9 replies to this topic

[Darren Galpin]

Having got off my arse today and visited Bristol Central Library and its excellent collection of microfilm, I managed to perform some research today on the 1945 Filton Sprint and the 1959 Whitchurch races. I would like to share these results with you, plus a comment or two - we have come across these events in passing in other posts.

The Filton Sprint in 1945 was the second RAC sanctioned event after WW2. Here are the results for the Sprint:

Filton Sprint - 27th October 1945



FTD: F.R.Gerard, ERA, 26.3s





Sports Motorcycles under 250cc

1 T.Wood				30.4s

2 J.A.McLachlan		 32.8

3 J.F.Saunders		  32.9



Sports Motorcycles unlimited

1 St.J.Horsfall		 27.6s

2 I.G.McLeod			32.2

3 F.Whitehouse		  33.1



Racing Motorcycles under 350cc

1 T.Wood				29.4s

2 C.A.Dickens		   29.5

3 R.Good				31.5



Racing Motorcycles unlimited

1 St.J.Horsfall		 27.4s

2 T.Wood				27.5

3 J.Mountford		   28.6



Sportscars under 1100cc

1 A.W.Morrish		   36.2s



Sportscars under 1500cc

1 F.R.Gerard			33.5s

2 K.V.Baillie-Hill	  33

3 R.E.Richards		  35



Sportscars unlimited

1 L.Parker			  31.6s

2 K.V.Baillie-Hill	  32.6

3 F.R.Gerard			33



Racing Cars 1100cc

1 J.M.Dawson			32s

2 W.O.Watkins		   32.7



Racing Cars 1500cc

1 F.R.Gerard			26.3

2 W.O.Watkins		   32.7

3 D.Boore			   34.3



Racing Cars unlimited

1 F.R.Gerard			27.1

2 J.M.Bolster		   29.9

3 K.Burgess			 31







Sources:

Bristol Evening Post, Saturday 27th October 1945

The 1959 Whitchurch meetings were held at the old Whitchurch Aerodrome as part of the annual Goram Fair. The races were held on consecutive weekends, the first weekend hosting car races, and the second weekend hosting bike races. The results were as follows:

4 August 1959



500cc Single Seaters

1 P.Robinson			Stuart-Cooper		   68.98mph

2 J.Pitcher			 Beart-Cooper

3 Don Parker			Cooper

Fastest Lap: Pitcher, 72.17mph





Grand Touring Cars

1 E.Searle			  AC Bristol			  57.9 mph

2 T.G.Cunane			AC Bristol

3 J.McKechnie		   AC Bristol

Fastest Lap: Cunane, 59.4 mph





Sports Cars up to 1500cc

1 E.J.Greenall		  Lotus				   

2 I.E.Raby			  Cooper

3 K.A.Greene			Lotus

Fastest Lap: E.J.Greenall, 67.34mph





Sports Cars over 1500cc

1 David Piper		   Lotus				   67.9 mph

2 J.F.Dalton			Aston Martin

3 Maurice Charles	   Jaguar

Fastest Lap: Piper, 70.83mph





Production Saloons

1 D.Parker			  Jensen				  59.39 mph

2 J.M.Noble			 Austin A40

3 D.Clarke			  Austin

Fastest Lap: Parker, 61.69mph









8 August 1959 - Motorcycles



125cc

1 D.F.Shorey			M.V.					59.84 mph

2 A.Dugdale			 Ducati				  57.55

3 E.L.Griffiths		 M.V.					57.53

Fastest Lap: Shorey, 61.68mph



250cc

1 D.F.Shorey			Norrel				  61.84 mph

2 T.Thorpe			  TTS					 61.54

3 J.L.Payne			 REG					 60.77

Fastest Lap: Shorey, 65.33mph



350cc

1 P.W.Read			  Norton				  66.92 mph

2 J.L.Payne			 Norton				  66.47

3 D.F.Shorey			Norton				  66.35

Fastest Lap: Read, 69.25mph



500cc

1 P.W.Read			  Norton				  69.24 mph

2 T.Thorpe			  Norton				  69.03

3 J.N.P.Wright		  Norton				  67.36

Fastest Lap: Read, 72.07mph



Sidecar Scratch Race

1 R.A.Robinson		  Vincent				 64.91 mph

2 E.T.Young			 ETYV					63.70

3 T.P.Folwell		   Norton				  62.95

Fastest Lap: Robinson, 67.00mph



1st Sidecar Handicap (Fastest 7 riders)

1 T.P.Folwell		   Norton				  63.29 mph

2 M.J.Candy			 Norton				  60.75

3 R.A.Robinson		  Vincent				 65.39

Fastest Lap: Robinson, 68.55mph



2nd Sidecar Handicap (Slowest 7 riders)

1 J.Difazio			 BSA					 59.51 mph

2 B.G.Gross			 Norton				  62.38

3 M.J.Candy			 Norton				  60.79





Sources:

Bristol Evening Post/News of the West, 4th August 1959

Bristol Evening Post, 10th August 1959

This is a very special posting as it is the first time I have logged on during the weekend rather than posting from work. I would also like to thank my better half, Alessandra, who also searched through some of the microfilm to help me get these results.

