History was made yesterday when four Works MGBs took to the track together for the first time.
The racers were accompanied by the luminaries behind the cars’ period competition victories, including former works driver Alec Poole and two key BMC Competitions men: department manager Peter Browning and 'comps shop' manager Basil Wales.
They were reunited with former Le Mans racer, DRX 255C and GRX 307D, the Marathon de la Route contestant – that’s known as Old Faithful in marque circles – while BRX 854B, the MGB that took part in the Spa-Sophia-Liège rally, and the 1964 Sebring car were also on the Chichester circuit.
The gathering was organised by HRDC founder and race director, Julius Thurgood, and legendary MG racer (and GRX 307D owner) Barry Sidery-Smith, to kick off next year’s Historic Racing Driver’s Club MGB50 series.
“To see these cars run together on the track for probably the very first time has been a very special occasion for me – especially considering that the BMC Comps Department never managed it,” said Sidery-Smith.
Poole was equally upbeat: “What a wonderful event! I am amazed by the turn out of so many old friends – people and cars – and this has inspired me to go home and prepare my MGB for MGB50.”
Other familiar MG competition-related names attending the get-together included mechanics Den Green and Brian Moylan, plus historian John Baggott.
The race series kicks off at Castle Combe on 9 April. It consists of six rounds, each a 30-minute, single-driver race for pre-'66, FIA-spec MGB racers, with an invitation class for historically important MGBs that aren’t FIA Appendix 'K compliant.
See MGB50 for more.
