1936 Donington Grand Prix

1936 Donington Grand Prix
Race details
Date	3 October 1936
Official name	II Donington Grand Prix
Location	North West Leicestershire, England
Course	Road course
Course length	4.107 km (2.552 miles)
Distance	120 laps, 492.8 km (306.2 miles)
Weather	Dry
Pole position
Driver	Thomas Cholmondeley-Tapper (by ballot)	Maserati 8CM
Podium
First	Hans Rüesch Richard Seaman	Alfa Romeo
Second	Charlie Martin	Alfa Romeo
Third	Peter Whitehead Peter Walker	E.R.A.

The 1936 Donington Grand Prix was a non-championship Grand Prix that was held on 3 October 1936 at Donington Park in North West Leicestershire, England. It was the 39th race of the 1935 Grand Prix season. The race, which was 120 laps, was won by Hans Ruesch and Richard Seaman, who both drove 60 laps each.

The race was also the final event for the 1936 British Racing Drivers Club Gold Star championship; going into the race, B. Bira led the table, and only Richard Seaman could catch him. Seaman however had to win and to hope that Bira did not score a point, with fifth place being worth one point.

Entries

No.	Driver	Entrant	Car
1	Cyril Mervyn White	C. Mervyn White	Bugatti Type 51
2	Thomas Cholmondeley-Tapper	T. Cholmondeley-Tapper	Maserati 8CM
3	Antony Powys-Lybbe	A. Powys-Lybbe	Alfa Romeo 8C 2300
4	Philip Jucker	P. Jucker	Alta IFS
5	Percy Maclure	P. Maclure	Riley 2000/6
6	Reg Parnell	R. Parnell	MG Magnette
7	Hector Dobbs	Denis Scribbans	E.R.A. R9B
8	Peter Whitehead	P. Whitehead	E.R.A. R10B
9	Darcy Taylor	D. Taylor	Bugatti Type 51
10	Charlie Martin	C. Martin	Alfa Romeo Tipo B
11	Thomas Clarke	T. Clarke	Delahaye 135S
12	Hans Rüesch	H. Rüesch	Alfa Romeo 8C35
14	Douglas Briault	D. Briault	ERA R6B
15	Reggie Tongue	R. Tongue	ERA R11B
16	Arthur Dobson	Arthur Dobson	ERA R7B
17	Ian Connell	I. Connell	Alfa Romeo 8C 2300
18	B. Bira	Prince Chula	Maserati 8CM
19	Austin Dobson	Austin Dobson	Alfa Romeo 8C 2300
20	Pablo Curtis	P. Curtis	Salmson L4
21	Tommy Wisdom	Alan Selborne	Delahaye 135S
22	Laury Schell	Alan Selborne	Delahaye 135S
23	René Carrière	Alan Selborne	Delahaye 135S
24	Christian Kautz	C. Kautz	Maserati 4CM
Source:

Non-participants

A number of reserve drivers were nominated, but did not get to take a turn at the wheel. The most notable of these was Eileen Ellison, who was reserve to Cholmondeley-Tapper, and who took part in official practice.

Pablo Curtis

The only entry which did not turn up was that of Pablo Curtis, an obscure driver from Luxembourg who was claimed to be a national champion, but who had also withdrawn from the Albi Grand Prix and Shelsley Walsh hill climb events earlier in the season. His only actual appearances seem to have been a handful of 1936 events, including the 24 hour Bol d'Or (in which he finished 5th in the 1.1 litre racing category, in his blown Salmson, despite retiring in the 16th hour) and a class victory in a hillclimb at Ars-la Châtre, where a track was later built.

Qualifying

The grid was decided by ballot rather than practice times; Seaman had been fastest in practice, setting a time of 2m 02, four seconds faster than Rüesch, who was in turn just under a second faster than Bira. The cars lined up on the grid in rows of 4, albeit asymmetrically, alternating between two groups of two and a middle group of two with cars on left and right.

Race

The event proved to be more successful than the preceding year, with a much bigger entry, and more overseas interest. The race was also broadcast over radio from 4.15pm, commentary coming from F. J. Findon of the Light Car magazine and motorcycle racer Graham Walker, father of future commentator Murray. Up to 15,000 spectators attended in autumn sunshine and Cholmondeley-Tapper, taking advantage of the fortuitous grid draw, led the first lap as favourite Bira stalled. By the time Bira got going, he had lost nearly 2 laps, and Rüesch took the lead after 4 laps - which he would in fact never lose. By 20 laps his lead over Charlie Martin and Cholmondeley-Tapper was over a minute, and at half-distance - when he handed over to Seaman - the lead over Martin and Whitehead was nearly a lap. After Seaman brought the Alfa home, the competitors were allowed to continue for 10 minutes in order to complete the race distance, Arthur Dobson completing the 120 laps just within the time limit, and the other runners were flagged off; Bira's recovery drive to fifth meant that he pipped Seaman to the Gold Star title.

The main incident in the race was caused by Arthur Dobson's oil filler cap coming loose; this led to a spillage of oil around the circuit, a number of cars going off (including his brother Austin), and the damage from the off-course moment caused Tapper's steering to break. The last runner was shared by Kaye Don and Tommy Wisdom; it was Don's first appearance in a race in two years, and he took over from Wisdom at half-distance, but - with second gear missing - could not make the race pace, and the transmission trouble cost Delahaye the team prize to E.R.A.

Race results

Pos.	No.	Driver(s)	Car	Laps	Time/Retired
1	12	Hans Rüesch Richard Seaman	Alfa Romeo 8C35	120	4:25:22
2	10	Charlie Martin	Alfa Romeo Tipo B	120	4:28:25
3	8	Peter Whitehead Peter Walker	ERA R10B	120	4:31:35
4	15	Reggie Tongue	ERA R11B	120	4:32:29
5	18	"B. Bira"	Maserati 8CM	120	4:33:19
6	16	Arthur Dobson	ERA R7B	120	4:35:06
7	3	Antony Powys-Lybbe	Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza	118	Flagged off
8	23	René Carrière Alan Selborne	Delahaye 135S	118	Flagged off
9	17	Ian Connell Kenneth Evans	Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza	115	Flagged off
10	19	Austin Dobson Andrew Leitch	Alfa Romeo Tipo B	115	Flagged off
11	11	Thomas Clarke	Delahaye 135S	114	Flagged off
12	22	Laury Schell	Delahaye 135S	114	Flagged off
13	14	Douglas Briault	ERA R6B	113	Flagged off
14	9	Darcy Taylor	Bugatti Type 51	112	Flagged off
15	21	Kaye Don Tommy Wisdom	Delahaye 135S	100	Flagged off
ret	7	Hector Dobbs Denis Scribbans	ERA R9B	67	Engine
ret	6	Reg Parnell	MG K3 Magnette	58	Axle shaft
ret	24	Christian Kautz	Maserati 4CM	55	Piston
ret	2	Thomas Cholmondeley-Tapper	Maserati 8CM	42	Steering
ret	1	Cyril Mervyn-White	Bugatti Type 53	23	Propellor shaft
ret	4	Philip Jucker	Alta IFS	23	Oil pressure
ret	5	Percy Maclure	Riley 2000	1	Big end
Source:

External links

• Race footage