NEWS

VSCC returns to Curborough this Bank Holiday Weekend to open its 2015 Speed Season

Friday 01 May 2015

The Club’s traditional Speed Season curtain-raiser takes place this Sunday 3 May at Curborough, the home of the Shenstone and District Car Club, near Lichfield in Staffordshire.
The VSCC’s celebrated Speed Trials has been a feature of the Club’s events calendar for over 50 years and, with yet another full entry of over 100 Pre-war Racing and Sports-Cars and over 30 revered Pre-war marques on show for this weekend’s instalment, it is sure to be a another wonderful day of Vintage motorsport.

From Veterans and Edwardians to Vintage and Post-Vintage Thoroughbred, all the celebrated eras of Pre-war motoring are represented. Mark Walker’s 1905 Land Speed Record holder Darracq 200HP is one of oldest competing and is joined by a stunning 11-strong line-up in the day’s Edwardian Class, including Richard Scaldwell’s 1909 De Dietrich 130HP ‘Course’, making its long-awaited ‘debut’ after a ten-year long restoration project.

The battle for the Sports-Cars Class honours will undoubtedly be a close-fought affair; Andy Bush returns to defend his crown in his Riley TT Sprite and the Pugh’s are expected to go toe-to-toe as they share the Frazer Nash/BMW 328 amongst the Standard & Modified Cars, whilst a baker’s dozen Riley machines in varying guises contest the under 1500cc Specials standings and ‘Chain-Gang’ stalwarts, Paul Bullett and Jon Mellor are tipped to challenge for the larger capacity spoils in the Frazer Nash Super Sports and AC/GN Beetle respectively.

The Racing Classes are brimming with the usual eclectic mix of stripped-down Sports- Cars and out-and-out Single-Seaters. Two of the famed Hardy-built Specials are amongst the small capacity entry, including Carl Gray’s Class Record-setting machine. The 1101-1500cc Class looks set to be an epic tussle with Terry Crabb’s ERA R12C taking on the two very different but equally competitive challengers in David Leigh’s historic GN ‘Spider’ and young Charlie Martin’s Morgan-based ‘RIP’ Special, the top performing Vintage car last year.

Winner of the ‘FTD’ crown in his MG Bellevue last year, Ian Baxter brings out his ‘new’ mount this time, his 1937 Alta 61 I.S. In the same Class, Tony Lees will hope to emulate a previous owner of his AC/GN ‘Cognac’ Special, Freddie Giles, who set a Class Record at Curborough in the car in 1997, and at the same time look to challenge for the overall victory, as will Julian Grimwade and Tom Walker, who do battle in the over 3000cc bracket in the Frazer Nash Norris Special and Hispano-engined Amilcar Special respectively.

Conveniently situated 2 ½ miles north-east of Lichfield in the centre of the country and a short drive from the A38 at Fradley, Curborough provides a welcoming atmosphere for all of its visitors, whilst all are encouraged to bring their picnics, as per the Bank Holiday event tradition.

Practice Runs start at 9.00am, followed by Lunch Break, with Competitive Runs in the afternoon. Tickets are available on the gate at a cost of just £10 per person, while Under 16s go free.

We also take this opportunity to remind VSCC Members that the Club Office will be closed this May Bank Holiday Monday.
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