Stoxnet

Saturday 29th September 1956

Coventry

Redex Drivers Championship


In 1956 there had been a noticeable split in the way cars were prepared. On one hand were drivers such as Aubrey Leighton and Wilf Davies with the original spec of an old American car ironed up for smashing up the opposition, and on the other were drivers with stripped out lightweight cars prepared for speed. The second group eventually complained about the first and began demanding that the cars be banned.

This was the now infamous meeting were it all came to a head. Wilf Davies was drawn behind Vic Ferriday for one of the heats, and when the race started, Davies shoved pushed straight on into a fence post on the first bend. Ferriday's lightweight car folded up, Davies' was unscathed. This is considered to be the first ever follow-in.

Heat 1
1st 53 Roy Goodman
2nd 4 George Dykes
3rd 13 Vic Spalding
4th 5 Don Ferriday
5th 50 Syd Booth
6th 11 Reg Saul
 
Heat 2
1st 30 Doug Wardropper
2nd 26 Dick Sheppard
3rd 29 Bernie Turney
4th 25 Fred Mitchell
5th 23 Arch Dingley
6th 18 Dave Clarke
 
Heat 3
1st 36 Gerry Dommett
2nd 12 George Sayers
3rd 48 Darkie Wright
4th 47 Chippie Weston
5th 44 Jock McCulloch
6th 46 Pete Tucker
 
Consolation
1st 57 Unknown
2nd 45 Gordon Saywood
3rd 20 Gil Cox
4th 39 Nev Hughes
5th 29 Bernie Turney
6th 52 Royce Garton
 
Final
1st 30 Doug Wardropper
 
37 Vic Ferriday is shoved into the fence by 35 Wilf Davies in Heat 3.
The aftermath, with Sprog Bennet climbing over the fence to help Vic Ferriday undo his seatbelts.
These typed notes came with a programme that found its way into Graham Brown's collection.