Photographing VSCC Mallory Park and Bemsee Snetterton. 2, 3 or 4 wheels ? You decide.

Report by David Harbey

10 September 2024

Regular readers may recall the detached retina I suffered in late July. Thanks to Moorfields NHS, the sight was saved (it was that close) and after a follow up appointment I have been cleared to drive again. What to do with my new found freedom ? Well, there’s a multi-wheeled double header at Mallory Park and Snetterton to sort out tickets for.

VSCC would be a series of races and handicaps for older cars and, in some cases, older drivers in a relaxed but still competitive setting. Bemsee offers club racing for motorbike, sidecar and kart racing across their weekend programme with the emphasis on plenty of track action.

As we arrived at Mallory mid-morning Saturday (Andrew chauffeured for the day) the cars were running around behind a safety car – it appears there was a doctor, but not the right paperwork.

The pragmatic decision was taken for competitors to practice behind the safety car and grids would be set by the race officials. Given that there was a couple of handicap races on the programme, they were well placed to do so. We wandered into the paddock to see what we could see.

Whilst a VSCC (Vintage Sports Car Club) race meeting will normally focus on pre-war cars, they also have invitation classes racing and the Mallory meeting of late has included the Bob Gerard Memorial and Robert Astley Trophy race which allows pre-1966 racing cars.

These are the first Grand Prix cars I remember watching and, in the past, they have had a good entry of post war cars including the occasional Indy roadster. Sadly, this year the entry was rather down on previous years, but it is good to see these cars relatively close up in a fence free environment.

Here's our postcard from around the track at the invariably excellent viewing and photography locations at Mallory. We didn’t get as far as the Hairpin on this visit.

Mallory turned out to be a little chilly with a marked breeze at times. Sunday however, turned out to be anything but – it just got hotter – not helped by the lack of any shade at Snetterton. T’was hot and hazy for any long shots. I started out at my usual spot opposite the pits for some slow shutter speed panning – when it’s good it’s good, when it’s not, it’s blurry …

Then to Coram in time for the karts, more two wheeled action and then the sidecars – the latter were a particularly colourful sight ! Like Mallory, there is little fencing at Snetterton to get in the way. Even that recently installed at Coram don’t rule out some decent shots.

With the temperature in the high 20s, it was soon time to make an early exit in air-conditioned splendour. It had been good to get out and have a couple of days back to back with the camera.