Tag Archives: Walters

AWDC Britpart Safari Championship R7 – Walters Arena, Neath

Last October I popped across the Severn Bridge to visit Walters Arena, Neath a disused quarry, for the 7th round of the All Wheel Drive Club (AWDC) Britpart Safari Championship, due to a number of circumstances immediately after the event I managed to loose my camera’s memory card before I had down loaded the images somewhere between Neath, London and Bristol which were my next ports of call in the following 24 hours. Last weekend the memory card turned up so here is my belated blog.

Land Rover Tomcat, Rob Bool, Walters Arena, Neath

I was alerted to the AWDC Britpart Safari Championship at last years Castle Combe Rally Day where several competitors gave impressive demonstrations on a make shift off road course. Above the Land Rover Tomcat of Rob Bool is seen on his way to a second place finish in class.

MG Metro 6R4, Ivan Dudley, Walters Arena, Neath

I believe Ivan Dudley has built several space frame MG miniMetro 6R4’s with BMW M3 engines for different off road competitions, he is seen above on his way to a 14th place overall finish.

Mitsubishi Milner, Colin Davies, Walters Arena, Neath

There are several chassis manufacturers I have not heard of before I believe the vague interpretation of a Mitsubishi Pick Up above sits on a Milner chassis built in Derbyshire which could be powered by any number of motors different motors including, 5 litre / 302 cui Ford Coyote or BMW M3 to name a few, Colin Davies is seen above on his way to a 10th place finish overall.

Land Rover Milner Evoque, Wyn Williams, Walters Arena, Neath

The Range Rover Evoque likeness above driven by Wyn Williams to a 4th place finish overall also sits on a Milner chassis.

Peugeot Simbugini, Oliver Arnold, Walters Arena, Neath

Oliver Arnold is seen above heading for a 3rd place finish in his Peugeot 206 likeness I have no idea what kind of chassis the car has, if you know please do not hesitate ti chip in below.

Mitsubishi Milner R5, Chris Bird, Mitsubishi Milner, Chris Bird, Britcar Safari Championship R7, Walters Arena, Neath

Chris and co driver John Bird are seen above on their way to a win in their Mitsubishi Milner V8 after recovering from a stop on the opening stage.

Two participants were taken to hospital with non life threatening injuries from the event, emphasising how tough a discipline the AWDC Safari Championship is, details of this years series which kicked off on March 20th can be found on this link.

Thanks for joining me on this “AWDC Britpart Safari Championship R7” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the last in the current series of Camaro’s. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club Autumn Sprint- Debden Airfield

At the beginning of October I received an e-mail asking for volunteers to marshal at the Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint being run at Debden Airfield in Essex, a couple of days later I received a request to attend an interview in Scunthorpe and proposed to the Clerk of the course Pete Walters that if he could find me somewhere to stay on the night after the event I would be delighted to go up from Bristol to help out.

Ford Escort RS1600_6187sc

Lionel Reeves kindly stepped forward to offer me accommodation and so off I trekked to Debden the day after the Autumn Classic at Castle Combe. Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club established in 1903, the year the Wright Brothers made their first powered flight, is one of the oldest in the county, the Aero refers to the sport of ballooning. Among the random selection of cars I photographed is the immaculate 1974 #62 Ford Escort which finished 3rd in class B10 driven by Howard Lester.

Leyland Mini Clubman, Julian Kirwan, Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

Julian Kirwan finished second in Class A3 driving the 1970 #16 Mini Clubman with a 1400 cc / 85.4 cui engine.

Subaru Impreza WRX Turbo Hatchback, Tim Morrison, Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

Flying the flag for Estates / Wagons was Tim Morrison driving his 2003 #38 Subaru Impreza WRX Turbo Hatchback, who was classified 3rd in class A6.

Ford Escort 1300 GL Auto, Charlie French, Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

Kicking up the dust above in his #63 Ford Escort Mk2, which I believe has been modified from it’s original 1980 1300 GL Auto spec, is Charlie French who finished 4th in class.

