a day at the races

[Tony Betts]

thanks chris,

always good to see you at these events.

after the drive back home, the sports isnt running as well as it was.

on the way there it ran lovely at around 65mph on the shilton bypass.

but wanting to give the little cars legs a stretch on my way home, i was racing a porsche  well perhaps it wasnt a race. but he kept behind me so i open it up to loose him. didnt do bad either. but i overheated things. and the engine started a tinkling sound? i slowed it down and cooled the engine. it runs ok. but i think im going to have to go through things to be on the safe side.

childish of me i know, but the ulster engine does like to be on the cam. and runs really smooth at higher revs.

tony.

---

Nice to see John Bruce chummy DB still about hope he’s ok. Got stuck with a birthday party and not felt the best else would have been great to come. Have entered for the 750mc summer festival with a chance to drive Mallory at lunchtime for a parade. Glad you had a good day and super sports looks good on new tyres

hi joe,

theres always A47 next week

[JFaulknerUlsterRep]

Yes sounds like a good outing that. Super sports looks great. We have just sorted out the 12 now and finally got the 6 to run. There was another dot on the camshaft pulley so when put right it made everything line up. Another one to use
       

[Mike Costigan]

The maroon car is claimed by its owner to be a Le Zebre fitted with a Curtis engine, which is stretching the truth, as it was previously sold, in this form, as being a special built from 'a Curtis OX-5 aero-engine mounted in a pre-WW1 Amilcar chassis - the latter serves as a sub-frame that is in turn mounted in a pre-WW1 Peugeot chassis'. Which is all very strange, and must have got Amilcar enthusiasts excited, since Amilcar didn't exist pre-WW1! As for the Le Zebre connection, that's probably no more than a couple of nuts and bolts.

[Dennis Nicholas]

How about volunteering to marshal with the VSCC?  You do not need any experience to start with as will get placed on circuit with experienced people who will explain as time goes by or get placed in paddock and can chat with the owners.
Bonus is its free entry and usually you get food/drink tickets and you get to go to head of queues at food outlets.
Sadly with 2 hip replacements and both knees now bad my days of running the big boys paddock at Wiscombe have finished.
Just make sure you have good weather proofing as you can't just abandon your post if it rains.....once spent all day at Mallory in non stop rain out on circuit......exciting racing but in-spite of weather proof clothing was still soaked to skin and boots full of water.....but still grinning at end.

Dennis

[Tony Betts]

hi dennis,

yes the marshals are are a an important part of these races, and desirve there freebies.

but if they are only doing it for the free entry etc,  they would have to be so incredably tight and sad people.

i spent £15 on entry, £6 on a sosage cob and a cup of coffee. and another £2 on another cup of coffee. thats £23.00 and i could park were i wanted, go round any part of the track to spectate i wanted at any time. walk round the paddock. even leave when i want.

i cant beleive anyone marshals just for freebies, surely they must do it because they enjoy what they do as marshals.

thanks tony

[Hedd_Jones]

thanks stuart,

i beleive the maroon car is a le zebre, but i dont know what engine is in it.

The only Le Zebre I have ever seen was a single cylinder one in Meyrueis, Tarn.

I saw it first in 1974, then 1978, then 2000.  On my last visit in 2018 the owner had died and the car had been sold - his garage was known as Cafe Pastis, it was named very appropriately.

I have a Le Zebre sales pamphlet in a double glass sided frame hung on the wall.

It hasn't got a V8 in it though!

[Charles P]

thanks stuart,

i beleive the maroon car is a le zebre, but i dont know what engine is in it.

The only Le Zebre I have ever seen was a single cylinder one in Meyrueis, Tarn.

I saw it first in 1974, then 1978, then 2000.  On my last visit in 2018 the owner had died and the car had been sold - his garage was known as Cafe Pastis, it was named very appropriately.

I have a Le Zebre sales pamphlet in a double glass sided frame hung on the wall.

It hasn't got a V8 in it though!

However, it is the single most exciting car I've ever had the fun of riding shotgun in/on. 
A competition prepared Ferrari 360 doesn't come close

c

[Dennis Nicholas]

hi dennis,

yes the marshals are are a an important part of these races, and desirve there freebies.

but if they are only doing it for the free entry etc,  they would have to be so incredably tight and sad people.

i spent £15 on entry, £6 on a sosage cob and a cup of coffee. and another £2 on another cup of coffee. thats £23.00 and i could park were i wanted, go round any part of the track to spectate i wanted at any time. walk round the paddock. even leave when i want.

i cant beleive anyone marshals just for freebies, surely they must do it because they enjoy what they do as marshals.

thanks tony

Yes we enjoy, and all the team of non old car people from locally I used to get together to come, did enjoy.  Even on the trials....mud packs are good for your complexion. 

[Austin in the Shed]

Number 200 is Mark Walker’s 200hp 1905 Darracq a model which held the world land speed record at the time.
The LeZebra and Hispano Amilcar created by the Baker brothers,David and the late Robin.
They created some fantastic Edwardian and vintage specials. I saw the Amilcar before it was bodied,their engineering and design fantastic.
I never saw a car of theirs being fettled in the paddock.
Both cars featured a Frazer Nash inspired transmission,only 2 speed chain final drive with the clutch mounted on the countershaft next to the bevel box.
I was looking at the Le Zebra yesterday,And I think they must have shortened the crankshaft and removed the long extension where the prop would have fitted to keep the installation short.
From memory when first built it had a gilled tube styled radiator similar to the Darracq but was restyled by a later owner.
I believe the Le Zebra won the edwardian race with now owner Jeremy Flann,a A7 super sport owner and racer, He drives both well.

[Erich]

I saw the Le Zebre run at Prescott in 2019. Yes, it is a Curtiss OX-5 which has some interest for me as I have a friend here with a Velie which has the same motor. If you look at the valve train, you can see it is rather unusual. Exposed cam shaft in the center of the V and the intake pushrods outside of the exhaust pushrods. Not a very good aircraft engine, but a bit better in a car. Nice to see Mark Walker's Darracq back running after it tossed a piston several years ago.

Erich in Mukilteo