RACE NEWS

2019

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Date

30th June

24th/25th August

Baked Bank Holiday Extravaganza . .

After searing temperatures at Spa in July, the Cheshire rollercoaster hosted a week-end that closed cockpit drivers will remember for equally testing conditions at Oulton Park. The Historic Road Sports Saturday qualifying saw the Morgan of William Plant just pip the Cobra of Kevin Kivlochan for pole, and the Dunlop-shod WSM's in 12th and 13th amongst Elan, MGB and Porsche opposition.

After the initial sort out in to Old Hall on Sunday afternoon, Kivlochan got the jump on Plant, and bar nosing ahead on lap 3, Plant just could not displace the Milton Keynes driver. Less than a second separated them at the flag after 30 minutes full-on, while Hulett escaped his team mate's clutches to run a lonely 12th, and the WSM MGB was similarly lacking playmates until the TR2 of Richard Owen filled mirrors over the last three laps.

Pit & Paddock . .

WSM 3000 owner and Cheshire resident Robert Waterhouse in a suitably aged Ford Poplar trundled in for Sunday viewing. The Poplars air conditioning had evidently broken as a topless driver was ushered in through the entrance gates sans ticket. The WSM 3000 restoration is very near completion and there's a lot people looking forward to the public unveiling.

Good to see IoM resident Mick Fuller enjoying the spectacle, and Nigel Adams with wife Angela. The Fullers pop up all over the globe, and we've not seen the Adams family for years after having raced in the Austin Healey championship for many moons together.

Thanks to Richard Cable who sorted out the GoPro camera mounting. Another couple boning up on their geography as their recent return from Italy and a myriad of stops in their Westfield was testament.

Young love in evidence. Newly-weds Chris and Susie Hulett were 'mechanicking' for Ian, but Chris was quoted as "not getting much sleep . . "

Historic Sports Car Club Gold Cup at Oulton Park . .

Ian Hulett with WSM 401 joins the WSM MGB at the colourful Cheshire circuit for the Historic Road Sports grid. Lotus Elan, Ginetta G4 and other MGB's feature amongst the 22 entries, and the racing is usually fast and close. The HRS and the 70's Roadsports races are now 30 minutes duration, where the majority of the HSCC Bank Holiday week-end races are traditionally just 20 minutes. HRS qualifying on Saturday afternoon and race on Sunday afternoon allows plenty of time to watch some exotic grids . .

Heatwave Bathes Belgian Classic . .

In temperatures reaching 35 degrees and not a raindrop in sight from Thursday practice to Sunday's concluding races, the Spa Summer Classic provided eleven stanza's of the most eclectic racing machinery. The Spa Ardennes Challenge grid was numerically dominated by the 40 entries from Equipe GTS with MGB's, Healey's, TVR's, E-Types and TR4's mixed with rapid Crossle 9S sport racers from the Crossle RDC. Add in the Motor Classic Belgium entries from Porsche, Morgan, Lotus and BMW, and the 70 car grid had every prospect of an entertaining week-end.

Untimed 40 minute practice on Thursday was a welcome re-introduction to some, and an eye opening baptism for others. Qualifying on Friday saw the Rawles family Healey 3000 head the Equipe times, with Keers-Trafford the quickest of the MGB's - the WSM clocked 5th fastest of the thirteen MGB Equipe entries and nine of the B-series powered cars were clumped together in the 3m 20s region.

The rolling start on Saturday morning for Race 1 was at least in manageable temperatures but featured the usual scramble around La Source. The WSM was mugged as avoidance became priority, and never recovered lost ground. The 3000 of Will Linley won from the Brewer/Rowley Aston DP412 copy and E-Type of Kennelly to take Equipe honours, and Keers-Trafford was comfortably the quickest Equipe MGB of thirteen. The Healey's of the Woolmer Classic Engineering team were headed up by second-in-class Smare in 22nd, Williams in 25th and Harris 31st, but the Abecassis/Collyer car came to grief with two laps to go. The WSM ran a lonely race for 11th of the Class 3 MGB's.

Race 2 saw the Rawles Healey recovered from race one maladies to win from Brewer/Rowley and Linley, and Keers-Trafford again dominated the Class 3 MGB's and TVR's. Smare, Williams and Harris all brought home WCE bacon, and the WSM incurred a few track limit penalties on its way to 7th of the Equipe MGB's.

Pit and Paddock

Good to meet three generations of the Harris family - grandparents over from Portugal, son Jason driving and granddaughter Darby spannering . .

The liveliest Triumph Spitfire on four wheels - a shoehorned V8 in the shapely curio and it only became apparent what was beneath when we found the car in the paddock with the Dutch owners . .

Spa-Francorchamps Frites Beckon . .

Pedalled laps of the hallowed track on the foldaway paddock bike were almost quicker in 2012 than the subsequent laps in practice and race the last time here with the MGB WSM and the HRDC. A fuel issue baffled all and sundry until an almost invisible sediment was spotted in a filter that only manifested itself as a problem after a few active miles and then disappeared again. Clive Cocks and Ian Hulett went well in their respective WSM's and the usual Spa inclemency made matters even more interesting.

This time with Equipe GTS and practice on Thursday, qualifying on Friday and 40 minute races Saturday and Sunday, we'll be hoping for better performance and weather. .

Cheshire WSM Season Opener . .

Oulton Park's undulating nature amidst the woods and fields ranks as a favourite with most drivers, but WSM at the picturesque circuit seems to attract a mechanical hex lately. The MGB WSM was entered for the Equipe 30 minute grid, but engine maladies intervened and WSM 208 took to qualifying with Ian Hulett's donated engine proving a strong unit. A liberal dose of oil on track after four laps put paid to much improvement, but series organiser John Pearson had been next to arrive at Clay Hill on the engine oil at full chat in his Austin-Healey 3000. The driver was subsequently fine, but the car thumped every corner with substantial contact. Will Linley's Austin-Healey 3000 comfortably took pole from the E-Type of Paul Kennelly.

The race was quite attritional and only six cars completed 18 laps. Linley went out after 11 laps, Kennelly's E-Type after 14, and the 3000 of the Rawles family had almost 10 seconds in hand on the Lotus Elite of Marc Gordon at the flag. The WSM covered herself in brief glory with a blazing start, but almost immediately spat the dummy as the clutch progressively shortened until complete failure after 10 laps.

The ex-Sprinzel Sprite PMO 200 has an additional note to the ownership history - a past owner introduced himself to Paul Woolmer and expanded on his time with the car.