News
Harewood Hill.
WSM 405 and Geoff Hill were in action at the Yorkshire hill climb again after making some adjustments with springs and differentials. Times were very similar to previous, and the diff alteration made the gearing just right for fewer changes. With Caterham’s and Sylva Striker’s in the modified class, the WSM was unlikely to upset any apple carts, but times in the 72s bracket are’nt hanging around and compare favourably with other hot machinery of the day. On the road, the fastest WSM on record now has a Jekyll and Hyde character as the hooligan acceleration is complimented by fast and relaxed cruising.
Bo’Ness Hill Climb.
Sometimes known as Kinneil hill climb, and active on and off since the 1930’s, the Scottish venue hosted the ninth event since it’s revival in 2008. Newly resident north of the Border, WSM402 with Lorraine Noble-Thompson at the helm was entered in the Saloons & Sports Cars 1961-1973 up to 1499cc, the largest Class of cars on the entry list.
Goodwood Revival 10th September.
Great win in the wet Freddie March Memorial Trophy from 19 year-old Richard Woolmer. Pedalling the unique 1954 HWM-Cadillac after qualifying third in the dry, he held off the Aston Martin DB3’s of Rob Hall and Steve Boulbee-Brooks in a thrilling finish with just over a second separating the top three. Click on here for highlights
July – Brexit Bonus.
The WSM Sanction 2 build manifest reached the half-way point with a confirmed order from Antwerp, Belgium yesterday. Initially the interest was aroused by Simon Goldsworthy’s article in a 2014 edition of MGEnthusiast magazine, and the timing may have something to do with the weakness of the pound after the EU vote. The road-going GT will be the second left hand drive Sanction 2 after 403 was exported to Florida in 2012 – three LHD were exported of the original 1963 cars – and is designated WSM 404. A 1969 MG Midget contributes much of the running gear, and the WSM build is a much deserved retirement reward.
Yorkshire Post Motor Show.
Recently associated with Harewood as a venue, the show moved to Castle Howard for the 2016 event. Lorraine Noble-Thompson’s WSM 402 looked superb, and Geoff Hill’s rakish 405 equally stunning within such photographic surroundings. Geoff has been a judge at the event for 5 years, and persuaded the organisers to put on a show of competition cars. The draw proceeds for rides in the respective machines helped the RNLI bucket collection, and they had the Grace Spitfire performing a display also. Geoff is optimistic there may be agreement to host a sprint next year, or even re-instate the original hill climb last used in the 1970’s.
June – TT Lap at 128mph on four wheels.
One of us pictured left is about to take a Subaru WRX around the Isle of Man TT mountain course at an average speed of 128.730mph.
This is the third year that Manxman Mark Higgins has upped the record. In 2011 he beat his hero Tony Pond’s time for the 37.73-mile lap with a 19m 56.67s, although Pond was driving a Rover 827 Vitesse to 22m 09.1s in 1990 to achieve the first four-wheeled lap at over 100mph. Higgins returned in 2014 to raise the bar to 19m15.88s which equated to 117.51mph, and both laps were set in largely standard Subaru WRX STIs.
This year Subaru USA tasked Prodrive with building the ultimate WRX. Based on the running gear from a 2008 World Rally Car, but with a bigger turbo to produce 600bhp and 800Nm of torque, it also ran on pure Dunlop slicks for the first time. Without completing a full lap in practice, Higgins posted 17m 49.75s on the first day of TT 2016 competition last Saturday, and two days later went even quicker with a 17m25.139s. Mark was optimistic that 130mph was within reach, but weather delayed the Senior race day programme to such an extent that the scheduled attempt at the end of racing was scrapped.
There we were, walking past the Monster Energy show, and girls accosted Noel and I to have their photographs taken with us. Then would you believe it, the same happened at the Dunlop enclosure.
Cincinnati Success.
WSM 403 S2 dazzled the judges at the second oldest Concours de Elegance in the USA. The 39th Austin Healey Conclave event at Ault Park in Ohio featured the WSM amongst the Donald Healey Special Presentation, and won Best British Sports Car. Floral city resident Bill Emerson is racking up the awards and the miles.
