Rex Flowers: A Story of his 1961 Gemini Mk3A-09 Cosworth-Ford FJ Part 2 of 15

Bill Moss followed up the first race win in Rex’s Gemini Mk3A with a second win that day at Silverstone. This time, the race was for ‘Formule Libre’ cars and held over 10 laps; entrants included FJ cars as well as those with larger engines including 2.0, 2.5 and 2.7 litre Cooper and Lotus single-seater racing cars, Major Baillie’s 2.9 litre Aston Martin DBR2 sports car and G Lee’s ex-Border Reivers 3.8 litre Lister Jaguar sports racing car. Bill Moss in Rex’s #69 Gemini Mk3A Cosworth-Ford 1098cc took first place ahead of #221 S.J Diggory in a Lotus 18 2490cc, #216 John Rhodes in a 1340cc Cooper who was third; #75 Count S. Ouvaroff’s Ausper FJ was 4^th, #220 R.F. Pierpont’s Lotus 20 1960cc was 5^th, and Mike Spence’s Emeryson FJ was in 6^th place. Bill’s race time for the 10 laps was 17 mins 47.4 secs for an average speed in the race of 98.72mph. Bill also recorded the fastest lap with a time of 1min 45secs for an average speed of 100.35mph. Two wins from two starts was an excellent debut outing for Rex’s Gemini, even if he did not know that car had been raced!

Motor Sport magazine of November 1961, page 924, covered the Silverstone meeting under a title “Clubman’s Championship – Bill Moss wins twice in F.J Gemini.”…The 10-lap FJ race was fast and furious. Bill Moss had led all the way in a red Gemini which belonged to a customer who had asked for it to be thoroughly tested! [Rex has since denied that he asked the Gemini ‘works’ to test his car!!] Second place was closely contested between Proctor’s Alexis and Gardner’s Jim Russell Lotus 20. These three places were unchanged throughout and Count Ouvaroff held fourth position the Cosworth-tuned Ausper but Pinckney worked his Lotus 20 up into fifth place taking first Fenning’s Lotus [18]-Ford, then Attwood’s [T56] Cooper. Harris’ Lotus [18] and Mackay’s 1960 Cooper indulged in a shunt and Rees’ Terrier burst its clutch, to the detriment of the driver’s ankle. [Major A.M.R.] Mallock’s U2 and Anstice Brown’s Hillwood Fiat were completely outclassed. An interesting car was Tilden’s C.M.B. which had a B.M.C transverse power ploy at the back.’

‘The day’s sport concluded with a Formule Libre event, a splendidly assorted section of cars appearing. Moss’ Gemini took three of the ten laps to get clear of a Lotus-Climax 18 [S.J.Diggory -2490cc] and after six laps J Rhodes in a 1960 F.J. Cooper that Bob Gerrard had let him build up, using Webers and a Ford Consul Classic crank and rods, disposed of the [Count Ouvaroff] Ausper. There was much bunching further back, with the U2 wedge immovably behind Baille’s Aston Martin with Beer’s Lotus and Cowles’ Lotus 18 helping to drive the wedge home. ‘

The Brands Hatch and Snetterton events were also mentioned in the 2013 book by Richard Heseltine ‘A Chequered Life: Graham Warner and The Chequered Flag’, at page 65. “The season was by now drawing rapidly to a close, the penultimate meeting of the year proving one of the squad’s most fulfilling. Armed with a Mk3A destined for an overseas buyer, Moss was entered in the Formula Junior and Formula Libre races at Silverstone on October 1 [this should read October 7]……. Moss continued where Warner left off [Warner won a GT race in his Lotus Elite] aboard his red customer car, winning both single seater races at a canter. The ’Flag left Kent with three wins and as many fastest laps from four starts. It would have been a near perfect season finale, but Moss had been entered in the BRSCC Formula Junior race at Snetterton on October 7 [this should read October 8]. After qualifying on pole, he was comfortably leading, only to retire with brake failure which allowed Frank Gardner through to win aboard Jim Russell’s Lotus 20.”