaron Scott (l) Craig Wilkins (r) and Craig's team GT3 Racing Ltd also secured the Britcar Teams Championship this year. The new car is a Series 2 Viper

2011 Britcar Championship Winning Viper CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 8

overstretched at times by running no less than five cars and was starting its downward curve. His last Grand Prix was with the Embassy Hill Racing Team in 1974 at Brands Hatch where he retired from the race.

Peter Gethin (21st February 1940 – 5th December 2011) By Pete Austin

Reverting back to Formula 5000 in 1973 he continued his winning ways in that category including beating a combined field of F1 and F5000 cars in the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch in his Chevron. Driving for the VDS team he was runner up in the championship in 1974 and 1975.

Former Grand Prix driver Peter Gethin, son of jockey He will be greatly missed and Classic and CompetiKen Gethin, died on December 5th following a long tion Car sends its sincere condolences to his family illness. and friends. Probably best known for his famous victory in the 1971 Italian Grand Prix he started as a successful sports car driver at club level driving a Lotus 7 and Lotus 23 in the early 60s’. In 1965 he graduated to Formula 3 with Charles Lucas, and, following a move to Formula 2, scored podium finishes at Albi, Ingliston and Vallelunga with a Frank Lythgoe run Chevron in 1968. However his career really took off with the introduction of Formula 5000 in 1969. Driving a semi works McLaren run by Church Farm Racing he took the championship in its first year and repeated this success in 1970 with a Sid Taylor run car. With his McLaren connection he made his Formula 1 debut at the 1970 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch finishing 6th. Following Bruce McLaren’s tragic death whilst testing a Can Am car at Goodwood Gethin became a full time member of the Grand Prix team, but, apart from a 6th place in Canada further success in this field eluded him. He did however take a Can Am win for the team at Elkhart Lake.

Halfway through the 1971 Grand Prix season he switched to the Yardley sponsored BRM outfit. In only his second race for the team he scored his famous victory at Monza. After a tremendous slipstreaming race Gethin beat Ronnie Peterson’s March by 0.01s. with the first five cars being covered by only 0.61s. This was to be his only Grand Prix win although he did score a hollow victory at the Brands Hatch Rothmans World Championship Victory race in which his BRM team mate was killed. He continued with BRM in 1972 but the now Marlboro sponsored team was

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 9

MIDLAND BREAKFAST MEETING BY SIMON & JANET WRIGHT

The Midland Breakfast Club staged it’s last meeting at the Cosford Air Museum on Sunday 11th December 2011. It was a cold and grey morning, but at least it stayed dry, the forecast rain stayed away until lunch time. Although it was a cold and grey day, about 200 vehicles were in attendance, with many local owners clubs being represented. The most popular models on display seemed to be the more modern Vauxhall and Renaults, with a good turn out of Renault Clio models lined up in front of the aircraft display. The Vauxhall owners probably had the largest number of vehicles on display, with various Astra, Corsa and Cavalier cars in- © Simon Wright

cluded in their line up. There were three Lancia Delta Integrale models, one resplendent in the Red Martini colours of the works Rally team. The HF Integrale is powered by a 2 litre 4 cylinder twin cam fuel injected engine which gives the car its 133 mph top speed and a 0-62 mph acceleration of just 6.6 seconds. The 4 Wheel Drive system makes the car sure footed, no matter what the weather conditions. The Italians were also represented by a small group of Alfa Romeo enthusiasts, who displayed a mixture of

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 10

It was interesting to see two examples of the modern sports car parked next to each other, to see the similarities between the modern Lotus and the Vauxhall VX220 sports car. cars ranging from an early 1970’s Alfa Romeo 2000 to a current Alfa Romeo Mito. There was also an Alfa Romeo 155 in racing trim on the back of a transporter. These types of meetings draw in a large cross section of motoring enthusiasts, not just the classic car owners, and whilst many

The RAF museum houses a very large collection of aircraft and a

of the cars on display are more modern, most are still prepared and cared for as well as any classic car, with their owners having as much pride in their vehicle as any other owner. CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR

fabulous Cold War Exhibition. A few aircraft are parked outside the display hangers and made an interesting backdrop to the car display. Although the cars were mainly more modern examples on display, it is the wrong time of year for many classic owners to bring out their pride and joy, there was still a good variety to keep the keen enthusiast happy. Unfortunately, this was marked down on their web site, www.midlandbreakfastclub.co.uk as being the last meeting for the Mid-

JANUARY 2012

PAGE 11

Lancia Delta Integrale

land Breakfast club. Lets hope that it will return in the future.

