VSCC Silverstone 21-9-2002 Race for invited Lotus Cars

Report By Stan Hibberd

The VSCC featured Lotus cars at it's September Silverstone meeting, the static displays in the paddock had a lot of interest for Lotus admirers, all the early Colin Chapman cars were on show and the racing cars spanned most of the Chapman years.

The third practice session was to be a combined affair , with the FJ cars and ERAs, Bugatti's and even Morgan three wheelers all mixing it to qualify for two separate races. The session had barely got under way when the ERA of Duncan Ricketts dropped oil all round the Luffield complex and along the finishing straight, this caused a long delay and a much shortened practice session.

Thirteen cars practiced for race 8, Edwin Jowsey was pole man with a1.08.63, Neil Dawes next with a 1.10.11, third Chris Smith Lotus 21 1.10.22, Jonathan Williamson 1.11.27 Lotus 22 ahead of Mike Hibberd in the Lotus 27 1.11.58.

The Lotus 20s of Fred Boothby 1.14, and Andrew Hibberd 1.25 were all mixed up in a very confusing way with Lotus 18s 18/21s etc so it was very difficult to make sense of the Qualifying not being sure who would run in race 8

.In the intervals between the races there were several demonstration runs by invited cars, Andrew Hibberd drove Mikes Lotus 27 round in one of these again mixed in with various Lotus GP cars and the like, highlight of these demo's was a stunning display by three GP Lotus cars two with wings slicks etc their 57 second laps said it all.

The race got under way at 4 pm, at the end of the first lap Neil Dawes was ahead Edwin Jowsey made it hard for himself with a poor start from pole, the GP Lotus 21 driven by Chris Smith was in the leading group, surprisingly the faster FJ cars were quicker, but one or two of the leaders found it hard to get past a car with all that power, soon Edwin was through in his Lotus22 and challenging for the lead, he passed Neil Dawes into the lead, then Mike Hibberd Lotus 27 took up the pursuit having in it's turn struggled past the Chris Smith Lotus 21, as the challenge continued Neil missed a gearchange causing a spin, this allowed the Hibberd Lotus 27 to pass and set off after the leader, and although Mike in the 27 set fastest lap of the race a 1.6.22, Edwin was able to hold on to his lead to take the flag 0.71 in front, so Edwin Jowsey won in his Lotus 22, Mike Hibberd second in the Lotus 27, Chris Smith Lotus 21 GP third !! Neil Dawes recovered in the 20/22 to take fourth, Jonathan Williamson in his Lotus 22 fifth, Brian Horwood in a Lotus 18 (GP?) was sixth, Fred Boothby seventh in the Lotus 20, Andrew Hibberd Lotus 20 eighth one lap behind, also a lap behind were Simon Hamilton Lotus 18 FJ and John Oakley Lotus 18/21, Frank Tiedman Lotus 22 was two laps adrift, and the Lotus 16 of Chris Drake (quick in a straight line not too clever on the corners) only managed four laps, Andy Bradshaw Lotus 18 was a non starter.

Stan Hibberd.