Anglesey Frazer Nash 240905

This long weekend commenced late on Thursday afternoon with a few early arrivals taking a brisk walk to inspect the course and build up a thirst for the evening. After partaking of a few aperitifs we battened down the hatches to prepare for the tail end of hurricane Katrina which had found it’s way to this Welsh outpost.

Thanks to circuit manager Richard Peacock and some skilful negotiating by Bob Culver we were reinstated with our “free” practice session for Friday, six 500’s duly took advantage of this and came back with encouraging comments about this tricky little circuit and the need for some lower gearing than expected. The day ended with a spectacular display from Andrew Turner who having completed a few laps in Dad’s Mk.VIII was offered a drive in Shirley’s Mk. IV. This he took on with gusto throwing the little car into School Bend at terrific speed and ending up facing back from where he had come. However, with inherited skill he kept the engine running and continued at pace. By early evening our numbers had swelled to over twenty with wives, mechanics, team managers etc. and we sat down to a B-B-Q starring Simon Frost’s home reared Gloucester Old Spot Pork and some fine wine.

With scrutineering mostly completed on Friday a fairly leisurely start was made on Saturday morning, early signs in practice were that James Culver was setting a brisk pace closely persuade by a slightly over geared John Turner and the two spectacularly driven Mk.V’s of Mike Fowler and Simon Frost. The only casualties of practice were Roy Hunt with oil feed problems that would prove terminal and Martin Sheppard who ran out of sparks towards the end of the session. The race got underway with and unusually slow start by James from pole resulting in him being passed by John and Mike into the first corner. John’s exuberance led to a first lap spin and as they crossed the line for the first time Mike led James with Simon in 3rd place. The leading pair opened up a gap and continued in a race long duel, the led changing several times in a superb display of driving talent. James took the chequered flag by less than a second from Mike, with Simon justly rewarded with 3^rd place on a most welcome return to the track. Shirley, Mark and Steve followed home all understandably pleased with their afternoon’s efforts. Bob had suffered a broken valve collett on lap twelve when in 4^th and John’s race ended in lap 3 with a broken chain. Martin again ran out of sparks on Lap 7 after a spirited performance including a spectacular 360° coming onto the start/finish straight.  Poor Nigel could not persuade his recently purchased Charlie Smith Norton to run and failed to make the start.

Simon Frost and John Turner

Photos by Rachel Bourne

Mike Fowler presses James Culver

Copyright Bourne Photographic.

During the lunch interval on Saturday we were treated to a splendid display from the Battle of Britain Lancaster Bomber which banked low over the paddock to show off it’s Archie Frazer Nash designed gun turrets. Among the spectators were Archie’s daughter Joey having been driven around the circuit by our magazine editor Ruth Ross in her 1925 Frazer Nash once owned by Archie himself.

After another stormy night resulting in a longer than planned stay in the circuit bar Sunday morning welcomed us with bright sunshine and practice commenced just after 10am. Nigel Ashman, having fixed the previous days Magneto problem had an alarming brake failure coming into the hairpin and there was to be some serious paddock engineering before the afternoons race and with Martin’s car now also sidelined he generously offered Nigel a master cylinder and he and Simon worked frantically to get the car ready for the race. This was achieved with seconds to spare and to the delight of everybody Nigel arrived in the assembly area, Martin running in hot pursuit. With James again on pole the race got underway and we were in for a treat. At the end of Lap 1 the leading four cars James, John, Simon and Mike could be covered with a blanket as they stormed down the hill into School Bend almost four abreast, this spectacle had the crowd and commentators speechless. Only superb driving skill and trust in each others ability kept them from making contact as we were treated to a fabulous motor race. Simon dropped back after four laps following a moment and the hairpin but the battle up front continued until John’s engine gave up on Lap 12 and Mike eventually gave best to James’ later car. Bob again suffered valve problems and called it a day after five laps, but Nigel, Steve, Shirley and Mark all finished after some tremendous contests further down the field. The early pace up front had resulted in all four chief protagonists lapping consistently in under 59 seconds with James eventually setting the fastest lap of the weekend in 57.9 seconds.

John Turner leads Steve Jones and Mark Palmer

A grassy moment for Martin Sheppard

Classified Finishers

Race 1 Saturday