Mallory Park Magic: VSCC Closes 2025 Race Season in Style

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Press release

The Vintage Sports-Car Club’s final race meeting of the season saw rain, close racing, and a quarter century of Edwardian action at Mallory Park.

The curtain came down on the 2025 VSCC Race Season at Mallory Park with a day full of variety, spirit and spectacle. A bright, sunny morning gave way to a packed programme of races, from the promise of the Club’s youngest drivers to the thunder of Edwardians and the joyful chaos of the Longstone Tyres Light Car finale.

“Mallory Park never fails to deliver a special atmosphere, but this year really was something else,” said Tania Brown, Club Secretary. “From our youngest drivers to the mighty Edwardians celebrating 25 years on the grid, the day showed off everything that makes the VSCC unique - competition, camaraderie, and sheer fun.”

A Season Finale to Remember

The day opened with the Young Persons Scratch Race, where Tommy Waterfield in the Nash Super Sports took the win, ahead of William Elbourn in the Riley 12/4 Special and James Painter in the family MG Kayne. It was a fine showcase of the Club’s next generation of talent, with the podium winner posting best laps only a few tenths of a second apart.

Lunchtime brought the Triple M Grid Walk, an exciting addition to the Club’s usual grid walk opportunities, followed by their race which saw Roland Wettstein triumph in the MG Parnell K3 after wheel-to-wheel action. The Burghley Trophy for Austin 7s then provided one of the most thrilling finishes of the day: Christian Pederson took victory, while Patrick Teague edged out Will Marsh by just one tenth of a second further down the grid — his first win over Marsh in four years. In a wonderful gesture, both were awarded the ‘Spirit of the Race’.

The VSCC Specials saw Anthony Seber in his Wolseley Hornet Special take the win, with Elbourn once again on the podium, and Jo Blakeney-Edwards driving her Nash to third. The ODM Race, with the award presented by Ian Standing, produced a familiar podium: Robert Beebee and the Nash edging ahead of Max Sowerby in his Talbot Lago T150C and Jeremy Flann in another Nash. ODM stalwart John Guyatt impressed in sixth with his Talbot Lago.

25 Years of Edwardian Racing

This year also marked the 25th running of the Edwardian Handicap at Mallory Park, a fixture beloved by competitors and spectators alike since the 1990s. A dazzling line-up included Luke Roberts’ Bianchi 28/40, Gillian Carr in her Abbot-Detroit (fresh from her appearance on the Club’s Vintage Velocity podcast), Mark Walker’s Darracq, an epic repair completed after Goodwood earlier this year, and Andrew Howe-Davies’ Straker-Squire, to name a few. Fastest lap went to Lewis Fox in the Peugeot GP, though victory belonged to Roberts, a fitting result in this most unpredictable and special of handicaps.

Family, Fun and a Finale in the Rain

The Boulogne Trophy was dominated by Patrick Blakeney-Edwards, who was awarded his prize by his son James, a moment of family fun warmly welcomed by the paddock. Sian Slater celebrated her third podium of the season by winning the Handicap Race, joined on the steps by Mike Dowell and Tim Parker, with prizes awarded by Handicapper Helen Atkinson.

Then came the finale: the Longstone Tyres Light Car Race. As drizzle turned into more of a sustained downpour, the 40-minute race became a slippery spectacle of car swaps, sideways slides, and vintage variety with everything from Bedelias to Trojans dicing with Austins. At the flag, it was Irving & Irving in an Senechai T52 who led, followed by Harry Colledge & Eddie Williams  in an A7 Chummy and John Polson/Mark Gold in the Gwynne 8 Brooklands. In true Longstone tradition, the top three were disqualified for being “too fast,” which left Polson and Gold topping the Longstone rankings in the Chummy they shared, since they were one of two sets of drivers who swapped cars mis-race!

A Fitting End to 2025

From the promise of its youngest drivers to the spectacle of its Edwardians and the laughter of its Light Cars, Mallory Park delivered a season finale that had it all.

“Closing the season here reminds us why we do what we do,” added Tania Brown. “Mallory Park gave us sunshine, surprises, and smiles, the perfect send-off for a fantastic year of VSCC racing.”

 
 
 
Remaining Speed events this year?

To experience more of the fantastic vintage world of motorsport and true camaraderie that the VSCC offers join us at one of our upcoming Hill Climbs, and experience grass roots motorsport at its friendliest.

• Saturday 6 September - Loton Park Hill Climb
• Sunday 7 September - Loton Park Hill Climb
• Saturday 20 September - Prescott Long Course Hill Climb

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