Triumph Stag

Jaguar XJS Convertible

Renault Clio line up outside Cold War Museum

Ford in front of the Cold War Museum at Cosford Original Mini’s plus Mini trailer

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE

MIDLAND BREAKFAST MEETING

1288cc 4 cylinder transversely mounted aluminum engine which developed 65 or 75bhp depending on the vintage. The car was front wheel drive and equipped with

The most unusual and interesting car on display was a rather nice two tone Peugeot © Simon Wright 304 convertible in red and white. The 304 saloon was first introduced in 1969, with the convertible 2 door model following in March 1970. A total of 18,647 of the convertible model were built up to 1975 and many still remain today, unlike the saloon versions which were severely affected by corrosion. Powered by a

front disc brakes. Due to the independent front suspension it rode and handled better than many of its contemporaries, which made it a popular choice across Europe. The car on display was one of the later models fitted with the S engine which developed 75bhp and was fitted with a twin choke, twin barrel carburetor.

PEUGEOT 304 CONVERTIBLE

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE

Archive Picture By Pete Austin

ÂŠ PETE AUSTIN

2012 celebrates the 50th anniversary of BRM winning the world championship in 1962 with Graham Hill, however I didn't start attending motor races until the 1964 European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch. Graham Hill's BRM was runner up to Jim Clark's Lotus on that occasion. 1966 saw the introduction of the 3-litre formula and this months image was taken at Brands Hatch during that years British Grand Prix. It shows Graham Hill about to go out for practice in his 2 litre BRM P261. The complex BRM H16 had yet to make a race appearance so BRM P261's with enlarged engines were used as a stop gap by Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart. The gravel sloping paddock with it's very relaxed atmosphere should be noted in comparison to todays set up at Grand Prix meetings." CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 14

2011/12 MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series Round 2 Solid Gold MG Classic meeting Manfeild Feilding Sat-Sun November 12-13 2011

Steve Ross leading the field in the feature race. Photo: Fast Company/Alex Mitchell ROSS WINS MSC FEATURE AFTER SMITH AND ESTERER SIDELINED EARLIER BY START LINE CRASH Dunedin driver Steve Ross led home a McRae GM1 1-2-3 in the feature McLaren Cup Formula Libre Grand Prix at the second round of the 2011/12 MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series at Feilding's Manfeild circuit after pacesetters Ken Smith and Jay Esterer were sidelined earlier in a spectacular start line crash.

before coming to rest on the grass strip between the track and the inside wall. Roger Williams, who started the race behind Esterer, missed the Canadian's car but was himself hit from behind by one of the other cars and his Lola T332 ended up jammed against the inside wall with a broken left front wheel and suspension. Fellow Lola T332 driver Russell Greer also ended up against the pit wall, but though his car spun 180 degrees to face the way it was origiSmith proved the value of his freshly rebuilt Lola nally coming the only damage was to a front upT332 on Saturday, pipping Round 1 winner Esright. terer (McRae GM1) in qualifying before going on to win the first race. But the pair got no further The race was immediately stopped then canthan the rolling start in the second race of the celled to allow track workers to remove the cars weekend this (Sunday) morning thanks to a and the MSC field to re-group for the longer shower of rain which swept across the ManaMcLaren Cup Formula Libre feature later in the watu circuit as the MSC field was lining up day. Incredibly, the accident was the biggest for the rolling start. Smith can remember - and that's going back over 54 consecutive seasons of national level The start lights had just gone out to signal the racing for the 70-year-old. "It was a biggie, alstart of the race when Smith's car snapped hard right,"said the four-time Lady Wigram Trophy left on the wet track, clipping fellow front row and three-time New Zealand Grand Prix winner starter Jay Esterer's MacRae GM1 before hitting whose only injury was a tweaked left ankle the concrete pit (outside) wall hard. Esterer's car caused when his car first hit the wall. "I've never also hit the pit wall and came to a stop as the had one like that before. field streamed past but Smith's car glanced off it "It was wet and the track was greasy and when I (the pit wall) and careered back across the track floored it at the start she just snapped sideCLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 15