[Udo K.]

Thanks very much, Darren

for taking the effort and let us have these very hard to get results.

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Darren Galpin
:

Filton Sprint - 27th October 1945



FTD: F.R.Gerard, ERA, 26.3s





Sports Motorcycles under 250cc

1 T.Wood				30.4s

2 J.A.McLachlan		 32.8

3 J.F.Saunders		  32.9



Sports Motorcycles unlimited

1 St.J.Horsfall		 27.6s

2 I.G.McLeod			32.2

3 F.Whitehouse		  33.1



Racing Motorcycles under 350cc

1 T.Wood				29.4s

2 C.A.Dickens		   29.5

3 R.Good				31.5



Racing Motorcycles unlimited

1 St.J.Horsfall		 27.4s

2 T.Wood				27.5

3 J.Mountford		   28.6



Sportscars under 1100cc

1 A.W.Morrish		   36.2s



Sportscars under 1500cc

1 F.R.Gerard			33.5s

2 K.V.Baillie-Hill	  33

3 R.E.Richards		  35



Sportscars unlimited

1 L.Parker			  31.6s

2 K.V.Baillie-Hill	  32.6

3 F.R.Gerard			33



Racing Cars 1100cc

1 J.M.Dawson			32s

2 W.O.Watkins		   32.7



Racing Cars 1500cc

1 F.R.Gerard			26.3

2 W.O.Watkins		   32.7

3 D.Boore			   34.3



Racing Cars unlimited

1 F.R.Gerard			27.1

2 J.M.Bolster		   29.9

3 K.Burgess			 31







Sources:

Bristol Evening Post, Saturday 27th October 1945

I can add the following details from Motor Sport Dec 1945:

Morrish's car was a blown 847cc MG.
2nd DF Allen (747cc Austin) 46.8 sec
3rd Flt Lt AR Mallock (747cc Austin) 48.0 sec [I think British members probably know who he was!!]

In the 1500cc sports class Gerard drove a 1496cc Riley Sprite (MS says 33.0 sec)
Baillie Hill - 1496cc HRG (33.2 sec)
Richards - 1496cc Rover (35.0 sec)

In the unlimited sports class Parker was in a 3485cc Jaguar 100 - not, you will note, an SS!
Baillie Hill and Gerard as for 1500cc class, but Gerard's time is given as 33.1sec

In the 1100cc Racing class for "Dawson", read "Dowson". Motor Sport's results say Issigonis drove the Lightweight Special, but he is not mentioned in the report!
Watkins - 996cc Watkins-Nash
For "Boore" read "Poore", as in Dennis Poore! - 746cc MG R-type. Poore was also 3rd in this class, with a time of 34.2 sec.

In the unlimited racing cars class, Bolster was of course in Bloody Mary (1962cc at this point!)
Motor Sport gives Sidney Allard as 3rd in a 3622cc Allard - this must be the first Allard Special with Ford V8 power - time 31.0 sec

There appear to have been only three entries in the 1100cc sports class.

In the 1500cc sports class there was also a Singer Le Mans (driver not stated) and McCormack (blown Frazer-Nash)

Other entries in unlimited sports cars: Howard Rowson (4.5 litre Invicta), Northway (Jaguar coupe), Allard (touring-bodied Ford V8).

[Pete Stowe]

Additional entries in the 1945 'Bristol Sprint' at Filton:

Cars: JE Patrick MG T-type coupe; AF Rivers Fletcher Alvis 12/60; ES Taylor AMAC Special; DM Adams Bugatti-Anzani; Gerry Millington AC. Despite 'Motor Sport' Allard only drove a Mercury V8 powered touring Allard. Both Issigonis & Dowson drove the Lightweight - the local papers have Dowson winning the class, the motor sporting press Dowson!

motor-cycles: Unlimited sports - N Seymour-Smith Norton; OE Norris Scott; E Powell Triumph Speed twin; Mike Nedham BMW R5. upto 350 racing - JA McLachlan MV Special; JF Saunders Velocette; D Cox Triumph. Unlimited racing - AR Foster Levis; HH Brown Triumph; AE Davis Velocette; N seymour-Smith Norton. uknown class - TUC Waterman Triumph 498cc; RJ Petty ??

