See Red - Ferrari Owners' Club

Jonathan Tremlett has covered much of the infield and FOC action (in the 'Members Only' section) so here’s some thoughts on activity the other side of the tunnel…….

Tom Wheatcroft
Leicestershire born and bred , Tom first went to Donington Park as a teenager and watched the pre-war Grand Prix of 1935 -1937. With the circuit in 3.2 mile form and the Melbourne loop then in Derbyshire, Bernd Rosemeyer’s ’37 win in the Auto Union C Type would leave a lasting impression and in true entrepreneurial tradition, he liked it so much that he bought the circuit! Now 83, owner of the largest single seater racing car collection in the world and still adding to it, he shows no sign of slowing down as he demonstrated Tazio Nuvolari’s 1934 mount, the Maserati 8CM, over the weekend and proving that collecting can be genetic, Tom’s son Kevin (who has one of the UK’s largest private militaria collections) was at the wheel of the family Lancia D50 recreation, built by Jim Stokes.

Maserati 250F
Raised on a healthy diet of VSCC racing (as should any petrolhead offspring) my first memories of this simply stunning car are from Silverstone and the early 70s – Charlie Lucas’s masterful car control and four-wheel Woodcote drifts definitely helped to get me hooked. Over 30 examples were built between 1954 and 1959 and, as with any model under constant development, left Bologna in a number of different guises. Perhaps the image most remember is of 5 times World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio rounding the Carousel at the Nurburgring, en route to his most celebrated Grand Prix win (Germany ’57) against Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn in Ferrari 246s. This was the day when Fangio reckoned he took risks on track he would never do again in his relentless pursuit of the Brit duo.

The late Cameron Millar was a racing contemporary of Lucas’s with a passion for the 250F and fittingly several of the CM series of "continuation” examples were either demonstrated or raced over the weekend – the last built by Rick and Rob Hall and exhibited by Millar’s family. With 20 examples of Officine Maserati's fabled racer in the Donington paddock – from Klaus Edel’s ’54 ex-Gilbey Engineering example, via fellow German Ferrari and Maser enthusiast Hartmut Ibing’s ’57 Fangio car and the last of the line, Barrie Baxter’s Tec Mec, it was a fitting celebration.

Lionel Webber
The “high speed Canon” is a great friend of historic racing (being Chaplain to the BRDC and Goodwood) and Tom Wheatcroft. Lionel had previously made it behind the wheel to sample a Jaguar C type and ERA but on his 70th birthday, his present was a weekend at the wheel of the Wheatcroft family’s 250F (ch 2515) - which they have owned for 40 years! With a grin from ear to ear, the Basildonian likened his drive to being “Cinderella at the ball”

Paddock/Action
Full to the brim with cars and bikes as well as a pre-Goodwood Revival auction display by Bonhams, space was undoubtedly at a premium. Much interest surrounded two Bugattis - the ex-William Grover “Williams” 1929 Monaco winning Bugatti Type 35 which could be 2005’s most expensive car sold at auction and adjacent, but not for auction Richard I’anson’s beautiful Type 59 recreation complete with piano wire wheels.

Compared to previous years, the Corse Clienti display was somewhat depleted with only Modena Motorsport proprietor Uwe Meissner (’97 F310B) and Cars International’s Paul Osborn (’93 F93A) on track. Thankfully the Italian celebration led by Tom and Kevin Wheatcroft and the aforementioned Lionel Webber combined with Mark Hales in Nick Mason’s Ferrari 312T3, Mike Littlewood in John Fenning’s T5 and Nigel Corner in the family’s Maserati 250F to make a fitting display.

One of the most evocative ‘30’s Grand Prix cars was the Alfa Romeo P3 – svelte, supercharged and stylish there were four examples at 'See Red'. Rock band manager and racer Tony Smith’s ex-Dick Shuttleworth 1935 Donington winner, Alfa guru Paul Grist’s recently acquired ’34 example, and Oporto winner Roger Saul’s 2 seater combined with Californian Ned Spieker’s much travelled example. Racing on either side of the “pond” this year - Ned recently competed at the Monterey Historics and the Oulton Park Gold Cup and had freighted his 250 SWB to UK for last week’s Tour Britannia!!

As with all VSCC meetings, on track activity was well run and with 17 races over the weekend there was much to cram in – although not to everyone’s approval! The racing was fast and furious with the fastest laps of the weekend completed by the Group C grid who last raced at the Silverstone Classic - long time racer Dave Mercer (Spice SE90C) won both rounds with Justin Law (XJR12C) and Simon Pullan (Porsche 962C) distant runners up on either day.

Ex-Lotus F1 mechanic and historic race preparer David Morris was at the wheel of the family ERA and drove superbly to fend off a hard charging, ERA mounted Mark Gillies, to win the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy for a 6th time.

Swapping to Rodney Smith’s Maserati 300S, Gillies made no mistakes in the ‘50’s drum brake sport car race, leading home Aberdonian BMW dealer John Clark in his Cooper Bobtail, whilst Blockley Tyres proprietor Julian Majzub slithered the Bentley-based, Brooklands racer the “Pacey Hassan” to a dominant victory over Bugatti Type 35B mounted Michael Gans.

Highlight of the weekend for many was the Maserati Invitational race – an 18 car grid of Bologna’s finest with the addition of 2 Oscas and the 250F based Tec Mec. 2004 Goodwood Revival TT winner and automotive journalist Mark Hales, started Nick Mason’s 250F alongside Barry “Whizzo” Willliams in David Wenman’s similar 250F. On the opening lap, Whizzo’s final drive gave up exiting Redgate with Barrie Baxter assuming the lead in the Tec Mec ahead of Jose Albuquerque (250F) and Allan Miles (250F). Hales had dropped to a distant 5th but progressively reeled in the leader, passing Baxter on lap 9 and winning the race with 12 laps completed.

With a weekend attendance of over 15,000 there was understandably some dissatisfaction about access to the circuit and several FOC members didn’t make it to enjoy their parade lap. That aside, the third 'See Red' was a very enjoyable event despite Tony Smith’s Dino 246F1 and David Cottingham’s 500TRC being the only Ferraris on track, and thanks to fellow petrolhead Dean Butler for a lunchtime history lesson on Kurtis Indycars, Indianapolis and his latest acquisitions - the Chevy powered Kellisons…..they sound like fun!