Thruxton, Hampshire June 12-13, 2021
Last July I reported on the Thruxton Thriller historic race meeting. While the racing was thrilling, the atmosphere certainly wasn’t as there weren’t any spectators. Almost a year on and the crowds were back. The sun was shining, people were enjoying the racing, they were having picnics on the grassy spectator banking, wandering around the paddock licking ice creams and looking at the race cars. It was lovely to see folk smiling and laughing without face masks. Attendance numbers were limited but you’d hardly notice. Even in normal times, Thruxton’s historic meetings are never that crowded, which in my book makes for a rather pleasant day out and the ticket prices won’t dent your wallet either, especially as children aged 15 and under get in free.
This year’s event was organised jointly by Historic Promotions and Thruxton Race Circuit and featured 11 races over two days. There were only two single-seater races competing for the Jochen Rindt Trophy and the rest were for tin tops, GTs and sports cars. All of the American entries were racing with the Historic Racing Drivers Club, which was founded in 2011 and run by the colourful and enthusiastic Julius Thurgood, whose objective was to go back to grass roots, old school, good value club racing. “No frills, just the thrills” as he likes to put it. Very popular it is too.
Thirty-seven cars qualified for the 45-minute, two-driver Jack Sears Trophy race for 1958-66 touring cars including Duncan Pittaway’s baby blue Barracuda, but alas problems kept him off the grid for the actual race start. Pole sitter was the striking gold and white Studebaker Lark Daytona 500 of Adrian Willmott and Mark Farmer. During qualifying the Lark had a spin at the first corner and having taken the lead in the race, did the very same thing again, dropping it to the back of the field. The battle for the lead against a trio of hot Lotus Cortinas was taken up by the dark blue Mustang of Alex Thistlethwaite, while the Lark valiantly clawed its way back through the field, only to retire on lap 17 of the 28-lap race. After a good dice, Alex’s Mustang bit the dust in the dying stages, leaving Lotus Cortinas in first, second and third place. The Mustang of Dave Coyne and Adrian Miles finished fifth.
Pole position for Sunday’s Dunlop Allstars race for Pre-’66 Sports GTs was the Shelby Cobra Daytona Competition Coupe replica of David Smithies, painted in the ‘Ford France’ colours of the Daytona No. 186 that was raced in the 1964 Tour de France by Andre Simon and Maurice Dupeyron – now, that’s different! Second qualifier was Willmott’s Studebaker Lark Daytona with Coyne’s Mustang fourth. They sandwiched John Spiers’ Lister Knobbly sports racer, which was like a fish out of water in this company. Anyway, the Lister cleared off to comfortably win the race, followed home by the Cobra Daytona and the Lark Daytona.
Boy, it’s good to be back.