Several BDC racers brushed off the winter cobwebs to compete in their first meeting of the 2021 season, at the VSCC Spring Start at Silverstone.
Also serving as the opening round of the VSCC's Formula Vintage series, Richard Hudson enjoyed arguably the performance of the day among the BDC contingent, charging through from the back row of the 34-car grid in the 12-lap VSCC Specials race for the Silverstone Trophy to finish a superb ninth in his 3/4½ Litre.
A delighted Richard, who had started at the rear after gaining entry as a reserve, said: “I enjoyed a good race. I managed to drive quickly through the pack of Austin 7s and then did well against some of the Rileys.”
Just a few places behind Richard in a similar car was his good friend Clive Morley, the 2020 BDC Racing Driver of the Year, who came 12th after qualifying inside the top 10, while Steve Allen (4¼ Litre Special) was classified 24th.
“It was good to finish ahead of Clive,” added Richard, “although I understand he may have had a steering issue.”
Richard later backed up his fine result with 14th place in the second Pre-War Cars Handicap race.
Young hotshoe Oliver Llewellyn, the BDC's Racing Driver of the Year in 2019, rose from eighth on the grid for the Allcomers Scratch race to come home a fine sixth in his 4½ Litre, although James Morley, taking over his father Clive's 3/4½, unfortunately failed to finish after completing 10 of the 12 laps.
Elsewhere, Vivian Bush (3 Litre) came 13th in the first Handicap race for Pre-War Cars; and Guy Northam (4½ Litre) was classified 20th, with Sebastian Welch (3 Litre) a non-finisher, in the Fox & Nicholl Trophy race.
Full results, click here.