2011/12 MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series Round 2 Solid Gold MG Classic meeting ways," he said. "There was nothing I could do. I could see the wall coming up and I knew I was going to go in hard." Though he agreed it was extremely fortunate that neither he nor anyone else was injured in the accident Smith said that it was hard to see his new car so badly damaged so early in his time with it. "That's definitely the toughest bit, particularly knowing the time and effort Barry Miller (Smith's crew chief) has put in since we bought it." In the absence of Smith, Esterer and Roger Williams the 15-lap McLaren Cup feature produced two entertaining three-car battles. The first involved pole-sitter Stu Lush and fellow McRae GM1 drivers Steve Ross and Aaron Burson with Ross passing Lush for the lead at Turn 1 and dictating the pace from that point. Both Lush and Burson got close at times, but not quite close enough to launch an attack on Ross' lead. "Yep," said Ross, "it was one of those races that was going to be won or lost on the first lap. It hasn't been the best weekend for me for one reason or another but this was a brilliant way to end it." In what turned out to be a something of

a race of attrition, visiting UK driver Greg Thornton (Chevron B24) earned his best result of his 2011/12 MSC series campaign so far with fourth after spending the early laps working his way past Brett Willis (Lola T330) and Sefton Gibb (Lola T332). Willis made the initial running after Gibb admitted he messed up the start, however Willis ended up in the pits just after the half way point of the race with gear selection problems and Gibb stopped on the last lap when his car ran out of petrol. "We've changed the fuel system since we last ran here and didn't quite have enough for the full 15 laps, "Gibb explained. Russell Greer, who managed to repair the damage to his Lola T332 after the morning's start-line accident was next home in fifth place followed by Shayne Windelburn in fellow Aucklander John MacKinlay's March 73A/2 with Aaron Burson's father Peter seventh in his McRae GM1 and Dave Arrowsmith (Lotus 70) the first of the Class A category (for older model cars) runners to cross the line in eighths. Series newcomer David Banks from Auckland (Talon

Streaming down Manfeild's back straight immediately before the startline shunt at the beginning of the second race which claimed the cars of front row starters Ken Smith and Jay Esterer, and second row starter Roger Williams. Photo: Fast Company/Alex Mitchell CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 16

2011/12 MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series Round 2 Solid Gold MG Classic meeting MR1) was ninth and local driver Tim Rush (Begg FM4) tenth. Race 2 (8 laps) canceled

Race 1 (8 laps) 1. Ken Smith (Lola T332) 2. Jay Esterer (McRae GM1) +10.79 3. Roger Williams (Lola T332) +11.25 4. Stuart Lush (McRae GM1) +14.01 5. Steve Ross (McRae GM1)+15.36 6. Sefton Gibb (Lola T332) +25.31 7. Greg Thornton (Chevron B24) +25.71 8. Aaron Burson (McRae GM1) +26.43 9. Brett Willis (Lola T330) +29.66 Race 2 (8 laps) Cancelled Race 3 (15 laps) 1. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 16.18.60 2. Stu Lush (McRae Ken Smith (Lola T332) proved the man to beat in the first MSC NZ F5000 GM1) +0.70 Tasman Cup Revival Series race at the annual MG Classic motor racing 3. Aaron Burson meeting at Manfeild. Photo: Fast Company/Alex Mitchell (McRae GM1) +6.88 Race 1 (8 lap) 4. Greg Thornton (Chevron B24) +20.23 This was the race that Smith proved just how 5. Russell Greer (Lola T332) +42.48 quick his new T332 was, converting the pole 6. Shayne Windelburn (March 73A/2) +64.90 position he set in qualifying earlier in the day to 7. Peter Burson (McRae GM1) +68.93 a 10.79 second lead over Jay Esterer (who, in 8. Dave Arrowsmith (Lotus 70) +70.89 his defence, had a problem holding his car in 9. David Banks (Talon MR1) +1 lap third gear) with Roger Williams and Stu Lush 10. Tim Rush (Begg FM4) +1 lap third and fourth respectively. Lush was the big dnf Sefton Gibb, Brett Willis. surprise in qualifying, setting the third quickest time to split Esterer and Williams with Steve Next Round Ross fifth and Sefton Gibb sixth. Lush retained January 21st-22nd 2012 his speed in the race, crossing the finish line fourth between Williams and Ross. New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing. It was behind them that the real battle raged, Hampton Downs, Auckland however, with Gibb, Greg Thornton and Aaron Burson entertaining the large crowd with a racelong battle for sixth place only finally resolved Prepared by FAST COMPANY of behalf of the in Gibb's favour from Thornton, Burson - and a New Zealand Formula 5000 Association. catching Brett Willis - on the line. www.F5000.co.nz

