The finale of the annual Bentley Drivers Club meeting last weekend was its Allcomers race and this featured the unusual spectacle of modern Bentley GTs, two Bentley T-type specials, a 750 Formula car and a Citroen Saxo (among others) going head-to-head.
The winners in the end were Clubmans machinery, led by the Mallock Mk29 of Steven Dickens, over 30 seconds ahead of Steven Chaplin in a Phantom P79. The pace of the 15-minute race slowed towards the conclusion due to oil on the track, much of it from Jim Tiller’s Allard, which had an engine blow-up. The first Bentley was the T-type of Robin Ward, demoted to fourth behind James Bellinger’s Morgan for overtaking under yellow flags. Ben Eastick’s T-type, now running on slicks, could only manage sixth this time.
Bellinger family honours were upheld in the Sports Car Challenge & Morgan Techniques Trophy, with Jack Bellinger putting his Morgan 4/4 squarely at the front after early leader Craig Colwyn’s Morgan Babydoll developed problems. Roy Chamberlain was the Sports Car Challenge winner in his Triumph TR250, finishing second overall.
Family honour was a theme in the Bentley Duff & Clement race too. Winner Lewis Fox got his 3 Litre in the lead early, but there was a major scramble for the other podium places. Clive Morley’s 4 ½ Litre established itself in second, but third was contested by the 4 ½ Litre cars of Richard Hudson and Clive’s son James Morley until the final lap, when Hudson fended off a last-ditch attack by Morley.
Fox and Morley headed the Bentley pack in the Duff & Clement Trophy contest
Photo by: Mick Walker
It was closer at the front in the Aston Martin Owners Club St. John Horsfall Trophy for pre-war Astons. David Freeman, in his Speed Model, spent all the race scrapping with the ‘Red Dragon’ example of Alan Middleton. Freeman prevailed, working his way around backmarkers better and taking advantage of the Red Dragon developing a gear selection problem.
Brian Arculus’s 199th career race gave him another win in FISCAR. Driving a Lotus Elite, he got past polesitter Tania Pilkington in her Maserati 300S and turned his early challenge into a victory, despite Pilkington fighting back in the closing stages and setting a fastest lap in the process. Third-placed Josh Ward was very rapid in his Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica, but his late pitstop strategy didn’t pay off; the leaders came in early.
The Scratch Race was won by Jonathan Cobb in a Cooper Bristol. A slow lap late on let Gareth Burnett’s Alta get within range, but Cobb kept ahead. Vernon Moore entertained the crowd in his Bentley Mk6 Special, coming through from the rear to third after false-starting and then dropping back, but he was disqualified afterwards.
Both Morgan Challenge races were dominated by Stewart Robb (+8) and Louis Ruff (+4), who were in a class of their own. William Pratt and Ian Sumner had a terrific squabble over third in the opener, with Sumner just edging it. Pratt had third place more easily in the sequel, after seeing off Andrew Thompson in his +8. Sumner had stopped on the first lap to refasten his car’s bonnet, before working his way back to eighth.
The Handicap race was not as competitive as it could have been, as the faster cars were handicapped very severely. Paul Andrew won in a Bentley Mk6 Special.
Brian Arculus’ Lotus Elite emerged as FISCAR winner
Photo by: Mick Walker
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– The Autosport.com Team
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