500cc Formula 3 cars at Donington Park

I took this photograph at McLeans Corner during the 5 lap Scratch Race for Formula 3 Racing Cars at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011.

Leading is the 1952 Cooper Mk VI of George Shackleton with close behind on the right the 1954 Cooper Mk VIII of Nigel Challis. The red car, mostly hidden by George Shackleton's Cooper, is the 1955 Petty F3 car of David Lecoq, and behind that is the yellow 1952 Kieft CK52 of Rodney Delves. Bringing up the rear in this photograph is the blue 1955 Cousy No2 of John Jones. There's a thriving 500 Owners Association with details of lots of the cars that have competed in 500cc racing since it started in 1946.

On 16 February 2016 I showed photographs of several of the 500cc cars that I had taken in the paddock at this meeting.

Kieft CK52

This car competed in the 500cc Formula 3 Class in the AMOC Miller Oils Historic Formula Junior Championship race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 2002.

It's Rod Delves' 1952 Kieft CK52 Formula 3 car, with a 498cc Manx Norton engine. This Formula started soon after the Second World War as an inexpensive way to go motor racing with a simple chassis powered by a 500cc motor cycle engine, typically Norton or JAP. It produced a whole range of home-made 'Specials' and also limited production runs by the likes of Cyril Kieft and Charles & John Cooper - the latter going on to greater things with their Formula 1 cars. There's a 500 Owners Association for enthusiasts and owners of these cars.

I've shown photographs of the Kieft F3 car previously, on 16 February 2016, 23 March 2016, 27 June 2016 and 25 October 2017.

500cc Formula 3 Cars

I've featured the 500cc Formula 3 cars of the 1950 twice before, at a 1982 Oulton Park meeting on 2 April 2013 and at a 2011 meeting at Donington Park on 11 August 2015. Here are photographs of some more of the 500cc cars at that Donington Park SeeRed meeting in May 2011.

Rodney Delves' 1952 Kieft CK52

Sir John Chisholm's 1952 Arnott 500

George Shackleton's 1952 Cooper Mk VI

Neil Hodges' 1954 Cooper Mk VIII

Xavier Kingsland's 1953 Staride Mk III

Frederick Harper's 1950 Cooper Mk IV

Mrs Shirley Monro's 1950/51 Cooper Mk IV

Mark Palmer's 1956 Wishart Mk II

Roy Hunt's 1953/54 Martin 500

David Whiteside's 1953 Cooper Mk VII

Vernon Williamson's 1950 JP Prototype

John Turner's 1955 Cooper Mk IX

Nigel Challis's 1954 Cooper Mk VIII

More details of the cars, and all aspects of 500cc Formula 3 racing can be found on the 500 Owners Association website.