The national racing year blasts off
It was Bolton pride weekend at Donington Park on Friday and Saturday, as the Masters’ historic event opened the national racing season.
A Bolton-built Chevron won in Masters Historic Sports as Bolton racers Tom Bradshaw and Callum Grant both scored tremendous wins.
Grant was the star of the opening Historic F2 race in his Formula Atlantic-specification March 79B. With the front row absent, it was Rob Wheldon who took the early lead in his March 762 with Matt Wrigley’s Chevron B40 in hot pursuit.
Fraser Gibney settled his Chevron into third, while Grant set about the not insignificant task of dislodging Martin Stretton from fourth. He eventually did and duly set off in pursuit of Gibney. Meanwhile, up front, Wheldon retired with a broken driveshaft leaving Wrigley leading as Grant hunted him down. Then, in the late stages, Wrigley also lost a driveshaft so Grant jumped ahead and scored a famous win from Gibney and
Stretton. “I didn’t expect that,” said an elated Grant. “It’s an amazing car with so much grip.”
Later, Andrew Smith added to his weekend tally by winning the second Formula 2 race. After his March 742 was sidelined from the first race with an electrical problem, Smith started from the back and scythed through to the lead as Stretton fended off Grant in a race full of battles.
Classic Formula 3 spoils were shared between Connor Murphy and the busy Andrew Smith. Murphy won the first race under constant pressure but was jumped in the second race and then retired as a misfire set in.
Bradshaw, a near neighbour and friend of Grant, was equally impressive in the Historic Sports counter. Early on, he nibbled away at the rear of the Lola T70 Mk3B of Alex Buncombe and when Buncombe retired with a gearbox problem, Bradshaw was able to jump clear and win at a canter, finishing 45 seconds clear of the rest of the pack.
Second could well have gone to British Touring Car Championship racer Jake Hill, having his first race in a car of this style, after taking over the Chevron B26 of Roberto Giordanelli. Sadly, just as Hill dived underneath Jonathan Mitchell’s Chevron B19 to take second place, the clutch expired and Hill’s race was over. Mitchell then had to fight off Chris Beighton’s Lola T70 before taking second place.
Both Historic Formula 1 wins were taken by Mike Cantillon and he dominated Friday’s opener in his Williams FW07C. However, on Saturday, Steve Hartley drove the wheels off his McLaren MP4/1 only to lose out late in the race when he overshot the apex of the chicane and allowed the closely chasing Cantillon to nip through as Hartley recovered.
The combination of Marcus Jewell and Ben Clucas was too strong for the rest of the bumper Pre ’66 Touring Car field, even with a mid-race safety car period. Their Lotus Cortina romped clear of the V8 brigade, which was headed by the Mustangs of Craig Davies and Dave Coyne.
The Pearson brothers claimed another Jaguar E-type type victory in the Gentleman Drivers’ race, but it was never a straightforward affair.
Gary Pearson started in his brother John’s car and John later took over to fend off the TVRs and Cobras for a hard-earned victory. Jack Dex (BR01) and Steve Tandy (LolaJudd B12/60) emerged as the victors in two excellent Masters Endurance Legends races.