King Cobras as AC model dominates in GT and Sports Cars
From a huge field for the GT and Sports Car Cup, Oli and Grahame Bryant bagged a hard-earned victory as Oli shouldered the lion’s share of the work in the family AC Cobra.
The 90-minute race was building to a climax as the Cobras of the Bryants and Leo Voyazides/simon Hadfield squared up to slug it out over the deciding 15 minutes.
With two mandated pitstops, Bryant Jr set a searing pace to move clear of the battling Jaguar E-types of Gary Pearson and Julian Thomas, while Voyazides slotted into fourth. Neither E-type was destined to last, however, as engine woes sidelined Pearson and Thomas had to park up with a detached gear lever.
The middle of the race ran under a lengthy safety car period as the marshals treated an extensive oil slick. Bryant Sr spent most of his stint behind the safety car before handing back to son Oli to do the rest.
Meanwhile, Voyazides took his Cobra back after a hard-charging stint from Simon Hadfield. As Voyazides rejoined with 20 minutes to go, Bryant was powering out of the chicane and the battle was on.
Despite big traffic, Bryant clawed back time and the stage was set for a barnstormer when the lead Cobra cut out and Voyazides coasted off the track. “I had to push as hard as I could and then I saw Leo coming out of the pits,” said Oli Bryant.
John Clark/andrew Smith (E-type) and Wolfgang Friedrichs/ray Mallock (Aston Martin DP214) moved up to complete the overall podium.