Davrian Imp Saloon, John Webster,Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

I’m looking forward to finding out about the history of John Websters #71 Davrian Imp Saloon in the fullness of time, on this occasion he finished second in Class C12.

Merlyn Mk 30, Colin Glass, Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

Finally Colin Glass won class D16 in his Merlyn Formula Ford with what I believe is 1977 Mk 30 bodywork, fastest time of the day was set by Tony Beesley in his 1 litre / 61 cui Jedi Mk 4.

My thanks to everyone at the Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club who made me feel most welcome and especially Lionel and Margret Reeves for their hospitality.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club Autumn Sprint” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Talbot Matra. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Once Round The Clock – Cunningham C4-R C3 #5238 Continuatuation

Legendary American Sportsman Briggs Swift Cunningham II was introduced to motor racing by his uncle as a teenager just after the 1914/18 war and in 1930 he started racing cars founding the Automobile Racing Club of America in 1933 which was renamed Sports Car Club Of America (SCCA) in 1944 with his college friends Miles and Samuel Collier.

By 1940 he was building specials including the Bu-Merc which featured a Buick chassis and Mercedes SSK chassis. In 1950 Cunningham took to Cadillacs one Le Petit Pataud a Series 61 Coupé the other Il Montre fitted with a special body to Le Mans where the cars finished 10th and 11th.

Cunningham C4-R, Goodwood Revival

Such was the success and popularity of the Cunningham Cadillacs that Brigg announced he would build an American car to challenge for over all victory at Le Mans in 1951. The first challenger the Cunningham C2R of which two were built managed an 18th place finish and retirement between them in 1951.

The Cunningham Continental C3 was a road car using a chassis derived from the racer with a Chrysler Hemi motor and an Italian body built by Vignale. 25 C3’s were built.

Cunningham C4-R, Goodwood Revival

In 1952 Cunningham entered 3 Chrysler Hemi powered C4R cars into the Le Mans 24 hour race one of which had a Coupé body fitted. Like Pierre Levegh driving a Talbot Lago Briggs Cunningham spent over 12 hours racing at the wheel of his #1 entry unlike Levegh at that point he handed the #1 over to his co driver William Spear and between them they a 4th place finish behind the two winning Mercedes Benz team cars and a Nash Healey.

The C4-R’s would continue to be raced until at least 1956 clocking up at least 12 overall wins the best known of which was at the 1953 Sebring 12 hours where John Fitch and Phil Walters were at the wheel of the winning car. In 1954 Bill Spear and Sherwood Johnston finished 3rd to record the models best finish at Le Mans. Surprisingly Jaguar D-type designer Malcom Slayer observed that the C4-R chassis had “no effective diagonal bracing. It therefore twists so much that the door cannot work if one rear wheel is jacked up”.

Cunningham C4-R, Goodwood Revival

Cunningham entered vehicles including Jaguars, Listers and and an OSCA among many more dominated SCCA racing for a period but never did win Le Mans. Briggs went of to win the 1958 America’s cup on his 12 metre yacht Colombia.

The car seen in these photo’s is a Continuation model, built with the co operation of the Collier Museum around the last Cunningham C3 chassis #5238 which never received it’s intended Vignale bodywork after Briggs shutdown the C3 manufacturing operation.

Cunningham C4-R, Goodwood Revival

#5238 has been built as an exact recreation of a C4-R by Jim Stokes Workshops, Waterlooville, Hampshire, UK using a many parts donated by the Collier Museum and a body built by Roach Manufacturing who used a digital scan of one of the original C4_R’s as a template. Even the wheels have been cast in magnesium using the original Cunningham wheel moulds.

Ben Shuckburgh is seen driving the car at the Goodwood revival in 2011 and 2012, it is the fifth C4-R continuation to be built four examples were built in the 1990’s by Cunningham Historic Motor Cars, owned by Larry Black & Briggs S. Cunningham III that were authorized by the Cunningham family.

Cunningham C4-R, Goodwood Revival

My thanks to Cunningham Motorsport Historian Lawrence W. Berman for the information on the build of today’s featured car.

Thanks for joining me on this “Once Around The Clock” 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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