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CHRIS CRAFT OBITUARY

Chris Craft 1939-2021 Appreciation by Ken Davies. Images courtesy of Chris Craft archive. To racing enthusiasts of the 1960s and 70s, Chris Craft, who died on 20 February, represented the quintessential racing driver image, with long hair, good looks and athletic physique. Born in Porthleven, Cornwall on 17 November 1939, Chris grew up in Essex, where his father was a bank manager, later b...

CASTLE COMBE READY FOR 2021

Eight race meetings planned Castle Combe Castle Combe Circuit was one of the first in the UK to kick-start racing after the first COVID-19 lockdown, though its planned 70th birthday celebrations had to be put on hold. Now anticipating the return to some normality, a full card of races has been organised for 2021, starting on Easter Monday. Eight meetings are planned and seven will carry rou...

HSCC'S 1980S PRODUCTION CAR CHALLENGE

New for 2021 HSCC’s 1980s Production Car Challenge The Historic Sports Car Club has confirmed a four-race schedule for its new 1980s Production Car Challenge, a perfect entry-level race series for production touring, sports and GT cars from the 1980s, reports Paul Lawrence. Open to cars with standard bodyshells and only minor modifications to engines and suspension, the series is wil...

ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB HISTORIC AWARDS 2020

The 2020 winners…. The 2020 Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards evening took place, virtually, on Thursday 28 January 2021. Hosted by Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Club, and Lee McKenzie, the Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Peter and Betty-Ann Banham. Peter and Betty have, for more than three decades, been tirelessly present in carrying out their role as on...

ADRIAN CAMPOS OBITUARY

Adrian Campos 1960-2021 A personal appreciation and images by Roman Klemm. “My greatest success is being a happy man“ Although Adrian Campos participated in only 21 Formula 1 Grands Prix (making the cut in 17 of them), his later work had and still has a significant impact on the world of motorsport. The junior teams under his leadership won all the championships they ever parti...

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...



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