No stopping Bill on Brands return

Motorsport

Ashford racing driver Bill Richards bounced back from mechanical failure at last year’s Brands Hatch Mini Festival to pick up two victories at the circuit on Sunday.

The Rover Metro racer, 65, entered two Fastest Mini in the

‘When you look at the quality it was a great achievement’

World Allcomers encounters, taking the victory in both.

Richards – who has a workshop on the Ellingham Industrial Estate – qualified on pole position in his car – nicknamed Bessie – after setting a time of 54.001sec in qualifying.

He survived contact with Lee Jones at Clearways on the third lap of race one to take the flag Bill Richards, inset, picked up two victories at Brands Hatch in his Metro in first, recovering from a trip across the grass during the incident.

Richards said: “I went sideways all over the place in the middle of Clearways but kept the thing running and got back on.

“The gap wasn’t there and he apologised afterwards but I drove a defensive race after that and kept a one-second margin to the others.

“I got back on and had to do two laps gently but it worked out in the end.”

Richards went on to beat Jim Lyons to top-spot in race two after defending from Shayne Deegan in the early stages.

It marked a stark change in fortune for Richards, who retired from last year’s event with wheel bearing failure while leading the race.

He added: “We are over the moon as it is a big race to win.

“When you look at the amount of machinery and the quality of what I was racing against, it is a great achievement.

“Bessie does well for her age and it was a good weekend.”

Meanwhile, Woodchurchbased Nick Swift also tasted success at Brands, picking up three podium finishes.

He chased Endaf Owens to the line in the first SU Euro Challenge event for pre-1966 Minis before finishing third in the second encounter.

Swift had initially led but worked his tyres too hard in the early stages and fell to third, following Owens and Chris Morgan to the finish.

He improved in his final race of the weekend, however, taking victory in the 40-minute Sanwa Trophy Mini Endurance thrash.

Pictures: Joe Wright