Total entry of 53 bikes & believed 47 cars, although some of these may have been the same machines entered in 2 classes.

Sources: Bristol Evening Post, Bristol Evening World, Motor Sport, Motor, Autocar, Light Car, Motor Cycle, Motorcycling, plus info from a few actually there.

The story of the Filton sprint has now been published - on paper - in the official history of the organising club - details on www.bristolpegasus.co.uk/history

Darren, had I but known I could have saved you some time at the Library, having searched through the microfilm ten years ago - also have other Bristol area stuff eg Backwell hillclimb & Whitchurch sprint pre-war & Weston beach speed trials from early 1900s (think I have a copy of the 59 Whitchurch m/c races somewhere too).

You might also like to know that at the Castle Combe Circuit Archive we have programmes nearly all the car & m/c meetings from 1950 onwards (just missing 4 from 60s) plus reports & results from all the motor sporting journals. Details may eventually find their way onto the circuit website - given lots of time)

[Darren Galpin]

Welcome to the forum Peter! Many thanks for the reply - just to note that if you follow the link given as is you can get an error - it should be www.bristolpegasus.co.uk/history/history.html

You have mentioned some things that I was unaware of - Backwell hillclimb, Weston trials for instance. Do you have details of the tracks/circuits at all?

I have collected together some Castle Combe results (thanks to your's & Mr. Lawrence's book, plus Roger Clark's Autosport collection) which I will be uploading to the web soon. Congratulations on pulling so much information together! I also know well how long it can take to get things on the web........

[Pete Stowe]

Some additional Bristol area results.

BACKWELL

Backwell hillclimb was in the grounds of Backwell Hill House Estate, owned by William Garnett, about 6 miles south-west of Bristol on the Weston-super-Mare road. The climb was 550 yards long with gradient varying between 1 in 7.65 and 1 in 12.2. Meetings were run annually between 1935 and 1939 by the Bristol Motor Cycle & Light Car Club.

17 Aug 1935 - ftd GR Hartwell (MG Magnette 1071cc s/c) 26.0sec
Class winners: RA Macdermid (847 MG), LW Avery (1087 LA Special), IOF Peters (1496 Frazer Nash), S Curry (3622 Ford V8), GR Hartwell (1071 s/c MG).

25 July 1936 John Bolster (Bolster Special 1962cc) 27.2sec
Class winners: RA Macdermid (847 MG), I Peters (1496 Frazer Nash), RR Jackson (747 s/c MG), DL Glegg (1096 Dorcas 4-drive).
The 1936 event was notable for Pat Driscoll crashing the latest ohv racing Austin, sustaining a fractured skull, while Hadley’s ohv model was second quickest behind Bolster.

3 July 1937 John Bolster (Bolster Special 1962cc) 23.3 sec
Class winners: W Walker (747 Austin), TH Lewin (1408 MG), Joan Richmond (1497 HRG), EA Halford (1497 HRG), DG Evans (746 MG), D Fry (1100 Freikaiserwagen), G Hartwell (1287 MG); Ftd sports cars - RA Macdermid (1292 MG),

3 Sept 1938 John Bolster (Bolster Special 3924cc) 23.0sec
Class winners: RD Poore (747 MG), C Campbell (847 MG), RA Macdermid (1292 MG), WP Uglow (1497 HRG), JES Jones (1780 MG), EGM Gilkes (1086 Wilkes-GN), GL Glegg (1392 Dorcas), JG Clowes (1496 McEvoy Special), DHC Fry (1097 Freikaiserwagen)
David Fry in the 1100cc s/s Freikaiserwagen was just 0.3 sec slower than Bolster’s 4-engined Bloody Mary

22 July 1939 Sydney Allard (Allard 3622cc) 26.2 sec
Class winners: GD Claridge (1496 Frazer Nash), WP Uglow (1497 HRG), G Bagratouni (2600 Alfa Romeo), SH Allard (3622 Allard), EGM Wilkes (981 Wilkes JAP), P Neal (1991 CAN), RE Ansell (1488 ERA),
The track was intermittently wet for the final event in 1939 so no records were broken. Second was C Bagratouni’s 2.6 sports Alfa Romeo & RE Ansell’s ERA was 6th. Slowest runner was R Lawsons veteran Turner Miesse steam car.


