It was to be a proud moment, and one that vintage car racer David Rushton had looked forward to for some time writes Ben Bentley.

“We were all going to take part in the Loton Park Hill Climb this year – my dad, my brother and I should have been there at the start line, me in the MG, dad in the Alvis and my brother in his Riley.”

But tragedy was to hit the family from Hinstock near Market Drayton. In 2009 both David’s father Mike and his brother Robert died, leaving just David, now aged 28, to carry on the family tradition of racing classic sports cars.

Robert died of a virus on the brain in February 2009, aged 22. David’s father died of prostate cancer in five months later, aged 60.

However, Mike’s widow Jane and eldest son are always cheerful, and it is fitting that David has taken over Mike’s 1932 MG M-Type.

“It’s a real driver’s car,” says David indicating the stunning little M-Type, an 850cc, four-cylinder, four-speed sports that is painted battleship grey with red leather seats.

• See our photo gallery to the right

“It’s very light, lighter than the smallest modern cars out there, and you feel every bump. And the windshield is virtually non-existent so you get the wind in your face and 30mph feels like 70mph in a modern car. You are out there on a B-road going 25-30mph and think you are a racing driver on the edge.”

David, a school teacher, grew up in a Vintage Sports Car Club family and travelled to events in vintage cars – first in his pram on the back seat of the Alvis and then in baby seats and harnesses his father had cunningly fitted to the cars.

He toddled around in the garage holding spanners and generally getting in the way, but mostly sitting behind the wheel of the M-Type going “Brm Brm”.

At the age of three he laid claim to the M-Type and Mike promised him that it would be his when he grew up. David never forgot and kept reminding his dad, so the car was duly handed over as an 18th birthday present.

David listened, fascinated, to tales of his father competing in vintage Sports Car Speed Events. During the seventies Mike entered the M-Type for sprints, hill climbs and race meetings at home and abroad.

The photo albums were frequently brought out and they pored over photos of the little grey 850cc M-type dicing with big throaty Alvis and Vauxhalls or little three-wheeler Morgans.

David loved the photo of the M-Type climbing Prescott, rounding Pardon with two wheels off the deck. There is an impressive black and white framed photo on the landing of the family home of Mike looking very intense racing at Nurburgring in Germany. Stories abound of how the M Type would have done better on the day “if only . . .”

Indeed “the best story of all” was when Mike was competing in the historic races at Nurburgring in 1978.

David’s mother Jane says: “Our pit was close to the pits of the Three Wheeler Morgans which were very quick and attracting a lot of attention. Juan Manuel Fangio was making a guest appearance that year and came into the pits to look at the cars.

“He was fascinated by the Morgans and came over to look. He needed to rest and so sat in the M-Type while he talked to the drivers. David was enthralled – Fangio was his all time favourite racing driver and he actually sat in his M Type!”

But the M Type’s finest hour was undoubtedly at Cadwell Park in 1981. For once everything was working well at the same time and the car flew round the track.

Disaster

After a really good dice with some other MGs, it looked as if Mike would actually win a race when the marshal black—flagged him. Disaster – the bonnet catch had come loose and the bonnet side was flapping in the breeze. Oh well — campaigning in an M Type is not for the faint hearted!

As a young lad, David grew up on race circuits for hill trials. “We got to sit in all the cars and my job was to run up the hill to find out how far up the cars had got, then run back down and tell the marshals.

“I can remember watching the cars going by and thinking, ‘I want to be a driver, I want that car!’”

The family would attend auto tests, where Mike often competed.

“One event used to be a slow-fast test, where cars had to go as slow as possible for 20 metres and then as fast as possible for another 30 metres. My job was to walk alongside the cars during the slow section making sure the drivers didn’t touch the brake or the clutch, so I’d be walking alongside these beautiful Bentleys and Bugattis.

“One time there was a Bugatti GP and even during the slow section I had to sprint to keep up with it.”

David began competing in the old M-Type when the car officially became his upon his 18th birthday.

“We did trials and we did okay but driving was harder than I thought,” says David. “I was young and exuberant and I was frustrated because I could not understand how I could not get up the hill.”

Gradually he learned his craft and has since competed with success in VSCC trials, but has always dreamed of entering speed events. Mike tried to discourage him saying he couldn’t afford it and the speed of the cars these days would mean the M-Type was not competitive, but David remained determined.

And since Mike’s death last summer he has become even more determined to “have a go”. So with help and support from friends in the VSCC he will be competing in the M-Type for the very first time at Loton Park on September 4 and 5.

Loton Park was very close to David’s father’s heart. Mike felt that it was an event for the “real VSCC” and worked very hard with the local committee to establish it as a favourite date in the VSCC calendar. As David says, maybe the car will go well and maybe it won’t, but either way he will feel very proud to be driving the M-Type in memory of his father.

“It’s exciting but I don’t want to make a fool of myself and slide across the track and make a mess of the car!” says David.

“But once I’m there and sitting on the start line I’m sure everything will be fine but I expect I will have mixed emotions – excited to be there but regretful that my dad and brother are not there.

“For some people it might be like a wedding day where loved ones from your family won’t be there.”

“But as I’m going round the corners I’m sure that I’ll hear dad’s voice saying ‘You’re going too fast!’.”