Summer Weekend at Shelsley with Moderns & Vintage Sports Racers
A weekend of contrasts is in store at Shelsley Walsh this weekend, June 30 and July 1st, with modern racers on Saturday paving the way to the cars that carved out Shelsley’s pre-war history on Sunday. Both days will see practice in the morning and racing against the clock in the afternoon under what is expected to be perfect weather as Worcestershire sees blue skies and warm sun at the moment.
Sunday’s annual Vintage and Sports event for Pre-war cars has been a part of Shelsley history for over 50 years but 2018 will see a new award being given to the Best Time of Day victor, a MHD CR1 watch worth £300 courtesy of MHD Watches, Timing Partner of Shelsley Walsh.
Saturday June 30th will see an entry made up of modern production cars and ultra sophisticated racing cars with some classic 500s at the end of the entry. The favourite for BTD may well be David Warburton in the Gould GR59 that he shares with his Father Allan, but Mike Tregoning with his larger capacity Pilbeam, Malcolm Cole with his 2 litre Force MV8 and Keith Bristow’s Ralt RT1 may well be knocking on the door of Best Time of Day too. Expect a low 25 second run from Warburton as he knockes on the door of his personal best that after his last visit is 25.75 seconds.
Pre-war cars are the order of the day for Sunday July 1st with the annual Vintage and Sports meeting for pre-war cars. A celebration of the life of AFP Fane, who held the record at Shelsley in 1937, will be a part of the day as Patrick Blakeney-Edwards gathers together as many cars from the Frazer Nash driver’s career as an international racing driver. Fane drove and won not only at Shelsley but at Brooklands, the 12 Hours of Donington, the Mille Miglia, the French Grand Prix at Montlhery and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “He is my ‘rest in peace’ idol so to celebrate his life at Shelsley Walsh in the English summer will be something very special.” Said Blakeney-Edwards who owns the car that Fane drove to the Shelsley record in 1937 with 38.77 seconds.
Fane was killed during war time active service but the Frazer Nash Owners Club erected a seat in his memory at his home in Hedsor Priory, Buckinghamshire but in 1992 the large stone seat was relocated to Shelsley Walsh where it is used to this day by spectators just up of the Crossing bend.
Gates open at 8am with on track action starting from 9am both days this weekend.
Advance tickets on the Shelsley Walsh website are £8 for Saturday and £20 for Sunday while on the gate prices are £10 for Saturday and £25 respectively.
Saturday - https://www.shelsleywalsh.com/events-1/the-reg-phillips
Sunday - https://www.shelsleywalsh.com/events-1/vintage-sports-car-club
MHD Watches CR1 Prize - https://www.mhdwatches.com/collections/mhd-cr1/products/mhd-cr1-panda-dial-on-brown-calf-leather-rally-strap
Pictures thanks to Shelsley Walsh archive, MHD Watches, Nigel Harniman and @shelsleywalsh on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