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 17

David Rushton MG M Type

VSCC WINTER DRIVING TESTS 3rd DECEMBER 2011 By Pete Austin For the second year running the annual Vintage Sports Car Club’s Winter Driv-

ing Tests were held in the grounds of St George’s Barracks at Upper Arncott near Bicester. There the similarity ends though as competitors were welcomed with winter sunshine rather than the snow and ice encountered last year.

A wide variety of pre-war cars were entered ranging from a Ford Model T to a 1939 Frazer Nash BMW 328 Sports.

David Marsh - Bugatti Brescia

Edmund Burgess had trailered his immaculate Bugatti Brescia (one of two entered) all the way from Suffolk and was rewarded with a first place in the Standard Sports-Cars class. There was also husband and wife rivalry in this class with Owen Bolton coming out ahead of Rachel in their MG M Type Midget.

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 18

In the Touring Car class Christopher Williams had for-

Mark Ballard’s Frazer Nash Falcon TT Replica undertook running repairs before becoming one of a number of cars which managed to literally ‘take off’ on one of the faster sections although my winner of the airborne stakes must be David Rushton in his MG M Type.

Duncan Round Ford Model A

saken his familiar Napier Bentley for a more suitable Ford Model A which he shared with Duncan Round. As ever the bowler hatted duo set out to entertain, and even if you couldn’t see them, they announced their arrival for each section with patriotic military music blaring out from a loudspeaker mounted on the front of the car. Duncan got © PETE AUSTIN

Edmund Burgess lifts a wheel in his Bugatti Brescia

a class 3rd with the Singer 9 Sports Coupe of Neil Thorpe coming out on top. Mrs Fabienne Muschamp’s immaculate Frazer Nash BMW was one the interesting runners in the Modified Sports-Cars class together with the distinctive Riley Treen of Tim Brown. This class was won by the Riley Special of Charlie Martin.

Anthony Costigan - Vernon Derby

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 19

Mrs Rachel Bolton-King - MG M Type Midget

Mrs Fabienne Muschamp - Frazer Nash BMW 328 Sports

Christopher Williams

Tim Brown - Riley Treen

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 20

Mark Ballard’s Frazer Nash Falcon TT Replica undergoes running repairs Winter Driving test Awards Class 2 Touring Cars Class 1 Edwardian and Veteran 1st Neil Thorp Singer 9 Sports Coupe 2nd Christopher Dallas Riley Biarritz 2nd Tim Brown Morris Minor 3rd Duncan Round Ford Model A Class 3 Standard Sports cars 1st Edmund Burgess Bugatti T13 Brescia 2nd Robert Gibson Wolseley Hornett Spl 2nd David Marsh Bugatti Brescia 25TR 3rd Owen Bolton MG M Type Midget 3rd David Rushton MG M Type © PETE AUSTIN

Class 4 Modified Sports Cars 1st Charlie Martin Riley Special 2nd Richard Marsh Austin 7 2nd Matt Johnston Austin 7 Ulster 3rd Michael Brown Riley Treen Owen Bolton - MG M Type Midget

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 21

CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW REVISITED. By Simon & Janet Wright and Mick Herring. Additional photos Pete Austin.

the Allard Owners club had a display to celebrate their 60th anniversary.

