Oulton Park Gold Cup

[brands]

Fewer red flags today than Friday, which had a lot.
Track looked very slippery in the morning with rain showers keeping the track damp.
Racing was OK but with several runaway leaders.
Modsport-special saloons grid is a great size and an eclectic mix.

[justracing]

Originally Posted by brands

Modsport-special saloons grid is a great size and an eclectic mix.

Some really crazy machinery in the mod sports/specials, really admire the ingenuity of the entrants. So pleased that you managed to make it to Oulton, certainly a worthwhile trip, enjoy.

[Malcolm Smith]

Some excellent racing yesterday, looking forward
to today’s action from 12.00. Visited Delta HQ too.

[GCCheddaris]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Smith

Some excellent racing yesterday, looking forward
to today’s action from 12.00. Visited Delta HQ too.

Great stuff Malcolm ! Looking forward to seeing plenty of pictures.

[coppice]

Lovely day out, and some very good racing - especially the CSCC Special Saloons - the big crowd must have fired them up as it was more elbows out than usual. I cringed at the Esprit's rejoining after a spin at Lodge , only a last second avoidance by Baby Bertha saving a big shunt. Zakspeed Capri looked amazing on its brief appearance .

The Sixties F1s were sublime, even better than the F2 cars. Only the Sixties ' Saloon (sorry 'Touring' ) car race became dull - some great racing, hard driven cars but an hour long race for about 15 cars ? I'd have preferred an 20minute race and an FF1600/FF2000 race instead.

But minor quibbles apart , a very good day in perfect conditions. And a very quiet drive home -I'd heard there was some ball game on the telly ?

[brands]

The gold cup meeting was mixed, as it normally is for this spectator.
The circuit itself is the star of the meeting, I preferred this years format moving away from a glorified HSCC club event. The Alan Mann race didn't work and the VSCC and 50s races needed better grids.
The modsports/special saloons and the Gold Cup races were the on track highlights for me.
Crowds seemed similar to previous years and there was off track interest for the people who are non motorsport fans.
As in previous years the worst part of the long weekend was the number of morons in the campsite who have no regard for the marshals and other fellow campers.

[Mike Crow]

Really enjoyed the weekend. The circuit is all that people say. Fabulous viewing in lots of places. I watched the last Aurora race from the little bank on the entry to Old Hall and the sight and sound of the Chevron F5000 barrelling down from Deers Leap just a few yards away will linger long.

The racing was mostly good though the damp rather spoilt Saturday. If the Masters races had been full grids it could have been great. The Special Saloons were exceptional and a third race at the expense of the poorly supported sports car race would have been an improvement.

Certainly a massively better weekend than the Silverstone Classic

Next year? Maybe…..

[coppice]

Cant agree about the Silverstone Classic . Much as I enjoy the Gold Cup , and much as the viewing is so very much better , the massive grids , access all areas pits x2 and 1100 car entry makes it a highlight of my season.

[Malcolm Smith]

Photos from the Gold Cup:

[Malcolm Smith]

photos 2

[Malcolm Smith]

Photos 3:

[Malcolm Smith]

Photos 4:

[Malcolm Smith]

Photos 5:

[Brynmor]

I’d really looked forward to Saturday with the revised format but there is evidently something wrong with it still. HRDC had a good couple of battles mid field but the rest of the programme felt somewhat like a demonstration.
Hearing the Maserati in HGPCA was lovely but it was all very demo like.
Have the cars become too valuable ? Too many meetings? No Formula Ford was an odd omission.

The Masters saloon race yesterday had a tiny grid for instance although I’d guess price may be a factor there.

Infield seemed very sparse (what happened there) although the Chaters stand had some bargains ?

Any meeting with Ian Titchmarsh and Marcus Pye on comms is a bonus and I’m always aware it’s a privilege that we get any meetings but there was something vital missing. I can’t help but feel that there’s a lack of knowledge on how to create an event.

[Gerard C]

Nice pics Malcolm, thanks. Not so often we can see what seems to be a Hornet (or is it a Elf?) in racing guise.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Nice pics Malcolm, thanks. Not so often we can see what seems to be a Hornet (or is it a Elf?) in racing guise.

It is a Wolseley Hornet as I can't see a badge on the grill that the Elf didn't have ? Apart from various trim parts and a full width dash on the Riley they were identical. Another car I used to work on at an Austin/Morris garage when they were new back in the 60s

[Gerard C]

You're certainly right Gordon, thanks. If my memory serves the grill badge was illuminated at night together with the other lights, right? Mainly both Elf and Hornet were chic Minis.

Hard to spot the heavily modified Pug tho…

[Malcolm Smith]

The Hornet was one of my favourite cars at the meeting.

Also very impressed with the Transpeed Firenza, which driver Tony Davies told me he has been competing in since 1977.

Award for commitment surely goes to Roy Davis, driver of Triumph 2000 pictured above, which he shipped from Australia for motorsport tour of UK, as he had done previously in 2018.

[midgetman]

I remember the Transpeed car. It was a regular at Combe back in the day.

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

It is a Wolseley Hornet as I can't see a badge on the grill that the Elf didn't have ? Apart from various trim parts and a full width dash on the Riley they were identical. Another car I used to work on at an Austin/Morris garage when they were new back in the 60s

I think you're right about the Elf & the Hornet being mechanically identical, but usually the badge engineered Wolseley models were basic (single carb/Morris?) powered and the Riley's higher (MG spec/twin carb) specification.
(Sorry, I think I need to get a life...)

[GCCheddaris]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Smith

The Hornet was one of my favourite cars at the meeting.

Also very impressed with the Transpeed Firenza, which driver Tony Davies told me he has been competing in since 1977.

Award for commitment surely goes to Roy Davis, driver of Triumph 2000 pictured above, which he shipped from Australia for motorsport tour of UK, as he had done previously in 2018.

Thanks for taking the time to post your pictures Malcolm, they give a great flavour of the meeting. I remember Roy Davis racing a Triumph GT6 in the Special Saloons/Modsports races at the CSCC meeting at Thruxton in 2018.

[coppice]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I think you're right about the Elf & the Hornet being mechanically identical, but usually the badge engineered Wolseley models were basic (single carb/Morris?) powered and the Riley's higher (MG spec/twin carb) specification.
(Sorry, I think I need to get a life...)

Me too - if memory serves, both Elf and Hornet had single carb A series - 998 I think ? The next size up , however , the 1100/ 1300 ADO 16 was different. My first car a 1969 Riley Kestrel , had a twin SU 1275cc engine (essentially a detuned Cooper S ) . And whilst I thought the Wolseley 1300 had the more sedate single SU engine, a quick google suggests it too had the twin SU 70 bhp engine .

[dwh43scale]

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjA1be3

Saturday gallery now on Flickr. From Lodge to Cascades - then to Druids.

[Derwent]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I think you're right about the Elf & the Hornet being mechanically identical, but usually the badge engineered Wolseley models were basic (single carb/Morris?) powered and the Riley's higher (MG spec/twin carb) specification.
(Sorry, I think I need to get a life...)

That was true of the Farina badged engineered cars but the Mini ones had the same engine. Just slightly different interiors.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Derwent

That was true of the Farina badged engineered cars but the Mini ones had the same engine. Just slightly different interiors.

Thanks. I'm not arguing, just clarifying but I'm sure it was only thus with the Elf/Hornet. The Riley ADO16 (1100/1300's) had twin carb engines and of course the Morris Minor based Wolseley 1500 ran a single carb but the Riley 1.5 ran twins.
(Sorry, as I said in my last post, I really need to get a life!)