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This page: Original programme for a sprint meeting organised by the Cheltenham Motor Club in the 1950s.

Staverton Sprint, May 1954.

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The Cheltenham Motor Club has been in existence since 1906 and continues to organise club motorsport events, such as rallies, autotests and treasure hunts. In May of 1954 they were holding the Third Annual Staverton Sprint meeting, a sprint for touring, sports and racing cars. In August they would go on to hold a similar event for motorcycles, again on the Staverton Airfield.

The cover features a driver competing in an A-Type Connaught. At the time, the course record for the 1km sprint stood at 29.6 seconds, set by D.C.T. Bennett in a 998cc Cooper-Vincent.

Various awards were due to be presented during the meeting, for fastest time of the day, fastest sports/touring/racing car, with awards also going to second and third fastest driver in each category. Additionally, the fastest competitor who belonged to the Cheltenham Motor Club would be awarded the Turk's Motors' Trophy (a used-car specialist located at 8 & 9 North Place in Cheltenham). Fastest driver in Class 1 (Racing Cars upto 500cc) would receive the Ecurie Demilitre Challenge Cup, while fastest in Class 6 (Sports Cars upto 750cc) would net a cash award and also the Hinder Trophy.

Clubs represented by drivers at the Staverton Sprint were as follows (excluding the organising club):

Half Litre club.
B.O.C. (Bugatti Owners' Club)
750 M.C. (750 Motor Club)
M.G.
London (?)
Sunbac (Sutton Coldfield and North Birmingham Motor Club)
Bristol M.C.

Sprint entries.

The listed drivers (not necessarily the entrants) for the sprint were as follows, although on the day there were bound to be some retirees or changes to the line-up. In some cases, for example with car no.6, two drivers were down to take turns driving a single car.

RACING CARS.

Class 1. Up to 500cc.

1. E.C. Guest (E.G.S. 497cc)
2. I. Smith (Monaco 497cc)
3. D.H. Philips (Cooper 497cc)
4. R. Trevellick (Trevellick 500cc)
5. C.G. Arengo (Arengo 499cc)
6. C.G. Summers (Kieft 500cc)
7. J.L. Rowbotham (J.L.R. Special 498cc)
8. C. Hale (Emeryson 497cc)
9. F.J. Mays (G.M. 500cc)
10. J.F. Denley (Cooper 499cc)
11. I.L. Bueb Cooper 499cc)
12. E.J. Moor (Wasp 499cc)
6. J.W. Whitehouse (Kieft 500cc)
10. J. Ebdon (Cooper 499cc)

Class 2. 501cc to 1,100cc.

22. D.C. Pitt (Cooper 998cc)
23. J.W. Whitehouse (Arden 750cc)
24. F. Sowrey (Cooper 1100cc)
23. C.G. Summers (Arden 750cc)

Class 3. 1,101cc to 1,500cc.

31. C.G. Arengo (Cooper Special 1100S)
32. J.B. Welton (Cooper MkV 1098S)
33. Ross Skinner (MG Q Type 747S)
34. H. Porteous (Porteous Special 1405cc)
35. A. E. Marsh (Cooper 1098S)
32. I.L. Bueb (Cooper 1098S)

Class 4. 1,501cc to 2,500cc.

41. J. Berry (ERA Special 1496S)
42. R. Haywood (TR2 1991cc)
43. Lady Mary Grosvenor (Alta 1490S)

Class 5. Over 2,500.

51. P.J. Stubberfield (Bugatti 2261S)
52. G.N. Mansell (Jaguar 3442cc)
53. J.P. Chapman (Chapman Mr. 4240cc)
54. W. Freed (Jaguar 3442cc)
55. H.A. Mecrow (Jaguar 3485cc)

SPORTS CARS

Class 6. Up to 750cc.

61. J.S. French (Simplicity 747cc)
61. F. Smith (Simplicity 747cc)
61. J. Marpole (Simplicity 747cc)
61. R.V. Base (Simplicity 747cc)

Class 7. 751cc to 1,300cc.

71. Miss P.L. White (MG TD 1250cc)
72. A.E. Marsh (Dellow 1172cc)
73. J.M. Tew (Lotus 1098cc)
74. J. Coplin (A.S.S. 1086cc)
75. D.R. Piper (MG J4 746S)
76. J. Ebdon (Lotus Mk6 1064cc) (photo of the Lotus is on Simon Lewis' Transport Books site link)
77. J. Worster (Fiat 1172cc)
78. R. Hough (MG TC 1250cc)
79. I.R. Bueb (Cooper Riley 1087cc)
80. F.J. Tiedeman (Riley 1090cc)
81. J.N. Dobbs (Buckler 1172cc)
79. J.F. Denley (Cooper Riley 1087cc)

Class 8. 1,301cc to 2,000cc.