ÂŠ Simon Wright

The 2011 Classic Motor show was such a big event that we could not cover all of the event in our last issue. This month we high-light some of the other exhibits that caught our eye. There were quite a few vintage and veteran cars on display and one of the best selections was on the Veteran Car Club display.

ÂŠ Simon Wright

This Allard P1 is a fine example of the range which were built between 1949 and 1952 and is thought to be the oldest still on the road. This car was built in 1949 and was the 12th P1 manufactured. It is totally original, only having had the grey paintwork renewed in 1969. The model holds This 1901 Pick was built in Stamford, another unique record, when Sydney Allard drove a P1 to outright victory in Lincolnshire by Jack Pick who was a the 1951 Monte Carlo rally, he was the farm equipment and bicycle only person to win the rally in a car of manufacturer before turning his his own manufacture. attention to the automobile. His second car was purchased by the In total 559 were built in the four year Marquis of Exeter. Production period. They were powered by a Ford continued until 1925. This car is side valve V8 3622cc engine thought to be a prototype and features producing 85 bhp @ 3800 rpm. The a water cooled vertical single cylinder alloy body was mounted on an ash engine believed to be from the frame with independent front International Motor Car Company of suspension and a Bellamy-Ford split London and Coventry. The car is belt axle and transverse leaf spring and double chain driven with two suspension on the rear. The leather forward speeds. and mahogany interior allowed the 4 There were many anniversaries being occupants a luxury ride. celebrated throughout the show and CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 22

Oliver Winterbottom by Mick Herring. Tucked away on the Lotus Excel stand, I chanced on what proved to be one of the highlights of the Classic Motor Show for me. Amid a tightly packed group, surrounded by the Lotus "Wedge" cars he had designed, sat a relaxed Oliver Winterbottom with images of those cars projected on a screen behind him. For such a prolific designer, each image prompted a heart felt story or anecdote about about the styling trends of the period were employed and how the cars changed through their development. But underlying all of this were the stories of the constant dictates of the Lotus founder, the battles to convince Colin Chapman of the need for certain parts and procedures to be adopted. The Chapman quest for "adding" lightness was not purely for power-to-weight calculations, as he reasoned that every horsepower saved was another he did not have to buy from his

engine suppliers. By way of illustration, a simple graph of the horsepower required to propel a car to 100 mph showed how superior the second generation Elite was compared to it's contemporaries, including the Mercedes 350SL. The simple transverse ridge at the back edge of the Elite's roof, above the rear window, had a marked reduction on drag and lift at the rear of the car. The climax of Oliver's talk concentrated on the determination of everyone at Lotus to keep the company from bankruptcy in the wake of Chapman's death and the last minute decision of a potential buyer not to proceed. The survival instincts or the workforce ensured lights would always be turned off in empty rooms and kettles used sparingly. It was this spirit that kept the banks at bay and ultimately the survival of Lotus. A question and answer session followed and Oliver happily spoke about his short time away from Lotus in the late 70s/early 80s, when he joined TVR to design my Tasmin. This "Wedge" often derided, usually by people who have 1980 TVR Tasmin Coupe never driven one but thought of with affection by those who have and, of course, by it's designer. TVR internal politics eventually prompted his return to Lotus. A smile greeted the question of his autobiography and a suggestion that he may soon commit his illustrious career to print. CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 23

This one off special was originally sold in Belgium. This was one of three Pininfarina cars produced in 1947, the other two being on an Alfa Romeo and Maserati Chassis. All three were built at the same time and are grey or grey/silver and all bear a clear family resemblance to each other. This Delahaye was built on a modified 135M chassis with independent front suspension and a live rear axle with semi-elliptic springs on the rear. It was

powered by a 3557cc engine producing 160 bhp from three Solex carburettors and a separate six branch exhaust manifold. This was the last of the 135 series. the Bitter Owners club had brought three cars over from Holland just for the show. This blue Bitter SC Cabriolet is one of only 25 of this model that were made between 1985 and 1986. They were converted from SC Coupes by Keinath of Dettingen near Stuttgart. All fitted with the Mantzel modified 3.9 litre engine. Most of the cars built were sold in the USA, where 15 were sold, and Germany, but there was one right hand drive model shipped to the UK. By the end of production in 1986, the car cost over £57,000.

