Jaguar D-types star as HSCC celebrates its 60th birthday at Castle Combe
by Marcus Pye · AutosportBumper grid for Griffiths Haig Trophy race rewinds the clock to the club's 1966 origins, while 40 years of Classic Formula 3 was also commemorated in style
Sixty years after Neil Corner’s victory in the Griffiths Formula race that spawned the Historic Sports Car Club at Castle Combe on 14 May 1966, the ex-works/Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-type graced Saturday’s Griffith Haig Trophy race at the anniversary celebration. Owned by Christian Albrecht, XKD504 led initially, before team-mate Gary Pearson howled past to win in a similar car.
Kyle Tilley brought Albrecht’s car home second and another finned D-type with Ben Eastick up finished fourth, the iconic aerodynes split by David Alexander’s Lotus Elite. Delightfully, Porsche 356 veteran Geoff Thomas, who contested the 1966 race, presented the prizes. Bravo Allard Farrellac pilot Tony Bianchi for organising the retrospective.
The other big celebration marked 40 years of Classic F3, debuted at Combe within a British Racing & Sports Car Club Formule Libre race on 26 May 1986. Chevron, March, Ralt and Argo chassis in period liveries, the best entry in a decade, reminded enthusiasts of the two-litre cars of 1974-84 and presented the opportunity of an emotional Saturday grid walk for your scribe as CF3 co-founder with the late Tony Broster, early race winner and event commentator.
Chris Hodgen, nephew of five-time champion Rob Moores - who owns the ex-Derek Daly 1977 BP British championship-winning Chevron B38 still - planted his ex-Derek Warwick B38 on pole with a 1m07.323s shot. James Hadfield was 0.527 seconds slower in the ex-Brian Henton/Rupert Keegan March 743, winner of the 1974 and 1976 British titles, plucked from three years in the Silverstone museum. Like Hadfield, Benn Tilley had not raced Vic Nutter’s ex-Mike White March 803B before, indeed the 2020 CF3 champ qualified third on first sight. Period F3 racer, now GB3 and GB4 team chief Gary Ward (ex-Didier Theys Ralt-VW RT3) was fourth among the Toyota-powered cars.
Hodgen led Saturday’s race with Tilley and Hadfield on his tail until a cracked suspension stay allowed the Chevron’s wing to sag. Chris wrestled worsening understeer, but could not keep Benn and James behind. They finished 0.839s apart, clear of Hodgen and 2016 champion Simon Jackson (ex-Quirin Bovy Chevron B43).
Having raced on Hodgen’s well worn Q-tyres, Hadfield was given a newer old set by Graham Brunton for Sunday’s decider, which he led for five laps, darting through the chicanes to stave off Tilley. But the wing car was quicker through the fast corners and more stable under braking, thus Tilley prevailed by 0.832s in another thriller.
“That was fantastic, proper racing with James, who I’ve known all my life,” said Tilley, 26, proud recipient of the HSCC’s Marcus Pye Trophy. Ward, third on Sunday, kept it on combined times from Jackson, fourth again ahead of Scot Fraser Gray (ex-Andrew Gilbert-Scott Ralt-VW RT3).
Tom Gadd, last here in a Locost, plumped his Classic Formula Ford championship lead with a seventh win on Saturday in the Numanair tribute Van Diemen RF81. Cal Bennett (RF80), racing at his local circuit for the first time, overtook Ollie Chapman (Lola T200) spectacularly round the outside at Camp to lead lap one, but finished second from Grace Parkington, who scored her maiden podium in the ex-Tiff Needell Crossle 25F.
Pressured by Bennett, Gadd weathered a grassy excursion out of Quarry on Sunday. Parkington followed Bennett past as Gadd rejoined, but Grace - approach line compromised - spun in the Esses and was hit at the front by Chapman, then from the rear by Rick Morris in Stuart Kestenbaum’s RF81. All three alighted OK, but the race was red-flagged and restarted. Bennett, overjoyed at his first win, punched the air as the chequered flag fell with Gadd in his slipstream and a surprised Daniel Whear (Royale RP21) third.
Having only just finished repairing his Jomo’s chassis following his Brands Hatch drama, but no time to refresh its engine, Historic FF1600 points leader Benn Simms outran rivals, slugging it out on both days. From a frenetic six-car chase on Sunday, Chapman ambushed Jacques Jensen (Merlyn) for second into Camp on the final lap. Dane Mads Gravsen - finding uncle Chris Sharples’ Palliser WDF1 quicker but its engine running cooler without its nose - Rob Wainwright (Elden Mk8) and Joey Foster (in Stuart Kestenbaum’s Crossle 16F) were queued up behind.
Jordan Harrison, enjoying a fun one-off in dad Mark’s Lola T580, ended Ben Glasswell’s Historic FF2000 winning streak with a double. On an oily track, Glasswell’s impact with the Recticel buffers at Gooch’s stopped Saturday’s race, but damage to his Reynard was largely cosmetic. He rebounded to finish fourth behind the delighted Greg Robertson and Andrew Storer on Sunday.
Historic One-Litre F3 champion Pete de la Roche’s double in the ex-Ken Sedgley Alexis mirrored Brabham drivers Jason Timms and Richard Trott’s Donington Park and Brands Hatch results. Jeremy Timms (Chevron B15) and his cousin finished closest initially. Single-seater rookie Ollie Musgrave (B15) was ecstatic to finish third behind Jason on Sunday.
The Road Sports massive entertained as ever. Mark Godfrey (Lotus 7) bogged Sunday’s first start but recovered to beat Richard Plant in his faithful aubergine Morgan +8, a veteran of over 350 races together, and returnee Julian Barter (TVR 3000M). Following Godfrey’s early demise, John Shaw (Morgan) reeled Plant in and growled past on the last lap of the finale when Richard hit oil exiting Old Paddock and autocrossed down Howard’s Way. Barter, John Williams (Porsche 911SC) and George Daws (Datsun 240Z) chased them home.
BMW M10 power reigned in the thin Guards Trophy bout, but Scot Elliot Paterson (Ginetta G16) and Mark Colman (Chevron B8) swapped the lead to the pitstops before Paterson prevailed. Among the GTs Peter Thompson relayed Jon Payne into his TVR Griffith and took over Charlie Allison’s Cobra for third and fourth.
The resident Castle Combe Racing Club championships were laced with drama. A chain-reaction Hot Hatch start shunt wrecked eight cars, but their drivers escaped. Points leader Corey Webber won the restart from fifth. His perfect run ended when his Honda cut out in the sequel. Poleman and class B leader Lee Waterman’s EPC lost its air filter, which upset the engine mapping, thus Julian Fisher (Ford Fiesta), Tim Fooks-Bale (Renault Clio) and Wayne Rushworth (MG ZR) filled the podium. Liam Collins and Jack Boulton took Saloon wins in K24 transplant Hondas. Electrical gremlins stopped Bill Brockbank’s now bewinged SEAT Leon Cupra.
Luke Cooper equalled Ed Moore’s record of 34 Formula Ford round wins, but fuel pump failure while cruising towards a solus lead left him watching as Tom Hawkins scored his first Combe victory after nine years. Dave Scaramanga homed in on the GT crown with another Ferrari 488 turbo win, before pursuing non-scoring Sacha Kakad in Keith Butcher’s Lamborghini.
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