National reports: Donington Park; Silverstone; Mallory Park; Knockhill; Castle Combe
DONINGTON PARK MSVR 3-5 MAY
In a weekend of tremendous racing from fine grids, Julian Thomas and
Calum Lockie bagged wins in two very different cars during the excellent Donington Historic Festival.
The Historic Touring Car Challenge season opener was a fantastic evocation of period touring car racing and the early lead contest was a sight to behold as BMW M3s, Ford Sierra Cosworths and Cologne Capris went at it hammer and tongs. Thomas was right up there in his RS500 until he ran wide at Coppice and got rapidly bundled down the order.
Chris Boardman and Colin Turkington set the M3 pace as Thomas worked to recover, and a very slick stop had Lockie out ahead in the RS500. As the M3s dropped away a little, it was Adam Morgan, in for Ric Wood in a Cologne Capri, who took up the chase of the RS500. But Lockie had it under control and measured his pace for a cracking victory. “I made a schoolboy error and let everyone past,” said Thomas.
Nick and Harry Whale worked hard with a significant vibration to get their M3 onto the podium, while Steve Dance could have been up there as well in his Cologne Capri but had to settle for fourth after a pitstop infringement.
On Saturday, Thomas and Lockie won the Jaguar Classic Challenge but only after an action-packed final lap as Lockie fought to fend off Gary Pearson. Into the chicane, the E-types went head-to-head and Lockie had to catch a big slide as Pearson skittered through the gravel. Having shared the second-placed car with his brother John, Pearson also clinched third by sharing the E-type of Richard Kent.
A superb HGPCA field was another highlight with two races for the Nuvolari and Ascari Trophies, and it was Miles Griffiths in Peter Walker’s Lotus 16 who scored a commanding double. Tony Wood (Tec-mec Maserati) and Joaquin Folch (Lotus 16) shared the podium, but Wood dropped to third on Sunday when the Tec-mec lost a cylinder.
Both Formula Junior double-headers produced double victories as Cameron Jackson (Brabham BT2) and Peter de la Roche (Lola Mk2) dominated the rearand front-engined contests respectively.
It was a weekend of family wins, including Mike and Andrew Jordan, who topped the HRDC Touring Greats in their Austin A40. Considering he had left the Old Hairpin in an ambulance six days earlier, Andrew’s pace and commitment down the Craner Curves was astonishing. Brothers Andrew and Max Banks guided their Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA to U2TC spoils, while John and Gary
Pearson were the class of the Woodcote Trophy field in their Jaguar D-type.
Young Jack Minshaw was impressive as he shared father Jon’s Jaguar E-type in the Pre-’63 GT race and shot into a commanding early lead. Niall Murray had started at the back after being late out in Niall Mcfadden’s E-type, but his charge through the field was sublime and showed that time spent recently in drifting competitions back in Ireland had paid dividends.
After the stops, Minshaw Sr assumed control as Mcfadden dropped away and Simon Hadfield brought the Aston Martin DB4 of Wolfgang Friedrichs up into second.
Barely 12 hours after they’d been on the GTSCC podium, Hadfield and Leo Voyazides were back in action at the head of the HRDC Allstars race in their Shelby Cobra Coupe. Early leader John Spiers retired his TVR Griffith with brake problems, and that left the Cobra to win by a lap from the Ford Falcon of Thomas and Lockie.
Fred Wakeman and Patrick Blakeneyedwards made it two wins in their weekend by adding the Mad Jack Trophy to their GTSCC triumph (see opposite) in their Frazer Nash Super Sports. A quick spin with brake issues cost Gareth Burnett his lead in the Alta, and two broken chains left the Parker GN of early leader Justin Maeers and Charlie Martin with only third and fourth gears.
Olly Bryant could scarcely believe his misfortune in the Stirling Moss Trophy when his Lotus 15 repeated its penultimatelap suspension breakage of 12 months earlier. Bryant deserved more than bitter disappointment after a faultless drive, but could only watch as Richard Kent swept ahead in his Lister-jaguar Costin.
To close the weekend, Oscar Rovelli/ Ambrogio Perfetti (Lotus Cortina) bagged the Coys Trophy in the face of a dogged pursuit by team-mate Peter Chambers.