COMPETITIONS NEWSLETTER - MAY 2024

Motorsport Trophy regulations 2024
These have now been drafted. Please click here to access these on the Club website.

Mk VI Specials series trophy 
A new award has been introduced for these cars (numbers 4, 7 and 112 at BDC Silverstone 1972, above). The prize to be presented will be the Con Mertens Trophy. Please click here to find out more.

BDC Nominated events 2024
The entries for this year's BDC's Nominated Hillclimb (above left) and Sprint (above right) events are now open.

Harewood Hillclimb - Saturday 8 June: To enter please click here or contact Jackie Wilson (tel: 01423 339062 / email: entries@harewoodhill.com)

Aintree Sprint - Saturday 31 August: To enter please click here or contact Gill Bradley (mob: 07764 713996 / email: lmcsprints@gmail.com)

BDC Silverstone 2024
This year’s 76th BDC Silverstone race meeting will be held on Saturday 10 August.

The Virtual Noticeboard has been set up on the Club website - click here to access race entry forms and Supplementary Regulations (click on the relevant PDF icon). Further information will be added to the VN when available.


The meeting will feature a special centenary race for Vintage Bentleys, the John Duff Trophy & Frank Clement Cup, to celebrate the marque’s first win at Le Mans in 1924.

To enter: Please click here.
More details: Please contact one of the organisers: Sebastian Welch, Vivian Bush or James Morley. Also see the advertisement above.

Bo'ness Hillclimb - Saturday 31 August-Sunday 1 September: The Bo'ness Sporting Automobile Club has invited BDC competitors to take part in its 90th anniversary meeting.
To enter and for SRs please click here or contact Kenny Baird (tel: 07964 688518 / email: bonesssportingac@gmail.com)

‘Champions’ contacts 
Just a reminder that we have three ‘champions’ on the Comps Committee to represent each one’s specific area of knowledge, expertise and contacts – designed to encourage more people to compete with their Bentleys. So if you have any specific questions regarding your model of car, please contact one of the following:
Competition activity – February-April 2024

Circuit racing
VSCC Spring Start - Silverstone (20-21 April)
The Llewellyn family, Tim and son Oliver, both bagged well deserved podium spots when BDC runners were out in force, in both Bentleys and other marques, at the annual VSCC Spring Start meeting.

Tim, at the wheel of his feted 3/8 Special (Penny), started second on a strong grid of 28 cars behind pole sitter Theo Hunt (Frazer-Nash TT Replica), the son of Club Member Martin, for the Silverstone Trophy for VSCC Specials race. Tim eventually came home a close third, just half a second shy of a runner up spot, and enjoyed the honour of setting fastest lap. Hugh Apthorp, meanwhile, finished 12th in his 3/4½ Litre.

Oliver, also campaigning Penny (above), finished a comfortable second in a restarted GP Itala Trophy Allcomers & Vintage encounter, some 22 seconds ahead of third place. James Morley got the better of Clive in the family 3/4½ Litre battle (Clive leading James, below), but it was a close-run affair, son beating father to fourth spot by just over a second. Peter Bradfield’s 4½ Litre (11th) ensured Bentleys made up almost half of the 12-car field.

William Elbourn Snr, in a 3/4½ Litre, was the best placed BDC Bentley in 16th spot in a competitive 30-car Fox & Nicholl Trophy race. Vivian Bush’s 3 Litre was 19th but Sebastian Welch retired his 3 Litre early on.

Micah Lazarus, driving a 4½ Litre, was classified seventh in the Slow Scratch Race for Pre-War Cars, Vivian Bush not finishing. Hugh Apthorp finished eighth in the Fast Scratch Race for Pre-War Cars, won narrowly by Theo Hunt; he was also classified 11th, but enjoyed the consolation of setting fastest lap, in the Slow Handicap Race for Pre-War cars behind a delighted winner Sara Kelleway (Riley 12/4 Special), with Georgina Bradfield’s 4½ Litre 17th. 


The Hunt family celebrated two victories, with Martin (HWM) following Theo by scoring a convincing triumph, with fastest lap, in the FISCAR & Pre-1955 Sports Cars race. And the Kelleways also toasted a successful day, with Sara’s husband Simon using the same car to finish runner-up in the Fast Handicap Race for Pre-War Cars.

