OUMF at VSCC Pomeroy Trophy

The Oxford Universities Motorsport Foundation has been a large source of strange situations in my life. Seeing a GT40 overtake a BMW 3.0 CSL into Copse on the Silverstone GP circuit is certainly another strange situation to add to my tally. To add to this madness, a small cohort of OUMF members and I were helping to run a Morris Minor Traveller! There is really only one event that could put me in this situation, and that is the famous and eclectic ‘Pomeroy Trophy’. Workshop Editor at Practical Classics magazine, Matt Tomkins, is the owner of the previously mentioned Morris Minor, and it is thanks to him that we got to experience the wackiness of the ‘Pom’. Having continually run since 1952, the ‘Pom’ aims to find the best touring car possible based on a series of tests, including braking, acceleration, agility, storage, and, of course, speed. Matt had the task of writing a full 7-page article on his experience competing in the event and wished for us to ‘prepare’ and look after the Morris Minor throughout the day.

The day certainly did not start smoothly. Matt called us up saying the car's starter motor had gone faulty, so we frantically found as many A-series starters, in varying condition, to hopefully get the thing going. Upon arrival at the track, we saw the bright blue Morris Minor Traveller moving under its own steam! Heading to inspection, a jovial Matt announced he used some persuasive (hammer) techniques to get the starter motor going again. He’s definitely a graduate of OUMF. We then went on to set up our pits next to a GR Yaris, GT40, Morgan, and a Corvette C6. I was speechless at the amount of variety, and this one only one garage! Walking around the paddock was any petrol head's dream with some of the strangest, fastest, and historic automobiles of the last 120 years all at one track - and competing against one another! 
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After Inspection, Matt and his Traveler returned to the garage, and we got our first proper look around the thing. Roll cage? Nope. Fire suppression system? Nope. Adjustable suspension? Nope. A stock, well-done restoration, road car? Yep! Even if it was a bit different than our race cars, we immediately poked around making sure everything was in order before the first set of tests. The tests were strewn across the GP layout of Silverstone, consisting of a braking test, a slalom, a rolling ¼ mile, and a storage test where 2 FIA regulated suitcases must fit into the car. Failure to pass a test would result in point deductions or penalties. Eventually, Matt took to the wheel in full race driver kit and went out to begin his attempt. We were able to see the first test, braking, on the old start finish straight. Cars had to launch and pass some cones, then brake before passing another set of cones. Matt luckily passed and started his ‘lap’. Upon his return to the pits, he sheepishly got out of the car and admitted to doing the slalom backwards! Well, at least the suitcases fit in the back.​

Soon began the prep for the ‘not a race’ race that the ‘Pom’ is famous for. We whizzed the car up, checking all the fluids and adjusting the rear drum brakes with little issue. The only issue we ran into was a loose brake fluid reservoir, which was promptly tightened and cleaned. Happy days for a team usually frantically trying to fix something before the next session. Matt was off trying to get his car in the slower pre-war running of the ‘not race’ race, as well as interviewing some of the other drivers for his article. I then set off around the paddock to see what and who was around. It seemed a lot of the teams and cars we are going to see in the race season were using the day as a bit of a pre-season shakedown. The weather was certainly giving everyone some good conditions as it was the first time I’d seen sunshine in what felt like a month. Matt just returned to the paddock as the pre-war cars left for their ‘not race’, meaning we would be running in the mid-speed class, going up against Elva Couriers, a Ferrari 250, and the big Austin Healeys. Matt took the news alright, but understandably wanted us to make sure his mirrors were properly adjusted. 

When it was his time to go, he went without his neck brace, so OUMF member Charlie Stratton sprinted after him. Damn racing drivers. Due to how the handicap system worked, Matt was tasked with completing 12 laps during the ‘not a race’. A full race prepared Austin A30 also needed to do 12 laps, which brought into question just how valid the quite strange handicapping system the ‘Pom’ utilises is. I won’t go into the maths, but to put it into perspective, one value is calculated to the 6th root of another… Anyhow, he was off, and in the running, so we set up our pit-board to enjoy the next 40 mins of the strangest ‘not a race’ race we had ever been witness to. Luckily, Matt kept it on all four tyres and drove sensibly to complete 10 laps in the allotted 40 minutes. Not a bad effort for a non-race car on stock wheels and tyres. The day ended with the fast group, and the sun started to set. We gave our thanks to Matt for the opportunity and wished him and his Traveller luck on the 2-hour drive back home. 

The Pomeroy certainly stoked our appetites for the racing season. Never had I been to such a varied event where everyone was competing! We now wait while the spreadsheet is filled in with all the penalties, errors, and handicaps to show which car is the best touring car of all time, this year. Personally, I can’t see how a Morris Minor Traveller could possibly lose. 

-Charlie Lemme
3rd Year Motorsport Technology Student