‘What has made the last 50 years really special’ said Richard, ‘Is not only the great cars and their success on the circuits and hills, but the friendship of all the very special people who own them and love them’.

 

The Silverstone Anniversary event showed the strength and diversity of that second family. Amongst the Mallock owners past and present, the following owners made amazing efforts to attend and join in the celebration.

 

Steve Habershon flew from New Zealand just for the event. He was interviewed by Anglia television on Saturday about his enthusiasm for the marque.

 

Fine Arts expert Bob Crozier flew from New York to race his classic U2 that is based at Richard Mallock’s workshop at Hartwell. Bob flies in on every Thursday in the season, races his car. then flies home to the US on Sunday evening.

 

Mallock super fan Ciaran Dempsey and his son Karl brought their THREE Mallocks to race and parade from Kinsale in South West Ireland.

Richard Churchley brought his beautiful hill-climber up from Falmouth just to do the parade lap and show his car.

 

Kevin McCormick brought his newly restored unique Mk25 all the way from Aberdeenshire to display. Having arrived Kevin then decided that he should race it and so despite overheating problems, was so determined that he should take the race start that he did so knowing that he could only complete a couple of laps.

 

Stuart Roach brought an unidentified very early Mallock from Sussex to get some expert opinion on its type and origins. The car had been in Germany for 28 years and he hoped to find someone interested enough to identify it. He needn’t have worried, within 10 minutes of unloading the car it was surrounded by John Hestletine, Derek Clark, Mick Paris, John Bailey and Ray Mallock, all the best experts on the early marques. They declared the car a Mk.3 Formula 3 car. A very rare and interesting model. Stuart has been inspired to totally restore the car to its former glory. 

 

Peter Sandes brought his Mk 11b hill-climb car with a full race Holbay 1598 cc L block Kent engine all the way from Winchester, again just to do the parade lap.

 

Greg Wood brought a rare rear engine Mk32 Clubmans Supersport car from ‘rice pudding’ country (West of England) only to break the chassis in testing.

This car, together with the two rear engine P series cars representing the Clubmans Register’s two litre Vauxhall era, which came to an end when rear engines became mandatory and the series eventually began to price itself out of the Clubmans market. Due to a large lobby of support for a return to the simpler front engine cars, the Vauxhall owners decided to split away and form their own club, National Supersports.

 

The movement never really prospered, it being too expensive for the ‘Club’ racer and unable to attract any serious sponsorship. The demise left around 20 rear engine cars ranging from 200 to 260 horsepower with nowhere to race. It was thrilling to see some of these cars again representing a landmark in Clubmans Register history and a technical peak in Mallock design.

 

This is just a small sample of those who made a great effort to contribute to the diversity of the week-end.

 

Saturday Qualifying

 

On Saturday qualifying was held for the Mallock all-comers scratch race and, with the demise of all four 2litre cars, it was no surprise to see the A sport Classic Clubmans cars dominate the session with Michael Mallock taking pole with a lap of 57.72 seconds (102.22 MPH)

 

Six A sport cars headed Howard Payne’s 1300cc Mk31 with Adrian Lester’s Mk 35 the leading Clubmans Cup car in 8th position.

  

Saturday Mallock Allcomers Scratch Race

 

If this had been the handicap race, it would be hard to believe that the result had not been engineered by the organisers. How appropriate it was that Michael Mallock, grandson of the marque founder Arthur, won this showcase race after exciting battles throughout the monster grid.

33 cars took the start and immediately the Classic A Class cars rushed into the lead with Mark Charteris, Michael Mallock and John Harrison with Malcolm Jackson in tow. Howard Payne in the unraced Mk31 Hayabusa coaxed the car off the line but was swamped by most of the field and had to fight from nineteenth to an eventual sixth position before pitting a lap before the flag. As shame really, as the race ran a lap longer than it should have. Also having to fight his way through was Karl Dempsey in the P20. He started from the back of the grid due to missing qualifying and finished a very creditable 5th.

 

Michael didn’t have it all his own way, as super fast Mark Charteris took the lead and looked invincible. On the penultimate lap, when Charteris was fully engaged with back-markers, Mallock took him by surprise and held the lead to the chequered flag. John Harrison took the final podium place. Adrian Lester was the first of the Clubmans Cup (Ksport) cars with Mike Evans finishing a second adrift. 

 

Saturday Evening Soiree and Prizegiving

 

Although not terribly good at rules, regulations, timekeeping, political correctness and anything else serious, the Mallock Club is gaining a reputation for first class social events.

 

Saturday evening was no exception with an evening of dancing and music provided by the notorious ex-Mallock owning entertainer and Silver Fox, Caldwell Smythe . He put on a wonderful one-man show, singing for 3 hours without a break. Every time he tried to bring the show to a close, screams and howls of protest forced him to continue. What a show! Thank you Caldwell, you are a star. 

 What a sight! Single seaters, Hill-climbers, rear engine supersports, racing classics and clubmans. The owners did us proud and I’m sure, somewhere above, there was a puff of the pipe and murmur of approval from the Major.

 

The Mallock Gold Cup Handicap

 

This was billed as the headline event of the week-end and it certainly lived up to the anticipated excitement.

 

The time elapsed handicap start was wonderfully chaotic. As each row roared off under the waved Union Jack, it became obvious that not all the rows would get away within a minute. Unfortunately a car stalled on the line and with 55 seconds required to get the whole grid away and the fastest cars capable of a sub-one minute lap, red flags were hastily produced as the lead car rounded Luffield.

 

All credit to the startline marshals and officials who got the cars back to there grid positions in record time and the cars were ready to go in just a couple of minutes.

 

The second start was a sight to behold, the starter waved the first row away and then charged down the grid waving rows off as soon as he reached them. ‘Sod the stop-watch’, this time they were all away in very good time! Chris Burnham led on the road for three laps from Malcolm Mitton. Then the faster of the Classics Clubmans of Mark Charteris and Michael Mallock plus Karl Dempsey in the ex Covill P20, passed the pair of them to unlap themselves.  On handicap Richard Ibrahim had led the race after lap six but the three faster cars made up the lap and passed him on lap 10. Karl Dempsey managed to get past the other two rapid Classic cars to take a popular victory.

Hats off to the handicappers, the fastest cars had to work incredibly hard to reach the front by the last lap and despite not having driven on the circuit before and losing a lot of track time due to noise, Karl Dempsey, winning by a distance, with Mark Charteris turning the tables on Michael Mallock to take second spot.

 

So then it was over, cups were presented to the winners, speeches were made by the VIPs and thanks were given to the deserving.

 

What a great family week-end, we shall have to look for an excuse to do it again sometime.

 

Martin Covill

 

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