May – MG European Tour.
WSM 402 S2 impressed in Le Touquet at the week-end. Lorraine Noble-Thompson cleaned up amongst 399 entries after shipping the car in Doug’s superb BMC transporter.
April – Closed Foreign Sports Car Champ.
After driving over 400 miles from Floral City, Florida to South Carolina for the Kiawah Ocean Park Concours, WSM 403 owner Bill Emerson found there were no hoses available to wash the car before the Concours de Elegance. A trip to the local hardware store provided a watering can which was used to clean the car before the April 17th show.
Displayed amongst E-Type Jaguar, AC Coupe, Jaguar XK140, Bizzarrini and De Tomaso, WSM 403 was examined by three judges for almost 20 minutes. The car was fired up, lights checked and bonnet opened for engine scrutiny. The judges asked many questions concerning the car and pored over the interior in great detail before moving on to the Ferrari 308 next door.
When the awards were announced, WSM 403 was driven up and Bill presented with a large trophy shaped like a pineapple – this is the South Carolina symbol for hospitality. To say Bill was pleased with the result may be a slight understatement.
Young Gun.
Superb drive from Richard Woolmer at the Goodwood Members Meeting last week-end. Qualifying 24th in Matthew Collings HWM Cadillac-powered beast before rectifing a misfire, he recorded, in Autosport Marcus Pye’s words ‘ the save of the week-end’ when he clipped a grass verge on his way to third place in the Peter Collins Trophy. Woolmer was only half a second off Boultbee-Brookes Aston Martin DB3S in the race-shortened 11 minute thrash, recording second fastest lap to winner Sam Hancock in the Cunningham C4R.
London Perfect.
WSM 3000 owner Robert Waterhouse has the ideal metropolis runabout. Nicknamed Roxy, the green 1950’s Ford Prefect serves the school run having been fitted with rear seatbelts. The WSM on completion in the summer might be a rival for Robert’s affections, but there is a soft spot for the drum-braked cutie.
Best In Show.
Congratulations to Bill Emerson with WSM 403 who triumphed at the Inverness Elks concours show in Hernando, Florida. Amongst American muscle, hot rods, custom cars and European entries, 403 was voted Best In Show.
Allan Cameron.
Geoff Hill contacted on Monday with the sad news of Allan’s demise. Unbeknown to me since last seeing him in 2015, Allan had been fighting cancer. He was competitions secretary at the Bugatti Owner’s Club, and an Austin-Healey specialist. With sons Neil and Drew he built and raced cars, and at circuit paddocks throughout the country I was one of many to appreciate requested advice. Condolences to all the family.
Autosport Show 2016.
January at the NEC is motorsports annual gathering ahead of the new season, and Geoff Hill’s WSM 405 featured on the GTMA Engineering stand. The car will be campaigned again this season at hill climbs around the country, and Geoff is hoping the changes made during the off-season will prove successful. Already perhaps the fastest accelerating WSM ever produced courtesy of the healthy 1800cc ‘K’ series under the bonnet, Geoff is looking to better all times made last season.
Sprint Licence.
This girl does’nt get any slower. Motor-bike riding Lorraine Noble-Thompson has obtained a licence to hill climb and sprint. We can expect to see WSM 402 in action this season, including at the Bo’ness event in September. The Falkirk track celebrates a 9th Revival meeting, and advertises Scotland’s largest historic motorsport event.
Race news
6th August
Silverstone BDC 2 x 15min
WSM MGB & BXN
16
7th/5th
DNF / 5th
27th/28th August
Oulton Park Gold Cup Historic Road Sports
WSM MGB
23
19th
15th
Bentley Drivers Club – Silverstone National 6th August
A sunblessed HQ last Saturday for the 67th Bentley meeting put the gloss on an already shiny presentation of motors through the ages. WSM featured in the Bic Healey Trophy courtesy of the Sebring BXN, and a guest invitation for the WSM MGB of which FISCAR chairman and organiser John Turner is a fan.
