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Originally Posted by Vitesse
Boddy's description of Houldsworth's accident says that his car hit the straw bales and cartwheeled up the banking. That presumably means he hit the first bale of the deviation with the offside front wheel as he was leaving the banking?
Like Tim, I'm not aware of him having any previous 'form': there's no apparent trace of him at Donington in 1933-4 either.
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I've just found another description of Houldsworth's accident in The Times of June 25th 1934.
It took place in the second part of what were referred to as the "snake" bends, which he approached at about 80mph. He hit the bale and the report confirms the car was travelling up the banking when it overturned, rolling twice, with Houldsworth still "stuck to the steering wheel". The unfortunate driver's skull was fractured and he was taken swiftly to Weybridge Cottage Hospital, accompanied by his wife. Sadly, he died there later in the day.
The Times confirms that he had never raced at Brooklands before and says he had completed more laps than anyone else in practice for the race. However, he had apparently competed in several races at Donington: if that was indeed the case he certainly wasn't prominent in the results.
As a footnote, a Mrs J Houldsworth took part in a Ladies' Mountain Handicap on October 13th 1934: might she have been his widow?