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 Stirling Moss with the winners
 Stirling presents more prizes
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1st July 1972 – Harringey – European Championship
(MARC)
report from Car Advertiser and Auto News
Car Advertiser and Auto News sponsored their
first major championships this year on Saturday July 1 at
Harringey Stadium. This being the European short-circuit championship
for Grand Prix Midgets, Anglia and Mini Rods and Bangers.
This was promoted by Promotasport and Raceway. Celebrities
to present the major trophies of the night were Stirling Moss,
Judith Jackson of Wheelbase and Sunday Times fame, Dennis
Southwood of the BRSCC, Paul Jantet and Juliet Scott-Gunn
(our own lady journalist). By 7.45, the start of the first
race, a terrific crowd had assembled to watch battle commence.
The first race of the night was for Grand Prix Midgets. 19
cars came to the line and after one warming up lap the race
was on. Tony Bostock (Ed Hot Bra) took the lead which, one
way and another, he held for 10 laps. Martin Robertson was
in second place, followed by Cliff Davis (Car Adv), Paul Emery
and Peter Jopp. Robertson took the lead on lap 11 with Paul
Emery and Cliff Davis second and third. At this stage in the
race there were one or two hectic moments as the star men
worked their way through the field. Tony Bostock, although
fast along the straights was most unpredictable on the corners
but still on lap 13 Emery came through to take the lead and
in fact held it to the finish. Cliff Davis after a struggle
with Roberston managed to get past into 2nd place and Robertson
hung on in 3rd position. The bad luck story of this race was
Brian Spicer who had yet another visit to the fence after
losing the wheel. The result of this race was: 1st Paul Emery,
2nd Cliff Davis, 3rd Martin Robertson, 4th Tony Stubbs, 5th
Tony Bostock, 6th Peter Jopp.
(Heat two)19 cars came to the grid again unluckily
we were short of two cars. Brian Spicer, who had lost a wheel
and John Smith, No 41, who had become involved in yet another
shunt with Tony Bostock and took no further part. There were
two new drivers out in this heat, namely German born Joe Therstappen
in his first outing in the midget proved that in future races
he will be a man to watch as he soon settled down to the crowded
circuit. P Stapleton took the lead on lap two and held it
for six laps, closely followed by T Stubbs, Cliff Davis, John
Holtham and Paul Emery. On lap eight our very own editor took
the lead and proceeded to lose it. Again on the following
lap – it was yet again Tony Bostock who managed to spin in
front of him causing him to brake hard and allowing P Stapleton
to take first place with Cliff Davis in second place followed
closely by Emery and our own Ed. who in turn had Holtham and
Underhill in close attendance. Cliff Davis’s car went on lap
13 with a damaged rear suspension allowing Emery into second
place. Final positions of this hear were: 1st Peter Stapleton,
2nd Paul Emery, 3rd Tony Stubbs, 4th John Holtham, 5th David
Underhill, 6th Chris Davis.
The Midget final found only 16 cars qualifying
and after one warming up lap the race was on. Once again Tony
Bostock appeared to be the centre of all the action as on
lap two he appeared to pull over to the outside with a mechanical
problem of some sort and in doing so collected Hedley Leyton
in the Radio Luxembourg car car taking him into the fence.
Meanwhile new driver Therstappen held the lead for the first
seven laps closely pursued by Robertson, Stapleton, Underhill
and Emery with P Jopp close behind. Robertson took the lead
on lap eight with Holtham now in sixth place followed by T
Stubbs. On lap 10 Emery moved round the outside, slipping
into second place with our editor moving into third. On lap
17 Robertson made contact with Chris Davis putting Chris out
of the race. This put Emery into the lead, followed by Holtham,
Underhill and Stubbs. By lap 21 Robertson drove through the
field back into sixth place, by lap 22 Underhill and Neil
collided putting both cars out. A fantastic finish to a very
exciting race – 1st Paul Emery, 2nd Tony Stubbs, 3rd John
Holtham, 4th Joe Therstappen, 5th Martin Robertson, 6th Peter
Jopp.
Trophies were presented to Paul Emery and
Tony Stubbs by Stirling Moss and on their lap of honour the
crowd gave Stirling and the drivers a great ovation.
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