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The Flying Scotsman

HERO-ERA

14th-16th April 2023


The Flying Scotsman 2023
Winners: Paul Crosby/Ali Procter (MG TB Supercharged)
Photograph: HERO-ERA/Will Broadbent

Organiser: HERO-ERA

Date: 14th-16th April 2023

Clerk of the Course: Guy Woodcock

Deputy Clerk of the Course: Anthony Preston & Andy Pullan

Route: 600 Miles (13 Regularities, 12 Tests)

Start: Turnberry

Finish: Gleneagles

Starters: 88


Eighty-eight pre-war cars assembled at Trump Turnberry for the 2023 Flying Scotsman. They were led away from the start by the Cadillac 30 of Mitch Gross/Wendy Gross, the maximum speed of the 1914 machine is 35 mph, so it was going to be a challenge simply to complete the route.

Competition opened with a test at the nearby Turnberry Airfield. Paul Crosby/Ali Procter (MG TB Supercharged) were fastest, but had Theo Hunt/James Galliver (Frazer Nash TT Replica) and Shaun Houlihan/Richard Pain (BMW Fraser Nash 328) just a second behind.

Unfortunately, only 87 cars made it to the end of the test; the clutch on the Alvis 12/50 of Richard Nicholl/Victoria Nicholl failed and they were out. Also in trouble were Federico Gottsche Bebert/Virginia Sodi, whose Bugatti Type 35C suffered a broken crankshaft just after the test start.

The first regularity snaked south from Kirkoswald to Dailly; it had three timing points. Rob Jeurissen/Jeanne Jeurissen (Bentley Derby) dropped just one second here, but it was Hunt/Galliver who moved into a one second lead as they took two seconds off Crosby/Procter.

A long neutral section through Glentrool Forest included two route checks, but these posed no problems for most crews. This led to the morning coffee halt at Penninghame House.

Having passed through Newton Stewart and New Galloway, the second regularity was a linear run, using a speed table, past Loch Urr to Dunscore. Both Peter Moore/Dan Stellmacher (Riley Special) and Rob van der Leeuw/Geert Kistemaker (Riley Monza). The navigator in the latter car was forced out of the event the following morning with a severe back problem; van der Leeuw continued by himself on day Two, but withdrew at the end of the day.

Crosby/Procter regained the second on Hunt/Galliver and the two crews now shared the lead, although they now had Paul Dyas/Martyn Taylor (Bentley Derby Special) just two seconds behind.

The second test of the rally was at the Dalswinton Estate. Crosby/Procter and Houlihan/Pain shared fastest time, while Hunt/Galliver were two seconds slower.

Test 1.3 was familiar to Le Jog competitors as it was at Mainhill Farm, which runs over the top of the M74. Houlihan/Pain were fastest through it, but they missed to stop astride the finish box and added ten seconds to their total. Crosby/Procter and Hunt/Galliver were among four crews who shared the best time for the test.

This meant that when competitors arrived at the lunch halt at Springkell House near Lockerbie, Crosby/Procter held a two second lead over Hunt/Galliver, while Dyas/Taylor were seven seconds further behind in third. In fourth were van der Leeuw/Kistemaker.

The Flying Scotsman 2023
Second Place: Paul Dyas/Martyn Taylor (Bentley Derby Special)
Photograph: HERO-ERA/Will Broadbent

There were no tests in the afternoon session, just three regularities; the route taking cars to the overnight halt at Slaley Hall, near Hexham.

Regularity 1.3 was entirely within Kershope Forest; it had four timing points. Martin Hunt/Robert Mannix Frazer Nash BMW 328) put in the best performance over the six and half mile section; three second ahead of any other crew. Hunt/Galliver sneaked back into the lead, but only by three seconds, while Dyas/Taylor were now only two seconds ahead Crosby/Procter.

Five miles into the section Steve Lambert/Ruth Lambert put their Ford Fordor 48 into a ditch. They had to be pulled out by the sweeps at the end of the field and had to cut straight to the day end.

The weather had been bright and sunny through the morning, but during the afternoon fierce rain and hail showers battered the area, making life difficult for those in open machines.

The fourth regularity started shortly after the finish of the third and ran from Kershope Forest to Shopford. Best times on this section were set by Brad Mottier/Bill Hoff (Riley Bigley Special) and Filip Engelen/Ann Gillis (Invicta S-Type). The latter crew had had a difficult morning with brake problems giving them a maximum one minute penalty at one timing point on Regularity 1.2.

There was a significant change in the battle for the lead; Crosby/Procter and Dyas/Taylor both dropped seven seconds, but Hunt/Galliver added 21 seconds to their total. This meant that the pair were now tied with Houlihan/Pain for third.

The final regularity of the day used the tight lanes to the south-west of Haltwhistle; this was on a map, with spot heights determining the route. Five crews, including Dyas/Taylor, dropped just one second over the two timing points. This put the Bentley crew into the lead, as Crosby/Procter were four late at the first timing point and three early at the next one. The two crews were now separated by two seconds.

Twelve seconds further back were Houlihan/Pain, who were third, but they were only a second ahead of both Hunt/Galliver and Andrew Bolland/Ann Bolland (Talbot AV 105).