Practice – Richard Woolmer won this event last year in BXN, but there was scratching of heads when both Richard and the WSM MGB were slower in 5th and 7th than last years times in similar conditions. Jonathan Abecassis was closest to the hot Speedwell of Drew Cameron on pole, and appropriately six Healey’s led the way.
Race 25 minutes – Cameron’s Speedwell led Gordon Elwell’s Sprite and the Healey 100/4 of Abecassis initially, but Elwell succumbed to the 100/4 power and left Abecassis to tie the umbilical chord to Cameron. For ten laps Cameron defended manfully, while Abecassis was measuring up where and when. Robin Pearce in the AC Ace Bristol was harrowing the WSM for 7th, side by side under braking and through Brooklands and Luffield for several laps – WSM retirement with a blown head gasket ended their fun. Woolmer was pulling away from Jim Mackie’s Sprite for a lonely 5th, and Abecassis jumped the Cameron defence to lead. Still the chord was’nt even stretched, but Abecassis plotted cleverly to keep Cameron at bay with less than a second at the flag. Healey’s were first to sixth, with Elwell third and Pearce heading up the AC brigade in 7th.
Pit & Paddock
The WSM MGB was proud to receive the Allan Cameron award for most interesting car on the Bic Healey grid, bestowed in memory of Drew and Neil’s late father.
Good to meet Peter Healey, son of Bic, and Healey raconteur and amigo Joe Cox. Aviators Chris and Mavis Parker made the short trip from Brafield and brought a sizeable contribution to the book manifest – grateful thanks.
27th/29th August HSCC Gold Cup.
Oulton Park hosted the HSCC spectacular and amongst Formula 5000, 1990’s Super Tourers, Formula Junior and Jaguar Classics, the humble Historic Road Sports grid boasted some lovely machinery – amongst a plethora of Lotus Elan’s were Chevrolet Camaro, De Tomaso Mangusta, Turner, Triumph, Sunbeam Alpine and Harrington and Morgan Plus 8’s. The HSCC are celebrating their 50th year, and the event was as mouth-watering as ever.
Q – The S3 Elan of John Davison held sway by 2s for pole from pirennial front-runner Kevin Kivlochan’s Morgan, and pick of the heavy metal was the Mike Eagles Mangusta in 5th, Nick Savage’s Camaro 7th and the XK120 of Chris Scholey in 13th. The WSM MGB took a preservative approach and survived an engine malady to line up 19th.
R – Kivlochan edged the start from Davison and Peter Shaw’s Elan for four laps, but Davison’s overcook at Cascades let Shaw through. Kivlochan was imperious, and although Davison overhauled Shaw and sat on Kivlochan’s bootlid for three laps, the flag validated a consumate Morgan triumph. Eagles held off Ian Burford’s Ginetta G4 for 6th, while Dick Coffey’s Turner enjoyed a race-long scrap with Scholey’s Jaguar for 12th. The WSM stayed healthy, but once past the Triumph TR6 of Alan Greenhalgh and Sunbeam Alpine of Bryn Griffiths, was too far adrift to make further inroads within the 20 minute thrash.
Pit & Paddock
Thanks to Ian Hulett for trailering the WSM up to Cheshire and back, and hosting for the week-end. Also thanks to Kevin Kivlochan who served up a bbq on Saturday night for all the Historic Roadsport grid.
WSM3000 owner Robert Waterhouse and father Michael nipped over from the family seat and enjoyed a day in the sun. The nimble 84 year- old Bentley and Healey enthusiast keeps the boy on his toes, and as I left for the IoM an anxious offspring was beginning the search and rescue process.
Race of the (Sun) day was the 70’s Roadsports where James Dean (Lotus Europa), Russell Paterson (Morgan Plus8) and Charles Barter (Datson 240Z) duked it out. Spectating at Cascades saw Barter only lose out to Dean on the last lap after breathtaking scrapping.
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