Frazer Nash cars and Castle Combe have become synonymous over the circuit’s 75-year history. With the Le Mans Replica and High Speed in which Stirling Moss and Tony Crook finished 1-2 here in October 1950 on display, a 31-car extravaganza – probably the finest marque gathering, peppered with fabled survivors – entertained knowledgeable spectators as glorious Sunday sunshine bathed the wonderful Autumn Classic.
Showcasing Archie Frazer Nash’s pre-war chain gangers and the Aldington family’s post-war cars exquisitely, Patrick Blakeney-Edwards (1925 Super Sports) and Theo Hunt (1953 Le Mans Rep) swapped the lead repeatedly in the seventh Freddie Giles Memorial Trophy race, honouring the inimitable FN Car Club’s captain from nearby Devizes. It mattered not that Hunt won – by 0.122 seconds – in the Bristol-powered machine. Rob Beebee (TT Replica), Michael Scott (LM Replica) and Jeremy Brewster (Geoghegan Special) were a minute behind the leaders.
Another local ace, ERA Motorsport boss Kyle Tilley, bolstered the magnificent GT & Sports Car Cup entry to 41, having just acquired the Lotus 15 in which Philip Walker/Miles Griffiths won its 2017 Combe debut race. Following a Donington Park shakedown on Thursday, Tilley qualified second to 2021-22 victor Chris Chiles Jr (AC Cobra), 0.6s inside his lap record. Jaguar E-types, Lotus Elans and 2024 winner John Spiers – reverting from his Lister-Jaguar Costin, to his Costin model, with Nigel Greensall this time – packed the sharp end.
Intermittent rain and constant traffic made the going tough, but Greensall relayed starter Spiers back into the lead. But the black Lister’s battery was wilting. When Spiers spun at Old Paddock, it would not restart. That left Christian Albrecht/Gary Pearson’s E-type ahead, albeit blunted by a misfire, which enabled Tilley to hound it down and power ahead two laps from home. Early leader Chiles’ aspirations dwindled when father Chris, 81, misinterpreted a warning flag (for crossing the pit exit blend line on rejoining) and stopped. Undeterred, Junior blasted back to third.
Nick Finburgh/Ollie Crosthwaite (ex-Jack Brabham Cooper Monaco) were fourth ahead of the E-types of Ben Mitchell, finishing John Clark’s with a flourish, and Tim Crighton who converted Will Garrett’s start to a brilliant GT3 victory. Despite a yellow-flag penalty, husband and wife Mike Thorne/Sarah Bennett-Baggs (Austin-Healey 100M) won GT2 by 0.695s! Olly Bryant was closing fast in Michael O’Sullivan’s Lotus Elite, but a Cobra off at Quarry brought the chequer out two laps early.
Tilley (r) topped the huge GT & Sports Car Cup field during his first race in his newly acquired Lotus 15
Photo by: Ollie Read
Lotus Elan stalwart Paul Tooms secured Classic Sports Car Club Classic K gold over Thorne (Healey 3000) and David Alexander’s Elite – fresh from FISCAR victory over Jonathan Abecassis’ Healey 100M – started by Richard Fores. Grant Williams, Richard and Tom Butterfield and Tom Smith wagged Jaguar tails in the concurrent Norman Dewis Trophy joust.
A collision between Jerry Bailey’s Ford Mustang and Mary Bell’s Gilbern GT at Folly stopped the race. The Yank tank rolled, dissipating its energy, but took out six barrier posts before landing on its side. Both emerged unhurt, but the Mini Miglia finale was postponed until Sunday and the circuit maintenance team worked late to rebuild the wall.
Frenetic barely describes the Mini 7 Racing Club contests. Ross Billison won both Se7en bouts, from Daniel Munro and Damien Harrington respectively, pushing the lap record past 80mph. Oliver Birkett and Joel Wren claimed S class honours. Kane Astin and Aaron Smith arrived as joint Miglia leaders. Astin won the first of two stupendous slipstreamers with Ian Curley, Smith and Rupert Deeth within 0.855s.