Showing the international appeal of this show,

CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW 2011 Delahaye 135MS Pininfarina

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 24

Left top to Bottom, Right top to bottom. Big Sam famous Datsun 240Z. AC Cobra Le Mans pit recreation. 1953 D.K.W. Works Rally car assembled in Ballincollig Co.Cork in 1953 rallied by Jim Hennesey and Phil O’Sullivan during the 1950’s and 60’s. It is powered by a 3 cylinder 2 stroke engine and was the fastest car in the 1000cc class. Back to the Future on the DeLorean stand. 1970 Plymouth Superbird Hemi tribute to Richard Petty Nascar champion. CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 25

pits for 27 laps but once repaired, it claimed fastest lap and an eventual third in class, ninth overall. The race got underway at a fast pace with Aaron Scott's Viper opening a small gap to the Porsche of Jay Shepherd and the Optimum Ginetta G50 with the talented Joe Osborne aboard. Sadly, lap 9 would see the Viper head to the pits with fuel pressure problems, it would return much later Viper makes early breakaway to the race and go on, for a while, in the dark, to hold fastest lap. By Mick Herring Reoccurring fuel problems would see it reOn paper the Class 2 Dodge Viper of Craig tire. Wilkins and Aaron Scott only had to start this As the race progressed and despite several final race of the season at Brands Hatch to safety car interventions, at the halfway, one secure the 2011 Britcar MSA British Endurand a half hour mark, the leaders would ance Championship crown for themselves have completed the magic 100 laps of the and the GT3 Racing team. But in the absence of any class 1 cars, they saw the opportunity to end the season on a high note with an outright win and so, with a second place grid spot, alongside the Invitation Class 2 Ginetta G55 of Mark Lemmer, Ben DeZille Butler and Tom Kimber-Smith a thrilling race was in prospect. Clarke - Gibson BMW E46 M3 Production GTN race winners However, neither of the front row sitters would compact Brands Hatch Indy circuit. taste victory, which would eventually go to Pit stops and safety cars would see the orthe venerable Class 3 Topcats Marcos Mander shuffled and reshuftis of Owen O'Neill and fled again but with anTalented drive from Henry Fletcher by 13.5 other safety car at the Joe Osborne Optimum secs after three hours of Ginetta G50 two hour mark, to let the intense action into the Production cars exit the night from a beautifully track at the end of their sunny and warm start for concurrent two hour race, Movember (intentional). things were primed for an The Barwell Ginetta broke action packed final hour a driveshaft at the start of of racing. the warm up lap, needing This hour would see the repairs that kept it in the Hawthorns Porsche of © Mick Herring

BRITCAR BRITISH ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL 19TH NOVEMBER 2011

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 26

Rod Barrett, taken over from Jay Shepherd, reduce the gap to the winning Marcos from 55 seconds down to 5 seconds and back to 28 seconds after an over-ambitious overtaking move on another Porsche would see Barrett spin, eventually reducing to 13.5 seconds at the flag. The safety cars had worked in the favour of the winners and their single stop strategy paid off in spite of their large thirsty Chevrolet engine. In third place was the Eurotech Porsche 997GT3 of Morgan, Philip and Gareth Jones, with only these three cars being on the same lap at the end and having broken the magic 200 lap barrier by one lap.

Britcar Production GTN Championship Winners Alex Osborne - James May in a Seat Leon

Last stop before victory Marcos Two laps behind was the Class 2 Invitation Ginetta G50 of Joe Osborne, Lee Mowle and George Murrells in fourth, with fifth and Class 3 Invitation victory going to the Playstation graduates Brian Heitkotter and Jann Mardenborough in their RJN Nissan 370Z. The Britcar Dunlop Production GTN race which ended at the two hour mark was won by the Intersport BMW E46 M3 of Wayne Gibson and Kevin Clarke with the Mazda MX5 GT of Mark Ticehurst and Owen Mildenhall in second.

