Tag Archives: Cray

Air-time – Cholmondeley Pageant Of Power

Cholmondeley Pageant Of Power takes place on the estate of the Marquess Of Cholmondeley, a descendent of Sir Robert Walpole the first British Prime Minister, against the back drop of his fine 19th century mock Gothic castle in Cheshire.

G Smith, Bentley Speed 8, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

The opportunity to get close to the Le Mans winning Bentley Speed 8, the subject of next Monday’s blog, seen above demonstrated by Guy Smith who drove this car to victory in 2003 is what initially attracted me to make the journey.

Kingston/Cropley, Infiniti FX Vettel, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

There were many attractions at the event on four wheels, two wheels, hovering and flying, but I spent the whole of Saturday morning transfixed by the sight of the participants in the sprint event getting air-time over the bridge close to the finish and it is that feature which I would like to share today. Above the Infiniti FX Vettel named after reigning three time world champion Sebastian Vettel was driven by Autocar journalists Lewis Kingston and Steve Cropley.

Cray/Cropley, Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Vauxhall Motors Director Martyn Cray shared this Corvette C6 powered Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer with Steve Cropley, the Tourer is based on the Holden Special Vehicles GTS.

Strafford, COT, Chevrolet Impala SS, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Last time I saw a Sprint Cup COT Chevrolet Impala SS was at Talladega four years ago this one appears to have once been part of the Stewart Haas Racing fleet run for Ryan Newman but has been repainted in the Hendrick Motorsports Dupont colours used by Jeff Gordon for owner driver Mick Strafford.

Van Nierop, Audi 80, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

In the early 1990’s Xavier Lapeyre ’90, Marc Sourd ’91 and Frank Biela ’92 won the French Supertourisme championships with all wheel drive Audi 80’s like the one driven above driven by Johannes Van Nierop.

Reid, Ford Mustang Mach 1, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Glaswegian Anthony Reid, 1992 Japanese Formula Three open wheel champions and Saloon car ace and a regular Jaguar C-type competitor, is seen getting three wheels off the ground in a Ford Mustang Mach 1.

Boutwood, Nobel M600, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Among the Supercars Peter Boutwood’s Noble M600 won the high jump award …

Marshall-Rowe, Lamborghini, LP570, Superleggera, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

from the Lamborghini LP570 Superleggera driven by Tim Marshall-Rowe.

Mansell, Caterham SP/300.R, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Scott Mansell was in the running for the high and long jump events in the Track Day class with the Caterham SP/300.R but …

Robbie Kerr, Radical SR3 RS,  Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

he could not quite match the best efforts of Robbie Kerr driving a Radical SR3 RS.

Jenkins, MAN TGX, Cholomondeley Pageant Of Power

Easily winner of the Golden Cojones award was 2011 Truck Champion “MAN in black” driver David Jenkins who manhandled his MAN TGX at terrifying speeds through the narrow lanes of Cholomondeley.

All in all the Pageant of Power was neither as corporate or as busy as Goodwood Festival of Speed which made for a great day out in the opulent surroundings of a country home in Cheshire.

My thanks to Alan Cox for identify Anthony Reid.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Air-time’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Last of the line – ERA R14B

English Racing Automobiles was founded by driver Raymond Mays, designer Peter Berthon and financier Humphrey Cook in 1933 to manufacture racing cars capable of upholding British prestige in Continental European races.

Without the financial or engineering resources made available to Mercedes Benz and Auto Union in top flight Grand Prix races, ERA focused their efforts one step down, in the GP2 or Indy Lights of its day known as voiturette racing for vehicles with supercharged motors from 1.1 litres / 67 cui to 2 litres / 122 cui.

The ERA engines came in three sizes and were based on a 6 cylinder Riley production block with a stronger crankshaft and entirely new aluminium cylinder head.

Chassis design was by Reid Railton and the body work was by George and Jack Cray to a design by a Mr Piercy who like Railton had been responsible for the design of Malcom Campbells land speed record breaking vehicle ‘Bluebird‘.

ERA R14B seen here is the 14th and final original ‘sit up and beg’ originally a pale blue vehicle built in 1938 with a 1.5 litre /91 cui Zoller supercharged engine for Johnnie Wakefield who won the 200 mile race at Brooklands and finished third in the 1938 Bern GP.

Bob Gerard acquired the car after WW2 and scored third and second place finishes at the British Grand Prix of 1948 and 1949, he continued to race the car successfully until 1956.

Current owner Donald Day purchased ERA R14B in 1958 and has raced it with a 2 litre / 122 cui motor in place of it’s original 1.5 litre 91 cui unit. In 1990 14B appeared for the first time in British Racing Green.

This same vehicle was driven to victory in the pre 1959 Historic Grand Prix at Monaco by Julian Bronson in 2002.

All photo’s bar the penultimate one from the September VSCC meet at Loton Park, the penultimate one was taken at the August VSCC meet at Prescott.

Thanks to David Hodgkinson for back ground information on ERA 14B.

Hope you have enjoyed todays British Racing Green edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, and will join me tomorrow for a look at a high flying special. Don’t forget to come back now !

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