4 replies to this topic

[dgs]

According to the book 'Stirling Moss, My Cars, my Career', Stirling Moss took part in a sprint meeting at Brands Hatch on 4th August 1952, racing Derek Annable's Kieft-Norton (500cc) car.

Has anyone got the following information?

Brands Hatch sprint course length.

Stirling's race no.

Times he achieved in heat 4, and final.

Results in book state he was 2nd in both heat & final.

Over to you Fuzzi

[Tim Murray]

Was this actually a sprint (ie competitors running one at a time against the clock) or a series of sprint races? The Robert Edwards bio lists them as run over 10 laps. On the same date Stirling competed in the Telegraph Trophy, also at Brands and in the same car, winning his 30-lap heat and retiring in the final with conrod failure.

[Collombin]

Stirling wore his favourite number 7 in all that day's events.

[HiRich]

As Tim suggests, the "August Sprint" was just a short race (5 lap hears, 10 lap final), in contrast to the longer International Trophy (10/30). Moss reverted to Derek's Kieft (which he had been borrowing through his various tribulations with broken Kiefts), having had his first run in the Cooper Mk VI at Boreham two days earlier. Brands would be his last with the Kieft. It would be his last run in the car, as John & Charles did a very good deal for Moss to return to Cooper.

I don't have his time for heat 4, but note "The last heat resulted in Parker in a Kieft-Norton beating Stirling Moss in a similar car at an average speed of 66.77mph. Moss, apparently, was having a certain amount of gearbox trouble, but for all that Don Parker drove a very fine race."
Ditto for the Final "In the final of this August Sprint a colossal battle was fought out again between Parker and Moss. However, after Parker, Moss and Whitehouse had fought a terrific battle in the opening laps, Parker again came in first at an average speed of 68.34mph. Stirling Moss broke the lap record with a speed of 71.8mph"
Moss easily won heat 3 of the International Trophy (8'50.2), but retired from the Final "The final of the Daily Telegraph International Trophy Race was won by Don Parker in his Norton-engined Kieft at an average speed of 67.92mph It appeared during the early laps that Stirling Moss was all set to be the eventual winner as he gave a masterly display of driving; however, due to engine trouble and the old gearbox trouble he had to retire about half-way through the race." There are suggestions he lunched the engine it after getting a signal that Don Parker had just topped his new record

[dgs]

After looking at replies, thanks guys. I looked at 'Formula 1 Register Fact Book - Formula 3, 1947-1952' by Paul Sheldon.

Yes I can see that it all events were races over the circuit, rather than a sprint meeting.

Race 1 - August Sprint. 4 Heats 5 laps, Final 10 laps.
Race 2 - Consolation Race , 10 laps
Race 3 - Daily Telegraph International Trophy, 4 heats 10 laps, Final 30 laps.

Peter Tutthill in 'Kieft Racing Cars, The Bridgend Story 1949-1952, briefly mentions the meeting, mentioning that at the Bank Holiday Monday meeting, Stirling was back in a Kieft at the Sprint Race heats.