5 replies to this topic

[taylov]

At long last I've managed to acquire what has been one of the hardest to find pre-war British race programmes - that for the Fraser-Nash and BMW CC and VSCC meeting at the Crystal Palace track held on 15/4/1939 for the Stanley Cup.

 

http://imageshack.co...3/1273/dlui.jpg   (hope this works)

 

The Stanley in question was the former Tory MP Sir Arthur Stanley CBE, CB, MVO., who had been involved with the Royal Automobile Club from 1905. (Those with an interest in Winter Sports will know of the other Stanley Cup which Sir Arthur's dad, Lord Stanley, Governor-General of Canada, presented for the champions of North American Ice Hockey).

 

This Stanley Cup was open to teams of drivers from recognised car clubs restricted to sports and touring cars. The competition was held at Brooklands from 1930-1934, then at Donington 1936-1937 and for the last year pre-war at the Crystal Palace.  The 1939 event was unique in that it was the only motor race meeting held on the short 1.19 mile "Link" circuit at the Palace.  This involved cars leaving the Terrace Straight halfway down at a RH hairpin called "the Link" opposite "Big Tree bend", and rejoining the main circuit at the top of "New Zealand Hill".  Thus, North Tower Crescent, the Glade, Fisherman's Bend/Corner/Hill and Pond hairpin were omitted.   A.F.P.Fane seems to set the fastest race speed 53.67 mph in his Frazer-Nash-BMW.

 

Entrants were received from the SS Car Club; Frazer Nash & BMW CC; Cambridge University CC; North West London CC; United Hospitals and University of London CC; JCC; Kentish Border CC; VSCC; Chiltern CC and the Berkhamsted and District CC (who ran the Dancers End Hill climbs).

 

A 13-race programme attracted some star drivers including AFP Fane, AJ Aldington, J Fotheringham-Parker, FR Gerald, RRC Walker, C Clutton and the Itala in the Veteran handicap) and JV Bolster.

 

I understand that the Stanley Cup was still beng competed for as recently as 2009 under the continuing oversight of the BMW Car Club.

 

Tony

[taylov]

The Donington Park "Stanley Cup" meetings were on 28th March 1936 and 15th June 1937 and both were held on the little-used 1.9 mile "Inner circuit" which used the main staight from Coppice Farm to Starkeys Corner and back past the startline, straight on at the old Red Gate Corner on an inner straight back towards the Farm. Two right hand hairpins and two undulating straights were the only features of note.

 

As I mentioned above, the Stanley Cup meetings were held between 1930 and 1934 at Brooklands.  Does anyone have the dates, please?

 

Tony

[Vitesse2]

I've found four definite Brooklands dates in The Times: June 20th 1931, June 18th 1932, July 8th 1933 and July 7th 1934. Always as part of the Inter-Club Meeting.

 

No sign of an equivalent fixture in 1930 though. Nor in 1935.

[lesmo]

I have the following information about the Stanley Cup events at Brooklands:-

 

1930  24^th May       BARC Inter-Club Meeting.   Brooklands

                             JCC, MCC, Brighton & Hove MC.   MCC won        (HoB pp211-12)

 

1931        June       BARC Inter-Club Meeting.   Brooklands  

                             Won by  Brighton & Hove MC                               (HoB p223)

 

1932        June       BARC Inter-Club Meeting .  Brooklands 

                             Won by  JCC by one mark from WASA                 (HoB p235)

 

1933 24^th June        BARC Inter-Club Meeting.   Brooklands  

                             Won by  FNCC by 23 marks from B&HMC             (HoB p251)

 

1934   7^th July         BARC Inter-Club Meeting.  Brooklands

4 teams    Won by  JRDC by 9 points from FNCC

                                                                         (MS 7/34 pp452-54)                   

                                                         

1935                      No record

 

HoB = History of Brooklands Motor Course by William Boddy  Revised Edition 1979

MS = MotorSport magazine

 

I think WASA was the Womens' Automobile Sporting Association, someone else may know better.

 

 

[Vitesse2]

Very unusually, that 1930 event was neither mentioned in the 'today's sporting events' column nor reported in The Times. Leads me to suspect it might have been an entirely 'closed' event, with only invited club members admitted - even as spectators. Possibly a by-product of Rabagliati's crash in the Double Twelve earlier in the month, which was much in the news at the time?

 

Presumably it's in the relevant journals though, since there are indications of it in other national press sources. I have a PDF from UK Press Online of a picture page in the Daily Mirror dated May 26th, which was apparently taken at the meeting. British Newspaper Archive has several regional papers dated May 31st carrying an advert from Morris which mentions some sort of achievement by one of their cars at Brooklands on May 24th.

[taylov]

I can add to lesmo's "results sheet". The winners of the 2 Donington events were - 

 

28th March 1936    Oxford University Motor Drivers' Club, winning with 40 points; Second (jointly) Midlands Automobile Club and VSCC with 14 points each; Fourth Brighton and Hove MC with 11 points. 

 

19th June 1937      United Hospitals and University of London Motor Club.

 

Both Donington events were organised by the Frazer-Nash Car Club.

 

 

Tony