NEWS
Charles Conquers Cadwell Park
Monday 10 June 2013
Bugatti Restorer Nets the Prestigious ‘Williams Trophy’ in Birthday Bugatti Drive.
Charles Knill-Jones channelled the power advantage that Nick Mason’s 1927 Bugatti Type 35B had over his rivals to win the ‘Williams Trophy Race’ at the VSCC’s Shuttleworth and Nuffield Trophies Race Meeting at Cadwell Park on Saturday. Charles’s drive in the race was his 40th Birthday present from the car’s owner, Mason. Full of enthusiasm to take the glory in this year’s exceptional event which had drawn a record 17 Bugatti racers to Lincolnshire, Charles out-dragged his nearest rival, Geraint Owen in a similar machine, off the line and lead to the flag in a composed and precise style, un-twitched by the ever looming threat of Robert Spencer who finished second in a later 1939 Type 35B.
Charles Knill-Jones channelled the power advantage that Nick Mason’s 1927 Bugatti Type 35B had over his rivals to win the ‘Williams Trophy Race’ at the VSCC’s Shuttleworth and Nuffield Trophies Race Meeting at Cadwell Park on Saturday. Charles’s drive in the race was his 40th Birthday present from the car’s owner, Mason. Full of enthusiasm to take the glory in this year’s exceptional event which had drawn a record 17 Bugatti racers to Lincolnshire, Charles out-dragged his nearest rival, Geraint Owen in a similar machine, off the line and lead to the flag in a composed and precise style, un-twitched by the ever looming threat of Robert Spencer who finished second in a later 1939 Type 35B.
Chris Hudson and Duncan Pittaway fought hard during the 8 lap race, but Chris took the upper hand to complete the podium positions, crossing the line just under 4 tenths of a second ahead of Pittaway.
Charles, owner of Tula Engineering who specialise in Bugatti preparation and restoration, was elated as he received the historic Williams Trophy, which was won by Englishman, Grover Williams when he won the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929 driving a Type 35B. Tula Engineering had sponsored the VSCC and Bugatti Owners’ Club Track Day held on the previous day, which attracted over 65 entrants who honed their skills on the demanding Cadwell circuit in a variety of vehicles with some 21 in Bugattis.
The Williams Trophy Race had been sponsored by fellow Bugatti restorers, Ivan Dutton Bugatti, and manager Tim Dutton said after the race, “The Williams Trophy had been a real spectacle and was the perfect way to commence the International Bugatti Rally in Scotland”, (that starts later this week).
Riley racer, Robert Cobden won his second ‘Shuttleworth, Nuffield and Len Thompson Trophies Race’, the headline race of the meeting by an incredible margin of 35 seconds. He enjoyed a tussle with fellow Riley man, Pete Candy for 3 laps before Pete’s car faulted and he had to retire and whilst Robert then had a lonely cruise to victory, behind him, the quartet of Paul Jaye’s Alta 2 Litre, Tom Dark’s Bugatti Type 73C, Nick Topliss’s ERA R4A and Julian Wilton’s Cooper Bristol Mk 11 raced hard and close for the 10 lap duration. Paul Jaye took his highest place finish in many years of second having staved off the rabble behind; Tom Dark passed Topliss in the dying embers of the race to fill the third and final place on the podium in the unique Bugatti which was making its first visit to Cadwell Park in its 66 year history.
The Bibby/Bain pairing won the opening Morgan Three Wheeler Club Challenge race. They should have started from pole, but were late to the assembly area and passed the entire pack in heroic style to win by a 34 second advantage.
Jonathan Cobb was beaming after taking a double victory in the Frazer Nash and GN Race and Melville Trophy for Special Sports-Cars in his Ford powered ‘Nash, having had a break from VSCC racing for the past three seasons. He quipped, “there’s nowhere as raw as Cadwell Park to give you that ultimate thrill throwing your Frazer Nash about”. Will Mahany had flown back from his work base in the Bahamas especially to race and after a close tussle with Frazer Nash man, Charles Gillett, won the Geoghegan Trophy Race in his 1938 HRG Le Mans Model.
One of the more experienced F3 (500) racers, John Turner proved that he has not lost his touch as he took a decisive win carving his way through from fifth place in his nimble 1955 Cooper Mk 9. There was no sneaking off early for the massive crowd in attendance either, as the penultimate race, the ‘John Holland Trophy Race’ for Vintage Cars was the spectacle of the day with Robert Spencer (back out in the Bugatti Type 35B), Justin Maeers (GN Parker) and Jonathan Cobb (Frazer Nash) battling hard in very close proximity throughout the 8 lap event. Robert held his nerve despite this being his first ever meeting in the lairy Bugatti and kept the ever-present Maeers at bay as the 6 litre GN based special breathed down his neck. It was a real thrash to the finish with no-one sure who would emerge from the trees from Barn corner, the last before the flag, Spencer punching the air with delight as he crossed the line a mere 26 tenths of a second in front of Maeers. Maeers, who pilots a mighty Lola T70 at the greatest circuits in Europe, declared it to be the “race of his life” as the trio, completed by Cobb’s ‘Nash, celebrated on the podium.