Other results: Silverstone Trophy for VSCC Specials: 5th – Theo Hunt, 7th – Vijay Mallya (Sunbeam Tiger), Retired – Matthew Moore (Austin 7 Ulster); Fast Scratch Race for Pre-War Cars: 7th – Vijay Mallya; FISCAR & Pre-1955 Sports Cars: 3rd – Theo Hunt, 19th – Richard Frankel (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint); Fast Handicap Race for Pre-War Cars: 3rd – William Elbourn Jnr (Riley 12/4 Special), 13th – Stuart Morley (Frazer Nash Super Sports), Retired – Matthew Moore.

Donington Historic Festival (4-5 May)
Ewen Getley came home a fighting fifth in the traditional Motor Racing Legends 'Mad Jack' race for Pre-War Sports Cars.

Ewen (above), who also qualified fifth and shared his 3/4½ Litre in the 40-minute race with Lewis Fox, was the leading BDC runner on the 26-car grid. 

The Wards, Steve and son Josh, were classified just inside the top 20 in their 4½ Litre. Unfortunately, Matthew Moore retired his 3/4½ at half distance.

Other results: MRL RAC Pall Mall Cup: 13th – S&J Ward (Ginetta G4R), 23rd – George & Freddie Wiltshire/Stuart Morley (MGB); MRL RAC Woodcote Trophy & Stirling Moss Trophy: 9th o/all (3rd WT) – Ben Eastick (Jaguar D Type), 14th o/all (7th SMT) – Richard Hudson/S Morley (Lister Knobbly).

Goodwood Members' Meeting (13-14 April)
One of the highlights of the 81st GMM was enjoying the sight of the glorious Barnato-Hassan Special (above) in full flow. 

BDC Member and current owner David Little campaigned the iconic Bentley-based machine – which was once owned by well-known businessman and Winter Olympian Keith Schellenberg – in the Parnell Cup.

A one-time Brooklands lap-record setter, the 8-litre behemoth certainly made for an imposing sight around Goodwood during the 14-lap race (for Grand Prix and Voiturette cars raced between 1935 and 1953) in which it finished 17th.

Other results: SF Edge Trophy: 4th overall – Ben Collings (Mercedes 120hp), 12th overall – Julian Grimwade (Oakland Romano Demon Special); Grover Williams Trophy: 9th – Bill Cleyndert (Bugatti Type 35C); Graham Hill Trophy: 19th – Nick Sleep (Ford Shelby Mustang), 23rd – Stuart Morley (Chevrolet Corvette Stingray); Gordon Spice Trophy: race 1: 16th – Sleep/Jamie Chadwick (Rover 3500), DNF – Martin Overington/Anthony Reid (Triumph Dolomite Sprint); GST: race 2: DNS – Sleep, DNS – Overington; Peter Collins Trophy: DNF – Gregor Fisken (Jaguar D-Type).

VSCC Pomeroy Trophy - Silverstone (17 February)
Theo Hunt claimed the overall honours at the annual VSCC Pomeroy Trophy meeting held over the Historic Grand Prix circuit.

Theo (Frazer Nash TT Replica), the son of Club Member Martin who also competed, scored a total of 424.84 points, to secure victory by 14.61pts. 

Four Club Members were among a strong field of almost 100 drivers competing in the unique and, which aims to ‘find the ultimate touring car’ by examining a vehicle’s speed and agility over a series of tests and a time trial. Road-legal and non road-legal vehicles of all ages, from pre-war racers to modern-day supercars, are eligible to take part.

Martin (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) also had reason to celebrate, scoring a class victory (road-legal category) with a total of 405.71pts while Matthew Moore (Austin Healey 3000) finished second in class (non road-legal) netting 350.06pts. Also competing was Sebastian Welch (Frazer Nash TT Replica, road-legal) who finished with 314.50pts.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the updated Motorsport section of the Club website, to get the latest news on Bentleys in action throughout the year. Click here. 
 
Ben Eastick, Competitions Captain