2nd Class 1 Production Ticehurst - Mildenhall Mazda MX5 CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 27

Both Topcats Marcos together

Racing for real not Playstation Nissan 370Z

Pole position Ginetta tries to catch up

Three of a kind battle along. Lotus are a popular GT car CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 28

CENTRAL MIDLANDS CLASSIC TRANSPORT BOXING DAY MEETING.

Triumph TR4 at The Moat House Inn

soul. And what better way to do this than to attend a classic car meeting. Various are held up and down the country, and we attended the Central Midlands meeting held at the Moat House Inn at Kings Coughton, between Birmingham and Stratford upon Avon. There was a great turn out of about 100 cars, mainly classic with a few vintage cars and some more modern GT and sports cars, providing an

After the festivities of Christmas day Jaguar Mk2 and 1950 Riley RMA where everyone eats drinks and interesting mix for the people to makes merry, there is nothing better admire. on Boxing day than to get outside in the fresh air to invigorate the body and At the one end of the age range was a nice example Rochdale Olympic and Wolseley Saloon of a 1934 British Salmson which had been recently restored and fitted with a special Bugatti body. It is powered by a 1500cc Twin overhead cam engine. The British manufacturer CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 29

operated from 1934 to 1939, being an offshoot of the original French Salmson company which set up a British branch company in 1929 in London. They originally produced radial aero engines. In 1930, the British operation was taken over by British sports car racer Howard Martineau who continued making aero engines until 1934 when they extended the license deal to include the production of cars.

The most interesting car was a locally built 1954 Lea Francis 14hp Four-Light saloon, made in Coventry in the West Midlands. This car was one of the last built in this range. They were fitted with a 1767cc inline 4 cylinder engine which produced 70 bhp. This model was built between 1951 and 1954. In total about 700 were built over this period and 48 are still known to be in existence today. This model differed from its predecessor by having the body lowered by 2 inches, the boot lid opened from the top instead of the bottom, the radiator was lower and the headlamps were recessed into the front wings. A new recirculating ball type steering box was used, and a vacuum advanced distributor was fitted along with a revised water pump. Hydraulic brakes front and rear were only fitted to the last 50 cars produced from March 1952. Assembly finished in 1953.

1954 Lea Francis 14hp Four Light Saloon

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 30

1934 British Salmson

A perfect example of a classic sporting saloon was a beautiful 2 tone MG SA saloon. First shown at the 1935 Motor Show, the MG SA went on sale in 1936, fitted with a straight six 2.3 litre engine. At 16 feet in length, the MG SA was a luxury saloon with plenty of room for passengers and luggage. Mulliners designed the coachwork after being commissioned by Cecil Kimber. To Sammio Spyder allow the long bonnet line to be kept low, the twin SU carburettors had to Another unusual car was the Sammio Spyder, which is a recreation be modified to have their dashpots mounted horizontally. The four speed of a typical 1950’s sports and racing gearbox had synchromesh on the two car that dominated Europe in the 1950’s. The car on display sported the top gears, and hydraulic drum brakes were fitted to all four wheels. A Lancia D24 style bonnet. The kit is drophead coupe version was added to designed to be fitted to a Triumph the range in 1936, produced by Herald or Vitesse rolling chassis and Tickford and in July 1936 coachbuilder various engine options were used. Charlesworth added a four door tourer

MG SA saloon

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 31

to the range. Between all the models, a total of 2739 cars were built between 1936 and 1939. Production continued until the outbreak of the second World War, and the model was never re-introduced after the war. Coming right up to date, a Ferrari

the car was a roll hoop built in to the windscreen surround to give protection in the event of the car rolling over in an accident. Most of the phase 1 cars were fitted with the Riley 1.5 litre engine, though the Minor, MGA, Ford 100E and Ford 105E F430 convertible looked stunning in Red with it’s white leather interior and engines have been fitted into the Olympic, and one left the factory fitted sleek exterior lines. You don’t need loads of money to have a suitable car with a Coventry Climax racing engine. The Phase 2 in 1963 was fitted with a to attend these types of meeting. Ford Cortina 1500 GT engine and Several Mazda MX5 owners had Triumph running gear which gave a parked up together to put on a small slight increase in performance from Mazda display, and a couple of old 11.7 seconds to 60 mph to 11.2 Austin Mini’s turned out as well. A rare car on show was the Rochdale seconds to 60 mph and a top speed Olympic. A fibreglass kit car built in the increase of 13 mph to 115 mph. Sports cars seemed to be the order of early 1960’s, only around 400 were the day for the more unusual cars, assembled. The early phase 1 was and the Bond Equipe fits the bill based on Morris Minor running gear which was carried on a steel subframe bonded to the body at the front, while the rear suspension and gearbox mountings were bolted directly to the fibreglass body. The only other steel in Bond Equipe

