Solved NIC#238 - Terry Sanger in Austin 7 Special at Castle Combe

[nicanary]

Who is this driver, where, and in what?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[AlexFrance]

Austin?

[nicanary]

Austin?

Yes, Austin based.

[D-type]

Austin 7, Gordon England body?

[nicanary]

Austin 7, Gordon England body?

Definitely an Austin 7 but probably a homemade body. Bit early for a lock, but I need the driver and race course.

[D-type]

The background is pretty featureless so could it be Ron Flockhart on the beach at St Andrews ?

(Whoever he is, he must have been one of  Brylcreem's favourite customers!)

[nicanary]

The background is pretty featureless so could it be Ron Flockhart on the beach at St Andrews ?

(Whoever he is, he must have been one of  Brylcreem's favourite customers!)

Just like Denis Compton. Not him, and a few years later. And it's a well-known race track.

[D-type]

Snetterton ?

[nicanary]

Snetterton ?

Good idea, considering my background, but no. Much further west.

[D-type]

Is Southport Sands far enough west?

[nicanary]

Is Southport Sands far enough west?

Much further south, and an "airfield" track.

[shamrock]

Arthur Mallock in his A7 special forerunner to the U2 marque at Silverstone

[nicanary]

Arthur Mallock in his A7 special forerunner to the U2 marque at Silverstone

Sorry, no on all 3 counts. This driver came from the area where this circuit was situated, further west and also further south.

[nicanary]

Pros?  Not a well-known driver internationally, but well-known in the UK. The circuit is the clue to his identity.

[pnegyesi]

Dunsford Park?

[serra]

castle combe?

[Allan L]

Well Castle Combe is an obvious dead airfield circuit southwest of Silverstone.
Not sure who I'm supposed to be associating with 750 Formula and there - I'd say Jack French except the reg. no. is wrong.

[nicanary]

OK everyone. Castle Combe is correct, and it is obviously an Austin 7 Special.

So the point will go to whoever cam identify the driver. He is best known for cars with much,much larger engines than this Austin.

[Allan L]

Well he looks a big chap and a well-known big Bristolian was Horace Gould - better known in proper racing cars - so perhaps it's him.

[nicanary]

Well he looks a big chap and a well-known big Bristolian was Horace Gould - better known in proper racing cars - so perhaps it's him.

Not him. This driver came to prominence a bit later than 'Orace.

[shamrock]

TERRY SANGER

[nicanary]

TERRY SANGER

Yes indeed! It's Terry Sanger racing an Austin 7 Special at Castle Combe, before the days of seat belts, roll bars and helmets. He is more famous for his exploits in the V8-powered Fraud Cortina, Mustang, Falcon and GT40.

I'm going to award 1 point to Shamrock for completing the final question, and 1 to Serra for guessing it was Castle Combe.

(Sorry Allan, I just realised that serra had got there first!)

[serra]

Thanks for the point Nicanary, I am not sure if Allan L could see my answer because there were only 40 sec between both replays maybe he recognised the venue I was only guessing assuming It could be an airfield circuit as they were common in UK.

I'm a little sad about not being able to solve all this puzzle despite having almost all the clues, but sometimes you can not solve though you have it in front of your eyes.

[Allan L]

I'd worked out it was Castle Combe, but was taking some time looking in 1950's Motor Sports for likely 750 Formula racers of the period, when Serra posted the correct circuit.

Not a problem, and typical of the way one easily gets into the books for hours!