[Hotrodlawman]

Thank you all for your welcome - the heart transplant has begun - the 354 is a exact replacement Hemi from the original - I will be sending Brian and Stu pictures periodically of the process of the transformation from drafthorse to firebreathing stallion - it will be an awesome engine for Ally.

[muddytalker]

Little did I know but having been given a very rare programme from the Eighth Annual and First National High Speed Trial organised by the Evesham Automobile Club at Long Marston Aerodrome that Sydney Allard raced the Allard Dragster in Class 7 for the meeting held on Sunday 24th June 1962.

Competing in the 1500cc class and above, the Allard was competing against another Chrysler Dragster of Brian Whitty being ably assisted by Allan ‘Bootsie’ Herridge. I don't know what the outcome was but both cars were up against some stiff competition against various Jaguars, Coopers, an F1 Connaught and Maserati and the Marsh Special driven by British Hillclimb Champion Tony Marsh who passed away this year. Brian Sparrow was there at that event and you can see some of his photos of the Whitty Dragster and the Allard here http://www.timetraveldvds.co.uk/gallery/1962/index.html

The Allard reappeared at the Warwickshire airstrip a year later and can be seen on Brian’s cine film featured on Nick Pettitt’s excellent Time Travel series Volume 23 along with Bootsie's straight 8 Buick Dragster. According to a 1965 programme which Nick has the Allard, up to that time, still held the course record at 10.76 seconds for the 440 yard strip although the club did hold competitions for 880 yards at most meets.

Has anyone else got any photos or information about these events they would care to share with us? The 1962 meet is well documented in the opening chapter of 'Crazy Horses' along with one of Brian's photos.

Now you can probably guess what’s going through my mine now that the restoration is, at long last, all coming together.

[timetravel]

here's the 1965 programme, there were 5 dragsters running that year, John Hume in one of the Allard Dragons, Tony Densham in the Worden, Derek Metcalf in his TR2 dragster, Allan Herridge in the DD Cadillac, but who was M. Taylor in a 4700cc Ford dragster

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[jaytee]

Maybe M Taylor could have been a circuit-hill climb single seater fitted with the 4.7 V8 Ford engine,only a guess

[CRR]

In the very early days 1961-1963, besides competing at Long Marston, Sydney Allard entered various sprint meetings with the Chrysler at such places as Wellesbourne Mountford, Debden, Church Fenton, Church Lawford etc. As did both Allan Herridge and Tony Densham in the Worden as they were the only events they could run.

BTW muddy, the Long Marston High Speed Trials were still going strong in 1967. Not sure when they stopped.

[muddytalker]

Thanks for that Clive. I take it Wellsbourne Mountford is the airfield the other side of Stratford-Upon-Avon where the other non air worthy Vulcan bomber is based now! If you have any scans of these programmes you could add to the thread would be much appreciated.

[Les-the-Pres]

Muddy,
Would you like to check in that programme under "racing cars up to 500cc" for the names W. Sanderson, or G. Pashley, This is my dad and his racing partner, they shared a 500 Norton engined Cooper.
As you know my dad was Clerk of the Course or Race Director at Kemble. Interestingly the photo on the cover shows in the far lane Jack Browning, My dads boss and the man who dealt with Gerry Belton in organising the Kemble round, He is driving a Jaguar XKSS that he used as an everyday car for a while!!
Talk Soon, Les.

[muddytalker]

Good to hear from you Les. Sadly no ID's on this occassion in either the 500cc class or any other class competing that day. Its pleasing to read that you can ID the drivers/cars on the front covers.

[CRR]

Muddy,
Would you like to check in that programme under "racing cars up to 500cc" for the names W. Sanderson, or G. Pashley, This is my dad and his racing partner, they shared a 500 Norton engined Cooper.
As you know my dad was Clerk of the Course or Race Director at Kemble. Interestingly the photo on the cover shows in the far lane Jack Browning, My dads boss and the man who dealt with Gerry Belton in organising the Kemble round, He is driving a Jaguar XKSS that he used as an everyday car for a while!!
Talk Soon, Les.

Les, the car was entered at Brighton in 1959 with Geoffrey Pashley driving. It was entered again in 1960 with the same driver but under the Walker & Ward Ltd banner. Also in 1960, it was entered at Long Marston with GP driving. In 1961 at Brighton, W Sanderson was driving the car which was under the Jack Browning Motors banner. The same combo entered the Weston-Super-Mare Speed Trials also in 1961.

Clive

[CRR]

Thanks for that Clive. I take it Wellsbourne Mountford is the airfield the other side of Stratford-Upon-Avon where the other non air worthy Vulcan bomber is based now! If you have any scans of these programmes you could add to the thread would be much appreciated.

Correct Jerry.

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Going through them chronologically, the 1958 LM entry list includes just one well known name (to me at least) who turned to drag racing in the very early days, Ken Obee in a 1172cc Obee-Turner. On the two wheel side, it was a who's who of sprinting entered. It was a similar story in 1960 with the only name ringing a bell with me was Alan Lefevre who entered an Austin Healey and a Sunbeam.

The 1962 Debden programme has the Allard Dragster on its cover which I assume was taken at its debut at Brighton in September 1961. Sydney Allard was entered in class 16 Dragsters any capacity. There were 8 entrants in the class which sounds quite impressive. Not so! The Allard was the only proper dragster entered. Other entries included a 3482cc Omega, s/c 1172cc Wuzzi Special, 1200cc s/c Cooper Special etc etc.

Even though Santa Pod was open by the time the 1967 Long Marston meeting took place, there were a fair few names who drag raced regularly including Ken Obee again in a Lotus Super 7, Mick Wheeler Scorpion Imp dragster, Gerry Tyack Porsche Carrera, Tony Gane Rudge dragster and Colin Dunster in the Austin Ruby Jaguar Stagecoach. On two wheels, there were even more; Dave Clee, Len Julian, Ray Feltell, Don East, John Lloyd, Ian Ashwell plus sprinting legend George Brown.