PAUL ROTHEROE TAKES THE PRESTIGEOUS DAVE SIMPSON MEMORIAL TROPHY

At the latest round of the CNC Heads Sports and Saloon Car Championship the competitors competed for the Dave Simpson Memorial Trophy. This is one of the most sought after and impressive trophies competed for in club motorsport.

Over 40 years ago the Centre was looking to organise and promote a Championship to run at the race meetings we were organising at the time. Dave Simpson along with Ken Mitchell and John Leck agreed that the best option was to run, initially a series, then a Championship for sports and saloon cars that the fan could relate to cars on the road. Dave was most enthusiastic with his support and encouragement in the early days of the Championship. In those early days we used to run a chase car at the back of the formation lap and Dave was often the driver. Many times he came back in having wanted to put himself on the back of the grid and ‘join in’! Dave saw the Championship become a healthy and thriving championship but was so sadly taken from us before he could see the great success it has become today.

The trophy was presented to the Centre by Margaret Simpson in honour of her husband Dave. The trophy was first presented in 1992 with Neil Jackson in his Lenham Le Mans Coupe being the first holder.

In order to allow as many drivers to ‘have a go’ at taking the trophy the Centre decided that the trophy would be presented to the driver winning their class by the greatest margin (initially that was determined by time but now by greatest difference in average speed). This year most of the classes were closer than ever and there was not much difference in average speed of the top two. However, Class E saw a big difference in speed, and Paul Rotheroe was the clear winner of the Dave Simpson Memorial Trophy. Paul is leading the championship overall though did suffer a rare retirement in his Citroen Xsara in the second race of the day, luckily the trophy was safely his from the first race.

The photograph, courtesy of David Jones sees Margaret Simpson presenting the trophy to Paul Rotheroe.

John Leck