Astin blotted his copybook by taking leader Curley out at Quarry in the sequel – collecting an eight place drop and three points on his licence – advancing Smith, Deeth and Phil Bullen-Brown. Curley’s 1m15.908s (87.73mph) shot erased Deeth’s lap record.
The Ferrari Club Classic trifecta was riddled with unusually high mechanical attrition, but provided three different winners. Poleman Gary Culver (328 GTB) missed Saturday’s opener with clutch problems. Wayne Marrs (F355) jumped the start, attracting a penalty, but couldn’t live with Tim Mogridge (F355) anyway. Marrs kept second – setting a 1m15.435s lap record – when clutch slip forced Colin Sowter (F355 Spider) out and promoted Vance Kearney’s F355 to the podium.
Sowter (with new clutch) pranced ahead in Sunday’s morning race, with Lewis Sharman (F348) rocketing from eighth to second at the lights. But Sowter then spun down to 10th when his car bottomed out, whereupon Culver led before his steed wilted, advantaging Marrs. Sowter howled back to second, on his tail. Mogridge relieved Sharman of third, but Lewis kept Chris Compton-Goddard (F355) behind. Culver’s perseverance was rewarded later. When afternoon race leader Sowter disappeared, Culver engaged Marrs and Mogridge in combat. Modridge secured second as Marrs completed his podium set.
Culver, Mogridge and Marrs (at the rear) took a Ferrari win apiece
Photo by: Ollie Read
Paul Boulton sprang a surprise in his second Formula Junior event by qualifying his Australian Elfin 629 on pole on a fiendishly slippery track. Points leader Nic Carlton Smith (Lotus 20) won the wet race but, with sole class opponent Boulton out early, could only score six points. Title protagonist Adrian Russell (Condor) shot past Goodwood winner Stuart Roach (Alexis Mk2) when he lost momentum in traffic, equalling triple champ NC-S’s score with a maximum. Class winner Iain Rowley (ex-Peter Meldrum Lotus 22) fought off Sam Wilson in Justin Fleming’s Lola Mk2 and Chris Porritt (Lotus 18) for fourth.
Safety car interludes coloured all three Historic Racing Drivers Club encounters. A tactical early pitstop enabled John Spiers to relay Nigel Greensall into his Lotus Cortina and give Roy Alderslade (Cortina) and initial leader Sam Summerhayes (Mini Cooper S) the slip in the Jack Sears Trophy pre-’66 bout.
Spiers and Greensall were unable to take up Gerry Marshall Trophy pole when John’s Ford Capri failed a noise test. Can Bitirim’s Rover SD1 growled past Alderslade’s Capri to lead, but Myles Poulton’s Rover, off at Tower, triggered a caution. Adam Brindle (Rover) won, pursued by the V6 Fords of Alderslade, Skid Scarborough and James Slaughter. Alfa Romeos finished 1-2-3 in the Willhire division, David Margalies (GTV6) heading Andy Hill (GT Junior) and James Gibbons (Alfetta GTV).
There was a tighter than anticipated finish to the Allstars/Classic Alfa race when – after a hiatus with Chris Edmunds’ Mini off at Tower – Spiers nursed his TVR Griffith home with its rear brakes disintegrating. The closely-matched Gavin Watson (Alfa GTAm) and Mike Thorne (Alfasud Ti) duly closed in.
Watched by quadruple period Combe champion Brian Cutting, 90, for whom the races were named, Danny Morris – racing at the venue for the first time since 1989 – won the CSCC Special Saloons & Modsports opener under a safety car with Mike Seabourne’s Peugeot 205 off at the Esses. Starting cautiously from the winner’s 10-place imposition, Morris eroded Tom Carey’s 13s advantage in the event finale, finishing on the BDG-powered Honda CRX clone’s tail in the Spirit of RPM Peugeot-Cosworth 309 turbocar.
Morris marked his first Combe outing for over 35 years with a Special Saloons & Modsports win
Photo by: Ollie Read
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