The Club’s Lincolnshire weekend was rounded off by the ‘Summer Rally’ which started from Grimsthorpe Castle in the south of the county yesterday which was aptly won by a Lincolnshire man, Ray Edge, who is also the Club’s Chief Marshal and was hard at work at Cadwell Park all day on Saturday. Navigated by Cath Woodman, the duo won the ‘Eastern Trophy’ and ‘John Barrett Trophy’ for their gallant efforts in Ray’s 1934 Derby Bentley. First class awards were also awarded to Mark Garfitt and Dood Pierce in Mark’s 1937 Frazer Nash BMW.
Members can now view provisional results from the Summer Rally by logging into the website and going to the ‘Events’ Page. Anyone can see the Race results from Cadwell Park by going to the ‘Events’ page, selecting Cadwell Park and clicking on ‘Results’. Gallery photographs will be available on Tuesday.
Charles, owner of Tula Engineering who specialise in Bugatti preparation and restoration, was elated as he received the historic Williams Trophy, which was won by Englishman, Grover Williams when he won the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929 driving a Type 35B. Tula Engineering had sponsored the VSCC and Bugatti Owners’ Club Track Day held on the previous day, which attracted over 65 entrants who honed their skills on the demanding Cadwell circuit in a variety of vehicles with some 21 in Bugattis.
The Williams Trophy Race had been sponsored by fellow Bugatti restorers, Ivan Dutton Bugatti, and manager Tim Dutton said after the race, “The Williams Trophy had been a real spectacle and was the perfect way to commence the International Bugatti Rally in Scotland”, (that starts later this week).
Riley racer, Robert Cobden won his second ‘Shuttleworth, Nuffield and Len Thompson Trophies Race’, the headline race of the meeting by an incredible margin of 35 seconds. He enjoyed a tussle with fellow Riley man, Pete Candy for 3 laps before Pete’s car faulted and he had to retire and whilst Robert then had a lonely cruise to victory, behind him, the quartet of Paul Jaye’s Alta 2 Litre, Tom Dark’s Bugatti Type 73C, Nick Topliss’s ERA R4A and Julian Wilton’s Cooper Bristol Mk 11 raced hard and close for the 10 lap duration. Paul Jaye took his highest place finish in many years of second having staved off the rabble behind; Tom Dark passed Topliss in the dying embers of the race to fill the third and final place on the podium in the unique Bugatti which was making its first visit to Cadwell Park in its 66 year history.
The Bibby/Bain pairing won the opening Morgan Three Wheeler Club Challenge race. They should have started from pole, but were late to the assembly area and passed the entire pack in heroic style to win by a 34 second advantage.
Jonathan Cobb was beaming after taking a double victory in the Frazer Nash and GN Race and Melville Trophy for Special Sports-Cars in his Ford powered ‘Nash, having had a break from VSCC racing for the past three seasons. He quipped, “there’s nowhere as raw as Cadwell Park to give you that ultimate thrill throwing your Frazer Nash about”. Will Mahany had flown back from his work base in the Bahamas especially to race and after a close tussle with Frazer Nash man, Charles Gillett, won the Geoghegan Trophy Race in his 1938 HRG Le Mans Model.
One of the more experienced F3 (500) racers, John Turner proved that he has not lost his touch as he took a decisive win carving his way through from fifth place in his nimble 1955 Cooper Mk 9. There was no sneaking off early for the massive crowd in attendance either, as the penultimate race, the ‘John Holland Trophy Race’ for Vintage Cars was the spectacle of the day with Robert Spencer (back out in the Bugatti Type 35B), Justin Maeers (GN Parker) and Jonathan Cobb (Frazer Nash) battling hard in very close proximity throughout the 8 lap event. Robert held his nerve despite this being his first ever meeting in the lairy Bugatti and kept the ever-present Maeers at bay as the 6 litre GN based special breathed down his neck. It was a real thrash to the finish with no-one sure who would emerge from the trees from Barn corner, the last before the flag, Spencer punching the air with delight as he crossed the line a mere 26 tenths of a second in front of Maeers. Maeers, who pilots a mighty Lola T70 at the greatest circuits in Europe, declared it to be the “race of his life” as the trio, completed by Cobb’s ‘Nash, celebrated on the podium.
The Club’s Lincolnshire weekend was rounded off by the ‘Summer Rally’ which started from Grimsthorpe Castle in the south of the county yesterday which was aptly won by a Lincolnshire man, Ray Edge, who is also the Club’s Chief Marshal and was hard at work at Cadwell Park all day on Saturday. Navigated by Cath Woodman, the duo won the ‘Eastern Trophy’ and ‘John Barrett Trophy’ for their gallant efforts in Ray’s 1934 Derby Bentley. First class awards were also awarded to Mark Garfitt and Dood Pierce in Mark’s 1937 Frazer Nash BMW.
Members can now view provisional results from the Summer Rally by logging into the website and going to the ‘Events’ Page. Anyone can see the Race results from Cadwell Park by going to the ‘Events’ page, selecting Cadwell Park and clicking on ‘Results’. Gallery photographs will be available on Tuesday.