WHITCHURCH
On 22 May 1937 the Bristol MC&LCC ran one-off Speed Trials on the approach road to Bristol Airport, then at Whitchurch on the southern outskirts of the city. The 17 foot wide course was 750 yards long with a slight right followed by a long left hand bend.
Entries included Glen Kidson in Alfa Romeo and Bugatti, and Joe Fry in the Freikaiserwagen.
Class winners: RD Poore (746 Morgan) & HL Hadley - Bert Hadley set fastest time of the day in the 750cc s/c racing Austin, at 24.6 sec, while Richard Waddy crashed seriously in the twin-engined 4-w-d Fuzzi.
Most of these events had no lower capacity limit for each class, so anyone with a small engine could enter more than one class, although they still had only two timed runs each. So at Whitchurch Poore won all 4 sports car classes in his MG, and Hadley all 3 racing car classes - seems a bit unfair on the rest of the entry!


WESTON-SUPER-MARE BEACH
Course descriptions are taken from local newspaper reports & would appear to be over the same one-mile stretch.
Classes appear to have been run-off as a series of races for 2 or 3 vehicles; heats & finals.

4 Oct 1913 - one mile course - start near the Sanitorium finish near the Atlantic Hotel. Car event organised by Somerset AC, Light cars & motorcycles by Bristol MC&LCC.
Class winners - AJ House (11.9hp Arrol-Johnston), Miss LB Starkey (12-16hp Sunbeam), ES Pink (15hp Talbot), WW Douglas (8hp Douglas), Earl of Shrewsbury (12hp Talbot).
Cyclecars - FG Cox (Morgan)

13 June 1914 - one mile course - finish near the Grand Pier. Car event organised by Somerset AC, Light cars & motorcycles by Bristol MC&LCC.
Class winners - George Kenshole (12hp Talbot), AE Ansell (12-16hp Sunbeam), H West (25hp Vauxhall), Messrs Welsh & Co(!!) (11.9 hp Arrol Johnson), Earl of Shrewsbury (15-20hp Talbot).
Cyclecars - FG Cox (Morgan)

31 Aug 1919 - one mile course - start near the Sanitorium, finish halfway between the Grand Atlantic & the bandstand. Light cars & motorcycle events organised by Bristol MC&LCC.
Cyclecars or Light cars won by T Gilmore-Ellis (10hp GN Vitesse)



AVONMOUTH
14 Apr 1923 - half mile course - on the new "Low Level Road" at Avonmouth - for motor-cycles & light cars, organised by the Auto Cycle Union Wessex Centre.
"The road has not yet been opened to the public. Concrete strips, 18ft wide (intended to carry motor bus traffic) are laid either side of a 45 feet asphalt track; one strip was used for speed runs, and the other for return journeys" & with views of the Bristol Channel and Welsh coast according to the Motor Cycle reporter.
Sports model light cars upto 1100cc - AG Sgonina (GN) 31.25 sec
Touring light cars upto 1100cc - AR Passey (GN) 57.78 sec.

BRISTOL PORTWAY
In addition to the above, the Bristol MC&LCC reckon that "In 1924 we held speed trials on the new Portway before it was open for traffic" & I’ve been told that this was on the stretch between Bridge Valley Road and Roman Way. However I’ve not managed to find any trace of this event in the motoring journals or the local press. BMC&LCC were a major force in the ACU Wessex Centre at that time, so I suspect that this was actually the Avonmouth event of 1923. Can anybody shed any light on this?

[David McKinney]

Thanks very much, Peter. Very impressive
Interesting how many familiar names crop up in those results/
But surely poor Glen Kidston was dead long before Whitchurch 1937? I suspect it was his brother, Home Kidston. Or someone else entirely.

[Pete Stowe]

Quite right David - obviously got my Kidstons knotted.
From the entry list his full handle was "Lt. Home Kidston, R.N."

[David McKinney]

OT 1: Home Kidston raced in New Zealand when stationed there with the RN in 1934/35. Also tried to break the record for the trip between Auckland and Wellington but ended up putting his S-Type Mercedes-Benz in a ditch

OT 2: His son is a well-known figure in the international classic car auction world

[Vitesse2]

As I've posted elsewhere, there's a new video on Bristol Motor Sport. Produced by First Take, a local firm, with help from Bristol MC & LCC. The commentary leaves a little to be desired, but there's some wonderful film from the 30s, 40s and 50s of races, hillclimbs and sprints - quite a few shots of what must be some of the 500cc specials of the time - my knowledge of those is rudimentary, to say the least, but there's some (shall we say) eccentric creations. Also some early shots of Castle Combe and the Backwell, Naish and Dyrham hillclimbs, plus extended coverage of the Whitchurch sprint mentioned above, including what I assume is the wreckage of "Fuzzi".



https://www.1st-take...ge_Complete.htm