The VSCC’s annual Cadwell Park meeting Saturday 7 June Report and images by Peter Baker. Click to view gallery
A very wet Cadwell Park
It was wet. Wet enough that at around 11.00am I thought the organisers would cancel. But that is to underestimate not only the determination of the Vintage Sports-Car Club, but the drivers themselves. In truth, the only risky area was Hairpin which, and to quote more than one competitor: “Was like driving on ice.” As far as I know only Michael Humphrey suffered the indignity of an ‘off’ here, stuffing his Lagonda M45 Rapide hard into the very forgiving barriers. Luckily he walked away with no more than a sore neck, but it highlights the issue of safety.
The programme consisted of 11 scratch and handicap races plus rounds of the F3 (500) Championship and Morgan Three Wheeler Club Challenge – unique as the rules allow passengers. All races took place on either a wet or damp track.
George Shackelton takes centre stage
Highlights of the day included the terrific drive put in by George Shackleton to win the 12-minute F3 (500) Championship round in his Cooper Mk11. He qualified a cautious third but took the lead on lap one, which he kept until the flag.
The Pre-1935 Williams Trophy 15-minute Race for two-seater Grand Prix Cars was a straight fight between the Bugattis of Timothy Dutton, Stephen Shoosmith and Charles Knill-Jones, finishing in that order with a gap of just 1.01 seconds separating the first two cars. The Morgans suffered truly awful conditions, which even restricted the usual flamboyant driving style of winner Greg Bibby, whose father-son relationship with Hamish Bibby became significantly closer when the pair finished first and second, 0.20 seconds apart. Both these cars incidentally run on methanol.
Fiat 508S of Geoff Toms leads the Nick Haywood-Cook Austin 7 Monoposto
Scrap of the meeting goes to Nick Haywood-Cooke, Austin Seven Monoposto and Geoff Toms in the delightful 1098cc Fiat 508S. During the Short Handicap Race for Pre-war Cars Geoff kept his Italian two-seater ahead, until with a lap to go, and with a drying track (the sun was actually shining), the superior road holding of the Austin allowed Nick to brake later around The Mountain, and take the lead. They finished first and second, with a flamboyant Duncan Wood third in his Morgan Super Aero.
After Race 11 where Eddie Gibbs won the hotly contested Class B on his Frazer Nash SS Racer from Pete Candy (Riley ‘Super Rat’) VSCC members who were extending their weekend of competition headed for Harewood Hill-climb, where the weather for Sunday promised less rain, and some sunshine. Things could only improve.
Michael Humphrey suffers a sticking throttle, luckily without lasting damage
