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The VSCC kicked off their 2000 racing season at Silverstone with this intriguing mixture of handicap, scratch races and trials
Understanding the system of handicaps and scratch racing the VSCC has perfected over the years is somewhat daunting, but the racing and the participants are anything but.
As befits an organisation that has been promoting motorsport for Historic Cars since 1934 the VSCC has a way of doing things that is uniquely their own. With so much history the club might be expected to be strongly resistant to change, and so it is in some ways - such as the sportsmanship evident in the racing and the friendliness of the paddock. In other ways the club is reinventing itself, bringing young blood into the sport, embracing new technology and reaching a wider audience.
Race 1. This 30 minute high-speed trial for Vintage and pre-war cars saw a fascinating mix of cars, from Preston Bell in an Aston Martin le Mans, Georgina Brewster in a Bentley Special to Caroline Burrell in her father's Bentley Royce special powered by a Rolls Royce Phantom III 8-litre supercharged V12 engine. Bolide contributor David Brock-Jest competed in his Lagonda le Mans and fastest lap was set by Robert Cobden in his Riley Special at 64.07 mph.
Race 2 The Itala Trophy was won by noted Bentley specialist Stanley Mann in his single-seater Bentley Special, with Andrew Day's 8-litre supercharged Bentley taking second place. Mann set fastest lap at 73.57 mph. Mac Hulbert was third in an Alvis, and Nick Mason fourth in his Bugatti Type 35B.
Further down the field, at 16th, was Mark Walker in his famous black and yellow GN Thunderbug - a home-brewed special built on a GN chassis and powered by two air-cooled Salmson radial aero engine cylinders in V formation on a 1908 Riley crankcase. In 19th was Chris Williams in the fabulous red Napier Bentley with the 12-cylinder W-formation 24-litre Napier Lion engine.
The Itala Trophy is awarded to the winning Standard or Modified Vintage or Edwardian racing car and the varied field included Frazer Nash, Alvis, Riley, and Lea Francis cars - to name just a few.
Race 3 was a handicap race won by Charles MacLean in a Riley. The MG NAs of Robin Butler and John Dutton were placed second and third. Robert Cobden again achieved the fastest lap in his Riley Special, this time at 69.86 mph.
Paul Bullet brought Rabelro, a Frazer-Nash special, home in 14th place in its first competitive outing in many years. Amongst the spectators was a previous owner who raced it pre-war.
The Lanchester Trophy is presented to the first pre-1926 unsupercharged car of historic interest to finish.
Race 4 was a twelve lap race for post-war racing cars. This saw Spencer Flack in the Lotus 16 dicing with Nick Mason in his Maserati 250F and Barry "Whizzo" Williams in DH Wenman's Connaught A Type.
Spender Flack won the race and set fastest lap at 86.29 mph and was followed in second place by Kenneth White in a 1953 Cooper Bristol - one of nine Cooper Bristols in the race. Whizzo came in third.
Race 5 was a five lap scratch race won by Goff Tidball in RD King's 1938 Delage Special. He also set fastest lap at 75.76 mph.
Cars were handicapped for this race and some had to complete only 4 laps. The handicapping can make the posistions hard to follow but scratch racing makes for lots of passing and a varied grid - from HRGs to Lagondas in this case!
Race 6 was a five lap handicap race, won by Peter Whenman in his Lagonda Rapier. Tye Pountney's Riley Special was second and Stanley Mann's Bentley third.
Race 7 - Christie's Patrick Lindsay Memorial race. This is a twelve lap scratch race for pre-war racing cars, with the winner being presented a trophy in memory of "The Late The Honourable Patrick Lindsay, Gentleman, Sportsman, Racing Driver, Aviator, Auctioneer and Head of Christie's Old-Master Department".
Patrick Lindsay founded Christie's Motor Car department more than thirty years ago and was a keen VSCC racer. He drove Maseratis, Alfas and Jaguars, but his particular favourite was the ex-Bira ERA "Remus", one of a pair of English Racing Automobiles once owned by the racing Prince from Siam.
It is appropriate that this year's winner of the Trophy was Ludovic Lindsay - driving Remus to win his father's trophy for the first time and continuing the family association with the VSCC and with ERA.
This race saw seven ERAs on the track, taking the first three places and setting fastest lap - second place man John Ure lapped at 83.22 mph in his ERA R9B. This fastest lap was only beaten during the day by Spencer Flack's Lotus 19 and the Lister Jaguar of Gary Pearson - both cars more than twenty years younger than the ERA!
Race 8 was another 5-lap handicap race won by Aubrey Brocklebank in a 1935 Lagonda Rapier. He was chased home by Mike Painter's MG Special and Michael Rudnig's Bentley Jackson. The first three cars were separated by less than four seconds...
Race 9, the Fox & Nichol Trophy for pre war sports cars, saw Julian Bronson's Riley Blue Streak Special come in first, followed by Barry Cannel's Alvis and Paul Grist's Alfa.
Race 10 was a ten lap scratch race for 1950's sports racing cars. This saw a big turnout of Lotuses, Coopers and Listers as well as Nick Mason's 1959 Birdcage Maserati and Tony Bianchi's Cadillac-engined Farrellac Allard.
The Lister Jaguars of Gary Pearson and Nick Linney were first and second followed by Tony Bianchi and Nick Mason.
Race 11, the final race of the day, was a five lap scratch race. This normally brings together winners from other races and is subdivided into classes by engine capacity.
Overall winner and holder of the fastest lap was Geraint Owen in his DH Riley Special powered by a six-litre four-cylinder Gypsy Moth aero engine. Second was Ben Fidler in a Lagonda with Michael Rudnig third in his Bentley Jackson
The photo gallery for VSCC GP Itala is here
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