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©Enrico Pederzolli
The Maserati parking enclosure
©Enrico Pederzolli
A rather disappointing turnout!
©Enrico Pederzolli
Low in numbers, but high in spirits!!!
©Enrico Pederzolli
Maseratis outside the Paddock Suite
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The VSCC See Red Meeting
- Donington, 3/4 September 2005
See Red, Hear Red, Smell Red! And Feel Red for those of us who got
sunburnt!
Club members enjoyed a wonderful Maserati-and-sun-filled weekend
hosted by the VSCC at their See Red meeting at Donington.
About a dozen members with cars were parked up infield in a central
location with the other Italian car clubs; various Ferraris tried to usurp
our spot but were seen off by Edwin Faulkner and Henry Peder;
another usurper, this time in an Alfa, was allowed to stay - Bill Jackson!
Edwin turned up in his red Shamal, believing that a red car was a
condition of entry! Rather disappointingly Dave Roberts' Merak was
the only example of a classic on show; where were the rest of you?
However our cars generated much interest from passing folk, and
some potential new members were recruited, from both UK and
abroad.
The central theme to the race meeting was a celebration of the 250F,
both static displays and on-track action. There are 40 250Fs still in
existence, if we include the CMs, and there were 19 of these at
Donington. The 250F, introduced in 1954 dominated Formula One
and other senior classes of racing until 1957 when Maserati withdrew
from racing, and for several years after that remained a powerful force
in the hands of independent teams and privateers. Moss, Fangio,
Bira, Behra, Salvadori, and many others had great success with the
250F, and found it to be a car which was easy to handle, and (if you
had the skill!) a great machine in a four wheel drift.
One display area housed all the 250Fs which were to be raced, along
with family members such as 4CM, 6CM, 8CM, 4CL, 4CS, A6GCM
and 300S. The 250Fs spanned the production history from the early
cars to the lightweights, the Tec Mec, the Streamliner, and the V12
engined.
Anthony Hartley's stunning V4 recreation, now resplendent in a coat
of red; also on show were a Tipo 26, 250F CM, 8CM, Birdcage Tipo
60, 150S, and 26M.
Just in case Maseratis were not enough to keep one amused, those
"other red cars" featured in displays and on-track demonstrations of
more modern F1 cars.
The meeting had much else to offer: the paddock activity, motorcycle
racing, VSCC members' cars which always include some rarities and
oddities, a demonstration of Edwardian cars, air displays, and the
usual trade stands and bookstalls.
Highlight of the racing activity was Sunday afternoon's mmmmmmm
race for Maseratis; naturally the field was dominated by 250Fs, 13 of
them, but they were complemented by two A6GCMs, two 4CLs, a
6CM and two OSCAs. The Painters' 4CS was out there too, keeping
up well with some of the slower 250Fs, and keeping its wheels on this
time! Mark Hales driving Nick Mason's 250F won after a minor scrape
with Barrie Baxter's Tec Mec which came in second; and in third place
was Jose Albuquerque in (yes you guessed right) another 250F.
Maseratis also raced in: the Ron Flockhart Memorial Trophy on the
Saturday - eight 250Fs; the 1950s Drum-Braked Sports Racing Cars
race on the Sunday - two 300S's with three OSCAs; and the VSCC
Historic Seaman Trophy Race on the Sunday - an 8CM, a 6CM, and
a 6C34.
It may be some time before we see so many 250Fs in the same place
and in action again, but here's looking forward to more of the
Donington experience next year, with at least a sprinkling of Maseratis.
Text courtesy of Roger Harrison
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