LOTTERER ENDS LISTER’S WAIT
“I owe it all to Andre Lotterer,” smiled Fred Wakeman after the German’s extraordinary pace had cemented his unique Lister-jaguar coupe’s maiden victory in Goodwood’s RAC Tourist Trophy Celebration. Fellow Le Mans winners – Andy Wallace (third in 2004), Richard Attwood and Tom Kristensen (fifth, 2012 and 2015) and Benoit Treluyer (third last year) – had tried, but Anthony Reid – third at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1990 – had come closest with seconds in 2008 and 2013, partnered by Justin Law and Chris Harris respectively.
The Frank Costin-designed spaceframe Lister was rebodied for Peters Lumsden and Sargent’s 1963 Le Mans assault. Lotterer’s stunning 1m24.735s best in the 3.8-litre straightsix-engined aerodyne secured pole. With the 4.7-litre Ford V8-powered TVR Griffith of Mike Whitaker/mike Jordan and AC Cobra of Adrian Willmott/andy Jordan, the 5.3-litre Bizzarrini-chevrolet of Olivier Hart/nic Minassian and the Cobras of Andrew Smith/oliver Bryant and Bill Shepherd/ Nick Padmore ensconced in the 1m25s, and 19 of the 27 qualifiers inside 1m30s, a fast race was in prospect. Best of the Jaguar E-types was Richard Meins/rob Huff’s in seventh.
Wakeman started conservatively and, despite being bumped in the right-rear arch by
Minassian into Madgwick at the start, held his nerve to come round fifth, behind Minassian, Willmott
(who won the initial drag race),
Whitaker and Smith, with
Shepherd, Reid and Alex Brundle
(starting Gary Pearson’s E-type) filling his mirrors. Wakeman was a solid eighth on lap four when Stig Blomqvist pirouetted down the belting to the detriment of Nick Jarvis’s Chevrolet Corvette.
Having ousted Willmott and Minassian into Madgwick on successive laps, Whitaker saw the back of the Porsche safety car for nine agonising tours. With the pits out of bounds until after the green, tactics came into play. Wakeman’s mandatory two-minute stop was naturally among the earliest, whereupon the Lotterer magic kicked in, with consistent 1m24s laps. He finally plundered Adrian Newey’s 2012 record set in what rivals referred to as the N-type Jaguar!
Whitaker ran long, but Lotterer jumped Mike Jordan on the TVR’S out-lap and then yowled past Bryant, who soon had Jordan Sr on his tail. He engineered a way past Bryant for second at Lavant eight laps from home, but the jour de gloire was Lotterer’s, repeating last year’s win in Chris Wilson’s Cobra.
“LOTTERER FINALLY PLUNDERED ADRIAN NEWEY’S 2012 LAP RECORD”