NEWS

Can David Morris and ‘Humphrey’ make it nineteen?

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Not only is ERA R11B one of the most campaigned ERA racers, having been the last ERA to be entered in a national event (Douglas Hull ran the car in the 1959 British Hill Climb Championship) it has enjoyed being in the ownership of one dedicated family for the majority of its history.   R11B, better known as ‘Humphrey’ has been part of the Morris family for 51 years, and during that time it has been campaigned to the full with much success.
Martin Morris added ten Historic Seaman Trophy accolades to the car’s history file, and since 1995, Martin’s son, David has won another eight.  This Sunday, David’s dedication to the car will be demonstrated again as he embarks on a 600 mile round trip from his Devon base to attempt to secure a nineteenth win of this significant Vintage Sports-Car Club silverware for the car.  David is favourite for the victory having secured a memorable win in the prestigious ‘Goodwood Trophy’ at the Goodwood Revival meeting just ten days ago.  The car made an poignant return to Snetterton last year for the VSCC’s first ever meeting at the Norfolk venue, since it ran at the first race meeting held at Snetterton in 1957 and had never been back. 
David is in great company on the grid, with no fewer than four other ERAs joining him on track including Mac Hulbert in ERA R4D, who won ‘Fastest Time of the Day’ at the Club’s Prescott Speed Hill Climb in August, Nicholas Topliss in ERA R4A, and Duncan Ricketts in the ERA ‘E-Type’. The final ERA to complete the stable is the infamous ‘Remus’, ERA R5B whose owner, Charles McCabe has flown in from the USA to race the ex-Prince Bira of Siam machine.   Accomplished modern endurance racer, Calum Lockie takes the wheel of Sean Danaher’s Maserati 6CM, also buoyed from a fantastic third place at Goodwood Revival.  
The Historic Seaman Trophy was originally presented to the Club by the man responsible for recording so much about the early days of racing, George Monkhouse and it is the very silverware that was presented to  Richard Seaman for winning the 1936 Donington 200 mile race in his Delage.  It will be contested alongside the Flockhart Trophy in a 12 lap thriller.  Philip Walker has his sights set on a landmark tenth Flockhart Trophy win in his Lotus 16, having dominated the trophy inscriptions since the award’s inception in 1993.  Can he fight off the challenge from Fred Harper’s famous Kurtis Indy Car and Simon Diffey’s Connaught B Type?
The Vintage Sports-Car Seaman Memorial Trophies Race Meeting offers a real chance to see many of the top Vintage and Historic Racing cars and drivers in action for a fraction of the cost of other high profile meetings.  With a programme including races for 1950s Sports Racing Cars, Formula 3 (500) Racers and Vintage Sports and Racing Cars it offers exceptional value for money at only £17 per person. Also, not to be missed is a grid with a total value of tens of millions for the inaugural Pre-war Racing Cars Race featuring no fewer than five Maserati races, five ERAs, six Bugattis and Julian Majzub’s unique 308 Alfa Romeo amongst others.
Practice gets underway at 9.00am with the first race at 1.00pm.  There is a parking area for Classic and Vintage Cars and there are lots of off-track activities too including Vintage Steam Bus rides, jazz band and a cream tea tent.
Snetterton is 10 miles north-east of Thetford on the A11 from London to Norwich. Coming from the south, leave the M11 at junction 9 and follow the A11. From the north or west, use the M11/A11 and join the A11 after Newmarket.
For more details click here  and visit www.snetterton.co.uk

Photo: Andrew Kitson
 
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