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All members of the H-PEC will be aware of the H-P Production Racing Series, so successfully run at the famous Squits Bank Autodrome from 1937 until 1954, when the circuit was allegedly closed. This year was the occasion for the revival of the series, with a full and action-packed day's competition at this now little-known North Lincolnshire venue, unilaterally reopened by the Club for the 60th anniversary of the very first race in the series, so memorably won by the late Very Reverend Augustus Cheeke on his Wildebeeste Pendragon MkIA.
Some unpleasantness was caused when the residents of the jerry-built housing estate which appears to now occupy the Northern half of Squits complained at the passage through their mean avenues of a succession of highly-tuned examples of the Graet Marque, but were soon overcome by the fortitude of those members who took care to minimise injury to the (doubtless Socialist) demonstrators at E. Steerforth Hairpin (now Nos 45-49 Nelson Mandela Place) and Thrunger Curve (now the Cheap 'N' Cheerful discount supermarket).
Fatalities were, comparatively speaking, low - numbering of the order of ten, with no more than a few paltry maimings. And the robust construction of Sir Alistair Tiddle-Morton's mint 1936 Manxman Manxman was fortunately proof against the efforts of the protesters to halt its supreme sprint along the McGennitty Straight (Joe Slovo Crescent) with their tinpot foreign motor cars and, although Sir Alistair sadly succumbed to his injuries and some residents were immolated in their alas rather combustible vehicles, the magnificent machine emerged unscathed from the fireball and is to be fettled by Sir Alistair's eldest daughter Lucretia in time for next year.
The Club's profound thanks go to the next of kin of Mr and Mrs Garton, of 16, Che Guevara Walk, who discovered that their back garden was The Paddock but were unfailingly cheerful in catering to the somewhat specialised requirements of the Hurley-Pugh "racing breed".
Results: 1. Brian H. Ewart-Ewart, Chelsea (1939 Manxman): 2:23:16 (2 laps); 2. H. Himmler, Paraguay (1940 Brooklands Austerity): 3:17:42 (1.5 laps). All other riders DNF (timed out after 4 hours).
'Philipides'
