Roger Twelvetrees came off the track on the Stebbe Straight in the first few laps of the second race of the day at the VSCC’s final race meeting of the year.
The race was quickly red flagged with several ambulances arriving on the scene of the crash.
However, it was confirmed later by governing body Motorsport UK that Twelvetrees had not survived the crash.
In a statement, Motorsport UK said: “The thoughts of everyone at Motorsport UK are with his family and friends, the Vintage Sports-Car Club and members of the motorsport community.”
Twelvetrees was driving a Wolseley 16/20 when the incident occurred and had started on the front row of the grid. Rain had delayed the start of the race by five minutes and made the track slippery.
After the incident, the VSCC decided to cancel the remainder of the meeting, which meant that only one full race was completed - the Young Person’s Scratch Race, won by Theodore Hunt in a Frazer Nash TT Replica.
Twelvetrees’ son, William, was also contesting the Edwardian race, driving his father’s Buick D45 and had started on the fifth row.
Twelvetrees Sr was a well-known author, writing several children’s books, many of which involved the Buick his son was racing.
Also regarded as an excellent engineer, Twelvetrees frequented many VSCC events and was a well-known face within the paddock.
This is the first death in a UK car race since Angela Lucas died in the C1 Race Series encounter at Snetterton in July 2021 and the first VSCC fatality since 2014 - when Garry Whyte died at Silverstone.
Motorsport UK has initiated a full investigation into the circumstances of the incident and has stated it will work closely with the VSCC and other relevant authorities.
Autosport sends its sincere condolences to Twelvetrees’ family and friends.
