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JOHN ALEY OBITUARY

John Aley 1930-2021 Appreciation by Ken Davies. Images courtesy of John Aley archive Entrant, entrepreneur, engineer and safety pioneerBorn 23rd January 1930, John Aley started competing after WWII, first on motorcycles and then changing to four wheels and helping found the Cambridge Motor Club in 1950. His first cars were pre-war HRG and MGs in which he completed his formative moto...

MONTE-CARLO OR BUST

Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique 2021 Words image by Peter Barker .Long time RMCH competitor Peter Barker explains why the 2021 edition of this famous event was just a step too far under coronavirus restrictions. Back in July 2020 with lockdowns lifting all over Europe and people emerging from isolation to count the cost of the first wave of Covid-19 infection, the Automobile Club de Mo...

WASHINGTON GRANT JAMES OBITUARY

Washington Grant James 1933-2020 Appreciation by Ken Davies. Images courtesy Washington James archive Welsh World Cup Rally hero, celebrated tenor and businessman Washington James, the last surviving member of a tenacious 1970s Welsh rally team, died peacefully on New Year's Eve in Newcastle Emlyn, aged 87. Washington – known affectionately as 'Washy' – from Cenarth in C...

VALERIE DOMLEO-MORLEY OBITUARY

Valerie Domleo-Morley 1932-2020 Appreciation by Ken Davies. Images courtesy Valerie Domleo-Morley archive. During the Christmas break, sad news broke that Valerie ‘Val’ Morley had died peacefully at home on 24 December. Born on 11 April 1932 in Hendon Middlesex, Val discovered rallying by navigating for a boyfriend, before coming to the notice of BMC and being selected to navig...

NKHTGT SERIES COUNTERACTS CO2 EMISSIONS

Let’s plant trees NKHTGT was established in 1996 as the Dutch Championship for Historic Touring Cars and GTs, reports Jan-Bart Broertjes. Nowadays it has evolved into an international series, catering for touring cars and GTs built between 1947 and 1965. This means that the series has attracted racing cars that are now 55-plus years of age, for 25 years. In the meantime, the world aro...

AUTO E MOTO D'EPOCA 2020

Lancia Deltas everywhere Words and images by Steven Vandeputte, Click to view Gallery.The 2020 Auto e Moto d’Epoca, Padova 22-25 October Auto e Moto d’Epoca is the biggest classic car fair in Italy with 5,000 cars on display and in excess of 100,000 visitors, no doubt both figures were considerably lower this year. The organisers, despite facing another lockdown, persever...

MOTORING BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020

Richie Ginther: Motor Racing's Free Thinker is Motoring Book of the Year The 2020 Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year awards –now in their seventh year – took place as a virtual event on Wednesday 28 October, reports Rebecca Leppard. Richie Ginther: Motor Racing's Free Thinker by Richard Jenkins, published by Performance Publishing, scooped Book of the Year, present...

ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB HISTORIC TOURIST TROPHY 2020

RAC race reminiscent of Spa Words and images by Peter Baker. Click to view Gallery. Organised in just six weeks by Motor Racing Legends, and sponsored by DK Engineering, the Royal Automobile Club Historic Tourist Trophy, was held at the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday 25 October. To be honest, Silverstone in October, what with all that wind and rain, doesn’t really turn me ...

LOMBARD RALLY BATH 2020

Testing time for the Nissan Words by Peter Barker. Image by Auto Avia. One hundred and five cars and crews were registered for the 2020 running of Tim Nash’s rally tour Lombard Rally Bath. A great deal fewer actually turned up, but those that did were rewarded with the best running yet of this often-criticised event. Is it a rally? Is it a car tour? Do competitors have to wear helme...

HSCC FINALS SILVERSTONE 2020

Roaring success for HSCC Finals Report by Paul Lawrence The racing was excellent, the grids were large and even the weather was kind as the Historic Sports Car Club concluded its 2020 championship schedule at its Finals Meeting on the Silverstone National Circuit over the weekend 17-18 October. Nearly 270 entries, including a spectacular headlining Historic Formula 2 grid, delivered some ...

