Jackie Reece
Jackie Reece
| Jackie Reece |
| Jackie Reece was a motor trader from Liverpool and cousin of Peter Blake Reece of Blakes, Cooper's Northern concessionaires. Jackie was a regular competitor, though he mostly confined himself to the northern circuits and hills. He began in a new Cooper Mk III-JAP sadly failing to get away from the start line at Brough in April 1949 but things improved in May with a sixth place in the Grand Prix at Silverstone and seventh at Prescott on the 22nd. Shelsley in June brought eighth fastest time and a return, the very next day, to Prescott, a fine second to Eric Brandon. 1950 began well with a third to Don Parker and Pat Prosser at Brough on 7th April then a second to Clive Lones at Prescott and a DNF at Blandford following a collision with David Brake. His only other recorded result for the year is a DNF in the Coupe du Monde at Ostend on 14th August 1950 but that is all we have for him. Jackie at Brough in June 1951
For 1951 Jackie ran a Cooper Mk V, though still with a JAP engine when the leaders were largely running Nortons, and started well with a heat win and second to Parker in the final at Brough on 25th March. May Prescott yielded a third fastest time but a return to Brough in June was disappointing as was the trip to Winfield in July. Croft on the 28th was a little better with second in his heat and a very wet Gamston brought a creditable third behind Peter Collins and Bob Gerard. Reece was third at Croft in September and third again to Collins at Gamston on 6th October with Alan Brown taking second this time. The following day, back at Brough proved to be the highlight of Jackie's year; a win by a fifth of a second over Alan Brown in his heat, then a win in the final, over Eric Brandon, Don Parker and Peter Collins in the scratch race final and even a third in the handicap event. Winfield a week later, and finally armed with a Norton, gave him a third to Gerard and Parker to close the year. For 1952, Jackie acquired a Mk VI Cooper but things didn't start too well, a broken gearbox at Ards in March, then fourth in the scratch race and handicap heats at Brough in April and a second to Ninian Sanderson at Charterhall at the end of May. Crimond on 9th August brought a third, to Sanderson and Parker and a return to Charterhall in October resulted in a DNF to end a less successful year. Charterhall in May 1953 resulted in a fifth place and that is the last recorded result we have for Jackie. In 1957, Jackie shared a Sunbeam Rapier with Peter Harper in the Mille Miglia. |
He was fastest at Rhydymwyn on 9th July, albeit against lesser opposition and another Prescott brought a third place. Returning to the circuits, Jackie took a well deserved fourth in the 