91. D.G. Bishop (MG 847S)
93. M. Burn (Dellow 1172S)
92. A.E. Marsh (Frazer-Nash 1971cc)
94. G. Scott (HRG 1496cc)
42. R. Haywood (TR2 1991cc)
96. R.W. Ashley (Frazer-Nash 1496cc)
97. R.B. James (TR2 1991cc)
98. K.W. Barrow (Aston Martin 1997cc)
99. I.L. Bueb (Austin Sports 1200S)
100. C. Brough (TR2 1991cc)
101. Entrant (?) (Frazer-Nash 1971cc)
34. H. Porteous (Porteous Special 1405cc)
99. J.F. Denley (Austin Sports 1200S)

Class 9. 2,001cc to 2,700cc.

111. G.M. White (Austin-Healey 2660cc)
112. M. Higgins (Jagford Special 2262cc)
113. L.S. Richards (R.R.R. Riley Special 2443cc)
114. P. Lane (Austin-Healey 2660cc)
115. E.B. Wadsworth (Healey 2443cc)
116. G. Wood (Aston Martin 2580cc)
117. J. Deeley (Austin-Healey 2660cc)
118. W. Bradley (Austin-Healey 2660cc)

Class 10. Over 2,750cc.

121. B. Baxter (Jaguar 3442cc)
52. G.N. Mansell (Jaguar 3442cc)
122. W.M. Jasilkowski (Jaguar 3442cc)
123. J.B. Johnson (Jaguar 3442cc)
124. H.J. Parsons (Jaguar 3442cc)
53. J.P. Chapman (Chapman Merc. 4240cc)
125. E. Duckworth (Riley 4085cc)
54. W. Freed (Jaguar 3442cc)
126. W. Bradley (Jaguar 3442cc)
127. J. Buncombe (Jaguar 3442cc)
128. F. Preece (Jaguar 3442cc)
55. H.A. Mecrow (Jaguar 3485cc)
129. E. Robins (Jaguar 3485cc)

TOURING CARS.

Class 11. Up to 1,000cc.

131. Miss B. Moulds (Standard 803cc)
132. A.M. Gilbert (Austin 803cc)
133. C.M. Wyatt (Austin 803cc)
134. A. Blick (Morris Minor 803cc)
135. D.C. Pitt (Renault 746cc)
131. M. E. King (Standard 803cc)

Class 12. 1,001cc to 1,600cc.

141. R.V. Base (Riley 1496cc)
142. C.M. Walker (Simca 1221cc)
143. J.S. French (Rover 1500cc)
144. P. Robinson (Citroen 1600cc)
145. J.M. Readings (MG Magnette 1500cc)

Class 13. 1,601cc to 2,500cc.

151. A. Maiden (Zephyr 2250cc)
152. J. Worster (Armstrong 1991cc)
153. C.M. Walker (Daimler 2433cc)
154. D.C. Pitt (Healey Elliott 2443cc)
115. E.B. Wadsworth (Healey 2443cc)
156. W. Bradley (Sunbeam Talbot 2267cc)
157. P.B. Cheston (Sunbeam Talbot 2267cc)

Class 14. Over 2,500cc.

161. J.M. Readings (Sapphire 3500cc)
116. G. Wood (Aston Martin 2580cc)

Famous names.

One or two interesting names appear in the list of drivers above.

I. L. Bueb for example is Ivor Bueb, he started out racing in 1952 with an Iota 500 single seater, before moving onto a 500cc Arnott in 1953, and a Cooper MkVIII in 1954. He later raced in Formula One Grand Prix events, having also co-driven the winning Jaguar D-Type at the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hour event. He died in a Formula Two event in 1957.

D.R. Piper is David Piper, he later raced in three F1 Grand Prix, and became a hugely successful sportscar racing driver.

Lady Mary Grosvenor is entered in a 1490cc Alta, a car that was built specifically for her by the factory in 1939. She also raced prior to WW2 at Brooklands.

Presumably the previous meetings were held in 1952 and 1953, I haven't yet found any reference to how many years the Staverton Sprint was run, although it did run at least one more time, in 1955. If more information comes to light, I'll update this page accordingly. Staverton Airfield went on to become Gloucestershire Airport.

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