Words and Pictures by: Keith Mainland
The Bo’ness Revival is ‘organised by enthusiasts for enthusiasts’ and is bucking the trend in Scotland by just surviving – largely due to its non-profit motive. This year the Revival celebrated 60 years since Jim Clark won the Hillclimb in the same Lotus Elite that he shared with John Whitmore at LeMans in 1959. The celebration coincided with the reopening of the expanded Jim Clark Rooms in Duns, now renamed the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum and the Revival organisers made that the destination for the non-competitive classic run on the Saturday.
While the Revival Hillclimb competitors battled the ‘Scottish Mist’ (rain) for most of Saturday, the large entry for the Jim Clark Road Tour found better weather on the way to Duns. Having enjoyed visiting the Jim Clark Rooms a number of times, the Museum a significant improvement and, like Clark himself, is at the same time humble and humbling. It is a fantastic testament to the passionate and dedicated community of relatives and fans that have made it happen. An added bonus was to see Sally Swart (nee Stokes), Clark’s long time girlfriend enjoying the Museum and chatting to F1 journalist Peter Windsor.
The weather improved for Sunday’s Hillclimb but the 600-yard course was still wet at the bottom and dry at the top. This resulted in some hairy moments and unfortunate ‘offs’ for a few over-enthusiastic drivers. At lunch time there was a run up the hill for an eclectic group of cars that Clark had raced, from a Goggomobile that required pushing backwards in Autotests because it had no reverse gear to a DKW Sonderclasse and Lotus Elan through to the Ex-Border Reivers D-Type Jaguar that Clark drove to 12 wins from 20 starts in 1958.
Bo’ness is always remarkable for the variety and eccentricity of the entries in the classic run as well as the hillclimb. In amongst the usual selection of vintage and classic saloon, sports and racing cars, things that caught my eye were Colin MacLachlan’s Austin Seven Special, an Austin Hearse, Talbot Sunbeam Alpine, Terrapin Mk5 SR, Porsche 904’FF’ replica and Andrew and Jenny Howells’ Hillman Super Imp.
The hillclimb results were affected by weather and course conditions on both days with Sunday times being quicker and some fastest times being set on first or second runs.
Class winners were:
Class 1 – Saloon and sports cars prior to 31.12.30
Saturday: Adam Smith, Frazer Nash Super Sport 37.86secs (2nd run)
Sunday: Derek Sweeney, Riley Brooklands 41.23secs (1st run)
Class 2 – Saloon and sports cars 1.1.31 – 31.12.46
Saturday: Paul Neil-MacLachlan, Austin Seven 40.38secs (1st run)
Sunday: Paul Neil-MacLachlan, Austin Seven 37.20secs (1st run)
Class 3 – Saloon and sports cars 1.1.47 – 31.12.61
Saturday: Fraser Ewart, Bentley Mk6 V8 Special 36.79secs (1st run)
Sunday: Keith Beningfield, MG TC 33.06secs (2nd run)
Class 4 – Saloon and sports cars 1.1.62 – 31.12.73
Saturday: Keiron Baillie, Lotus 7 36.10secs (1st run)
Sunday: Keiron Baillie, Lotus 7 33.06secs (2nd run)
Class 5 – Road going cars 1.1.74 – 31.12.80
Saturday: Nigel Galvin, Ford Escort Mk2 RS 34.02secs (2nd run)
Sunday: Nigel Galvin, Ford Escort Mk2 RS 32.58secs (1st run)
Class 6 – Sports racing cars 1.1.47 – 31.12.73
Saturday: Angus Buchan, Terrapin Mk5 SR 34.84secs (2nd run)
Sunday: Scott Goodfellow, Mallock Mk 6B 32.73secs (2nd run)
Class 7 – Single seater racing cars prior to 31.12.65
Saturday: Sarah Thorne, Lotus 20/22 36.32secs (2nd run)
Sunday: Sarah Thorne, Lotus 20/22 32.76secs (1st run)
Class 8 – Single seater racing cars 1.1.66 – 31.12.73
Saturday: Andrew Paterson, Lotus Type 61 32.67secs (2nd run)
Sunday: Andrew Paterson, Lotus Type 61 30.51secs (2nd run)
Class 9 – The Jim Clark celebration class
Saturday: John Albiston, Lotus 23b 34.17secs (2nd run)
Sunday: John Albiston, Lotus 23b 31.58secs (2nd run)
Class 10a – Single Marque, Porsche pre 1974
Saturday: Colin Mackinnon, Porsche 911 33.07secs (2nd run)
Sunday: Colin Mackinnon, Porsche 911 30.68secs (2nd run)
Class 10b – Single Marque, Jaguar pre 1974
Saturday: Geoff Mansfield, Kougar Special 41.60secs (2nd run)
Sunday: Geoff Mansfield, Kougar Special 40.58secs (2nd run)
Class 10c – Single Marque, Mini variant pre 1974
Saturday: David Smith, Mini Marcos 35.26secs (1st run)
Sunday: Duncan Hopkinson, Austin Mini 33.52secs (2nd run)
Class 10d – Single Marque, Spridget pre 1974
Saturday: Steven Muir, Austin Healey Sprite 35.35secs (2nd run)
Sunday: Steven Muir, Austin Healey Sprite 33.55secs (2nd run)
Class 10e – Single Marque – Triumph pre 1974
Saturday: Jim Johnstone, Triumph TR6 37.60secs (1st run)
Sunday: Jim Johnstone, Triumph TR6 35.01secs (2nd run)
Class 11 – Formula Junior pre 1964
Saturday: Stephen Cooper, Formula Junior 37.25secs (1st run)
Sunday: N/A
