2024 Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons

[Malcolm Smith]

Keiron Baillie was victorious in the first race at Anglesey, over ten seconds ahead of Andy Graham.
Colin Calder and Adam Kinmond were third and fourth respectively, followed by Ewan Anderson,
Craig Houston and Jimmy Crow.
Eighth was highest placed Class A driver, Iain Mitchell, from John Kinmond, Paul Green and Michael Longstaffe.
Final three to complete the race were Sonny Gray, Richard Cooper and Ian Morton.

Graham won race two, just ahead of Calder, following several exchanges of the lead.
Baillie was two seconds adrift in third place. Adam Kinmond came fourth;
Houston, Mitchell and Crow taking positions five to seven.
Next were John Kinmond, Green, Longstaffe, Gray, Morton and Cooper.

Sponsor, Edinburgh Watch Company, Driver of the Day was Andy Graham.

Knockhill, on 8th September, is the venue for the next two rounds of the championship.

[Malcolm Smith]

There are fifteen entries for Sunday’s event. First time this season for Mario Ferrari, Ferrari 308 and Shonny Paterson, Triumph TR7V8.
Entry List:

# Driver Car Class
1 Alastair Baptie MGBV8 E
5 Michael Longstaffe MGB Midget A
7 Iain Mitchell Vauxhall Nova A
20 Alasdair Coates MGBV8 E
21 Jimmy Crow Scimitar GT Coupe G
27 Mario Ferrari Ferrari 308 D
58 John Marshall Ford Mustang E
62 Andrew Kinmond TVR Vixen B
63 John Kinmond Mini A
71 Paul Bowers Fiat128 Coupe A
77 Richard Merrell Alfa Romeo Giulia I
78 Andrew Graham Triumph TR7V8 E
91 Craig Houston Lotus Eclat/Excel B
88 Shonny Paterson Triumph TR7V8 E
143 Neil McKay Mini I

[Malcolm Smith]

Alastair Baptie headed Andy Graham by a tenth of a second in race one at Knockhill last Sunday, their positions reversed in the second.

Start of proceedings was delayed by almost two hours due to fog, which thankfully lifted, as there had been a risk of the event being cancelled.

Third in race one was fastest qualifier, Alasdair Coates, in his recently acquired MGBV8. His second race came to a premature end with clutch difficulties.
Craig Houston took fifth in race one and third in race two.
First time out in the new build Brayon Engineering Ford Mustang was John Marshall, who finished fourth in both races.

In the first, Jimmy Crow was sixth, Richard Merrell seventh and Iain Mitchell eighth.
Paul Bowers, Michael Longstaffe and Neil McKay were the final drivers to complete the race.
Crow retired from race two, and from Merrell onwards drivers finished in the same order, one place further up from race one.

The driver of the day was Richard Merrell, who received his award from sponsor Jonathan Gilbert of Edinburgh Watch Company.

Mitchell leads the overall championship by twenty-three points from Graham,
with maximum fifty points available at the final meeting of the season, Knockhill on 6th October.

[Malcolm Smith]

photos 2:

[Malcolm Smith]

Seventeen drivers have entered this Sunday’s final meeting of the season:

# Driver Car Class
1 Alastair Baptie MGBV8 E
11 Iain Mitchell Vauxhall Nova A
21 Jimmy Crow Scimitar GT Coupe G
23 Sonny Gray XR2 XR2
27 Mario Ferrari Ferrari 308 D
40 Ian Moton Austin A40 A
51 Ewan Anderson MGBV8 E
62 Andrew Kinmond TVR Vixen B
63 John Kinmond Rover 3500 E
66 Duncan O'Neill XR2 XR2
67 Richard Cooper Ginetta G15 A
68 Niki Dickson Lotus Cortina Mk1 B
71 Paul Bowers Fiat128 Coupe A
78 Andrew Graham Triumph TR7V8 E
91 Craig Houston Lotus Eclat/Excel B
143 Neil McKay Mini I
311 Stephen Sadler Peugeot 205GTi I

[Lancsbreaker]

Haven't you got an extra "Awayday" at Silverstone in November, or is the SMRC a completely different entity?


Good to see my mate Richard Merrell in your pics - he hasn't had the best of years with his Alfa.......

[Malcolm Smith]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Haven't you got an extra "Awayday" at Silverstone in November, or is the SMRC a completely different entity?


Good to see my mate Richard Merrell in your pics - he hasn't had the best of years with his Alfa.......

Hi Richard,
the Classic Sports and Saloons is one of the
Scottish Motor Racing Club (SMRC) championships.

Last November, a few drivers went to the
closed wheel allcomers at the
Walter Hayes Meeting, Silverstone.
An invitation has been provided for this year's event - not sure how many will be going.

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Smith

Hi Richard,
the Classic Sports and Saloons is one of the
Scottish Motor Racing Club (SMRC) championships.

Last November, a few drivers went to the
closed wheel allcomers at the
Walter Hayes Meeting, Silverstone.
An invitation has been provided for this year's event - not sure how many will be going.

Ah - that's the one - Apparently to be two Italian Intermarque races on that programme - one of them shared with SMRC....

[Malcolm Smith]

Iain Mitchell is the 2024 champion and Class A winner.
The Vauxhall Nova driver secured his title with two class wins at Knockhill yesterday.

Runner up and Class E winner is Andy Graham, Triumph TR7V8.
Third overall and Class B went to Craig Houston, Lotus Excel.
The final Class winner was Jimmy Crow, Reliant Scimitar Coupe.

Sponsor Edinburgh Watch Company Driver of The Day was Mario Ferrari.

Race one victor was Graham, just ahead of Alasdair Baptie, with Ferrari third.
Houston and Crow were barely separated throughout, the Lotus driver ahead by half a second at the end.
Steve Sadler was sixth and Mitchell seventh – these two were also very close,
adding to the entertainment for a reasonable number of spectators who braved damp conditions.
Dickson and Bowers were next, from Morton who just stayed ahead of Sonny Gray.
MacKay and Cooper completed the finishers.

Baptie and Graham swapped places in the second race, Ferrari third in the fabulous sounding 308GTB.
The Houston & Crow show was repeated, until Jimmy retired on the last lap.
Mitchell was fifth, John Kinmond sixth after retiring early in race one.
Sadler, Dickson, Bowers took places seven to nine followed by Morton, Cooper and MacKay.

Another enjoyable season for drivers and spectators who look forward to a repeat next year.

[Malcolm Smith]

photos #2

[Malcolm Smith]

Photos #3

[Derwent]

Always an eclectic mix of cars at Knockhill. When I did those races all the cars were pre 1975 and there were a few prewar cars as well. Times change.

[Malcolm Smith]

In my haste yesterday I omitted the XR2 category. The 2024 winner is Paul Green.

[Malcolm Smith]

Video from the last two races of the season is now on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QBf2JZLW4A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQWVIvNKX9U

[Peter Mallett]

Thanks Malcolm, good to keep up with the series.