CASTLE COMBE AUTUMN CLASSIC 2020

Rain stops 70th birthday celebrations after first day Click to view Gallery. After being one of the first of the UK’s 17 motor racing circuits to restart events following the enforced COVID-19 lockdown, Castle Combe Racing Club successfully organised five meetings once restrictions ended on 30 June, in what has been a weird and truncated 2020 season, reports Ken Davies. The Club&rsqu...

NK HTGT ASSEN 2020

Gamma Racing Day at the TT Circuit Assen Report from Jan-Bart Broetjes. Pictures by Senten Images The second meeting for the Dutch NKHTGT series for pre-66 cars, on 25-27 September, began with a chaotic start to the first race, which led to a red flag situation. It was slightly less chaotic on the second attempt, only Martin Bijleveld and Egbert Kolvoort incurring a penalty for jumping the...

SALON PRIVE 2020

A gold-plated hit Report and images by Peter Baker. Click to view our Gallery. Salon Prive presented by AXA, 23-26 September 2020 No doubt about it, even encompassing current COVID-19 restrictions, the four-day Saloon Prive 2020, held within the magnificent grounds of Blenheim Palace, was a superbly organised event that proved a gold-plated hit with its sell-out crowd. Astonishing in every...

WOLDS TROPHY CADWELL PARK 2020

Great racing at HSCC Wolds Trophy meeting Report from Paul Lawrence. The Historic Sports Car Club headed to Cadwell Park over the weekend 19-20 September for its annual Wolds Trophy meeting. With a busy 20-race programme, it was a tremendous weekend with some great single-seater racing and the twin Road Sports categories produced excellent racing from big and varied grids. There was a stro...

MASTERS AT ZANDVOORT HISTORIC GRAND PRIX 2020

Big prizes for Hart and Cantillon at Zandvoort Report from Masters Historic Racing David Hart and Mike Cantillon cornered most of the Masters silverware handed out during the 2020 Historic Grand Prix event at Zandvoort on 4-6 September. Taking place on its original date and with limited spectators allowed into the paddock, the Dutch event made a refreshing change on a historic calendar hit...

OULTON PARK GOLD CUP 2020

Young guns star at HSCC Gold Cup meeting Report and images by Paul Lawrence. Click to view Gallery. Fine racing, an enthusiastic crowd, good weather and some outstanding performances made the Historic Sports Car Club’s Oulton Park Gold Cup, on 29-31 August, a great success. One of the most prominent historic racing festivals of the season ran successfully within the current COV...

BENTLEY DRIVERS CLUB AT SILVERSTONE 2020

Racing behind closed doors a ‘big success’ Report from Stuart Newman. Images by Peter de Rousset-Hall. The Bentley Drivers Club’s 72nd annual race meeting at Silverstone saw another day of fantastic racing at its very best, albeit behind closed doors, on Saturday 22 August.Bentleys of all ages shared the 10-race entry list with Morgans, TVRs, MGs, Jaguars, Allards, Alfa-Ro...

MASTERS HISTORIC FESTIVAL 2020

Masters at Brands Hatch Report from Masters Historic Racing. Images by Stuart Adams, click to view Gallery. The 2020 Masters Historic Festival provided a packed programme at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend 22-23 August. Headlining the two-day event were the cars and stars of Masters Historic Formula One, with two fantastic F1 races delivering a pair of thoroughly deser...

OULTON PARK GOLD CUP 2020

HSCC to celebrate Formula Junior at Gold Cup Oulton Park The Historic Sports Car Club will celebrate the Formula Junior category during the 2020 Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting on 29-31 August by presenting the famous Gold Cup trophy to the aggregate winner of the Formula Junior races, writes Paul Lawrence. The event will mark the 60th anniversary of the two major Formula Junior races held at Oult...

TWO MEETINGS FOR SHELSLEY WALSH

The 2020 Vintage and Reg Phillips Trophy meetings Click to view our Gallery. Two annual meetings were held at Shelsley Walsh over the weekend 8-9 August, with the VSCC Vintage Meeting on the Saturday and the Reg Phillips Trophy Meeting the following day. Unfortunately, with restrictions still in place, both meetings were held without spectators. On Saturday, the ever-quick James Baxter won ...



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