It was a tight contest as there were 15 crews within a minute of the lead. Not amongst these were Arnoud Litjens/Henk Luykx, their Bentley 3½ Sport Saloon broke a drive shaft just before Lunch and they were out. Also on the retirement list was the Rolls Royce 20/25 Coupe of Laurent Jaspers/Anne Boutry, which suffered a holed radiator.

The route headed south from the Day 2 restart, leading to a test at Eastgate. Crosby/Procter regained the lead as they beat Dyas/Taylor by 15 seconds. Hunt/Galliver were fastest on the test This was one of six tests on which they were quickest and it was no surprise that Hunt won the coveted Test Pilot Award at the end of the event.

There then followed the first regularity in the Newbiggin area; it had two timing points and used a London Map for navigation. Gerd A Buehler/James Ewing (BMW 327/28) put in a perfect performance here, hitting both TPs exactly on time.

The leaders then hit trouble; the exhaust on their MG broke. They stopped and repaired it, but had to then press on, making their time at the Appleby coffee halt with only a minute to spare.

Test 2.2 ran over the top of the M6 at Shap. Jim Boland/Neil Sutton (Talbot 105 Alpine) were quickest here.

Regularity 2.2, which twisted around Broomrigg Plantation, proved to have dramas for a number of crews. Most notably, Crosby/Procter who had further mechanical difficulties, as the distributor began to break up, causing a misfire. Despite this handicap the pair still only dropped three seconds. In contrast, Dyas/Taylor picked up 11 seconds penalties after being delayed by a tractor.

Andrew Boland/Ann Boland had been fourth place overnight and were going well at the beginning of Day Two, when coil problems delayed them and they were 21 minutes late booking out of the lunch halt, which was taken at The Fleece, near Carlisle Airport.

Even with their problems, Crosby/Procter had extended their lead to six seconds at Lunch. Hunt/Galliver were now in second, ahead of Dyas/Taylor and Houlihan/Pain. John Lomas/Pete Johnson (Riley Sprite) had moved up to fifth, despite being held up by a bin collection on one regularity.

The Flying Scotsman 2023
Third Place: Theo Hunt/James Galliver (Frazer Nash TT Replica)
Photograph: HERO-ERA/Will Broadbent

The Airport was the venue for Test 2.3, while the neighbouring Solway Aviation Museum hosted Test 2.4. Houlihan/Pain were fastest on the first test, while Crosby/Procter were a second faster than Hunt/Galliver. These two crews then shared quickest time on the second test. This test saw the demise of the Talbot AV105 of Bertie van Houtte/Mark Bramall; its gearbox broke.

Two regularities and a further test took crews back into Scotland and to the overnight at the Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club. By the time that the overnight had been reached, Crosby/Procter held a lead of 19 seconds, with Houlihan/Pain having moved up to second, 12 seconds ahead of Dyas/Taylor. Hunt/Galliver were now fourth, having dropped 35 seconds at the final timing point of the day.

Day Three, Sunday, opened with a run over the Queensferry Crossing, which led to two tests at Balado Airfield, near Kinross. Hunt/Galliver were fastest on both.

Eight crews, including Houlihan/Pain, dropped just one second on Regularity 3.1. Dyas/Taylor were on two seconds, while Crosby/Procter and Hunt/Galliver on three.

Malcolm Dunderdale/Anita Wickins cleaned Regularity 3.2, which ran over the mountain road through Garrow. The leading crews, again, were within a few seconds of each other.

Regularity 3.3 was within the Allean Forest, with four timing points. Once again, the Crosby/Procter MG developed a misfire. Paul Dyas loaned a replacement coil, but this didn't cure the issue. Eventually the problem was traced to a loose screw in the condenser. Despite this the leaders dropped just four seconds; one second better than Dyas/Taylor and two less than Hunt/Galliver.

At the Pitlochry lunch halt, Crosby/Procter led Houlihan/Pain by 18 seconds. Dyas/Taylor were 20 seconds further back, but only a second ahead of Hunt/Galliver.

Two tests and a regularity was all that remained prior to the finish at Gleneagles. Test 3.3 was at the Murthley Estate, just off the A9. Houlihan/Pain were six seconds faster than Crosby/Procter, to narrow the gap to the lead. Meanwhile Hunt/Galliver moved ahead of Dyas/Taylor, after being three seconds quicker on the test.

The final regularity was to prove decisive. Navigation was by a 1960 edition one-inch to the mile map. The second timing point was on a large triangle and Houlihan/Pain failed to find it. This gave them a two minute penalty and they were now out of the running for the win.

Crosby/Procter put in the best performance on the section; dropping just one second. Dyas/Taylor passed and pulled clear of Hunt/Galliver, as they were 13 seconds better than their rivals. The Frazer Nash pairing were fastest on the final test, cutting the deficit to Dyas/Taylor to three seconds. However, for the third time in succession, Hunt/Galliver were third on the Flying Scotsman.

Dyas/Taylor finished in second, having taken the same position on both the Rally of the Tests and the Three Legs of Mann.

Crosby/Procter finished the event with a 29 second winning margin, an advantage that belied the close competition that the previous three days had delivered.


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