Catch up on all the news in the world of J, K and L with Mal Reid’s September 2019 edition of the newsletter for pre-1930s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s historic racing and sports cars, covering 2019’s Historic Winton back in May.
It’s the Pits, September 2019
The annual Winton May meeting was held a few weeks earlier than usual this year over the 19th – 20th May due to the tin tops needing our usual last weekend in May spot. As it turned out we had great weather and they copped the rain!
There were separate fields for Group L and invited Ms and J & Ks.
First up were the Ls (24) and Ms (4), a little down on numbers and several of the faster cars missing in action. No Dalro, Faux Pas, Scott Repco Holden or Prad Mk3 Repco this year, but that didn’t detract from the action.
The first two rows of the grid were all sports cars with Dick O’Keefe on fire posting a 1.10.93 for pole. Samantha Dymond sat beside him in second and on row two was Shane Bowden in Prad 5 and Geoff Wright’s MG Regah Special. Rob Leslie works driving the Bruce Richardson Nota Minx was also flying in 5th and the first of the open wheelers was Bob Schapel in his Mg TC Sp.
Racing all weekend was top notch and it was Samantha in the magic little Lola Mk1 turning the tables on Dick’s Photon Lotus to edge him out by the nearest of margins and win both scratch races and finally bag the one she’s been after and come so close to so many times – the Mark Dymond Trophy. Well Done Sam.
The JK field this year seemed a little light on numbers with just one Gp J (the type 37/35 Bugatti of Alan Telfer) and 15 Ks lining up for practice.
Graeme Rapper showed he meant business by throwing the mighty George Reed Monoskate around the tight Winton layout in a very impressive 1.12.0029 secs. Under the lap record in practice meant that the chasers, Connor Ryan having a guest drive of Stumpy Russell’s Silver Ford V8 special and Michael Shearer’s 4 cyl Model A Ford, were going to find it tough to beat him.
The next two were big straight 6s – Chris Frost Hartwig Fargo and Gerard Millar Plymouth Special, a Flat head V8 of Douglas Sterry and then yours truly, first of the littluns in the Sulman Singer and now able to mix it with the big bangers. Thanks Froggy for a great tuning job on our new motor!!
Monoskate and Graeme were seriously impressive all weekend and Graeme won all 3 races including the handicap from scratch late on Sunday afternoon, setting a new lap record of 1.10.18 sec. This was also the fastest time all weekend by any pre-1960 car!
Whilst Monoskate ran away and hid, Michael Shearer and Connor Ryan were never more than a car length apart all weekend and their big smiles could be seen from space. Shearer ahead two to one.
The Winton Car and bike meeting is still the go-to meeting for our pre-60 cars, but Wakefield Park and their dedicated team headed by Dean Chapman and assisted by Rob Rowe and John Lackey are determined to give us old cars punter’s an alternative to the wonderful Winton Meeting.
Held over the August 31st – Sept 1st weekend for pre-1961 cars and pre 1963 bikes this meeting has been well received by the nearly 70 regularity and race entrants and provided those that attended plenty of track time over a fine but cool weekend. It certainly is worthy of consideration in your yearly competition calendar but maybe needs to be rescheduled to avoid clashes with the HSRCA Spring meeting Sept 27-29.
Other major events coming up and worth your consideration are the VHRR’s Historic Sandown over October 25 – 27, the 25th Anniversary of Wakefield Park Meeting Nov 16 -17 and the HSRCA’s Summer Festival Nov 30 -Dec 1.
This will be my last newsletter, as I have stepped down from the role to make way for a new pre-’60 Group manager, who will be announced soon. I hope to see you all at Wakefield Park in November. Thanks for all the encouraging comments and news over the last several years.
Race hard and stay safe.
Cheers,
Mal Reid