THE “JOHN TAYLOR MEMORIAL TROPHY” RACE
for FORMULA JUNIOR CARS
MALLORY PARK, 17th AUGUST 2008.

Despite dire weather forecasts and previous overnight heavy rain, race day started bright and continued so with occasional overcast and a few speckles of rain before turning bright and warm again for the start of Race 5.

A small but enthusiastic group of drivers assembled for this VSCC event and the spectators were rewarded by some spirited racing from sixteen Formula Junior drivers and three from Formula Three 500, plus one 1100 model.

Early to show form in qualifying was last years race winner Steve Smith but he was just pipped by 2006 winner Simon Armer, although both of them had to give best to the smooth style of Sam Wilson racing Roger Daniell’s Cooper T59.

Inclusive within this scratch race was a points scoring round of the Front Engine FJ Series and Bill Grimshaw put his marker down for this by joining the

three Cooper drivers ahead, completing row 2 with his unique Moorland in 4th place.
Previously experienced FJ driver Steve Bradley, racing Peter Denty’s latest stunning restoration Lotus 20, slotted in to 5th place and was joined on row 4 by John Boyes in his similar car.

It was not a fast track on this occasion and Roger Dexter although buoyed by his Elva-DKW’s recent good form at Anglesey decided to reduce his chances of breaking into the sub one minute times by joining his family at their gastronomic picnic feast, which looked more than sufficient to entertain the entire FJ contingent to lunch.

It was good to see long serving Lotus 20 driver Fred Boothby, accompanied as usual by his wife Anne, out with us again but his car was reluctant to engage 1st gear, which made life difficult at Shaw’s Hairpin and also the rear brakes were problematic.
Steve Smith’s Cooper T59 was bedding in new trial brake pads and also jumping out of 5th gear on overrun, causing him some disquiet when entering Gerrards.
Anthony Childe-Freeman called into the pits early on in the practice session with his beautiful blue Volpini not holding in top gear at all and after a brief discussion with his crew he rejoined, wishing maybe that he had been born with a third arm.

The Formula Three cars were led by onetime Goodwood Revival winner Dave Lecoq in his Petty ahead of Tim Llewllyn’s Cooper Mk6. Further back Fred Harper’s Cooper Mk 4 V-Twin 1100 placed ahead of Rodney Delves’ immaculate Keift which ruined its cam drive bevel gear and was permanently sidelined, as was also Llewllyn’s car.

The VSCC had abandoned their usual full green flag lap arrangements in favour of gaining time throughout the day so the cars were formed up in grid order in the assembly area before setting off. However the V-Twin on Harpper’s Cooper was reluctant to start and when it eventually fired it almost left his exhausted pushers in a heap as he shot off down the pit lane with rear wheels biting lumps out of the tarmac.
So, at mid afternoon the race was flagged away ~~ all except for poor Bill Grimshaw who had failed to note that this was a VSCC meeting steeped in the tradition of a Union flag start signal, not lights.
Also caught out was pole sitter Sam Wilson who upon seeing the 5 second board assumed that this was to be 5 real time seconds, not the fast forward variety counted by the starter on this occasion. Consequently there was somewhat of a kerfuffle as firstly Bill woke up and got going much about the same time as Sam bogged down.
This combination caused something of a concertina effect to develop further back but Simon Armer took his Cooper off the line in a classic start and was well clear going into Gerrards hotly pursued by Steve Smith, John Boyes and a recovering Wilson.
By lap 2 Wilson deposed Boyes and set his sights on Smith, whilst Armer had pulled out a clear lead. John Delane gradually brought his Lotus 18 up from midfield, to the detriment of Clive Temple’s Cooper T56 and Tony Goodwin;s Gemini, to battle with Boyes whilst Crispian Besley unusually spun his Elva but recovered after loosing only a few places. Meanwhile up at the front Wilson was closing on Smith but Armer was still away clear. Bradley faded but Grimshaw determined expression demonstrated his commitment as he clawed back his start line deficit. Midfield, Boothby rose to pass Peter Mullen’s beautiful OSCA and Dexter’s yowling 2stroke Deek engine remained on song. Paul Dixon’s BMC Elva faded as did David Grunbourg in his Lotus 20.
Childe-Freeman’s Volpini gear problem was not able to be rectified in time for the race so he drove in Scott-Brown style for much of the race
By this time the super smooth & very fast Wilson had taken Smith at the Esses and now the gap was visibly closing on Armer who held out for a few laps eventually to loose the lead as Wilson wriggled up the inside under heavy braking for Shaw’s Hairpin. Smith closed on Armer and out fumbled him whilst passing some back
Markers, whilst Wilson drove away to take a very well deserved win and making it the second successive year of a Cooper 1 - 2 – 3 at this race.

The magnificent “John Taylor Memorial Trophy” was presented to Sam Wilson by Jeremy Bouckley, a friend and racing rival of Taylor in the 1960s.
Members of John Taylor’s family, who commissioned this superb Trophy, were present to see it won appropriately by a Cooper, for John Taylor had many successes racing especially Coopers and invariably he did well at Mallory Park.

Photo by Peter Jackson

Crispian Besley’s infamous red truck disgorged the customary range of Beers and Lagers from sponsor Freedom Brewers, for which we are most appreciative and this was accompanied by more of the Dexters’ seemingly inexhaustible supply of food.

At which time the results declared were >>
“John Taylor Memorial Trophy” winner, Sam Wilson.
2nd , Steve Smith. (2007 winner)
3rd , Simon Armer. (2006 winner)
all Cooper T59s.

“FJ front Engine Series”, overall winner Tony Goodwin, Gemini Mk2 Class B.
2nd, Bill Grimshaw, Moorland Class B.
3rd, Crispian Besley, Elva 100 Class B.
Class A winner, Peter Mullen, OSCA.

Class F winner, Dave Lecoq, Petty F3-500.

                                                The Cooper Cockpit Correspondent

Click here to download the full results...

John Delane's view on the race;

At the drop of the Union Jack, Sam managed to bog the Cooper to give us all a chance and the scrap at the front was Armer and Smith with Tony Goodwin and Grimshaw in pursuit. Sam got going and sliced though to pass and win while a good scrap with Delane, Grimshaw and Goodwin mixing it up mid race while Boyes ran fourth. Delane challenged Boyes for fourth and Smith held off Armer to finish second behind a victorious Wilson who took home the John Taylor Memorial Trophy race!