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 32

Rochdale Olympic

Ferrari F430 interior

Austin Healey 3000

Harley Davidson with sidecar

There was also a good turn out of motor bikes, again ranging from classic through to more modern models, and even a couple of sidecar combo’s, one on a Harley Davidson .

Old Riley arriving

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 33

perfectly. Another car based on a Triumph Vitesse chassis and 6 cylinder 1998cc engine, producing 95 bhp. Its fibreglass convertible body allowed for reasonable performance and a top speed of around 100 mph. It was introduced in 1968 and built for 2 years, until January 1970 during which time 841 were manufactured.

Plum Pudding Meeting Mallory 26th December.

Through Gerard's 3 abreast

Forty five years ago, what is now the Plum Pudding Boxing Day races at Mallory Park was only my second ever race

Saloon R2 Winner

cars in race one and the grid for race two is the reverse of race one finishing positions. Despite initial damp conditions the motorbike racers showed considerable speed and revelled in grip levels once a dry line began to appear. The car races fielded cars as diverse as the dual race winning Escort Cosworth of Nick Williamson through Minis Coopers, young and old, Fiestas, Seat Leon, Renault Megane, Golf GTi, Honda and Proton Coupe. Russell Hird's MG ZR led the first race convincingly until a long grassy moment at the John Cooper Esses

meeting. After a break (for both of us) this meeting has been a firm fixture for several years now and features races for many different classes of motorbike, including sidecars, together with a pair of races each for saloon and sports cars. The track configuration is altered between the two disciplines to include chicanes at Edwina's and the Bus Stop before the Devil's Elbow for the bikes. Interestingly, entry receipt date by the organisers, determines grid position for Saloon R1 early leader

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 34

BY MICK HERRING

Sports R2 Japanese buzzed by both Hornets

The second saloon race would see Williamson repeat his win from the back but

Adrian Tuckley's Rover Mini Cooper four wheel drifting through Gerard's Bend.

exit of the same corner. The Escort Cosworth worked it's way from the back of the grid to an unassailable lead ahead of the close battles behind.

saw him lose the lead and drop well down the pack. The Megane and one of the Fiestas also had lurid spins on the

Sports R1 Winning Radical SR8 laps the field

the prize for best entertainment must go to Adrian Tuckley's Rover Mini Cooper for repeated four wheel drifting through Gerard's Bend. The two sports car races were both dominated by the Radical SR8 of Andy Cummings from either end of the grid against any equally diverse field ranging from

Sports R1 MG Midget 3rd CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 35

the Radical, Porsche 996GT3, MG Midget, MR2s, MX5s, Triumph GT6, Jaguar RAM D-type, 2 versions of the Fletcher Hornet, 2 x 7s and a Morgan 3wheeler.

A good crowd again witnessed some ex-

Saloon R1 Fiesta Spins

Sports R2 Sunshine finish

Sports R2 Ian Fletcher's Fletcher Hornet mk4 to 4th

cellent Festive club racing in a bright relaxed atmosphere under a dull but dry sky. The sun came out for a last minute appearance as the flag fell at the end of the second sports car race, so drawing this pleasant day to a satisfactory close. © Mick Herring

Starting at the front the Radical was able to lap Ray Rowan's Porsche once and Paul Sibley's Midget twice in race one. Race two would see the first three cars staying on the lead lap, this time, after a race 1 dnf, Joe Spencer's Locosaki 7 was second ahead of Ray Rowan's Porsche.

Sports R2 Morgan 3 wheeler

Sports R1 Radical charges from front row

CLASSIC AND COMPETITION CAR JANUARY 2012 PAGE 36